This petite and slim crossbody style bag is just the right size for short day-trips or an evening out. Made from ethically sourced and reclaimed glazed canvas, these bags are all vegan and have a beautiful, leather-like finish. Adjustable straps can be pulled through and knotted according to the length that suits you.
Printed cotton and microsuede lining.
zippered main compartment with one zippered outer pocket.
*Crystalyn Kae has created original, handcrafted accessories made from ethically sourced and reclaimed materials in the USA for the past 20 years. Made for women with a grounded and global aesthetic, Crystalyn Kae accessories are a symbol of socially-conscious style.


text:
Mike Chattem
I've always been amused with banality and fascinated by the absurd underpinnings of reality. In my paintings mundane moments are transmuted into illusive scenarios that convey a sense of playful and surreal exploration. Scenes like someone looking at a hallway floor, a picture of a friend in nature and a midnight picnic are rendered with dense detail and pattern into fragmentary, collage-like tableaus. The figures in these paintings are represented as ghostly interlopers in virtual-like environments that pulse and reconfigure to examine their own structure and context. A concern with place, sentient transaction and visual digestion blanket my interest. The result are works that act as funky meditations on the curiosities, frustrations and victories of everyday life, dreamt or lived, but all distinctly human.
Mike Chattem received his BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2010 and has since shown in various galleries and institutions across the country. Recent exhibitions of note include Everything But The Kitschen Sink at Lu Luz De Jesus in Los Angeles, Flat Files at Ortega Y Gasset in Brooklyn, NY and Willing The Season, an online exhibition facilitated by Far x Wide to benefit The Campaign Against Hunger in NYC.
Download Artist's CV (PDF, opens in a new tab.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Project funding is aimed at experienced researchers working in Switzerland who wish to obtain funding for a project of their own. The SNSF distinguishes between disciplinary and interdisciplinary projects. The research topic can be chosen freely.
The grants cover direct costs such as salaries of collaborators, materials, travel as well as other expenses. The applicants' own salaries are not covered in project funding.


The Long Prairie Rotary Club collected items to donated to Stand Down, an event that specifically helps veterans who are homeless or in financial crisis. The items were given to the rotary club members at a recent meeting. Thanks to the Long Prairie Rotary for helping out veterans. Minnesota National Bank was proud to support this drive!


You can earn a 5% commission by selling Large Print Internet Address & Password Logbook on your website. It's easy to get started - we will give you example code. After you're set-up, your website can earn you money while you work, play or even sleep! You should start right now!


One thing leads to another, you know how it is, and here we are, a diverse mix of eleven folk singing chums, with voices in all shapes and sizes, who've come together to sing a mix of traditional and original English folk songs in glorious harmony. Aside from the simple pleasure of singing some wonderful folk songs together, the general aim was for a fresh, natural sound that allowed the individual singer to retain their 'voice' within the group. We've had fun with arrangements, a touch of theatre creeps in here and there, and ideas abound. However, the song comes first and I hope our love and respect for the material is evident and indeed, shines forth as aletheia, which'as any fool know' is ancient Greek for truth!


My first impressions of AVC were excellent as the receptionist in the call centre took the time to answer my initial queries as I was very fearful and nervous. I think if she hadnt, I'm not sure I would have gone ahead with booking an appointment. She put my mind at ease and gave me the confidence.
Following my consultation with the optometrists and Mr Pillai, I felt thoroughly confident and even excited about going through to having laser eye surgery! In fact, the idea of not going though by this point seemed ridiculous. Mr Pillasi and his team were excellent and I felt very safe and secure in their hands. Having laser eye surgery was one of the best things I have ever done. Mr Pillai successfully managed to correct my bad vision (-7.00 in each eye to 20/20) which nothing short of a miracle. I am so happy this opportunity came and with AVC it has really improved my life and couldn't highly recommend you enough!


For such a small country, Ireland has an impressive number of five star hotels with corresponding luxury spa facilities.
Looking for somewhere to unwind? The Vale Resort is a good bet as it's just been name-checked for having the best golf course and spa in Wales.
Kempinski The Spa' has for the second consecutive year been named Seychelles' Best Resort Spa by the World Spa Awards.
Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa was declared as "Greece's Best Resort Spa" for 2017 by the prestigious global awards program "World Spa Awards," which stands as the hallmark of excellence in the tourism, wellbeing and spa sector, during the glamorous awards ceremony held this year, 10th of December, in Vietnam.
2017 has surely been a wonderful year for AYANA Resort and Spa, BALI and RIMBA Jimbaran Bali by AYANA as the two received numerous achievements.
AYANA Resort and Spa, BALI and RIMBA Jimbaran BALI by AYANA hold a renowned reputation as Bali's only fully integrated resort, offering everything travelers could possibly want from a holiday in paradise.
At the 3rd annual edition of the World Spa Awards™, which took place at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay in Vietnam on Saturday, December 9, 2017, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa picked up its trophy for Greece's Best Resort Spa 2017 award.
Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa was declared as 'Greece's Best Resort Spa' for 2017 by the prestigious global awards program 'World Spa Awards', which stands as the hallmark of excellence in the tourism, wellbeing and spa sector, during the glamorous awards ceremony held this year, 10th of December, in Vietnam.
The voting procedure, in which spa and wellness professionals – senior executives, travel buyers, tour operators, agents and media – and consumers around the world participated was conducted until the end of September.


text:
Microsoft All Set To Bid Farewell to Windows 7
Aqsa-Rasool, Microsoft, news, Technology, Windows
Windows 7 is still being used by a large number of PC users, whether because they refused to adopt changes of an updated version or have been procrastinating it for one reason or another.
It is about time that all users switch to a newer version of Windows, as Microsoft has announced to discontinue providing free support and security updates for Windows 7.
After the much cursed Vista, Windows 7 proved to be much relief for many. It soon mustered attention from users. Introduction of Windows 8 didn't create much hype. Windows 10 that followed was introduced with many improvements and updates. Still, Windows 10 could not make it big because of integrated ads and a few other changes.
Windows 7 has been proved to be most popular among masses. The popularity could be checked that after years of release, only recently Window 10 could surpass the number of users as compared to Windows 7. According to Net Applications, an analytics service provider, 42.8 percent of Windows user still use Windows 7 on their PCs.
By January 14, 2020, almost a year from now, Microsoft will not provide free security updates to Windows 7 users. This could be seen as a tactic of moving users towards updated version. Note that only free support will end, whereas paid security updates could be still acquired for the next three years, with the amount increasing annually.
Photo: Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Labels: Aqsa-Rasool Microsoft news Technology Windows


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<solver>
  <!--<environmentMode>DEBUG</environmentMode>-->
  <solutionClass>org.drools.planner.examples.traindesign.domain.TrainDesign</solutionClass>
  <planningEntityClass>org.drools.planner.examples.traindesign.domain.CarBlockDesignation</planningEntityClass>

  <scoreDirectorFactory>
    <scoreDefinitionType>HARD_AND_SOFT</scoreDefinitionType>
    <scoreDrl>/org/drools/planner/examples/traindesign/solver/trainDesignScoreRules.drl</scoreDrl>
  </scoreDirectorFactory>

  <termination>
    <maximumMinutesSpend>5</maximumMinutesSpend>
  </termination>
  <constructionHeuristic>
    <constructionHeuristicType>FIRST_FIT</constructionHeuristicType>
  </constructionHeuristic>
</solver>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package com.jcwhatever.nucleus.managed.astar.examiners;

import com.jcwhatever.nucleus.managed.astar.nodes.IAStarNode;
import com.jcwhatever.nucleus.managed.astar.score.AStarGraphScore;
import com.jcwhatever.nucleus.managed.astar.score.IAStarScore;
import com.jcwhatever.nucleus.utils.PreCon;

import javax.annotation.Nullable;

/**
 * A simple node examiner implementation of {@link IAStarNodeExaminer}.
 */
public class AStarGraphExaminer<N extends IAStarNode<N>> implements IAStarNodeExaminer<N> {

    private static final AStarGraphExaminer INSTANCE = new AStarGraphExaminer();

    public static <T extends IAStarNode<T>> AStarGraphExaminer<T> get() {
        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
        AStarGraphExaminer<T> result = (AStarGraphExaminer<T>)INSTANCE;
        return result;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean isDestination(N node) {
        return node.getContext().getDestination().equals(node);
    }

    @Override
    public PathableResult isPathable(N from, N to) {
        PreCon.notNull(from);
        PreCon.notNull(to);

        //noinspection unchecked
        return to.isAdjacent(from) && (from.getParent() == null || !from.getParent().equals(to))
                ? PathableResult.VALID
                : PathableResult.INVALID_POINT;
    }

    @Override
    public IAStarScore<N> getScore(@Nullable N parent, N node) {
        return new AStarGraphScore<N>(parent, node);
    }
}


text:
WEIMER v. WEIMER
Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, New York.
Charles T. WEIMER, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Moneca WEIMER, Defendant-Appellant. (Appeal No. 2.)
PRESENT: PINE, J.P., WISNER, HURLBUTT, SCUDDER and KEHOE, JJ. Bruce K. Carpenter, Fredonia, for defendant-appellant. Joseph T. Gannon, Tonawanda, for plaintiff-respondent.
The parties, who have one child together, were divorced in May 1996. The judgment of divorce incorporated but did not merge their separation agreement, executed in January 1995. In April 1999 Moneca Weimer (mother) moved, inter alia, to vacate or modify the judgment of divorce (appeal No. 2). She alleged, inter alia, that the separation agreement is unfair and unconscionable, and was procured by fraud and overreaching, and that the child support provisions are not in compliance with the Child Support Standards Act (CSSA) (Domestic Relations Law § 240[1-b] ). In May 1999 the mother commenced a plenary action against Charles T. Weimer (father) wherein she made the same allegations (appeal No. 1).
The mother's allegations that the separation agreement is unfair, unconscionable, and the product of fraud and overreaching are not substantiated by proof sufficient to justify setting aside the separation agreement (see, Christian v. Christian, 42 N.Y.2d 63, 71-73, 396 N.Y.S.2d 817, 365 N.E.2d 849). In any event, the mother ratified the separation agreement by complying with its provisions and failing to object to it for more than four years (see, Skotnicki v. Skotnicki, 237 A.D.2d 974, 975, 654 N.Y.S.2d 904). Furthermore, the mother waited three years before moving to vacate the judgment of divorce on the ground of fraud pursuant to CPLR 5015(a)(3) and thus that part of her motion based on fraud is untimely (see, City of Albany Indus. Dev. Agency v. Garg, 250 A.D.2d 991, 993, 672 N.Y.S.2d 541).
We agree with the mother, however, that the child support provisions of both the separation agreement and that part of the judgment of divorce incorporating those provisions fail to satisfy the requirements of Domestic Relations Law § 240(1-b)(h) (see, Brown v. Powell [appeal No. 2], 278 A.D.2d 846, 718 N.Y.S.2d 674; Zenz v. Zenz, 260 A.D.2d 474, 689 N.Y.S.2d 167). We therefore modify the order in appeal No. 2 by vacating that part of the judgment of divorce incorporating the child support provisions of the separation agreement, and we remit the matter to Supreme Court to determine the father's child support obligation in accordance with the CSSA (see, Zenz v. Zenz, supra). Given our determination, we do not reach the remaining issues.
Order unanimously modified on the law and as modified affirmed without costs and matter remitted to Supreme court for further proceedings.
MEMORANDUM:


We all love gear, sure we do. But here at SoundGym we believe that our ears, our listening skills and our knowledge come first.
We made SoundGym so soundheads like you can have a place to meet, train, learn, improve skills and chat about music making, audio engineering and live sound.
Our mission is to help you make great sounding music. We will give you the right tools to level up and help you learn all you need to know to become a better producer and engineer.
We want to provide you a learning environment like no other. Friendly, competitive, personalized and full of surprises - Soundgym is like a playground for the sound enthusiast. We know that fun and effectiveness work together best, and when you enjoy your time you learn better.
We launched on May 2016 and we are growing fast. SoundGym is now used in more than 200 countries by sound experts, bedroom producers and educational facilities.
But our work is not finished. SoundGym is always a work in progress. You haven't seen anything yet!


Selecting a dog takes time and trouble.
that you would never have dreamed to think about.
have your work, your friends, your entertainments. But I have only you.
have been in the sun too long or my heart might be getting old or weak.
please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone.
Everything is easier for me if you are there. Because I love you so.
them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful thing without God's critters.
Lowchens make good pets why?
I maybe the most fun loving dog you'll ever meet. I am called a Löwchen. "Meaning of the name is Little dog lion"
Löwchens; in general, are fun loving inquisitive, intelligent a loving affectionate sociable delightful characters lively, entertaining, and very loyal devoted, and eager to please they are very outgoing clowns in a small breed, although sensible should not be hyperactive. He is a mixture of playful spirit and calm soul mate, a good companion. He is willing to please and responsive to commands, and is devoted to his family. Having a sound, happy temperament - puppies should not be timid or nervous and should play happily with visitors it is up to the breeder to show your younger members of the family how to sit down and be gently with a puppy - Löwchens crave for constant love and attention from you and your family members particularly they love the young members of the family. Just like children Löwchen respond extremely well to praise and positive reinforcement.
Löwchens need to be a part of the family home. They are not a dog that is happy just living outside: They are Hypo allergenic, somost people with allergies alright with Löwchen. As Non-shedding breed they do not lose a lot of coat at any one time. of cause as with us humans, Löwchen do lose some coat but not in large amounts at one time. this means you will not have a lounge filled with hair, although you may find some on the carpet. They love to play outside with their toys and the family, They are good with children and other pets in the household, I suggest that everyone has some training when they get there first Löwchen as they learn quickly, and they will also learn how to pull the wool over your eyes if you do not learn some reward based training while they are young. The Lowchens lion-cut coat makes them look fragile, but this is not the case. These dogs enjoy long walks but will adjust to any lifestyle. They are fearless, resourceful, and bold. They possess a gentle and sensitive nature, and firmly attach themselves to their family. Löwchens are good with children, other dogs, and other household pets.
what age can I have my Löwchen It is against Dogs Victoria's regulations for registered breeders sell you a Lowchen before the age of 8 weeks and some need to be a little older before they leave mum! So do not expect to take one home any earlier for a reputable breeder. A Löwchen puppy that has not been raised in the home, that has had little contact with humans and the activity of a family may not make a well-rounded and secure family pet. For this reason it is important to visit the breeder of your choice if this is possible and they should make you welcome to come and meet the breed before you make a choice to make a Löwchen part of you household, if you live in a different state or Country then ask other breeders if they know of this breeder or ask the breeder for other people names who you can contact that have their pups, and ask them about how the pups were raised, and what sort of support they have given them with their dogs. A reputable breeder will always be willing to show you the litter mates if they still have them and parents of the puppy if they own them both, as well as other Lowchens in their household.
Things that you may want to be aware of: some may bark or dig and have a love of water in the garden if not trained; The Löwchen can receive ample exercise with a short walk or active game every day. He enjoys a mental challenge. He is not a breed that should live outside, although he appreciates access to a yard during the day. They may display arrogance or a strong-willed attitude. They are extremely protective of their family and will bark to warn of danger or visitors. His coat needs brushing or combing about every other day. Clipping to maintain the traditional lion trim must be done every month or two. Many pet owners prefer to keep their dogs in a puppy clip. Whatever your Löwchens attitude, if given your love, care and training can change him/her completely - from an unruly, out-of-control dog to the best in the block!! Lowchen requires a professional grooming every four to six weeks. The unclipped hair must be combed daily to prevent tangles and mats. Bathing should be done on a weekly basis. The Löwchens high intelligence and willingness to please make them easily trained. They excel in agility and obedience. Early socialization is important for this breed. They respond best to gentle, fair, fun, and consistent guidance. Proper training will discourage their tendency to bark excessively and curtail their tendency to dig.
Health: Löwchens are relatively free from health problems, yet like people any dog can have health problems a good breeder will be able to give you the records of the breeding of your puppies and any health checks that have been done on the lines, such as eyes knees and show you that the dogs have good hearing. Most breeders will ask if the pet puppy is to be de-sexed and will make it a condition of the sale, so make sure if you are thinking of breeding you let the breeder know of this as otherwise the puppy will be on the pet register as not for breeding of showing.
Are you are interested in the history of the Lowchen breed?
Although uncommon, these dogs are no longer rare. Löwchen (pronounced lerv-chun) means 'little lion dog', and in France the breed is know as le petit chien lion. The Lowchen shares common roots with other members of the Bichon family, which includes the Bichon Frise Maltese and Havanese, among others. Germany, Russia and France have all laid claim to the breed. The exact time and place of his origin is obscure, but dogs resembling the Löwchen, sporting the distinctive lion trim, can be found in 16th-century German art. In the traditional lion trim, the coat is clipped short from the last rib to, and including, the hindquarters down to the hock joint. The front legs are clipped from elbow to just above the pastern. The feet are clipped, and about one third the tail is clipped, leaving a plume at the tip. Any long hair is to be left unshaped. In the 1960s, the breed's numbers had dwindled to perilous numbers; through the efforts of two breeders, several related dogs from Germany were brought to Britain. Because of their small numbers, these dogs were interbred extensively and formed the basis of the breed in Britain, Australia, New Zealand as well as America.
Find your Lowchen puppy for sale or adult dog from our reputable, responsible Löwchen breeder listings. Check Lowchen Club web sites in your country for the New South Wales Lowchen breed club click on link http://www.nswlowchen.com/ Locate dogs for sale, puppies for sale, dog breeders, and more. We can also refer you on to other dog breeders we know of, perhaps closer to you. They can also help you with information on puppy selection and puppy care.


Recap: The Amazing Race Canada 3, Episode 2 – "I'm gonna pee myself."
The 11 teams are flying out of Canada to Santiago, Chile. Once there, they head to Geoaventura Outdoor Park where they find the Road Block.
For this Road Block, teams will paraglide over Santiago.
Matt, Leilani, Nic, and Brian are the first to decide to do the Road Block. Leilani is nervous because of her fear of heights, but feels fine once they get in the air.
In the next group of teams are Michaela, Gino, Kristin and Susan.
Simi & Ope see the park, but their taxi driver just drives past it. Brent & Sean and Dana & Amanda are also lost. Once they get to the park, Simi, Sean and Dana do the Road Block.
The first group reunites with their partners to open the next clue pointing teams back to Santiago and to the mural "Sanacion Equilibrio" in the borough of San Miguel.
Nick & Matt arrive first and open the clue telling teams to take a selfie in front of five murals part of an open air museum in the neighborhood. Once the museum curator has checked their selfies, they will be given a wooden case directing them to the location of part 2 of the task.
Dujean & Leilani argue, Sabrina still can't run and Brian & Cynthia aren't trained in selfie-taking.
Hamilton & Michaela finish the selfies first and head to the community center on the suitcase. The next clue tells teams to help local kids paint a new mural for their community center. Teams will need to translate the colors to English and correctly paint their chosen panel. After giving the kids the suitcase which is filled with art supplies, they will get the next clue.
As other teams arrive at the community center, Hamilton & Michaela maintain their lead as they finish and receive the next clue. That clue contains a Detour and directions on how to win the Express Passes.
To get the Express Passes, teams must head to the Patio Bellavista and be the first ones to find Bailarines de Cueca who are performing Chile's national dance. The winning teams must hand the 2nd Express Pass to another team before the end of Leg 4.
While Hamilton & Michaela, Brian & Cynthia and Nick & Matt go for the Express Pass, Susan & Sharnjit are in last still looking for murals. Hamilton & Michaela step into the box on the ground at the dancing and are handed the Express Passes.
Now it's time for the Detour: Motion or Emotion.
In Motion, teams must dress up and participate in a traditional Rapa Nui dance from Easter Island at Plaza de Armas.
In Emotion, teams must find the National Historic Library where each team member will learn a verse in Spanish from Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral's poem, "Valle de Chile." They will then head out to the courtyard and correctly recite the poem to a waiting audience.
Hamilton & Michaela head to Plaza de Armas to do the Motion Detour. But Hamilton is not comfortable wearing the revealing costumes, so they immediately hand over their Express Pass.
They get the next clue pointing them to the Pit Stop at the Jardin Botanico Mapulemu at Cerro San Cristobal. They hurry over and officially check-in as Team #1. Jon tells them they've won a trip to Delhi, India on premium economy seats from Air Canada. Plus, they've won six months of free gas from Petro Canada.
Brian & Cynthia and Nick & Matt choose the dancing as well. They realize they must watch to learn the dance. Both fail their first attempts.
As Gino & Jesse choose Emotion, Brent & Sean, Dana & Amanda and Neil & Kristin arrive at the plaza. Brian & Cynthia have just gotten the thumbs up after their 4th attempt. Nick & Matt get it on their 7th attempt.
Susan & Sharnjit are again left behind in last place at the painting. Gino & Jesse decide to switch Detours when they have trouble even saying the words. When they leave the library, they find their taxi driver is gone. They decide to run to the plaza.
Over at the plaza, Dana & Amanda finish on their 2nd attempt.
At the Pit Stop, Brian & Cynthia are Team #2 and Nick & Matt at Team #3.
Nic & Sabrina are at the library and decide to use their Spanish skills to successfully finish the Detour very fast.
Dujean & Leilani get the dance on their 3rd attempt. Neil & Kristin pass on their 4th attempt.
Dana & Amanda's taxi driver drops them off at the bottom of the hill and they decide to run up to the peak where the Mat is. That allows Nic & Sabrina, Dujean & Leilani and Neil & Kristin to pass them to finish as Teams 4, 5 and 6. Dana & Amanda have to settle for 7th.
At the Detour, Brent & Sean and Simi & Ope finish on their 6th and 5th attempts. Gino & Jesse are now worried, but they finish after their 6th attempt. They leave just as Susan & Sharnjit arrive.
Brent & Sean and Simi & Ope officially check-in as Teams 8 and 9.
Gino & Jesse decide to run to the Pit Stop after getting directions from a man, especially after having bad luck with taxis. Susan & Sharnjit finish the Detour on their 6th attempt and hurry off.
It's a race to the Mat and Gino & Jesse are the ones to escape elimination as Team #10.
That means Susan & Sharnjit are last and eliminated.
So it was great to get out of Canada this early. But I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed by the Leg and episode. It seemed like a very paint-by-the-numbers Leg. Something like you'd see on The Amazing Race Philippines DryedMangoez Edition (lol) or on any post-TAR18 season except TAR25.
The tasks themselves were fine. Paragliding is a great, typical TAR travel-type task. The painting with the kids was a nice little gesture. Having either kids or old locals on the Race is a sure winner.
But the selfie task was basically last season's Fast Forward task that Alain & Audrey won searching for old signs. It was nice to highlight some local art. But I feel all selfied-out after TAR26.
The Detour could've been really great. In fact, the Rapa Nui dance and the memorizing of Spanish poems by a Nobel Prize winner were very familiar. (lol) But there sadly wasn't much drama or fun from either Detour. It took up only a small chuck of the episode and teams just went in and out.
Watching a dance for the Express Pass is alright too.
So I feel like on paper, the tasks were fine. But they didn't really play out as great as they could have. The teams only slightly helped keep the episode interesting, but not as much as last week I think.
Nic & Sabrina, together, weren't as fun this week as last, but at least Sabrina's slowness continues to be a focus. Her slowness is funnier because they're still in the front of the pack in spite of it. Lol Dujean & Leilani should be the source of some fun bickering couple goodness from now on. Their arguments were so random and out of nowhere, which is always more fun.
It's too bad about Susan & Sharnjit. Done in by a selfie task. I feel like they could've done a lot more on the Race had they survived. It would've been great to see them do more physical tasks which I think they've could've handled well.
Simi & Ope were quieter this Leg, but I'm still rooting for them. For Brian & Cynthia, it was Brian's turn to provide some fun after Cynthia was one of the stars last week. Talking about getting selfie police training and then him possibly being the most energetic at the Detour was amusing enough.
Nick & Matt are getting the nice guy edit so far. I feel like the show is purposefully not including Brent & Sean's funniest scenes and commentary. What little we do get from them is funny though.
I was really surprised Hamilton & Michaela gave up the Express Pass so soon. I think that was a huge waste since they didn't have to do the dancing Detour if they didn't want to, of course. Is this the fastest someone's used an Express Pass after receiving it? This could be a fatal error on their part. Sadly.
Dana & Amanda and Neil & Kristin were pretty quiet this Leg, though Dana & Amanda running up to the Pit Stop was hilarious. And Gino & Jesse really collapsed this Leg. Wrong decision for them to try the poem and they seemed to lose a lot of time worrying about taxis. Definitely nowhere near their great Leg 1 performance.


WAIST HIGH: Happy 25th Birthday Upstairs At Eric's.
Happy 25th Birthday Upstairs At Eric's.
Released 25 years ago this month, Upstairs at Eric's reached #2 in the UK and has been hailed as a landmark synth pop release; a record that established the link between American-style R&B and European electronica. Named after the duo's living space in producer Eric Radcliffe's home during the recording, Upstairs at Eric's contains the three classic singles "Don't Go," "Situation," and "Only You."
Departing Depeche Mode after their first album Speak and Spell, Vince Clarke formed Yazoo in 1981 with Alison Moyet, a veteran of a number of southeast Essex based punk and rock bands. Their second and final album You and Me Both went to #1 in the UK, however on the eve of the album's UK release, Clarke and Moyet announced their split.
"Upstairs at Eric's is a true classic of not only the 80's synth-pop movement but also, without exaggeration, of 20th century music. On the one side is the genius of Vince Clarke on the synthesizers and on the other side, the beautiful, unmatched powerful voice of Alison Moyet. They were together for only two albums but they attained immortality with these. Every song in this album is a work of genius. Arrangements are first class. This is a once in a lifetime performance."
"The FINEST piece of electronic pop music to come out of the Eighties."


Early Style, Professionally Restored Original Convertible top.
Special Minter stiffeners added at rear clamp area for superior fit on rear deck, not visible after restoration.
Special Black pads installed on the underside to protect the cover while folding.
Correct finger style front & side clamps, straight handle on rear clamps. Straight zipper rear window.
Framework & complete swing bar assembly refinished in correct high gloss finish.
Original stainless front header refinished in Minters' Restoration facility.


text:
Free iPhone Apps
By Tyler Williams	 On Oct 9, 2020
Apple Inc. was the first organization of the world to launch a touchscreen phone, it has become the pioneer of the invention which was afterward copied by many others. Its iPhone was the first device to create such a hype among the users.
With the passage of time, the app development for the iPhone devices has speeded up making the experience of the users more enhanced than ever before. Recent development in the devices has given a greater scope to the developers for developing more and more applications which are available for free in the Apple app store. Mostly it is hard to find the free apps for iPhone, but there are certain apps which are popular on the iPhone.
Here is a list of recommended iPhone apps which can enhance user experience while using an iPhone.
CAMERA AWESOME
Camera Awesome is a camera app comprised of tools to design best photos with it. From exposure adjustment, composition guides and focus tools allow you to edit each and every detail of the picture. Its auto-awesomize feature makes it a one touch process which improves your picture remarkably. It is a free app which helps you to completely transform the picture which then gives you an option to share it on different social media networks such as Facebook, Flickr and Instagram.
PopCap'sPlants Vs. Zombies had been a popular game when it was first released on iPhone and its sequel, Plants Vs. Zombies 2 has gained the similar sort of popularity among the game players.In the sequel the players are taken to the Ancient Egypt, the Wild West and the golden age of privacy giving the users some unique challenges. It is a perfect combination of solid tower defense mechanics with amazing graphics, in this version of the game players will also face the challenge by zombies pirates and chicken wranglers. It is a free app available for download in the app store.
DOCUMENTS FREE
Using a documents app is really very necessary when you are using an iPhone as its just like a mini computer. A Savy Soda app, Documents Free is known to be the best free app for managing your documents in a single platform, this app has made it easier for the users to sync all of their cloud storages, such as Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Docs in one place making it easier for the users to upload or download a document to the cloud. Although the screen of an iPhone is smaller, but some minor editing and document viewing is possible while using the app on the phone.
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text:
All Endocrinology
Bone/Mineral Metabolism
Cardiometabolic Disorders
Reproduction/Androgen Disorders
In the Journals Plus
Endocrinology Topics
3D-printing technology improves outcomes in pituitary adenoma surgery
Huang X, et al. Pituitary. 2019;doi:10.1007/s11102-018-0927-x.
The use of 3D-printed models could lead to less operation time and blood loss and fewer postoperative complications in adults who undergo endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas and other conditions, according to findings published in Pituitary.
"Several factors influence the outcome of endoscopic endonasal surgery, including the tumor volume, patient age, lesion location and sphenoid pneumatolysis," Xiaobing Jiang, of the department of neurosurgery at Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and colleagues wrote. "An accurate model of the target tumor structure is a major prerequisite for a successful [pituitary adenoma] resection, especially for macroadenomas, as this may avoid disastrous complications due to suboptimal treatment."
Jiang and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of 20 adults who underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery at Union Hospital in Wuhan. Participants were included based on similar tumor sizes, the presence of no other diseases and nonintuitive tumor identification. All surgeries in the cohort occurred between January and August 2017, with 10 participants (mean age, 44.4 years; 50% women) receiving CT and MRI before surgery; the remaining 10 also received an operation with 3D printing (mean age, 41.2 years; 50% women).
To create the 3D models, images from CT and MRIs were combined. The 3D printer then used this information to create the model, which took between 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 4 hours, 32 minutes, to design and 10 hours, 12 minutes, and 22 hours, 34 minutes, to print.
After surgery, the researchers found that mean operation time was lower in participants who had 3D models compared with participants who did not (127 minutes vs. 143.4 minutes; P = .007). In addition, there was less blood loss in participants with 3D printing compared with participants without (159.9 mL vs. 170 mL; P = .009). The researchers noted that there were postoperative complications in 20% of the 3D-printing group and 40% of the CT and MRI alone group.
"As it is highly precise and allows personalization, 3D-printing technology has started to be applied in medicine in recent years. In neurosurgery, 3D-printing technology can provide models for the patients' disease characteristics, such as skull defects, brain tumors, intracranial aneurysms and intracranial vascular malformations," the researchers wrote. "We believe that with its continuous development, 3D-printing technology will be applied in clinical practice in the near future." – by Phil Neuffer


Doesn't the employer have to pay for my uniform? If this is the first time a garnishment has happened, your employer cannot fire you solely on that basis. The employer deducts all of those costs from my paycheck, which doesn't leave me with much left over. I work for a catering business, and am required to wear a white shirt and black slacks while working.
CA Labor Code Section 206 Back To Top Deductions from Wages In California, an employer may not withhold or deduction wages from an employees paycheck, unless: required or empowered to do If you did not agree in writing, then the employer cannot make the deduction at all. App. Deductions authorized by a collective bargaining or wage agreement, specifically to cover health and welfare or pension payments.
Is this correct?13. The employee must inform the employer in WRITING if they want to withdraw their written authorization. References (3) U.S. Is there anything I can do?16.
Can my employer changes the terms of the agreement like that? In other words, employer advances in pay, the principle amount of an employer loan and bona fide employer overpayment errors do NOT require a written authorization from an employee in order Some states have their own laws on wage garnishment. Best Places to Live Thinking about moving?
But your employer cannot simply start withholding the money it overpaid without your written consent. However, there are limits on what employers can deduct from pay. Whenever I work a full eight-hour shift, the cost of dinner is deducted from my paycheck. Deductions for the benefit of the employer include, but are not limited to, use of the employer's equipment, cash register shortages, inventory shortages and uniforms that are required by the employer.
I am legally required to pay child support to my former spouse, who has custody of our two children. Payment shall be made by mail to any such employee who so requests and designates a mailing address therefor. Carol J. to 5 p.m.
Industrial Welfare Commission Orders, Section 8; see also Kerr's Catering v. Box 4260 Houston, Texas 77210–4260 © Copyright 2016 Hearst Newspapers, LLC Grow Your Legal Practice Meet the Editors Sign In Support Toggle navigation Shopping-cart Toggle search Shop by Products Find a Your state law may have different deadlines for filing a complaint about wage garnishment and other withholding violations. What types of deductions may an employer legally take out of my paycheck?
CA Labor Code Section 401; the cost of a bond required of an applicant or employee by an employer. While I admit that I owe the money, now that my wages are being garnished, I don't have enough to live on and pay my other expenses.


25 September 2015 – The 193-Member United Nations General Assembly today formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a set of bold new Global Goals, which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed as a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world.
GENEVA, 11 March 2015 - The year 2014 was marked by a multiplication of conflicts and made children even more vulnerable to the effects of war, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, told the Human Rights Council earlier today, as she presented her Annual Report covering the period from December 2013 to December 2014.
Increasing economic and social disparities pose a threat to children's rights, Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon said today, stressing that much more needs to be done to safeguard millions of young people around the world.
Top United Nations officials today marked the global population reaching 7 billion with a call to action to world leaders to meet the challenges that a growing population poses, from ensuring adequate food and clean water to guaranteeing equal access to security and justice.
Young people from 22 countries have gathered at the United Nations this week to shine a light on the impact that the global economic crisis is having on youth around the world.
Stressing that the warning signs of impending disaster were evident, but ignored, long before drought and famine began killing tens of thousands of people in the Horn of Africa, the United Nations today swung its support behind a 'Never Again' campaign to end extreme hunger.
The United Nations envoy advocating for the rights of children during armed conflicts today welcomed the Security Council's decision to agree to apply sanctions against any individuals or entities that violate children's rights.


text:
package cloud::docker::mode::listcontainers;

use base qw(centreon::plugins::mode);

use strict;
use warnings;

sub new {
    my ($class, %options) = @_;
    my $self = $class->SUPER::new(package => __PACKAGE__, %options);
    bless $self, $class;

    $self->{version} = '1.2';
    $options{options}->add_options(arguments =>
        {
            "port:s"     => { name => 'port' },
            "exclude:s"  => { name => 'exclude' },
        });

    $self->{container_infos} = ();

    return $self;
}

sub check_options {
    my ($self, %options) = @_;
    $self->SUPER::init(%options);
}

sub check_exclude {
    my ($self, %options) = @_;

    if (defined($self->{option_results}->{exclude}) && $self->{option_results}->{exclude} =~ /(^|\s|,)${options{status}}(\s|,|$)/) {
        $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("Skipping ${options{status}} container."));
        return 1;
    }
return 0;
}

sub listcontainer_request {
    my ($self, %options) = @_;

	my $urlpath = "/containers/json";
	my $port = $self->{option_results}->{port};
	my $containerapi = $options{custom};

    my $webcontent = $containerapi->api_request(urlpath => $urlpath,
                                                port => $port);

    foreach my $val (@$webcontent) {
        my $containerstate;
        if (($val->{Status} =~ m/^Up/) && ($val->{Status} =~ m/^(?:(?!Paused).)*$/)) {
            return if ($self->check_exclude(status => 'Running'));
            $containerstate = 'Running';
        } elsif ($val->{Status} =~ m/^Exited/) {
            return if ($self->check_exclude(status => 'Exited'));
            $containerstate = 'Exited';
        } elsif ($val->{Status} =~ m/\(Paused\)$/) {
            return if ($self->check_exclude(status => 'Paused'));
            $containerstate = 'Paused';
        }
        my $containername = $val->{Names}->[0];
        $containername =~ s/^\///;
        $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{id} = $val->{Id};
        $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{image} = $val->{Image};
        $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{state} = $containerstate;
    }
}

sub disco_format {
    my ($self, %options) = @_;

    my $names = ['name', 'id', 'image', 'state'];
    $self->{output}->add_disco_format(elements => $names);
}

sub disco_show {
    my ($self, %options) = @_;

    $self->listcontainer_request(%options);

    foreach my $containername (keys %{$self->{container_infos}}) {
        $self->{output}->add_disco_entry(name => $containername,
                                         id => $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{id},
                                         image => $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{image},
                                         state => $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{state},
                                        );
    }
}

sub run {
    my ($self, %options) = @_;

    $self->listcontainer_request(%options);

    foreach my $containername (keys %{$self->{container_infos}}) {
        $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("%s [id = %s , image = %s, state = %s]",
                                                        $containername,
                                                        $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{id},
                                                        $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{image},
                                                        $self->{container_infos}->{$containername}->{state}));
    }

    $self->{output}->output_add(severity => 'OK',
                                short_msg => 'List containers:');

    $self->{output}->display(nolabel => 1, force_ignore_perfdata => 1, force_long_output => 1);
    $self->{output}->exit();

}

1;

__END__

=head1 MODE

List Docker containers

=head2 DOCKER OPTIONS

=item B<--port>

Port used by Docker

=head2 MODE OPTIONS

=item B<--exlude>

Exclude specific container's state (comma seperated list) (Example: --exclude=Paused,Running)

=back

=cut


text:
Retail-Only Sports Betting Finally Kicks Off In North Carolina At Two Tribal Casinos
Openings are thanks to a 2019 state law that allowed for sports betting
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) on Thursday kicked off Las Vegas-style retail sports betting in North Carolina, giving the state of Tennessee and its five online/mobile sportsbooks a bit of competition directly to the east.
The tribe opened what it calls "The Book" at Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, N.C., and also south of that at Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy. The retail spaces come through a partnership involving the EBCI, Caesars Entertainment, and William Hill.
"We are excited to offer legal sports betting at The Book, and just in time for March Madness," Richard Sneed, principal chief of the EBCI, said in a statement. "We would like to thank our partners at William Hill and Harrah's Cherokee Casinos, as well as members of the state, for making this opening possible."
The tribe can't offer online/mobile betting across the state, like is available in neighboring Tennessee.
William Hill recently launched a sports betting app in Tennessee.
Long road to retail wagering
Legislation to bring retail sportsbooks to North Carolina was passed in mid-2019, a little over a year after the famous U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a 1990s law that virtually prohibited sports betting outside of Nevada. North Carolina was one of the early states to get a bill done.
The EBCI last year said it felt "strung along" on sports betting, but it appears everything is now amicable between the state and the tribe. The COVID-19 pandemic was obviously at its worst in 2020, playing a role in retail wagering being delayed at the tribal casinos. The EBCI originally anticipated having sports betting in the late fall of 2019, well before the pandemic struck, so the delay wasn't entirely due to the virus.
The tribe delivered a proposed amendment to its gaming compact with the state in October 2019. Gov. Roy Cooper had 180 days, under the law, to make a decision on it. The deadline fell within the height of the spring COVID-19 surge, when casinos across the U.S. had closed.
In addition to an internet-only market in Tennessee, the two EBCI retail books have competition to the north from Virginia, which legalized both retail and online/mobile. South Carolina to the south doesn't have any form of sports betting, and the same goes for neighboring Georgia and nearby Kentucky. The two EBCI sportsbooks have a relatively strong position for bettors looking to visit a Las Vegas-style sportsbook.
Meaningful impact on the TN market?
The two retail casinos surely will draw in some Tennesseans, but the impact on the Volunteer State's market will be negligible or minimal at worst. States with both online and retail have seen more than 90% of the handle come from the former. For a high-profile event like March Madness, retail books do have a lot of appeal, but generally bettors prefer convenience over "experience."
It's about a two-hour car ride from Knoxville to the larger of the two EBCI sportsbooks, good for a weekend trip but not exactly a quick trek down the road. Bettors from Tennessee basically have to do a large loop around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to wager at the EBCI book in Cherokee. The sportsbook at the sister property in Murphy to the south is closer to the Tennessee border, but also about a two-hour drive from a major city in the Volunteer State (Chattanooga). Neither book is super accessible for Tennesseans.
The Book at Harrah's Cherokee (credit: EBCI)
Tennessee sportsbooks handled more than $520 million in wagers collectively during November, December, and January. Month-over-month growth between December and January was 16.7%. More sportsbooks are still in the process of launching in Tennessee, which will continue to help grow the market.
There is a trick up the sleeve for at least one sportsbook in Tennessee. BetMGM and Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars have a partnership for online gambling, and while BWW can't offer any form of retail wagering options (guests have to use their own devices) it does sort of make BWW locations into something similar to the feel of a retail sportsbook. This type of arrangement should keep some Tennesseans closer to home.
And, of course, the Tennessee apps become inoperable once someone is inside a different state, so a guest at an EBCI sportsbook doesn't have the option of wagering on their favorite apps that are based in Tennessee. EBCI is expected to have on-site mobile betting options, but once you're in the casino you're more likely to wager at a betting window or kiosk.
Photo by Billy F. Blume Jr / Shutterstock.com


text:
Les Catenulidae sont une famille de vers plats libres.

Liste des genres
Africatenula Young, 1976
Catenula Duges, 1832
Dasyhormus Marcus, 1945
Suomina Marcus, 1945

Références
Graff, 1905 : Marine Turbellarien Orotavas und der Küsten Europas. Teil II. Rhabdocoela. Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Zoologie 83 pp. 68-154.
Tyler, Schilling, Hooge & Bush 2006 : Turbellarian taxonomic database. Version 1.5  Base de données

Liens externes

Catenulida

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Who was is it? I looked on Bulbapedia but I didn't find the answer.
That is Sabrina's doll. The Sabrina episodes are kind of creepy, because Sabrina's mind has apparently been split in half. Her cold, calculating, sinister side lives in her body, while the playful little girl she never was lives in the doll.
Sabrina, a psychic type gym leader, has telikinetic and psychic abilities.This doll is, in essence, possessed by Sabrina's childish half.


As a political scientist, gerrymandering offends me. It's the process by which electoral districts are redrawn to guarantee certain outcomes. In essence, it flips the script of representative democracy; instead of voters choosing their representatives, representatives choose their voters.
That's essentially what's happening in Texas, as the legislature discusses a bill that would allow Lone Star College to annex a high-revenue town from Lee College's district. Lone Star would have the option of annexing three different towns, according to a local report, but expressed interest only in the most lucrative one.
As a partial excuse for my blind spot, I'll note that I've worked in states in which community colleges don't have "districts." In New Jersey, they're defined by (and partly funded by) counties. Whatever is in your county is in your county. There's some incidental poaching along county lines when a given town is closer to the other county's campus, but it's pretty mild. In Massachusetts, they don't have defined service areas at all; each college recruits where it can. For instance, when I was at Holyoke, the city of Springfield was one of its biggest feeders, even though Springfield had its own community college in it. That wasn't considered weird.
Not living or working in Texas, I'm willing to believe that there might be more to the story. But if there isn't, and it's really as brazen and awful as it seems, it should stand as a cautionary tale. Institutions starved of legitimate resources will resort to desperate measures to feed themselves. Part of what we buy, when we direct operating funds into public colleges, is insulation from the "red in tooth and claw" side of the marketplace. That allows colleges the option of behaving ethically and still surviving. When we desiccate that funding stream, colleges are sometimes forced to choose between ethics and survival. Cannibalism is a predictable, if horrifying, response to famine. The behavior of for-profit colleges when enrollments drop isn't admirable, but it's understandable. Forcing public colleges to behave like for-profits increases the likelihood of similar abuses.
Gerrymandering isn't admirable in any case, but for community colleges it's especially bad. They exist, in part, to serve people who can't afford other options. Deliberately excluding lower-income areas from service districts is counter to the mission, even if it's understandable in immediate budgetary terms. The conflict between those two shouldn't exist.
Wise and worldly readers, especially those in Texas, is there more to the story? Has anyone seen a similar dynamic play out elsewhere? I'm concerned that while the particulars of this story are necessarily local, given the long-term trends we face, this might become as normal as gerrymandering in politics. And with consequences just as bad.
The Boy is well-situated for a traditional college experience. He has educated parents, including one who works in higher ed. He's smart, with good grades and a track record of academic success. He works hard. He has a goal. He attends a good high school, where he's enrolled in the IB program. He's surrounded by kids who are going to ambitious and selective places, often out of state. (That last clause is a New Jersey-ism. NJ pours money into K-12, then cheaps out on higher ed, which leads to mass exports of talented teens. But that's another post.) He's very much the sort of kid that traditional college is designed around. Sociologically, he's running with a tailwind.
Like many phobias, it isn't so much unfounded or random as exaggerated or misplaced. A fear of heights is based on something; hitting the ground from a high elevation isn't likely to end well. But when a fear that has some basis expands beyond where it makes sense, it can become debilitating. I'm seeing some of that with student loans.
Didn't borrow, taking two classes at a time, on the five-year plan for an associate's.
The correct answer is c, although I'd also accept d. A and b are likely to be just fine.
The "student loan crisis" mostly isn't a student loan crisis. It's mostly a dropout crisis. If you want to avoid having student loan debt hanging over you for years, the single most crucial thing you can do is...graduate.
We know that the longer it takes to finish a degree, the likelier that is that life will get in the way. But that's only part of it. The opportunity cost of the extra time is likely worth significantly more than the balance of typical student loans. In the example above, student D is missing out on several years' worth of manager-level money that student B is making. That money should be more than enough to keep up with modest loan payments.
That's not to deny that there are cases in which student loans are a problem, any more than denying that jumping from tall buildings is unlikely to end well. I wouldn't advise anyone to take out six figures of student debt either for an undergraduate degree or for a non-elite graduate degree in a traditional academic field. But a few thousand to speed up completion of an associate's in hospitality management, automotive technology, or a transfer-focused degree that sets you up for something better? Absolutely.
Certainly, there are some policy changes that would make the student loan system better. When the next recession rolls around, as they are wont to do, I'll make my Keynesian pitch for forgiving the interest on the loans. Recessions are not the fault of students, nor are they the fault of colleges. They're just part of the business cycle. Borrowers would still be on the hook for the principal, but forgiving interest strikes me as a reasonable middle ground when recessions strike. Certainly, student loans should be forgivable in bankruptcy or upon the death of the borrower. That's just common decency. I'm a fan of much greater operating funding for public colleges and universities so they don't have to keep raising tuition. Besides, in the long run, it's a lot cheaper than bailing out for-profits that sprung up to fill the gaps that underfunded community colleges were unable to fill. There's plenty of policy work to do on student loans. And there's even more policy work to do on the economy more broadly.
But in the meantime, student loan phobia cuts off the avenues to higher income that make student loans payable in the first place. The Boy has parents who know that, but not everybody does. Fear of heights may have a rational basis, but if you never look down, you're much likelier to fall.
Every writer likes to be read. Writers like me, who address policy issues, want to have an impact. That's what made a Monday 8 a.m. panel so gratifying.
John Rainone, the president of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, and Ryan McCall, president of Marion Technical College, did a presentation on "Free College" programs. The program that Marion Tech is using was based on a post I wrote a couple of years ago. It's a variation on "buy one, get one free," in which the "one" is an academic year. The idea is that students who complete thirty credits earn a second year for free. That moves the concept from a "handout" to an "earned benefit," thereby making it more congruent with our political culture.
It's early days yet, but the signs are encouraging. President McCall mentioned that the fall-to-fall retention rate overall at MTC is 54 percent, but that the retention rate for students in this program is 70 percent. Even better, he reported that the pitch to donors and political leaders in his rural and conservative area was well-received. To the donors, he pitches it in terms of return on investment. "For all the scholarships you've funded in the past, how many students graduate?" They don't know. "Would you invest in your business if you couldn't track results?" No. "With this one, students have already shown that they're serious and capable, and you'll have countable results within a year. You'll know your ROI." Apparently, that works well. It has the added virtue of being verifiably true.
In the context of Ohio, where all state funding is performance-based, double-digit increases in retention rates can have real financial payoff for a college. But even without performance-based funding, the idea of making completion economically easier makes a world of sense. Given typically lower sophomore class sizes, many community colleges could absorb significant increases in sophomores without adding meaningful additional cost; the 200-level classes would just run two-thirds full, instead of half-full. And we'd be incentivizing the student behavior we actually want to see.
I'll keep following MTC's adventures with this idea, and evangelizing for it elsewhere. It just makes too much sense not to work.
The afternoon allowed me to nerd out pretty hard. The theme was "my idiosyncratic interests." I was in my glory.
It opened with a presentation by David Baime, Christina Amato, Dan Phelan, and Barbara Gellman-Danley on Negotiated Rulemaking in the Higher Ed Act Reauthorization, or "Neg Reg." Neg Reg is defined in statute as requiring the input of all "impacted parties," and there's a legal gun to everyone's head; if "consensus" isn't reached on the committee by a time certain, then the committee cedes authority to the Department of Higher Ed to regulate as it sees fit. That amounts to a collapse of checks and balances, with an abdication of the legislative branch to the executive branch. So people from a panoply of different sectors or interest groups, with varying levels of knowledge and good faith, are told to find areas of agreement quickly or accept whatever is behind door number three.
The group found consensus with three minutes to spare. According to the panel, we dodged several bullets. A proposal to allow outsourcing of 100 percent of an accredited program to non-accredited providers was defeated. "Redlines" that Amato described as "slapdash" (great word!) around graduation rates were defeated, to the palpable relief of anyone who understands how community colleges work. Reciprocal state authorization for online courses through SARA managed to survive, which is a huge time- and effort-saver for colleges that offer online courses. The agreement offered more space for new accreditors to emerge, but Gellman-Danley indicated that "we're not worried;" she considered it unlikely that accreditors with lower bars for quality would gain much respect in the marketplace. And the credit hour survived, though apparently with a looser connection to seat time. Exactly what that means remains to be seen.
Coming back to the campus level, I finished with a helpful panel on OER and a fascinating one on a software platform that provides text-message "nudges" to students. The latter one indicated that one campus that used nudges to let students know about the college food pantry saw the pantry's use increase dramatically. The idea of aligning nudges with student basic needs struck me as more than welcome.
The overall impression was encouraging. A scholarship idea that seemed like it could work, seems to work. A college that seemed like it might not survive, survived. As a sector, we dodged multiple bullets in negotiations with an administration that has been known to shoot from the hip. And the OER and "nudging" panels suggested that local ingenuity remains strong and promising.
If nothing else, it's heartening to see people from all around the country come together around a shared interest in helping students succeed. I didn't bring a clicker to count the number of times I heard the phrase "student success," but it was probably in triple digits. I even heard a few references to student basic needs, which is new in this context. I may not have cared for the conference motif, but if you can get past it, there were real signs of hope. Now, back to campus.
Pro-tip: Orlando has more than one Fairfield Inn. If you're staying at one of them, it's worth knowing which one is which before leaving the airport. Trust me on this one.
Flying to Orlando is different than flying anywhere else, mostly because the median age on the plane is about 12. Disney is omnipresent here. I'm staying in an overflow hotel that serves breakfast -- at 6:45 a.m. on a Sunday, the breakfast area was teeming with tweens. You have to be careful walking among them while carrying anything, because they're both frantic and aimless. It's a bit like trying to walk through an active pinball machine. The parents uniformly wear looks of utter and total defeat.
The conference itself has taken air travel as its motif, which I found puzzling. The halls are festooned with cardboard cutouts of women executives of the AACC dressed as flight attendants, which seems a bit 1985. The registration area is styled after an airport check-in counter. I don't know anybody who sees airlines as the paragons of customer service. Come to think of it, there's a large-ish company based in Orlando that's known for customer service. But instead they conjured TWA. Color me perplexed. The convention hotel also don't have wifi, which is an odd choice for an academic conference.
Saturday started with a reunion of the first class of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship. Characteristically, we built the reunion around discussions of equity on campus. It's great to see everyone again, but part of the joy of it is being around people speaking a common language. The guiding assumption we work with is that achievement gaps are signs of institutional gaps. That seems obvious, but I'm constantly struck by the number of people who assume the opposite.
As always, the gathering gave me hope. The members of the class who have become presidents, which is about half and counting, lead with purpose. That can't always be assumed.
Saturday's convention keynote speaker, Marcus Buckingham, inadvertently echoed some of those themes. In a slightly frantic way, with ample dollops of British irony, he argued that much of what we believe about workplaces is false. The main lessons he offered were twofold: people are terrible at rating other people, and we underestimate the power of joy in work. That led, among other things, to a recommendation that we abandon performance evaluations. I thought for about a nanosecond about how that would work in a collective bargaining environment, smiled wistfully, and moved on. There's hoping for the best, and there's protecting against the worst. If you do away with performance evaluations and then it comes time to fire someone, well, good luck. He didn't do a q-and-a, so nobody asked him about that.
David Baime, John Hermes, and Jee Hang Lee offered a brief overview of current legislative priorities on Capitol Hill. Given a divided Congress, and a president whose priorities can shift abruptly, much of the discussion was necessarily abstract. That said, I was encouraged to hear that Pell grants for short-term certificates seemed to be gaining traction. They also reported bipartisan support for allowing financial aid to fit modular courses more cleanly, which is a bigger deal than many people understand. News that the sequester is alive and well was less welcome; any sort of sweeping attack on "non-defense discretionary spending" bodes ill for us. Apparently, Title III Strengthening Institutions grants and Title V HSI grants are being targeted for elimination, which I'll admit is pretty disturbing.
I tried catching Kay McClenney's panel, but it was standing room only, and I'm tall enough that I block people's views, so I ducked out and caught a panel instead on racial microaggressions in higher ed, run by Roberto Garcia and Lee Santos Silva from Bunker Hill CC in Boston. The panel was brief, but I was glad I found it. Listening is key. Although it started with some vaguely postmodern language that took me back to the 90's, it quickly shifted to stories based on real incidents. The panel was only about a half hour, which struck me as a missed opportunity; I hope they do a fuller version next year.
I went to the CCRC reception, as I always do, and made my annual pitch for them to do some serious research on ESL. To my delight, Nikki Edgecombe responded that they're doing it, and initial results will be coming out shortly. There's a desperate, crying need for serious empirical analysis of ESL as distinct from remediation; I look forward to the results.
The answer is f. I used to think it was e, but it's f.
I bring this up because I think it's at the heart of the range of responses to Kevin Carey's recent piece about online program management (OPM) companies operating under the umbrellas of elite universities. Carey and I were both mortified to see how much some very respected places are willing to outsource what most of us would consider their reason for being, and at the profit margins these sub rosa for-profits are reaping. I even tweeted out an endorsement of Carey's piece, thinking it obvious that the scandal was the diversion of resources and the outsourcing of a core academic function. Carey's article should prompt much deeper scrutiny of such arrangements.
I stand by all of that, but after reading the various responses to it, realize that I glossed over a key point. Carey assumes that the scandal isn't really the outsourcing; it's the perversion of what could have been a cost-saving technology into a cash cow.
On that, we disagree. I don't disagree that some places are using it as a cash cow, though I'd point out that many occupational graduate programs had been used that way long before OPM's came along. The disagreement is on a more fundamental point. Online teaching isn't really cheaper.
Labor is the single largest cost item in our operating budget, by a healthy margin. Online courses don't change that.
The fixed costs are different. Classroom courses require classrooms; online courses require IT support. A college or university starting from scratch with a purely online model might be able to avoid much of the cost of building maintenance, parking lots, and the like. But an existing college that already has those things, and adds online classes over time, doesn't really save on capital. If anything, it adds IT costs to the fixed costs of existing physical plant. If we have more empty classrooms at night because evening students have migrated to online classes, that doesn't do much to reduce facility costs. We may be able to avoid building the next building, and there's a savings in that, but that's only relevant when enrollments are growing. When they're declining, you wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) build anyway.
And that's without covering the costs of the LMS, instructional designers, and faculty training, among other things.
Community colleges are in a different game, in many ways, than the elite graduate programs Carey profiles. But ideas like "tech makes teaching cheaper" cross sectors, and get cited by legislators (in varying degrees of good faith) as justifications for continued cuts. That's a mistake with terrible consequences for the most economically fragile students.
At this level, we shouldn't be looking for ways to cut costs even more. That's the drive that led to such heavy reliance on adjuncts. At this level, we don't have a spending problem; we have a revenue problem. That makes any prospective reliance on OPM's even more objectionable, of course; on that, I'm in full agreement. Given how little we have, we shouldn't divert a chunk of it to an OPM to do what we should have been doing in the first place. But we should do online classes the right way, to serve the students who need them to negotiate work and family obligations. And that costs money.
What fraction of a degree should be required to be taken in-house for that degree to bear a given college's name?
We're dealing with that question now, and it's revealing some competing sets of assumptions.
Right now, Brookdale has a "residency requirement" by which at least 30 credits, including half of the credits specific to the major, must be taken at Brookdale. (In this context, "residency" refers to which institution teaches the classes; it has nothing to do with where someone lives.) Effectively, that caps credits from all other sources -- other colleges, AP, CLEP, DSST, everything -- at half of a degree.
Across the state, community college residency requirements for a 60 credit degree range from a low of 15 -- the floor set by the state -- to a high of 32. Most are either 15 or 30, with a few in the low 20's. Two of the colleges in counties bordering ours are at 15.
Internally, we're discussing whether to reduce the requirement from 30 to something more modest.
I understand both of those, but I don't find them persuasive.
The argument about "giving away" credits sounds familiar -- it's the same argument that four-year colleges routinely make about taking our credits in transfer. I object to it there, so I feel morally bound to object to it here, too. Be the change you want to see.
A deeper moral argument would be around whether the students are there to validate the college, or the college is there to validate the students. If it's the former, then yes, a degree of which we've only taught a quarter is objectionable. If it's the latter, though, and we have a significant population locally with some college credits but no degree, then the attempt to claim the moral high ground starts to look petty. If 30-year-old working Mom Jennifer has 40-something credits accumulated over the years from various places, and would like to finally have something to show for it, why force her to take at least 10 more than a degree requires? That costs her time and money, in the service of what, exactly?
Whether it would affect enrollment is ultimately an empirical question that can only be settled by trying it. My guess is that while a lower requirement might result in fewer credits per student taken here, it would result in more students being here in the first place. That's especially true when neighboring community colleges have set thresholds of 15. A student with a grab-bag of previous credits and the ability to attend either here or, say, Mercer, might figure out that they could get the degree more quickly at Mercer. Alternately, a student with a grab-bag of credits who can only go here might look at the 30 credit requirement and decide not to bother at all, because the goal is too far away. Bringing the goal closer might motivate more people to start.
It's a difficult sell internally, though, because viscerally it feels like a loss or a concession. That's especially true for folks who teach in the general education areas, where students are likelier to have credits to import. If you don't stop and think about it from a student perspective, it can feel like watering-down in the name of market pressures. Market pressures are real, but I still have a hard time imagining what to say to Jennifer, the working Mom who already has 45 or 50 credits and wants to return. "You have to take a full 30, going way over 60, because we're uneasy." That doesn't sit right.
It's easy to rationalize a visceral sense of loss with invocations of identity or evil administrators. But it's also a copout. Take abstractions and deans out of it; what do you say to Jennifer? Why should she be forced into another semester or two beyond what anyone else has to take? Until I hear a convincing answer to that, I'm on board with a lower number.
The Chronicle has a good feature story on what happens to students of for-profit colleges when those colleges close abruptly. It's infuriating in a bunch of ways, most notably in the consequences for students who suddenly find themselves not only saddled with debt without a degree, but even homeless, because the financial aid refund check they were counting on didn't come.
For-profits aren't the only colleges that close, though they're overrepresented in that category. They seem likelier to close mid-semester; typically when nonprofits close, they finish the current semester or year and arrange "teach-outs" for their students at other colleges.
Teach-outs are often harder for the for-profits, because their degrees usually aren't regionally accredited. That means that most other colleges in their areas won't recognize the courses as valid. A student a semester away from graduating at a for-profit might have to start all over again at a community or state college; by that point, they may not have enough financial aid eligibility remaining to finish a degree. Not to mention the lost time and effort.
When a student transfers from one accredited college to another, their credits are eligible for transfer. A student with a passing grade for Intro to Psychology at Hypothetical Community College is granted credit for Intro to Psychology at Hypothetical State U. That way they don't have to start over.
So, here's where I'm going with this.
Previous coursework at an accredited institution isn't the only way to grant credit for prior work. Prior Learning Assessment -- PLA -- refers to various methods by which colleges determine whether a student knows enough, or has sufficiently developed competencies, to be awarded credit for classes they never took. AP exams are a form of PLA; if a student scores a 4 on an AP Calculus exam, they'll get credit for the corresponding class here. CLEP and DSST exams function similarly. In each case, a student who demonstrates knowledge or competency to a certain level can waive some classes in their degree program. It can save time and money.
The problem is that CLEP and DSST exams typically only cover introductory classes, and usually only in general education areas. That's helpful, but a student whose background is largely in a specialized technical area either has to go without credit, or has to develop some sort of bespoke portfolio that then has to be evaluated. CAEL uses that model. It's rigorous, but it's time-consuming and often more expensive than the classes themselves would be at a community college. Case-by-case portfolios are labor-intensive, idiosyncratic, and prone to all manner of bias.
But if a community or state college had a robust, relatively streamlined PLA protocol, it could perform a rescue mission for many of the displaced students of for-profits without forcing them to start over again. It could give them credit for what they can demonstrate that they know or can do, regardless of the accreditation status of where they learned it. With an AP exam, if the student scores high enough, we don't ask who taught the class that led up to it; the same principle would apply here. If you can crush the PLA for, say, Intro to Programming, then I really don't care where you learned those skills. You can get credit and move on.
PLA-driven rescue operations like this are subject to a few objections. One is that some for-profits teach so little, or so badly, that reasonable prior learning assessments would demonstrate too little prior learning to count for much. In those cases, no, PLA wouldn't help. But I'm guessing that some students actually learned some things at some point. The other, which is where I'm hoping my wise and worldly readers can help, is around scale. Other than CLEP and a few other standardized tests, which only cover what they cover, there isn't much out there.
Has anyone seen -- or better yet, used -- a relatively robust-yet-scalable way of doing PLA? I'd love to see community and state colleges throw lifelines to some of the students who are otherwise abandoned, but those lifelines are only helpful if they don't involve starting over. If we can find academically valid ways to assess a lot of credits quickly, it could be done. I'm just stuck on how.
I started unimaginably long ago -- 2004, for those keeping score at home -- and the interwebs have changed tremendously since then. What was once "the blogosphere" is now fragmented and more like a series of appendices to Twitter. Blogs have either gone small or become de facto columns. I always thought of mine as a column, so when IHE came along and offered to treat it like one, I was on board. I still consider that one of my best decisions.
First, and most basically, don't wait for permission or a tap on the shoulder. Don't wait for someone to give you a platform to see what you can do with it. There are plenty of free blogging sites out there; pick one and start writing. Then, keep writing. The way to prove that you have something to say is to say it. The way to prove that you can write consistently is to write consistently. Musicians call it "woodshedding." The relative obscurity with which you start is a blessing in disguise; it will give you time to hone your writerly voice. That is not a bad thing.
Second, specialize. "Random thoughts of some middle-aged dude" is a saturated niche. Over time, the occasional foray into other areas is fine; it can humanize you, and offer comic relief. But you should have a discernible beat. In my case, it's community colleges specifically, and public higher education generally. Whatever your beat is, be faithful to it, and dig deep.
Be who you are. Some people have made great names for themselves as polemicists. If that's who you are, go for it. But if it isn't, don't try to fake it. This one took me a while to figure out. The pieces that hold up the best over time, at least for me, tend to be the ones in which I'm openly ambivalent about or struggling with something. I try to treat tirades like garlic: a little bit, once in a while, adds spice, but too much can easily overwhelm. Over time, if you gain a reputation as relatively thoughtful, the occasional "here I stand" piece has more impact. Besides, honest ambivalence tends to attract honest and thoughtful responses.
Having said that, you'll need a strategy for dealing with people who come after you heatedly and unfairly. It will happen. It's a hazard of the form. Strategies vary, but in general, I've found it useful to separate what looks like good-faith disagreement from trolling, acknowledging the former and stonewalling the latter.
In the early days of blogging, pseudonyms were all the rage. They were a sort of necessary protective cover, because blogs were considered vaguely unseemly. Over time, though, blogs went mainstream and pseudonyms lost favor. When I dropped the pseudonym and started writing under my own name, I noticed my readership grew significantly. I wouldn't bother starting with one now. They're very last-decade.
Learn the contours of discourse on a given subject. If you don't have anything new to contribute to it, that's not the subject for you. For example, despite my own training as a political scientist, I don't write much about Trump. That's not for lack of opinions; it's more because there's plenty out there on him already, much of it better than I would write. I'm content to leave that mostly to others, except when and to the extent that it intersects with community colleges.
Read a lot. Read people different from you. They will see things that are in your blind spots. And give credit where it's due. Neither academia nor internet culture is terribly good at being gracious. The occasional tip of the cap costs nothing, and spreads goodwill.
For me, at least, the main benefits of blogging are twofold. The first is that it has introduced me to people I otherwise would never have met. The second is that the act of repeated writing, over time, helps me figure out what I think about various issues. If you compose at the keyboard, as I do, sometimes you'll find that a piece that you thought would be about topic x wound up being about topic y, or that once you thought through a topic, you wound up in a different position than you thought you would. There's value in that. When day jobs require hopping from topic to topic and putting out fires, it's easy to default to knee-jerk positions on big questions. Carving out space in which to think provides a useful counterweight.
I'm sorry to hear that your first community college experience wasn't a good one. But it shouldn't derail you from moving forward.
If you started back at the original school, most community colleges have policies with titles like "academic amnesty" or "academic bankruptcy," in which a student whose previous college experience wasn't good can hit the reset button and have everything dropped from their GPA and transcript. Typically, it can only be done once, and it doesn't apply to lifetime financial aid limits, but it does give you a fresh start on your GPA.
If you come back to a different college, GPA's don't transfer. Even if you left with a 0.0, it won't follow you. If you passed a course or two, you could get transfer credit for those (depending on the courses and your major), but the grades wouldn't count.
You mention wanting to get your bachelor's degree online. I would recommend finding a nearby brick-and-mortar public college -- either a community college or a state college -- that has good online programs. That way you'll be able to reach out to actual human beings if and when you need them. For example, while it's certainly possible to go to medical school with a psychology degree, there are certain courses in other disciplines (i.e. Biology) that you'll need that won't be included in your major. I'd strongly recommend meeting with either a transfer advisor (if it's a community college) or a pre-med advisor (for a four-year school) ASAP to plan your path. You've already experienced the frustration of a false start; no sense in adding the frustration of finding your path blocked because you picked the wrong classes.
From the way that the media cover colleges, you'd think that most colleges are either entirely classroom or entirely online. But that's not true. If you can find an inexpensive local brick-and-mortar public college with good online programs, you'll have the best of both worlds.
If that's geographically impossible and you have to go online first, be sure to Google the school you're considering before you sign up. There are some nasty predators out there who are very good at reeling in students. You'll want to look for "regional accreditation," as opposed to national, and you'll want to confirm that the school is non-profit. It's not a perfect indicator, but you'll greatly improve your chances of a good experience.
In the meantime, depending on your circumstances and how much documentation you can muster, you can always file an appeal to your old school to get your money back. It's a longshot at this point, but it can't hurt to try. The point about the online classes not being really online is a good point to cite.
The other piece of free advice is to take a good look at the life circumstances that drove you to leave your first college. Have they changed in a meaningful way? I don't mean that to intimidate or to plant a seed of doubt; I mean it in the spirit of making it likelier that you'll be successful the second time around.
Good luck! It won't be easy, but you're on a path that might actually work.


Recently at the EM Core we discussed headache and the red eye.
I had a great case just over a week ago. A patient was triaged with headache and cataract.
On examination he had a very painful right eye, which was causing the headache. He could only see outlines of my fingers…..He had been like this for one week.
Here is a picture of his eye. What do you think?
He had a ciliary flush(although not a huge one.
He had a cloudy cornea.
On fluorescein staining, there was nothing to see.
He had 'compartment syndrome of the eye' – angle closure glaucoma.
The definitive diagnosis is made by taking pressures. This also differentiates it from keratitis.
Firstly we had trouble calibrating the 'tono-pen', then couldn't measure a pressure with it. Then the penny dropped. I measured the pressure in the good eye and it was 11. The pen wasn't measuring pressure as it was too high.
Next to treatment – acetazolamide 500mg IV, Timolol eye drops and alphagan eye drops, then transfer for definitive treatment under ophthalmology.
very important subject. Another point to be mentioned for management especially in the Rural setting where an ophthalmologist is not available, is how to do corneal indentation using a cotton stick as a last resort to decrease the IOP until ophthalmologist care is available.
great case and shows how the "headtie" differential can be used to make a diagnosis.
My first thought was Acute Glaucoma but the clouded cornea somewhat put me off. It looked like an ulcer from the distance. Thank God for Fluorescein.
Good story. I like the twist with 'tono-pen'.
Love the triage diagnosis, 'headache and cataract'.
This is a spot diagnosis of acute glaucoma if I ever saw one.
Would be funny to compile a sample of triage pearlers, for publication in a discrete place (ie on the internet), as I've seen some crackers over the past couple of years.


text:
Q: Cannot change permissions in Google Chrome Linux I want to change camera permissions in Google Chrome Version 83.0.4103.97 (Official Build) (64-bit) but it is disabled. (website is Adobe Connect)
Screenshot
OS: Linux Mint 19.1 Cinnamon
I can change the permissions in Firefox. So can you help me how to do that in chrome?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Famous for the academic nature of its programme, City Law School might feel more like a three-year LLB packed into nine months, some students claim. This contrasts with the GDL at many other providers, which focuses more on getting students from A to B. But City's rigour is considered a positive, particularly since the teaching itself is "hard to beat". A City student reported that, "some students respond very well to this style", though it is worth noting that "some are overwhelmed".
The course materials match City's academic outlook. It doesn't issue manuals, and the "vast majority of the work and research is expected to be done by the student". This might be more hard work but: "You learn to think for yourself – no manuals is a good thing!!" (Better for the environment too – the course is delivered via textbooks and tutoring, "rather than reams of photocopies").
In view of the academic style of City's GDL, it's perhaps no surprise that it's the preferred choice for future barristers. Many students agree that it's "the best place to go for the bar" as it "seems more targeted towards barristers". Accordingly, there are "frequent and very good chambers-related events throughout the year".
On the school's career service: "There is a strong focus on the bar – if you are looking to go down the solicitor route you may have to do a bit more work yourself," one recent graduate tells us. City also reserves some perks for students who secure a mini-pupillage; they're permitted to take a week off to spend time at chambers.
And a PS: "the provision of pro bono and mooting is also very good". Rather mysteriously, there's a distinct sway in favour of the land law lectures – a module that's usually considered to be the ultimate nightmare, but which one City student has described as "outstanding".
Insiders have also reported that the online resources are "really quite excellent'" with "lots of past papers and Oxford handbooks". City also has its own legal learning resource – Lawbore – which is apparently very good. Although the GDL is taught at the main City campus in North London, all law students have access to the specialist law library at the Gray's Inn campus.
City's graduates appreciate being part of a larger 'full-service' university, which, aside from the bigger libraries means there's also a canteen. Known for "lots of comfort food. Pizza, pasta etc" some were downright disappointed, with reports of an unforgivable miso soup that the canteen "somehow managed to make taste greasy" and reportedly gave one of our insiders a wobbly stomach. Others feel the campus options are "average" but not to worry since Angel and Farringdon are only a stone's throw away.
Perhaps there'll be an upgraded menu in City's new £30 million law school to be built in North London. The impressive plans include a seven-storey glass tower, plus a four-storey brick building to adjoin it. The makeover is due to be completed by May 2019.