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Fairytale Legends: Hansel and Gretel UK Online Slot
Fairytale Legends Hansel And Gretel is a 5 reel, 10 payline slot game with a 96.71% RTP. This UK Online Slot comes with Free Spins, Sticky Wilds and Respin Wild feature.
Fairy Legends: Hansel and Gretel UK Online Slot
Fairy Legends: Hansel and Gretel online slot, like most of the other online slots developed by Net Entertainment, is an awesome game! It has the setting of a magical forest, with a lot of 3-dimensional (3D) graphics and visual effects. Also, there are many fairies flapping and throwing the glimmering magic dust at the reels. You likewise have the twins that jump and cheer you whenever winning combinations are made. What about the game's soundtrack? The soundtrack can be said to complement the adventure in the magical forest because it creates an absolutely strange and magical slot!
Fairy Legends: Hansel and Gretel Developer - NetEnt
Fairytale Legends: Hansel and Gretel online slot is a powerful creation coming from the staples of Net Entertainment. It is an online slot with incredible production in terms of theme, artwork, featured characters (or symbols) and bonus features. Even the sound effects and music feature perfectly blend into the whole set of the game.
You can try the popular games from NetEnt such as Berryburst slot game, Asgardian Stones and Dazzle Me online slot on MoneyReels.com
Play Fairy Legends: Hansel and Gretel Mobile Slot
5 reels, 3 rows and 10 paylines were featured in the game. Some of the symbols in the game include 4 coloured candies, the duo: Hansel and Gretel, and the fairytale legend logo. The wild icon in the game is the fairytale legend logo. Not to be forgotten is the treasure chest, which represents the scatter symbol. 3 of the scatter symbols will activate the bonus feature.
The aim of the game, just like many other online slots, is to match symbols of a kind in the right quantities to either earn some winnings or activate bonus features to win prizes in the form of cash. As a player, you will have play the game across all the 10 paylines, however, you have a range of coin values to play with. For instance, you can place your bet form coin values ranging from 1 – 10 coins per line. So, whether your pocket is very buoyant or not, the game can fit into any budget.
To be awarded prizes in the form of winnings, it is not a must you start forming winning combinations on reel 1. Irrespective of where it starts on any payline, having 3 or more symbols of a kind in a row will mean winning for you. So, what matters in Fairytale Legends: Hansel and Gretel online slot, is having a combination of 3 or more symbols of a kind in a row. Therefore, you have more ways of winning with right combinations open to you in the game.
The symbols featured in the game are a blend of thematic icons from the fairytale story of Hansel and Gretel. You have the 4 differently coloured candies that will reward you with little payouts. There's also the Hansel and Gretel symbol that promises bigger winnings. Then you have the fairytale legend logo, which could give payouts worth 400 times (400x) your stake value.
Fairy Legends: Hansel and Gretel Slot Features
Randomly Triggered Features: Fairytale Legends: Hansel and Gretel online slot highlight 3 features that are randomly triggered; these are the fairy wild spin, the fairy wonder spin and the fairy surprise.
For the fairy wild spin feature, when full stacks of wilds make their appearances on reels 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, the sticky wild respin begins after the original spin, and that respin will keep going until you have a new stack of wilds appear during the next spin.
In the fairy wonder spin, a random cluster of the fairytale logo (the wild symbol), must appear on reels 2, 3 or 4, while reel 3 (the reel at the centre) has to be fully packed with the wild symbol. The remaining wilds are then distributed on reels 2 and 4
The fairy surprise feature is randomly triggered when a spinning does not result in a win or winnings. During this feature, a symbol is selected at random to be used. The fairy will turn every other symbol apart from the fairytale logo symbol, which is the wild symbol on the reels to this selected symbol. This will continue until you hit a win!
Wild Respins: During the base (main) game, a stack of wilds will appear on reels 2 and 4, thereby causing respins. And while the respins are on, there will be more of the stacked wilds appearing on reels 1 and 5, which will become sticky for as long as the respins are in progress, making it easier for you to hit winning combinations and make big winnings.
Candy House Bonus: In this feature, you have 15 candies displayed to you, but you'll have to select just 3 of these candies. Each of your selected items holds a hidden multiplier in terms of cash prize. So, you have to make your selection to either be rewarded with whatever is revealed under your selected candy or win the average of the hidden prizes. You could also hit the free spins, where you could be rewarded with 10 free spins, or be rewarded with an instant win that is worth up to 15 times (15x) your current stake.
Fairy Legends: Hansel and Gretel Slot Game Review 2019
One online slot that has a theme similar to Fairytale Legends: Hansel and Gretel online slot is Theatre of Night slot, although Fairytale Legends: Hansel and Gretel possess better graphics.
If you are looking to play other games that fairytale-inspired, there is another slot designed by Net Entertainment you can play. Why not try playing Fairytale Legends: Red Riding Hood slot!
Gameplay on Desktop and Mobile Devices
Fairytale Legends: Hansel and Gretel can be enjoyed on the desktop as well as mobile devices like Android devices and iPhones.


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Thailand's royal cremation: rites, rituals, religion
Bangkok came to a virtual standstill on October 26 as an elaborate funeral procession got under way in the morning, marking the final journey of the late monarch, HM King Bhumibol Aduyadej
Aishwarya Gupta
Bangkok came to a virtual standstill on October 26 as an elaborate funeral procession got under way in the morning, marking the final journey of the late monarch, HM King Bhumibol Aduyadej.
The impressive cremation site, built over a nine-month period at Sanam Luang, was a celebration of Thailand's decorative arts. Nimble-fingered artisans, guided by designers at the Fine Arts Department, had conjured up mythic scenes of heaven.
This mix of Buddhist and Hindu elements exemplified a defining feature of the Thai monarchy, one of the last remaining in Asia that continues to exude an Oriental touch.
Beyond the solemnity of the occasion, the spectacular funeral rites provided a window into ancient court crafts and rituals revitalized during the last reign. Those who witnessed this end of an epoch got a rare chance to view the towering, gilded Great Victory Royal Chariot, carrying the symbolic Golden Urn, as it slowly progressed in a carefully choreographed procession.
The Phra Maha Phichai Ratcharot, as the chariot is called in Thai, was built in 1795 during the first reign in the Chakri dynasty, and is housed nearby at the National Museum.
To provide insights and explain the intricate details that go into planning and carrying out a royal funeral, the FCCT has the pleasure of hosting two experts on royal rituals and customs:
MR Chakrarot Chitrabongs, a grandson of Prince Naris, described as "the Great Craftsman of Siam." MR Chakrarot is a former permanent secretary of the ministry of culture, and has written extensively on Thai culture. An architect by training, he was involved in the design and decoration for the royal cremation ceremonies of Princess Mother in 1996, and Princess Galayani Vadhana in 2008.
Professor Tongthong Chandransu is a former dean of Chulalongkorn University's law school who has had an abiding interest in the Thai monarch. For his master's thesis, he focused on the royal prerogative of the Thai monarch. He has published extensively and is well-known as an expert on royal ceremonies.
7pm, Wednesday, 1 November
Members free; non-members 450 baht; Thai journalists and students with valid ID 150 baht. Buffet 250 baht
Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand
Penthouse, Maneeya Center Building
518/5 Ploenchit Road (connected to the BTS Skytrain Chitlom station)
Patumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02-652-0580
Web Site: http://www.fccthai.com
Thai listed property developer Sansiri invests $80m in six global startups
Less media freedom than ever in Thailand three years after coup (RSF)
Thai Army Denies Twitter Claims on Spread of Propaganda
Twitter's blockage of the 926 accounts came two weeks after Thailand brought police complaints against Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for not fully complying with court orders to take down content on their platforms deemed defamatory to Thailand's royalty
Bahar Karaman
Thailand's army on Friday denied links with around a 1,000 Twitter accounts that the social media company blocked a day earlier saying the military was using them to spread propaganda and target the opposition.
How Covid-19 triggered a 125% surge in media consumption in Thailand
Globally speaking, the early months of the pandemic saw a dramatic increase in the amount of time people spent accessing information about current events.
Oxford Business Group
The coronavirus pandemic has given rise to an ongoing surge in media consumption, as people around the world seek to remain updated on the rapidly changing crisis.
The TikTok Strategy: Using AI Platforms to Take Over the World
Hugely popular with teenagers and millennials, TikTok – known as DouYin in China – is a social media application used for creating and sharing short videos. Lasting 15 seconds or less, the typical clip features fun music, a skit, lip-sync, dance or light-hearted humour.
Insead Knowledge
A curious combination of prediction-technology and human censors enables ByteDance to create a dynamic global video ecosystem.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As @yuvipanda noted in T128158, this interface is rather confusing. What is a "service group?" I thought I just clicked a link that said "Create a new Tool." What are the constrains of this name and where will it be used?
After a tool has been created, additional information can also be supplied. This information is a superset of the data needed for the toolinfo.json standard used by Hay's Directory. All tools documented using toolsadmin are automatically published to Hay's Directory. Some of this information can also be edited collaboratively by others. A tool can also have multiple toolinfo.json entries to support tools where a suite of functionality is published under a single tool account.
The Striker project tracks bugs and feature ideas for toolsadmin. The application is written in Python3 using the Django framework. Like all Wikimedia software projects, Striker is FLOSS software and community contributions are welcome. See the project's page on wikitech for more information about contributing to the project.
"Love" token, awarded by MarcoAurelio."Love" token, awarded by TheDJ."Love" token, awarded by Quiddity.


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Great Backyard Bird Count Expo
8:30a to 4:00p
Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Regina Lillibridge
(432) 229-3613, x302
regina.lillibridge@tpwd.texas.gov
Join us for the weekend to explore the wonderful world of winter birds right from Fort Leaton's backyard!
Did you know that spending as little as 15 minutes recording birds can help scientists around the world gather information about the health of bird populations and the environment at large? Drop by anytime during the weekend to bird with our rangers for a good cause!
New to birding or want to learn more? Join us for some bird-themed ranger talks scheduled throughout the weekend!
What to expect: Spend 15 minutes or more looking for birds with a park ranger or go off looking for them on your own!
Meet: Just outside the southwest corner of the fort, you will see our table set up. Stop by anytime from 8:30am - 4:00pm all four days!
Bring: Comfortable clothing, a hat, and water.
Optional items: Binoculars and/or a camera. *A few loaner pairs of binoculars will be available for use during the event*
Fees: Adults 13 and older, $5; Children age 12 and under, free admission. Park admission is free with a Texas Parks Pass.
Fri, February 17, 2023
Sun, February 19, 2023


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OCC's Community Reinvestment Act Rule Harms Low- and Moderate-Income Communities and Communities of Color
crl-occ-community-reinvestment-act-jun2020.pdf
On May 20, 2020, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) acted alone in issuing a structurally flawed final rule on the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) that weakens the CRA and will harm low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities and communities of color.
Rather than postpone rulemaking to focus on the devastating economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 health pandemic, the OCC issued the rule a mere six weeks after the closing of the comment period on its proposed rule despite broad requests for delay from community groups, civil rights and consumer organizations, and industry. The OCC received over 7,400 comments on the rule and acknowledged that most of the comments disagreed with the proposal's approach, but decided to side with the minority of comments in support of the proposed rule. Unfortunately, the OCC's rule will harm the communities most adversely affected by the current crisis, including many families that were hardest hit by the Great Recession and have yet to recover.


The Resource Rehenes de Teherán, Crisis de los, 1979-1981 -- Teatro.
1 Items that share the Concept Rehenes de Teherán, Crisis de los, 1979-1981 -- Teatro.
Context of Rehenes de Teherán, Crisis de los, 1979-1981 -- Teatro.
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The loud pitched screeching was nearly unbearable, especially since Yuel had a pretty low tolerance towards things that ignored her. But something along these lines wasn't completely out of expectation as it came from someone she already pinned to be "something that pisses me off, somehow", so for the time being she bit the bullet and bore it.
With Calypso following along and sitting in the seat, Yuel made a pleased expression. She picked up her teacup, appropriately extending her pinkie out and everything, and motioned the teacup forward to Calyspo's, implying a toasting motion was in order. Whether or not the demon reciprocated the toast, Yuel would take a sip.
"Mmm, good girl, you followed a long and had a seat. Now, getting to the business is in order; first off, tell me about yourself. I know your name, and according to the voice, you're an Asthavon I believe? But not much more than that, so--just tell me about yourself. More than your name, how old are you, what's life like for you usually, what are your fears, your ambitions and motivations, your past, everything! Well, maybe summarise it, since we don't actually have all day. Yeah, a quick summary should suffice."
Calypso kept her gaze firmly onto the table as her anxious little self had her hands everlastingly tangling over and under each other underneath the table, being a bit too shaken up to really feel that invested in starting a conversation first. She dared to raise her gaze just a bit, not enough to meet eyes, but in order to see that Yuel had a pinkie finger out stretched, like out of some British TV show. Cali had a bit of surprise in her fear, she didn't think people actually did that.
She did a gentle 'aah!' as Yuel willed the tea cup to move to Calypso, having been surprised by the action. She slowly breathed, her head hanging a bit as she picked up the cup between two of her fingers.
Darn it, me! Keep it together..!
She saw Yuel just.. Holding the cup out. Was she waiting for her to do something..? Well, the only action she was familiar with, with cups and one being kept out like that, probably a toast? That was another thing she thought only happened on TV; it was a weird moment for her. Was this girl just really into TV, or were these things people actually did?
The girl swallowed, hoping and hoping and praying this was the right action, shakily lifted her cup, and tapped it against Yuel's cautiously, as if she were thinking the girl was going to unzip and become a lion and eat her, which may or may not be a fear.
Calypso quickly downed the tea, despite the taste, and put it back down on the table with a soft plunk, as Yuel started asking her things, lots of things, many, complicated things.
"O-okay... Well.. T-to answer those in order.. Um..." The girl(?) was visibly shy, her feet shuffling, "I'm... Only a few months old, actually, and.. Life is.. Mostly sleeping, and and.. Candy, and, i'm afraid of... A lot of things, a lot... Um... Uhm... I-I don't really have.. Much in ambitions.. But... I do want to help people be happy... I-I don't really have much of a past, unless... you count either sleeping all the time, or.. f-freaking out in cities from being unable to handle the amount of people... I-is a past.."
Caly looked teary-eyed, her face aglow with a light, shimmering, prismatic blush, "I-I'm sorry.. I don't... Have a lot going on.."
She didn't say it out loud, as much as she wanted, but a "goodness me!" resounded in Yuel's head at the mention of Calypso's age. Yuel assumed that, given she was a demon, the eldritch creature before her was most certainly her elder. Go figure. Other than, albeit unhealthy and unambitious, nothing really stuck out to Yuel about her daily living scenario of sleeping and eating. But, that was a start, at the very least, right? Gotta start somewhere... Wait, did she say for herself that she wasn't ambitious? Not as just Yuel thinking this, but that Calypso admitted to being unambitious?
"Well that's your issue, darling! Not ambitious? Only wanting to be a people pleaser? How are you going to live comfortably and happily when you can't even live for yourself! Non-non, my dear, non-non. You need an actual hobby! Something to do, something to look forward to in life--just, something!"
In her fervent excitement, Yuel slammed her tea-cup on the table and stood up triumphantly. The girl stepped away from the table, waved her hand in the air, and by the strength of her imagination she painted a picture of the world, like a sort of flat map, an image floating in the air.
"What in the world inspires you? Or, what interests you? Besides just making people happy, because just focusing on how to make other people happy is no way to live for yourself and be happy on your own! You have to put the object of your joy into your own hands! Now, work with mere here on this--how are you we going to get you, in your pathetic, depressingly unmotivated point 'A' to the more gleeful, ceasing the moment and joyful point 'B'! Hm?"
Little Calypso couldn't help but shrink back as Yuel's emotions roared within her own puny body, even in this realm of dreams, her emphatic abilities were as present and strong as ever. She had been pretty overwhelmed this entire time, and having some big scary other demon in Yuel boom at her didn't help, and this far more direct conversation really got her shivering.
She was slumped in her chair, soon looking up at the big map that the woman had crafted within her dreams, feeling a swallow in her throat as the girl's colorful eyes soon rested back on Yuel as she asked her question, of how to move her pathetic self from here, to a less pathetic, motivated, and cheerful self over at some arbitrary point called 'there'.
Outstandingly golden tears were running down her dark face, her colorful eyes wide and filled with anxiety, as her body was tensed up and fearful, "I'm.. Really scared, of everything.. I can't even walk into a mildly busy area without feeling like im going to explode..."
She swallowed hard, like she was expecting the girl to snap at her, "I can't control my abilities very well... I'm scared that people will be upset from just looking at me, I tried to make myself look as normal as I could but.. Look at me, I don't look like anything friendly..! And even if people were fine with me, i'd get freaked out because I feel EVERYONE'S emotions on me, even if I don't wanna!"
She pounded her fists on the table, lying her head on it face first, golden tears easily and quickly flooding her portion of the table and peeling off the sides like some sticky, thick waterfall, "I don't understand why I had to be born like this... Why an Asthavon? Why a demon? Why with the aching love for everyone? Why with all this.. F-fear?! It's like I was set up to fail! So it's... I just felt like.. If I didn't do anything, I wouldn't have to fail..."


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Comcast Greater Chicago Region
Serving Central & Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana & Southwest Michigan
Comcast Expands its Network in Decatur, Adds Fiber in Key Areas of City
Network expansion's goal is to increase access to Ethernet, Internet, Voice and Cloud Services in city, help city retain and attract businesses, drive economy forward…
Comcast Business announced a significant expansion of its advanced telecommunications network in the City of Decatur – including the addition of fiber-optic cable. The expansion, which passes several locations, ranging from City Hall and Richland Community College to the Midwest Inland Port, will give businesses and institutions along the route access to Internet speeds of up to 100 Gigabits per second (Gbps), as well as a wide range of services, including Ethernet, Internet, Voice and value-added cloud services.
"The continued addition of fiber in Decatur will help businesses here compete and grow and will help us attract new ones whose business models depend on advanced Internet and telecommunications technologies," said Patrick Hoban, Economic Development officer for the City of Decatur. "In today's economy, having an environment with easy access to high-speed broadband represents a critical tool for community development and for improving the quality of life for both current and future residents which is an important goal for all of us."
"Comcast's network provides increased bandwidth and that means more local businesses and institutions can do more with their IT resources, like access more applications and services in the cloud, link multiple branches, accommodate rapidly increasing numbers of employees in the field using mobile devices and exchange large amounts of data," said Jay Dirkmaat, regional vice president of Comcast Business. "Comcast offers the fastest Internet speeds already has an extensive coaxial and fiber network in the area, and we've been expanding it significantly through strategic proactive investments designed to help spur economic growth."
Comcast already has approximately 750 miles of network, including nearly 100 miles of fiber, and about 12,000 Xfinity WiFi hot spots in Decatur. Earlier this year, Decatur became one of the first cities in the country where Comcast offered its new residential Internet service that delivers 1 Gbps speeds over its existing lines. In addition, Comcast recently announced the availability of Xfinity on Campus at Millikin University. Xfinity on Campus is a service that lets college students watch live TV and on demand content on their laptops, tablets and smartphones. Millikin is the first university in Central Illinois to offer the service.
"These investments are another way Comcast continues to fuel Decatur's economy, and we intend to keep bringing the best technologies and services here," said John Crowley, Comcast's regional senior vice president. "We're committed to this community. We live and work here, buy gas locally, eat lunch and purchase goods and services from businesses in town."
Comcast has been doing business in Decatur since January 2008.
About Comcast Business
Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a next-generation network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, Ethernet, TV and a full portfolio of Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. For more information, call (866) 429-3085. Follow Comcast Business on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.
With nearly 7,000 local employees, Comcast's Greater Chicago Region (www.comcastgcr.com) serves customers in central and northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan. "Like" Comcast's Greater Chicago Region on Facebook by visiting Comcast. "Follow" Comcast's Greater Chicago Region on Twitter at @ComcastILLINOIS.
Filed Under: 2016 Comcast Business, 2016 Community Investment
Tagged With: Boys & Girls Clubs of Decatur, Decatur, Featured, fiber, Jay Dirkmaat, Midwest Inland Port, Patrick Hoban, Richland Community College
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Fiber provides access to fast Internet speeds, Ethernet, Cloud Services and Comcast Business SmartOffice July 11, 2019 – Comcast Business announced today … Read More...
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Fortnite Creative's best designs will be used on the main map
Epic Games obviously weren't kidding when they said they've got a lot more in store for Fortnite Creative and the company will be rewarding the most creative of designs with a spot on The Block in Fortnite: Battle Royale's standard map.
The Block is Fortnite's latest feature and it's basically an empty lot, although, in this context, we're looking at an exhibition space. Epic will use it to showcase fan designs but it too is an ongoing project that's likely to evolve.
There are a few guidelines though, such as the "25x25 tile area on a flat section of your island". Epic stressed that your Fortnite Creative design must fit The Block comfortably.
Fortnite Creative tinkerers are encouraged to keep their 'Memory Used' at below 50,000, so as to ensure maximum efficiency. Feel free to ignore chests, floor loot and vehicle spawns, which will be handled by Epic.
Players who think their creations worthy of an appearance on the main map can enter the race via Twitter, by typing the hashtag #FortniteBlockParty. The company stated they will "be looking closely at social" in the following days.
In case you didn't catch the announcement of Fortnite Creative, we're talking about a mode that gives you a private island and saves whatever you come up with. Epic wrote that you can "design games, race around the island, battle your friends" and, of course, try to get your soon-to-be-famous behind to The Block.
Epic are definitely on fire these days and even though Fortnite: Battle Royale kicked off Season 7 with more novelties than you can shake your pickaxe at, that's barely the biggest news in the company. Not that coming up with ways to involve Fortnite's community with map creation isn't a big deal, but Epic Megagames have much more in store.
Epic Games Fortnite: Battle Royale
The Epic Games Store has already announced the most developer-friendly revenue split, where game companies can make 50+ per cent more cash than on Steam for instance. Moreover, if they use Unreal Engine 4, Epic will consider your debt repaid by their already generous commission of 12 per cent.
The storefront is quite attractive too, even more so knowing that Epic will be handing out a new free game every two weeks until the end of 2019, starting with Subnautica on 14 December.
You can find Epic's BlockParty announcement here .
Fortnite: Battle Royale, Season 6, new season, new superpowers
Fortnite update 7.01 adds swords, Close Encounters, islands
Epic Games have rolled out their first Fortnite update in Season 7, adding a melee weapon dubbed the infinity blade, bringing back Close Encounters LTM and announcing islands in Fortnite Creative, available for all from 13 December


We have been thinking about the idea of compiling an issue based on emerging landscape practices for the last one year, having being receiving project examples from young landscape professionals on various themes and subjects in the last few issues. An invitation to contribute projects was sent to professionals working in different geographical locations across the country including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and other smaller cities such as Pune, Bangalore, Vadodara, Chandigarh and Hyderabad, the idea being to showcase the variety and scale of projects being designed in India today.
The projects thus received, and covered in this issue, are mostly private in nature, with few falling in public domain. With greater awareness in government agencies about the role of landscape architects in urban realm, examples being seen in the government projects being floated for Commonwealth Games in the capital, we hope and anticipate that the profession will be even more visible in public arena in years to come.
It is always heartening to see professionals in other disciplines doing thoughtful work and is a pointer towards a bright future for the design disciplines in India in general. Last month, DADA & Partners, a consortium of professionals based in Gurgaon won the prestigious SPA Campus urban design competition. We present the prize winning entry of the competition in the issue.
We realize that little information is available in international publications on landscape projects in South Asia. In this issue we present an article on Clock Towers of Pakistan, the first in the series of the new section on South Asia.


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Honestly I'm looking forward to watching Cleveland with Baker. Give me all the drama. I'd love it of he did a mini holdout and really milk this. Go on vacation during the week. Start a picket line and try to organize the masseuses. There's a ton of potential here.
In the Starting Line-Up
Given the Omissioner can do whatever he wants, he could impose the penalty of 1 year and $42M cash fine --OR-- 2 years with salary forfeited, just to eff with the smartass agent and the Browns. It'd be the player's choice. He can get it over with to prove he's all in on Cleveland ( ) or he can say me first and rest his body for an extra year.
NFLPA had Brady's back too, right?
In the end it'll be the same, NFLPA will whine but NJFL can do whatever it wants to do.
I totally agree. If you read the NYT/Vrentas piece, in one part she describes a case where Watson drove a half hour out of his way to meet one woman in her own home. Clearly if all he wanted was a massage he could have found someone a lot closer that probably would even be willing to come to him. He's getting off on the power trip of being able to perv on these women in their own homes, and he's going way out of his way to be able to do so. To me, it shows he's sick, and it shows he isn't gonna get better till he admits he has a problem and admits he needs to deal with it. To me, this shows the Browns have no idea what they're getting themselves into, because there's every chance he does it again.
That's the key that the NFLPA and fans are forgetting/overlooking/ignoring. Goodell can suspend Watson for the first quarter of the week 1 this season or for the next 3 season or anything in between. The NFL spent considerable time and money making sure the commissioner had that authority. I'm sure there were Browns fans and Deshaun Watson fans who were happy when Brady lost his court battle with the league and was suspended. Now their QB is subject to Goodell's whims and it's not fair. Too bad.
Dingleberry
Defund Ukraine
NFL Picks Grand Champ!
If I was writing the screenplay for the NFL, Watson would have been traded to the Steelers.
Just to maintain consistency at QB.
Reactions: Koma and captain stone
Dingleberry said:
If Baker stays, that would be the first time you'd have four black starting QB's in the same division.
@Ring 6
Reactions: captain stone and Ring 6
patfanken
dreighver said:
The Watson and Kraft situations are not analogous IMO.
In one case, a person was upfront and forward about paying for a consensual sexual massage.
In the other case, a person has been evasive, unclear, and ambiguous, offering different accounts at different times, about requesting a seemingly regular massage, then insisting on sexual acts during it and refusing to back down if the feeling was not mutual. As a result of this, there are 22 civil suits.
In one case the nature of the "crime" was offering money for sex, in a context where the sex was agreed up, consensual, and expected.
In the other case the nature of the "crime" is insisting on having sex despite the other person not consenting.
Is paying for a consensual sexual massage a little seedy? Sure. Is a seedy (but consensual) sexual act some grave moral transgression? Not in my opinion.
What about insisting on sexual acts when the other party has indicated they are not interested? That's traumatizing, abusive, and generally terrible. Is a nonconsensual sexual act a grave moral transgression? 100%, absolutely.
Why would someone have 66 masseuses in a couple year period? Why would individuals who have remained anonymous and have not filed for any recourse, criminal nor civil, corroborate the accounts given, and provide consistent, detailed, specific allegations against Watson?
Are they all in on an evil plot to tank Watson? (If that was the case, it would very likely be uncovered during discovery when electronic communications are combed through; ditto for any massive plot for financial gain - you cannot coordinate a plan like that among a few people, let alone 20+, without a paper trail ... and yet zero evidence of fabrication/collusion has been brought forth).
I understand keeping an open mind and remaining skeptical in every instance, but the totality of the allegations against Watson, both in terms of scope and detail, are pretty damning IMO.
Are you comfortable with a male multi-millionaire local sports here looking to "employ" 66 DIFFERENT female masseuses over an 16 month period (not 2 years). The issue here isn't some male looking to get off. He could EASILY do that for free at ANY local club, restaurant or park in the Houston area, OR if he were really lazy pay for a high class call girl. But no he NEEDED to go to 66 DIFFERENT massage therapists. Why not find 3 or 4 girls who were willing to be paid for his "happy endings". You are correct that there probably were a few that would have been willing to engage in a "consensual" relationship for money. IF that was what he wanted.
But none of this was about sex, it was about power. He simply got off imposing his will. It's almost a textbook example of predatory and narcissistic behavior. There is no question in my mind that eventually preying on massage therapists wouldn't have been enough. So in a sense maybe all this examination of his life style might be the wakeup call that he desperately needs to change this dangerous path he's on. Instead all we get are denial after denial.
This isn't "creepy" behavior, this is DANGEROUS behavior. If he gets a mere slap on the wrist (ie an 8 game suspension) the league be in danger of losing their monopoly exemption so anything less than a year's suspension WTHOUT pay at a minimum would bring severe repercussions IMHO
And perhaps the reason there are only 24 of the 66 girls filing suit, is because it is STILL prevalent in this country that when a woman accuses a prominent male of sexual impropriety in this country it is all too often that it is the female that goes on trial. That is why Rathlessburger and his buddies got away with his rape. Because the woman didn't want to have her trauma exacerbated by a month's long trail and EVERY sexual interaction she ever had real and imagined, subject public examination, because back then that's what would have happened.
BTW- and the league should also fine the idiot owner of the Browns who gave him that ludicrous contract in the first place AND make them eat the 25MM cap space this season. as well as fining and taking away draft picks from the Texans for enabling Watson with these NDA's. They shouldn't benefit from unloading their bad baggage Again JMHO
Reactions: neuronet, rochrist and Sicilian
The issue of consent plays out a bit differently in your scenario.
I see what you did there.
We learned from the Brady saga that the NFL changes its rules on the fly and courts do nothing about it. Commissioner has ultimate authority to decide what the rules mean and if/when/how they are applied. TB12 could have taken it to the highest court in the land but then again if he had chances are high he wouldn't have just signed a deal to be the face of the sport for FOX at twice the pay of the previous record setting contract.
That's not the part that bothers me, the part that bothers me is they say they care about character, but know that they don't. They want the benefit of being seen as being squeaky clean when they know they're just as tainted as anyone else, probably more since we all know money corrupts. IMO it'd be far better if they would drop the pretense. Stop pretending you're more moral than everyone else, more patriotic too.
I know at least one person who has dropped their life-long Browns fandom over the Watson move. Before the move, they were an up and coming team largely built via the draft and led by a gritty QB. In one move they threw the gritty QB under the bus, tanked the next few years drafts, and committed a huge chunk of their salary cap to a deeply troubled player. Jimmy Haslam showed his true colors.
I also know a lifelong Browns fan who's contemplating dumping the team.
patfanken said:
Reactions: captain stone and patfanken
Bill Lee
What, me worry?
As I'm sure you know, each and every player contract gets submitted to the NFL and they must approve it before it is considered accepted, and Nick Caserio pointed out that we're well past that point with this player.
The fact the NFL approved the contract shows either:
a) they were asleep, or
b) they approved of this deal.
It's hard to reach any other conclusion that they approved of this deal.
The timing makes it even more evident: it was shortly after the first grand jury did not press criminal charges against the player.
It's pretty clear the NFL hoped the lack of charges followed by the trade would be an end to this saga. They are counting on the notorious short memory the public has, and the fact that much of the media carries water for the agents as shown by Shefter, and the fact the TV networks can also be counted on for favorable treatment since NFL Football is about the only product they have that advertisers are interested in.
Yet I think this may have been a step too far, a move too cynical. They think the public will forget that this guy is a serial sexual predator, and I don't think they will. They think he won't be a problem in the future, and I think he probably will be. They think that his play on the field will make the unprecedented contract and assets traded seem like it was worth it, yet that remains to be proven, and if he's a flop the team will be stuck with his huge salary and without the draft choices they gave up to get him. We don't know how focused the player will be when he eventually makes it onto the field, how well he will perform, how his team will or will not accept him.
All of this reeks of Goodell acting behind the scenes, stoking up the lust that an ageing rich owner like Haslam has in order to try to relieve some of the pressure on a franchise that's been down for so many years, working so everything can come together the minute that the grand jury did not press criminal charges. It would not surprise me a bit if he orchestrated the whole thing.
Oh well, as the DA recently said, not pressing charges is not an exoneration, no matter how the lackeys who carry water for the agents try to spin things.
Reactions: patfanken
I think a few things are being conflated here.
The NFLPA has pointed out that league rules say owners are to be held to a higher standard than players, and this is supposed to be a mitigating factor with regard to the player's upcoming suspension. Well, league rules also say inflation pressure is an equipment issue subject to a minor fine, so good luck with getting the NFL to treat one of the cattle better than one of the ranchers.
The suspension is IMO a relatively minor matter compared to the outcome of the civil trials, and in that venue what Krafty Bob does to get off isn't relevant.
Reactions: 1960Pats
That's what they'd like to do. Unfortunately for them, the incidents aren't remotely comparable,
Reactions: patfanken and PATSYLICIOUS
The only shot these women have is if none of them know each other and they have the same story. Other than that, their Lawyer is using them for his own benefit getting his name out there taking on a high profile NFL QB.
Reactions: dreighver, captain stone, Bill Lee and 2 others
When the federal appeals court overturned the ruling that pretty much exonerated Brady was based on the CBA, they basically gave a carte blanche for the commissioner to whatever he wanted REGARDLESS of the evidence, common sense, or fairness. If he wants to do what's right he can do it. If he wants to try and make this all go away and hopes that it won't have any repercussions, he can do that too.
The :"me too" movement has moved the needle a bit more toward fairness in recent years, but, at least for the prominent and the rich, all too often they get away with their predatory behavior. For every Harvey Weinstein there are many others that avoid justice and use our collective VERY short memory span just like Watson is hoping will happen.
Watson is a veyr good QB and Cleveland has a very good OL, great RB's, and more than adequate WR's and TE's. It looks like a prefect landing spot for him and he'd probably be successful there. Hard pressed to see Goodell doing the "right thing here". When has he ever? So it will be interesting going forward to see if the nation reacts and makes the NFL pay, or will it be "he's great and its much easier to forget what he's done, I just want my football team to WIN", kind of reaction
BTW- I forgot that the "league" has to approve contracts before they become fact. I bet there were 31 owners who would have wanted a do over on that decision on a fully guaranteed contract. Now if I were an agent, why would I accept anything less if MY client was a quality player.
Buzzbee should be glad when this finally goes to court, it won't be televised like Heard and Depp as he won't have to worry about humiliating himself like Heard's team did. Wow was that bad!
Reactions: dreighver, captain stone, Bill Lee and 1 other person
Tony Buzbee: 20 of the 24 cases against Deshaun Watson have settled - ProFootballTalk
Nehalem
At this point he was basically getting a new masseuse to sexually assault/harass every week for 16 months. That is serious WTF territory.
Honestly I would say at this point he should receive a lifetime ban.
But beyond that I am wondering WTF happened? Are there more cases further back? Or did he really go from behaving himself to getting "addicted" to sexually assaulting masseuses?
This situation is yet another excellent example of why the NFL, as a league, should never have gotten into the area of non-league discipline.
Reactions: PatsWickedPissah and captain stone
Deus Irae said:
Reactions: dreighver, moosekill and rochrist


text:
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Play StationPlay Station 6


text:
You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / Attorneys in John Doe probe call for return of documents, investigation
Attorneys in John Doe probe call for return of documents, investigation
October 7, 2016 By Andrew Beckett
Attorneys for two of the unidentified targets of a now ended investigation into Governor Scott Walker's campaign want documents seized in the probe returned to them, and for court officials to launch an investigation into a high profile leak of those records.
The motion filed Friday by attorneys Dean Strang and Edward Meyers calls on the state Supreme Court to return all documents collected during the investigation, which the court ordered an end to last year. The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week refused to reconsider that decision, rejecting an appeal filed by prosecutors in the case.
The motion also seeks to have the court order an investigation into who leaked documents in the case that had been kept sealed. The records, released by The Guardian U.S. last month, detailed how Governor Scott Walker steered corporate donors to third party groups during the state's historic wave of recall elections in 2012.
Filed Under: Crime / Courts, News


text:
Tackling the top issues
Growth returns to forefront as firms try different strategies to handle concerns.
BY JEFF DREW
Firm Practice Management
For many, if not most, accounting firms, the quest to survive the Great Recession and its aftermath has ended. The focus now is on growth.
That's one of the overarching themes derived from the 2013 Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) CPA Firm Top Issues survey, which found that accounting firms of all sizes are strongly pursuing new clients while also turning their attention back to finding and retaining qualified staff.
From 1997 through 2007, staff recruitment and retention topped the list of issues for almost all firm sizes tracked by the biennial PCPS Top Issues survey. That changed with the 2009 poll, which found firms focused on trying to retain clients amid the Great Recession. The scene shifted a bit with the 2011 survey, when the search for new clients emerged as a major priority along with client retention. This year, however, client retention ranked among the top five issues in only two of the five size categories (see Exhibit 1).
"When the economy was in free fall, firm leaders largely focused on stabilizing their client base," said Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, the AICPA's vice president–Firm Services & Global Alliances. "Now we're seeing firms being able to catch their breath and engage in more planning for future growth."
Bringing in new clients was the only issue to rank among the top five in all five size categories. Finding qualified staff and succession planning ranked among the top five in four of the five categories.
The increased emphasis on attracting and keeping quality staff indicates that accounting firms are growing and that competition for talent is heating up. A surge in the number of accounting graduates should help in this area (see "Supply and Demand for Accounting Talent at Record Levels," page 30), as could increased emphasis on promoting women CPAs (see "Women's Initiatives: A Strategic Advantage," page 34). The growing focus on succession planning, which appeared among the top five issues in only the two largest size categories in 2011, indicates that more firms realize that the inevitable transfer of ownership from Baby Boomer partners will become a reality (see "How to Select a Successor," page 40).
The list of top five issues for each firm-size category can be found in Exhibit 1.
TOP ISSUES: SUCCESS STRATEGIES
How are CPAs and their firms dealing with the top issues? What strategies and initiatives have proved successful? Following is a look at how some firms are handling three of the top issues identified by the PCPS survey: client acquisition, partner accountability, and workload compression.
Bringing in New Clients
Green Hasson Janks is a 12-partner, 100-employee firm based in Los Angeles. HBE Becker Meyer Love is a six-partner, 40-employee firm in Lincoln, Neb. At first glance, the two firms appear to have about as much in common as Hollywood and the heartland. But a closer look reveals a similar approach to gaining new clients.
Green Hasson Janks and HBE Becker Meyer Love have both built their practices on core niches and have built their books of business through focused marketing efforts. Both firms have partners or staff dedicated to marketing, and both firms count services for not-for-profit entities among their core niche offerings.
At Green Hasson Janks, Kari Schott has been director of marketing for 3½ years. During that time, the firm has built a concentration in three niches—entertainment, not-for-profit, and food and beverage. The firm also has implemented an emphasis on business and referral development that starts with the partners.
Managing partner Leon Janks has empowered Schott to be the driving force behind the program, though she is not a CPA and has a marketing, not accounting, background. Schott plays a key role in helping the partners develop annual business development plans. She then acts as a coach, meeting with each partner quarterly to help assess how each plan is progressing and what steps should be taken to move the plan forward.
"We talk about prospective referral sources, what type of content they want to develop over the course of the year," Schott said. "The plan is a living document."
Janks wants his partners and staff to live and breathe business development in everything they do. The firm has set up an incentive program for staff in which staff members are rewarded for bringing in new business. One point of emphasis is cross-selling. If a tax partner or staff CPA can bring in an audit client, it helps the firm as a whole.
The firm emphasizes the importance of partners getting out into the field to meet with prospective clients. Partners recently ventured outside their primary service area of Southern California to attend a food conference in Chicago, where they contacted potential clients and began building relationships that have resulted in opportunities to bid for business locally. "We would not have traveled outside of our market two years ago," Janks said. "But it's clear to me that we need to create relationships in a nonselling environment."
The approach paid off. The firm has generated a 50% increase in bids for business over the past two years, Schott said.
Halfway across the country from Los Angeles, HBE Becker Meyer Love also has built business by beefing up its marketing efforts. The firm has a partner in charge of business development and also hired a marketing coordinator. Marketing pipeline meetings are held, with an emphasis on building relationships and generating referrals from other professionals, particularly attorneys. The approach has helped grow the firm's three main niches—not-for-profits, construction, and manufacturing—as well as the firm's developing business lines including doctors' and dentists' offices and business process outsourcing.
"We encourage our staff to be involved with not-for-profits, and we use some of that in our marketing material," said Lanelle Herink, CPA, the firm's business development partner. "We list everything they do. It shows our commitment to the firm."
Serving on the boards of not-for-profit organizations also improves staff and partner skills, said managing partner Scott Becker, CPA. Experience dealing with nonprofit issues in a management capacity makes CPAs better at auditing nonprofits as part of their day job, Becker said.
Partners and staff are organized into niche teams within the firm, and there is an emphasis on involving staff in business development. Partners list all client visits on a calendar accessible by all partners and staff. CPAs at the staff level who want to join a partner on a client visit can simply sign up through the calendar, subject to partner approval. That allows staff to pursue areas of interest and helps with staff retention by getting them involved in face-to-face business development and current client meetings.
"We're good at our partners' transitioning clients down to staff," Herink said. "It's a good mix."
Owner/Partner Accountability and Unity
A dozen years ago, Seattle-based Peterson Sullivan was at a crossroads. The firm was successful but limited by its governance structure. There was no managing partner and no executive committee. The firm's five partners each had a vote on all partnership matters including partner compensation. It was a viable system, but one stretched to its full capacity. To grow, the firm needed to make some changes.
Four years ago, Arizona-based Henry & Horne was not so much one firm as it was three. The practice's Scottsdale, Tempe, and Casa Grande offices operated as separate profit centers. Each office had its own managing partner and kept the profits it generated. Individual partner compensation was determined by a complicated formula. The firm was an $18 million giant, but one in need of an awakening.
Peterson Sullivan and Henry & Horne took similar paths to move to a higher level of growth and success. Both firms addressed two of the key factors in partner accountability and unity—the firm's governance structure and partner compensation.
At Peterson Sullivan, the firm formed an executive committee while growing from five partners to eight partners, said Chris Russell, CPA, managing partner and executive committee member. Firm leadership recognized a need to base partnership compensation on factors beyond what was assessed on a spreadsheet. Over time, the executive committee determined partner compensation and then formed a compensation committee to handle the task. The firm then set up and evolved the governance structure in use today. Partners meet with the partner in charge of their department and in a collaborative process agree to specific goals. The goals vary from partner to partner, based on individual expertise and skills. Partners meet with their department head for a midyear meeting to assess progress, then in a review meeting at the end of the year. The firm's compensation committee bases partner pay on the information gathered at the meeting and on the partner's performance during the year.
The changes have paid off. The firm over the past 12 years has more than tripled in size, to 17 partners and about $25 million in annual fees. A key to the firm's growth has been the steady evolution of the compensation and governance structure and, most importantly, of partner buy-in to that structure, Russell said.
"It wasn't an overnight thing," Russell said. "Every year, we fine-tune it."
Peterson Sullivan encourages partners to make "stretch" goals that align with the firm's overall strategic plan. "It's not necessarily about whether you attain the goal," Russell said. "It's about how much progress you've made."
Henry & Horne began progressing from a loose collection of three offices to one firm by eliminating the managing partner position at the individual offices and naming Chuck Inderieden, CPA, and Chuck Goodmiller, CPA, as co-managing partners for the entire firm. Henry & Horne ripped down the walls separating the firm's three offices. "We don't even track what Scottsdale does vs. Tempe and Casa Grande," Inderieden said.
In addition, Henry & Horne moved away from partner compensation based on a formula to a governance system in which the managing partners work with a compensation committee to determine partner pay. In a system similar to Peterson Sullivan's, Henry & Horne partners co-create their goals with management and work to align those goals with the firm's overall strategy.
"Our approach is not that every partner should be the same," Goodmiller said. "One partner may be highly talented with business development but not as technically strong. When we do have complementary talents, we should use them."
How do Peterson Sullivan and Henry & Horne persuade their partner groups to go along with their accountability and governance systems? Leaders at both firms emphasize the importance of building trust with the partners—a process that takes time and consistency. Peterson Sullivan's system provides explanations to partners on compensation decisions. Henry & Horne emphasizes the importance of dealing with difficult situations early, before they grow bigger.
"It's much easier to fix something when it starts," said Goodmiller, whose firm has grown from an $18 million operation four years ago to a $21 million practice today.
Tax Law Complexity
As a sole practitioner, Casey Lynch, CPA, understands the struggle of trying to keep pace with continually changing and complex tax laws. The problem is perspective and a lack of personal and professional interaction. "We have so much information, but there's a difference between information and knowledge," said Lynch, the Durango, Colo.-based owner of Casey D. Lynch CPA LLC.
At larger firms, CPAs can discuss the implications and applications of tax laws with one another. That's not possible for sole practitioners, but Lynch has found an able substitute through the social media website LinkedIn. He is an active participant in a number of LinkedIn groups organized through the AICPA.
"You have access to so many CPAs," Lynch said. "I like the AICPA group because I have a certain level of expectation of the participants."
Lynch also likes the fact that there are groups dedicated to specific topics. To wit: If he has a tax question, he can post it in the Tax Practitioners group, which has a wider array of CPAs than the Sole Practitioners group. Or if he has a question about work flow, he might take that question to a group discussing work flow issues.
The ability to interact with fellow CPAs in a number of different areas helps Lynch deal with tax laws that continue to become more complicated. "It's been an amazing help to my practice," he said.
Seasonality/Workload Compression
Tabitha Jones, CPA/PFS, is a tax manager with Daniel C. Henning & Associates, a two-partner, 10-employee firm in Sandy Springs, Ga., a suburb north of Atlanta. Her firm works exclusively on tax issues. There is no audit work. The bulk of the firm's work comes during the busy season, and the firm employs a combination of strategies to mitigate the impact of seasonality and workload compression.
"One of our biggest focuses is training," Jones said. "We spend the whole month of January training to make sure everyone is proficient in the use of the software."
Daniel C. Henning & Associates hired third-party CPE providers to put employees—from administrative staff to partners—through 20 hours of training each week in January. The training aims to make sure everyone is on the same page on how to use the software and how to handle a variety of situations. The training has two areas of focus. Technical training addresses new tax laws, updates to laws, etc. The second component covers the software training and all of the firm's procedures for handling tax work. The month of preparation culminates with a full-day tax season meeting.
The training program has been in place for five years, said Jones, who has seen a "really huge improvement" with efficiencies. "The stress level is much better, just knowing what to expect, not having as many surprises," she said. "A lot of the training process is about leveraging technology. Now, everyone has a clearly defined direction with everything they touch."
Jones's firm uses project management software to track each project by deadline and person working on each task. The firm organizes its efforts during the height of tax season by holding daily work-in-progress meetings at 7 a.m. These triage sessions, as Jones calls them, help the firm make the most of its 11-hour shifts during the height of the tax crunch.
Daniel C. Henning & Associates's training and triage approach has helped the firm better handle the time pressures of busy season, Jones said. This year was the most difficult tax season Jones has experienced because of the late changes made by Congress, but the firm's employees averaged no more than 65 hours a week during the height of the tax rush, from March 1 through April 15, she said. That compares with an average of 70 hours per week before the training program began five years ago.
"With the training in place, we have a much smoother tax season," she said.
Growth-related concerns are top of mind for accounting firms surveyed in the 2013 Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) CPA Firm Top Issues survey. Adding new clients was the only issue listed among the top five for each of the five size categories.
Firms have turned their attention back to attracting and retaining qualified staff. This indicates that the competition for talent is heating up.
Succession planning ranked among the top issues for all but the smallest firms. Firms recognize the need to prepare for the future.
Other top concerns include partner accountability, the complexity of tax laws, and the compression of workload during tax season.
Marketing personnel and niche services play key roles in firms' business development efforts.
Firms seeking partner accountability have found success with compensation committees, shared goal setting between managers and partners, and regular meetings to gauge progress.
Extensive training on processes and technology can help improve efficiency and ease the workload burden during busy season.
Jeff Drew is a JofA senior editor. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact him at jdrew@aicpa.org or 919-402-4056.
AICPA RESOURCES
JofA articles
"Supply and Demand for Accounting Talent at Record Levels," Sept. 2013, page 30
"Women's Initiatives: A Strategic Advantage," Sept. 2013, page 34
"How to Select a Successor," Sept. 2013, page 40
"The Long Goodbye," Aug. 2013, page 36
"Mergers Emerge as Dominant Trend," July 2013, page 52
Practitioners Symposium and Tech+ Conference, June 9–11, Las Vegas
For more information or to make a purchase or register, go to cpa2biz.com or call the Institute at 888-777-7077.
The PCPS Top Issues Survey commentary
Private Companies Practice Section and Succession Planning Resource Center
The Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) is a voluntary firm membership section for CPAs that provides member firms with targeted practice management tools and resources, including the Succession Planning Resource Center, as well as a strong, collective voice within the CPA profession. Visit the PCPS Firm Practice Center at aicpa.org/PCPS and the Succession Planning Resource Center at tinyurl.com/oak3l4e.


text:
libuv = require('libuvlua')

local loop = libuv.Loop.default()
assert(loop)

local once_cb_called = 0
local repeat_cb_called = 0

local once_timers = {}
local rpt = libuv.Timer.new(loop)
local never = libuv.Timer.new(loop)

local once_cb = function (once, status)
   print('once callback', status)
   assert(status == 0)
   once_cb_called = once_cb_called + 1
   once:close()
   loop:update_time()
end

local repeat_cb = function (rpt, status)
   print('repeat callback:', status)
   assert(status == 0)
   repeat_cb_called = repeat_cb_called + 1
   if repeat_cb_called == 5 then
      rpt:close()
   end
end

local never_cb = function (never, status)
   print('nerver callback:', status)
   assert(false)
end

local start_time = loop:now()
assert(0 < start_time)

-- Let 10 timers time out in 500 ms total.
for i = 1, 10 do
   once_timers[i] = libuv.Timer.new(loop)
   assert(once_timers[i])
   assert(once_timers[i]:start(once_cb, (i - 1) * 50, 0))
end

-- The 11th timer is a repeating timer that runs 4 times
assert(rpt)
assert(rpt:start(repeat_cb, 100, 100))

-- The 12th timer should not do anything
assert(never)
assert(never:start(never_cb, 100, 100))
assert(never:stop())

assert(loop:run())

assert(once_cb_called == 10)
print('repeat_cb_called ' .. repeat_cb_called)
assert(repeat_cb_called == 5)

assert(500 <= loop:now() - start_time)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Six-year follow-up of the SPHERE RCT: secondary prevention of hea.pdf (983.94 kB)
Six-year follow-up of the SPHERE RCT: secondary prevention of heart disease in general practice.
posted on 2022-04-01, 10:37 authored by Andrew W. Murphy, M E. Cupples, E Murphy, J Newell, C J. Scarrott, A Vellinga, P Gillespie, M Byrne, C Kearney, Susan SmithSusan Smith
OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term effectiveness of a complex intervention in primary care aimed at improving outcomes for patients with coronary heart disease.
DESIGN: A 6-year follow-up of a cluster randomised controlled trial, which found after 18 months that both total and cardiovascular hospital admissions were significantly reduced in intervention practices (8% absolute reduction).
SETTING: 48 general practices in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
PARTICIPANTS: 903 patients with established coronary heart disease at baseline in the original trial.
INTERVENTION: The original intervention consisted of tailored practice and patient plans; training sessions for practitioners in medication prescribing and behavioural change; and regular patient recall system. Control practices provided usual care. Following the intervention period, all supports from the research team to intervention practices ceased.
PRIMARY OUTCOME: hospital admissions, all cause and cardiovascular; secondary outcomes: mortality; blood pressure and cholesterol control.
RESULTS: At 6-year follow-up, data were collected from practice records of 696 patients (77%). For those who had died, we censored their data at the point of death and cause of death was established. There were no significant differences between the intervention and control practices in either total (OR 0.83 (95% CI 0.54 to 1.28)) or cardiovascular hospital admissions (OR 0.91 (95% CI 0.49 to 1.65)). We confirmed mortality status of 886 of the original 903 patients (98%). There were no significant differences in mortality (15% in intervention and 16% in control) or in the proportions of patients above target control for systolic blood pressure or total cholesterol.
CONCLUSIONS: Initial significant differences in the numbers of total and cardiovascular hospital admissions were not maintained at 6 years and no differences were found in mortality or blood pressure and cholesterol control. Policymakers need to continue to assess the effectiveness of previously efficacious programmes.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN24081411.
This study was funded by the Health Research Board, Ireland.
This article is also available at http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/11/e007807.full.pdf+html
Murphy AW, Cupples ME, Murphy E, Newell J, Scarrot CJ, Vellinga A, Gillespie P, Byrne M, Kearney C, Smith SM. Six-year follow-up of the SPHERE RCT: secondary prevention of heart disease in general practice. BMJ Open. 2015;5(11):e007807.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007807
IR content


text:
Kovo or KOVO may refer to:

 KOVO, a radio station licensed to Provo, Utah, United States
 Korea Volleyball Federation
 Isaac Kovo (1770–1854), rabbi in Ottoman Palestine
 North Vernon Airport, in Jennings County, Indiana, United States

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Hypopyra pallidigera is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is found on Borneo and Sumatra. The habitat consists of lowland dipterocarp forests.

The wingspan is about 35 mm for males and 38 mm for females. Adults are similar to Hypopyra ossigera, but has a paler, fawn ground colour with faintly darker blackish brown fasciation.

References

Moths described in 2005
Hypopyra
Moths of Indonesia


text:
Sentencing Commission Urged To Apply Guidelines Retroactively
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In testimony before the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) president and founder Julie Stewart will urge commissioners to apply the recently reduced penalties for crack offenses to individuals already serving time in prison.
Last August, Congress passed the Fair Sentencing Act, a longtime FAMM priority that reduced the 100:1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine mandatory minimum sentences.
The Sentencing Commission then reduced its sentencing guideline for crack offenses in accordance with the new law. The Commission today is holding a hearing to solicit comments on a proposal to apply the new lower guideline retroactively.
"Thousands of Americans are serving sentences that the Commission has criticized for many years as excessive," Stewart will tell the Commission. "It would be cruel to change policy because of the injustice they suffered only to deny them relief. And as for their families, I simply do not know how we tell a young child that she must live without her father for an extra five or ten years simply because he broke the law before Congress realized the law itself was broken."
Ms. Stewart will be joined at the witness table by FAMM member Natasha Darrington. She was released from federal prison in 2008 after the Sentencing Commission voted to apply an earlier crack penalty reducing amendment retroactively in 2007.
Ms. Darrington, who would still be in prison today but for retroactivity, will testify movingly about the day in prison she learned about the Commission's vote and how grateful she feels to be free and once again part of her four children's lives.
Ms. Stewart will also be joined at the hearing by dozens of FAMM members from across the country, many of whom have loved ones still serving time in prison. At the beginning of her testimony, Ms. Stewart will ask the members to stand and show the Commissioners pictures of their incarcerated loved ones. "These individuals, by their presence alone, can testify more powerfully than I as to why the Commission must apply the new crack amendment retroactively," Ms. Stewart will say.
FAMM also helped organize a letter writing campaign which produced over 60,000 letters urging the Commission to support retroactivity.


Finally, some good news about the current state of digital security: A new report from Javelin Research suggests that organizations are finally embracing post-password security mechanisms. Entitled "The State of Strong Authentication 2019" and sponsored by the FIDO Alliance, the report offers a number of encouraging statistics and trends.
For one thing, Javelin says that the number of organizations using multi-factor authentication that includes public key cryptography has tripled since 2017 when it comes to consumer authentication, and increased 50 percent within the enterprise. Another encouraging metric: Almost 70 percent of businesses indicated that they are facing strong regulatory pressures, such as the PSD2 framework introduced by the European Union last year, that are pushing them to implement strong authentication systems for their customers.
While that's all encouraging, it still must be noted that there are holdouts delaying digital security's march of progress: Javelin's study notes that two-thirds of businesses still rely on passwords for employee authentication, believing them to be "good enough" for their security purposes. It's going to take more data breaches to reduce the number of holdouts – and it's a fair bet that they're coming.


The Jewish Board's Corporate Compliance Program strives to foster a culture of transparency that encourages Board and Advisory Committee members, employees, volunteers, interns, vendors and contractors to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest level of business and community ethics and in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures. The Program seeks to provide the necessary guidance to promote the prevention, detection and reporting of fraud, waste and abuse (see Whistleblower Policy #12023). We also want to relay our commitment to integrity to our clients, regulatory oversight agencies, payers and philanthropic donors. The Jewish Board facilitates ethical behavior by outlining standards and expectations in our Code of Conduct.
Compliance is everyone's responsibility and helps to ensure the delivery of quality care. Compliance reporting is a key component of this. Employees, volunteers, clients, contractors and vendors are encouraged to report compliance concerns anonymously via the Compliance Hotline (877.631.5718). If you see something, hear something, or know something, please say something.


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Archive for the 'Suhayb Ibn Sinan' Category
And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah….
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْرِى نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ﴾
(And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah.)
Ibn `Abbas (رضي الله عنه), Anas (رضي الله عنه), Sa`id bin Musayyib, Abu `Uthman An-Nahdi, `Ikrimah and several other scholars said that this Ayah was revealed about Suhayb bin Sinan Ar-Rumi (رضي الله عنه).
When Suhayb became a Muslim in Makkah and intended to migrate (to Al-Madinah), the people (Quraysh) prevented him from migrating with his money. They said that if he forfeits his property, he is free to migrate. He abandoned his money and preferred to migrate, and Allah revealed this Ayah about him. `Umar bin Khattab (رضي الله عنه) and several other Companions met Suhayb (رضي الله عنه) close to the outskirts of Al-Madinah at Al-Harrah (flat lands with black stones). They said to him, "The trade has indeed been successful." He answered them, "You too, may Allah never allow your trade to fail. What is the matter" `Umar (رضي الله عنه) told him that Allah has revealed this Ayah (2:207) about him. It was also reported that Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, "The trade has been successful, O Suhayb!"
Tabari
Posted in Qur'an, Suhayb Ibn Sinan


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Pletenje ili štrikanje je postupak kojim se izrađuje tzv. pletena roba kao što su čarape, puloveri, rublje i dr.

Pletena roba razlikuje se od tkanina po tome što se čitava tvorevina sastoji od očica koje se međusobno zahvaćaju, dok se u tkaninama dva sustava niti ktrižaju u pravilu pod pravim kutom.

Najjednostavniji oblik pletenja je tzv. ručno pletenje, kod kojih se očice pomoću pletaćih igala jedna za drugom oblikuju od jedne poprećno tekuće niti i nanose na jednu od igala, sve dok se ne dobije željena dubina. Smanjivanjem ili dodavanjem broja očica u pojedinom redu oblikuje se pletivo po širini.

Danas postoje strojevi kojima se plete. Osnovne vrste pletenina su kulirna (koja se izradjuje od nizova petlja) i osnovina pletenina (izradjuje se okomitim nizovima petlja, svaka nit na stroju odgovara jednom nizu petlji).

Vanjske poveznice

Pletenje.net - Sve o pletenju
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With reflux, or heartburn, there's a burning sensation behind the sternum. This is caused by gastric acid, the acid in the stomach, which goes outside the stomach, back into the esophagus and irritates the lining of the esophagus.
What are symptoms of reflux?
Reflux or heartburn is irritation of the inside of the esophagus and usually isn't dangerous. Everybody once in a while has some heartburn after a large or very fatty meal and this isn't dangerous. It is important to treat reflux if it occurs more often or for longer periods of time.
What can I do about reflux myself?
Using over the counter antacids.
How does reflux affect my body?
With reflux gastric acid goes outside the stomach, back into the esophagus. The stomach produces very caustic acid to break down your food, so it can be digested. To protect the stomach from this acid it has a protective lining, the esophagus doesn't have such a protective lining. When gastric acid enters the esophagus it irritates the lining of the esophagus. This causes a nagging pain and a bloated feeling.
In general there are two types of drugs used for treating reflux: antacids and drugs that decrease the production of gastric acid. Antacid neutralize the acid and are over the counter drugs, often available at drug stores and supermarkets.


A rare opportunity to purchase a commercial property with Hwy 29 frontage in St. Helena. Currently operating as a restaurant, DBA Golden Harvest. Building is +/-3,000 sqft; permitted for 49-seats with 17 parking spots and ABC75 liquor license. Sale includes all equipment and furnishings. Business name is not included in the sale.
Listing courtesy of Barbara Allen of Sotheby's International Realty.


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Canada's New Icebreaker, John G. Diefenbaker
Posted on November 2, 2019 by Chuck Hill
Canadian Polar Icebreaker John G. Diefenbaker
Some information from Canadian ship design agency VARD, on the planned Canadian polar icebreaker John G. Diefenbaker. The project is long delayed and construction has not yet begun.
There is much more detail in the VARD brochure and Wikipedia entry linked above, but a few significant data points.
Displacement, full load: 23,500 tons
Length overall: 150.1 m 492'-6"
Length waterline: 137.6 m 451'-5"
Breadth moulded 28.0 m 91'-10"
Design draft: 10.5 m 34'-6"
Generators: 39,600 kW 53,100 hp
Propulsion: two 11 MW (14,751 hp) wing shafts and a 12 MW (16,092 hp) azimuth thruster. total 34 MW (45,595 hp),
Speed: 18 knots ice free, 3.0 kn, 2.5m ice
Range: 26,000 NM @ 12 kn ice free
1,800 NM @ 3.0 kn 2.2 m of ice
60 core crew + 40 program personnel
Endurance 270 days
For comparison these are figures for the planned Polar Security Cutter. Projected delivery dates, 2024, 2025, 2027.
Length: 460 ft (140 meters)
Beam: 88 ft (26.8 meters)
HP: 45,200
Accommodations: 186
Endurance: 90 days
In many ways the designs are remarkably close. Looks like the Canadian breaker will be slightly larger than the PSC, but will have a much smaller crew.
Presumably there will be no provision for armament since the Canadian Coast Guard does not arm its vessels.
The Diefenbaker's very long endurance is a bit of a surprise, in view of Canada's lack of a requirement to go to Antarctica, a feature that has driven the design of the PSC.
Propulsion power is almost identical, a bit over 45,000 HP, and both designs include three propellers, but the way it is done is different. While the PSC has a conventional shaft on the centerline and rotatable drive units to port and starboard, the Canadian design has a single rotating drive unit on the centerline and conventional shaft driven props port and starboard. This may provide the PSC with a redundancy advantage in that it might allow steerage even if one unit is damaged. On the other hand the single Canadian unit may be less likely to be damaged because of its position.
This entry was posted in Canada, icebreaker, Polar, Polar Security Cutter, Shipbuilding by Chuck Hill. Bookmark the permalink.
7 thoughts on "Canada's New Icebreaker, John G. Diefenbaker"
Tups on November 3, 2019 at 2:33 am said:
My opinion is that a "twin azimuthing/single shaft" configuration provides "the best of both worlds" whereas "single azimuthing/twin shaft" is the polar opposite: the added complexity of azimuthing propulsion and the damage-susceptible wing shafts.
Pingback: "Davie to become Canada's third National Shipbuilding Strategy strategic partner" –Marine Log | Chuck Hill's CG Blog
Chuck Hill on June 10, 2020 at 2:29 pm said:
Two Canadian yards partnering to build a breaker by 2029. https://www.marinelink.com/news/canadian-shipyards-partner-bid-polar-479195
Same story here, but with a nice artist's concept of the ship
https://www.marinelog.com/news/seaspan-shipyards-adds-ontario-yards-into-its-bid-to-build-canadas-polar-icebreaker/
Chuck Hill on June 17, 2020 at 12:16 pm said:
Canada is currently building underway replenishment ships. As I understand it they will not start the new polar icebreaker until these are finished.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/06/canada-awards-contract-for-construction-of-joint-support-ships-for-royal-canadian-navy/
Tups on June 18, 2020 at 10:54 am said:
They are indeed looking for a late 2020s delivery with the new polar icebreaker. Considering the fact that the program was announced in the late 2000s and the vessel should have been commissioned by 2017, I wouldn't bet my money on a December 2029 delivery either…
However, the yet-to-be-contracted medium icebreakers may be commissioned sooner as they will be built on a different pre-selected yard (Davie), bringing a much-needed renewal to the Canadian icebreaker fleet. However, there hasn't been any news about that project actually moving forward either…
Chuck Hill on December 1, 2020 at 11:11 am said:
Canada still has a long way to go before they see a new construction polar icebreaker.
One design team is forming. https://www.marinelog.com/news/davie-adds-vard-marine-and-serco-to-polar-icebreaker-team/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=21254


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Marketing & Tech News
E-sports betting firm Midnite raises $2.5m
London-based e-sports betting firm Midnite has raised $2.5million in a round led by gaming-focused venture firm Makers Fund.
Twitter co-founder invests in London edtech tutoring platform
A London-based edtech startup, backed by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, has raised $760,000 in pre-seed funding.
London 3D hologram software specialists raise further £2.4m
The company is on a mission to enable the next big revolution in the display industry by is driving the mass adoption of holographic display in consumer electronics.
Used car company Cazoo launches with new £25m raise
Cazoo, the much-hyped used car business from the man behind LoveFilm and Zoopla, launched today.
Wealth management startup Rerbium prepares for 2020 launch
A new wealth management platform called Rerbium that aims to help people manage their wealth, is gathering customers ahead of its launch early next year.
Outernet London to feature 'largest LED screens in the world'
Outernet London, the forthcoming "immersive media space" on Tottenham Court Road, will feature the largest LED screens by pixel density anywhere in the world.
UK's 'first dedicated D2C comms agency' The Prophets launches
D2C entrepreneur James Cox and former Martha Lane Fox executive Tara O'Driscoll have launched what they say is the UK's first dedicated direct-to-consumer communications agency.
LeKiosk rebrands to Cafeyn
LeKiosk, the digital magazine platform, has rebranded itself as Cafeyn.
TotallyMoney raises additional £5 million
London-based fintech startup TotallyMoney has announced £5 million in new growth funding from Silicon Valley Bank.
BBI makes £15m capital facility available to PCF Bank
British Business Investments (BBI), a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, has announced a new £15m Tier 2 capital facility to specialist bank, PCF Bank.


For thousands of years, herbalist used botanical nutrient to maintain human bodily function healthy and eliminate discomfort.
Thirsty Releever is the result of many herbalists efforts. It helps promote the body fluid production system and support the body maintain healthy blood sugar level and circulation.
Enriching yin and nourishing the kidney, boosting qi and engendering liquid. Use for large food intake, large water intake, profuse urine, emaciation and lack of strength, waist pain. Also use for regulating the urine sugar and blood sugar normal.
As a dietary supplement for adults take 5 -10 pills after meal with warm water, 3 times a day.