text:
Facebook's political ad ban also threatens ability to spread accurate information on how to vote
Posted By Jeremy B. Merrill/ProPublica on Wed, Sep 9, 2020 at 7:07 AM
Doris Liou for ProPublica
Facebook this week said it would bar political ads in the seven days before the presidential election. That could prevent dirty tricks or an "October surprise" and give watchdogs time to fact-check statements. But rather than responding with glee, election officials say the move leaves them worried.
Included in the ban are ads purchased by election officials — secretaries of state and boards of elections — who use Facebook to inform voters about how voting will work. The move effectively removes a key communication channel just as millions of Americans will begin to navigate a voting process different from any they've experienced before.
"Every state's elections office has a very small communications office that is doing everything that they can to get the word out about the election," said Gabe Rosenberg, the communications director for Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill (who is not related to this reporter). "This just makes it a little bit harder, for, as far as I can see, no real gain."
The rule change was announced Thursday in a Facebook post by the site's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Previously, Facebook's rules for fact-checking certain campaign ads but not others have come under fire. Taken together, they demonstrate how Facebook has become an integral piece of the American democratic process — but one that is controlled by the decisions of a private corporation, which can set rules in its own interest.
For elections administrators, the last few days before an election can be the most stressful and when communication is needed most. They remind voters to mail back their absentee ballots and when Election Day voting begins and ends. Many of these ads can still be run under Facebook's new rules, as long as they're set up more than a week before the election.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, local election offices are scrambling to find new ways for eligible voters to cast their ballots. Voting methods and locations will be changing fast, even within the seven-day window included in Facebook's ban.
A few days before Connecticut's primary election on Aug. 11, Hurricane Isaias struck the state, knocking out power to more than a million people. That led Connecticut's governor to make a subtle, but crucial, change to the state's election rules on the day before the election. He instructed elections officials to count mail-in ballots that had been postmarked by election day, instead of only those that had arrived by election day.
With power still out to tens of thousands of people and businesses, "it was really important that we told people that they only needed to postmark their ballots by election day, because the little bit of news they were getting was that the Postal Service was down," Rosenberg said. The Postal Service's sorting hub in Hartford had lost power for a time after the storm.
"The only way we can notify people of something changing that late in the process is via Facebook and Instagram," he said, citing the decline of local print news and the power outage making TV out of the question. The office spent about $2,000 on ads in the week before the state's primary, according to Facebook's published data.
There are other scenarios under which election administrators might have an urgent need to communicate changes to voters. Dozens of cases that could affect voting rules are wending their way through state courts, including ones that govern how mail-in ballots are processed and whether felons are able to vote. A key decision could easily be made just days before Nov. 3.
Just this week, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced a $250 million donation meant, in part, to help expand voting locations, which could result in new polling places opening late in the process.
Facebook's newly announced rules only apply to new ads about "social issues, elections or politics." Ads placed beforehand can continue running.
There is some basis for the timing: The last few days before an election can be rife with tactics meant to avoid scrutiny.
Without a key way to communicate how polling places are changing, the chances mount that potential voters will miss important information.
Facebook said it is trying to help elections officials, not hinder them. "We're committed to supporting the important work election administrators do to make voting possible," Tom Channick, a Facebook spokesperson, said in a statement. He cited new Facebook tools for election administrators, including "Voting Alerts" and a page on Facebook that offers information on how to vote.
Unlike ads, the alerts don't appear on Instagram, only on Facebook. They appear on the voting information page, but they wouldn't show up in a user's news feed unless they had previously subscribed to updates from the election administrators' Facebook page. And Facebook won't let election administrators use the voting alert tool unless their Facebook pages do not include the name or a photograph of the officeholder. Connecticut's page, for instance, does include such information, as do the pages of elections officials in many other states.
Facebook told ProPublica that it's sticking to its decision to include election-administration ads in the ban, but has offered to help administrators change their pages to be able to use Voting Alerts and says it's considering ways to show the alerts more broadly.
Rosenberg says an easy solution would be to exempt election administrators' ads from the temporary ban — or to stop counting their ads as political and forcing them to include "Paid for by" disclaimers like ads from campaigns.
That's a solution that Facebook has used before. Facebook exempted news organizations' ads that promoted news stories from being treated as political after pushback that the site was conflating ads for journalism with political propaganda. Facebook didn't, however, exempt ads from the U.S. Census Bureau that urged people to fill out the census.
Rosenberg says he's pressed Facebook for an answer about why their political ads rules apply to election administrators' ads. He hasn't gotten one.
"These aren't political ads. These are the basic civic building blocks of a democracy," Rosenberg says. "We're just trying to make sure that voters have the info that they need in order to participate."
Tags: facebook , Image
Claytoonz: Suckers and Losers
Your Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Wednesday, Sept. 9: Special Six Months of Coronavirus Edition
Jeremy B. Merrill/ProPublica
Speaking of Facebook
Veteran, War Hero, Defendant, Troll
By ProPublica, Jeremy Schwartz and Perla Trevizo
Women's Foundation Annual Fundraising Event Goes Digital
By Kathleen B. Kunz
Oldest to Newest Newest to Oldest Most Liked
By Ryan Knappenberger/Cronkite News
By NICOLE LUDDEN


text:
Cold snap makes New England the world's priciest gas market
Wed, Dec 27, 2017 - 3:22 PM
[NEW YORK] Nothing like a cold spell to boost the nation's natural gas demand, and cost.
Forecasts now indicate this week's outbreak will be stronger than anticipated, with Chicago seeing sub-zero readings. In New England, spot prices more than tripled to the highest in over three years and turned the region into the world's priciest market.
Total US gas consumption jumped 31 per cent to 115.7 billion cubic feet on Tuesday from Friday. That's the most ever for this time of year in PointLogic Energy data back to 2007. Not only have more homes converted to the fuel from oil in Connecticut through Maine, the region's generators are more reliant on gas to produce electricity than anywhere else in the country.
"Gas prices for tomorrow are extremely volatile and high," said John Borruso, director of natural gas trading at Con Edison Energy in Valhalla, New York. "This is truly a gas demand driven event because the temperatures are so cold and it's still December. The market is set up in a certain way in December, it's not prepared." Gas for next day delivery on Enbridge's Algonquin city gate in New England, including Boston, settled at US$35.35 per million British thermal units on the Intercontinental Exchange on Tuesday. Algonquin gas last rose that high in February 2014 during the polar vortex.
The broader gas market doesn't seem worried that the big jump in demand this week will create a supply crunch later in winter. Gas futures for January delivery fell 0.9 per cent to settle Tuesday at US$2.643 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, down 28 per cent from a year ago.
SEE ALSO: US consumer comfort rises to fresh high amid robust job market
"I'm not sure as it gets cold if prices will go higher," Mr Borruso said. That's because many Northeast generators have dual fuel capabilities and it may be cheaper to start burning oil instead. Fuel switching makes sense in New England when gas is around $14 per million Btu and that drops to around $10.50 or $11 in New York, he said. "It's going to be an interesting week."
cold spell
gas demand
Swine fever sends China's pork prices, imports soaring
Oil falls about 2.5% as US Gulf production returns
Does renewables pioneer Germany risk running out of power?
China Energy to expand ultra-low emission coal-fired power: official
PES refinery expected to shut remaining units as crude dwindles: sources

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This study intended to evaluate classical musicians' risk of hearing loss. We studied 63 musicians from four Helsinki classical orchestras. We measured their hearing loss with an audiometer, found their prior amount of exposure to sound and some individual susceptibility factors with a questionnaire, measured their present sound exposure with dosimeters, and tested their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, then compared their hearing loss to ISO 1999-1990's predictions. The musicians' hearing loss distribution corresponded to that of the general population, but highly exposed musicians had greater hearing loss at frequencies over 3 kHz than less-exposed ones. Their individual susceptibly factors were low. Music deteriorates hearing, but by less than what ISO 1999-1990 predicted. The low number of individual susceptibility factors explained the difference, but only reduced hearing loss and not the prevalence of tinnitus.
With over 70 dancers and its own orchestra, The National Ballet of Canada ranks amongst the world's top dance companies. It performs three seasons annually: fall, winter and summer, plus many shows of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. The 70-strong orchestra plays an average of 360 hours/year including rehearsals and performances. Rehearsals are held at two locations: one in a ballet rehearsal room with little or no absorption, and the other in an acoustically treated location. Performances are held in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. The present survey was done at the request of the National Ballet, since the musicians complained of excessive sound levels and were concerned about possible hearing losses. The survey was performed using five dosimeters Quest Mod 300 during 10 performances of the ballet Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev, deemed as the noisiest in the whole repertoire. Results of the survey indicate that the noise exposure levels from only the orchestra's activities do not present risk of hearing loss. Exposure due to other musical activities was, however, not included.
The main purpose of this descriptive field study was to explore music listening habits and preferred listening levels with portable music players (PMPs). We were also interested in seeing whether any exposure differences could be observed between the sexes. Data were collected during 12 hours at Stockholm Central Station, where people passing by were invited to measure their preferred PMP listening level by using a KEMAR manikin. People were also asked to answer a questionnaire about their listening habits. In all, 60 persons (41 men and 19 women) took part in the questionnaire study and 61 preferred PMP levels to be measured. Forty-one of these sound level measurements were valid to be reported after consideration was taken to acceptable measuring conditions. The women (31 years) and the men (33 years) started to use PMPs on a regular basis in their early 20s. Ear canal headphones/ear buds were the preferred headphone types. Fifty-seven percent of the whole study population used their PMP on a daily basis. The measured LAeq60 sec levels corrected for free field ranged between 73 and 102 dB, with a mean value of 83 dB. Sound levels for different types of headphones are also presented. The results of this study indicate that there are two groups of listeners: people who listen less frequently and at lower, safer sound levels, and people with excessive listening habits that may indeed damage their hearing sensory organ in time.
South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches are known worldwide as some of the noisiest recreational events. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to i) measure noise levels during different PSL matches; ii) measure changes in auditory function after attending PSL matches; and iii) determine the factors that increase the risk of overexposure to noise during PSL matches. The study used a descriptive quantitative analytical pre- and post-exposure design. Participants (n = 19, and n = 10) attended two PSL matches. Each participant's auditory function was assessed using distortion product oto-acoustic emissions (DPOAEs) before and after attending a PSL match. Peak and equivalent continuous noise levels as well as noise dose were measured during each match. Noise levels recorded during the poorly attended Match 1 were lesser than those of the well-attended Match 2. Participants attending Match 2 had statistically significant reduction in their DPOAE amplitudes after the match (P = 0.003) than those attending Match 1. Vuvuzela blowers and participants seated within 1 m from them were most at risk of harm to their hearing with significant reduction in DPOAE amplitudes post the match (P = 0.002 and P = 0.008, respectively). It was therefore concluded that noise levels at well-attended South African PSL matches pose a significant risk to spectators' auditory function as shown by reduced DPOAE amplitude post match attendance. Three risk factors for overexposure to noise during the match were identified: blowing the vuvuzela, close proximity to the individual blowing the vuvuzela as well as spectator turnout at the match.
The armed forces are highly exposed to occupational noise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and noise exposures associated with the severity of hearing loss (HL) in a Belgian military population. A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Centre for Medical Expertise (CME) and in four Units of Occupational Medicine (UOM). Hearing thresholds were determined by audiometry. The examination included a questionnaire on hearing-related medical history, and noise exposure in military and leisure time activity. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to assess the association of the severity of HL with tinnitus, with the military occupation, and with noise exposures. Of the 2055 subjects aged 18-55 years, 661 (32.2%) had a slight HL (25-40 dB), 280 (13.6%) had a moderate HL (45-60 dB) and 206 (10.0%) had a severe HL (>60 dB) of 4 and 6 kHz for both ears. The prevalence of slight, moderate and severe HL increased significantly with age and was higher for subjects from Paracommando and infantry units. Fighting in Built-Up Area (FIBUA) training, shooting with large caliber weapons, and participation in military exercises were the best determinants of HL in this population. These results suggest that subjects from infantry and Paracommando units run the highest risk of HL because they are exposed to very loud noises in their professional life, like large caliber shooting and FIBUA training.
The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an environment that provides premature and fragile infants with health provisions needed to make a complete recovery. Premature infants are often born before their auditory systems have had an opportunity to fully mature. Research has shown that the ambient acoustic environment in the NICU exceeds the maximum noise level recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, even after measures have been taken to decrease noise levels. The purpose of this study is to evaluate noise levels inside an Ohmeda Medical Giraffe TM OmniBed TM , the natural attenuation of the incubator, and the effects of modifications on attenuation and reverberation within the Giraffe TM OmniBed TM . The normal operation of the Giraffe TM OmniBed TM is 41.7 dBA which indicates a lower noise of operation than previous studies. The Giraffe TM OmniBed TM naturally attenuates 12 dBA. Leaving an access latch or portal door open causes a statistically significant (P=.001) increase in sound within the bassinet. All modifications in the no-noise and the noise conditions showed a statistically significant (P=.001) drop in Leq when compared to baseline.
Noise is a common occupational health hazard in most industrial settings. An assessment of noise and its adverse health effects based on noise intensity is inadequate. For an efficient evaluation of noise effects, frequency spectrum analysis should also be included. This paper aims to substantiate the importance of studying the contribution of noise frequencies in evaluating health effects and their association with physiological behavior within human body. Additionally, a review of studies published between 1988 and 2009 that investigate the impact of industrial/occupational noise on auditory and non-auditory effects and the probable association and contribution of noise frequency components to these effects is presented. The relevant studies in English were identified in Medknow, Medline, Wiley, Elsevier, and Springer publications. Data were extracted from the studies that fulfilled the following criteria: title and/or abstract of the given study that involved industrial/occupational noise exposure in relation to auditory and non-auditory effects or health effects. Significant data on the study characteristics, including noise frequency characteristics, for assessment were considered in the study. It is demonstrated that only a few studies have considered the frequency contributions in their investigations to study auditory effects and not non-auditory effects. The data suggest that significant adverse health effects due to industrial noise include auditory and heart-related problems. The study provides a strong evidence for the claims that noise with a major frequency characteristic of around 4 kHz has auditory effects and being deficient in data fails to show any influence of noise frequency components on non-auditory effects. Furthermore, specific noise levels and frequencies predicting the corresponding health impacts have not yet been validated. There is a need for advance research to clarify the importance of the dominant noise frequency contribution in evaluating health effects.
To investigate the contribution of body vibrations to the vibratory sensation induced by high-level, complex low-frequency noise, we conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1, eight male subjects were exposed to seven types of low-frequency noise stimuli: two pure tones [a 31.5-Hz, 100-dB(SPL) tone and a 50-Hz, 100-dB(SPL) tone] and five complex noises composed of the pure tones. For the complex noise stimuli, the sound pressure level of one tonal component was 100 dB(SPL) and that of another one was either 90, 95, or 100 dB(SPL). Vibration induced on the body surface was measured at five locations, and the correlation with the subjective rating of the vibratory sensation at each site of measurement was examined. In Experiment 2, the correlation between the body surface vibration and the vibratory sensation was similarly examined using seven types of noise stimuli composed of a 25-Hz tone and a 50-Hz tone. In both the experiments, we found that at the chest and the abdomen, the rating of the vibratory sensation was in close correlation with the vibration acceleration level (VAL) of the body surface vibration measured at each corresponding location. This was consistent with our previous results and suggested that at the trunk of the body (the chest and the abdomen), the mechanoreception of body vibrations plays an important role in the experience of the vibratory sensation in persons exposed to high-level low-frequency noise. At the head, however, no close correlation was found between the rating of the vibratory sensation and the VAL of body surface vibration. This suggested that at the head, the perceptual mechanisms of vibration induced by high-level low-frequency noise were different from those in the trunk of the body.
Level-dependent hearing protection devices (HPDs) provide protection from intense sound, while offering amplification for speech and other signals in lower levels of noise. These HPDs have been developed in response to the communication and operational needs of noise-exposed persons in industry and the military. This study was conducted to examine industrial workers' perceptions of the performance of two level-dependent HPDs (one with integrated radio communication capability and one without it) and their customary passive HPDs. This research took place at a plastic film manufacturing plant in Rhode Island, USA, following a mixed-measures design. Fifteen maintenance technicians at the plant evaluated the two level-dependent HPDs, plus their customary passive HPDs, in three separate trial periods. Data were collected via a questionnaire designed for this purpose. Mixed-model analyses of variance were performed on all dependent measures. Linear and quadratic effect sizes were assessed with eta. Results revealed that the two level-dependent HPDs offered better perceived communication and situational awareness than the workers' customary passive HPDs. However, the level-dependent HPDs were rated lower than the passive HPDs in terms of usability and comfort. To increase workers' acceptance of level-dependent HPDs, usability issues must be addressed by the HPD manufacturers.
Damage-risk criteria (DRC) for noise exposures are designed to protect 95% of the exposed populations from hearing injuries caused by those noise exposures. The current DRC used by the US military follows OSHA guidelines for continuous noise. The current military DRC for impulse exposures follows the recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustics, and Biomechanics (CHABA) and are contained in the current military standard, MIL-STD-1474D "Noise Limits." Suggesting that the MIL-STD for impulse exposure is too stringent, various individuals have proposed that the DRC for exposure to high-level impulses be relaxed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current hearing status of US Army Soldiers, some of whom can be, by their military occupational specialties (MOS), reasonably expected to be routinely exposed to high-level impulses from weapon systems. The Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System - Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC) was queried for the hearing status of enlisted Soldiers of 32 different MOSs. The results indicated that less than 95% of the Soldiers in the DOEHRS-HC database were classified as having normal hearing. In other words, the goal of the DRC used for limiting noise injuries (from continuous and impulse exposures) was not stringent enough to prevent hearing injuries in all but the most susceptible Soldiers. These results suggest that the current military noise DRC should not be relaxed.


text:
Home » Blogs
Deadly Premonition is the Game of the Year (Part 1)
By Daniel Weissenberger on July 1, 2010 in Blogs
My first encounter with Deadly Premonition came when I spotted it on the shelves of a local video store. Suffice to say, the cover art stood out from the crowd:
In a field of sports games, militaristic shooters, space marines, and the occasional swordsman v. dragon, a hooded person screaming as blood runs down their face counts as something of an anomaly. The axeman, naturally, sealed the deal. I rented the game immediately, and started playing it later that night. Just two hours in I'd already decided that I had to purchase my own copy, which I proceeded to do the next day.
I was ready to write an article nominating Deadly Premonition of the title of "Game of the Year" just halfway through its runtime. I'd already started grabbing screenshots and outlining when I noticed that the website Something Awful had posted a satirical article making the same suggestion. This left me thinking that I really ought to see what general critical consensus was before stepping up to make a fool of myself (once again). I quickly finished the game, and once I'd stopped weeping openly, I swung by the old Internet to see what various sites had to say about the game. After a little skimming I came to the conclusion that people were universally hard on the gameplay and graphics, but divided on the story. There was a "so stupid it made my brain bleed" camp, as well as a "so stupid I couldn't stop laughing" camp.
I wondered, for just a moment, anyhow, whether they'd played the same game I had. You see, the thing I responded most positively to in Deadly Premonition was the writing.
It may not have Heavy Rain's graphics, it certainly can't compete with Alan Wake's omnipresent product placement, but it has something I've rarely, if ever, seen in a videogame—a truly great story. Not great in the "so bad it's good" way, not great in the "high camp" way, not great in the "we're too hip to step into the world of a game and actually appreciate it for what it is, so let's just snigger from the sidelines" sort of a way. I'm not blind, mind you—I'm fully aware that the game can be enjoyed in all of those ways, I'd even admit that it invites those interpretations with its broad characterisations and supernatural flights of fancy. There's another, better way to approach the game, however. For anyone willing to take it at face value and suspend their disbelief, the game offers a rich world full of fascinating characters and enthralling mysteries. Players willing to engage with Deadly Premonition on its own level will find a story unlike anything they've seen in a videogame—and they'll find themselves wishing more games went that extra mile to create truly compelling narratives.
The game received a 2.0 from IGN, and a 10 from Destructoid, but both reviews approached it in exactly the same way—from a place of ironic detachment. Neither one was able to engage with the story, and so they couldn't see the game's true value. IGN couldn't get past the craziness of the plot, and Destructoid found the whole thing hilarious, going so far as to give it an ironic grade. By not being willing to just suspend their disbelief and inhabit the game's insane world, they missed out on one of the most special videogame storytelling experiences of all time, as well as the opportunity to really get to know a videogame character like never before.
That's right, because of a brilliant gameplay conceit that I'll expound upon at length later, Deadly Premonition allows the player to get inside the head of its main character in a way that no game (and nothing outside of novels) ever has—by the end of the game a player who has fully explored Deadly Premonition will know York Morgan more than they've ever known any other videogame hero, and once that's the case, they'll find it impossible not to be touched by his experiences. This is one of the most rawly emotional stories ever to appear in a videogame, and it has the ability to, if you let it, pull you in like no other medium could manage.
I'm not saying that Deadly Premonition should be the template for how every game should be designed—yes, the "gameplay" is largely abominable and dated—but it should be looked at as a singularly brilliant example of videogame storytelling, one that deserves to be studied by every game developer out there, so they can see how a story can succeed where 99% of video game stories don't. Deadly Premonition makes you a part of the story, and luckily, it's a fascinating story to be a part of.
Deadly Premonition has no real competition for title of "Horror Game of the Year". I'd even go so far as to say that, despite it being, in many ways, a terrible game, by December there won't be much competition for calling it the flat-out "Game of the Year".
But hey, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm not just here to talk about Deadly Premonition in general, I'm here to present some highlights of the game, go in-depth about some of its details and mysteries, try to explain just why it's such an incredibly special experience—basically to convince anyone who takes the time to read this to play it for themselves.
In fact, let me just pause right here to encourage you to go out and buy the game—the rest of these articles are going to go into exhaustive detail about the game's plot, characters, and mechanics, and I can't stress enough how much better a time you'll have discovering all of it for yourself, playing late into the night with all the lights down low. You can always come back and read the articles later—they're not going anywhere, but your lack of knowledge about Deadly Premonition's secrets is.
Okay, now that the convolutions are done with, let's start the game!
As mysteries must, Deadly Premonition begins with a corpse. An artistically posed corpse at that. More importantly, what the hell kind of tree is that?
Seriously, though, just a minute into the opening movie and I already know I'm in for something special. You've got sex, violence, biblical allusion, demonstration of character traits without dialogue—this is clearly the opening of a real story, one that's shooting at a target slightly more difficult than the average murder mystery.
You've got an Eve crucified to the tree of knowledge as a flesh-coloured snake slithers between her nearly-naked breasts. I generally prefer my imagery to be a little less incredibly on-the-nose, but the game wants to make it absolutely clear that the woman's death was caused, at least in part, by a curiosity about the forbidden (specifically sex). The fact that Deadly Premonition's opening gives me a chance to talk about the imagery being employed alone serves to set it apart from the crowd, and is just the first of the game's many, many wonderful flourishes.
The movie then goes on to check in with a variety of the characters we'll be meeting over the course of the game, each of whom is dealing with news of the death in their own way, before the whole thing ends with as interestingly-framed a shot as you're likely to see in a game.
The game hasn't even started yet, and we're already being shown that violence has crushing real-life consequences, causing people to run the gamut of reactions from stoic resignation to utter hysteria. Before we know any of these characters' names we understand they're important, and can start to make guesses on how they fit into the overall picture. The mystery's already begun pulling the player in, and we haven't touched the controller yet.
Next time, we'll meet our main character!
If you don't want his identity and details of the plot spoiled, I'd like to encourage you once again to zip on over to Amazon where you can order a copy of Deadly Premonition for under twenty dollars. In fact, if at any point in this series of articles I manage to make you feel like this is a game worth taking a look at, I absolutely want to encourage you to immediately stop reading and go get the game—you won't be disappointed.
And if you are, hell, it was just twenty dollars. Send me a bill. I won't pay it, but feel free to send it along.
Oh, and while comments on this article are fine, try to keep them spoiler-light.
Next time: Meet York Morgan (Deadly Premonition is the Game of the Year, Part 2)
Daniel Weissenberger
What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?
Nothing relevant to this conversation, that's for sure! Because we're here to talk about (sorry, write and read about, respectively) GC_Danny!!
Since the last time he updated this bio he's had a bunch of movies that he wrote come out, so that's neat. He's also managed to build up a small YouTube channel where he talks about Girls Und Panzer, The Dark Pictures, and Hidden Object Games.
In addition to general game reviewing, he's also dabbled in more long-form work, writing some of the longest and most comprehensive game reviews of all time. Then there's his non-GameCritics blogging, where he's famous as the world's foremost expert on the TV show Criminal Minds, as well as the co-host of a weekly podcast!
Latest posts by Daniel Weissenberger (see all)
The Cleaner Review - May 31, 2022
Sniper Elite 5: Preview Follow-Up - May 4, 2022
PREVIEW: Sniper Elite 5 Is A Dangerous Game - April 27, 2022
Tags: Access Games Deadly Premonition Editorials Horror Humor PS3 SWERY 65 Xbox 360
Written by Daniel Weissenberger
What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? Nothing relevant to this conversation, that's for sure! Because we're here to talk about (sorry, write and read about, respectively) GC_Danny!! Since the last time he updated this bio he's had a bunch of movies that he wrote come out, so that's neat. He's also managed to build up a small YouTube channel where he talks about Girls Und Panzer, The Dark Pictures, and Hidden Object Games. In addition to general game reviewing, he's also dabbled in more long-form work, writing some of the longest and most comprehensive game reviews of all time. Then there's his non-GameCritics blogging, where he's famous as the world's foremost expert on the TV show Criminal Minds, as well as the co-host of a weekly podcast!
I found this article through a search engine. It's only the first portion of it and I'm already planning a trip to buy Deadly Premonition later today. Although the video sealed the deal, your writing didn't hurt matters. Thanks for such an interesting read. I look forward to the game and the remaining articles of this series.
randolf
twin peaks with a japanese filter smalltown murder, a little off kilter xbox 3 and a lyrical tilt and you'll find squirrel keys but the Sheriff'll jilt ya at the alter, worshipping the goddess never falter, this oddysey's the oddest inhabiting Jake – the imaginary friend a double personality, the player has to bend like the f*****-up zombiez, black-mouthed corpses gotta hold your breath, the tutorial taught this… (don't) hold your breath, just do the side missions the wrench never breaks and it r*pes all the demons the radio you get does some funky transmissions… cut-scene, dodge the raincoat killer… Read more »
Rohsiph
If you don't enjoy the humor, I'm not sure it'll be able to pull you in very quickly. Through my experience the humor encouraged me to invest myself in the game-world (as per Daniel's recommendation) so that the first tonal shift's force solidified my attachment. I can easily see it going exactly the other way if the humor just isn't your cup of coffee. But I'm really replying because you mentioned CoC (Dark Corners of the Earth, yes?). It's an interesting connection–and I think it's apt. Similarly flawed, with moments of absolute genius making it a game whose good points… Read more »
crackajack
looking forward to part 2, 3 … a game were the story is great?! But as i may have an opinion so far, videos seem like i could not enjoy it. Pretty laughable dialogs, characters and animation. The graphics look ok enough for me. It doesn't take itself too serious? But it looks quite serious, serious in a soap opera fashion? Is Call of Cthulhu slightly similar? Despite a major bug in the end and the obviously low budget it was fun. If its at least the same quality i might want to get it. Nevertheless, i would have problems… Read more »
Sparky Clarkson
It's a natural point of reference, I guess. I liked Twin Peaks quite a bit, but I thought it was occasionally "too much" in Sontag's sense. I'm a bit suspicious of this reaction though, as I've found that different people find different aspects go over the edge for them. One could argue, for instance, that Major Briggs' stilted dialogue isn't the sort of thing any actual person would say, but I've actually met several men who talk like that all the time (most of them are preachers). I have the feeling that Twin Peaks was created by assembling the largest… Read more »
Lunar Coyote
I didn't find the humor, soliloquies, abrupt changes in tone/atmosphere, and other inconsistencies to be much of a problem; Deadly Premonition obviously doesn't take itself too seriously and is quite self-aware that it is a quirky budget title, so the jokes are numerous and the weirdness is omnipresent. However, this does not change the fact that the characters and story are deep and interesting. York is still a well-crafted and touching character, and, in a way, the brutal changes in tone and the weird humor are very reflective of his personality and of the unique game world he evolves in.… Read more »
I'll get around to discussing the tonal shifts and humour as they come, but as a quick way of gauging reactions to DP, I'd like to ask, what are your feelings towards Twin Peaks?
Okay that's it. I am finding way too much positive reception of Deadly Premonition to pass this up. People keep lauding it as terrible (mostly because — and I quote X-Play "It has PS2 graphics") but since when is good storytelling to be shunned to the shadows because of the graphics? I'm sure they had a small budget, and to get a story that unique for $20? No one deserves to talk trash about this game. I can't wait to check it out for myself finally!
I like your take on the opening shot of the victim quite a bit, Dan, though I think you're belaboring the point when you get to the barroom scene. I'm interested to see more of your discussion of this game. Perhaps you'll get into this later on, but why do you think the game intrinsically supports an immersive approach to interpretation? I tried to approach it this way myself, because it's my usual way of dealing with a game, and found that I just couldn't sustain it. The broadly played comedy, the "soliloquies", and the weird shifts and disconnects in… Read more »
Finally someone whose understanding of Deadly Premonition is close to mine. I decided to buy this game impusively after reading the ironic and misleading Destructoid review, seeking a funny, out-of-the-box video game experience I could laugh at, or at least, something so different and weird that it could wash away the awful taste left in my mouth by MW2's single-player campaign and all the other over-hyped games I was blindly buying. What I found in Deadly Premonition forever changed the way I play video games. It is charming, witty and funny, but also demanding and heart-wrenching. The story is deep,… Read more »


text:
L'équipe du Canada de hockey sur gazon féminin est l'équipe représentative du Canada dans les compétitions internationales féminines de hockey sur gazon.

Palmarès

Jeux olympiques
 1984 :
 1988 :
 1992 :

Coupe du monde
 1978 :
 1981 :
 1983 :
 1986 :
 1990 :
 1994 :

Ligue mondiale
 2012-13 :
 2014-15 :

Champions Trophy
 1987 :
 1989 :

Jeux du Commonwealth
 1998 :
 2002 :
 2006 :
 2010 :
 2014 :

Jeux panaméricains
 1987 :
 1991 :
 1995 :
 1999 :
 2003 :
 2007 :
 2011 :
 2015 :

Coupe panaméricaine
 2001 :
 2004 :
 2009 :
 2013 :

Notes et références

Canada
Équipe du Canada

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Welcome you to the School of Fine and Performing Arts. Our faculty members are an accomplished group of educators whose expertise as working artists, dancers, choreographers and musicians all contribute to cultural enrichment of the Coachella Valley.
Each faculty and staff member is active in personal, professional and community development. College of the Desert is a wonderful place to begin, continue or enhance your artistic journey. While here your work will be guided by industry professionals and scholarly artists, who will encourage you to grow, explore and achieve your educational goals.


Registered to sell securities in the following States: Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Kentucky (KY), Maryland (MD), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), North Carolina (NC), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), Ohio (OH), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Virginia (VA), Wisconsin (WI).
Registered for Advisory Services in the following States: Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Maryland (MD), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), Ohio (OH), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Virginia (VA), Wisconsin (WI).
Licensed to sell insurance in the following States: .


An old school tank battle is beginning under the two player game section. This game was a very famous game at 90's and it was very entertaining to play it on Atari game console. Now it's a browser game. You can play with and against your friend in this battle. Your goal is to protect your base with your tank. Don't let enemy take you down.


text:
, née le  et morte le , à , est une écolière américaine originaire de Manchester, dans l'État du Maine.

Samantha doit sa célébrité dans ces deux pays et de par le monde à une lettre qu'elle écrit à Iouri Andropov, le secrétaire-général du Parti communiste de l'Union soviétique : ce dernier lui fait parvenir une réponse contenant une invitation personnelle à visiter l'Union soviétique, que Samantha accepta. Elle est surnommée la « plus jeune ambassadrice d'Amérique » aux États-Unis, et l'« ambassadrice de bonne volonté » en Union soviétique. Entourée dès lors d'une grande attention médiatique, l'écolière se charge de promouvoir la paix dans le monde, écrit un livre et se lance dans une série télévisée. Samantha perd la vie en 1985 dans un accident d'avion.

Biographie

Enfance
Samantha Smith est née le  à Houlton dans le Maine et y vécut la première partie de sa vie avec ses parents, Arthur et Jane. D'une nature ouverte, l'enfant aimait le hockey sur gazon, le patin à roulettes, la lecture, les disciplines scientifiques et jouait par ailleurs dans l'équipe de softball de son école. Dès l'âge de cinq ans, elle eut l'idée d'écrire une lettre à la reine Élisabeth II d'Angleterre pour lui apprendre qu'elle l'aimait beaucoup. En 1980, alors que Samantha sortait tout juste de CE1, sa famille déménagea à Manchester, une ville dont la jeune fille fréquentera le collège. Son père enseignait la littérature et l'écriture à l'université du Maine, à Augusta, et sa mère occupait un emploi d'assistante sociale au Département des services sociaux de l'État, dans la même ville.

Plus tard, la mère de Samantha raconta la manière dont les évènements s'étaient ensuite déroulés : après l'accession de Iouri Andropov au sommet de la hiérarchie soviétique en novembre 1982, la plupart des journaux et des magazines américains firent leur couverture avec son portrait et lui dédièrent de nombreux articles, pour la plupart assez critiques au sujet de sa vision du pouvoir et de la menace potentielle qu'il représentait pour le monde. Cette période était par ailleurs celle des manifestations massives contre le nucléaire en Europe et en Amérique du Nord, et la chaîne ABC venait juste de diffuser son téléfilm Le Jour d'après (The Day After), qui jouait sur l'hypothèse d'une guerre atomique. Parallèlement, le président Ronald Reagan avait aussi abandonné l'idée d'une détente entre les deux blocs en déployant des missiles Pershing II en Europe. L'Union soviétique, quant à elle, était engagée depuis trois ans déjà dans la guerre d'Afghanistan, ce qui contribuait aux tensions internationales.

C'est un article de l'hebdomadaire Time, probablement daté du , qui tomba sous les mains de Samantha. « Puisque les gens ont si peur de lui, dit-elle à sa mère, pourquoi est-ce que personne ne lui envoie une lettre pour savoir s'il veut une guerre ou pas ? ». « Pourquoi ne le ferais-tu pas ? », lui répliqua sa mère.

L'échange de lettres
En , alors que Samantha était en CM2, elle écrivit au dirigeant soviétique Iouri Andropov, tâchant de comprendre pourquoi les relations américano-soviétiques étaient si tendues :

Cher M. Andropov,

Je m'appelle Samantha Smith. J'ai dix ans. Félicitations pour votre nouvelle fonction. Je me suis inquiétée à propos d'une guerre nucléaire entre la Russie et les États-Unis. Est-ce que vous allez voter pour avoir une guerre ou pas ? Si vous ne le voulez pas, dites-moi s'il vous plaît comment vous allez faire pour qu'il n'y ait pas de guerre. Une autre question à laquelle vous n'êtes pas obligé de répondre, c'est que j'aimerais savoir pourquoi vous voulez conquérir le monde ou au moins notre pays. Dieu a fait le monde pour que nous y vivions ensemble dans la paix, pas pour nous combattre.

Bien à vous,
Samantha Smith

Sa lettre fut publiée dans le journal soviétique La Pravda, et le , elle reçut une réponse d'Andropov :

 Chère Samantha,

J'ai bien reçu ta lettre, qui ressemble à tant d'autres m'étant parvenues de ton pays et d'autres pays à travers le monde.

Il me semble – à en juger par ta lettre – que tu es une fille courageuse et honnête, semblable à Becky, l'amie de Tom Sawyer dans le célèbre livre de ton compatriote Mark Twain. Ce livre est connu et apprécié aussi dans notre pays par tous les petits garçons et toutes les petites filles.

Tu écris que tu es inquiète de l'éventualité d'une guerre nucléaire entre nos deux pays. Et tu demandes si nous allons faire quelque chose pour que la guerre n'éclate pas.

Ta question est la plus importante parmi celles que tout homme sensé peut poser. Je vais te répondre avec sérieux et honnêteté.

Oui, Samantha, nous en Union soviétique tâchons de tout faire pour qu'il n'y ait pas de guerre sur Terre. C'est ce que veut tout Soviétique. C'est ce que le grand fondateur de notre État, Vladimir Lénine, nous a enseigné.

Les Soviétiques savent à quel point la guerre est une chose terrible. Il y a quarante-deux ans, l'Allemagne nazie, qui visait à la suprématie mondiale, a attaqué notre pays, brûlé et détruit plusieurs milliers de nos villes et villages, tué des millions d'hommes, de femmes et d'enfants.

Dans cette guerre, qui se termina par notre victoire, nous étions alliés avec les États-Unis : ensemble nous avons lutté pour la libération de nombreux peuples face aux envahisseurs nazis. J'espère que tu sais tout cela grâce à tes cours d'histoire à l'école. Et aujourd'hui nous voulons ardemment vivre en paix, commercer et coopérer avec tous nos voisins sur cette planète, qu'ils soient proches ou éloignés. Y compris bien entendu avec un aussi grand pays que les États-Unis d'Amérique.

En Amérique et dans notre pays il y a des armes nucléaires – de terribles armes pouvant tuer des millions de gens en un instant. Mais nous ne voulons jamais avoir à les utiliser. C'est précisément la raison pour laquelle l'Union soviétique a solennellement déclaré à travers le monde entier que jamais – jamais – elle n'utiliserait ses armes nucléaires en premier contre aucun pays. De manière générale nous proposons de mettre un terme à leur production et de procéder à la suppression de tous les stocks existants.

Il me semble que cela suffit à répondre à ta deuxième question : « Pourquoi voulez-vous faire la guerre au monde entier ou au moins aux États-Unis ? » Nous ne voulons rien de ce genre. Personne dans ce pays – ni les ouvriers et les paysans, ni les écrivains et les médecins, ni les adultes et les enfants, ni les membres du gouvernement – ne veut d'une guerre, grande ou petite.

Nous voulons la paix – et nous avons d'autres occupations : faire pousser du blé, construire et inventer, écrire des livres et s'envoler dans l'espace. Nous voulons la paix pour nous-mêmes et pour tous les peuples de cette planète. Pour nos enfants et pour toi, Samantha.

Je t'invite, si tes parents sont d'accord, à venir dans notre pays, l'été étant la meilleure saison. Tu découvriras notre pays, tu rencontreras des jeunes gens de ton âge en visitant un camp international pour enfants – Artek – au bord de la mer. Et tu le constateras par toi-même : en Union soviétique, chacun est pour la paix et l'amitié entre les peuples.

Merci pour ta lettre. Je te souhaite le meilleur dans la vie.

I. Andropov

Un succès mondial
Une véritable fièvre médiatique s'ensuivit, avec l'interview de Samantha par de célèbres journalistes comme Ted Koppel et Johnny Carson ou des reportages dans les journaux télévisés de toutes les grandes chaînes. Le , la jeune fille s'envola pour Moscou en compagnie de ses parents, et fut pendant deux semaines l'invitée d'Andropov. Au cours de son voyage, elle fit la visite de Moscou et de Leningrad (aujourd'hui Saint-Pétersbourg), passa quelque temps en Crimée à Artek, le principal camp soviétique de pionniers. Même si Andropov, déjà sérieusement malade, ne fut pas en mesure de la rencontrer, ils purent néanmoins converser au téléphone. Samantha rapporte dans son livre qu'à Leningrad, elle et ses parents furent stupéfaits par l'accueil chaleureux des habitants et par les cadeaux que leur firent de nombreuses personnes. Lors d'une conférence de presse tenue à Moscou, Samantha dira ensuite des Russes qu'ils sont « tout comme nous ».

À Artek, Samantha préféra rester avec les enfants soviétiques plutôt que de profiter du logement spécial qui lui était offert. Par souci de faciliter la communication, les professeurs et les enfants ayant la meilleure maîtrise de l'anglais furent désignés pour occuper les logements voisins. Au cours de son séjour dans le dortoir, qu'elle partageait avec neuf autres jeunes filles, Samantha s'occupa en faisant de la natation, en discutant et en apprenant des chansons et des danses russes. Elle se fit de nombreuses amies, notamment Natacha Kachirina, qui était originaire de Leningrad et savait s'exprimer couramment en anglais.

Les médias soviétiques suivirent chaque étape du voyage – des photographies et des articles la concernant furent publiés par les principaux journaux et magazines soviétiques tout au long de son séjour et même ensuite. Samantha devint très vite célèbre auprès des citoyens soviétiques, qui la considéraient pour la plupart d'un œil favorable.

Le retour de Samantha aux États-Unis, le , fut fêté par la population du Maine, et sa popularité continua à croître dans son pays natal. Elle devint progressivement une militante de la paix, en animant par exemple en 1984 une émission sur la politique spécialement destinée aux enfants, pour le compte de Disney. Elle se rendit également au Japon avec sa mère, où elle rencontra le Premier ministre Yasuhiro Nakasone et assista au Colloque International de l'Enfance à Kobe. Dans le discours qu'elle tint à l'occasion de ce colloque, elle émit la proposition que les dirigeants soviétiques et américains échangent leurs petites-filles deux semaines tous les ans, faisant valoir qu'un président « ne voudrait pas envoyer une bombe sur un pays où sa petite-fille serait en visite ».

Samantha rédigea plus tard un livre intitulé Voyage en Union soviétique (Journey to the Soviet Union) et se lança dans une carrière de jeune actrice, en partageant la vedette avec Robert Wagner dans une série télévisée appelée Lime Street. Bien que la plupart des Américains aient considéré l'aventure de la jeune fille avec intérêt, une partie de la population, dont beaucoup d'émigrants russes arrivés aux États-Unis des années 1930 à 1950, se montrèrent plus critiques au sujet de ce voyage, y voyant la manipulation d'une enfant dans un but de propagande.

Décès et funérailles

Samantha perdit la vie au cours de l'été 1985, au retour du tournage d'un épisode de Lime Street, lorsque son avion manqua la piste d'atterrissage d'Auburn dans le Maine et s'écrasa en tuant toutes les personnes à bord (six passagers – dont Samantha et son père – et deux membres d'équipage). L'avion, un Beechcraft 99, appartenait à la . L'origine de l'accident fit par la suite l'objet de nombreuses spéculations, certains allant jusqu'à accuser la CIA ou le KGB avec l'hypothèse que la popularité croissante de la jeune fille aurait pu commencer à affecter d'importantes décisions politiques et militaires dans les deux pays. Une enquête fut ouverte aux États-Unis, et les conclusions du rapport, qui ne retenaient pas cette hypothèse, furent rendues publiques.

Comme il est précisé dans le rapport, l'accident survint à environ 22 h 05 (heure locale), le point d'impact étant situé à  au sud-ouest de l'aéroport d'Auburn. Le texte poursuit en indiquant que « l'angle de vol relativement abrupt de l'avion, ainsi que son altitude et sa vitesse, excluaient toute chance de survie pour ses occupants ». Le rapport retient que la nuit de l'accident était particulièrement sombre et pluvieuse, que les pilotes étaient inexpérimentés et qu'une erreur d'un radar au sol, assez courante mais habituellement sans gravité, avaient précipité la catastrophe.

Environ un millier de personnes assistèrent aux cérémonies de funérailles de Samantha à Augusta (Maine), un nombre de personnes curieusement peu important, vu la médiatisation de la jeune fille, y compris l'acteur Robert Wagner et un envoyé de l'ambassade soviétique Vladimir Koulaguine qui y lut un message de condoléances de la part de Mikhaïl Gorbatchev. Aucun représentant du gouvernement américain, en revanche, ne fit acte de présence, ni le gouverneur du Maine, ce qui fit scandale dans l'opinion publique. Samantha et son père furent enterrés près de Houlton, la ville natale de la jeune fille.

Hommages

URSS
L'Union soviétique émit un timbre commémoratif à l'effigie de Samantha. Un diamant, une culture de tulipes et de dahlias, un navire de passagers et une montagne furent également nommés en l'honneur de Samantha Smith. Un monument lui fut érigé à Moscou.

Lorsque l'astronome soviétique Lioudmila Tchernykh découvrit l'astéroïde , elle le baptisa (3147) Samantha.

États-Unis
La mère de Samantha fonda la Samantha Smith Foundation en , afin d'encourager les échanges universitaires entre les États-Unis et l'Union soviétique. La fondation fonctionna jusqu'en 1995.

Une loi de l'État du Maine a fait du premier lundi de juin de chaque année la « Journée Samantha Smith » (Samantha Smith Day). La ville d'Augusta a par ailleurs érigé une statue à Samantha près du musée officiel de l'État (Capitole), sur laquelle la jeune fille est représentée en train de libérer une colombe tandis qu'un ourson, symbolisant à la fois le Maine et la Russie, se repose à ses pieds.

Deux écoles ont en souvenir reçut son nom : la Samantha Smith Elementary (école primaire dans l'État de Washington) ainsi que P.S. 182 Samantha Smith (école publique à New York, état de New-York).

Un film sur la vie de Samantha Smith fut souvent évoqué par des professionnels de Hollywood, surtout entre 1985 et 1990, mais le projet n'aboutit pas. L'histoire était peut-être trop récente, et l'URSS était en train de disparaître, ce qui arrivera en .

Fédération de Russie
Après l'effondrement de l'Union soviétique en 1991, la couverture médiatique de tous les événements liés à Samantha Smith connut un terme en Russie. Le monument construit en son honneur à Moscou fut dérobé en 2003 par des voleurs intéressés par la valeur du métal. Plusieurs interviews de la mère de Samantha, Jane Smith, furent néanmoins publiées dans les journaux russes au début des années 2000, et de nombreuses personnes en Russie se souviennent encore de la jeune fille. En 2003, Valentin Vaulin, un retraité vivant à Voronej, lui édifia un monument sans aucune aide du gouvernement.

Autre
En 1985, le musicien Per Nørgård a écrit le concerto pour alto  en sa mémoire.

La carte  « Yuri et Samantha » du jeu de stratégie  de GMT Games concerne l'évènement de la lettre de Samantha Smith à Iouri Andropov.

Documentaire
  Une petite partie lui est consacré dans Amour, haine et propagande (4/4), La Guerre froide : Guerre des mots, diffusé à 20 h sur Radio Canada le .
  Disney Channel a produit avec elle un documentaire le  intitulé Samantha Smith Goes to Washington: Campaign '84 (1984).

Bibliographie
  Arthur and Samantha Smith: Journey to the Soviet Union, Little Brown and Co., 1985.  ed.
  Anne Galicich: Samantha Smith: A Journey for Peace, Minneapolis Dillon Press, Inc., 1987.
  Patricia Stone Martin and Bernard Doctor: Samantha Smith Young Ambassador. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Entreprises, 1987
  Samantha Smith Center. Samantha Smith Foundation Newsletter. Hallowell, ME: The Foundation, 1994.

Notes et références

Liens externes

  www.samanthasmith.info – site officiel qui contient des photographies et des éléments biographiques sur Samantha Smith
  – La statue de Samantha Smith à Augusta dans le département de sa naissance
  – Statut du Maine instituant la Journée Samantha Smith
  – Résumé détaillé sur son accident
  – Rapport officiel sur le Bar Harbor Airlines 1808 du
  – Article dédié à la visite de Samantha Smith en Russie à Artek (camp), avec plusieurs photos

Naissance en juin 1972
Naissance dans le comté d'Aroostook
Décès en août 1985
Personnalité féminine américaine
Vie politique et sociétale du monde occidental pendant la guerre froide
Décès à 13 ans
Mort dans un accident aérien
Décès dans le comté d'Androscoggin
Éponyme d'un objet céleste


I want to thank everyone who reached out to our family with words of comfort after Dad's passing. Your kind support is a testament to the impact he had with his time in this world.
As many of you know, two years ago, my father was diagnosed with ALS. As with every challenge he faced in life, he approached it with boundless optimism and spirit until the day he passed.
My father loved Eastridge with all of his heart. Even during the toughest days of his illness, he looked forward to coming to the office and meeting with the people that form our company's community.
He founded the company with a set of fundamental values. He placed integrity above all else, treated everyone with dignity, and worked tirelessly on behalf of our team and clients. He believed deeply in people's goodness and potential. He demonstrated the most powerful form of leadership, which is leadership by example. He lived these values every day.
When we reflect on my Dad's legacy, I suspect many of us feel the same way: we stand on the shoulders of a giant.
On behalf of my family and everyone at Eastridge, thank you for your warmth and friendship.


I am a lifelong pet owner with a current pet load of two dogs and three cats. I've also owned horses, birds and fish. I've been a volunteer at a local animal shelter since 2004, primarily as a dog walker, including working with abused and neglected dogs that have come from puppy mills or seizures. I have enjoyed the opportunity of working with all kinds of companion animals, and have received training in animal behaviors. I believe in using positive reinforcement when working with animals and have taken all my dogs to obedience training and/or agility classes. I am the author of "Planning for Pets: Trusts, Leash Laws and More," and have spoken on the subject of pet trusts as part of a "Silver Whiskers, Golden Bonds" presentation with veterinarian colleagues.


Statseeker comes with pre-packaged SLA and Cisco IPSLA reports, and additional reports may be created via the Custom Reporting Console.
This will display the SLA configuration panel.
The Query Info field will be populated as you configure the time range via the drop-down lists, but can also be manually edited or passed off to the Advanced Time Filter Editor as required. For details on manually editing time ranges or using the Advance Timefilter Editor, see Time Filters.
The devices/interfaces associated with this SLA will have their availability, during the specified time range, compared to the target value to determine if they are maintaining compliance with the SLA.
Once an SLA has been created, the SLA can be linked to a group/s containing devices and/or interfaces, doing so will provide the data required to populate SLA reports.
Note: ifOperStatus polling is used to monitor the availability of interfaces for SLA reporting. In addition to linking the SLA with interfaces, you will need to enable ifOperStatus polling for those interfaces in order to populate the Interface Group SLA Availability (13months) report, see Enable ifOperStatus Polling for details.
Note: you may wish to consider creating groups specifically for this purpose to ensure that the correct devices/interfaces, and only those devices/interfaces, are targeted by SLA reporting.
The SLA is now linked to the group contents and the Device Group SLA Availability (13months) reports will display data as is appropriate. The Interface Group SLA Availability (13months) report still requires that ifOperStatus polling be enabled on all interfaces you wish to report on, see Enable ifOperStatus Polling for details.
By default, ifOperStatus polling is disabled, and this can be enabled for select interfaces, or your network as a whole.
ifOperStatus polling can be enabled for all newly discovered devices across your entire network from within the Administration Tool.
ifOperStatus polling can be enabled for a selection of interfaces by configuring an Auto Grouping rule within the Administration Tool.
Note: selecting a device group, while the Group Type is set to Interface, will cause the Auto Grouping rule to populate the group with all interfaces found on the devices within the device group.
The rule will be run, any new groups specified by the rule will be created, groups will be populated according to the rule, and ifOperStatus polling will be enabled for the specified interfaces. Statseeker runs an hourly background process that will compile data for the report.
The 13 month reports ignore the contents of the NIM Console Time Filter, but this filter may be used to refine the data presented in the availability reports. Any custom SLA report, created through the Custom Reporting Console, will make use of their own time-filter, as well as any group, device, interface, or attribute filters that have been specified within the report.


text:
153 Year Heritage
Malvern Qualities
Message From Malvern College UK
School Management Commitee
Message from the Headmaster
Teaching Approach
Pastoral Care Boarding and Day
A typically Day
Holistic Leadership Development
Sports and Arts
Why Malvern College Chengdu
Malvern College Chengdu aims to provide a range of international experiences for our pupils. Summer camps will be held at Malvern College UK and we are establishing similar exchange programmes with schools in Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA. Pupils will be encouraged to participate in educational visits, summer camps, voluntary work and internships in various international destinations, and to join us in working with international organizations like Habitat for Humanity and AIESEC.
Habitat for Humanity's vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Its mission is to put God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. As a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry that builds with people in need regardless of race or religion, it welcomes volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds.
Habitat for Humanity has more than 1,400 local affiliates in the United States and more than 70 national organizations around the world. Together, it has helped to build or repair more than 800,000 houses and serve more than 4 million people worldwide.(http://www.habitat.org/asiapacific)
AIESEC is an international non-governmental not-for-profit organization that provides young people with leadership development and cross-cultural global internship and volunteer exchange experiences across the globe, with a focus to empower young people so they can make a positive impact on society.
Tasked with leading AIESEC's 70,000+ volunteers and full-time staff in achieving its mission across 120+ countries and territories. They are the final decision makers for the organization, directing strategy, operations and act as guardians of the AIESEC Way throughout the global network.
The current team of 24 represents 17 nationalities as AIESEC International team 2014-2015. Unlike any other organization of this scale, AIESEC elects a new Global President annually, who then selects a new leadership team to lead and manage the global network. The ever-evolving dynamic nature of AIESEC enables it to stay true to the roots of being youth-run for youth since its founding in 1948.
Zhi Wu Yuan South Gate,Tianhui Town,Jinniu District,Chengdu,Sichuan Province.
Malvern College Chengdu is established in partnership with Malvern College UK, to offer an international education tailored to the needs of students in China. Malvern College was founded in 1865 and has since developed into one of the leading independent schools in the UK, renowned as an innovator in education. It has produced renowned alumni including two prime ministers, three Nobel Prize winners, as well as famous writer C.S. Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia.


text:
Warren: Ethical Controversy for Another New England Democrat Candidate
Retired Providence Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst has offered, via Ted Nesi's Saturday column, a cute analysis of how both Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren could wind up in the U.S. Senate next session.
While RI's mainstream press ponders hypotheticals about the Senate race next door, Rhode Island blogger and Cornell law professor William Jacobson has been investigating whether Warren has been practicing law illegally in that state:
As detailed below, there are at least two provisions of Massachusetts law Warren may have violated. First, on a regular and continuing basis she used her Cambridge office for the practice of law without being licensed in Massachusetts. Second, in addition to operating an office for the practice of law without being licensed in Massachusetts, Warren actually practiced law in Massachusetts without being licensed.
Monique has mentioned that post already, here, receiving the biggest "if" in Jacobson's analysis, as articulated by Joe Bernstein in the comments: "If Warren only practiced in Federal court, a MA license wasn't required as long as she was licensed somewhere at the time."
In his post, Jacobson details what information is available about Warren's licensure, in Texas and New Jersey. Oddly, she resigned her New Jersey license on September 11 of this year, which, Jacobson says, "made it more difficult for the public to determine her pre-resignation status."
Since then, Jacobson has continued to argue that the objections are irrelevant to the law and, in any event, "Warren did represent a Massachusetts client in Massachusetts on a Massachusetts legal issue." With that, the peer-review process of the blogosphere has been operating, and Jacobson passes along a concession by a skeptic that the facts look "really, really bad for Professor Warren."
Indeed, they do. This election cycle, though, things that look really, really bad for Democrat candidates in national races have had a way of slipping through the media cracks.
Tiverton Toll Meeting Shows Rhode Islanders Have to Stop Fighting Fire with Paper
U.S. Grant and the Left-Right Lines
Warrington Faust
Not that I favor Liawatha Warren, I think this is a tempest in a teapot. I am sure she could have been "admitted by motion" at any time she wished. That she overlooked this may say something.
As an initial matter, I'll just say that state-based bar examination is an antiquated, corrupt, and utterly backwards system that serves no purpose but to frustrate interstate commerce and generate revenue for the states. It should have been overhauled in favor of a nationwide system a long time ago.
However, the law is what it is, and this is not a technicality or a trivial violation. People accept or turn down job opportunities based on where they are licensed to practice law. They mold much of their lives around it. It is a difficult and expensive process to become licensed in a state. People can be fined or go to jail for practicing without a license. It's a big deal.
Sammy in Arizona
Can you just imagine the uproar from the "family values folks" if Ms Warren had posed naked, for a photo spread, in her youth ? That fact alone would have disqualified her for the senate, in their eyes. And I am sure that the folks on the "right" would have labeled her a "former porn star" and worse
Max D
Hey Sammy, the only uproar would be from the horror of actually seeing it. Excuse me if I don't thank you for that mental image.
Troll on Sammy.
Tommy Cranston
Posted by Sammy in Arizona at September 29, 2012 1:27 PM
Why is this troll, an ad nauseum master of the non-sequitor, still posting here???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I'm also getting very tired of Sammy the Troll. I would never advocate for banning content, but a blog that allows blatant off-topic trolling doesn't stay a blog long. I might as well start selling Cialis here.
joe bernstein
sammy serves less purpose here than toilet paper with holes in it during a diarrhea attack-he really doesn't address the topic seriously or frequently at all.
I guess I personalized my last comment-here's why-my wife(who has never read AR)has a sister who is,shall we say,not too nice and that sister lives with a man of Middle Eastern origin named "sammy" and my wife had described him as a "hairy troll".I never met him.This "sammy"reminds me of the departed "Rhody".
How is Sammy off topic? This little hit piece against Democrat Warren comes weeks before a U.S. Senate election. Could those raising the issue of one candidate's professional past be supporting the other candidate and looking to smear their opponent? So Sammy brings up an uncomfortable past fact about Senator Brown and the cries start about silencing him. Some would like to limit debate to only the areas that they are willing to discuss. That certainly is a winning formula. While Sammy's comment is not about some stupid law license or Native American heritage or as MaxD reminds us in election season that women candidates have to pass some sort of beauty test, it is on topic in a big picture way. Instead of discussing the political issues in that Senate race Justin feels the need to advance a partisan attack against the Democratic candidate with this justification, "This election cycle, though, things that look really, really bad for Democrat candidates in national races have had a way of slipping through the media cracks." So obviously Justin feels the need to rectify the situation of allowing anything really bad about Demoratic candidates from slipping through the cracks on his blog. So according to some who comment either you dance to his tune or be shown the door.
Phil – Give it a rest. Every regular here knows exactly what Sammy is. That he occasionally offers some pretext flavor for his autogen anti-Republican spam doesn't make him on topic. He has been caught red-handed cut and pasting chunks of text from Democratic attack websites without attributiion – more than once. If the original blog post was a standardized test prompt and Sammy was being asked to respond to it, he would get a 0 by any grading metric. That you would advocate for a blatant troll just because he happens to be on "your side" says a lot about your integrity.
Phil,
In all fairness, I don't wanna' see Scott Brown naked either. Does that work for you? The left's acceptance of Warren's failure to be licensed in Massachusetts, representing corporate America while claiming to lookout for the little guy, and using her heritage to advance her career speaks volumes. In your world, sacrificing integrity is OK if it's a risk to the success of your ideology. The same is going on with Cicilline. You have a candidate caught lying but it doesn't matter. Newsflash Phil, the truth is not a hit piece.
There seems to be some belief that Warren should have taken the Massachusetts Bar Exam. I suspect that she could have been "admitted on motion" without taking the exam.
Here is a cut from the Massachusetts rules:
Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:01, §6.1 requires the engagement in the active (i.e. fulltime)practice or teaching of law of an applicant for admission on motion, for a minimum of five of the past seven years immediately preceding the filing of an application.
Of course, there is always the possibility that she would not have been admitted on technical grounds.
"The left's acceptance of Warren's failure to be licensed in Massachusetts, representing corporate America while claiming to lookout for the little guy, and using her heritage to advance her career speaks volumes."
And the lack of consistency is once again one of the more troubling effects. If Max D had been describing the actions/resume of a Republican candidate, the Mass left would be falling all over themselves to indignantly denounce this "right wing, pro-corporate hypocrite who stepped all over the little guy for years in order to make a buck".
Well, hey, if they're willing to look away while the Obama administration walks guns to Mexican gangs, perp-walks people for bad YouTube videos, and accelerates warrantless wiretaps exponentially, letting Warren and Cicilline slide on a little thing like honesty isn't all that big of a deal, comparatively.
Warren's biggest negative is her making money from a coal company to go after retirees' health benefits(gee,I wonder if the coal industry is dangerous to the health of miners?)and from a large insurance company to go after people with asbestosis.Nothing illegal-it's just that her public persona is supposed to make one think of Jane Addams when in fact she prospers by working for the Cornelius Vanderbilts of the world.Let's not forget her success at "flipping"foreclosed houses-a parasitic activity if ever there was one.There it is Phil-a lot of material for you to studiously ignore in your single minded support of the Democratic Party candidate in MA.
I don't vote in Mass. I don't vote in the first Congressional race either. The purpose of my post was not in support of the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Mass. but rather to rebut charges that Sammy was off topic with his post. The fact that Justin Katz wants to steer the conversation to attacks against the Democratic candidate in the U.S. Senate race in Mass. does not and should not prevent discussion of other relevant facts that pertain to that race. Is that clear? Justin the self described ideologue sounds more like a partisan. Know that ideologue is closer to idiocy than it is to ideal in the dictionary.
I obviously don't vote in MA either.However,I am interested in seeing the Senate controlled by Republicans because of the role of that body in confirming appointments.What's wrong with being a partisan?Like you aren't?Please.I'll vote for some Democrats in state/local races,but never again for a federal office.
So I'll cancel you out. The rest is clear to you. I refuse to vote for the state senate and representative in my district. None of the choices that involve two Democrats and one Republican can induce me to vote but I may write in "joe bernstein" instead. How could it get any worse?
@Phil-how bad are the state politicians in your district that you could write my name in?OMG they must be real A-holes!!
joe My districts could do a lot worse. Seriously you'd be welcome.
Sorry Phil but you still haven't explained how Sammy's imaginary naked Warren post was relevant to her lying and cheating.


Almost 8 weeks in and I still don't have a clue. I currently have three bouncers and have only set one up. My trio hate it so I plan on returning the other two. They love their boppy loungers but I'm looking for other infant seats/options for when they are not being carried. What do you use and recommend? TY!
We mostly use a 4moms rockaroo and mommaroo. They like them only as long as they are not remotely hungry. They take mini naps in them while we do dishes or have a meal too if we tuck a blanket around them snug. They tend to fuss until they fall asleep but that often happens in their cribs too.
Edit to add they also like their play mat gyms while really awake and will stare in the mirrors and look at the toys dangling for 20-30 min.
We have two playmat gyms and they still have no interest in them. We also have the bumbo chairs for next month when they have better head support.
How do you like the rickaroo vs the mommaroo? They seem bulky to me and we have very limited space. I did some research and found the babybjoen bouncer. The price is a bit high like the mommaroo but the reviews are great.
Like all baby products it's hit or miss. These are the smallest "swings" I've found. Most are so gaudy looking I can't even consider owning them. I'm pretty sure the babies would rather be held all day but that's not an option. At 12 weeks, 7 corrected, they started showing interest in the playmats and only when fully awake but not hungry so it's a magical moment to hit still.
I have a fisher price swing that I use. My lo likes looking at the mini mobile above it. It's pretty bulky, but I got it for free from a friend.
Infant car seat, convertible car seat!!?


Dave Williams | Corporate Class Inc.
Dr. Dave Williams joined the CCI tam in 2010 and brings his unique experience as an astronaut and a medical doctor to leadership training.
Although he describes himself as; "just a curious kid from Saskatchewan," Dr. Williams has piloted jets, been launched twice into the stratosphere on the space shuttle and dived the depths of the sea.
In 1992, as one of 5300 applicants for the space program and ultimately, one of only four selected, he joined the ranks of the fewer than 500 individuals chosen for a space mission.
Dr. Williams he logged over 13 million miles in space and participated in ground-breaking research into microgravity and its effects on the brain and nervous system. He orbited on the space shuttle Columbia and the Endeavor. During his service on the International Space Station he made three spacewalks – leading two – and set a Canadian record.
Following his space missions, he assumed the prestigious role of Director of The Space & Life Sciences Directorate at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Now back in Canada, Dave continues his medical career.


Get Tarot Reading with Tarot Reader Hazael. Pin number 345894. Over 6 years experience. With a Wise style, you can get your answers to love, career, finances and more. Hazael speaks Latvian. Originally from Latvia.


Celsus are an award winning ISO9001 distribution company. We supply the UK and Europe with the most desired 12v mobile & marine audio together alongside market-leading sound damping and automotive accessory products. Our company intent is to create an environment where we can all do well - this is the DNA within our business. Our products bring enjoyment to our customers, supplier partners and the Celsus team.
Celsus is an award winning ISO9001 distribution company.


text:
AT NVIDIA, PREPARING KIDS FOR SCHOOL IS VERY COOL
September 13, 2012 by Liz Austin
NVIDIA employees are passionate about education.
It's the top priority each year when the NVIDIA Foundation, our employee-led corporate foundation, asks how it should direct its funds.
While educational support is provided all year long through tutoring and mentoring programs, "back to school" season is the time when NVIDIANs from around the world really put this passion into action.
In recent weeks, NVIDIA employees in offices from Beijing to Bangalore donated time and money to make sure local students have what they need to be successful in school this year.
NVIDIANS at Beijing's Light Love School.
Our Beijing office created two computer classrooms for the Beijing Light Love School, a free boarding school that serves homeless, orphaned, disabled and other children in need from all over China. The new classrooms will host computer courses—from basic computer knowledge to web and graphic design—with the aim of increasing the students' future employment opportunities.
Shanghai employees donated books and volunteered time to set up a new library for the XiaoShan School, in Hangzhou, which primarily serves children of low-income families. Volunteers organized the books, helped install a software system to manage the checkout process and trained students on how to locate the books in the library. Before this effort, the school did not have enough books to meet the needs of its students.
For the second consecutive year, a team of more than two dozen NVIDIANs from the Bangalore office participated in a charity 10K run to raise awareness and funds for Snehadeep Trust for the Disabled. Amplifying its fundraising efforts this year, the team raised 500,000 rupees (about $9,000)—60 percent more than last year. The funds will help support teacher salaries, needed equipment and student boarding.
NVIDIANS at the new library at the XioShan School in Hangzhou.
"With the right kind of support and computer training, disabled students at Snehadeep can secure well-paying jobs, often lifting entire families out of poverty," said Krishnaraj Rao, director of engineering at NVIDIA. "It is incredibly rewarding to see the impact our support is having on the Snehadeep students."
In Pune, employees supported the Jagriti School for Blind Girls by donating money through payroll deductions to help offset student expenses and fund the school's expansion.
In its seventh year, the U.S. Field Office Backpack Drive exceeded goals, collecting enough donations to send more than 1,000 students back to school with a new backpack and classroom supplies. More than 260 employees from a dozen offices joined the effort. Backpacks and funds will support local nonprofit organizations in each of 12 participating office locations around the country.
And at our Santa Clara, Calif., headquarters, more than 500 employees volunteered more than 660 hours packaging educational math and science kits for donation to schools in Silicon Valley. In total, 4,475 kits, all made from surplus materials donated by local companies, were assembled. The effort will reach nearly 45,000 students.
Maybe one day, some of them will work at NVIDIA.
Tags: NVIDIA Foundation


Ahmet Rifat Karasalihoglu, Recep Yagiz, Abdullah Tas, Cem Uzun, Mustafa Kemal Adali, Muhsin Koten,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 671-675.
Tomasz Krecicki, Robert Smigiel, Marcin Fraczek, Marlena Kowalczyk, Maria M. Sasiadek,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 676-680.
Hugo Nodarse-Cuní, Nora Iznaga-Marín, Ditza Viera-Alvarez, Hortensia Rodríguez-Gómez, Héctor Fernández-Fernández, Yazmín Blanco-López, Carmen Viada-González, Pedro López-Saura, Cuban Group for the Study of Interferon in Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 681-687.
Erol Keles, Ahmet Gödekmerdan, Turgut Kalidağ, Irfan Kaygusuz, Şinasi Yalçin, H. Cengiz Alpay, Murat Aral,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 688-693.
Cost and morbidity of MRSA in head and neck cancer patients: what are the consequences?
K. Watters, T.P. O'Dwyer, H. Rowley,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 694-699.
Ullas Raghavan, N.S. Jones,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 700-705.
M.E. Shykhon, D.W. Morgan, R. Dutta, E.L. Hines, J.W. Gardner,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 706-709.
D.C. Wild, D. Mehta, P.J. Conboy,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 710-712.
C.J. Webb, H. Beer,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 713-714.
J. Tahery, A. Belloso, A.P. Zarod,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 715-716.
D.T.W. Teo, T.Y. Tan, S.P. Eng, Y.M. Chan,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 717-720.
A.F. Hyams, S.C. Toynton, M. Jaramillo, L.R. Stone, P.J. Bryson,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 721-723.
Tomokazu Yoshizaki, Hidenori Kinsen, Hiroshi Minato, Toshiyuki Kita, Mitsuru Furukawa,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 724-726.
W. Mangar, D. Jiang, R.V. Lloyd,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 727-729.
A.T.Y. Chin, H.K. Borg, C. Chew, D. Houghton,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 730-731.
A. Thaper, N.S. Jones,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 732-733.
T.H. Malik, K.H. Badran, A. Belloso, F.R. Rapado, J.R. Cherry,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 734-736.
P.H. Jones, S. Uppal, A.P. Coatesworth,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 737-738.
Walid Sabbagh, David Gault,	The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 738-740.
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Volume 118 Issue 9, pp 741-746.


IQS Directory provides a detailed list of foam cutting companies and suppliers in California. Find foam cutting companies that can design, engineer, and provide foam cutting products to your specifications. Peruse our website to review and discover top foam cutting companies with roll over ads and complete product descriptions. Connect with the foam cutting companies through our hassle-free and efficient request for quote form. You are provided company profiles, website links, locations, phone numbers, product videos, and product information. Read reviews and stay informed with product new articles. Whether you are looking for manufacturers of foam padding, foam cushions, and open cell foam of every type, IQS is the premier source for you.
In need of packaging foam? Check out Astrofoam Molding Company's Astrofoam packaging products. In business since 1969, we manufacture Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) products such as stock boxes/coolers, wine packaging, corner blocks/edge protectors and also custom molded projects. Foam Cutting in California.
Atlas Foam Products offers high quality, top of the line foam cutting services to all our customers. We have been providing these services in the Los Angeles area for over 50 years. We are proud to say that we have over 100 foam variations in stock and we can provide a foam solution for virtually any need. Call us today for more information or visit our website to see our products for yourself. Foam Cutting in California.
Califoam Products is a leading foam fabricating company that produces high quality foams to industry. Our foam fabricated products include acoustical & convoluted foam that comes in profiled foam slabs, polyurethane foam cushioning, carrying case foams, insulating foam, polyethylene foam, foam padding, foam cushions, & more. We also do foam cutting & die cutting fabrication techniques. Foam Cutting in California.
Fabricator of reusable plastic foams for interior cushioning on shipping cases and corrugated containers. Materials: Open cell Polyurethanes in Industrial or Military grades, closed cell regular or cross-linked polyethylenes. Foam Cutting in California.
Deccofelt can die-cut, slit, and sheet materials and laminates into a variety of shapes and sizes from ¼" diameters to larger and more intricate parts. Our rotary, steel rule, and clicker die presses customize your products to your specifications. Die-cut parts can be supplied with adhesive backing for "peel & stick" applications, or without adhesive. Foam Cutting in California.
Foam Online provides online foam sales and distribution of custom-shaped foam, packaging foam, memory foam, tempurpedic foam and other foam products. We provide various industries and applications with high-quality products and services. Foam Cutting in California.
We have been working to provide excellent service and superior quality products, FoamLinx Technologies specialize in distributing stock and producing custom container solutions for a variety of different industries. Our shipping cases are the strongest, most reliable transport cases on the market. We also offer computer, tool, fabricated and injection molded cases even custom case interiors. For more information on our products, give us a call today! Foam Cutting in California.
G. F. Cole specializes in high-quality precision die cutting and custom fabrication of a wide range of nonmetallic materials. We use a wide range of machinery and all types of materials for diecutting and fabricating, from commercial to specification grades. Call today for more information about our products! Foam Cutting in California.
Here at Marko Foam Products, Inc, we make the most out of all of our products! We work to serve you and the industry that you are in! We make top of the line custom foam solutions for world class customers. We service a wide variety of industries to make sure that our customers receive a diversified experience throughout the workplace. Our customers are our number one objective! For more information on our services, give us a call today!Foam Cutting in California.
Pacific States Felt provides custom fabrication of die cut gaskets. These include neoprene gaskets, Viton® gaskets, silicone gaskets, rubber gaskets, foam gaskets and Teflon® gaskets. Foam Cutting in California.
Custom foam fabrication is our business. We manufacture the tooling and our main product—case inserts for protection of goods while in transit. Our packaging foam is offered in a variety of materials. Regardless of the design's complexity, our cushioning foam fits your case. 25+ years of experience. Foam Cutting in California.
Our corrugated box packaging company manufactures numerous packaging products. Our custom corrugated cardboard boxes can be single-wall, double-wall or tri-wall. Choose from plain cardboard boxes, inserts, or our quality printed corrugated P.O.P. displays which can be counter displays, free standing or pallet displays. We offer multi packs made of wood, foam or corrugated pallet. Foam Cutting in California.
Founded in 1970, Ultramet manufactures open cell foam used in orthopedic implant devices. We offer foam fabricating services of refractory open cell foam for several applications like noise reductions, mirrors, thermal management, and fuel injectors. We also manufacture refractory metals, platinum group metals, and ceramics for aerospace, defense, biomedical, and energy industry applications. Foam Cutting in California.
Foam Fabricators celebrates 50 years of commitment and service in the foam fabricating industry. We have the expertise and resources to be the single source for your job, from design to production. We invent, create and manufacture molded foam solutions and also work with expanded plastics. Foam Cutting in Arizona.
At Soundrite-Acoustic Foam we offer a variety of quality soundproofing materials. Our customer service is first class. We are available to help our customers find the best soundproofing materials for their needs. Contact us today!Foam Cutting in Nevada.
Barrier engineers solutions designed to fit your needs. With a full line of manufacturing capabilities including water jetting, die cutting, laminating and skiving conveniently located at one facility, Barrier has the capacity to perform more than ten custom foam fabricating processes on polyurethane and polyethylene foams. Barrier foams serve a broad customer base with superior care and quality. Foam Cutting in Oregon.
Bauer Cases provides closed cell and open cell foam products that are of the highest quality in the industry. We offer several different foam options that will withstand oils, solvents and fuels. We can custom cut foam for any application, whether it's a simple toolbox or a complex aerospace or military container. Foam Cutting in Washington.
Since 1977, we have been supplying gasket materials and custom gaskets to companies throughout the Americas. Our client base is based throughout all of the industrial sectors. We have a variety of different capabilities that stem from die-cutting, assemblies of rubber products, laminating, and much more! We have an extensive inventory that is sure to cover your needs. We provide high-quality products for our loyal customers! For more information on these products, give us a call today! Foam Cutting in Washington.
General Plastics Manufacturing Company has been a leading innovator in the plastics industry for 75 years. The company develops and manufactures rigid and flexible polyurethane foam products, which includes the LAST-A-FOAM® brand series, and build-to-print composite parts. They serve the aerospace and defense, nuclear transportation containment, composite core, prototype and modeling, construction and marine industries. Certified to ISO 9001:2008/AS9100C. Foam Cutting in Washington.
Hotwire Direct is here to solve all of your foam fabricating problems! We design and manufacture our products so that you get what you need out of your customer service experience! We are guaranteed to make sure that you get exactly what you need! All of our team members have expansive experience in machine design, computer programming, and electronics manufacturing. Since 1994, we have been a manufacturer of EPS and XPS foam! For more information on how we can benefit your company today, give us a call! Foam Cutting in Washington.
Trust the Pacific Northwest's oldest & largest open & closed cell foam fabricator. We work with Polyurethanes, Latex Foam Rubber, Visco-Elastic (Memory Foams), Reticulated Urethane (Filtration & Outdoor Foams), Polyethylene's & Neoprene's, plus Ensolite, Rubatex and Youngbo brand closed cell products. Foam Cutting in Washington.
For more than 30 years RAM technologies have been manufacturing foam products, laminating fabrics, brace pads, and much more. Contact us today!Foam Cutting in Washington.
The Box Maker began serving the Puget Sound region as a custom corrugated manufacturer and by 1991 we added a foam and custom label division while strengthening our full line of packaging supplies. Today, The Box Maker serves customers along the I-5 corridor from Southern Oregon to the Canadian border and east to Spokane and the Inland Empire. Foam Cutting in Washington.


I read this article and found it very interesting, thought it might be something for you. The article is called 3 Provider Strategies to Better Protect Sensitive Patient Data and is located at https://hitconsultant.net/2019/02/07/3-provider-strategies-to-better-protect-sensitive-patient-data/.
Given the surging volume of personal health information (PHI) and other sensitive data from electronic health records, medical imaging, payer records, and medical devices, healthcare organizations are arguably in the data business today as much as they're in the business of caring for patients. Data not only helps healthcare organizations deliver better patient care, but it's a core asset to meet other business imperatives, including streamlining processes and lowering costs.
Healthcare organizations have typically taken a binary approach to PHI access: users either have everything or nothing. This approach is both unnecessary and risky in today's heightened regulatory climate, particularly given the surge in data breaches.
Today's challenge for healthcare is to manage PHI in a way that both assures patient information remains protected and gives the right users the access they need to achieve clinical and operational excellence.
All of this is causing healthcare organizations to rethink their data and privacy strategies. Because breach penalties are assessed based on the number of records that have been compromised, organizations are motivated to implement levels of access control, so that if a breach does occur, liability and financial risks are reduced.
Most breaches are the result of human error, intentional or not. This makes the issue of who has access to data particularly critical. Very few people in a healthcare organization need access to every piece of PHI. Clinicians need access based on the type of patients they'd reasonably encounter: for instance, an emergency department physician might need broader access to an organization's PHI than a researcher. For business users, their access to sensitive data should be based on their operational function.
There are several challenges to putting data access controls in place: first and foremost, understanding what data a healthcare organization has. Most don't have a good inventory of systems, sources and which data is even considered part of PHI.
Conducting that data inventory is a key first step for healthcare organizations. Another is spending the time to properly classify data. For instance, is a piece of PHI data care-related? Is it patient demographic data that may be relevant for marketing and other business functions?
This is where automated data governance plays a critical role as the foundation for a mature data management strategy that helps keep sensitive data protected while still supporting clinical and business needs.
For instance, one large California health system is relying on automated data governance to ensure access to sensitive data stays in the hands of only the appropriate users – while still allowing the flexibility to grant access to new users in a timely yet compliant way. This organization's integrated data catalog and governance platform allow users to make service level requests for data access to the compliance group and get approval within a 24-hour period. The platform also lets this organization apply specific time limits on data access as a mechanism to re-evaluate and manage access on a periodic basis.
The first step in better managing data is to understand what you have. This is no small feat. A data catalog that is closely integrated with an automated governance platform serves as a centralized inventory of data across the business, allowing users to find, understand and trust data.
Define policies about who within the organization will have access to particular information to ensure compliance and protection of PHI and other sensitive data. This is a group effort typically led by compliance, but with participation from IT and business owners to collectively understand the organizational need.
Healthcare companies need to protect PHI while still offering flexible access. An automated data governance platform allows potential data consumers to request access to specific data sets, with the protections of automated systems like workflows and policy management in place to help quickly track approvals in a meaningful way.
Organizations are increasingly taking a more measured and mature approach to their data management strategies, including turning to automation to make these changes sustainable. By stepping away from an "all or nothing" approach to data access to one that empowers clinical and business leaders to access only what they need to make the best decisions, hospitals can both allow users to do their jobs and act in the patient's best interest to manage access to sensitive data.
Chris Cooper is the healthcare principal at data governance and catalog software provider, Collibra.