text:
From Instruction to Construction: Rethinking the Classroom Model with Globaloria
Schools in two states are piloting a game development program that weaves Web 2.0 skills, such as blogging, advanced social networking, and wiki contribution and use, with the full range of 21st-century skills, including collaboration, problem solving, decision making, and digital citizenship.
By Scott Aronowitz
Sitting and listening can be boring. Really boring. Thirteen years of mandatory education, followed, for many, by four or more years of higher education. Then company meetings, professional seminars, continuing education so you can get promoted and go to even more, even longer meetings and seminars. You're getting bored just reading about it, aren't you?
Most people don't give much thought to all the years they spent sitting and listening as children. They're just glad it's over. But if we're trying to educate children who have at their disposal an ever broadening spectrum of consumer technology, even as they contend with ever decreasing attention spans, the time-tested methods are no longer sufficient.
After three decades conducting research into hands-on computer learning, including software and game design, with the MIT Media Lab, Idit Harel-Caperton launched the World Wide Workshop (WWW) in 2005 with the goal of applying the results of her research to the broader field of K-12 education.
Look at What I Made!
A student of education pioneer and Media Lab founder Seymour Papert and his theory of "constructionism," which maintains that students learn more effectively by creating and/or building an entity for public consumption, Harel-Caperton sought to build and grow a program around applying the theory in an active school environment. Also a longtime advocate of 1:1 learning environments, in which each student has access to his/her own computer and broadband connection, she also wanted to bring such opportunities to economically disadvantaged districts. She explained, "We know that children naturally learn as they play. And while most play is good, there is some play that engages the child more strongly." She said Papert placed a high value on "social learning processes and having children activate their own minds and also make or construct things to shape their learning."
And about a year after its launch, WWW spawned Globaloria, a program that partners with public schools, along with a variety of public and private financial sources, to bring the organization's vision to fruition. By having member schools offer the program as a two-semester course covering all of its components, educators "teach" Globaloria, and students "learn" it, as a path to practical knowledge and skills that can be applied in virtually in any professional field, as well as higher education.
With funding from state agencies, charitable foundations, non-profit organizations, and corporate partners interested in keeping American students STEM-competitive in the global arena, WWW has launched pilot programs in West Virginia and Texas, as well as an international program, a summer camp in Louisiana, and a pilot program in the Middle East focused on the peacemaking process.
The Globaloria course weaves Web 2.0 skills, such as blogging, advanced social networking, and wiki contribution and use, with the full range of 21st-century skills, including collaboration, problem solving, decision making, and digital citizenship, all of which have become widely recognized as integral to success in businesses and professional environments.
More significant, though, is the way in which the program integrates these skills. On the surface, and perhaps most appealing to potential enrollees, Globaloria teaches how to design, develop, and program online video games with an educational or socially conscious slant.
They Educated Me When I Wasn't Looking!
Working backward from the lofty goal of creating original computer games, however, we find Globaloria has a great deal to offer across the entire spectrum of 21st-century skills.
Over the course of two semesters, an academic year in most cases, students embark on a learning process that ultimately allows them, and in fact requires them, to create their own online computer games that are both educational and fun. But that's how the course ends. What it takes to get there is what makes Globaloria unique, one of a growing number of programs that are helping prepare K-12 students for a changing professional world while redefining the educational environment they already occupy.
David Lowenstein, director of Globaloria West Virginia, the first successful venture at establishing the program in schools throughout a state in the United States, laid out what a school and its students must provide in order to make the program available. "Students and educators must be first and foremost ready to commit six to eight hours a week to learning, creating and collaborating online using the Globaloria curriculum, tools, and networks. It also means each student having access to a laptop/PC with high-speed Internet and the necessary software (i.e., Browser, Flash, Photo Editing, MediaWiki) to develop their own original STEM and social-issue Web games."
As an introduction, Lowenstein explained, students actually play professionally designed and developed games oriented toward education and/or current social issues. "Then they have to blog about their top two or three favorite games, what they liked, what they didn't like, and the game mechanics they might want to incorporate when they start creating [their games]."
From there the students brainstorm and do some preliminary research, and each chooses the topic of the game he/she plans to design. "It has to be an educational or social issue, but that's very broad," he noted. "It could be a science or engineering concept. They could do a game about robotics, about energy independence." The point is to get them thinking about their respective topics, what resources they might employ to research them, and where they expect to find those resources. Obviously the Web will provide an important entree via search engines, but it's up to the students to do the legwork in order to understand which are the most useful sources, which ones might provide specialized information that can help elevate their knowledge, and which ones may be completely unreliable. The process teaches them the benefits and drawbacks of wikis, blogs, dedicated but possibly biased sites, and even academic research that may offer solid data and peer-reviewed methodology but may also be masking someone's personal agenda (e.g., a journal article written by a biology professor and nutrition expert with a grant from a major soft drink manufacturer). The students must pursue in-depth knowledge as they design their games, and the finished product must, in turn, educate the player.
Finally, there's the game development itself. Globaloria teaches the building blocks of game design, including the aforementioned preliminary research, creating a detailed, written project plan, and prototyping the elements, visuals, and operation of the game on paper. Once these steps are complete, all that's left is to create the actual computer game, which involves knowledge of Adobe Flash for creating interactive graphics, HTML, CSS, and other technologies. Students can enroll in Globaloria with any level of knowledge about Web programming and enhancement design, from none at all to years of experience publishing their own Web sites. Globaloria is designed to teach it all, quite often with the relative experts helping the novices get up to speed.
In this student-developed game, called Infinity Quest, players use their green auras of knowledge to destroy a robot who is apparently a loser, judging by the "L" decal on its forehead. Failure to answer any of the three multiple choice multiplication table questions (onesies) correctly in 10 tries results in a somewhat generous grade of F+, along with a clip from an instrumental rock track and an opportunity to retake the test. Developed by "he Serial Experimenters, Randolph Technical Center" [sic], it is possibly the best game ever written.
Getting Ahead of the Game(s)
Globaloria undoubtedly requires an adjustment from both students and teachers used to the conventional style of classroom teaching, which generally focuses on one particular subject and involves lectures, reading, homework, papers, tests, etc.
Denise Stalnaker, a business education and technology instructor at Randolph Technical Center, a vocational and technical high school in Elkins, WV, has been teaching Globaloria for three years. She acknowledged the differences in the course from traditional subject teaching, but, she said, the results she has seen indicate that, once everyone makes the adjustment, there's nothing but upside to the approach.
"It is not a lot of direct teaching. Direct teaching is a minor part of it, but encouraging, facilitating, and management are the skills we [primarily] use for this course," Stalnaker explained. "I also think it includes a wider range of skills; because students problem solve, they have to write, they learn to do research on a particular topic, they learn Flash, they learn coding, they practice presentation. There's a such a vast array of skills they learn."
Bill Dorsey has incorporated Globaloria into one of the biology classes he teaches at Capital High School in Charleston, WV. He said he recognized early on that the approach is not suited to all students. "At first, most of them were really reluctant. Many thought it was just more [work] they had to do. And obviously at the beginning of the program they're all novices at using Flash and ActionScript (a programming language for Flash), and they all want to refer back to Paint and PowerPoint. I was busy a lot, going around answering the same questions. I had some of the kids complaining, 'I don't want to do this. How do I get out of this class?'" He admitted it wasn't exactly the science class his students had signed up for. "I just picked this class to try it out."
But, Dorsey said, peer learning has its obvious advantages over having a room full of kids sitting for an hour trying to absorb facts and to keep their minds from wandering. "A number of those same kids, eventually I'd be asking, 'Can you help him or her? I'm kind of busy right now,' and they'd run over and show [another student] how to do something. It was a pretty quick turnaround." He said it brought out leadership skills in a number of them, and that as a direct result of the regular, productive interaction, they are demonstrating natural abilities in such important 21st century skills as collaboration and effective communication of concepts and content.
Stalnaker also said that her students find the diversity and in-class interaction refreshing. "There's always a few, if they don't know how to do something and they ask me and I say I don't know, they're frustrated. They're used to the teacher always having the answer available." However, she continued, "the majority of them, this is a natural environment to them. There is a lot of peer learning. And a lot of them feel comfortable, once we get started, with the teacher saying, 'I don't know how to do that.' So they'll think, 'She doesn't know how to do it, and we figured it out! This is pretty cool!' They like that."
Enough Talk! Let's Play!
Of course, while students receive the "where did that come from?" education and develop the incredible range of both traditional and 21st century skills, Globaloria wouldn't be the first heir to constructionism without a finished product for the students to show off.
At the end of each school year, the program has given its students the opportunity, through the WWW Web site, to offer their newly developed games for public consumption. And at the end of the 2009-2010 school year, for the first time, Globaloria West Virginia will hold a competition among its students to spotlight the best games developed in the program this year. Harel-Caperton said WWW has recruited a panel of judges, made up of educators, scientists, and professional game designers. "We're evaluating the whole game creation process, how it was created, the wikis and the interaction, all aspects of the game-making experience."
The end results of a year of Globaloria instruction are available for the education and entertainment of the game-playing public. Several examples of student-created educational and social issue games are accessible for online play at the game page located at MyGLife.org, the public Web site for all things Globaloria.
For now, the focus is primarily on schools serving economically and, as a consequence, technologically challenged communities. But Lowenstein was emphatic that there should be no lower or upper limits on the opportunity Globaloria offers schools to integrate people skills, technological skills, traditional academic subject matter, and the chance to have some fun. And even if it's just one state, or possibly just a few districts, at a time, Harel-Caperton said, she aims to spread her vision for a new education model to all 50 states and eventually, if it's not obvious from the name, to go global.


If anyone remembers I had mixed a few jars with different ratios of WVO and Diesel fuel. The clear glass jars have been sitting outside for a few months now. The temps have dropped here to about the mid 20's over the last 48 hours.
50% WVO/50% Diesel = Heavy clouding with some particulate matter on the bottom and possibly a VERY small amount of ice. A little bit of scum looking stuff floating at the top and definately less flow capacity.
25% WVO/75% Diesel = Clear as the day I poured it! No particulate or floaties.


text:
> State will not implement Western Wall deal
State will not implement Western Wall deal
The State told the Supreme Court Tuesday that it will not hold another debate on whether to implement Western Wall outline.
Tzvi Lev
כ"ח באלול תשע"ז 15:13 19.09.17
Supreme Court Woman Of The Wall Kotel Compromise Robinsons's Arch
Woman of the Wall Hadas Parush/Flash 90
The State informed the Supreme Court that it will not hold another debate on whether to implement the Western Wall outline, contending that the strong sensitivities the issue touches on justify the government's decision to freeze the plan.
The State also told the court that the decision to adopt the Western Wall plan was not legally binding, and the State was therefore not obligated to implement it.
The Supreme Court had demanded that the State provide a reason why it has not executed the decision to enlarge the egalitarian prayer plaza at the Western Wall as was agreed upon in 2016. In a hearing last week regarding an appeal by eight non-Orthodox organizations, Chief Justice Miriam Naor strongly criticized the government and recommended that the State rethink its decision to shelve the plan.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu told reporters that the decision to freeze the Western Wall plan was made after it became clear that the Reform Movement was attempting to use the plan for the holy site as a means for achieving de facto state recognition. Netanyahu pointed to a clause in the Western Wall outline plan which provides for logistical coordination with the Reform Movement, which he said could be construed as recognition – a violation of the status quo on religion and state.
Netanyahu stressed that the plan's provisions were not entirely canceled - Robinson's Arch will be renovated and expanded as scheduled. The government simply froze the part of the plan that would have given the Reform and Conservative movements control over the site, providing a legal precedent for these movements to claim government recognition in future appeals to the Supreme Court.
The Reform and Conservative movements, which combined represent only several thousand members in the State of Israel, less than 3% of the Jewish population, have long lobbied for state recognition and funding, as well as authority to perform state-recognized conversions and marriages in Israel. The mixed gender space set aside for those who wish to pray in that environment has sat largely empty since its construction four years ago, while the raucous Women of the Wall continue to provoke thousands of traditional worshipers and disrupt prayers in the separate gender main plaza each month.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


the initial MQL file is amazing. Here are some basic features: (i) You do not need programming skills (ii) Generate EAs for trading multiple Forex currencies in multiple timeframes. Get Started in Minutes! (vi) EA Closing (Sell) strategy field. Exe This is the link for the Forex Generator EA Builder website: » m (7) Fx EA Builder for MetaTrader-4 price: Free builder: Web-Based App experience: Beginners The Fx EA builder is a forex pvc resitance au poids simple software to create your own Expert Advisors. With every rule you add, you optimize your results in the past, but this will give you worst results in the our advice is - keep things simple. James P, vTS Trial User, mind Blown! The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you.
Now all we need is to copy the code and paste it in the MQL Editor, compile it and start using. Automating a trading system is difficult because it requires program skills which most of the traders don't have. It is so easy to correct my logic or change an input and try another. Can I register for free and upgrade later?
All your trades will be opened forex carrosserie with this volume number. Free MT4, MT5 Expert Advisor Builders. When to open short position? He following EA builders are offered for free / or provide a free-trial period and can be used for creating EAs on MetaTrader-4 and MetaTrader-5. Of course this opens a bigger ggggggggg. (iv) Take Profit Value: Set-up your take-profit value, usually x2 times the trading spread (as concerns most Forex brokers). Kind of freaked me out actually!


text:
A Democratic Governor for Life?
On the heels of the signing of Georgia's "heartbeat bill," lawmakers in Louisiana are now poised to pass their own legislation to prohibit abortions on unborn babies with detectable heartbeats. Last Thursday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards was publicly asked about the bill. Governor Edwards responded:
"In eight years in the legislature, I was a pro-life legislator, 100 percent with the Louisiana Right to Life. When I ran for governor, I said I was pro-life and so that's something that's consistent."
In recent weeks, pro-life Governors across the nation have been signing pro-life legislation at a record pace. Governor Edwards, however, is different from the other pro-life Governors because…Governor Edwards is a Democrat.
Within hours of his public statement, my newsfeeds were flooded with headlines—"Louisiana Governor breaks with Democrats on Abortion." But the headlines only tell part of the story. Most of the stories do not mention that:
The Sponsor of the bill is a Democrat.
Six of the Louisiana Senate's fourteen Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
The bill is expected to pass the Louisiana House with Democratic support.
As I was reviewing these facts, I was reminded of what took place during the recent Legislative Session here in New Mexico—when 14 Democrats in our State Legislature opposed the radical abortion bill, HB 51. Surely, the victories happening in legislatures throughout the country are encouraging. At the same time, I believe they represent a response to an even greater force at work—and that is, the power of culture.
For years, the radical, pro-abortion lobby has portrayed the life issue as a battle between Republicans and Democrats; between young people and older people; and between women and men. A recent poll, however, revealed that a majority of Americans now support laws that would ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected; that younger voters are more supportive of the laws than older voters; and that women do not differ significantly from men on the issue.
You see, this issue not a matter of Republican versus Democrat, young versus old, or even woman versus man. It is simply a matter of life versus death; and, thank the good Lord, life is winning in America!
It's time that life wins in New Mexico too, and soon, we will have our opportunity.
Vince Torres
President and Executive Director
P.S. I want to personally thank every one of you who took time to read, forward, and reply to last week's email – "Governor Lujan Grisham Sends a Message to Hollywood." I have never received so many responses and I am deeply grateful for all your words of support!


text:
Q: Why is android status bar notification icon not showing up? I can see the notification of my app when I pull down the status bar, but no icon is showing up.
By icon I mean the small white icons like the wifi icon. I have used Android Asset Studio to generate the icons I am using. This is the code:
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
        String chanel_id = "3000";
        CharSequence name = "Channel";
        String description = "Disc";
        int importance = NotificationManager.IMPORTANCE_HIGH;
        NotificationChannel mChannel = new NotificationChannel(chanel_id, name, importance);
        mChannel.setDescription(description);
        mChannel.enableLights(true);
        mChannel.setLightColor(Color.BLUE);
        notificationManager.createNotificationChannel(mChannel);
        Bitmap bitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeResource(gameActivity.getResources(), R.drawable.ic_kb);
        mBuilder = new Notification.Builder(gameActivity, chanel_id)
                .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_kb)
                .setLargeIcon(bitmap)
                .setContentTitle(title)
                .setContentText(text);
    }

A: Have you called notificationManager.notify(chanel_id, mBuilder.build());?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package org.apache.jena.sparql.core.assembler;

import org.apache.jena.assembler.Assembler ;
import org.apache.jena.assembler.ConstAssembler ;
import org.apache.jena.assembler.JA ;
import org.apache.jena.assembler.assemblers.AssemblerGroup ;
import org.apache.jena.query.* ;
import org.apache.jena.rdf.model.Model ;
import org.apache.jena.rdf.model.Resource ;
import org.apache.jena.rdf.model.ResourceFactory ;
import org.apache.jena.riot.RDFDataMgr ;
import org.apache.jena.shared.PrefixMapping ;
import org.apache.jena.sparql.ARQException ;
import org.apache.jena.sparql.util.Context ;
import org.apache.jena.sparql.util.MappingRegistry ;
import org.apache.jena.sparql.util.Symbol ;
import org.apache.jena.sparql.util.TypeNotUniqueException ;
import org.apache.jena.sparql.util.graph.GraphUtils ;
import org.apache.jena.system.JenaSystem ;

public class AssemblerUtils
{
    // Wrappers for reading things form a file - assumes one of the thing per file.
    public static PrefixMapping readPrefixMapping(String file)
    {
        PrefixMapping pm = (PrefixMapping)AssemblerUtils.build(file, JA.PrefixMapping) ;
        return pm ;
    }

    private static boolean initialized = false ;

    static { JenaSystem.init() ; }

    static public void init()
    {
        if ( initialized )
            return ;
        initialized = true ;
        // Wire in the extension assemblers (extensions relative to the Jena assembler framework)
        // Do NOT use Assembler.gemneral here (may not be initialized).
        registerWith(ConstAssembler.general()) ;
    }

    static public void registerWith(AssemblerGroup g)
    {
        // Wire in the extension assemblers (extensions relative to the Jena assembler framework)
        g.implementWith(DatasetAssembler.getType(), new DatasetAssembler()) ;
        g.implementWith(DatasetNullAssembler.getType(), new DatasetNullAssembler()) ;
    }

    private static void assemblerClass(AssemblerGroup g, Resource r, Assembler a)
    {
        g.implementWith(r, a) ;
    }

    public static Object build(String assemblerFile, String typeURI)
    {
        Resource type = ResourceFactory.createResource(typeURI) ;
        return build(assemblerFile, type) ;
    }

    public static Object build(String assemblerFile, Resource type)
    {
        if ( assemblerFile == null )
            throw new ARQException("No assembler file") ;
        Model spec = null ;
        try {
            spec = RDFDataMgr.loadModel(assemblerFile) ;
        } catch (Exception ex)
        { throw new ARQException("Failed reading assembler description: "+ex.getMessage()) ; }

        Resource root = null ;
        try {
            root = GraphUtils.findRootByType(spec, type) ;
            if ( root == null )
                return null ;

        } catch (TypeNotUniqueException ex)
        { throw new ARQException("Multiple types for: "+DatasetAssemblerVocab.tDataset) ; }
        return Assembler.general.open(root) ;
    }

    /** Look for and set context declarations.
     * e.g.
     * <pre>
     * root ... ;
     *   ja:context [ ja:cxtName "arq:queryTimeout" ;  ja:cxtValue "10000" ] ;
     *   ...
     * </pre>
     * Short name forms of context parameters can be used.
     * Setting as string "undef" will remove the context setting.
     */
    public static void setContext(Resource r, Context context)
    {
        String qs = "PREFIX ja: <"+JA.getURI()+">\nSELECT * { ?x ja:context [ ja:cxtName ?name ; ja:cxtValue ?value ] }" ;
        QuerySolutionMap qsm = new QuerySolutionMap() ;
        qsm.add("x", r) ;
        QueryExecution qExec = QueryExecutionFactory.create(qs, r.getModel(), qsm) ;
        ResultSet rs = qExec.execSelect() ;
        while ( rs.hasNext() )
        {
            QuerySolution soln = rs.next() ;
            String name = soln.getLiteral("name").getLexicalForm() ;
            String value = soln.getLiteral("value").getLexicalForm() ;  // Works for numbers as well!
            name = MappingRegistry.mapPrefixName(name) ;
            Symbol symbol = Symbol.create(name) ;
            if ( "undef".equalsIgnoreCase(value) )
                context.remove(symbol) ;
            else
                context.set(symbol, value) ;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Quiltshopgal, over here.... http://quiltshopgal.com/2015-free-motion-quilting-challenge-february/ is doing another challenge this year, and this is our second month. We had options...I chose #1, which was to use the railroad tracks by Leah Day in the 2012 challenge.
Quiltshopgal also prompted a four leaf clover since St. Patrick's Day is coming up....so, I combined those in my pillow. My pillow is a funky version, which was suppose to resemble the way photos can be distorted....I've only seen it on Facebook, don't actually know how to do it. My grandson does it to my pics once in awhile!!' Lol.
You will see that I didn't do any dense quilting behind the clover as I wanted to focus on that funkiness!!!!!! I used a silky material with Glide thread top and bottom. It went well, but I found the fabric really slippery to hold on to.
check out some of the others At the link above....there are some who put extreme work into their pillows.
Very cute. Lovely quilting. And that purple is gorgeous.
Your purple satin shamrock is very pretty!
Don't you just love Glide? It is my most favourite thread for quilting! Hope you didn't get buried in our latest snowfall!! Cute pillow - funky is great!
Marjorie, that is a funky pillow. lol but it does remind me of the distorted photos. Glide thread is my go to thread for quilting. I won't hardly use anything else anymore.
Those challenges are so interesting. I do like that purple.
Interesting quilt design , great job Marjorie !
Beautiful work Marjorie and what neat fabric!


The Gospel writer, St. Mark, is symbolized by a winged lion. He traveled with Peter being a translator and writing down his sermons. This became the core information for his Gospel. The Church of Alexandria was founded by him along with establishing Christianity in Africa. St. Patrick's Guild offers a St. Mark necklace or a St. Mark statue as meaningful gifts for the celebration of a Confirmation, Communion or other holidays and special occasions. The St. Mark medal can be engraved if you want to make your gift extra special for the recipient for only $9.95. This service includes up to 3 lines of engraving with up to 10 characters on each line (including spaces and punctuation).
As one of the 4 Gospel writers, a St. Mark statue or St. Mark medal inspires people of any age to glean the teachings from his writings to live in daily life. The story of St. Mark is included with the boxed gift statue that includes a holy card. A St. Mark necklace is a piece of jewelry that keeps the Christian heart brave and faithful as we move through each day, too. St. Patrick's Guild has a variety of gifts for many saints so shop our full selection today.


text:
The future of our neighborhoods
by Catherine Stefani
San Francisco is an amazing city, and I love it. Nowhere in the world can match the character of our neighborhoods, beautiful open spaces, and cultural diversity. For almost two decades, I have been a dedicated member of our community. I am raising my family here, have been an active member of the Cow Hollow Neighborhood Association, and served the community working as a legislative aide to the past two District 2 supervisors. This month, I would like to take some time to reflect upon my last nine months as supervisor and why I am hopeful for the future of San Francisco.
Like you, I have felt the massive changes San Francisco has experienced in the last few years due in part to one of the worst recessions in our nation's history followed by a growing economy, along with a nationwide opioid epidemic. The city faces many pressing challenges: a property crime epidemic, a homelessness crisis, a rising cost of living, and lack of street cleanliness, just to name a few. These are making it hard for people to stay in San Francisco and raise families here.
I will always remember walking down the street with my daughter and feeling heartbroken after she asked me why a man was living on the street and no one was taking care of him. Unfortunately, this experience is commonplace on our streets today, but it doesn't have to be. That's why my work at City Hall is focused on changes to help my family and yours stay in San Francisco.
As your supervisor, I have been able to take the first steps to address these problems. Public safety is one of my top priorities. We need more officers on our streets, and that is why I advocated for and secured 250 additional officers in this year's budget. SFPD officers and command staff cannot solve the property crime epidemic in our city without additional resources. I have worked relentlessly with our police captains to increase police presence on our streets and target hot spots, and car break-ins are down 20 percent versus last year. I also recently held hearings on safety in our neighborhoods and on public transportation, like Muni and BART. Regardless of the time of day, residents should feel confident they can safely walk through our neighborhoods and ride our buses. The progress I have made is only a start; we still have more work to do.
The city needs to do a better job keeping our streets clean. I advocated for additional investments in street cleaning services, including four staff dedicated to keeping District 2's busiest corridors clean — such as Union, Chestnut, Lombard, and Fillmore Streets. As part of this investment, I also requested an analysis of street-cleaning services to ensure we are effectively using current funds. Our city needs extra resources to deal with our dirty streets right now. However, we will not fully solve the street cleanliness problem without getting to the root causes of the problem, the thousands of struggling people living on our streets.
The greatest challenge San Francisco faces today is helping the thousands of homeless people, many of whom suffer from severe mental health and substance abuse problems, living on our streets and in shelters. San Francisco has had thousands of homeless for decades, but the problem feels significantly worse in the past couple years.
We need to get homeless people off the streets and into shelter faster. I look forward to working with Mayor Breed to create 1,000 new shelter beds and completing the 1,300 supportive housing units already in the pipeline. The people we see suffering on our streets also need help treating mental health and addiction as well. This is why I requested an audit of funding to nonprofits providing homeless services, am examining the coordination of services for these people between city departments, and will work with Mayor Breed to expand the use of conservatorship. We cannot allow people to enter a hospital only to end up back on the street hours later, and I am determined to ensure people suffering from mental health and substance abuse problems receive sufficient acute medical care before being released from the hospital.
In the past nine months, many people have come to me saying, "I love San Francisco, but I just don't know anymore. I'm considering moving." This has to and will change. I have and will continue to push for public safety, accountability, and progress. After serving as chief of staff to supervisors Farrell and Alioto-Pier, fighting for commonsense gun reform with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and advocating for my neighborhood, I know the effort and dedication needed to make substantive progress on challenging issues. I will continue to fight for the reforms needed to make our city safer and more beautiful. I do not know how to quit and will not until San Francisco is the amazing city we know it can be.
Send The future of our neighborhoods to a friend
More Supervisor's Report »
The fight for public safety funding
Gratitude for mutual aid
Vote for recovery and reforms
The future of families
Emerging from the crisis
The city responds to coronavirus
Five propositions that will improve the city
District 3 year in review
Election rundown: What's on your ballot and why?


text:
Thursday May 19th
Stock futures decline again with the S&P 500 on the brink of a bear market
U.S. stock index futures were under pressure again on Thursday with the S&P 500 on the brink of a bear market. Investors continued to dump equities on fears Federal Reserve rate hikes to fight rapid inflation would tip the economy into a recession. S&P 500 futures dropped 1.1% a day after the benchmark closed at 3,923.68, or 18.6% below its intraday record reached in January. It also sits around 18% below its record closing level. A close of 20% or more below its all-time high would mark a bear market, its first since the March 2020 pandemic sell-off. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial average fell 348 points, or 1.1% a day after it experienced the biggest one-day drop since 2020. Nasdaq 100 futures slipped 0.9%. "It's a gloomy morning as stocks tumble pretty much everywhere on the planet. The Walmart/Target blow-ups cast an extremely negative pale over the tape, kicking over the modest stability witnessed in markets Thurs-Tues," wrote Adam Crisafulli of Vital Knowledge. On Wednesday, the Dow fell more than 1,100 points, marking its worst sell-off in nearly two years. The S&P 500 also suffered its worst one-day decline since June 2020, losing about 4%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 4.7%. Those losses were driven in part by back-to-back quarterly reports from Target and Walmart that showed higher fuel costs and restrained consumer demand hurting results amid the hottest inflation in decades. Even after a 24% drop on Wednesday, Target shares were lower again in premarket trading. "The sharp sell-off in these companies (as well as other goods/consumer companies this quarter) shows that inflationary pressures are finally having an impact on earnings," Barclays analyst Maneesh S. Deshpande said in a Thursday note. "Despite heightened inflation for a better part of a year, SPX margins and forward earnings have remained resilient, which no longer seems to be the case." Cisco was the latest major company to plunge on results with the tech bellwether down 11% in premarket trading Thursday. Cisco said after the bell Wednesday that quarterly revenue fell short of analysts expectations and it warned revenue would disappoint in the current quarter. Shares of Kohl's dropped 7% in premarket trading Thursday after the retailer posted a big earnings miss and cut its profit and sales outlook, citing inflationary consumer pressures. Stocks have been under pressure all year starting with highly-valued tech stocks with little profits. But the sell-off has since spread to more sectors or the economy, including banks and retail, as growing fears of a recession spooked investors. "The issue now is there really appears to be nowhere to hide," wrote Jonathan Krinsky, a chart analyst with BTIG. On Wednesday, "they came for consumer names, but they still sold beaten down growth. In other words, money is rotating into cash instead of between different sectors." "While it won't be a straight line, [this] is confirmation that selling rallies in bear markets is much easier than buying dips," Krinsky said. Investors remained concerned that aggressive action by the central bank to tamp down inflation would spark a steeper downturn. During a Wall Street Journal Conference on Monday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated his comments that "there won't be any hesitation" to bring down inflation. Several Wall Street strategists issued some dire forecasts for stocks should the Fed's rate increases tip the economy into a recession. GDP in the first quarter decreased at a 1.4% rate and strategists fear a deeper downturn is ahead. Meanwhile, U.S. weekly jobless claims rose to 218,000 in the week ending May 14, according to the Labor Department on Thursday. Deutsche Bank cut its official target for the S&P 500 overnight but said a recession would bring even bigger losses. "In the event we slide into a recession imminently, we see the market selloff going well beyond average, i.e., into the upper half of the historical range and given elevated initial overvaluation, -35% to -40% or S&P 500 3000," wrote Binky Chadha, Deutsche Bank's chief global strategist in a note. The Dow has declined for seven straight weeks and is down 13% this year. The Nasdaq is down 27% in 2022. Most Asia-Pacific markets fell sharply in Thursday trade after heavy losses on Wall Street overnight. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was among the biggest losers regionally, falling 2.54% to close at 20,120.68. The Hang Seng Tech index slipped 3.98% to 4,090.72. The Nikkei 225 in Japan fell 1.89% to close at 26,402.84 while the Topix index shed 1.31% to 1,860.08. South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.28%. Mainland Chinese stocks bucked the overall trend regionally as they closed higher, with the Shanghai Composite climbing 0.36% to 3,096.96 while the Shenzhen Component gained 0.375% to 11,250.06. Oil prices fell on Thursday, following earlier gains, on concerns that high fuel prices could hurt economic growth, but planned easing of restrictions in Shanghai and a tight supply outlook capped losses. Brent crude futures for July were down 0.77% at $108.27. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for June fell 1.3% to $108.15. Front-month prices for both benchmarks fell about 2.5% on Wednesday. Gold prices bounced back on Thursday as a drop in U.S. dollar and Treasury yields coupled with a slide in risk assets rekindled demand for the safe-haven bullion amid worries about global growth. Spot gold jumped 0.9% to $1,830.99 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures rose 0.8% to $1,829.80.


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Homebase's new mobile commerce app reviewed
Homebase has just launched a new smartphone app that aims to bolster its multichannel offering.
The home and garden retailer launched a click-and-collect app way back in 2010, but this new version offers a more comprehensive range of features.
February 9th 2015 12:18
How Hyatt uses mobile to improve the customer experience
This time last year, our own Ben Davis reviewed Hyatt's multichannel web presence taking in everything from its desktop site, social channels and mobile apps.
Ben found its digital presence didn't really mark the luxury hotel chain out from its competitors, but instead provided reliable, easy-to-use functionality, nothing more and nothing less.
Hyatt has just announced the launch of revamped mobile app and mobile site with many new features, so now seems like the perfect opportunity to revisit the brand's small screen concerns.
November 4th 2014 15:16
Blog Content management
The Body Shop's iPhone app: a decent UX, but several flaws to fix
Here at Econsultancy we've written a lot about how multichannel retailers can use mobile apps to enhance the customer experience.
For example on Friday I reviewed House of Fraser's new Android app, and I've previously reviewed B&Q's mobile loyalty scheme.
Today I thought I'd point the spotlight on Body Shop, which updated its iPhone app in August but has yet to launch an Android version.
The app is marketed in-store and offers several multichannel tools, such as a store locator and barcode scanner.
So I borrowed my colleague's iPhone and took Body Shop's app for a spin…
14 cracking UX features of online supermarkets
Picking which online supermarket you prefer to park your trolley in can be based on little more than which supermarket you regularly visit in the real world.
It's the one you're used to, the one you've got a loyalty card with, it's also probably the one that's closest to your home.
We sometimes forget that we needn't be beholden to such boundaries when we're shopping online for groceries. We have the whole of the nation's biggest food retailers to choose from and each has their own particular conveniences.
You're decision on which ecommerce store to shop with may purely come down to which offers the cheapest products, reasonable delivery charges and the availability of a convenient delivery window.
However if all these things are moot, it may also come down to which offers the best user experience.
This post is not meant to definitively suggest which supermarket out of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Waitrose or Morrisons is the best, it's just meant to highlight various UX features and tools that make for a great customer experience, features that other ecommerce site designers could learn from.
August 18th 2014 14:09
Loyalty schemes: 31% of Australian consumers want an app as well as a card
Retailer loyalty programs are nothing new, however mobile technologies have changed consumer expectations of how and when they should be able to access their account information.
Loyalty schemes still largely work off plastic cards but there's huge potential for allowing customers to manage and redeem their points using a smartphone app.
The benefits of loyalty apps are clear, as it allows customers to more easily manage their points and means that retailers can target people with offers and discounts.
And a new survey shows that retailers should certainly be thinking about moving in this direction, as a third (31%) of Australian loyalty scheme members want both a card and a mobile app.
20 stunning examples of minimal mobile UI design
Some of the best web and mobile app designs have a very limited colour range. Two or three colours can be more than enough, and I find that a restrained approach to colour works especially well on de-cluttered interfaces.
The use of colour in design is a bit like great music, where balance, contrast, restraint and dissonance all come into play. I picked out monochrome and hypercolour as two of my 18 web design trends for 2014, but perhaps trichromatic design is where it's really at?
Blog Content marketing
17 reasons for New Look's 79% leap in online sales, and eight areas for improvement
Last week New Look announced a 79% increase in online sales in the three months leading up to June.
Ecommerce currently accounts for 10% of New Look's overall revenue, but that figure could well increase if online sales continue to show such strong growth.
The increase in online sales is attributed to a number of factors, including a revamped website, upgrades to its iPhone app and an expanded click-and-collect service.
Such a massive boost in sales is obviously worth investigating, so here's a roundup of some of the factors that New Look gets right on its desktop and mobile platforms. And I've also flagged up a few areas that could potentially be improved on.
Argos adds digital layer to its print catalogue with AR
Last week I wrote an article that asked whether Argos is doing enough to integrate digital technologies into its print catalogue.
The retailer has a number of QR codes dotted throughout the magazine as well as ads for its click-and-collect service, but I felt that it could do more to embed extra content within its pages.
As it turns out, Argos has actually been trialling an interactive catalogue in the north east of England that uses Blippar's augmented reality technology.
Argos was nice enough to send me a copy of its special edition, so here's a look at how the technology works…
Mobile is almost as popular as desktop for travel research: report
When researching their next holiday or business trip consumers are just as likely to turn to their mobile device as they are to use a laptop, according to new research from JiWire.
However laptops are still by far the most popular device when it comes to actually making a purchase.
The new report into mobile's role in the travel industry shows that 56% of consumers use their laptop to research travel options, compared to 49% on tablet and 48% on smartphone.
This underlines the fact that travel agents and hotels need to have a mobile optimised site or app to cater for changing consumer behaviours.
May 22nd 2013 11:37
Apps, HTML5 and m-commerce among key mobile challenges facing businesses: report
The consumer shift to using mobile devices has been one of the most important trends for businesses to get to grips with in recent years and it proved to be a popular topic at Econsultancy's Digital Cream London event.
The key themes and findings from the roundtable discussions have been published today in our free-to-access Mobile Experience Trends Briefing, sponsored by IBM Tealeaf.
Alongside details of the trends that emerged from the event, the briefing includes best practice tips, case studies and market data.
A separate report highlighted the scale of the challenge facing businesses, as despite the massive growth in mobile traffic almost half (45%) of companies still don't have a mobile-optimised site or app.
Premier Inn's simple iPad app is a useful tool for business travellers
Premier Inn recently unveiled a new iPad app alongside a revamped iPhone version as it seeks to increase mobile sales and repeat bookings.
The hotel chain took more than 100,000 bookings through its iPhone app in 2012 and the updated version has already seen average daily sales conversions increase from 3% to 5.9%.
Designed by Grapple, the new apps feature improved navigation, redesigned booking function, Trip Advisor ratings, the ability to add extras such as breakfast, and a simplified process for booking repeat stays.
The iPhone app has been downloaded more than two million times since it was first launched in January 2011, so to find out what the fuss is about I tried out the new iPad version…
H&M's slick app is undermined by poor checkout UX
H&M first launched its mobile app way back in 2010, however up until January this year you couldn't actually use it to make a purchase.
Most major retail apps are transactional these days so it's surprising that H&M has taken this long to make the upgrade, particularly as research shows that a majority of consumers expect to be able to make purchases using retail apps.
Now it just so happens that I'm on the look out for new some jeans, so I thought it was the perfect chance to see how easy it is to buy something using H&M's Android app…


A fussy eater decides to sample the carrots after her brother convinces her that they are really orange twiglets from Jupiter.
The author is Lauren Child and it is published by Candlewick. This kids book went on sale on the 28th of August, 2000. The kids book is concerning Food habits and it is deemed smart fiction. If you are inside the library you can in all probability look it up using the classification code, PZ7.C4383 Iax 2000. This is the 1st U.S. ed. of the kids book is 32 pages long and it provides black and white drawings.
The creator of the acclaimed CLARICE BEAN, THAT'S ME cooks up a droll and ingenious treat for picky eaters and the men and girls who love them. Or will she? There are many, many things Lola absolutely will not eat, including— and especially— tomatoes. She won't eat her mashed potatoes (until Charlie explains they are cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji ). Join two endearing siblings for a smorgasbord of fun in Lauren Child's witty story concerning the triumph of imagination over proclivity. A VERY fussy eater. Lola can be a fussy eater. She won't eat her carrots (until big brother Charlie reveals that they are truly orange twiglets from Jupiter ).
Lola could possibly be a actually fussy eater."Not convinced, Lola's older sister Charlie has an concept. She tells Lola that the orange things on the table are not carrots, but"orange twiglets from Jupiter"and peas are in fact"green drops from Greenland."One day, after rattling off her long list of despised foods, she ends with the vehement pronouncement,"And I absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato. And in the end, might she even eat a tomato?"Mashed potatoes, when pitched as"cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji"suddenly seem appealing to Lola. Carrots are for rabbits and peas are"too tiny and too green.
Lauren Child's wacky, expressive sketches of Lola and Charlie (a lot like those in Clarice Bean, That's Me) are cut out and superimposed on all sorts of textures and patterns from wallpaper to wood. Fuzzy, enlarged photographs of bowls of peas, or fish sticks, or big carrots are pasted suitable on top to great impact. The author's dedication?"With love from Lauren / who is keen on Marmite / but would rather not eat a raisin."(Ages 3 to 8) --Karin Snelson This funny, endearing appear at how children's tastes may be based much more on preconception than taste buds is sure to infuse levity into the daily dinner-table struggle.
Dimensions: Height: 11.26" Length: 0.4" Depth: 10.24"
Package Dim.: Height: 0.41" Length: 11.13" Depth: 10.17"


I envy the trees. Their mindful growth. No worry of the future, no regret of the past. Only reach. Grow. Endure winter. Expect spring.
I envy the flowers. Bloom authentically. Attract bees. And butterflies. And buggy bugs. Smell delicious. Scatter seeds.
I envy the path. Cares not where its going; nor where its been. Not burdened by guests; insects, mammals, humans. Not lonely with the lack thereof. Here for those who seek.
I envy the sky. Stormy anger. Bitter rain. Peaceful blue. Quietly watches. Patiently listens. Trustworthy secret-keeper.
I envy the soil. Cool, earthy, deep. Receives the trees, the flowers, the path. Consumes the sky. Provides.
"Not lonely for the lack there of, here for those who seek." – Everyone should be reminded of that in this age of validation.
I love this poem, Jean. I don't know if I envy trees though. They might get those ash borers or some other kinds of bugs, they might get cut down for wood or burned in a fire – and all they can do is stand there…….. I guess it's best to choose to look at the positive outcome.
Haha! Well I suppose that's true. I think on my state of mind it just seemed like the trees had it better — not rushing about or worrying about everything. The grass is always greener.
Loved this, Jean. I too envy the trees, flowers etc. They survive and thrive even in the worst situations, but not only that they are social. When you think of all the species that live in and on the tree it reminds me that they are not only strong and resilient but interdependent with the rest of the world while we are losing those connections more each day.
So beautifully written, I can absolutely relate… Nature being my passion.
They are solid reliable and an amazing piece of art in its own right.


Aging is the quintessential interdisciplinary issue, cutting across basic sciences, clinical/translational and health services research – invigorating and bridging research across the campus, across colleges, across the state. Remarkably, the aging process itself – what actually happens on the biochemical, genetic, cellular, and physiologic levels remains largely unknown. Differentiating "normal" aging changes in these processes from signs of potential disease are fundamental to our understanding of healthy aging and resilience. Our center is uniquely positioned and has actively initiated programs to address these critical issues.


Thank you! I'll try to fix those issues with TJ2 before the official release and thank you for the support and testing.
Hello, start the game --> open options window --> under video options switch OFF "Outlines" and "Bloom".
The freezing happens with some ati cards and this two filters switched on.
"Behind the scene" TJ2 is quite different than TJ1. I still need to fix and clear some bugs here and there.
Btw...right now ,Tomato Jones 1 is on Sale on Steam!
Hurry up! It is until tomorrow.
Ok, If you wish to continue...edit the .bat file(it is only one line) by changing "lvl_1.blend" to "lvl_2.blend"
Also I've re-uploaded the Demo with a fix that may work. You may download the new demo file and try with it.
This is a known error with a few ATI card models. Locate launcher.bat in the 'system' folder and start it.
Sometimes driver update or degrade resolves it. Currently I'm looking for a complete solution.
Tomato Jones 2 is a sequel of its greatly fun predecessor - "Tomato Jones" already available on itch.io and Steam.
I'll need an e-mail or some other contact to send you the download link.
Thank you for your video, it's great!
Btw, I post your review on some other forums,so probably expect a peak on your views.
The itch.io version of Tomato Jones is just the demo(only 6 levels).
The game is already greenlit on Steam, so I'm gonna release it in a couple of weeks.


Row of raw and Watermelon Tourmaline beads have been carefully selected and strung to create this captivating watercolour, ombre effect necklace. Greens to pinks then ending in beautiful teal blues. No black or browns! Stones set seamlessly in the centre of a 14K Gold Filled chain. Also available in Sterling Silver and Rose Gold Filled. Great gift for October Birthdays! Comes with a crystal information card in a beautiful Abiza gift box.
•Raw Watermelon Tourmaline beads are 4 to 6mm approx.
•Each necklace is unique with natural raw stones but we pre-string them to make sure they're as same as possible to the original one shown. Please see the 4th image.
Very delicate and dainty with a lovely spectrum of colour from dark blue, through pinks to green. Thank you.
Beautiful necklace - love it. It arrived safely packaged and included care instructions. Recommend this seller and her shop.
Es precioso!! Me gusta muchísimo como queda en el cuello. Un saludo, Julia.


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Charlotte Green
Imelda Staunton and Robert Sean Leonard on the Culture Club
In Classic FM's weekly cultural highlights show, Charlotte meets the American actor Robert Sean Leonard and the star of Gypsy, Imelda Staunton.
Click here to download and subscribe to the Charlotte Green's Culture Club podcast >
Among Charlotte's guests on today's Culture Club is Robert Sean Leonard, best known for his performance as Dr. James Wilson in the television series House, M.D. and as Neil Perry in the Academy Award-winning film Dead Poets Society. Leonard won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in The Invention of Love in 2001.
He is currently in the U.K. to reprise his role as the lawyer Atticus Finch in the stage adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, which is being staged at London's Barbican Theatre.
Charlotte also chats with one of Britain's finest stage and screen actresses, Imelda Staunton about her current role in the West End production Gypsy, her varied film roles and her classical music passions.
listen to 'Imelda Staunton and Robert Sean Leonard on the Culture Club' on audioBoom


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Poor patient outcomes and misdiagnosis
Published by admin2 at November 24, 2018
A previously healthy 35-year-old lawyer presents to a primary care office with a chief complaint of chest pain and a non-productive cough. The pain started suddenly 2 hours prior to coming to the office while the patient was sitting at his desk. The patient describes the pain as sharp in nature, constantly present but made worse with inspiration and movement, and with radiation to the base of the neck. His blood pressure in the right arm and other vital signs are normal.
On physical examination the only findings of note are chest wall tenderness and a faint cardiac murmur. The ECG in the office is normal. The patient is observed for an hour in the office and assessed. He is diagnosed with viral pleurisy and sent home on non-steroidal analgesics.
The following day the patient collapses at home and cannot be resuscitated by the paramedic service. An autopsy reveals a Type 1 aortic dissection with pericardial tamponade.
Written Assignment:
Developing a list of possible conditions that might produce a patient's symptoms and signs is an important part of clinical reasoning.
1As an NP in primary care what would you have done differently?
Discuss the importance of creating a list of differentials for this patient. How could it have changed this outcome?
If a serious diagnosis comes to mind based on a patient's symptoms:
Ask yourself; Have you considered the likelihood of it and whether it needs to be ruled out by testing or referral?
Because many serious disorders are challenging to diagnose, have you considered ruling out the worst case scenario?
Ask yourself: Do you have sufficient understanding of the clinical presentation to offer an opinion on the diagnosis?
What other diagnosis could it be? How might the treatment to date have altered the patient outcome?
What other diagnostic and laboratory or imaging was needed in order to make a complete differential list? What support tools would you consider using in helping to create a differential diagnosis list?
Are you familiar with the current clinical practice guidelines for the investigation of a suspected condition such as chest pain?
The contextual investigation analyzes the arrangement of settlement and different administrations for the voyaging network in the Belfast region over a multi year day and age. Amid this time a wide range of offices, including the Department of the Environment (DoE), the Belfast City Council (BCC), the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) and various intentional segment associations, were engaged with endeavoring to give administrations to the voyagers. This article will look at how much the voyagers took an interest in determining their requirements and in planning arrangements to address them, and relate such meeting to various ideas of support made reference to by Cornwall (2003). The finishing up section will assess the achievement, or something else, of such interest in conveying a feeling of strengthening and independence to the voyaging network. Despite the fact that network improvement has been a methodology of both statutory and intentional areas in Northern Ireland (NI) for some years[1], until moderately as of late it doesn't appear to have been connected to the voyaging network. This procedure works at a network level, through local gatherings and the arrangement of nearby network improvement laborers who "connect with the network to distinguish needs, raise issues, and create programs … to address those needs".[2] Although this system was no uncertainty intentionally connected to the settled network, there is little proof of it being utilized before 1992 with the voyaging network. For instance, the underlying issues for giving settlement to the voyagers included the arrangement of campgrounds. At the Colin Glen site there were issues of congestion, aggravated by the migration to the site of families irrelevant to those as of now there, which caused strife between the gatherings. A contributing component to this disintegration was the absence of meeting with the explorers previously moving extra families to the site. The whole site was in the end abandoned[3]. At first the BCC given destinations, yet these were frequently ineffectively overhauled and were worked without appropriate counsel. Obligation regarding giving convenience to voyagers was later moved to the NIHE, and explorers were counseled about which families would be housed in gathering lodging, created using lodging associations.[4] However, they were not dynamic in the running of the lodging associations.[5] A report from 1980 titled Services for Traveling People in NI, issued by the Coordinating Committee for Social Problems, expressed that the different deliberate segment offices required with the voyaging network felt that they had powerful approaches, despite the fact that there had been no meeting with travellers.[6] More reassuringly, the Belfast Travelers Site Project (BTSP) was set up in 1985 with a board of trustees comprising of half voyagers and half settled individuals. Its points were to enhance destinations in Belfast and to have a contribution to arrangements with respect to voyagers in general.[7] In 1992 BTSP started various network based exercises, and one of their most essential activities was that explorers were utilized to fill in as network laborers in their very own networks. This activity appears to fall inside Cornwall's depiction of "welcomed participation".[8] Amongst the achievements of the network improvement approach, the board of trustees felt it had added to "an expansion in the explorers' feeling of worth and the estimation of their specific culture".[9] The state additionally had its influence in attempting to make a domain in which nationals could give contribution about issues influencing them. More consideration was given to a rights-based way to deal with advancement, and in 1998 the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission was set up, which gave the voyagers a chance to make official complaints.[10] This reverberates with what the examination manage needs to say in regards to the "idea of citizenship" [11] and also with Cornwall's idea of a "mindful citizenry"[12] Likely the most imperative enhancement in the conceivable outcomes for cooperation originated from the making of A Munia Tober ((The Good Road) in 2005, from an amalgamation of various littler local gatherings. Their goals are "to give administrations and go about as a backer for voyagers, and in addition offering open doors for explorers to be associated with their very own advancement" [13] All in all, the willful division has been predictable in attempting to urge the explorers to partake in basic leadership and to take part in the administration of ventures, and a few offices have included delegates from voyagers. In any case, explorers still feel that there is lacking counsel. Those that do partake frequently feel that their perspectives are not given due weight. Therefore, bunches that work with voyagers keep on advancing their dynamic interest, and endeavor to assist them with obtaining the aptitudes they have to contribute successfully. A proposed "All Ireland ponder on Travelers", due to have begun in 2007, expected to prepare explorers as specialists. The aim was not exclusively to show new aptitudes, yet in addition to give expanded proprietorship, enhance certainty, and subsequently decrease any restraints against commandingly contending their case. [14] The achievement or disappointment of the different intercessions in getting investment from the voyaging network, and in this manner saturating them with a feeling of strengthening and confidence, is hard to pass judgment. Unquestionably, the disappointments to get information and investment brought about eminent calamities, for example, at Colin Glen. The Traveler Movement (NI) presumed that there had been "an arrangement disappointment of stunning extents" in the treatment of voyagers in general.[15] However, the achievement of the NIHE in obliging over half of the explorers in gathering lodging, counseling with them about which families to house together, shows that a participative methodology can create great outcomes. The strategies of the BTSP in utilizing explorers as network specialists, and in including more prominent quantities of voyagers in instructive and wellbeing related exercises, have added to an enhancement in their feeling of worth. On equalization, both the negative outcomes of non-support, and the positive outcomes from consultative methodologies, will in general demonstrate that cooperation contributes to a feeling of strengthening and confidence.>
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Layton's New Job
Jack Layton has always had a fighting spirit, and he must be so happy that Harper has a majority. This may sound insane, but Harper having a majority actually does benefit him. Since Harper has a majority, he can bark at him and never risk toppling the government. In this case, smooth sailing for him to boost his image. All he needs to do is reject everything Harper does he will look golden by October 19, 2015.
Try being the official opposition leader in a minority government. It isn't easy. While Layton pinned the Liberals as weak for going along with what Harper said and did, it is obvious that it was strategic. Unless Canadians wanted a near election call every few days, the Liberals had no choice but to abstain or throw in the towel. The NDP and Bloc Quebecois placed themselves in a position where they would always oppose the government. It can be guaranteed that if Layton had been the official opposition leader last time, he would have been forced to support the Harper Government every step of the way as the Liberals would have used the non-official opposition status to tender to the same advantages that Layton had – corner the official opposition into choosing between an election and stable, yet majority-like government.
Canadians can expect a loud, but silenced, opposition. As Harper has a majority, listening to Layton and taking his advice is at his discretion. In other words, expect the paraphrase "Canadians elected us to do X and this is the platform that Canadians voted for, therefore we will not back out of our plans" to become a regular statement from the Conservatives.
Today, Layton addressed his troops, promising to hold Harper to account. Today, Layton wants to pin Harper as uncompromising and against Canadians needs, another strategic move as the Conservatives will clear the way for their agenda. With a majority government under their reigns, Canadians will see and feel the power that the Conservatives have to shrug off opposition attacks and carry on with motions – this time, they don't need to assign a confidence motion to almost every single one.
Layton may have tripled his seat count, but he lost his voice in parliament in the process. An ironic twist of events, but one that Layton will try to capitalize on. It is easy being the opposition leader in a majority government since your voice means next to nothing and people will think that you are against what the government is doing – regardless of where you actually stand.
Layton announced today, "We have here — standing shoulder to shoulder — the experienced leaders of today, with decades of experience, and the young Canadian leaders of tomorrow, and of many years to come."
Layton's caucus includes a number of ministers that are under 30 and the youngest being 19-year-old Pierre-Luc Dusseault.
Layton told his caucus that Canadians gave him the task "to hold the Conservatives to account, and to propose practical solutions that will drive the agenda and the country forward."
Layton said that the NDP will focus on families when Parliament resumes on June 2. He told the crowd that Harper was more focused on rewarding his friends referring to the new Senate appointments.
"Stephen Harper's very first post-election priority was to reward failed Conservative candidates with high-paying Senate appointments," Layton said.
Fabian Manning and Larry Smith left the senate to try to get into the House of Commons. When they failed, they joined defeated former cabinet minister Josée Verner in Harper's list of appointments to the upper chamber.
Layton acknowledged that he wouldn't have had the support he got if it weren't for Quebec and menti0ned his 59 Quebec MPs in his speech.
On Wednesday, the NDP and Liberals will be holding caucus meetings. The Liberals will be trying to lick their wombs while choosing an Interim Leader.
The Conservatives haven't met since they won their majority.
Layton will announce his shadow cabinet by the end of the week.
In the end of the day, it is shaping up for a Layton/Harper showdown in 2015 and Layton will be using the majority safety blanket to attack Harper from a distance that won't have repercussions on the stability of the government. Assuming Layton doesn't mess up, or propose an unrealistic plan, he is enroute to enjoying his term as Official Opposition leader in a majority government – quite frankly, his political career must be relieved that it is a majority government.
Categories: Cabinet, Conservative, Election, Electoral System, Families, Harper, Layton, Liberal, NDP, Quebec, Senate
Stephen Harper on Integrity: The Robocall Scandal
What started as an isolated set of robocalls misdirecting voters in Guelph expanded to effect over 50 ridings as irregularities happened during the 2011 election campaign that gave the Conservatives their coveted majority. Did the Conservatives legitimately win the 2011 election campaign? Let's take a look at the scandal from how it unfolded.
Double Standards and a Deteriorating Environment
Robocall Scandal: More Pieces Fall into Place
Elections Canada confirmed yesterday that there were 700 cases of irregularities in the last election and told Canadians not to jump to premature conclusions. A CBC investigation found a suspicious pattern linking who got the robocalls and who they supported.


Chairs have always been a huge challenge in hospitals due to the inability to clean properly and decontaminate after use. Whilst this is a recognised challenge it normally gets bypassed and to date has not been faced up to head on. This is why the K2 IC chair was born.
Nojerm listened to the need and worked with healthcare professionals from across the UK to produce a chair that actually met their needs. This was no mean feat as there was nothing else like it available to be analysed and improved. This was a whole new concept to chair cleanliness but one that nojerm rose to challenge.
The design brief was to be this; a chair that can be easily cleaned, cushions must be removable but be easy to re-apply, needs be adjustable in 4 dimensions, width, depth, height, back angle. In addition to all this the chair must be able to Tilt-In-Space, offer support, be comfortable and be aesthetically pleasing. There is to have no Velcro anywhere on the chair. This was a challenge and no one could deny it. Months of ideas, weeks of sweat, prototype after prototype and finally the K2 IC chair.
The chair is manufactured from stainless steel which enables the chair to be cleaned right down to the chassis, a world class first.
The cushions are all manufactured with magnetic strips which affix themselves very easily to the frame but giving a vast amount of positioning opportunities. The magnetic field around these magnets has been tested and certified that they do not cause any danger to patients, medical appliances or equipment.
The adjustability of the chair makes it absolutely unique. Offering all 4 dimension adjustability which in turn means the chair is able to accommodate just about any situation from simple to complex in the space of a few seconds, ideal for environments where patients are varied and unknown.
This chair is fantastic, would thoroughly recommend.


text:
Q: SQL Server / T-SQL need to modify dynamic stored procedure? I have a stored procedure that dynamically generates MERGE TSQL statements to handle SCD Type 1 updates between the given Dimension / Staging table dump.
Here is the T-SQL code (modified from the original code by Alex Whittles):
USE [OPPY_DWUSD]
GO

ALTER PROCEDURE [dbo].[GenerateMerge]
/***************************************************************
*                                                              *
*   Script for use with blog post                              *
*     "Automating T-SQL Merge to load Dimensions (SCD)"        *
*     http://www.purplefrogsystems.com/blog/2012/04/automating-t-sql-merge-to-load-dimensions-scd
*                                                              *
*   Posted: 6th April 2012                                     *
*                                                              *
*   By: Alex Whittles - Purple Frog Business Intelligence      *
*       www.PurpleFrogSystems.com                              *
*                                                              *
*   All code samples are provided "AS IS" without warranty of  *
*   any kind, either express or implied, including but not     *
*   limited to the implied warranties of merchantability       *
*   and/or fitness for a particular purpose.                   *
*                                                              *
***************************************************************/

@Dimension  varchar(50),
@Schema     varchar(50),
@ETLTable   varchar(50),
@ETLSchema  varchar(50),
@Execute    bit=0  --Should the resulting merge be returned or executed
AS
BEGIN
SET NOCOUNT ON;

--Create Carriage return variable to format the resulting query
DECLARE @crlf char(2)
SET @crlf = CHAR(13)

--Find out which Audit fields are used
DECLARE @UseIsInferred bit
DECLARE @UseFirstCreated bit
DECLARE @UseValidTo bit
DECLARE @UseIsRowCurrent bit
DECLARE @UseLastUpdated bit

SET @UseIsInferred = ISNULL((SELECT MAX(1)
FROM sys.columns c
        INNER JOIN sys.tables t on c.object_id = t.object_id
        INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
WHERE       s.name = @Schema
        AND t.name = @Dimension
        AND c.name = 'IsInferred'
),0)

SET @UseFirstCreated= ISNULL((SELECT MAX(1)
FROM sys.columns c
        INNER JOIN sys.tables t on c.object_id = t.object_id
        INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
WHERE       s.name = @Schema
        AND t.name = @Dimension
        AND c.name = 'FirstCreated'
),0)

SET @UseValidTo = ISNULL((SELECT MAX(1)
FROM sys.columns c
        INNER JOIN sys.tables t on c.object_id = t.object_id
        INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
WHERE       s.name = @Schema
        AND t.name = @Dimension
        AND c.name = 'ValidTo'
),0)

SET @UseIsRowCurrent = ISNULL((SELECT MAX(1)
FROM sys.columns c
        INNER JOIN sys.tables t on c.object_id = t.object_id
        INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
WHERE       s.name = @Schema
        AND t.name = @Dimension
        AND c.name = 'IsRowCurrent'
),0)

SET @UseLastUpdated = ISNULL((SELECT MAX(1)
FROM sys.columns c
        INNER JOIN sys.tables t on c.object_id = t.object_id
        INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
WHERE       s.name = @Schema
        AND t.name = @Dimension
        AND c.name = 'LastUpdated'
),0)

--Identify the business key column(s)
--Also define what the null replacement should be
DECLARE myCurBK Cursor FOR
SELECT c.name
    , CASE WHEN ty.name IN ('text', 'ntext', 'varchar', 'char', 'nvarchar', 'nchar') THEN ''''''
        WHEN ty.name IN ('tinyint', 'smallint', 'int', 'real', 'money', 'float', 'bit', 'decimal', 'numeric','smallmoney','bigint') THEN '0'
        WHEN ty.name IN ('date', 'datetime') THEN '''19000101'''
        ELSE 'NULL' END AS NullRep
FROM sys.columns c
    INNER JOIN sys.tables t on c.object_id = t.object_id
    INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
    INNER JOIN sys.types ty ON c.user_type_id = ty.user_type_id
    INNER JOIN sys.extended_properties ep
         ON t.object_id=ep.major_id
        AND c.column_id=ep.minor_id
        AND ep.class=1
        AND ep.name='SCD'
WHERE s.name = @Schema
    AND t.name = @Dimension
    AND ep.value = 'BK'
ORDER BY c.column_id

--Identify all fields to be merged (Exclude Type 0)
DECLARE myCurType1 Cursor
FOR SELECT c.name
    , CASE WHEN ty.name IN ('text', 'ntext', 'varchar', 'char', 'nvarchar', 'nchar') THEN ''''''
        WHEN ty.name IN ('tinyint', 'smallint', 'int', 'real', 'money', 'float', 'bit', 'decimal', 'numeric','smallmoney','bigint') THEN '0'
        WHEN ty.name IN ('date', 'datetime') THEN '''19000101'''
        ELSE 'NULL' END AS NullRep
    FROM sys.columns c
        INNER JOIN sys.tables t on c.object_id = t.object_id
        INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
        INNER JOIN sys.types ty ON c.user_type_id = ty.user_type_id
        LEFT JOIN sys.extended_properties ep
             ON t.object_id=ep.major_id
            AND c.column_id=ep.minor_id
            AND ep.class=1
            AND ep.name='SCD'
    WHERE s.name = @Schema
        AND t.name = @Dimension
        AND c.is_identity=0
        AND ISNULL(ep.value,'1') NOT IN ('0', 'Audit', 'BK')
    ORDER BY c.column_id ASC

--Identify all fields for insert
DECLARE myCurAll Cursor
FOR SELECT c.name
    , CASE WHEN ty.name IN ('text', 'ntext', 'varchar', 'char', 'nvarchar', 'nchar') THEN ''''''
        WHEN ty.name IN ('tinyint', 'smallint', 'int', 'real', 'money', 'float', 'bit', 'decimal', 'numeric','smallmoney','bigint') THEN '0'
        WHEN ty.name IN ('date', 'datetime') THEN '''19000101'''
        ELSE 'NULL' END AS NullRep
    FROM sys.columns c
        INNER JOIN sys.tables t on c.object_id = t.object_id
        INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
        INNER JOIN sys.types ty ON c.user_type_id = ty.user_type_id
    WHERE s.name = @Schema
        AND t.name = @Dimension
        AND c.name NOT IN ('LastUpdated', 'IsInferred', 'FirstCreated', 'ValidTo', 'IsRowCurrent')
        AND c.is_identity=0
    ORDER BY c.column_id ASC

DECLARE @Field varchar(255)
DECLARE @NullRep varchar(20)
DECLARE @SQL varchar(max)
DECLARE @SQL2 varchar(max)
DECLARE @SQL3 varchar(max)

--Now start building up the dynamic SQL

SET @SQL ='MERGE [' + @Schema + '].[' + @Dimension + '] AS Target'
SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + 'USING [' + @ETLSchema + '].[' + @ETLTable + '] AS Source'

OPEN myCurBK
FETCH NEXT FROM myCurBK INTO @Field, @NullRep
IF (@@FETCH_STATUS>=0)
    BEGIN
        SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + '       ON Target.' + '[' + @Field + ']' +  ' = Source.' + '[' + @Field + ']'
        FETCH NEXT FROM myCurBK INTO @Field, @NullRep
    END
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-1)
BEGIN
    IF (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-2)
        SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + '       AND Target.' + '[' + @Field + ']' +  ' = Source.' + '[' + @Field + ']'
    FETCH NEXT FROM myCurBK INTO @Field, @NullRep
END
CLOSE myCurBK

IF @UseIsRowCurrent>0   SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + '       AND Target.IsRowCurrent=1'

SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + '    WHEN MATCHED'

OPEN myCurType1
FETCH NEXT FROM myCurType1 INTO @Field, @NullRep

IF (@@FETCH_STATUS>=0)
    BEGIN
        SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + '       AND (ISNULL(Target.' + '[' + @Field + ']' + ',' + @NullRep + ') <> ISNULL(Source.' + '[' + @Field + ']' + ',' + @NullRep + ')'
        FETCH NEXT FROM myCurType1 INTO @Field, @NullRep
    END
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-1)
BEGIN
    IF (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-2)
        SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + '       OR ISNULL(Target.' + '[' + @Field + ']' + ',' + @NullRep + ') <> ISNULL(Source.' + '[' + @Field + ']' + ',' + @NullRep + ')'
    FETCH NEXT FROM myCurType1 INTO @Field, @NullRep
END
CLOSE myCurType1

SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + '      )'
SET @SQL2 = '    THEN UPDATE SET'

OPEN myCurType1
FETCH NEXT FROM myCurType1 INTO @Field, @NullRep
IF (@@FETCH_STATUS>=0)
    BEGIN
        SET @SQL2 = @SQL2 + @crlf + '       ' + '[' + @Field + ']' + ' = Source.' + '[' + @Field + ']'
        FETCH NEXT FROM myCurType1 INTO @Field, @NullRep
    END
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-1)
BEGIN
    IF (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-2)
        SET @SQL2 = @SQL2 + @crlf + '      ,' + '[' + @Field + ']' + ' = Source.' + '[' + @Field + ']'
    FETCH NEXT FROM myCurType1 INTO @Field, @NullRep
END
CLOSE myCurType1

IF @UseLastUpdated>0   SET @SQL2 = @SQL2 + @crlf + '      ,LastUpdated = GetDate()'

SET @SQL3 = '    WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN'
SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '         INSERT ('

OPEN myCurAll
FETCH NEXT FROM myCurAll INTO @Field, @NullRep
IF (@@FETCH_STATUS>=0)
    BEGIN
        SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ' + '[' + @Field + ']'
        FETCH NEXT FROM myCurAll INTO @Field, @NullRep
    END
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-1)
BEGIN
    IF (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-2)
        SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,' + '[' + @Field + ']'
    FETCH NEXT FROM myCurAll INTO @Field, @NullRep
END
CLOSE myCurAll

IF @UseIsInferred>0     SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,IsInferred'
IF @UseFirstCreated>0   SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,FirstCreated'
IF @UseValidTo>0        SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,ValidTo'
IF @UseIsRowCurrent>0   SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,IsRowCurrent'
IF @UseLastUpdated>0    SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,LastUpdated'
SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '         ) VALUES ('

OPEN myCurAll
FETCH NEXT FROM myCurAll INTO @Field, @NullRep
IF (@@FETCH_STATUS>=0)
    BEGIN
        SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '            Source.' + '[' + @Field + ']'
        FETCH NEXT FROM myCurAll INTO @Field, @NullRep
    END
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-1)
BEGIN
    IF (@@FETCH_STATUS<>-2)
        SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,Source.' + '[' + @Field + ']'
    FETCH NEXT FROM myCurAll INTO @Field, @NullRep
END
CLOSE myCurAll

IF @UseIsInferred>0     SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,0'
IF @UseFirstCreated>0   SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,GetDate()'
IF @UseValidTo>0        SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,NULL'
IF @UseIsRowCurrent>0   SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,1'
IF @UseLastUpdated>0    SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '           ,GetDate()'
SET @SQL3 = @SQL3 + @crlf + '         );'

--clean up
DEALLOCATE myCurType1
DEALLOCATE myCurAll
DEALLOCATE myCurBK

IF @Execute = 1
BEGIN
    EXEC(@SQL + @SQL2 + @SQL3)
END
ELSE
BEGIN
    PRINT @SQL
    PRINT @SQL2
    PRINT @SQL3
END

END

In the stored procedure above, when I pass in the variables, it produces this code:
MERGE [DIM].[COMPANY] AS Target
USING [DBO].[DWUSD_LIVE] AS Source
    ON Target.[comp] = Source.[comp]
 WHEN MATCHED
    AND (ISNULL(Target.[comp name],'') <> ISNULL(Source.[comp name],'')
    OR ISNULL(Target.[comp description],'') <> ISNULL(Source.[comp description],'')
   )
THEN UPDATE SET
    [comp name] = Source.[comp name]
   ,[comp description] = Source.[comp description]
   ,LastUpdated = GetDate()
WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN
      INSERT (
        [comp]
        ,[comp name]
        ,[comp description]
        ,FirstCreated
        ,LastUpdated
      ) VALUES (
         Source.[comp]
        ,Source.[comp name]
        ,Source.[comp description]
        ,GetDate()
        ,GetDate()
      );

What I need to be able to do is add a DISTINCT SELECT subquery at the beginning...
MERGE [dim].[Company] AS Target
USING (
SELECT DISTINCT
[COMP NAME],
[COMP DESCRIPTION],
[COMP]
FROM [dbo].[DWUSD_LIVE]
) AS Source

So that when it looks at the source (staging table) it does a SELECT DISTINCT on the same columns found in the dimension but not including the audit columns (FirstCreated / LastUpdated).
My staging table has duplicate records, thus I only need to SELECT DISTINCT otherwise I end up with multiple records in my dimension.

A: It looks like you pass the table you want to use as a source to the stored procedure in these variables:
@ETLTable   varchar(50),
@ETLSchema  varchar(50),

Those same variables are used in defining the source:
--Now start building up the dynamic SQL

SET @SQL ='MERGE [' + @Schema + '].[' + @Dimension + '] AS Target'
SET @SQL = @SQL + @crlf + 'USING [' + @ETLSchema + '].[' + @ETLTable + '] AS Source'

I believe, as long as you have the same columns you would need from the actual source table, you can take the distinct query you want to use, create a view with it and pass that table to the stored proc.
CREATE VIEW dbo.vwDWUSD_LIVE
AS
SELECT DISTINCT
[COMP NAME],
[COMP DESCRIPTION],
[COMP]
FROM [dbo].[DWUSD_LIVE]
GO

The exec statement would look something like:
EXEC [dbo].[GenerateMerge] 'COMPANY', 'DIM', 'vwDWUSD_LIVE', 'DBO', 1

Also, you won't have to modify the stored proc, which looks like it may be called by other processes and if you have this same situation with other tables, you can apply a similar solution.


text:
Home NBA LeBron James Is Reviving The Chalk Toss This Season
LeBron James Is Reviving The Chalk Toss This Season
Jaquam Bodden
Lebron James is bringing back the pre-game ritual of tossing baby powder in the air before games. Apparently he's doing it for the fans, so people in the front rows, get ready to sneeze again.
From ESPN :
A pregame staple for years, James abruptly stopped the practice during the 2011 playoffs and hasn't gone back to it. He said it was one of the things fans commonly asked about when they saw him or through social media, so he decided over the summer to revive it.
"It's just me," James said after the Miami Heat's practice Wednesday at the Atlantis Resort. "I love my fans and they wanted it back. They wanted me to do it, so it's back."
Since James got rid of the chalk toss he's been more serious about the game and that has helped lead him to two championships. The chalk toss showed the more funny and confident side of him. Now that the funny side of Lebron is back can we see "The Lebron's" Nike commercials again ? Anything for the fans right ?


text:
Due to potentially worsening weather conditions throughout the day, all District campuses and offices will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 20.
Briscoe Middle School
First early dismissal day scheduled for Jan. 26
In November, the NISD Board of Trustees approved changes to the District's 2021-2022 school calendar that will give teachers more time for planning.
On Wednesday, Jan. 26, the first of five Teacher Planning Time/Student Early Dismissal Days will be held.
The other early dismissal dates are Feb. 16, March 23, April 20, and May 18.
Elementary schools will dismiss at 11:45 a.m., middle schools at 12:40 p.m., and high schools at 1 p.m. Breakfast and sack lunches will be provided on these days. For families who need it, adult supervision will be available at all elementary schools, so students can remain on campus until the end of the normal school day. Learning Tree will also be available at traditional times.


Be passionate – This would be true for any industry, but it's especially true for REALTORS. There's no room in this industry for low energy levels or lackluster interest. Clients have a million real estate agents to choose from, but they are drawn to those are clearly passionate about real estate.
Be prompt – Returning emails, phone calls, and messages as quickly as possible lets clients know they are a PRIORITY. Even while working with multiple clients, a good REALTOR responds super fast to questions, concerns, or general worries. This makes clients feel important and sets their minds at ease – which is critical during an emotional experience like buying or selling a home.
Be knowledgable – Clients want REALTORS that are well versed on the area they are moving into and that includes information on schools, neighborhoods, community life, etc. REALTORS should also have a firm grasp on the ever-changing real estate market, process and laws.
Be supportive – Home buyers and sellers alike can become anxious easily. Catering to clients means being supportive of their nervous questions or concerns. Buying or selling a home is often one of the biggest decisions in a person's life and a strong REALTOR is as much a support system as anything else.
Be transparent – Great real estate agents also keep clients in the loop by explaining their work. Meeting with clients and outlining the process helps set client expectations, which ends up feeling better for both clients and REALTORS.
If you'd like to learn more about how DeSelms Real Estate agents cater to clients call today at 615.550.5565! We'd be happy to talk about our real estate process – for both REALTORS and clients!


Shania Twain is a world-wide music phenomenon: more than 41 million albums sold in the U.S. and over 4.2 million albums in Canada; the top-selling female artist in history; multi-platinum album sales in 32 countries including Canada, Australia, the UK, Indonesia, Holland and Norway; the sixth biggest selling album of all time; 16 Top Ten hits, half of which reached No. 1; and the list continues.
THE WOMAN IN ME went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S. and nearly 400,000 copies in Canada, replacing Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits as the bestselling album by a female country artist. Twain became a mainstay on the awards stage in 1996 earning two JUNO Awards including Entertainer of the Year, her first Grammy for Best Country Album and just about every major global music award.
With sales of 19 million copies in the U.S. and two million in Canada, the album became the biggest seller by a woman in any genre of music, and is the highest selling record in the Nielsen SoundScan era –establishing her as a bona fide international superstar.
Following two wildly successful albums, Twain set out on a 19-month tour and performed for more than 2.5 million fans. The "Come On Over Tour" was the highest-grossing tour in country music history. At the top of her game, she finally took a well-deserved break and welcomed her greatest accomplishment, her first child. But fans couldn't get enough Shania, and she didn't keep them waiting for long. In 2002, Twain released UP!, a double-CD set that offered a country version and pop mix of songs to the delight of her fans, who snapped up nearly three million copies in less than a month.
In 2005, Twain received one of the nation's most prestigious honours and became an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contributions to Canadian culture and society.


celebrating his 89th birthday July 15, 2014.
"I could not bring myself to type these words until now, but I think most of you already know. I lost my dear daddy Wednesday morning. The world has lost a great and honorable man…an American (and Serbian) hero. It doesn't seem real. As I left his hospital room Tuesday night, I prayed with him, kissed him on his forehead, held his hand, and told him I hoped he knew how very much I loved him and that he'd always be my hero. Although he stared into my eyes, he did not respond. I hope he understood. That was the last time I saw him alive. In my heart, I know he's in heaven, no doubt, still trying to spread the truth about what the Serbians did for America in WWII. And everyone will respond "We already know that, Bud… it's perfect up here. There are no lies. Your earthly mission is over".
"Dad's funeral is Monday [September 15, 2014], and he will have military graveside rites. He will be buried in his USA/Serbia shirt, and the Serbian land that Saša Jovanović gathered from the makeshift airstrip will be placed in the casket with him. As dad would want it, the Serbian flag will be on display (and of course, the American flag will be, too).
"I promise you, dad… I will carry your torch. Keep the light on for me, and we'll be home soon. I love you!
"Thanks to everyone for the overwhelming outpouring of love and support. You have been such a blessing.
"I've attached his obituary. Turn your sound on to hear the music."
Photo courtesy of daughter Diane Diles Hammond.
Curtis "Bud" Diles, Jr., age 89, of Huber Heights, Ohio passed away Wednesday, September 10 at Miami Valley Hospital after a long illness. He was born July 15, 1925 in New Boston, a son of the late Curtis and Lena Belford Diles, Sr.
He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Inez L. Pruitt Diles, whom he married in Portsmouth Sept. 25, 1948; children Dennis (Bev) Diles of Chaska, Minnesota, Teresa (Jack) Guidry, Janis "Diane" (Chuck) Hammond, and Tamara (John) Meese, all of Huber Heights; 15 grandchildren; and 7 great grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters Sonja (Bill) Rice of Reynoldsburg, Deloris Walker of Minford; and brothers Paul (Sarah) of Sarasota, Florida, and Alva "Sonny" (Jean) of Chillicothe; and many nieces and nephews.
He was a devoted, loving, and generous husband, father, and grandfather. His greatest treasure was his family. He delighted in sharing his great wisdom and always had an idea to improve things. He never stopped analyzing and believed that an idle mind was the devil's workshop. He was "Mr. Fix It" and was an exemplary machinist. No doubt, he is tinkering in heaven at this moment.
He was a dedicated member of the First Christian Church of Huber Heights. Although he often struggled to understand the message due to his hearing impairment, he faithfully attended "just to show whose side he was on". As he was ushered into heaven into the loving arms of Jesus, we know exactly which side he's on.
He was also a member of the VFW Post 3283, and an honorary Serbian. He was a veteran of World War II, a Staff Sergeant serving in the Army Air Corps from 1943-1945. He was shot down while in his B-24 bomber behind enemy lines over Belgrade Yugoslavia on September 8, 1944 in the Halyard Mission, but was rescued by the Serbian Chetniks lead by General Draza Mihailovich. Had it not been for Serbia, he and his descendants would not have been blessed with the gift of life. The details of this incredible rescue are documented in the book "The Forgotten 500", by Gregory Freeman. It was his life's mission to spread the truth to the world about the Serbians' loyalty to America in WWII. For his service, Curt received the EAME Theater Ribbon with 1 silver star, the Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart, and the Good Conduct Medal. The country of Serbia also recently presented him with the Order of Karageorge's Star with Sword for 70 years of exceptional service in spreading the truth about Serbia and its WWII and post-war struggles.
After graduating from Portsmouth High School, he briefly worked at Wolford Machine Company in Portsmouth prior to being drafted into the service. After the war, he returned to Wolford's and also worked at Empire Detroit Steel Corporation in New Boston. In 1974 he moved to Huber Heights where he managed the machine shop at Techmet/LaserMike, from which he retired in 1989.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters Doris Diles, Edna Stiltner, Lorraine Traber, Carolyn (Sue) Potts; and brothers Don, Jimmy, and Travis Diles.
Funeral services will be held at 1 pm Monday [Sept. 15, 2014] at the Ralph F. Scott Funeral Home in Portsmouth with Pastor David McClary officiating and interment in Memorial Burial Park. Military graveside rites will be conducted by the James Dickey Post #23 American Legion Honor Detail.
In honor of Mr. Diles' service to our country, the flag of the US Air Force will fly at the funeral home, and the flag of Serbia will be displayed.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home Sunday from 2 to 4 pm, and one hour prior to services Monday.
Online condolences may be shared at www.RalphFScott.com.
In lieu of flowers, please honor Dad's last request: "Google My Name". He will look down from Heaven and say "thanks".


John Patrick is internationally renowned for his theoretical and experimental advances in the regulation of nutrient transport and partitioning in plants. He has developed a novel theoretical framework that identifies control points for the regulation of nutrient transport through, and unloading from, the plant vascular network to fuel organ development. Patrick's innovative experimental approaches have shown how metabolic demand for nutrients is coordinated with vascular transport by phytohormones, cell turgor and nutrient pool sizes. These discoveries have laid a conceptual framework to further elucidate nutrient transport and partitioning mechanisms and to identify novel targets for improving crop yield.