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Hurricane City considers proposal for all-abilities park, announces additional adaptive classes
Written by Sarah Torribio
In this file photo shown for illustration purposes, Emma Bell rides on a zip line chair with safety cage at Thunder Junction All-Abilities Park in St. George, Utah, Oct. 8, 2016 | Photo by Dave Amodt, St. George News
HURRICANE — Some good news for Hurricane residents with special needs was shared Thursday during a public meeting.
Leisure and Recreation Director Kole Staheli told the City Council that the city's recreation department now offers more adaptive classes and programs than ever.
"We're trying to involve more of our disabled community, and wow, we've really had some success," he said.
A glimpse at the Hurricane website shows youth sports programs include adaptive soccer and adaptive basketball programs. The city also has an adaptive swim team to accommodate kids with physical or developmental disabilities or who have behavioral issues.
Staheli offered kudos to Hurricane's new recreation director Jennifer Cluff, whom he called "the driving force behind the special needs enhancement." He said making recreation in the city more accessible is a move that's near and dear to his heart, considering his wife is coordinator of the Washington County School District's special education programs at the secondary school level.
In related news, Councilmember Darin Larson shared that Hurricane Valley Rotary is looking at a proposal to create an all-abilities park in Hurricane.
This file photo shown for illustration purposes depicts an aerial view of Thunder Junction All-Abilities Park in St. George, Utah, Oct. 8, 2016 | Photo by Dave Amodt, St. George News
Larson, who is also a Rotarian, said members of the service club have already met with Hurricane City Parks Superintendent Darren Barney. The project will likely involve retrofitting an existing park, an approach that's more economically feasible than starting from scratch.
Larson emphasized that the all-abilities park is just in its initial planning phase but said it's projected to have a $200,000 price tag. Rotary intends to partner with the city for the project, and they hope some money will be provided by Regional Asset District funds, he added.
These funds are raised via a small sales tax levied on county residents. The resulting funds are divided among cities in the district to offset the creation and upkeep of spaces that are open to the community for sports and recreational activities.
Residents and visitors to Hurricane will benefit greatly from the all-abilities park, Larson said.
"As the city grows, so do its needs."
Sarah Torribio is a writer with years of experience covering community news and entertainment journalism. After 5 years as an education reporter at a small newspaper in California, plus a year subbing at local schools in Southern utah, she's excited to cover the Washington County School District beat as well as city affairs in Hurricane and the Short Creek area. She has two school-aged children, a menagerie of household pets, a bass guitar and dreams of being a successful screenwriter.
Top 5 weekend stories on St. George News
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Hurricane council approves zone change for development; mayor acknowledges 'growing pains'
Posted in Local, NewsTagged adaptive sports, all abilities park, Hurricane City Council, special needs, thunder junction


Texas is the home to more than 5,000 species of wildflowers and recent rains are sure to usher in an explosion of color before the end of the season.
Texas State Parks offer great picturesque settings for family wildflower photos away from busy roadways and now is a prime time for unique and diverse wildflower displays. Park visitors can share their wildflower pictures—and see what's blooming around the state—on the TPWD Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts.


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Acona is an unincorporated community located in Holmes County, Mississippi. Acona is located on Mississippi Highway 17 and is approximately  north of Lexington and approximately  south of Black Hawk.

History
Acona appears to be a name derived from the Choctaw language, but its meaning is uncertain. Some sources say Acona is derived from a Native American word of exclamation, similar to "whoa!" in English. A post office called Acona was established in 1852, and remained in operation until 1911. Acona was once home to a stage coach stop, tanyard, cotton gin, and millinery store.

The Acona Church, Cemetery, and School are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

Unincorporated communities in Holmes County, Mississippi
Unincorporated communities in Mississippi
Mississippi placenames of Native American origin

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We are a family run school uniform supplier who have been servicing the retail school trade for many years and we have built ourselves an enviable repution in the trade for quality, reliability and customer service, some of the many reasons we are regarded by many of our customers as the formost school uniform supplier.
We'll deliver all orders free of charge to your school or parents can choose to have them delivered to their home for a small fee. Alternatively uniforms can also be collected from our school shop based in swalwell, Newcastle. We are opening more shops this year to make that even more convenient for parents.
Pop up shops are our speciality and can be arranged with the school to visit at a convenient time throughout the year at any event like parents evening, summer fairs and transition evening. This helps parents top up throughout the year.
We know that children are always losing or misplacing their uniform and this is parents biggest bug bear through the school year as we hear it every day in the shop or on our web chat So here at logos unlimited we can embroider your child's name directly onto the garment for a small charge. The name is normally embroidered onto the waistband in self coloured threads.
Due to our substantial warehouses we are able to hold stand by stock of your school uniform for faster turn around. Don't have the room for delivered orders? We can store these also and deliver when required.
We are confident with the quality garments we offer so are happy to supply your school with free samples for you to test run.
We will not be beaten on price and as we carry out everything in house we are able to pass on that saving to you the customer.


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Audit finds bureaucrats applied 'insufficient scrutiny' to $443 million Barrier Reef grant
By Michael Koziol
January 16, 2019 — 6.21pm
An official audit of a controversial $443 million government grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has found numerous deficiencies by bureaucrats, including failure to scrutinise the sky-high administrative costs and properly mitigate against conflicts of interest.
The Environment Department took just three days to select the small foundation as the "obvious partner" for the grant, and helped draft the organisation's subsequent funding proposal, the Australian National Audit Office reported.
The $443 million grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation was criticised as "almost mind-blowing". Credit:Tourism and Events Queensland
But the audit did not accuse Treasurer Josh Frydenberg - the then environment minister - of any wrongdoing, saying he awarded the grant without a competitive tender based on "a clear funding recommendation" by bureaucrats who assured him the foundation met the criteria.
At the time, the foundation was in discussions for a government grant of just $5 million over five years, and the decision to award nearly $450 million was described by critics as "opaque" and "almost mind-blowing".
In a review handed down Wednesday, the Australian National Audit Office said Environment Department bureaucrats applied "insufficient scrutiny" to the GBR Foundation's proposal.
In particular, it said the department failed to anticipate the true administrative costs of the foundation's subcontractors, ignored its past fundraising performance and neglected the capacity and capability of its partners to scale-up their activities.
The report also noted the department helped the foundation craft its proposal, which was not a unique occurrence, but that subsequent conflict of interest risks "were not adequately addressed".
Imogen Zethoven, director of strategy at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said this was "concerning".
"It's not normal process and it's certainly not the experience of other non-governmental organisations," she said.
"Applying the pub test to this, it's clear that this was an exceptional process driven by politics. That's the bottom line."
The audit found up to $86.4 million of the grant could be spent on administration, with half borne by the foundation's subcontractors. But the advice given to the minister focused only on the foundation's direct administrative costs, capped at 10 per cent, or $44.3 million.
The foundation's proposal did not address the administrative costs of its subcontractors, the ANAO said. Furthermore, Mr Frydenberg was told by bureaucrats that "low project delivery overheads" represented good value for money.
Ms Zethoven said once the department's own administrative costs were taken into account, the total expenditure on paperwork was "very high", accounting for about a fifth of the total grant amount.
The audit also criticised the lack of scrutiny given to the foundation's ability to attract co-investment. The minister was told it had a "good track record", though the $443 million grant significantly eclipsed the $90 million the foundation had raised in its history.
The ANAO report noted the department's compressed time frame in order to pay the grant before June 30, 2018. The department took just three days to decide on the GBR Foundation as the preferred partner, with only the Queensland government considered as an alternative.
While the department told the ANAO there had been "informal discussions" about other partners, there was no corresponding evidence.
"Opportunities to introduce some competition into the grant giving process were not explored and reasons for not employing a competitive, merit-based selection process to identify the partner were not documented," the ANAO concluded.
Responding to the audit, Environment Minister Melissa Price said the government remained "immensely proud" of the grant, and "none of the findings or recommendations affect the conclusion that the partnership is an effective way to boost the health of the reef".
Ms Price said administrative costs were a "normal and necessary part" of all grants and the level of admin funding in this case was "reasonable" and consistent with other grants.
However, Labor's environment spokesman Tony Burke said the "damning" audit showed the government was "reckless with other people's money".
"It's clear from this report that the Great Barrier Reef Foundation should not have been given this money," he said.
"It is almost laughable that the department helped them write their funding proposal and it still falls short."
The GBRF was founded in 1999 by late Queensland shale oil developer Sir Ian McFarlane and others. Its chairman, John Schubert, is a former Commonwealth Bank chairman and it is supported by some of Australia's largest mining companies.
In a statement, managing director Anna Marsden said the GBRF would work with the ANAO recommendations. She said administrative costs would not necessarily be as high as $86 million, as that figure assumed all subcontractors would be paid 10 per cent for admin.
"The GBRF is focused on fulfilling the obligations of the partnership because we are committed to protecting the reef and serving as a good guardian of taxpayer funds," Ms Marsden said.
Tony Burke
Josh Frydenberg
Melissa Price
Michael Koziol
Michael Koziol is a political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Most Viewed in Politics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home NBA Late offensive burst lifts Spurs past Raptors
Late offensive burst lifts Spurs past Raptors
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, including a key 3-pointer in the final minute, as the San Antonio Spurs rallied and then held off the visiting Toronto Raptors 119-114 on Saturday.
The Raptors led 114-110 after Fred VanVleet's 26-foot 3-pointer with 2:07 to play but San Antonio rallied on a 3-pointer by DeRozan and a putback layup by LaMarcus Aldridge with 29.9 seconds remaining after two offensive rebounds by the Spurs.
Two free throws by Rudy Gay with 12 seconds left expanded the lead. After a timeout and a missed 3-pointer by VanVleet, Keldon Johnson secured the win for San Antonio with a pair of free throws with 1.1 seconds left.
Patty Mills added 21 points off the bench for the Spurs, with Lonnie Walker IV scoring 14, Johnson and Aldridge hitting for 12 each, and Dejounte Murray racking up a triple-double, scoring 11 points, taking 10 rebounds and recording 10 assists.
The Raptors were led by VanVleet's 27 points. Chris Boucher added 22 points off the bench, Pascal Siakam had a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and Kyle Lowry also had a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists. Aron Baynes scored 13 points and OG Anunoby hit for 10 for Toronto.
The Spurs trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter before clawing back to within 39-33 after 12 minutes of play. DeRozan kept San Antonio close with 16 points in the period.
San Antonio improved its defense in the second quarter, drawing even at 50 on an Aldridge jumper at the 4:45 mark of the period and continuing on to a 10-2 run that handed it its largest lead of the half at 58-52 with 2:05 to play in the quarter.
The Spurs went to the locker room up 61-58, with the half's stats virtually even.
DeRozan led San Antonio with 16 points over the first two quarters, with Walker hitting for 12 and Mills adding 11 off the bench. Siakam paced the Raptors with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the half despite missing all five of his 3-point shots.
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Saudi Arabia wants to pour $200 billion into solar to build the world's largest solar project. It would begin with a $5 billion investment in 2018 which would translate into about 7.2 gigawatts, slated to come online in 2019.
The Saudi sovereign wealth fund and SoftBank Group Corp. of Japan jointly announced plans to build a solar project that is staggering in size – 200 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. That would be about 100 times larger than some of the largest projects in the world right now. "It's by far the biggest solar project ever," Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank said at a news conference Tuesday in New York after signing a non-binding agreement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS).
Moreover, the project would be a cornerstone of MbS' long-term economic strategy, with clear spin-off benefits in terms of economic diversification, employment, and a strategy for a post-oil economy.


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Do you wear a seat belt in the backseat?
By Marc Liverman
About 90% of people say they buckle up in the front seat, but that number drops significantly when people ride in the back. A new study finds that can lead to deadly consequences.
A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association found 803 people were killed last year while riding in the back unbuckled. Federal regulators believe half of them could have survived if they had fastened their seat belt.
Russ Martin, Director of Policy and Government Relations for the Governors Highway Safety Association, says "The simplest thing you can do when you get into a car is just buckle your seat belt."
While most people wear a seat belt in their own car, a 2017 survey from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found only 57% of passengers buckle up in the back seat of ride-hailing services like cabs, Lyft, and Uber. Those who don't often say it's because they're in a hurry.
Every state, except New Hampshire, has laws that say passengers in the front have to wear a seat belt. But 20 states don't require adult riders to wear safety restraints in the back.
"Research shows that in states that do have a law requiring passengers to buckle up in the back seat, rear seat belt use in those states tends to be higher," Martin says.
Safety advocates want more automakers to install the same belt reminders cars have in the front seat, for people in the back as well.
Copyright 2019 CBS News. All rights reserved.


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VMI basketball tops Radford on Senior Day, 88-76
Published Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, 11:34 am
Playing in their final home game at Cameron Hall seems to have sparked VMI forward D.J. Covington and guard Rodney Glasgow. The former posted 29 points while the latter dropped in 26 to help spark the Keydets to an 88-76 win over visiting Radford University Saturday afternoon.
Covington added 13 rebounds on the afternoon for his 14th double-double of the season, just two days removed from his 33-point effort Wednesday night against Campbell University.
Prior to tipoff, the team honor its three seniors, Covington, Glasgow and Drew Absher, who made his first career start..
With the win, the Keydets secured a first-round bye in the upcoming VisitMyrtleBeach.com Big South Conference Basketball Championship. The Championships run from March 5-9.
Covington and Glasgow led all shooters, while Radford's Javonte Green put up 21 points. Green was joined by in double-digits by teammates Jalen Carethers, who had 14, Brandon Holcomb and R.J. Price, both of whom had 11.Rashun added eight assists for the visitors.
The Keydets (17-10, 10-4 BSC) got another nine points from freshman Trey Chapman, seven of which came in a three-minute span late in the second half to help stave off a late Highlander run. Jordan Weethee chipped in nine points, as did freshman QJ Peterson.
Rebounding was a point of emphasis for VMI in its 10th Big South win, grabbing 40 rebounds, while limiting Radford to 32. VMI, which has double-digit conference wins for the fourth time in program history, out-rebounded Radford 27-12 in the first half, which helped lead to 14 second chance points for the Keydets.
Covington nearly had the double-double in the first half after posting 11 points and nine boards in the first 20 minutes. Glasgow was the leader at the break with 14 points while Radford (18-11, 8-6 BSC) was without a double-digit scorer at the half.
VMI, which played its final Big South Conference game at Cameron Hall, had a solid afternoon from the field, finishing at 50.8 percent (31-61), including a blistering 61.9 percent pace in the second half. Covington led VMI's shooting efforts, going 10-of-13 from the field and 9-of-12 from the free throw line.
The Keydets, who won their 13th game in Cameron Hall this season, tying the building record for a single season, got off to a hot start, building to an 11-4 advantage in the first four minutes, with five different players scoring in that stretch.
But the Highlanders fought down the VMI lead, pulling within three at the 12:10 mark, 15-12. VMI regained control of the momentum and regained a double-digit lead, 25-13, with 9:18 left to play in the half.
Arguably the play of the game was at the 6:33 mark when Peterson tossed up what appeared to be a wide shot, only to have Covington put down the alley-oop, giving the Keydets a 15-point, 31-16 lead and bringing the Corps of Cadets and the entire crowd to their feet. VMI got its biggest lead of the game, 34-16, on its next trip down the floor as Glasgow knocked down a three pointer.
Radford pulled back within 11 points of VMI before halftime, sending the Keydets to the locker room up 44-33.
VMI maintained its double-digit lead to begin the second half, but the Highlanders pulled within nine at the 16:13 mark on a Green layup. But the single-digit lead was short lived after a Covington layup at the other end on a Weethee dish, putting VMI up 56-45.
The Keydets kept their distance from Radford over the next four minutes before the Highlanders again pulled within single digits, 60-51 with 12:41 to play. A layup and a three pointer from Weethee, however, moved VMI to a 66-51 lead just a minute later.
Defense was key to the middle portion of the second half as the Keydets held Radford without a field goal for nearly four minutes and only allowed two free throws in that stretch. VMI utilized the lack of Highlander scoring to regain a 17-point lead, capped by a Covington jumper before the next Radford field goal.
Radford was threatening the Keydet lead with 5:11 to play as the Highlanders whittled the lead back to just six points, going on a 13-2 run over a three minute span to make it 74-68 in favor of VMI. But VMI held off the charge, thanks to Chapman's late surge.
VMI, winners of eight of its last 10, hits the road for its final two Big South Conference games, beginning Wednesday night at high point University's Millis Center. Action is set for 7 p.m.
Quote – VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom
"I had told our guys that I thought Austin Kenon's 39 points was the biggest Senior Day, but what they were able to do today with what was on the line was even bigger. What was crazy was the seniors made great plays but it came down to Trey Chapman with a big three and a timely rebound and put back and Jordan Weethee hit some big shots. It takes everybody to win."
"I am especially happy for my seniors Rodney Glasgow, DJ Covington, and especially Drew Absher who made his first career start. He helped give us a 9-4 lead when he exited. I'm proud of him."
"I thought Phillip Anglade made some key defensive plays at the end."
"We shot the ball better in the second half after getting the ball into DJ and taking it to the rim and not shooting as many threes unless they were open."
"DJ really took it up a notch today. He's playing at a high level. We had a pretty big rebounding lead at the half. It finished a little closer than I liked and we gave up a few more offensive rebounds when we tried to get out and guard the three-point line."
"The guys focused on the scouting report and we had two really good practices. I'm just really proud of them. I was really pleased with our defense. We held out the game plan as was designed and the players did a great job."
"It all boils down to Wednesday night (High Point) and we'll see what happens, but this was pretty sweet on Senior Day."


Do you spend a large majority of your waking hours looking for parking, talking about parking, worrying about parking -or one of my best friend's all-time favorites -telling really great stories about parking?
Well then maybe it's time to lose your car!
Owning a car in downtown Boston can be time consuming and expensive. It can be wonderfully liberating to live without a car.
Reason Number One: No More Parking Tickets!
How happy would it make you to never have to pay a parking ticket again? Oh the things you might do, the places you might go –you've got extra spending money!
You know what I'm talking about. Did you read that sign correctly? Or did you read the wrong sign altogether? Did a city ordinance have all the signs changed in the middle of the night? Imagine not having to care one way or the other.
You're bundled by the fire after a day on the slopes, far from the city, only to realize your car is parked on a major artery back in Boston, and a snow emergency requires it to be removed. Imagine not having to worry about where your car is, ever.
Reason Number Four: No More Registration, No More Insurance, No More Parking Stickers.
So, are you thinking the car-less life doesn't sound too bad after all and want to learn more?
Well then read my list of . . .
Way Number One: You Can Walk Places. Cardio is good for you and Grrrreat for the environment too!
Walking is liberating and fun. You will see things you've never noticed before. You can work on your waistline. You experience Zen moments with the morning birds and squirrels before you get to the office. And that's all great for your health –but it doesn't stop with just your well-being alone, it's great for the planet, too.
Way Number Two: Tired of Walking? Ride the T!
You Can Meet New People. You have at least one full stop to get them to like you and they are a conveniently captive audience.
You Can Read That Book you started twenty times, but don't have time to read at home.
You Can Check Out the Art! (See picture to right. That's a wall painting at the Fenway T stop).
Way Number 3: Maybe the T's not for you? Ride a Bike.
Don't have your own bike? Don't despair. The Hub's got a wicked new bike sharing program. Check it out here: www.hubway.com. PS: Don't forget your helmet -it's a matter of safety as well as a fashion statement. Now get on your bikes and ride!
Way Number Four: I Really Need a Car. OK then, Just Zip It!
If you really just can't live without the wheels, maybe you can at least live with –sharing the wheels! Zipcar is a fantastic company that exists solely to get you from place to place in a car. Just sign up for a membership then jump in a car wherever they're parked. It's that simple and cars are available all over town.
See how simple life can be?


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HP Holding webOS Special Event February 9 In San Francisco
MG Siegler	@mgsiegler / 9 years
We've just been invited to an HP event on February 9 in San Francisco. The topic? webOS, according to the invitation.
The invite's main header reads: "Think big. Think small. Think beyond." Could this mean an expansion of webOS to many types of devices? At the very least, we should get the skinny on the full webOS 2.0 release, which is only available in a very limited way thus far.
The timing is interesting since webOS originally launched at CES '09. That conference starts today and ends a month before HP's event, I guess HP will be using their muscle to do things a bit differently than Palm did.
But that timing also means that HP will be facing even more competition from devices just launched at the Vegas convention, many of which will be powered by the rival Android platform.
It also has to be noted that HP is likely to be up against at least one Apple event, which is expected to take place in January. That could mean either the iPad 2, the Verizon iPhone — or both. I don't think it's a stretch to think that HP should be talking about both tablets and phones at their event…
We'll be there to find out more on February 9.


4 years ago, our incredible 12WBTer Natalie kickstarted her journey to better health and fitness. And WOW, isn't she an inspiration! After losing 20kg she now has her eyes set on competing in a bikini fitness competition! Here is her unforgettable story to transforming her body, mind and entire life.


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Many Iraqis in the Triangle say they've had enough of America's help | McClatchy Washington Bureau
Many Iraqis in the Triangle say they've had enough of America's help
Tom Lasseter and Natalie Pompilio - Knight Ridder Newspapers
FALLUJAH, Iraq—Ahmed Manaa's face was dark with anger. He was tired of the U.S. troops rumbling up and down his city's streets in their big tanks, pointing their guns at passing cars. They are nothing but occupiers, he said, and they should go back to America, before another war begins.
Ahmed doesn't fit the profile of anti-U.S. elements whom American army commanders so often describe: He doesn't mourn the fall of Saddam Hussein and has never been an al Qaida sympathizer. In fact, Ahmed is 13 years old, with a buzz cut, a frame a bit small for his age and views about U.S. forces that are widely shared in Fallujah, where he lives, and other towns northwest of Baghdad.
"We wish that Allah would have revenge on the Americans," he said.
U.S. and Iraqi soldiers have been killed in violent confrontations in recent weeks in Fallujah and other towns in what's known as the Triangle, a large territory from Saddam's hometown of Tikrit to the north, south to Baghdad and west almost to the Syrian border.


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3 Die in Corpus Christi Car Crash Involving Cell Phone Usage
by J. Gonzalez Injury Attorneys | Mar 23, 2016 | Auto Accident, Lawsuit | 0 comments
In Texas, distracted drivers using cell phones cause one out of five car crashes. This alarming trend has become such a widespread epidemic that in 2014, there were 100, 825 collisions involving distracted drivers. Of these accidents, 3,214 suffered serious injuries and 468 drivers or passengers died as a result. This is a 6% increase from 2013.
It's important to understand that when driving, our attention is the most important factor. Sudden hazards such as a car quickly braking or an animal darting onto the street can cause a loss of control, resulting in an accident. In other cases, being distracted while using a phone can be devastating. This was the unfortunate case for four teenagers who were tragically involved in an accident where cell phone use is believed to have been a factor.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident due to someone else's fault, the J. Gonzalez Injury Attorneys can help get the compensation you deserve for your injuries and troubles.
A Tragic Incident
On their return from South Padre Island in March, four teenage girls from Houston were driving on Highway 77 near Corpus Christi when their car spun out of control and struck an 18-wheeler. Authorities believe the driver was using her cell phone as a GPS device and became distracted.
Two of the passengers died at the scene while a third was taken to a Corpus Christi hospital but died shortly after. The driver was also taken to a Corpus Christi hospital where she remains in critical condition. The driver of the 18-wheeler came away unharmed from the accident.
Against the Law
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, drivers using their cell phones have a higher risk of causing an accident regardless of whether or not he/she is using a hands-free device or phone. Although Texas does not have a statewide law banning texting and driving, many cities across the state, including a few in the Rio Grande Valley, enforce bans on cell phone use while operating a vehicle.
In McAllen, Mission and Brownsville, fines can range from $200-$500 dollars for this offense. There are also laws across the state banning texting and using handheld devices when driving in a school zone. Also, all drivers under 18 are prohibited from using wireless devices.
While texting behind the wheel is the most recognizable form of inattentive driving, there are many other forms that can cause devastating car crashes, including changing radio stations or eating. The Texas Department of Transportation is calling on all Texans to focus on the road and ignore distractions.
Getting into an accident regardless of the cause can be a huge hassle. The injuries you might suffer and costs incurred can be more than enough to deal with. For drivers who have found themselves victims of negligent driving where a distraction played a role, it can be hard to figure out what to do next. If that happens, do not hesitate to give the J. Gonzalez Injury Attorneys in McAllen a call. We can get you the compensation you need to get your life back in order.


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Austrian Miba AG opens new factory in Slovakia
AUSTRIAN engineering group Miba AG officially opened a plant for the production of clutch discs and brake plates in Vráble on September 20.
The plant, operating under the name Miba Steeltec, currently employs 230 people, the SITA newswire wrote.
The company invested €20 million (Sk679 million) into the project. The plant will manufacture 13 million pieces of metal product annually.
When the factory reaches its full capacity, its annual turnover is expected to be €25 million.
The chairman of the board of directors, Peter Mitterbauer, announced that the company's facilities may be expanded in the future.
The company is a member of the Miba Friction Group. Miba also owns the Miba Sinter Slovakia plant in Dolný Kubín, which produces powder metallurgic products, steel and bronze bearings.
Miba AG is a partner and supplier of the international engineering and automotive industry.
Compiled by Spectator staff from press reports
1. Oct 2007 at 0:00 | From press reports


Robert Brooks is a baritone, conductor and composer based in Manchester. As well as recital and concert appearances, he directs the Preston Cecilian Choral Society and the Manchester Singers, and is the assistant conductor of the St George's Singers.
Robert began his musical education in London, where he attended Junior Guildhall studying piano and guitar. After moving to Oxford, he started to play the cello and sang as a treble in New College Choir, under Edward Higginbottom. At Abingdon School he began to study conducting and composition, and played in the Thames Vale Youth Orchestra. Robert then completed a music degree at Manchester University, where he directed the chamber choir Ad Solem and was given an award by the university for services to choral conducting. During this time he also sang in the third Genesis Sixteen choral program.
After graduating, Robert directed the Leeds College of Music Choral Society, the Edinburgh University Chamber Choir and the Abney Orchestra. He also completed a conducting scholarship with the Leeds Festival Chorus and a singing fellowship with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, for whom he is now regularly engaged as a conductor and coach.
For tuition in singing, conducting, piano, cello and music theory in the Manchester area, as well as conducting and vocal work, commissions and arranging - please email rbrooks156@gmail.com.


Open daily from as early as 8am, Dalloway Terrace is the ideal breakfast location, whether it needs to be a quick business breakfast meeting or a relaxing morning of leisure. Located in London's historic area of Bloomsbury, the restaurant is minutes away from some of the city's most renowned places of interest, and well connected with close proximity to Tottenham Court Road station.
Just at the doorstep of Oxford Street and the chaotic shopping area, the Dalloway Terrace offers a tranquil and peaceful ambiance which almost seems unreal in such a central area of London. Designed to feel like an outdoor space all year round, with a retractable roof, heaters and comforting blankets, Dalloway Terrace is definitely a suitable space for every season.
Dalloway Terrace was awarded "London's Best Breakfast" by Bookatable Diners 2018.


Where have we all gone to??
Glad to see everyone doing well. There are those that I keep in touch with on facebook that are doing well also. Would love to get this active again!
Awweee. I forgot how cute and silly pug puppies are!
Thoughts and prayers are with you and yours! So sorry for your loss, it is such a hard thing to go through.
Yes! I have been warning everyone I know with dogs about the mushrooms. They are really prevalent this year in our area, since we are a very farm area as well. Glad Rigby is ok!
Oh my gosh. My wedding is in less than 5 months. I can't even believe it! With everything that has been going on lately, my credit cards are maxed out, I'm broke, but I'm incredibly happy!!
I would loooove a photo competition. I'd also love to get this site active again! I miss my k9family very much.
I'm so sorry, hun. I know how you are feeling. It doesn't seem fair. Wish they could tell us when something is wrong.
Adult dog has started nursing?
How to get my dogs to relax and let me cut their nails?
Micheal..so sorry for your loss, again. I loved Neka so very much. Always here if you need to talk!
Glad you guys are doing well though...Momto3, always good to be happy where you work!!
So much has been going on..but I have been thinking of you guys often! How is everyone and their pups? Please do tell any big news or anything!!
Thank goodness everything is okay!! Will keep you in my prayers still, We love ya over here, Susan!
Gentle Jungle CLOSED - Owner arrested!!


text:
Nutrients in 1 pound of Dried European Chestnuts
Nuts, chestnuts, european, dried, unpeeled.
rawdriedwhole
1 lb ▼
Dried European Chestnuts
Energy1696 kcal
Dried European Chestnuts have 1696.43408 kcal of Energy per 1 pound, which is 58.5% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 2900kcal per day for Men 19-50 years
Fat20 g
Dried European Chestnuts have 20.184844 g of Fat per 1 pound, which is 21% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 97g per day for Men 19-50 years
Protein29 g
Dried European Chestnuts have 28.9845288 g of Protein per 1 pound, which is 51.8% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 56g per day for Men 19-50 years
Carbohydrate351 g
Dried European Chestnuts have 350.6719752 g of Carbohydrate per 1 pound, which is 270% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 130g per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 53.070264 g of Fiber per 1 pound, which is 140% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 38g per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 0 mg of Cholesterol per 1 pound, which is 0% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 290mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 3.79656504 g of Saturated Fat per 1 pound, which is 12% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 32g per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 0.85275296 g of Omega 3 per 1 pound, which is 53.3% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 1.6g per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 7.1213944 g of Omega 6 per 1 pound, which is 42% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 17g per day for Men 19-50 years
Water43 g
Dried European Chestnuts have 42.864444 g of Water per 1 pound, which is 1.16% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 3700g per day for Men 19-50 years
Vitamin A0 μg
Dried European Chestnuts have 0 μg of Vitamin A per 1 pound, which is 0% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 900μg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 1.3380964 mg of Thiamine per 1 pound, which is 112% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 1.2mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 1.6329312 mg of Vitamin B2 per 1 pound, which is 126% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 1.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 3.855532 mg of Vitamin B3 per 1 pound, which is 24% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 16mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 3.00731496 mg of Vitamin B6 per 1 pound, which is 231% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 1.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 0 μg of Vitamin B12 per 1 pound, which is 0% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 2.4μg per day for Men 19-50 years
Vitamin C68 mg
Dried European Chestnuts have 68.0388 mg of Vitamin C per 1 pound, which is 75.6% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 90mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 0 IU of Vitamin D per 1 pound, which is 0% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 600IU per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 494.41528 μg of Folate per 1 pound, which is 124% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 400μg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 303.90664 mg of Calcium per 1 pound, which is 30.4% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 1000mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 2.948348 mg of Copper per 1 pound, which is 328% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 0.9mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Iron10.8 mg
Dried European Chestnuts have 10.7954896 mg of Iron per 1 pound, which is 135% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 8mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 335.65808 mg of Magnesium per 1 pound, which is 80% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 420mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 5.896696 mg of Manganese per 1 pound, which is 256% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 2.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 793.786 mg of Phosphorus per 1 pound, which is 113% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 700mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 4472.41712 mg of Potassium per 1 pound, which is 132% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 3400mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Dried European Chestnuts have 8.164656 μg of Selenium per 1 pound, which is 15% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 55μg per day for Men 19-50 years
Sodium168 mg
Dried European Chestnuts have 167.82904 mg of Sodium per 1 pound, which is 11% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 1500mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Zinc1.6 mg
Dried European Chestnuts have 1.587572 mg of Zinc per 1 pound, which is 14.4% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 11mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Vitamins in 1 pound of Dried European Chestnuts:
1 pound of Dried European Chestnuts has outstanding amounts of Thiamine, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6 and Folate.
It is an excellent source of Vitamin B3 and Vitamin C. It has no Vitamin A, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.
Minerals in 1 pound of Dried European Chestnuts:
1 pound of Dried European Chestnuts has outstanding amounts of Copper, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorus and Potassium.
It is an excellent source of Calcium and Magnesium. It also has a good amount of Selenium, Sodium and Zinc.
Macronutrients in 1 pound of Dried European Chestnuts:
1 pound of Dried European Chestnuts has outstanding amounts of Carbohydrate and Fiber.
It is an excellent source of Fat, Protein, Omega 3 and Omega 6. It also has a good amount of Saturated Fat.
Compare Dried European Chestnuts with:


text:
Report: How Donald Trump and the GOP Dropped the Two-State Solution for Mideast Peace How Donald Trump and the GOP Dropped the Two...
How Donald Trump and the GOP Dropped the Two-State Solution for Mideast Peace
Days before the Cleveland convention, Republicans have just abandoned Washington's decades-long call for an independent Palestine.
By Molly O'Toole
| July 14, 2016, 6:03 PM
Days before the Cleveland convention, GOP leaders and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump have found a rare bit of common ground: ditching decades of bipartisan U.S. foreign policy calling for the creation of an independent Palestine.
The shift came when the Republican Platform Committee unanimously approved an Israel-Palestine provision Tuesday night that had a striking omission: any reference to a two-state solution to the long-running conflict. The platform instead uses staunchly pro-Israel language that promises to oppose any outside efforts to force Jerusalem into a deal.
The new platform language was drafted with not only the blessing but the intimate involvement of two of Trump's closest aides, Jason Greenblatt and David Friedman, according to several sources behind the effort. The two men are Trump's primary Israel advisors.
The successful push to eliminate the two-state language was led by a broad if seemingly unlikely coalition that included Sen. Ted Cruz's national security advisor; a Mormon state representative from South Carolina; and a Jewish former media executive who runs a super PAC called Iron Dome Alliance, a reference to Israel's storied Iron Dome missile defense system.
Members of the ad hoc alliance didn't know where Trump, the infamously inconsistent businessman and presumptive nominee, stood on Israel-Palestine generally or the two-state question specifically. In the end, they were pleasantly surprised to see Greenblatt and Friedman, presumably with Trump's blessing, working alongside them to craft the new language.
"The U.S. seeks to assist in the establishment of comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East, to be negotiated among those living in the region," the new plank reads, according to a copy obtained by Foreign Policy. "We oppose any measures intended to impose an agreement or to dictate borders or other terms, and call for the immediate termination of all U.S. funding of any entity that attempts to do so."
The Republican National Committee has yet to publicly release its platform, which will be formally adopted at the convention, but the Mideast language is a striking departure from what had been stated GOP policy as recently as four years ago: "We support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state with secure, defensible borders; and we envision two democratic states — Israel with Jerusalem as its capital and Palestine."
The significantly different new language raises the thorny question of whether Trump is in fact ready to take to the trail with a foreign policy that breaks with about 30 years of established thinking on one of the most fraught issues in American politics.
Trump tweeted Wednesday, "The Republican platform is most pro-Israel of all time!" and Greenblatt and Friedman quietly published a post noting their involvement from conception to approval.
"We stand resolutely with Mr. Trump in his belief that no country should pressure Israel into making peace, and we are gratified that this conviction is expressed in the platform," they wrote, emphasizing Trump's alignment with the party base.
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not respond to requests for comment Thursday on whether he supports a two-state solution, but Thursday afternoon, the campaign announced the formation of the "Israel Advisory Committee." Greenblatt and Friedman are co-chairmen.
"The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians runs deep. Every president in modern history has tried and failed to resolve this conflict," Trump said in a statement. "We mustn't fear taking new, constructive and mutually beneficial steps to advance the cause of peace in the region."
Jeff Ballabon, whose Iron Dome Alliance was a significant player in the push, said Trump has been "somewhat of a cipher on policy."
"He doesn't have a foreign policy record to look at," Ballabon told Foreign Policy on Wednesday. But he said he got the "very strong sense" from working with his Israel advisors that "they are exactly where the Republican Party is."
"There was active involvement in contributing to this plank and moving it away from where it was," he said, speaking of Greenblatt's and Friedman's work.
During the Republican primary, the Manhattan real-estate magnate came under fire from his opponents for saying he wanted to remain "neutral" on the Israel-Palestine conflict and indicating fault lay with Israelis.
"A lot will have to do with Israel and whether or not Israel wants to make the deal — whether or not Israel's willing to sacrifice certain things," Trump told The Associated Press in December.
Trump has tried to regain ground by giving a well-received, Obama-bashing speech in March at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (whose leadership later condemned the remarks) and taking pains to sound more clearly pro-Israel, rejecting a "nasty" comment on Israel from a June town hall attendee by saying, "We are going to protect them 100 percent."
Still, the campaign hasn't been able to shake the widespread perception that it's willing to use anti-Semitic dog whistles and court the support of neo-Nazis and other extremists.
On July 6, Trump posted, then deleted, an image on his Twitter account depicting Hillary Clinton and a six-pointed star with piles of money in the background, feeding into Jewish stereotypes. He later said he regretted removing it.
Elliott Abrams, a longtime Republican foreign policy hand, said the two-state solution was implicit U.S. policy during the Camp David peace talks at the tail end of Democratic President Bill Clinton's administration. The creation of an independent Palestine became the stated policy of the United States in 2002, during the administration of President George W. Bush.
The Republican handed off the policy to Democratic President Barack Obama, who in the ensuing years has developed a frosty relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Alan Clemmons, the Mormon South Carolina Republican legislator, and Ballabon met for the first time in 2011 while they were in Jerusalem. They believed the Republican base had moved away from the two-state solution, and they decided the party's platform "would be the ideal place to make that statement very publicly," Ballabon told Foreign Policy on Wednesday.
In 2012, Ballabon said that AIPAC and other groups dedicated to what he called "lockstep bipartisanship" on U.S. policy toward Israel teamed up with supporters of nominee Mitt Romney to retain the two-state language. AIPAC did not respond to requests for comment.
So what changed in 2016?
"Barack Obama's second term showed ever greater schisms between the parties," Ballabon said, pointing to the heated debate around the Iran nuclear deal.
In the Republican primary, Ballabon advised several campaigns on Israel policy but eventually endorsed Cruz.
In a March debate before Super Tuesday, the Texan called out Trump for saying he'd be "neutral" between Israel and Palestine.
Trump doubled down, saying, "I would like to at least have the other side think I'm somewhat neutral as to them, so that we can maybe get a deal done."
Once Trump had emerged as the last man standing, Ballabon reached out to his team and was similarly surprised that they were already on board with their Israel policy recommendations, including cutting the two-state language.
Clemmons, a South Carolina delegate, said in the last few weeks that he's become acquainted with Trump, though he didn't support him during the primary. While he's only required to vote for the nominee on the first convention ballot, he said: "I am pleased to report that I will cast each and every vote for Donald Trump. … He sees Israel as I see Israel, and as I believe a majority of Americans, and certainly the base of the Republican Party, see Israel."
Trump's advisors vetted and tweaked the plank language, he said. While AIPAC expressed initial concern, it ultimately did not object at the final drafting committee meeting on Tuesday, according to Clemmons. The new language was adopted unanimously.
Despite the apparent convergence of Trump's advisors and GOP leaders, that doesn't mean removing the two-state solution from the platform will be without controversy — or risk.
A number of Republicans, including Abrams, have said Trump's statements on foreign policy demonstrate dangerous inexperience — a point Clinton is hammering. And though only symbolic, the move still could reinforce fears in the Arab world about a potential Trump presidency, given his Islamophobic comments and on-again, off-again Muslim ban.
Abrams acknowledged that the new language could communicate to Palestinians, "'Yeah, we're OK with permanent occupation.'"
Still, he said the change was worthwhile because removing the two-state language says to the next U.S. president, "'Don't repeat what has failed time and again in the past: reaching for a comprehensive agreement not currently available,'" he said.
Ballabon argued that omitting the two-state solution creates an incentive for Palestinians. That may be why Trump's advisors were so supportive, he said: "If Donald Trump is anything, he is not someone who likes to lose."
Photo credit: The Washington Post/Contributor
Tags: 2016, Israel, Report, Trump
Colombia's Uneasy Peace
A few years after Bogotá struck a deal with the FARC, challenges to the agreement risk undermining it.
Gulf-Israel Ties Might Not Survive Trump's Peace Plan
A political program that does not envision statehood for the Palestinians could reverse the Gulf Arab states' tentative warming toward Israel.
Shadow Government |
Daniel B. Shapiro, Yoel Guzansky
Billionaires Can't Buy World Peace
A new think tank funded by George Soros and Charles Koch wants to end American interventionism, but shows no understanding of what motivates it.
Voice |


In out upcoming book (How to be Persuasive) we talk a lot about Milton Erickson and with good reason. One of Dr. Erickson's works that is important to Hypnotherapist is the Milton Model. In this chapter you will see why part of the Milton Model is also important to those committed to superior persuasion.
That of course doesn't make any logical sense. Only humans and animals can have feelings. This would cause the patient to stop the thought process to evaluate the selectional restriction.
Because the mind would stop to consider the fact that a chair couldn't have feelings, it would be inclined to accept the previous suggestion.
Ok, I promise to make this readable. Think of it this way. If I wanted to recruit someone, I would talk about the benefits of the company that I represent, and then put in a selectional restriction.
"Bob, the company has a great compensation plan; however that is not why so many of our employees stay with us for so long. The real reason is that the company really cares about people. A company can care you know."
The unconscious mind stalls in evaluating the statement "the company really cares" because it is momentarily confused. It knows that a company is an entity and in of itself is not capable of caring. By stalling like this, your prospect accepts the presuppositions that the compensation plan is great and that many of the employees stay with the company for years and years.
One of the great examples of this in the field of sales influence is when the persuader uses "talking products." Just like Erickson's selectional restriction, the unconscious mind knows that a product can't talk. So it stalls to evaluate and in doing so accepts the suggestions given.
This is not a new technique. 60 years ago the cigarette companies had commercials that featured dancing cigarettes. At the time, it was not fully understood why this was so effective. The public would look on as the cigarettes would square dance on the screen. The announcer would say "Lucky Strikes, you will love them." The Cigarettes kept dancing and people kept smoking Lucky Strikes.
CAN SINGING RAISINS BE EFFECTIVE?
Many years ago, the California raisin was in real trouble. The raisin farming industry was no longer profitable. Ads for raisins featured messages that spoke to how healthy raisins were for you. Seems logical right? Raisins were great for digestion and helped you become regular. Logical: yes. Fun: no!
Then the advertisers got smart and launched an industry-saving ad campaign. You are probably familiar with it. Remember the "Heard it through the grapevine" campaign featuring those cool, movin' Motown dancing raisins?
The California Raisin became a fun product. Why? Our unconscious minds stalled and the message was clear. Raisins are fun! So we purchased them.
In the modern era of influence, we are seeing a rebirth of the "Talking Products." Apple has without a doubt taken this to a new level. The "Hi I am a Mac and I am a PC," is the most brilliant ad campaign of our lifetime. Although the commercials are entertaining, it is vital to understand why these work! The immense success of these ads originated with the fact that we are momentarily disrupted with the idea that these two are not men but are computers. Did you make that connection?
Mac is a humble company.
Mac has no issues (healthy).
PC is old and out of date.
Mac is cool and hip.
This, of course, is not a logical argument, and that's the interesting part. It doesn't have to be!
Apple doesn't even need their new campaigns. If they have a message they just let these two deliver it. Absolutely brilliant! Does it work? Have you seen Apple stock lately? They are creating serious revenue in spite of the current economy.
Okay Mick, how can talking products help me sell more?
By simply knowing this, we can add talking products to the end of our presentations. It should be noted that Milton Erickson used these toward the end of his speech patterns.
Erickson's pattern (later described as the Milton Model) had multiple elements. So in like manner we can also add in our "Talking Products" toward the end of our presentations.
"Bob, clearly you can see that this model has the most horsepower and handles better than anything it its class. Every morning you will get up and open your garage and this fine machine will be saying, "Drive Me!"
"Bob and Mary that last home seemed to be perfect for your family. As we were leaving I think I heard the home say, "Don't let me be alone for Christmas."
"Bob, This system should take care of all of your company's needs. At the end of a hard day at work the system will say, "Go home Bob, I have it handled."
"Mary, that dress is for you. It is screaming, "Put me on!"
At the end of the day "Talking Products" can provide you with that last little power shot of persuasion that you need. It is simple and easy to use. That is why we regularly use it within the Professional Influence system. Each and every technique we use adds up to the finest selling system available. As a matter of fact, all of this comes free when you subscribe to our newsletter, "Mondays with Mick." That is why every week, when you open up "Mondays" the email screams, "Forward me, it is the right thing to do now!"


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The Plywood Protection Project creates public sculptures from repurposed plywood
In Design Posted November 18, 2021
Plywood salvaged from windows boarded up during the Covid-19 lockdown was used to create a series of artworks across New York City in this project by Worthless Studios.
The idea for the Plywood Protection Project, which is shortlisted in the installation design category of Dezeen Awards 2021, came to Worthless Studios founder Neil Hamamoto while he was driving around the deserted streets of Lower Manhattan in the summer of 2020.
Worthless Studios commissioned local artists to craft installations using salvaged plywood from boarded-up storefronts
At the time, a statewide mandate prohibiting citizens from leaving their homes prompted many businesses to board up their shopfronts to protect them from vandalism or looting.
Many retailers, restaurants and luxury brands also took steps to protect their property during the Black Lives Matter protests, which centred around racial injustice and coincided with the lifting of the lockdown.
The installations were placed across New York City
During the height of the protests across New York City, the price of plywood skyrocketed as supplies became depleted. According to Worthless Studios, at one point a plywood board measuring four by eight feet cost over $90.
The non-profit organisation saw an opportunity to invite local makers to transform discarded plywood boards into public art projects across all five boroughs of New York City.
The idea for the project came from Worthless Studios founder driving around the deserted streets of Lower Manhattan during the summer of 2020
"Part of the mission of Worthless Studios is to promote public art," explained Hamamoto in a film about the project, "so how do we create a programme to make a public art project that could be responsive to the time everyone was living through."
Flyers were fixed to plywood boards covering windows throughout Lower Manhattan to let businesses know that they could donate the unwanted material to the project.
Ai Weiwei protests border walls with huge New York installations
The studio then organised an open call for sculpture projects which received over 200 applications. A jury selected five artists to produce sculptures that would be installed in key sites in parks and public spaces.
"It was important to me that the sculptures were installed across all five boroughs," Hamamoto added, "because the lived experience through that time was shared throughout all five boroughs."
"I don't think anyone's experience was any different if they were in Manhattan or the Bronx or Queens, everyone saw businesses go under, everyone saw protests."
The sculptures were installed in popular parks and public spaces
The artists chosen for the project were Behin Ha Design Studio, Tanda Francis, Michael Zelehoski, Tony DiBernardo, and KaNSiteCurators' work featuring photographs by Caroline Mardok.
Each artist received studio space, tools and assistance with fabrication and installation, as well as a $2,000 artist stipend and a $500 material budget to complete the works.
Each installation was meant to remind people of the unprecedented times during the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement
The sculptures were installed in May and remained in place until 1 November 2021. The locations for the installations included McCarren Park in Brooklyn, Queensbridge Park in Queens, and Thomas Paine Park in Manhattan.
"The Plywood Protection Project reminds people of the incredible time that we lived through in the pandemic and the very powerful Black Lives Matter protests," Hamamoto claimed.
"It's an example of a great way to upcycle material and lastly I think it's trying to pave a new way to exemplify what public art should stand for."
The installations were on display until 1 November 2021
Also shortlisted in the installation design category of Dezeen Awards 2021 is Asif Khan's carbon-fibre latticed gates at the 2020 Dubai Expo.
Chila Kumari Singh Burman is also shortlisted for her neon overhaul of Tate Britain's portico as part of the museum's annual winter commission.
The post The Plywood Protection Project creates public sculptures from repurposed plywood appeared first on Dezeen.
"We're calling time on human exceptionalism" says Superflux


Marouane Fellaini is not just famous for being the midfielder for premier league football club Manchester United. The 30 year old Etterbeek born midfielder is also known for his famous uni brown and full headed fro.
He fro first gained major attention when the number 27 player dyed it gold a couple of years back. And now he is back with a different color and hair style for the hair goals section of GQ magazine and social media users are having a blast as usual.
The thing about the new pictures the football star posted has absolutely nothing to do with the color or the texture of his hair, but the way his hair was styled in. Okay picture this; Fellaini's hair and Mickymouse ears, Yes! We like to believe you imagined right.
He took to his official Instagram page to share the pictures of his new look for GQ and a lot of social media users wasted zero time in creating memes and of course their uncensored opinions.


Beat the summer heat during our Night at the Zoo events! Join us from 6:30-10:00 pm for live music, food trucks, cash bars, plus your chance to see the animals on exhibit until 8:30 pm. There will be animal encounters, keeper talks, and much more!
New this year to Night at the Zoo: Dinosauria - Experience Pangea after the sun sets and catch the dinos before they go extinct!
This 70s themed party will encourage you to break out the bell-bottoms and get down to live music from the Boogie Freaks. We'll also have a DJ on the Great Lawn, a groovy costume party, and entertainment from Miss Marie's Kids.
Note: Land of the Tiger will be closing at 8 pm.
This Friday the 13th, join us for an unnerving night full of superstitions. Kim Reteguiz & the Black Cat Bones will be here for some live music, and our keepers will be out to dispel common myths about a few of our more misunderstood animals. We'll also have games and a DJ on the Great Lawn to liven up this dreaded evening.
Welcome to the Jazz Age, old sport. This Roaring Twenties themed party will include live music from Tasty Tuesday, a DJ on the Great Lawn, and a costume contest that is sure to be the cat's meow. Bring your friends and family and enjoy this trip back to the past.


Married! Sandy and Matt's reception was held at The Farm at Broad Run, and it was just THE perfect spot for their celebration.
How incredibly delicious-looking is that?! The watermelons made such cute, colorful centerpieces. A tree was planted for each guest as the perfect environmentally friendly favor.
And since Sandy and Matt are both fans of The Beatles, who better to play at the reception than The Apple Core, a Beatles tribute band!
I'm pretty sure in this next shot he is saying, "Congratulations, Sandy and Matt!" The minute I pulled up to the farm and saw these greenhouses, I knew that I desperately wanted to do a few photos in there, and I'm SO GLAD we had the chance: (And since I promised to have this blog post up on Monday but it's nearing my bedtime, I'm going to wrap it up there!) Sandy and Matt! Thank you so much for inviting Chris and me to capture your wedding day. We were so honored to be a part of the occasion and it was fun to see your amazing plans come to fruition. We wish you both all the best!


text:
Q: OnClickListener for launching webview from a listview row A search api is returning me some meta data along with a URL "eventURL". I am placing the data in the listview, each row containing some data and a unique URL.I want when the user taps on the row in the listview,that unique URL should open in a webview.I have created a WebViewActivity for it,I am having issue with implementing the onClickListener.
MainActivity
public class MainActivity extends Activity {

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private ListView m_search_results;
private Button m_search_btn;
private JSONArray m_results;
private LayoutInflater m_inflater;
private InputMethodManager m_ctrl;
private Spinner m_radius;
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public static String activities;

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    m_search_btn .setOnClickListener(go_handler);

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    m_inflater = LayoutInflater.from(this);
    addListenerOnSpinnerItemSelection();
    addListenerOnSpinner1ItemSelection();

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public void addListenerOnSpinnerItemSelection() {
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  }

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    m_activity_selector = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinner1);
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    }

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public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu){
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    }

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OnClickListener go_handler = new OnClickListener() {

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    public void onClick(View v) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        m_ctrl.hideSoftInputFromWindow(m_zip.getWindowToken(), 0);

        //String searchText = Uri.encode(m_search_text.getText().toString());
        String zip = Uri.encode(m_zip.getText().toString());

        new SearchTask().execute("?k=Fall+Classic" + "&m=meta:channel=" + activities + "&l="+ zip + "&r=" + radius);
        // Show a toast showing the search text
        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),
                getString(R.string.search_msg) + " " +
                activities, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    }
};

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{

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        @Override
        protected void onPreExecute() {

            dialog = ProgressDialog.show(MainActivity.this,"","Please Wait...");

            super.onPreExecute();
        }

        @Override
        protected String doInBackground(String... params) {
            try {
                String result = ActiveHelper.download(params [0]);
                return result;
            } catch (ApiException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
                Log.e("alatta", "Problem making search request");
            }
            return "";
        }
        @Override
        protected void onPostExecute(String result) {
            dialog.hide();
            try {
                JSONObject obj = new JSONObject(result);
                m_results = obj.getJSONArray("_results");
                if (m_results == null ||m_results.length() == 0)
                {
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                            "No Results found for " + activities,
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                else
                    m_search_results.setAdapter(new JSONAdapter(getApplicationContext()));
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    }

    public int getCount()
    {
    return  m_results.length();
        }

    public Object getItem(int arg0){
        return null;
    }

    public long getItemId(int pos){
        return pos;

    }

    public View getView(int pos, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
        View tv;
        TextView t;

        if (convertView == null)
            tv = m_inflater.inflate (R.layout.item, parent, false);
        else
            tv = convertView;
        try {
            /* For each entry in the ListView, we need to populate
             * its text and timestamp */
            t = (TextView) tv.findViewById(R.id.text);
            JSONObject obj = m_results.getJSONObject(pos);

            t.setText (obj.getString("title").replaceAll("\\<.*?\\>", ""));

            t = (TextView) tv.findViewById(R.id.created_at);
            JSONObject meta = obj.getJSONObject("meta");
            t.setText ("When:" + "\t"+meta.getString("startDate")+"\n"+"Location:" +"\t" +meta.getString("location")+"\n" +"More Info:"+"\t" +meta.getString("eventURL")+"\n");

        } catch (JSONException e) {

            Log.e("alatta", e.getMessage());
        }
        return tv;
    }
}}

WebViewActivity
public class WebViewActivity extends MainActivity {
    private WebView webView;

    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.webview);

        webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webView);
        webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
        webView.loadUrl("url");

    }}

Thanks.

A: You need to use OnItemClickListener:
MainActivity implements OnItemClickListener {

onCreate() {
m_search_results.setOnItemClickListener(this);

Make this method:
onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {

url = JSON.getHowever(position);

//get the intent, load the url, and launch the activity

}

You also need to handle the intent in your WebViewActivity, but that's beside the question

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


You may remember that Peters said after Sunday's disaster, among other things, that "we can't put that group out again after that. It's unacceptable." He was right about that. Then he went ahead and put essentially the same group out again after that. Phil Di Giuseppe, who still hasn't scored in 14 months, drew in for Marcus Kruger while Klas Dahlbeck was an upgrade over Haydn Fleury and Elias Lindholm moved to center, but 16 of the 18 skaters were the same.
The impasse raises interesting questions about the relationship between Peters and Francis at this point. Peters demanded changes and mentioned there were some young players tearing it up in the AHL. (There are.) But there were no roster changes of any kind and Peters seemed resigned to that fate Monday. (If Josh Jooris couldn't get into the lineup under these circumstances, what's the point in not putting him on waivers and getting a look at someone in Charlotte?) If Peters was trying to send a message to his general manager Sunday, the message came back stamped "return to sender." If they're on the same page, then Peters was full of phony bluster. Something's off here.
The dressing room, at least, seemed to get the message – which is good, since a lack of response to such public humiliation would have been … even more humiliating. Among Sunday's passengers, Lindholm and Justin Faulk were both more effective Tuesday, and the Hurricanes were certainly better overall. Lindholm's power-play goal was a just reward for his performance in the middle. Given Sunday's effort level was rated roughly "hot garbage," just about anything would have been an improvement. This was progress, not vindication – not at home, not with these stakes against the competition for what is essentially the fifth playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. And not everyone was better, especially the Noah Hanifin-Trevor van Riemsdyk pairing, which was embarrassed on the Flyers' first goal.
For all that, the game – or the bonus point, anyway – turned on one sequence in the final 40 seconds of overtime. The Hurricanes had dominated overtime to no avail, and Staal had maybe the best chance of all, an open look from the slot. Flyers goalie Brian Elliott got a piece of it, but Claude Giroux knocked it out of midair before it could cross the goal line. Staal, bereft, said afterward he thought it might have been going wide anyway. Then Giroux dove back in front of the net to deny Skinner on the rebound.
Giroux's will would end up being the difference for the Flyers. The puck went the other way and Jordan Weal beat Ward – who was otherwise terrific, especially when short-handed – with a harmless-looking unscreened shot from in front. Given Ward's record in shootouts, the result was probably inevitable at that point, but it certainly hurt more this way.
So the Hurricanes made progress, even if it would have been almost impossible not to make any, and still managed to lose ground in the standings. Peters put a happy spin on all of it, but given everything that didn't happen since Sunday, who can take his words at face value now?


Precious Football Cards & Sought-After Soccer Stickers is packed full of info!
cards for sale by the expert, as seen on TV, in "Stuck On You" (ITV 2017/18).
5 years in the making, it's a bedtime or fireside book as much as a catalogue.
NOTE: the above STOKE card by Sharpe's was issued c.1878-1883.
they were close to first! Soccer cards were first made in the 1870's, in England.
tells you, Italians did not invent the packet of soccer cards in 1960. It's a lie.
It was yet another British invention, patented by John Baines 70 years earlier.


text:
Q: How to modify motion tracking in AS3 I have this amazing tutorial at http://www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/build-your-own-motion-tracking-system
In the developer version, the tracker moves along the X-axis. I want it to stay stationary rather than moving and when the object from the webcam comes in front of it. The stationary cross mark should be able to trigger an event preferably a sound when anybody is in front of it.
Would be grateful for the help I get. I am a complete noob in AS. If you have any other tutorial and link me to it I would appreciate it.

A: The easiest way to do this would probably be to create either a second Point to keep track of the position. Then you can test collision with the TrackerMC that doesn't move. To do this:
At the top, add
private var _movingPos:Point = new Point();

Then, in the resize() function, add:
_tracker.x = sW * 0.5;
_movingPos.y = sH * 0.5;

Then, in loop() change _tracker.x    += (_pos.x - _tracker.x) * .1; to:
_movingPos.x += (_pos.x - _movingPos.x) * 0.1;

And, to test if the point is in front of the crosshair, add at the end of the loop() function:
if (_tracker.hitTestPoint(_movingPos.x, _movingPos.y, true))
    doSomething(); // Add whatever custom function here.

In your doSomething(); function, you can play a sound, or anything else.
For debugging, you can add a second TrackerMC and update its position to equal _movingPos to see where you are.

A: I wrote a similar motion tracker in AS3. Its on github. You can check it out here: https://github.com/chinchang/AS3-Motion-Tracker
Let me know if you have any queries on it.
Also a sample game made with it here.
Cheers!

A: I don't know how much you are a noob in AS3, but this is kind of a complicated thing.
I happen to have had a few AS3 classes in school with motion tracking, that makes use of your webcam. I have no clue of how to use it but I still have the packages of source code of the AS3 code we used.
Here you can find the two packages:

*

*MotionTracker.zip

*MotionTracking.zip
They're coded by a guy named Grant Skinner and I do not know what the copyright and restricions on them are, so be warned :)
Here you can find more, and perhaps updated versions:
  http://www.insurgent.com.ar/en/tag/grant-skinner-en/
I hope this will help!


A device (1), for rotationally driving an element (15), including a rotationally-driven member (39) at a front of the device and engageable with, to transmit rotational drive to, the element. A formation (43) is shaped to contact, to transmit a reaction torque to, an attachment (33). A rearward-facing portion (59a) is at the rear, or rearward, of the formation. An arrangement engages, to act between, the rearward-facing portion and the attachment to rearwardly urge the attachment.
1 . A device, for rotationally driving an element, including a rotationally-driven member at a front of the device and engageable with, to transmit rotational drive to, the element; a formation shaped to contact, to transmit a reaction torque to, an attachment; a rearward-facing portion at the rear, or rearward, of the formation; and an arrangement for engaging, to act between, the rearward-facing portion and the attachment to rearwardly urge the attachment.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the arrangement includes a threaded element of one of the device and the attachment and co-operable with a thread on the other of the device and the attachment.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the device includes the threaded element.
4. The device of claim 2 or 3 wherein the threaded element is rotatable relative to the formation. 5. A device, for rotationally driving an element, including a rotationally-driven transmission member at a front of the device and engageable with, to transmit rotational drive to, the element; a formation shaped to contact, to transmit a reaction torque to, an attachment; a threaded element rotatable relative to the formation to co-operate with a thread of the attachment to rearwardly urge the attachment.
6. The device of any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the threaded element is a collar.
7. The device of any one of claims 2 to 5 including a rib formation running about the device and upon which the threaded element acts.
8. The device of any one of claims 1 to 7 being a gearbox. 9. The device of any one of claims 1 to 7 being a tool including a motor.
10. An attachment, co-operable with the device of claim 3 or 5, including a thread co- operable with the threaded element of the device to rearwardly urge the attachment.
1 1 . The attachment of claim 10 being a reaction arm.
12. The attachment of claim 10 being an offset tool. 13. A set including the device of any one of claims 1 to 9 and the attachment. 14. A set including a tool for rotationally driving an element; an attachment for the tool; and an arrangement; the tool including a rotationally-driven member at a front of the device and engageable with, to transmit rotational drive to, the element; a formation shaped to contact, to transmit a reaction torque to, the attachment; the arrangement being configured to rearwardly urge the attachment whilst a front of the arrangement is rearward of, or aligned with, a front of a forward-most point of contact between the formation and the attachment.
15. The set of claim 14 wherein the arrangement is configured to so rearwardly urge the attachment whilst a front of the arrangement is rearward of, or aligned with, a rear of a rear-most point of contact between the formation and the attachment.
16. The set of claim 14 or 15 wherein the arrangement includes a threaded element of one of the tool and the attachment and co-operable with a thread on the other of the tool and the attachment. 17. The set of claim 16 wherein the tool includes the threaded element.
18. The set of claim 16 or 17 wherein the threaded element is rotatable relative to the formation.
19. The set of any one of claims 16 to 18 wherein the threaded element is a collar.
20. The set of any one of claims 16 to 19 wherein the arrangement includes a rib formation running about the tool and upon which the threaded element acts.
'nutrunners',' torque wrenches' or 'torque guns', etc. Such tools are used in industry for tightening nuts and bolts and other similar tasks.
The tool 1 includes a handle 3 integrally moulded with a housing 5 housing a motor. A gearbox 7 is at least axially fixed to the front of the housing 5. An externally-splined tubular boss 9 forwardly projects from the gearbox 7 and a square-profiled drive member 1 1 projects forwardly from the boss 9. The axially-splined exterior of the boss 9 is fixed relative to the exterior of the gearbox 7 and the housing 5 and is often referred to as a serpentine.
A wide variety of attachments have been developed for this style of rotational driver, such as the reaction arm 13. The reaction arm 13 includes a portion 15 shaped to embrace and engage the serpentine of the boss 9 so that the reaction arm is restrained from rotation about the axis of the gearbox 7. Reaction arms are often axially restrained relative to the gearbox 7 via a grub screw passing axially through the serpentine- embracing portion 15 of the arm. Figure 3 shows the use of such a tool to tighten a nut. For this purpose, the reaction arm 13 and a socket 15 are fitted to the tool 1. The socket 15 includes a rearwardly-open square-profiled bore dimensioned to receive and be driven by the member 11 , and also a forwardly-open hexagonal-profiled bore to receive and rotationally drive a nut. The assembled tool, attachment and socket set 1 , 13, 15 is engaged with a nut to be tightened so that the arm 13 engages a feature fixed relative to the axis of the nut to be tightened, so that the body of the gearbox does not rotate when torque is applied to the nut. In the example of Figure 3, the arm 13 engages an adjacent nut N.
A trigger 17 of the tool 1 is squeezable to actuate the motor to produce a rotational drive. The motor may be, for example, a mains-electric motor, a battery-electric motor, a hydraulic motor or a pneumatic motor. The gearbox receives the rotational drive from the motor and in turn rotationally drives the socket 15 via the member 1 1. The socket 15 in turn drives the nut.
In some applications, it is not possible or convenient to move the tool 1 into close proximity to a nut that is to be tightened. For this purpose, a variety of extension pieces have been developed. Figure 1 illustrates an extension piece 19 including a reaction arm welded to an outer body of the extension piece. The outer body of the extension piece fits over the forward end of the tool and mates with the serpentine of the boss 9. An inner body of the extension piece is journalled to rotate within the outer body to transmit shaft power from the member 11 to a similar drive-transmitting member 11' at the forward end of the extension 19.
dangerous. Attachments such as extension pieces 19, 21 are heavy. A falling extension piece could injure the worker operating the tool or, worse still, potentially fatally injure a worker at a lower level of a construction site. In other instances, reaction arms have axially slipped the serpentine during operation. This slippage, in the context of tools having a gearbox housing fully fixed relative to the handle, suddenly and without warning exposes the operator to the torque of the tool. This can result in strain and crushing injuries. In various applications, it is important to know the torque applied to a driven element such as a nut. For this purpose, rotational drive tools typically incorporate some means by which the applied torque is controlled. This may entail sensors arranged to sense the torque transmitted via the member 1 1 , or to sense feedback from the motor unit. The present inventor has also recognised that the conventional mode of attaching a reaction arm typically involves some degree of play between the arm and the tool, that this play can lead to misalignment between the axis of the tool and the nut (or other driven member), and that this misalignment can result in the tool applying about 15% less than the desired torque to the nut.
One aspect of the invention provides a device, for rotationally driving an element, including a rotationally-driven member at a front of the device and engageable with, to transmit rotational drive to, the element; a formation shaped to contact, to transmit a reaction torque to, an attachment; a rearward -facing portion at the rear, or rearward, of the formation; and an arrangement for engaging, to act between, the rearward-facing portion and the attachment to rearwardly urge the attachment.
The arrangement preferably includes a threaded element of one of the device and the attachment and co-operable with a thread on the other of the device and the attachment. Most preferably, the device includes the threaded element. Optionally, the threaded element is rotatable relative to the formation.
Another aspect of the invention provides a device, for rotationally driving an element, including a rotationally-driven transmission member at a front of the device and engageable with, to transmit rotational drive to, the element; a formation shaped to contact, to transmit a reaction torque to, an attachment; a threaded element rotatable relative to the formation to co-operate with a thread of the attachment to rearwardly urge the attachment.
According to either aspect, the threaded element is preferably a captured threaded element. It may be a collar. The device may include a rib formation running about the device and upon which the threaded element acts. The rib formation preferably runs about a housing which houses outward-force generating components of the device to resist outward deformation of the housing. The rib formation may be a continuous rib encircling the device.
The formation shaped to contact the attachment is preferable a serpentine. The device may be a gearbox, and another aspect of the invention provides a device including a motor coupled to such a gearbox.
The device may be a tool including a motor.
Another aspect of the invention provides an attachment, co-operable with the device, including a thread co-operable with the threaded element of the device to rearwardly urge the attachment. The attachment may be a reaction arm, extension piece or offset tool.
Another aspect of the invention provides a set including the device and the attachment. Another aspect of the invention provides a set including a tool for rotationally driving an element; an attachment for the tool; and an arrangement; the tool including a rotationally-driven member at a front of the device and engageable with, to transmit rotational drive to, the element; a formation shaped to contact, to transmit a reaction torque to, an attachment; the arrangement being configured to rearwardly urge the attachment whilst a front of the arrangement is rearward of, or aligned with, a front of a forward-most point of contact between the formation and the attachment.
Preferably, the arrangement is configured to so rearwardly urge the attachment whilst a front of the arrangement is rearward of, or aligned with, a rear of a rear-most point of contact between the formation and the attachment.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tool. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a reaction arm. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the tool of Figure 1 in use. Figure 4 is a side view of the tool of Figure 1 . Figure 5 is a side view of an extension piece.
Figure 6 is a side view of another extension piece fitted with a reaction arm and a socket.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a gearbox fitted to an offset attachment. Figure 8 is a side view of a tool 1 including the gearbox shown in Figure 7 and a reaction arm.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the reaction arm, and a locking collar, shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is an axial cross-section view of a forward end of the tool, and the reaction arm, shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8 shows a set 29 including a tool 31 and an attachment 33 in the form of a reaction arm. The tool 31 includes a handle 35. Optionally, as illustrated, the handle is integrally formed with a housing 37 in which a motor is housed. The gearbox 25 is mounted to the front of the housing 37 to receive rotational drive from the motor. A square-profiled member 39 projects from the forward end of the gearbox 25 to rotationally drive an element such as the socket 15.
The gearbox 25 includes a housing 41 which presents a cylindrical exterior. The housing 41 is at least axially fixed relative to the housing 37. A tubular boss 43 projects forwardly from the forward end of the housing 41. An exterior of the boss 43 defines a serpentine. The housing 41 houses an arrangement of gears which transmit drive from the motor to the member 39. The gears define a reduction ratio whereby the member 39 operates at a lower speed but higher torque than the motor produces. The arrangement of gears is omitted from Figure 10 for clarity. A square-profiled rib 44 concentrically encircles a forward end of the housing 41's cylindrical exterior. The rib 44 serves two purposes. Firstly, it radially reinforces the housing 41 to resist deformation resultant from the action of the internally-carried gear mechanism. Secondly, the rib 44 defines a rearward-facing annular surface 45 which provides an anchor point against which the attachment 33 can be rearwardly drawn to more securely and accurately align the attachment 33 relative to the tool 31 . In this example, the rib 44 is integral to the housing 44, although optionally the rib (or another anchor arrangement) could be one or more attached pieces.
A collar 47 is fitted to the gearbox. The collar 47 includes a cylindrical wall dimensioned to slide over the cylindrical exterior of the rib 44. The rear end of the collar 47 includes a short, inwardly-projecting flange dimensioned so that it cannot pass over the rib 44 to limit forward movement of the collar 47. The front of the collar 47 sits forward of the rib 44 and is internally threaded.
rearwardly from the serpentine-engaging portion 51 . To fit the attachment 33 to the tool 31 , the portion 51 is placed over member 39 and boss 43 so that the portion 51 engages the boss 43 to rotationally fix the attachment 33 relative to the housing 41 and to the tool 31 more generally. With further rearward movement of the attachment 33, and potentially also forward movement of the collar 47, the threads of the portion 51 are moved into engagement with the threads of the collar 47. The collar 47 may then be rotated about the axis of the tool 31 (i.e. relative to the rotationally-fixed ring 53) to tighten that engagement.
With ongoing tightening of the collar 47, the attachment 33 is rearwardly urged until a rearward face 55 of the portion 51 is brought into engagement with a forward-facing portion 57 of the tool. In this example, the forward-facing portion 57 is a planar face, at the front of the gearbox, encircling the formation 53. For the avoidance of doubt, the arrows F and R in Figure 10 illustrate the forward and rearward directions respectively as those terms, and similar terms, are used herein.
The collar 47 thus constitutes an arrangement for rearwardly urging the attachment 33 so that the face 55 is clamped against the face 57. The mutual engagement of the faces 55, 57 provides for a more accurate alignment between the axes of the attachment 33 and the tool 31 , which in turn leads to torque being more accurately applied. Whilst the contacting surfaces 55, 57 are simple planar surfaces in this example, other attachment-aligning contact configurations are possible.
In this example, the collar 47 is an integrally-formed metallic component and a resilient element, in the form of O-ring 59, is captured between the flange 49 and the rib 44. The O-ring 59 provides a degree of resilience whereby the collar 47 can be conveniently hand tightened, yet the attachment 33 remains securely and reliably retained. Other forms of resilient element may be incorporated within the clamping arrangement and yet other clamping arrangements may have no resilient element at all. In operation, the flange 49 engages the rearward-facing portion 59a of the O-ring 59 and the collar 47 engages the ring 53. The collar acts between that rearward-facing portion 59a and the ring 53 to rearwardly urge the attachment 33 to clamp the portions 55, 57 against each other. The O-ring 59 is axially supported by the rib 44 in this example. Other forms of axial support are possible. The collar 47 is at the rear of the attachment 33. By locating the collar in this region, the described means of attachment is compatible with a wide range of attachments including attachments similar to attachments 19, 21 and 23. Moreover, the threaded engagement provides for a simple yet secure and reliable means of attachment. In particular, the collar 47 provides for convenient tool-less operation. The rib 44 serves to prevent the collar 47 from being forwardly released from the cylindrical exterior of the gearbox 25. The housing 37 likewise projects outwardly beyond the cylindrical exterior of the gearbox 25 whereby the collar 47 is captured on the gearbox.
It will be appreciated that the described arrangement is a very significant advance over the described prior art arrangements. Many variations over the example of Figures 8 to 10 are possible and would be advantageous over the described prior art. The invention is not limited to this described example. Rather, it is defined by the claims.
The threading engagement between the tool 1 and the attachment 33 offers advantages in and of itself. Indeed, simply extending the rib 44 so that a screw may be passed axially therethrough to engage a suitable threaded bore within the attachment 33 would be an advance over the prior art arrangements.
On the other hand, other advantageous variants do without threaded portions. By way of example, the collar 47 might be replaced by a lever lock ring to engage the rib 44 and a complementary rib formed at the rear of the attachment 33 so as to mutually clamp those ribs in a manner akin to the closures often applied to large paint cans. The tool 31 carries the collar 47, although it is also possible that the collar might be carried by the attachment 33.
The portion 59a is rearward of the serpentine-defining boss 43, although potentially the rib 44 could be moved forward to sit on an annular extension of the cylindrical wall of the housing 41 . This might entail the tool 33 being formed with a tubular boss shaped to fit within this wall and to engage the serpentine.
Likewise, it would of course be trite to swap the male and female threads between the collar 47 and the ring 53. This might entail enlarging the ring 33 to sit over the collar.
Whilst the reaction torque-transmitting feature takes the form of the serpentine about the exterior of the boss 43, other formations are possible. By way of example, this formation might take the form of a square-profiled bore into which a square-profiled tubular boss of the attachment is receivable. Likewise, the member 39 may itself be a socket for rotationally driving an element.
Not all variants of the device entail a gearbox. For example, a suitable motor might be mounted inside the housing 41 and directly drive the member 39. In this example, the portion 59a is part of the toroidal exterior of the O-ring. Other forms of rearward-facing portion are possible, e.g. the rearward-facing portion might be a portion of a helical face within a thread.
An outwardly-opening circlip groove 61 encircles a forward end of the boss 41 whereby the tool 31 is compatible with attachments designed for this mode of attachment, e.g. attachments which do not include the ring 53. Likewise, it remains possible to attach attachments with the aid of a grub screw passing at least approximately radially through the serpentine-engaging portion 51 of the attachment.


Roughly 50-acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus blossoms and a full schedule of colorful activities are in full bloom at the iconic Carlsbad Flower Fields, which draws more than 100,000 visitors from around the world during its brief blooming season from March to Mid-May.
Over the next month, until the venue wraps up its season on May 14, a variety of outdoor concerts, fairs, shows and other events are in store for visitors.
Rachel Aldous & The Road Home Americana/Bluegrass concert, with folk and pop music, will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
A Sunrise Easter service, from 6:30 to 8 a.m. Sunday, will be hosted by The Fields church, with a free breakfast for the first 500 people.
Bayou Brothers will perform zydeco and blues music, from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The Sweetwater Creek Band will perform from 1 to 5 p.m. April 22 featuring musicians playing fiddle, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, accordion, guitar, banjo and baroque recorders.
A Canon Photography workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 23, including an "Upclose and Personal" class at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and a "Hand-coloring photos" class at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Blues Pro All Star Jam concert will be held from noon to 5 p.m. April 23.
The Bad Carls, a North County band featuring Ken Moran, Kate Battenfeld, and Steve Galfano will perform its blend of alt-pop acoustic music from 1 to 5 p.m. April 29.
Michele Lundeen will perform rhythm and blues, and rock and roll music from 1 to 5 p.m. April 30.
The annual bonsai show and sale will be held May 13 and 14.
A Mother's Day celebration May 14 will feature colorful dancing from Rancho Buena Vista High School's Ballet Folklorico group. Visitors can make their own mixed bouquets for $5.
The Flower Fields is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through May 14 at 5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad.
Admission: $14; $13 for seniors over age 60; $7 for children 3-10 years old. Season Passes are available. Wagon Rides $5; $3 for ages 3-10.