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Diane's Country Music Newsletter — 1 July 2020
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – RAY BENSON
It's been fifty years since Ray Benson dropped out of college at age 18 to form a band. When we connected last week for a phone conversation, and I asked him to summarize the early days, he told me, "I was in college and realized I was not going to continue, so I got two friends of mine who had the same idea." They worked as caretakers at an old apple and peach orchard outside of Paw Paw, West Virginia, in exchange for a place to live, while putting their band together. They lived in a 125-year-old log cabin that had been a stage stop in the 1800s. After several years of playing in little bars and honky tonks in West Virginia, they moved Asleep at the Wheel to California, where they got a record deal and then moved to Texas. "So that in a nutshell is how that all went," Ray says. "This is the fiftieth year. We had all kinds of plans in March, and we had to postpone it, so we're gonna do our fiftieth anniversary in 2021."
I've been an Asleep at the Wheel fan since seeing the group perform at a dance hall in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1980. To me, it's an amazing feat for one man to hold together a successful and famous band for half a century and still be going strong. When I asked for his leadership secret, he answered by saying, "First of all, I've had over a hundred people in the band."
Until this year, they toured constantly, spending up to 200 days a year on the road. "That takes a toll on anybody's family life and/or personal life," Ray says. "Asleep at the Wheel is a band that you have to have a level of musicianship that is, I'd say, higher than normal, and yet the pay scale is lower than normal." Negotiating that balance can be difficult. As for dedication, Ray says, "Musicians like playing in Asleep at the Wheel because it gives musical freedom that other bands wouldn't have."
The band has consisted of eight members for the past several years. The largest number in its history was twelve. This week, Ray is doing one show with four people and another with six. "It doesn't matter, the numbers," he says, "because Asleep at the Wheel plays the kind of music that can be done as a small group or a large group."
When I asked what he's been doing to stay busy during the pandemic, he said, "I've been doing a lot of writing, been doing a lot of gardening, been doing a lot of work around the house and the studio." On June 10, Asleep at the Wheel participated in an online fundraiser with Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Rait, James Taylor, and others. Called "A Night for Austin," the two-hour live-streaming concert raised $750,000 for the Austin Community Foundation. Asleep at the Wheel also held an online 69th birthday party for Ray, postponed from March, that raised about $75,000 for another local charity.
"We did a video–check it out online," Ray told me. "It's called 'I Love You, Don't Touch Me.' It was like a funny song for the coronavirus." My earlier newsletter announced that Ray tested positive for COVID-19, and I described the virtual fundraising concert that replaced Willie Nelson's annual Luck Reunion, during which Ray had broadcast from a studio in Austin. "Usually I would shake hands, hug and greet everyone, but … with the virus spreading, I realized that would not be advisable," he'd told The Boot. "As I entered the studio, I intoned, 'I love you … Don't touch me,' and moved to my place in the studio, removed from others by many feet. The next week, I was diagnosed with the virus, so I'm glad I did that." Here is the video of his new song.
Ray is currently editing a one-hour Austin City Limits special that will air in October. It's a retrospective on all 44 years of Asleep at the Wheel's appearances on Austin City Limits. "There's still a lot of work to do," Ray says. But what's "really on the front burner" is recovering from the pandemic: "We're gonna figure out how to survive this latest crisis."
As a message to my readers, Ray says, "Tell them we're still rolling, and tell them to check out, if they have SiriusXM Radio, on the weekend I do a one-hour radio show called the Austin Outer Limits. Tell them to tune on in. It's a lot of fun."
After all these years, I asked, does he ever get burned out? "I get burned out on sitting on the bus," Ray Benson says, "but playing music, no, no, of course not."
Tullahoma News reports that Jerry Glenn Overcast, Sr., of Shelbyville, Tennessee, died June 8, at age 74, following a brief heart-related illness. The Tennessee native dropped out of high school to join the Air Force and spent 12 months in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. Sergeant Overcast obtained his GED during his four-year enlistment. His passion was photography, and he eventually had a studio in Tullahoma. He became one of country music's most in-demand photographers and was the exclusive photographer for R.O.P.E. (Reunion of Professional Entertainers). Jerry's memorial service was held June 27, with his ashes scattered privately by his family. Thanks to Berry Jones for sending me the obituary.
The Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic, which has been held annually since 1973, will be a virtual event this year, according to The Dallas Morning News. Due to renewed concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in Texas, Willie's Luck Productions is hosting live-from-home performances by Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Kinky Friedman, and many more. Willie and his band will broadcast from his recording studio, Pedernales Studios, near his ranch in Luck, Texas. Advance tickets can be purchased for $35 on williepicnic.com.
The dispute between the Roy Orbison family and a New York developer hoping to erect a 25-story apartment building in a Music Row parking lot has been settled. When Scenic Investments builds its 440-apartment complex and "Sound Lab" music space at 1601 Broadway, it will include a private 15-foot buffer area between the complex and the Orbison Building. "We are excited to present this solution to the Planning Commission and look forward to having the Orbison as a neighbor," the developer said in a statement.
The Grand Ole Opry debut of Jimmy Buffett on June 27 has been canceled, according to the singer's Facebook post: "To all Opry fans, I would just like to say how disappointed I am that because of circumstances with the recent spikes in COVID-19, I have had to postpone my trip to Nashville to play with Mac McAnally and Brad Paisley. I have loved the Grand Ole Opry since the days I covered shows at the Ryman as a Billboard reporter on Music Row in the early 70s before I moved to Margaritaville. As soon as it is safe for me to travel back to Music City and meet up with Mac and Brad, I will come play for you."
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2021 class of Hollywood Walk of Fame honorees, which includes Trisha Yearwood and The Judds among the 30 new inductees. Nash Country Daily reports the star unveiling ceremony will be held in Hollywood at a later date.
The all-star Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena has been postponed from September 15 until February 22, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 12,000 fans attended the two Small Town Drive-In concerts by Alan Jackson in Alabama. Nash Country Daily reports 2,000 vehicles attended the Cullman show on June 12, and more than 2,300 showed up June 13 on the 300-acre site in Fairhope. A portion of proceeds went toward local food relief efforts.
Music biographer David Ritz has helped Willie Nelson and big sister Bobbie Nelson tell the story of 47 years of performing together. Their co-written memoir, Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of the Family Band, will be published September 15. The book switches between Bobbie's and Willie's voices in alternating chapters. Rolling Stone reminds us Ritz helped Willie write his second memoir, It's a Long Story: My Life, in 2015. His first book, Willie: An Autobiography, was co-written with Bud Shrake in 1988.
Variety reports The Dixie Chicks have officially changed their name to "the Chicks," after deciding the Civil War-era "Dixie" is no longer appropriate. Fans and industry people have long referred to them as the Chicks. The trio said in a statement: "A sincere and heartfelt thank you goes out to 'The Chicks' of NZ for their gracious gesture in allowing us to share their name. We are honored to co-exist together in the world with these exceptionally talented sisters. Chicks Rock! — Emily, Natalie and Martie"
The Mavericks, who celebrated their 30th anniversary last year, are releasing their first all-Spanish album, En Español, on August 21. "This is the record I've been wanting the Mavericks to make for a very long time," Rolling Stone reports a statement by Raul Malo. "I'm a first-generation Cuban-American, and some of these songs are songs my family would play and sing on weekends at family parties and get-togethers. But it's not all nostalgia either. There are plenty of new original songs that put this record squarely in the moment for us."
The Grand Ole Opry House and Ryman Auditorium will reopen for daytime tours on July 2, reports The Tennessean, after being closed three months in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ryman Hospitality Properties recruited Vanderbilt Health to serve as its "official wellness advisor" to set rules for both staff and guests. Public concerts will resume at some future date, when Nashville's phased reopening plan allows them.
After Chase Rice, 34, performed a concert at the Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee, he faced backlash for playing to a packed, standing-room-only crowd with no visible masks. "Imagine being selfish enough to put thousands of people's health at risk, not to mention the potential ripple effect, and play a NORMAL country concert right now," Kelsea Ballerini, 26, slammed him in a tweet. "We all want (and need) to tour. We just care about our fans and their families enough to wait." The promoter told USA TODAY that he had followed all local requirements, including providing masks and ample space for the crowd to spread out. About 1,000 people attended the concert in a 10,000-person venue. Staff members wore masks and concert goers had temperature checks before entering. He couldn't enforce physical distancing or mask wearing by the audience.
Chris Janson, 34, had a similar experience to that of Chase Rice. On the same night, he headlined Day 3 of Gordy's Hwy 30 Music Fest in Filer, Idaho. Bleachers were added so fans could spread out, and organizers told Taste of Country they followed local regulations. But fans pushed toward the stage; photos and video show a packed audience enjoying the music.
Musicians Hall of Fame member Pete Carr died June 27 at age 70, reports MusicRow. Born Jesse Willard Carr, he grew up in Florida and moved to Muscle Shoals around 1970. He worked as session guitarist, record producer, engineer, songwriter, and recording artist. He played lead guitar in the Fame and Muscle Shoals Sounds studios, where he backed Bob Seger, Joan Baez, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, Paul Anka, and many others. Country artists he worked with included Hank Williams Jr., Becky Hobbs, Willie Nelson, Billy Swan, Narvel Felts, and Marie Osmond.
The "Encore Live Presents Garth Brooks: A Drive-In Concert Experience" aired for 350,000 people at more than 300 outdoor theaters in the U.S. and Canada last Saturday night, across four different time zones. Although tickets stated, "It is not live and Garth Brooks will not be in attendance," some fans were disappointed to learn it was a prerecorded performance. According to the Charlotte Observer, others thought $100 per carload was too high a price when they had to watch several music videos of "opening act" Randall King before Garth sang for only 75 minutes. Fans had to listen via their own radios, which made for poor sound quality.
When country singer Mickey Guyton prepared to release her song "Black Like Me" on June 2, "that was scary for me," she told CBS This Morning. "There were even talks about me getting security just in case I started getting threats from people." The song describes a childhood of feeling out of place because of her skin color; it was also inspired by her struggles in Nashville. "If you think we live in the land of the free You should try to be black like me," she sings. She is happy to report the response was the opposite of what she feared. "It was so positive and loving," she says. "It was like people were waiting for that from me." The song ends with "I'm proud to be black like me."
In a new nationwide campaign to promote the First Amendment, reports The Tennessean, hundreds of newspapers and other media outlets will run a series of ads featuring pictures and quotes from well-known Nashvillians inside and outside of music. The Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro will launch the "1 For All Campaign for the First Amendment" on Independence Day. Brad Paisley, Kane Brown, and Michael W. Smith are three of the 21 Nashville stars who've signed on. Others include Olympic ice skater Scott Hamilton and author Ann Patchett, along with Loretta Lynn, Darius Rucker, Rosanne Cash, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Kathy Mattea. The ads promote the website http://1forall.today.
Stacy Harris, Publisher/Executive Editor of Stacy's Music Row Report, writes from Nashville, "Sonny Osborne's recollection of Stringbean's murder requires a little clarification: As was documented in a Nashville Banner front-page headline story that ran on Monday, November 12, 1972, I was the last person to interview David Akeman; an interview that occurred between the first and second Grand Ole Opry Saturday night shows on which Akeman appeared. That means Osborne's memory of Grant Turner's announcing the news of the murders of Stringbean and his wife, Estelle either happened the following weekend (if Sonny refers to an announcement from the Opry stage) or did not happen at all. Sonny also references the murderer. There were actually two murderers: As you know, one of the Brown cousins died in prison and, yes, the other was paroled."
Mike Johnson writes, "Very good informative issue, as usual. Always enjoy them. Donald Ewert was one of my very first subscribers to my Top-Rail Chatter Independent Country Music Magazine [1995-2004] and has been a loyal fan and supporter ever since. Donald has also sent me a birthday card every year, only surpassed by Terry Smith who has sent me one every year since we met in 1994. Donald is also one of those consistent supporters who, about 10 years ago, earned the right to receive any of my products for free. I've been truly blessed with meeting and becoming friends with a lot of truly remarkable and down to earth gracious folks both in and out of the music industry. And keep those newsletters coming!"
Lee Shannon, former KFDI D.J., sends this sad news: "I just wanted to let you know one of my former D.J. buddies, Don Walton, died June 27, 2020, in Wichita, Kansas, due to heart failure. His many long-time KFDI listeners and friends in radio knew him as Little Donnie Do Dad."
Gene Burkhart says, "Thank you for all you do. Mary Mitchell wrote a letter thanking me for mentioning Carl Smith. I made a cd for a friend of mine a few years ago. It was reviewed by the editor of Country Music People he gave it four and one half stars out of five stars. I would be glad to send you a cd if you PM me on Facebook."
Nancy Hone, daughter of WWII veteran Claude Hone, writes, "I do enjoy your newsletters. But now that Daddy is singing in Heaven, would you mind also sending them to my email? I like reading them on his desktop, tho, so keep his email on your list."
Jon Philibert writes from England, "Yet Another informative newsletter. Keep up the good work. Could you add Tony Goodacre to your list of subscribers? Tony is one of the mainstays and veterans of the British country music and gospel scene."
Dominique "Imperial" Anglares writes from France, "Thank you very much for these news from USA. A much appreciated reading to start my day. Sad to learn about Katherine Williams' passing specialy knowing Hank Sr passed on the road and Hank Jr had a very severe car wreck that should have killed him. Life is strange."
Larry Delaney of Cancountry writes from Ottawa, Canada, "In light of your work researching Randy Travis, I thought this item might be of special interest to you: 'The goal of the Stonehouse Sessions is to connect musicians from their homes, studios or wherever they are in the world to create unique, studio quality, musical collaborations during the Covid-19 pandemic. Canadian country music producer Darren Walters teamed up with artists Kinsey Rose and Jason McCoy of The Road Hammers for a modern twist of the Randy Travis classic, "I Told You So."' Visit www.thestonehousesessions.online.
One of my first interviews while researching Faron Young's life was with Billy Grammer, perhaps best known for his 1958 hit "Gotta Travel On." I called him in 2000, after hearing Faron say in an interview that they had been traveling together in Canada when they learned of Patsy Cline's plane crash. Billy died in 2011, of natural causes, in his home state of Illinois, at age 85.
Faron was the kind of guy that was always concerned about "the family." By family, I mean his fellow artists–his buddies. I was a little low on bookings one time with the office I was in. Sometimes that happens when you get booked by an office that has 40 or 50 artists. When the calls come in, sometimes Billy Grammer doesn't get it, or the Faron Young doesn't get it. Somebody else gets it, because they just pitch you as a product. I was talking to Faron one time. We were having a bite to eat, down on 16th Avenue. He said why don't you come join me and my manager? His manager at that time was Shelley Snyder. He said I like you, I trust you, and I like your performances. He said we'll just get you more work going. I did, and it was a very, very enjoyable relationship. We worked together for quite a while.
What I did was join his booking office. What they'd do is call in for packages. Most of these promoters would want 3-4 Grand Ole Opry artists on the show. I was just another Grand Ole Opry artist working through the same agency as Faron. A lot of times, we'd be packaged together. I never worked for Faron. I worked with Faron on packages. I was signed to the Opry on February 27. 1959.
We were in Canada. When you pick up the radio stations, everything was Patsy Cline, Patsy Cline, Patsy Cline. Finally we heard the announcement. We started in Montana, went up to Washington, went up to Canada. We were in the car, Shelley Snyder, me and Faron. I'm sorry I didn't have total recall on where we were. Usually, I've got total recall. But I'm getting older. I'd worked for Hawkshaw Hawkins at WWVA when I was a sideman. Hawkshaw, I called him Hacksaw. And of course, Copas was an Opry guy, we were packaged many, many times. One of Copas's last tours before he was killed was with me and Faron. Me, Faron and Copas was with Marlin Paininger, starting in Billings, Montana.
One time we were in Montana, Shelley and Faron and I–back in the early years you didn't have fast food–you'd have a restaurant that would look pretty decent on the outside, but when you got in, you never knew what you had. I had a habit of going into the restrooms first, before I'd order. I figured if you'd find the restroom clean, you'd find the kitchen clean. I found it a little bit unclean, so I went out and said, "Guys, order something safe." I'm gonna order a couple of soft-boiled eggs in the shell. I figured that'd be pretty good–unless there's a chicken in them. Faron ordered a bowl of chili. That's the last thing he should've ordered. It could be last week's dish water. Shelley Snyder ordered a hamburger. He was complaining about it being tough and dry. The waitress looked like she could go three rounds with Ali. She hooked her thumbs in her apron when she came out, and said, "Dessert?" Shelley looked up at her–he talked with a gravel voice; you'd have to know him; he had pop eyes and wore a little porkpie hat–and said, "Yaaassss, bring us three packs of Rolaids." I thought Faron was gonna beat that table down, laughin'. Veins stood out on his neck. Faron laughed 'til he hurt. I never will forget that. Her boyfriend came out of the kitchen. He was mad cuz Faron was laughing at her, and she was mad. I got up and got both of them by the arms, and we paid the check and got out of there before the fighting started.
Faron was one of the kindest, biggest-hearted, brash roosters I ever knew. Does that description mean anything to you? He was a rooster. He could get uncouth, he could be brash, and he had a heart as big as this building. He never was mean–he didn't have any ulterior motives. Faron Young was not one to step on another artist to get ahead. Now that's important that you mention that, because I cannot say that about all of the family. I can't say that about everyone, but Faron wouldn't step on nobody to get anything. He earned his place, and he'd help you–he helped me. He didn't have to say to me, c'mon over into my stable. He could have got a lot of people.
We used to stand around on 16th Avenue–I'm talking about artists–cuz all the booking agencies, all the record studios were down there, all the publishing companies. They're designated different now, West and everything, but it was just 16th Avenue South. I remember Webb Pierce, myself–Mel Tillis was just a songwriter at that time, and I had nicknamed him Flutterlips–and we were standing, telling stories. And Faron drove up in a new car, pulled up along the curb, got out, and came over to us, laughing and what're you guys up to, all this stuff. It was a little bit downhill right there on that block, and this car had a pushbutton transmission, and he hadn't pushed the car out of gear. It started rolling, and Webb says, "Faron, your car is runnin' off." Faron ran it down the street–it was picking up pretty good steam already–and hit it on the rear end and said, "Go get 'em there, scamp." Honest to pete, isn't that something? I mean, whoa, slapped it on the trunk, like it was a horse. He couldn't catch it; it was out of control. It went down the street and hit 2-3 cars. It finally stopped. Of course, we were dying laughing. Webb was sitting there with his new Pontiac that Nudie had decorated–it had tooled leather seats with silver dollars embedded in the seats. I forget the year, it was around 1960 or '61 or '62, right in there.
Faron and Billy Deaton and I owned a recording studio right there with Music City News. I was third owner. I had a lot of time on my hands. I had curtailed the road, cuz I manufactured flat-top guitars and got busy with some things, and I'd just take what dates I wanted to take, when I wanted dates. Faron called me, and he said, "I've got the chance to buy this studio." It was part of the building. "I don't know how I'm gonna take care of it. I'm real busy out on the road." He had "Four in the Morning." I had left the guitar company. I stayed around the studio and generated some business. We had gospel groups coming in, primarily. We had sufficient quality and did a lot of session work. We had a good relationship. Finally, it wasn't generating enough business that I wanted to be hung with it, and I went to Faron and said, "Faron, what do you think?" He said, "Well, sell it. Whatever you feel like doing. Let's sell it." So we moved it–made a substantial profit. Not big, but substantial, and got out of it.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 at 8:05 am and is filed under Newsletter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


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Buccaneers sign paralyzed Rutgers player Eric LeGrand
[Updated at 1:14 p.m. ET] Eric LeGrand's football coach at Rutgers helped him emotionally in the months after his on-field paralysis. Now the coach is symbolically helping him realize his dream of making it to the NFL.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, now coached by ex-Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, announced Wednesday they've signed the former defensive tackle who was partially paralyzed in a 2010 game to their 90-man off-season roster.
Schiano, who joined the Buccaneers this year after more than a decade with Rutgers, offered the symbolic deal to his former player by phone on Tuesday, LeGrand told reporters in a conference call.
"I said, 'Are you serious? You want to use this on me?'" LeGrand said. "(Schiano) said, 'It's the least we can do.'
"Honestly, it's amazing. It really is," he said.
LeGrand collided with an Army kick returner while making a tackle on October 16, 2010, injuring his spinal cord and leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. At the hospital, medical personnel told him he'd be a quadriplegic and would need a respirator for the rest of his life.
But LeGrand progressed, breathing on his own after five weeks. He operates a wheelchair, and he's been able to stand upright with the help of a metal frame. With medical bills covered in part by donations to two foundations, including Rutgers' Eric LeGrand Believe Fund, and he says his ultimate goal is to walk again. He told Sports Illustrated in November that he wanted to return to the spot on the field where he was injured, lie down, and get up and walk away.
November 2011: 'Do not sweat the small stuff,' LeGrand tells HLN
He returned to the Rutgers field in his wheelchair twice: on October 29, leading his team onto the gridiron, and on November 19 for Senior Day festivities before the Scarlet Knights' win against Cincinnati.
LeGrand, who intends to graduate from Rutgers in the fall and hopes to pursue a career in football broadcasting, said Wednesday the signing is only honorary and no money is involved. The team is sending him a jersey with his No. 52 - expected to arrive at his New Jersey apartment this week - and he already has posted to Facebook a picture of him with a Buccaneers helmet.
Schiano said that heading into last week's NFL draft, he "couldn't help but think that this should've been Eric's draft class."
"This small gesture is the least we could do to recognize his character, spirit, and perseverance. The way Eric lives his life epitomizes what we are looking for in Buccaneer Men," Schiano said in a Buccaneers news release Wednesday.
LeGrand had hopes of making it to the NFL as a player. He had 60 tackles - 11 for a loss - 2.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries in 31 games before his injury as a junior.
He's not sure whether the Buccaneers have any non-playing role in mind for him. He says he appreciates the gesture from Schiano, who he says has been "like a father to me." The coach had talked to him almost weekly and also keeps in touch with his family, LeGrand said.
"(Schiano had taught me that) when you're faced with adversity, to not back down. ... He helped me and my whole situation," LeGrand said.
And now, symbolically at least, he's following his coach to the pros.
2011: Texas Rangers draft paralyzed Georgia outfielder
Post by: CNN's Jason Hanna
Filed under: College football • Florida • Football • New Jersey • Pro football • Sports
what a nice story. Legrand I wish you a full recovery, never underestime the powers of the human body. I
May 2, 2012 at 12:11 pm | Report abuse |
I hope they find something profitable for him to do, like post-play analyst so he doesn't just appear as some kind of figure head.
Finally.. a (former) college coach doing the right thing again.
underestimate*
betterdays
Superb from every angle. Best news I've heard all day.
Who said anything about him not preparing for the day he wouldnt be able to play. Who said anything about his grades. He was paralyzed for Christ's sake and now your pointing the finger at imagined failings on his part? Get a life.
im on ur side, but you lost me by capitalizing Christ. if you believe in an imaginary guy in the sky ur obviously off ur rocker!
May 2, 2012 at 2:56 pm | Report abuse |
Christ is not an imaginary guy in the sky. His spirit of peacefulness, kindness, strength and overcoming adversities are good charateristics. His spirit lives inside of you if you will quietly acknowledge it.
SearchingForAnAtheistExtremist
It's wonderful that you feel that way, but can't you allow others to have their own opinions and beliefs?
Duce
Mmmmm... Not so much. Don't need fairy tales to live a happy, productive life with morals...
Just wondering....
if Obama had a son...would it look just like him?
Treyvon Prince
You are so shallow in mind and thinking. I am reading this story in tears and you and a idiot like you is incorporating racial remarks about the story. If you have nothing to do, go find a Bridge and jump off.
Very classy move, Coach Schiano.
Great job Bucs! More of this with each NFL Team would be great.
What a wonderful story to read this morning. Glad to see there are still some great people out there willing to do good things for deserving people.
I think this is a sweet act on coach. I know myself as well as other Rutgers' season ticket holders were sad to see Greg leave but to do something that sweet for a player needs to be given praise. Hopefully, once Eric graduates, Greg will be able to get him a "paying" job with the Bucs in media. Best of luck to Eric, Greg, and the whole Bucs organization!
was a jet fan, and after seeing this, im putting all the futility behind me and cheering for a class act individual who knows what is right. go bucs go.
This kid has been given the gift of an education from Rutgers University. Now that he shouldn't be distracted by football, will he actually graduate with an education that will allow him to thrive economically despite his physical handicap? It doesn't look that way. The gift of a wonderful educational opportunity doesn't always result in people seizing that opportunity. LeGrand, I really do feel sorry for you. It's time to develop your brain.
I'm not sure what you mean. I don't know the intimate details of this situation, just what I have heard previously and what I have read in this article. It says that he intends to graduate from Rutgers this coming fall. Considering the time he must have lost in rehabilitation, graduating a semester or two late is still quite an accomplishment!
A big comment from someone who has no idea of what this young man is doing in his life now or planning for his future. How about just being happy for the kind gesture from his former coach and leave it at that.
To the person who commented that they don't think this man will get educated and seek a career after his injury, DID YOU EVEN READ THE ARTICLE? It said he plans to graduate this fall and is looking forward to a career in broadcasting. For someone who seems so concerned about education, you don't appear to care much about reading.
dr2bee
He is actually a senior and will be graduating.
praise Jehovah God for life is precious anything can happen at anytime
Yeah Buddy!
Amen! Many times we overlook the smaller blessings in life, but it is through those that God interacts with us every day!
Steve Garza
Have to agree with Jeff, very classy move by a good Coach! Wish there were more like you Coach!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Widows is about four Chicago wives who are left to pay debts to nefarious figures after their thieving husbands are killed. The just released trailer boasts action, highly refined drama at the hands of star Viola Davis, and probable scene-chewing from the hands of Robert Duvall.
Hollywood Casting Directors, take note: I will pay to see every movie Viola Davis is in but a film in which she become a badass, hockey-mask-wearing, gun-toting-thief simply because she knows men doesn't think she has "the balls to pull it off"? I'll see it twice.
Beyond Ms. Davis if you're nasty, the cast for this movie is stellar, and includes, Broadway breakout and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Elizabeth Debecki, Brian Tyree Henry and more!
Widows feels like a movie Hollywood hasn't made in long time--a thriller with as many emotional explosions as there are actual ones (and with a cast talented enough to pull off both). And, the poetic irony of Viola Davis assembling a crew of lady thieves to avenge Taken's Liam Neeson and The Punisher's Jon Bernthal is not lost on me.
The November 16 release date proves that the studio believes it has award potential. As much as I love superhero movies, I can't ignore how white and male they are. And while, I'm intrigued by the push for a Lady Bond and other gender and race-bent superheroes, I can't help for yearn for women to bask in their own power and badassery that's grounded in reality with original characters tailor-made for these times. I will happily trade capes and fantasy battle sequences for very real and monstrous villains like grief, organized crime and woman fighting t damned patriarchy.


Polls are increasingly showing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as "dishonest," and now a spoof Twitter account is gaining popularity with tweets from a user with the Twitter handle "Honest Hillary." According to the Washington Times, the first thing that most Americans think of when asked about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a perception that she is dishonest.
@SedaSeb I'm the honest one. The one that doesn't exist.
A Gallup poll released Tuesday found that the most common reactions of people polled about Mrs. Clinton were "dishonest," "liar," "don't trust her," and "poor character." Eight years ago, when Americans were polled by Gallup while she was running for POTUS against Obama the common reaction was also that she was dishonest, according to an article in the New York Daily News.
The parody character known as Honest Hillary has a popular Twitter account with a blurb that admits it is not the Twitter account of the real Hillary Clinton.
With a matching website, Honest Hillary asks, "Are you willing to bet 4 years of your life that Hillary Clinton is telling the truth?" If the website visitor chooses the "#HILLYES" option, they are redirected to a satire site that purports to be the presidential campaign website for Cthulhu. Cthulhu, of course, being a fictional, malevolent, hibernating subject of human worship described as part octopus, part human, and part dragon imagined by writer H. P. Lovecraft in the 1920s.
Honest Hillary is busy tweeting about every transgression, indiscretion and obstruction that the real Hillary is accused of, heavy on the satire, of course. For example, Friday, when Twitter was accused of censoring the hashtag #WhichHillary from the trending topics area of the platform, Honest Hillary gave a shout out to a Twitter executive.
A Daily Kos writer reported that it's still not clear why the trending hashtag dropped from the trending list on Twitter, but hinted accusations that it was deliberate censorship.
#WhichHillary posts also appear to be what catapulted Honest Hillary's tweeting popularity. The Twitter love for Honest Hillary significantly increased as Honest Hillary began sharing custom memes with the viral hashtag.
Many Americans just aren't sure if they can trust that Hillary is telling the truth, according to Gallup polls, but an older article in The Washington Post from January indicated that the trust issues are not new for Hillary Clinton. According to the Post, America's trust issues with Hillary Clinton didn't start with the race against Obama for POTUS or even with Benghazi or the classified and top secret emails on her private server. The Post writer reminds readers of a quote from New York Times columnist William Safire in 1996.
Meanwhile, some democrats are saying that blasting concerns over perceived dishonesty is shameful. Efforts by democrats, they say, should be focused towards shedding a light on Donald Trump's tactics and plans, not Hillary's. Peter Daou of Blue Nation Review wrote about his concerns over democrats focusing too much energy on the new social media campaign aimed at exposing Clinton's reported dishonesty.
What do you think of Honest Hillary on Twitter?


The XO Marriage Conference is coming to Emmanuel on August 10!
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Price is per attendee. Couples will need to purchase 2 tickets.
Register by July 9 to receive $10/per ticket!
Interested in volunteering at the event? We have many opportunities for you to get involved.
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text:
Lady Gaga: Home for Gucci
Tonight is the New York City premiere of House of Gucci and we've already seen Lady Gaga light it up on the UK red carpet and in Milan, but NYC is home for her. And, well, she's been going all out to promote this film and her performance and her Oscar chances. So whatever we're getting later is going to be just as extra, just as over-the-top.
Last night she attended the Directors Guild of America screening for the film in a black Valentino dress which she covered up towards the end of the evening with a silver python print coat. She also made a stop at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and while she's not a listed guest on the schedule this week, Adam Driver is expected tomorrow night so chances are she taped an appearance to air during tomorrow's episode. Not surprisingly, Gaga continues to do the most for this movie – because as far the public is concerned, being that it doesn't open until US Thanksgiving, this is her film. Sure, sure, there are critics who are talking about Jared Leto's performance underneath all those prosthetics, but let's not pretend that Gaga isn't the main star of House of Gucci. There's only Gaga at this party.
Lady Gaga is going for that acting Oscar. Right now, many consider to be one of the frontrunners, alongside Kristen Stewart. But there are others surging. Nicole Kidman, as previously mentioned, and don't count out Penelope Cruz in Pedro Almodóvar's Parallel Mothers. Remember the Academy loves Olivia Colman who could be a factor for her performance in Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Lost Daughter. There's also Jennifer Hudson who's staying in the conversation for her performance as Aretha Franklin in Respect. Jessica Chastain too for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. And there's another heavy-hitter on the way. Frances McDormand, in The Tragedy of Macbeth, directed by Joel Coen, co-starring Denzel Washington – she's the current Best Actress winner, she is nominated every time she's in a movie, you can never sleep on her. And there's always a dark horse. Right now that's looking like it might be Alana Haim in Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza.
So it's a crowded and competitive category, which means campaigns have to be strategic and intense. Gaga can do intense, but it's the strategy that will be interesting to watch. Many of the aforementioned Best Actress possibilities are past winners and/or well established in the acting community, with alliances to tap into. Yes, Gaga is a superstar, perhaps the most famous of the lot. But within Academy voting circles, which is all about who you know and who you've worked with and who's networking for you, she may not have the inroads of the Kidman or a Chastain or a Cruz, or even a Kristen Stewart who's been in movies since she was a kid. That's why endorsements can be critical, especially in a year like this.
Which is where Bradley Cooper enters the chat. He's based in New York. He's in New York right now. Will he throw his support behind her, Jackson Maine forever? But he's also in Licorice Pizza so it might be expected that he sticks with his own film and its young star, Alana Haim. Then again, you remember what the culture was like a few years ago during A Star is Born. House of Gucci is the ASIB of 2021 in terms of box office potential and mainstream popularity. No other possible Oscar contending film will inspire the same obsession as Gucci. Or the memes. The imitations. The TikToks. And you'll remember, with ASIB, there was all that shipping.
I laughed at it then and I still laugh now, how convinced people were that there was something between Gaga and Bradley Cooper…as IF. Bradley and Irina Shayk may or may not have reunited, but the real reunion that stans are waiting for is the Jackson and Ally comeback of 2021.
Gaga would run wild with that, as we know. But would Bradley be willing?
TAGS: Award Season Campaigning BFFs Bradley Cooper Lady Gaga Movie Reviews and Previews Top Reads
Succession: Forget cancel culture, this is coma culture
Posted by Maria on November 16, 2021 19:32:07
Bradley & Irina: Back Together?
Marvel releases new epic-feeling trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania during CCXP
Bradley Cooper and Steven Spielberg working on reboot of classic Steve McQueen film, Bullitt, that sounds like fancy Fast & Furious
Exes Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk are keeping the same social calendar but are they back together?
It's announced that Huma Abedin's memoir will be adapted into a series starring Freida Pinto just as her relationship with Bradley Cooper is made public
Posted by Lainey on July 14, 2022 17:19:14


text:
Tag: Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada)
Critics call bill aimed to protect health workers unwilling to offer assisted death 'one-sided'
CBC: The Current
Interviewer/host: Piya Chattopadhyay
SOUNDCLIP
VOICE 1: Bill 34 is being introduced by the Manitoba government to protect conscience rights for health care professionals, so that health care providers would not be required to participate in assisted suicide.
VOICE 2: While I cannot participate in assisted suicide for a couple of reasons. The first is I made a vow as a medical student 40 years ago that I wouldn't kill patients, okay? And I'm not willing to cross that line.
PC: It has been less than 18 months now since medically assisted dying became legal in Canada. And health care workers are still adapting to that paradigm change. We just heard part of a video produced by the Coalition for Health Care and Conscience. It's a national umbrella organization of religious groups, and as you heard it is lobbying for Bill 34 a proposed piece of legislation in Manitoba that was drafted to help health care workers with conscientious objections to helping end patients' lives. Here's Manitoba's health minister Kelvin Goertzen. . . [Full episode transcript]
Author Project AdministratorPosted on November 3, 2017 March 6, 2018 Categories Assisted suicide, Canada, Commentary, Euthanasia, News, Proposed LawsTags Arthur Schafer, Coalition for HealthCARE and Conscience (Canada), College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, Kelvin Goertzen, Manitoba, Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada), St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada)Leave a comment on Critics call bill aimed to protect health workers unwilling to offer assisted death 'one-sided'
Proposed legislation to protect health professionals who object to assisted dying called 'one-sided'
Dying with Dignity Canada says Bill 34 doesn't protect patients' rights to access assisted dying
Holly Caruk
A bill that would protect Manitoba health professionals' rights to refuse assisted dying services and protect them from reprisals is being called redundant and one-sided.
Bill 34, which was introduced in May and hasn't yet reached a second reading in the House, would ensure health professionals cannot be compelled to go against their own religious or ethical beliefs when it comes to providing medical assistance in dying (MAID) services.
It would also ban any professional regulatory body from requiring members to participate in medically assisted deaths, which were made legal by the Supreme Court in 2015. . . [Full text]
Author Project AdministratorPosted on October 31, 2017 March 6, 2018 Categories Assisted suicide, Canada, Ethics, Euthanasia, News, Proposed LawsTags College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, Dying with Dignity Canada, Kelvin Goertzen, Manitoba, Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada), Shanaaz GokoolLeave a comment on Proposed legislation to protect health professionals who object to assisted dying called 'one-sided'
Medically assisted dying: What happens when religious and individual rights conflict?
Lawyer Allison Fenske explains how Canadian law works, and how the courts strive to balance competing rights
A Winnipeg man's struggle to be assessed for a medically assisted death while he lives at a faith-based hospital has some questioning how we balance personal and religious rights in Canada.
"I want to die and nobody should come in the way of my deciding how to go about it," Cheppudira Gopalkrishna, 88, said on Saturday.
However, because Gopalkrishna lives at a faith-based hospital that objects to medical assistance in dying, he has struggled to be assessed by Manitoba's MAID team under provincial guidelines regulating such deaths. . . [Full text]
Author Project AdministratorPosted on October 30, 2017 March 3, 2018 Categories Assisted suicide, Canada, Christianity-Catholicism, Euthanasia, Legal Commentary, News, Religious FreedomTags hospitals, Manitoba, Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada)Leave a comment on Medically assisted dying: What happens when religious and individual rights conflict?
Winnipeg man receives assisted-death assessment after concerns faith-based hospital caused delay
'I want to die and nobody should come in the way of my deciding how to go about it.'
An 88-year-old Winnipeg man has received his required assessment for medically assisted death after he says it was delayed by the faith-based hospital where he now lives.
On Friday, Cheppudira Gopalkrishna was able to do an assessment with the province's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) services.
"I want to die and nobody should come in the way of my deciding how to go about it," Gopalkrishna said on Saturday evening.
The former teacher has been at the Misericordia Health Centre for several months after his health declined significantly. He has a form of Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as ALS, and has lost almost all of his mobility.
Gopalkrishna started looking into the possibility of a medically assisted death in May but the hospital and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's timelines differ about what happened next. . . [Full text]
Author Project AdministratorPosted on October 29, 2017 March 3, 2018 Categories Assisted suicide, Canada, Christianity-Catholicism, Euthanasia, News, Religious FreedomTags hospitals, Manitoba, Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada), Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (Man Canada)Leave a comment on Winnipeg man receives assisted-death assessment after concerns faith-based hospital caused delay
Health minister says delayed access to medical assistance in dying 'should not happen'
Cheppudira Gopalkrishna, 88, says Misericordia hasn't helped him seek out medically-assisted death
Manitoba's Health Minister says he doesn't know all the details of a terminally ill Winnipeg man's search for medical assistance in dying, but he's troubled by his first impression of the case.
Cheppudira Gopalkrishna, 88, told CBC News he has no chance of recovering from the illness that has confined him to bed for months, and the Misericordia Health Centre hasn't helped him access the province's medical assistance in dying (MAID) services.
However, the faith-based hospital — which is part of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority — and the health authority's MAID team offer differing accounts of what transpired and the timeline of Gopalkrishna's request. . . . [Full text]
Author Project AdministratorPosted on October 26, 2017 March 6, 2018 Categories Assisted suicide, Canada, Christianity-Catholicism, Euthanasia, News, Religious FreedomTags Concordia Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada), hospitals, Kelvin Goertzen, Manitoba, Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada), St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada), Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (Man Canada)Leave a comment on Health minister says delayed access to medical assistance in dying 'should not happen'
Critics decry St. Boniface Hospital for banning medical-assisted deaths
'They're not taking into account people's end-of-life comfort,' says ethics professor Arthur Schafer
St. Boniface General Hospital's decision to forbid medical-assisted deaths is drawing condemnation from end-of-life care advocates and an expert on medical ethics.
Arthur Schafer, a founder of the University of Manitoba's Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics, described the recent board decision to ban medical-assisted deaths as "fundamentally wrong." . . . [Full text]
Author Project AdministratorPosted on June 19, 2017 March 4, 2018 Categories Assisted suicide, Canada, Christianity-Catholicism, Euthanasia, News, Religious FreedomTags Arthur Schafer, Catholic Health Corp. of Manitoba, Concordia Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada), Dying with Dignity Canada, hospitals, Kelvin Goertzen, Manitoba, Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada), St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada)Leave a comment on Critics decry St. Boniface Hospital for banning medical-assisted deaths
Medically assisted dying team in Manitoba doubles in size
More than 100 people have contacted the MAID team since February 2016; 4 doctors added in response
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has more than doubled the number of physicians involved in medically assisted deaths in Manitoba after more patients requested the help than the province initially expected.
More than 100 patients have contacted the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) team with 24 receiving medically assisted deaths as of Jan. 6, according to statistics provided to CBC Manitoba by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. . . [Full text]
Author Project AdministratorPosted on January 10, 2017 March 6, 2018 Categories Assisted suicide, Canada, Euthanasia, NewsTags College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, Concordia Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada), Kelvin Goertzen, Manitoba, Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada), St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada), Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (Man Canada)Leave a comment on Medically assisted dying team in Manitoba doubles in size
At least six Manitoba hospitals refuse to provide euthanasia, assisted suicide
Faith-based hospitals reject euthanasia
Winnipeg Free Press
Kristin Annable
At least six faith-based health-care facilities in Manitoba — including two Winnipeg hospitals — will not be providing medically assisted deaths to their patients or long-term care residences.
Officials from St. Boniface Hospital told the Free Press Monday patients seeking medical assistance in dying will have to go to another facility to have the service offered.
Other medical care facilities under the Catholic Health Corp. of Manitoba umbrella, including St. Joseph's residence in northwest Winnipeg, Ste. Rose General Hospital near Dauphin, and Winnipegosis and District Health Centre will also follow suit, explained the corporation's CEO, Daniel Lussier. . . [Full text]
Author Project AdministratorPosted on November 22, 2016 March 6, 2018 Categories Assisted suicide, Canada, Christianity-Catholicism, Christianity-Non-Catholic, Euthanasia, News, Religious FreedomTags Catholic Health Corp. of Manitoba, Concordia Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada), hospitals, Jane Philpott, Manitoba, Misericordia Health Centre (Winnipeg Man Canada), St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg Man Canada)Leave a comment on At least six Manitoba hospitals refuse to provide euthanasia, assisted suicide


I LOVE your post today! It is so true for so many of us. I think it takes a special person (you) to see through to the heart of your parents, to see what circumstances made them the way they are, and to understand that you must create your own path and not the path of your parents. Well done!
If I get it right, someone (you)will get it also.
Thank you for commenting and your words are perfect. I was unsure of this post because yet again, I'm showing my frailties and perhaps people are tired of this.


All caps are tie back and latex-free. The lightweight single layer crown material allows for breathability. The sides and ties are made from scrim reinforced material that is cool and absorbent. Lint free.


Where on earth do they come from?
I'm sure in Greek families there are as many recipes for Greek salad as there are Greek families… I'm not Greek, but here's my salad!
You don't have to be a vegetarian to like veggie food!


text:
Q: In BigQuery, how to filter on json for rows where sum of some subelements is positive? Following up on How to get count of matches in field of table for list of phrases from another table in bigquery?
Where you end up with something like:
Row str                     all_matches
1   foo1 foo foo40          [{"key":"foo","matches":2},{"key":"test","matches":0}]
2   test1 test test2 test   [{"key":"foo","matches":0},{"key":"test","matches":2}]

How could you further filter on those rows for which sum(matches over all keys) > 0 with StandardSQL?

A: To keep it simple - just add below line to the end of referenced query
HAVING SUM(ARRAY_LENGTH(REGEXP_EXTRACT_ALL(str, CONCAT(key, r'[^\s]')))) > 0

So, the final query (BigQuery Standard SQL) will be
#standardSQL
WITH `project.dataset.table` AS (
  SELECT 'foo1 foo foo40' str UNION ALL
  SELECT 'test1 test test2 test' UNION ALL
  SELECT 'abc xyz'
), `project.dataset.keywords` AS (
  SELECT 'foo' key UNION ALL
  SELECT 'test'
)
SELECT str,
  TO_JSON_STRING(ARRAY_AGG(STRUCT(key, ARRAY_LENGTH(REGEXP_EXTRACT_ALL(str, CONCAT(key, r'[^\s]'))) AS matches))) all_matches
FROM `project.dataset.table`
CROSS JOIN `project.dataset.keywords`
GROUP BY str
HAVING SUM(ARRAY_LENGTH(REGEXP_EXTRACT_ALL(str, CONCAT(key, r'[^\s]')))) > 0

with result
Row str                     all_matches
1   foo1 foo foo40          [{"key":"foo","matches":2},{"key":"test","matches":0}]
2   test1 test test2 test   [{"key":"foo","matches":0},{"key":"test","matches":2}]

Note: I added one more row into dummy data and it is filtered out from output because there is no matches at all in that row

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Wholesale Men or women's wallets | Msnho!
Men or women's checkbook cover. Features 3 credit card slots, an ID slot and plastic carbon copy separator for your checkbook. Slim and simple design that will meet all your needs. Made of soft top grain chrome tanned leather, this wallet will last you a long time. Made in America.


Having a hole in your seat is a terrible thing! Wondering what can be done with that heirloom caned chair in the attic? Interested in learning about a traditional handicraft that is both beautiful and functional? Come to the St Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House, 3 East Main St., Canton for a few evenings and learn how to cane chairs!
The St Lawrence County Historical Association is offering a low cost workshop on three consecutive Wednesday evenings, March 6, 13, and 20 from 7-9 pm. Carl Stickney, instructor for the workshop, has decades of experience in chair caning. More importantly, he is a patient instructor in a craft that is both useful and enjoyable.
The Chair Caning Workshop will be held in the St Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House. To register for the workshop send your name, address, phone number, email and nonrefundable payment to the St Lawrence County Historical Association, PO Box 8, Canton, NY 13617. For more information, call the SLCHA at 315-386-8133 or e-mail. Registration is limited and is taken on a first come, first served basis. Parking is available in back of the SLCHA, next to the main entrance to the museum. Workshops are made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.


text:
import grequests
import os
import time

try:
    import cPickle as pickle
except ImportError:
    import pickle

import pathofexile.api

def create_chunks(l, n):
    ''' Yield successive n-sized chunks from l.

    :param l: any list object
    :param n: split the list object into lists of this size
    :return: generator of list 'chunks'
    '''
    for i in xrange(0, len(l), n):
        yield l[i:i+n]

def make_batch_request(requests):
    ''' Maps each given request to a response, and returns a list of the
    responses.

    :param requests: list of request objects
    :return: list of response objects
    '''
    responses = []
    responses.extend(grequests.map(requests))
    return responses

def cache(original_function):
    ''' Checks for the existence of a recent cache file before retrieving a
    ladder from the API. Used when decorating retrieve() functions.

    If the cache file exists, returns the content of the cache file.
    Otherwise, makes the requests and saves the results to cache before
    returning control to the decorated function.

    :param original_function: the retrieve() function to be decorated
    '''
    def load_if_present(ladder_id, force_redownload=False):
        one_hour = 3600  # seconds
        cache_dir = '.ladder_cache'
        pickle_file = '{0}/{1}'.format(
            cache_dir,
            ladder_id.replace(' ', '').replace('/', '_')
        )

        # determine if loading from cache is an option
        if os.path.isfile(pickle_file) and not force_redownload:
            current_time = time.time()
            pickle_mtime = os.path.getmtime(pickle_file)

            # if the pickle file is less than one hour old, return the pickle
            if (current_time - pickle_mtime) < one_hour:
                with open(pickle_file, 'r') as f:
                    return pickle.load(f)

        ladder = original_function(ladder_id)
        if not os.path.exists(cache_dir):
            os.mkdir(cache_dir)
        with open(pickle_file, 'w') as f:
            pickle.dump(ladder, f)
        return ladder

    return load_if_present

@cache
def retrieve_sequentially(ladder_id, force_redownload=False):
    ''' Makes 75 API requests to retrieve all 15,000 players in the given
    ladder. The average latency of a single response from the API is around
    1000ms, so this function takes about 75 seconds to complete.

    A better option is to retrieve the ladder concurrently with retrieve().

    :param ladder_id: The id (name) of the league for the ladder you want
        to retrieve.
    :param ladder_id: Name of the ladder to retrive (league name)
    :return: A list of all player details in the ladder
    '''
    entries = []
    ladder_size = 15000
    offset = 0
    limit = 200

    for _ in xrange(0, ladder_size, limit):
        p = pathofexile.api.get_ladder_segment(
            ladder_id,
            ladder_limit=limit,
            ladder_offset=offset
        )
        entries.extend(p.get('entries'))
        offset += limit

    return entries

@cache
def retrieve(ladder_id, force_redownload=False):
    ''' Uses concurrent HTTP requests to pull down a ladder. Takes roughly one
    quarter to one third of the time spent retrieving a ladder sequentially.

    A ladder contains 15,000 entries, and each request corresponds to 200 of
    those entries. Testing indicates that the API rate limit is 10 requests
    per second (defined in pathofexile.api), so we can send 8 groups of 10
    concurrent requests to get the entire ladder more quickly. Note: the last
    group only contains 5 requests (the remainder).

    The total time this function takes to complete should be around 20 seconds.
    Here's the breakdown of what makes this take so long:

        * 0.5 seconds: Python code
        * 7.0 seconds: time.sleep() - once between each request group
        * 12.5 seconds: Latency for 8 request groups

    The request latency is time spent waiting on a response from the API. The
    latency for a request can vary from 800ms to 3400ms (requests appear to be
    a bit slower when sent in batches like this). 1500ms seems to be the
    average latency for a request group. The slowest request in a group
    determines the latency of its group.

    :param ladder_id: Name of the ladder to retrive (league name)
    :return: list of ladder entries
    '''
    ladder_size = 15000
    limit = 200
    offset = 0
    endpoint = 'http://api.pathofexile.com/ladders'

    # Prepare 75 requests
    requests = []
    while offset != ladder_size:
        params = {'id': ladder_id, 'limit': limit, 'offset': offset}
        # generate the request objects
        requests.append(grequests.get(endpoint, params=params))
        offset += limit

    # Make 75 requests, 10 at a time
    chunks = create_chunks(requests, pathofexile.api.RATE_LIMIT)
    entries = []
    for chunk in chunks:
        # send the requests
        responses = grequests.map(chunk)
        for r in responses:
            entry_group = r.json().get('entries')
            entries.extend(entry_group)
        # only sleep if we'll be making more requests
        if not len(entries) == 15000:
            time.sleep(1)
    return entries

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Before responding to each of the arguments made in the Statement from Vice President Hanson, it is important to note what the Statement does not address: why is American University (AU) still holding on to the videotape that Ben Wetmore made of the event? The camera was running not only during Tipper Gore's speech, but also throughout the entire incident with the campus police. Therefore, the videotape is not just Mr. Wetmore's property, but also crucial evidence in any planned legal action. This is an absolutely vital issue. Mr. Wetmore and his attorney have asked the University for the tape, and FIRE's letters to AU have stressed its importance as evidence. AU refuses even to acknowledge this question.
If the facts are indeed as AU alleges, it has nothing to worry about, and it should have no problem handing over the tape. The fact that it has held onto it for nearly four months despite demands for the tape's return is extremely suspicious, and—as the legal pressure mounts to turn it over—increasingly looks like obstruction of the effort to secure justice and truth.
American University should be ashamed of dismissing this situation as simply a "cause célèbre," implying that it is a trivial matter blown out of proportion by someone else's agenda. On his website, Mr. Wetmore reports on what he believes are flawed policies and abuses of power by the AU administration. AU now has punished him, severely, for his legitimate political and journalistic activities. This case involves stark abuses of power by campus police and administrators, theft of a student's property by University officials, clear evidence of targeting a student for his acts of critical political dissent, a denial of elementary due process and fundamental fairness, and a distortion of both the law and the principles of free speech.
As for FIRE's involvement (the only "advocacy group" that has been involved with this case since it began), we initially approached AU to try to resolve this informally. Our efforts and the efforts of an attorney from our Legal Network were essentially ignored.
This case differs from most other FIRE cases. Ordinarily, a university caught abusing a student's rights so egregiously would either deny responsibility or step back from the situation, make amends, and do its best to undo the wrong. The publicity that this case has generated is a direct result of the outrageousness of AU's actions and its obstinacy with regards to mending these wrongs. If AU had ever taken rights seriously, this all would have been avoided.
AU is charging that FIRE made false claims, but that it cannot identify or substantiate those charges due to confidentiality protections. In fact, AU already has spoken to The Washington Post, the Student Press Law Center, and now the AU community about this case. However, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) forbids universities from disclosing any personally identifiable information about a student's disciplinary proceedings. AU cannot have it both ways. AU wishes to disclose selected information in a truncated and misleading way, but then to seek refuge in FERPA when it does not want to admit to something. From our earliest communications with AU, we have asked them to correct any misstatements of the facts. If AU believes that FIRE has any of the facts of the case wrong, we repeat our invitation to them to prove their claims. Indeed, AU's most important first step would be to return the videotape to Ben Wetmore. Then, everyone could see what actually transpired.
It is very significant that, according to The Washington Post, Mrs. Gore's office has said that this issue is entirely between Mr. Wetmore and the University. As the holder of the supposed intellectual property interest wants nothing to do with the situation, AU's excuse for holding onto to the tape and punishing Mr. Wetmore has essentially vanished. Without appealing to its contract with Mrs. Gore, what possible justification could AU have for pursuing this student and holding onto his videotape? The lack of a sensible answer to this question strongly indicates that the University is after the student himself. AU administrators may be motivated by personal animosity, or by a desire to retaliate against Mr. Wetmore for considering criminal charges against the University and to preempt him from doing so.
This statement completely ignores Mr. Wetmore's claim that the officers refused to identify themselves. It is completely legitimate for someone to demand to know by what authority he or she is being told to stop a protected activity. In fact, AU should strongly encourage its students to make sure that people who claim to be campus police actually are. Even the campus police's own report (presumptively the most favorable account to AU's side) does not say the campus police explained who they were. Their official testimony is quite remarkable: "Officer Lazarus adjusted his suit jacket so that Mr. Wetmore could see his badge on his left hip." That is scarcely the process of identification by officers (if it in fact occurred) that should satisfy any student or other citizen. If AU decides to release the tape, of course, we will all be able to examine if this explanation of events is accurate.
AU does not bother to explain that the director of judicial affairs and mediation services, Katsura Kurita, whose decision it was to accept the charges, also served as judge during the hearing, and as one third of the jury. Another juror was Kurita's own law clerk. The final juror was Mr. Wetmore's political opponent from student government who, in 2000, petitioned the Student Confederation for Mr. Wetmore's impeachment. Fairness demanded that these three jurors recuse themselves from this case. Instead, they ignored Mr. Wetmore's requests that he have a jury free from personal or professional bias. It is disgraceful that a great university would try a student in what can most charitably be deemed a "kangaroo court," and then hide behind the verdict for its own defense.
AU has repeated this statement numerous times, and it is highly deceptive. Mr. Wetmore was charged with seven offenses, one of which was the attempt to commit any of the above charges. Since he was found guilty of five of the charges, it would be impossible (at least in any normal legal system) to find him guilty of both the act and the attempt to do the act, and thus he was acquitted of this spurious charge.
The other charge of which he was acquitted was "intentional or reckless" interference with a sponsored event. In any system based even loosely on the American legal system, he could not be guilty of this, because a conviction would require some sort of intent to break the rules (not the intent to engage in constitutionally protected journalistic practice, as was the case).
This statement is an attempt by AU to draw attention from the five convictions for simply taping what Mr. Wetmore had every reason to believe was a public event. For this "crime," he was found guilty of possessing stolen property, threatening the health and safety of the arresting officers, disorderly conduct, failing to immediately comply with a University official, and the University equivalent of trespass. Whenever a critic of an administration is arrested and charged with suspiciously spurious offenses, one has to look very carefully at the true motives behind the charges. The severity of the findings for simply taping an event should be proof enough that AU was targeting Mr. Wetmore for other reasons. Those reasons are quite apparent here. This is further confirmed by an April 26, 2002 letter to Mr. Wetmore's attorney, in which AU's vice president and university counsel, Mary E. Kennard, criticized Wetmore for ignoring the University's "admonitions" not "to post derogatory materials about staff on his website"—as if it were a crime to be publicly critical of the University.
The claim that these disciplinary hearings are not formal "trials" but for "educational" purposes is used by many schools to excuse their violation of the most basic standards of fair procedure. It is dishonest to call this process "educational." It is a punitive process designed to punish or expel students who get out of line. Students should be afforded sound and fair procedural protections—not denied them because the experience is supposedly "educational." Further, AU did not provide Mr. Wetmore with anything remotely like an "impartial" jury. AU also cannot claim fairness when a student in Mr. Wetmore's situation has no right to an appeal. The denial of an impartial panel and a right of appeal are the very opposite of principles of fairness and legitimacy.
In fact, Mr. Wetmore was placed on probation, warned of expulsion for future activities, saddled with forty hours of community service cleaning the auditorium, removed from an elected student position, and patronizingly forced to complete papers on conflict resolution (not to mention that he was deprived of his own property, and that he was abused and humiliated for activity that should be completely protected).
FIRE expressed its concern that the campus police acted illegally and used unnecessary force. AU's answer is that it asked the campus police department, who found their own actions correct. AU must return the tape to Mr. Wetmore so we all may know what actually happened. If this were a criminal investigation, the repeated failure to turn over the tape would be deemed contempt, and any effort to destroy the tape would be an obstruction of justice. The tape itself is central to this matter, and AU's refusal to turn it over speaks volumes.
There is no evidence whatsoever of any "independent review" or "determination" by the MPD. If AU has any proof of such a review or determination, let it produce it.
The animosity that the administration holds towards Mr. Wetmore is common knowledge at AU. He was chastised for his "derogatory" website before his trail, rebuked again for the website during the supposedly impartial proceedings, and, in a letter sent to him by the University counsel, scolded yet again for his journalistic activities. AU's animosity towards Mr. Wetmore is clear even in this very statement where they dismiss him as a mere "cause célèbre" (as opposed to being someone who has been seriously wronged). Mr. Wetmore knew it from the start: if AU could find any pretext, however flimsy, they would prosecute him to the fullest possible extent. This is what happened in this case (expulsion legally would have required greater procedural protections), and all the evidence points to the University's animus towards Mr. Wetmore for his website and journalistic activities.
In failing to "regard this matter as a First Amendment issue," AU ignores the fact that Mr. Wetmore's case touches one of the principles and rights that the First Amendment most explicitly protects: freedom of the press. By attacking a student for engaging in legitimate journalistic activities and targeting him for his public opinions, AU is patently violating the spirit of our First Amendment, free speech and freedom of the press. Knowing Mr. Wetmore's fate, what student journalist would ever willingly accept the role of dissenter at AU?
This case is every bit about freedom of speech and freedom of the press. AU's assertion that it is not can come only from blindness or willful ignorance.
As institutions that exist to educate students on how to live in a free society, America's colleges and universities have a higher calling and a deeper duty to justice, fairness, and liberty. AU's actions here betray that special role and stain the reputation of a distinguished institution. FIRE made several attempts to prevent this case from escalating into a national scandal, but now that we are engaged we will remain involved until Ben Wetmore's rights are restored and his property returned. We expect, with the help of the AU community and an informed public, to bring this shameful situation to a just conclusion.


text:
Cryptotreta is een geslacht van insecten uit de familie van de Boorvliegen (Tephritidae), die tot de orde tweevleugeligen (Diptera) behoort.

Soort
C. cislimitensis Steyskal, 1977

Boorvliegen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The announcement on Monday in Tokyo (Sunday in the U.S.) that Floyd Mayweather would fight on New Year's Eve against a Japanese kickboxer less than half his age and 25 pounds lighter was a stunner.
But Mayweather's announcement on Instagram on Wednesday was the true bombshell.
After sitting at a news conference, answering questions about a fight with Tenshin Nasukawa and then posing for pictures with the 20-year-old rising star, Mayweather took to social media on Wednesday to say he'd been conned.
I don't know about him, but I know this: Fight fans have been conned. The fans who have faithfully supported him for years have been conned.
This seems like some kind of a set-up for him to get attention for an event that would get very little in exchange for some easy money.
On Instagram, Mayweather said he was asked to fight a three-round exhibition match. He said it was supposed to "be an exhibition put on for a small group of wealthy spectators for a very large fee." He said he was blindsided by what happened.
Yeah, right. I call total B.S. on this one.
Mayweather is hardly a shrinking violet and he has never — ever — failed to speak up on his own behalf since he became a professional boxer. Yet, if you believe his Instagram post, he wants you now to believe he remained silent and participated in the news conference as if it were a fight he'd agreed to simply to be courteous.
Again, one would have to be a fool to believe this.
Mayweather's former promoter, Bob Arum, has been dogged for years about a line he made during an argument with a friend. Arum and a friend were out drinking one night and debating the merits of one fighter versus the other. The next night, when they picked it up again, Arum apparently took the other side.
That is exactly what Mayweather seems to be saying: Yesterday I was lying when I attended a press conference and answered questions and talked about Nasukawa's skillset. Today, I'm telling the truth when I said there was never any intention for me to fight this guy.
The problem with Mayweather's version of events is that over the last several months, he's posted numerous photos of himself in Japan, including one with Manny Pacquiao. That's led to speculation that Mayweather and Pacquiao will rematch sometime next year.
Given this farce with Rizin, it's hard to believe anything Mayweather says now.
He said he didn't speak up out of respect to the fans who flew to Japan for the news conference. But isn't it even more disrespectful to let them believe you're going to do something while you're in their presence and then tell them you're not when you are elsewhere?
On his Instagram post he wrote, "For the sake of the several fans and attendees that flew in from all parts of the world to attend this past press conference, I was hesitant to create a huge disturbance by combating what was being said and for that I am truly sorry.
This is beyond suspicious and seems like a con job to help boost the Rizin show in exchange for a nice check.
Until I see evidence to the contrary, that's what I'll choose to believe.


South Lakes: Stonham (Home Group), Impact Housing Association, South Lakes District Council, Springfield Voices.
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There is one thing more than anything else that will defeat us in our recovery; this is an attitude of indifference or intolerance toward spiritual principles. Three of these that are indispensable are honesty, openmindedness, and willingness. With these we are well on our way.
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority— a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
Understanding these Traditions comes slowly over a period of time. We pick up information as we talk to members and visit various groups. It usually isn't until we get involved with service that someone points out that "personal recovery depends on NA unity," and that unity depends on how well we follow our Traditions. The Twelve Traditions of NA are not negotiable. They are the guidelines that keep our Fellowship alive and free. By following these guidelines in our dealings with others, and society at large, we avoid many problems. That is not to say that our Traditions eliminate all problems. We still have to face difficulties as they arise: communication problems, differences of opinion, internal controversies, and troubles with individuals and groups outside the Fellowship. However, when we apply these principles, we avoid some of the pitfalls. Many of our problems are like those that our predecessors had to face. Their hard won experience gave birth to the Traditions, and our own experience has shown that these principles are just as valid today as they were when these Traditions were formulated. Our Traditions protect us from the internal and external forces that could destroy us. They are truly the ties that bind us together. It is only through understanding and application that they work.


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Jewiss looks to preserve Championship lead in Scotland
Kiern Jewiss will be looking to maintain his championship lead this weekend as the FIA British Formula 4 Championship arrives in Scotland for the eighth round of the season at Knockhill Circuit.
The FIA Formula 4 Championship will make its annual trip north of the border this weekend to the unique Knockhill circuit. One of the shortest circuits on the calendar, measuring at just 1.27 miles, Knockhill is a narrow, undulating and demanding circuit loved by the fans and drivers. The track's high kerbs provide a tough challenge for the drivers and engineers who have to set up the cars to navigate all of the undulations Knockhill presents.
Kiern's sole previous trip to the Scottish track came last year when he raced in the Ginetta Junior Championship and it was a weekend to remember. Securing his maiden win in car racing, Kiern collected 65 points from a possible 70 in Knockhill and regards the circuit as one of his strongest on the calendar.
"Knockhill is a track I have great memories of after taking my first win in cars there last year. It's a tough circuit, very demanding, but one that is a lot of fun to drive. There's a lot of blind corners and the undulation means that you have to put a lot of trust in yourself and the car which I think plays to my strengths."
Kiern bounced back from a difficult round at Snetterton, where he saw his championship lead halved after the summer break, with two podium finishes at Rockingham to extend the gap at the top to 45 point ahead of Ayrton Simmons.
"It was nice to put Snett behind us and return to the podium at Rockingham. We thought we would struggle at Rockingham so to leave there extending the championship lead was a real positive sign."
With nine races remaining this season and 225 points still on offer, Kiern is hoping to pull further away at the top of the championship standings as he returns to one of his favourite tracks on the circuit.
"The goal this weekend is to extend the championship lead further and to do that, I need to be at my best. The series is getting more competitive every race weekend, with eight race winners already this year, so staying ahead of my rivals is crucial this weekend. I'm under no illusions how tough that is going to be but I'm up for the challenge."
The weekend's action starts on Friday with three practice sessions followed by qualifying taking place on Saturday morning at 11:20. The first race of the weekend then follows on Saturday at 16:50, with Sunday's races taking place at 11:00 and 16:20 respectively – with Sunday's final race shown live on ITV4.


Product pages are arguably the most important parts of your eCommerce site.
At Growcode, we realize that everything matters. Beautifully-designed home pages are vital for making a good impression. And robust check-out forms are key for sealing up the bottom of your sales funnel, preventing cart abandonment.
But no pages have a greater impact on sales and overall conversions than product pages. It's where your customers evaluate your products, take in your special offers and sweeteners (like free shipping), and ultimately decide to click that all-important "Add to Cart" button. Your product pages are like the engine rooms that keep the whole ship afloat.
Add-to-cart conversions hover, on average, around 10%. That means out of all traffic to a site, around 10% will add a product to the cart. Of all website sessions, around 50% involve a product page view.
At Growcode, we think this is a relatively low number. Most eCommerce retailers are leaving easy money on the table by failing to optimize their underperforming product pages. Research has shown that some retailers convert nearly half (49.73%) of all traffic to their product pages into sales.
So in this guide, we're going to give you 20 simple but highly effective optimization tips to ensure you're getting as many add-to-cart conversions as possible. We'll also use some of the best product pages on the web as practical examples.
How can you improve your ecommerce product page?
Is the product shot large enough to see specific details?
Does the enlarge photo function work properly?
Are photographs of a high-resolution and high-quality?
Do product photos highlight the most important features for users (such as the soles of shoes)?
Do you show more than one picture and are they easy to browse through?
For clothes retailers, do you include information about the model near to the photo?
Are ratings and testimonials easily available, either by clicking a button or scrolling down?
Are the opinions of reviewers easily scannable?
Do you group together the "big four" pieces of information on the product detail page?
Is your main CTA an imperative sentence rather than a single word?
Is the CTA visible above the fold in the product page design template?
Do you leverage urgency-building techniques?
Are the steps leading to checkout obvious (after a user adds a product to the cart)?
If a product has sold out, do you show customers similar products or alternatives?
Do you clearly show shipping information on the product page?
If it's common to charge high shipping prices in your industry, do you include a shipping calculator on the page?
Are all the specs available in the product description?
Are customizable options (like color, size, gift wrap etc.) clearly visible to the user and are they easy to use?
Do you include a visible reminder to select size/color if a customer forgets?
Do you include user-generated content, such as from Instagram?
1. Is the product shot large enough to see specific details?
Large images with lots of detail are one of the most valuable assets you have as an online retailer. It's important to remember that online customers will have a wider array of doubts compared to customers shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, where they can inspect items closely.
Your job is to replicate the high-street experience as closely as possible. Ensure that all images are big enough to see specific details. You don't need to overboard with images the size of a billboard. But all features and nuances should be visible.
2. Does the enlarge photo function work properly?
The zoom function on photos can be a little difficult to get right. It's important to ensure that images enlarge to an appropriate size (and don't fill the whole screen), that it's easy for users to bring other parts of the image into focus, and that they can minimize the image quickly to interact with other elements of the page.
The level of detail in Zappos photographs leaves little to the imagination. Visitors can see all product features in detail. You should aim to create an experience for customers that is as close as possible to being in-store.
3. Are photographs of a high-resolution and high-quality?
Along with ensuring that images are large enough and that the zoom feature works, it's also important to enable viewers to see specific details, just as they would if they were inspecting a product in-person. This is especially the case for products that have a lot of features.
High-quality pictures also communicate professionalism. Customers are more likely to question the integrity of your brand and site if you display second-rate images.
4. Do product photos highlight the most important features for users (such as the soles of shoes)?
Certain products will have stand-out features that constitute major USPs. These features should have their own dedicated high-resolution, zoomable photographs whenever appropriate.
It's also important to include photos that highlight the most notable features of products, like the soles of shoes, keyboards on laptops, major design features on clothing, etc.
In the Zappos example above, special attention is given to the most important features of products like the soles.
5. Do you show more than one picture and are they easy to browse through?
Showing multiple pictures, even if they are from similar angles, recreates the experience of handling a product. Customers usually want to see a product from numerous perspectives and build a complete understanding of it before purchase. This is especially the case with certain products, like clothes and accessories, where a high amount of handling would usually occur.
Keep in mind that online attention spans are notoriously limited. These images should be easy to scroll through, especially on mobile. If you make it difficult for users to view different images quickly, you're just increasing the likelihood they'll leave the site.
Note how the pictures in the screenshot from Simply Hike above are easy to click and also show the product from a range of similar angles. The subtle differences between the images aim to make the visitor feel as though they are sampling the product themselves.
6. For clothes retailers, do you include information about the model near to the photo?
Including information about the size of a piece of clothing and the model wearing it can prompt visitors with similar measurements to buy. It will also put a product into perspective for the customer.
Remember, customers are trying to quickly make an informed judgment about a piece of clothing without the luxury of trying it on. They're unlikely to spend a lot of time searching a product page for all the information they require. By providing as many details as possible in one place, you increase the likelihood customers will feel confident enough to buy.
The description on Forever 21 underneath "Size +Fit" reads: "The model is 5'8" and wearing a small.
7. Are ratings and testimonials easily available, either by clicking a button or scrolling down?
Ratings and reviews have a huge effect on conversions. You should make it as easy as possible for potential customers to access reviews, including them directly after the product description. It's also good practice to add aggregated information, like the overall rating and the averages of reviews that have five stars, four stars, three stars, etc. in the review section (see the screenshot below).
Crutchfield includes reviews immediately after the product description, with simplified information like average customer reviews.
8. Are the opinions of reviewers easily scannable?
If your customers tend not to write in scannable prose, structure your review form so that it asks for short answers that can be displayed as bullets. These questions should reflect the most important issues that prospective buyers encounter. You may also wish to rank reviews by "helpfulness", placing the most persuasive at the top.
9. Do you group together the "big four" pieces of information on the product detail page?
Before a customer clicks on the main "Add to Basket" or "Buy Now" CTA, they need to know these key basic pieces of information. By placing them next to the main button on the page (which represents your most-desired action), you are eliminating the need for many customers, particularly customers that are ready to buy, to scroll down the page to find essential details.
Simply Hike display the most essential information, removing the need for customers to search the page or scroll down.
10. Is your main CTA (call to action) an imperative sentence rather than a single word?
An "imperative sentence" is one that "orders" a visitor to take an action. "Add to cart," and, "Click here to buy now," are both examples.
"Add to Basket" udes by Budapester is a common imperative. Phrases like the one in the screenshot above are used in a product pages layout so often for a reason. They work!
11. Is the CTA visible above the fold in the product page design template?
Don't make it hard for visitors to hit purchase! Including the buy button above the fold is one of those small tweaks that can have a significant impact on your product page conversions.
This is especially the case on mobile devices, where already-strained attention spans are even shorter than usual! Most visitors will scroll down the page to find further information, but there is no harm in making it as easy as possible for those that don't want to.
12. Do you leverage urgency-building techniques?
Show how many people have recently bought a product (if it's popular) or products from the same category.
Show the number of people viewing an item.
Guarantee same or next day delivery for an order made within a specific time.
If certain product sizes have sold out, make that clear.
Zappos builds urgency in the product listing above by highlighting a time-limited sale price and displaying low stock levels.
13. Are the steps leading to checkout obvious (after a user adds a product to the cart)?
A clear message that a product has been added to the cart – This will eliminate any doubts that their product hasn't been added to the shopping basket. Customers will often leave a site through frustration when the outcome of clicking the "Add to Cart" button isn't clear.
A clear button to go to the cart – This should be included in two places. Ideally, a CTA to go the cart should appear immediately after a customer has selected a product. There should also one in the site-wide navbar so that customers can click through to their cart irrespective of where they are on your site.
14. If a product has sold out, do you show customers similar products or alternatives (or enable them to sign up for a reminder in case the item reappears)?
Many retailers assume that if a customer lands on a product page when an item is out of stock that they've lost them completely. But this isn't always the case. By including an email opt-in form, along with suggestions of similar products, you can effectively take advantage of what would otherwise be "lost" traffic.
Adding a sign-up form (preferably where the normal CTA would be) is an easy way to ensure that customers will be reminded when an out-of-stock product becomes available.
15. Do you clearly show shipping information on the product page?
Lack of shipping information on product pages is one of the main reasons that customers don't add items to their cart. There is a common tendency among site visitors to expect exorbitant rates if they are not clearly visible alongside the item price.
If you offer free shipping or discounted shipping, display it visibly next to the primary CTA. Free shipping is a major incentive for customers. If free or same-day shipping is time-limited – for example, if a purchase needs to be made before 5 PM to qualify – display this information too.
Reserved realize how important shipping information is to customers. They emphasize their free shipping offer multiple times and provide a prominent link to more details.
16. If it's common to charge high shipping prices in your industry, do you include a shipping calculator on the page?
Eliminating doubt is a key part of optimizing product pages for higher conversion rates. Providing clear information about the price of shipping enables customers to make a decision about whether or not an item fits within their budget.
Sometimes, however, it's not always possible to provide exact shipping rates, especially in industries like construction, where the cost of shipping varies depending on the size of the order, the country (or country area) of delivery, time-sensitive prices offered by shipping companies, and more.
If this is the case, eliminate doubt as much as possible by including an estimated price or a shipping calculator that will provide a customized quote for customers.
17. Are all the specs available in the product description?
Customers shopping in certain verticals will need very specific information about products. Buyers of construction materials, for example, will likely need access to in-depth specs.
Even product pages of common retail products can usually appeal to a wider customer base by including a description of an array of features. Do your clothes products listings, for example, appeal to environmentally-conscious buyers by including details about how they are sustainably manufactured?
18. Are customizable options (like color, size, gift wrap etc.) clearly visible to the user and are they easy to use?
There's nothing more frustrating than product customization buttons that just don't work. If you're selling items that are available in a number of different styles, sizes, or with custom features, ensure that the options all work properly.
It?s also a good idea to include these options next to the CTA. Generally speaking, the choice of which specific product to purchase is made immediately prior to adding it to the cart.
It's best to use images to indicate different product options, as Puma does on its product pages.
19. Do you include a visible reminder to select size/color if a customer forgets?
If a customer has made a mistake by not selecting required product features, notify them with a visible reminder near to the main CTA.
A simple reminder, as in the example from Forever 21 above, is all that's needed. If customers don't know how to rectify a mistake, they're more likely to abandon the process all together.
20. Do you include user-generated content, such as from Instagram?
User-generated content, like Instagram photos and rich-media reviews (that include customer videos and images) carry a large amount of credibility and social proof. Consider including them somewhere on your product pages if you are able to. They will help to build engagement and bolster the positive effects of good reviews.
On Vanity Planets' product page we can see users content from Instagram. It is giving customers an authentic glimpse of a product and helps them picture themselves using it.
Remember: just a few simple tweaks can make a big difference!
Don't be put off by the length of this list! While it might feel like you've been attacked with a fire-house of eCommerce advice, it's important to remember that most of these tips are nothing more than small tweaks.
But while implementing these changes only involves altering a few lines of code, the results can be significant. Small changes to descriptions, photographs and design will often boost add-to-cart conversions by several percentage points.
Are you hungry for more ecommerce optimization tips?
Download the Ecommerce Optimization Checklist of a 7+ Figure Online Store now! Inside, you will find tips and tricks for all ecommerce page types: search results, homepage, category, cart, checkout and more!


The ratio of directly exporting companies among manufacturing companies is very low, as the cost of direct export is too large for SMEs. This fact leads to the necessity of the facilitation of direct export for SMEs. On the other hand, researchers have suggested that "indirect export" through trading companies, could support the access of SMEs to foreign demand.
This paper analyzes the indirect export volume using official statistics of the Japanese government, such as the Census of Manufacturers, Census of Commerce, and Commodity Distribution Survey, in order to examine the extent of indirect exports by SME exports and companies in rural area in general.
The key findings are as follows, 1) while indirect export volume is less than before the global economic crisis, many manufacturing sectors continue to depend on indirect exports, 2) indirect export occupies a large share of exports for manufacturers in many rural areas, 3) sectors with high rates of SME participation tend to have higher ratios of indirect exports.
The above facts suggest that indirect export supports the access of SMEs to foreign demand.