The long delay between pages is pretty much because of life-I had some health issues, a lot of big family events, the day job, and so on going on, so art progress was pretty slow.
Yay–hope you're feeling better! Sure seems like life beats us up at times, makes the good times that much sweeter.
I'm feeling much better, thank you! Overall, it ended up being a combination of everything above that really hurt me. Now that most of it is over with, I'm getting back to work on my comic!


text:
Q: Kotlin context receivers cannot resolve members of generic type In the following code, the call member of Animal cannot be resolved even though Cat is specified as context receiver and it has a member named call.
interface Animal { val call: String }
object Cat : Animal { override val call: String = "Meow" }
object Dog : Animal { override val call: String = "Woof" }

fun <T : Animal> acquireAnimal(animal: T, block: context(T) () -> Unit) {
  block(animal)
}

fun main() {
  acquireAnimal(Cat) {
    call
  }
}

When I type this inside the lambda, then the IDE seems to suggest that the type of this is Any?.

If I do the same with a function without a generic context receiver, then it seems to get the type right.

Is this a limitation that is by design or is this a bug?

A: The fact that you cannot access call was a bug, which was fixed in Kotlin 1.7.20.
A workaround for lower versions is:
sealed interface TypeWrapper<out A> {
    object IMPL: TypeWrapper<Nothing>
}

fun <T: Animal> acquireAnimal(animal: T, block: context(T) (TypeWrapper<T>) -> Unit) {
    block(animal, TypeWrapper.IMPL)
}

fun main() {
    acquireAnimal(Cat) {
        val x = call // works!
    }
}

However, the fact that this doesn't work is intended. Context receivers do not change the meaning of this. Since you are in a global function, this does not mean anything, and the existence of a context receiver does not change that.
Normally, to access the context receiver itself, you need to do a qualified this by appending the generated label for the context receiver:
context(Foo)
fun foo() {
    val x = this@Foo
}

However, your context receiver is a type parameter, so according to the rules here, I don't think a label is generated for the context receiver.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Prison officer and inmate lover were prepared to die in shoot-out with the police
An on-the-run prison officer and a murder suspect who were having a "jailhouse romance" had loaded their getaway truck with cash and weapons ready for a firefight with police.
After a car chase on Monday, escaped inmate Casey White surrendered to authorities, but the prison worker was found with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead later in hospital.
The pair had stashed $29,000 in cash, four semi-automatic handguns and an assault rifle in the truck they took on the nearly 300 miles from the prison in Alabama to Indiana.
At the time of the breakout on 29 April, Mr White was serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other offences and was awaiting trial on charges of stabbing a woman to death during a 2015 burglary.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to the death penalty.
Police believe he and prison officer Vicky White (they are unrelated) spent about six days holed up at a motel in Evansville, a small town in Indiana.
Sheriff Dave Wedding said they had discovered wigs there, intended to hide their identities.
Mike Tyson: Ex-boxing champion will not face criminal charges after 'punching passenger on plane'
Lake Mead bodies: Ex-Vegas mob lawyer says clients wanted 'climate control' to keep water level high
Andy Warhol's Marilyn, one of pop-art's best known works, sets American artwork record at auction
"They thought they'd driven long enough. They wanted to stop for a while, get their bearings straight and then figure out the next place to travel," he added.
Image:Thousands of dollars in cash was also recovered
It was 11 days ago that Ms White escorted Mr White from a Florence, Alabama, jail for what she falsely claimed was a mental health evaluation.
Sheriff Wedding said of Ms White's role in the escape: "He was not forcing her. It was a mutual relationship."
Image:Vicky White died. Pic: Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office
Authorities say it looked like the pair's plan had been formulated for some time. Ms White had sold her house for about half its market value and bought a car that she parked at a shopping centre without the necessary legal registration plates.
Police believe she shot herself, but a coroner "will make the determination", Mr Wedding said.
Mr White told investigators after his capture "he was probably going to have a shootout at the stake of both of them losing their lives," the sheriff added.
What did he tell his mother?
After appearing by video on Tuesday in an Indiana courtroom, it was ruled he would be sent back to Alabama.
Ms White, assistant director of corrections at the jail, had applied for retirement ahead of the escape, and the day of the breakout was her last day of work.
Sherry Sylvester, who had worked with her for 16 years, said Ms White always did "everything by the book".
She added: "I know she did wrong and made a terrible mistake, but she's still your friend."
Connie Moore, Mr White's mother, said she last spoke with him by phone the day before the escape. She said her son may not have known what was about to happen.
"Everything was just as normal as it could be. I doubt he even knew he was leaving when she came in there to get him," she said.
← Mike Tyson avoids charges after 'punching passenger on plane'
US inflation slows in April after seven months of gains →
US launches airstrikes on Syria in first military action since Joe Biden became president
February 25, 2021 Mark Gibson 0
Concerns coronavirus is making younger people ill
Biden has 'a lot of fish to fry': PM plays down prospect of US-UK trade deal breakthrough

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you live in Mandeville, LA, and are in the market for a luxury vehicle, you might be worrying about the cost. After all, luxury vehicles can be very expensive. Just because you want the best doesn't mean you want to spend all your savings on the car of your dreams. That's why you should learn about ways to make Porsche Cayenne pricing more affordable. By thinking ahead, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the price of your new car. Find out how below.
While it might not change the actual price of your vehicle, your credit score will have a huge impact on how much you spend on your car in the long run. That's because your interest rate determines how much you pay for your loan. Therefore, it's in your best interest to make sure your credit is in the best shape possible. This means that you might have to pay off some debt or address other financial issues before you get ready to buy. It might be a hassle, but if you can handle this, it will be much easier for you to get the Porsche Cayenne pricing you're looking for.
You might have your eyes on a new ride in Mandeville, LA, but you can get a lot of the same benefits of a new car in a used vehicle. If you want a beautiful car but still want to save money, buying used is one of the best ways to get what you want. Most dealerships in your area will offer both new and used vehicles, so really examine your choices before you decide between one and the other.
It's always been your plan to buy a car to drive around Mandeville, LA, but did you know that leasing is also a possibility? Leasing is one way to lower the price you pay for a vehicle. Although you don't get to keep the car and won't technically own it, you can still drive the vehicle you want at a reduced price if you lease. When your lease is up, you can choose to either buy the vehicle or return it to the dealership you got it from and move on to your next ride.
Come to Ray Brandt Porsche so we can help you get the best Porsche Cayenne pricing.


text:
Football Match Scores, Tournaments, News
Football Players Profiles
Biography of Homare Sawa, Japanese footballer & Womens Football World Cup 2011 Golden Boot Winner
Posted Date: 19 Jul 2011 |Updated: 19-Jul-2011 |Category: Football Players Profiles |Author: Kumaraditya Sarkar |Member Level: Gold |Points: 30 (Rs20) |
Homare Sawa, the captain of Japan in Women's Football World Cup 2011, was the highest goal scorer of Women Football World Cup 2011 and secured the Golden Boots. In this Homare Sawa wiki article, you can read more about her including Homare Sawa biography, profile, career statistics of Homare Sawa and more.
With the able captaincy of Homare Sawa, the captain of the Japan women's football team, the girls accomplished it what has so far been only a dream for the boys, as Japan became the champion in the Women's Football World Cup 2011 as the first Asian country. In the Women's Football World Cup 2011 in the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany, with just four minutes to play in the extra time, Homare Sawa suddenly scored from the corner kick to equalize the result (2-2), thus allowing the match to be extended to penalty shoot out as Japan bagged the match with 3-1 in the tie breaker. No wonder, Homare Sawa will now emerge not only as the national hero of Japan, but as a new football legend in the entire women's football as a whole. Especially in countries like India where the level of football is still quite poor, let apart women's football that undergoes social marginalization even nowadays, this will be a revitaliser. Here we have given a complete Homare Sawa biography along with her profile and career statistics. Keep reading!
Biography of Homare Sawa, top scorer in Women's Football World Cup 2011
Often regarded as the best female footballer of Japan so far in the history of women's soccer in that country, Homare Sawa stepped into the highest level domestic league football in Japan as early as at an age of 12 years. Three years later, she made her international début only at the age of 15, in 1993, scoring as many as four goals. Homare Sawa hat trick against Philippines, in that very first match of her international career, drew attention of everyone. Soon she became a regular member of Japan national team of women footballers. Homare Sawa has also particapted in the last 5 FIFA Women's World Cups, as well as in Summer Olympic Games, 1996, 2004 and 2008.
In her long international career with the Japanese National Team, there are a number of Homare Sawa records and career achievements under her credits. She has the record of 171 Japan caps, as well as a Japanese female-best 82 international goals. She also scored a hat trick against Mexico in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup group stage match. Homare Sawa also played in Washington Freedom, NTV Beleza, Atlanta Beat, Denver Diamonds, and Yomiuri Beleza.
Homare Sawa short profile & career statistics
Date of birth of Homare Sawa: 6th September 1978
Age of Homare Sawa: 32 years
Homare Sawa birth place: Fuchu
Homare Sawa present address: Tokyo, Japan
Homare Sawa playing position: Midfielder.
Homare Sawa height: 1.64 m
Homare Sawa current club: INAC Kobe Leonessa, in the Nadeshiko League Premier Division.
Homare Sawa jersey number: 10
Homare Sawa first international debut match: On 6th December, 1993, at the age of 15 only.
Homare Sawa international goals: 82
Homare Sawa official Facebook page ID:
Homare Sawa official twitter page:
Image credit: Wikipedia Commons at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Homare_Sawa_in_2011.JPG
More articles: Homare Sawa Women football players
Author: Sreekumar Nair19 Jul 2011 Member Level: Silver Points : 1
It is true Mr Sarkar, Sawa is the motivational factor for Japanese girls and thereby for the entire Football community as a whole. Apart from the World Cup 2011, Japanese have also won the hearts of the country as also FIFA Fair play award, Adidas Golden Boot, Adidas Golden Ball Award both to Sawa. In a very adverse situation in japan due to the natural calamities there, this victory is a great morale booster. Hats off to the young team.
Author: Kumaraditya Sarkar20 Jul 2011 Member Level: Gold Points : 1
Hello Mr Nair,
Yes quite true, in the last March more than 20000 people died in Japan in the earthquake. From those perspectives, the World Cup win by the national football team, moreover the women's team, will definitely act as a fountain-head of motivation and inspiration. Sawa has awesome leadership qualities as well and for sure after few decades she will be recalled as a legend.


Sending messages with SIMSme is completely safe and private — no eavesdropping possible! SIMSme is a free messenger app with real end-to-end encryption — guaranteed by Deutsche Post. Download now!
The first one million users receive free access to the self-destruction feature for messages!
SIMSme was awarded the 'Trusted App' seal for highly secure apps by mediaTest digital in cooperation with TÜViT.
# Do you like sharing photos with your friends, but don't want them to be accessible on the Internet forever?
# Are you looking for a free messenger that provides a high degree of data security?
# Do you prefer to send encrypted voice messages?
# Do you require a fast communication method for work purposes, but find that traditional chat services are not safe enough for business secrets? Would you prefer if your professional communication was encrypted?
# Are you looking for a service for your children to use that you can unreservedly trust with personal information?
Your data remains YOUR data. Messages are encrypted on the sender's device and can only be decrypted on the recipient's device. Even we, the operators, cannot view your messages on our own servers.
Save on fees compared to traditional SMS or other messengers.
With SIMSme, you can either set an expiration date, or make your messages, photos or other content only available for a certain period of time. Our "self-destruction" feature serves to keep private matters truly private!
Now you can also send voice messages to your contacts – no eavesdropping possible!
Send photos, videos, contacts and locations – encrypted, of course!
SIMSme uses your phone/address book to connect you to your contacts. The phone numbers in your phone book are anonymized and compared to our user database in an encrypted manner. A connection is only established if we can find both your contact and yourself on our service. Contacts who have not yet signed up to use SIMSme will never be saved on our server. Guaranteed.
The SIMSme servers are located in Germany and will stay there. Of course, this also means that your data has to be handled in accordance with German Data Protection Guidelines!
Download SIMSme now and stay up to date at all times – in both your professional and private lives.
3.Open Android Emulator for PC,Laptop,Tablet import the SIMSme – Your secure messenger APK file from your PC Into Android Emulator to install it.
4.Install SIMSme – Your secure messenger APK APPS for PC Windows.Now you can play SIMSme – Your secure messenger APK on PC.


The Shop Online is in the heading "Catalog" menu of left.
You will find any moment your list of purchases while clicking on "My Order" in the Top menu.
The prices are given in Euros and with the TVA (French Tax 19,60%).
For the commands dispatched Out of the CEE the Final Price of your command will be given WITHOUT the TVA (-19,60%).
We accept C.B Visa or Master Card and PAYPAL Payment. You can obtain more informations on "Paypal/C.B" while clicking on the Menu of Left.
You can be registered on the Site of Madame la fée, on the Page "Login Account".


text:
SUPA QUICK SA'S LARGEST FITMENT CHAIN, SET TO EXPAND
AN EXCLUSIVE WITH MORNE DREYER
With the effects of the pandemic still lingering, many businesses across the country are feeling the pinch. Sadly, some have shut their doors, never to re-open. To find out how Covid-19 is impacting the retail fitment sector, we sat down for an exclusive interview with Morne Dreyer, Franchise Director of the Supa Quick group of retail stores, who also let us in on the Franchise's plans for the future. Supa Quick is the longest-established fitment chain in South Africa, founded in 1986. This success story also boasts over 200 retail stores around the country, positioning it among its opposition, as the franchise with the biggest footprint.
Download latest version of SA Treads Digital here
Morne, thank you for spending this time with us. How has the pandemic and the lockdown that ensued impacted your operations?
Suffice to say that April was a complete write-off, with most of our stores, (aside from a handful that were deemed essential services providers), closed for the month. This meant that several stores found themselves in financial stress. As the Franchisor, we immediately stepped in to see how we could assist, coming up with specific payment packages, extended payment terms and a two-month franchise fee waiver. Thankfully, by early July, most stores were trading at 70% capacity, with stores in the rural areas back to 100% trading capacity, due to the Agri sector being part of essential service providers.
Were there any casualties, along the line?
Yes. Unfortunately, for some stores that were already struggling pre-Covid-19, the pandemic was the last nail in the coffin. They were not able to recover. Around 31 stores found themselves in dire financial straits, six of which were unable to reopen.
Were any of these casualties area-specific?
To give you an idea, our Melville store, which traditionally relied heavily on university students from Wits and UJ for its business, was unable to weather the storm, with its clientele disappearing virtually overnight.
Equally, stores located in previously buoyant motor vehicle dealership strongholds, suffered a major blow with many motor dealerships either closing or consolidating their operations into one. These closures are very sad of course, with huge implications for their staff and families. But, unfortunately, those with pre-existing sissues, or insufficient financial backing, were forced to shut their doors forever.
What is the feedback from your franchisees a few months down the line?
Thankfully, from a sales point of view, the majority experienced record months between July and September, with October also showing pleasing figures. It would appear the lockdown did not affect our consumers all that much, with not many cutting back on replacing their tyres. However, consumers are exploring their choice of product more carefully, which has led to a boost in sales of our Firestone product, which comes with a free Tyre Damage Guarantee.
At the same time, although some are gravitating towards cheaper brands in order to save some money, our Bridgestone and Firestone brands exceed expectations with positive sell-out growth over the last 6 months.
Who looks after your many franchisees?
We recently doubled up on the number of Area Managers, enabling them to spend more time with each of the stores under their care, in a bid to add value. The demographic of our franchisees, is such that they still enjoy an in-person experience with our managers, rather than a virtual one.
How are you finding the retail sector as a whole?
There is a bigger focus on price and promotions by all the retail chains, especially those aligned to the manufacturing companies. We are seeing aggressive There is a bigger focus on price and promotions by all the retail chains marketing coupled with price-cutting, as everyone struggles to compete in the hopes of arriving at pre-Covid trading levels.
What would you say are the biggest challenges facing the Supa Quick franchise group at this point in time?
Undoubtedly, the growing number of cheap imports filtering into the country. These are not only having a disastrous effect on road safety, they are compelling us to source our own price competitive products, that deliver on both price and quality. The consumer is often unaware that cheap imports are not only a hazard, but that there is no recourse, in the event of a claim. Our sales force is working hard to educate the consumer on the merits of fitting a trusted brand that is linked to a guarantee, over an unknown 'cheapie' from another part of the world.
Notwithstanding, we do not want to get into a price war. Instead, we are focusing on remaining unique. With the backing of a global giant such as Bridgestone, as well as a tyre damage guarantee, we believe that we can fight imports successfully. Bear in mind, that for cash-strapped individuals that fall into the mid-to-low tier of the market, price is everything. For them, our ability to provide a solution by way of an imported tyre with the right quality and price, offers them peace of mind, especially now during the summer months when there is a lot of rain and more potholes to contend with on the roads.
What is being done, from an industry perspective, to clamp down on substandard cheapies coming into South Africa?
Together with the RMI, we are trying to understand exactly what is coming into the country and what the legislation is around that product. The monitoring of substandard tyres is a matter for the authorities, but unfortunately, this is not being policed as well as it should be.
What about Bridgestone's historic partnership with the SA Taxi Industry? Is this alliance being used to educate taxi drivers on the importance of fitting reputable makes of tyres to their vehicles?
We are currently in discussions with them to launch a safety initiative, details of which will be announced in the near future.
Is Supa Quick still supplying the full range of underbody components, in addition to tyres?
Very much so. It is critical to focus on ratios of sales between the two at every store. We have reassessed our preferred supplier list and are currently negotiating marketing opportunities with them. We are further encouraging our stores to expand on their underbody offering by adding other essential components, such as nitrogen in tyres, wiper blades and oil changes, to their mix. A better split between tyre and underbody sales does not only benefit our customers, it allows our franchisees to tap into higher margin opportunities.
Speaking of opportunities, are you planning to open any new stores in the foreseeable future?
The Covid era has seen declining property development and fewer development opportunities to open new stores, this, despite all the new mall developments in Gauteng. So, for us, this has also meant total reliance on organic growth, as opposed to new business. Although we have opened three new stores this year, this is far from where we want to be. We are about to launch an aggressive expansion programme during 2021-22, and are busy meeting with property developers to identify key trading areas that will continue to position Supa Quick top of mind to the consumer.
We are planning to open 10 new stores during the course of 2021, with plans for further expansion in 2022. With business radically changing in the era of the pandemic, we need to be where the action is. We enjoy the largest footprint of all the retail chains, and we are planning to maintain this advantage. Moreover, we are currently looking at the business from a retail operations
standpoint, rather than a sales/market share standpoint.
This will allow us to add value to our franchisees' businesses, which are presently being assessed via a newly implemented growth plan to identify key success factors within their respective operations. In short, we are taking a holistic view, essentially asking: how can we add value from a financial/customer experience/
look and feel standpoint? From a store perspective, we want to be able to give our customers what they want. We want to provide the ultimate customer experience that keeps them coming back.
How are you doing your 'homework' in this regard?
For one, by focusing heavily on our female clientele in terms of what they would like their customer experience to be. For instance, what should the waiting area look like? Should we install a coffee station or would they prefer a full-fledged coffee shop instead? Would they prefer to sit on leather sofas or chairs? All this, plus much more, is part of the research process, so that in the end, we can combine a quality product and service with a pleasant shopping experience.
Are Covid protocols in place at all your stores?
Much like every other business, all Supa Quick stores have the necessary PPE and protocols in place. Customers are obliged to sanitise and have their temperature taken, while store employees are under strict instruction to sanitise the vehicle internally, before and upon completion of the job. So, yes, I am confident that our stores are fully compliant with Covid-19 prevention measures.
In conclusion, what message do you have for the consumer? Why Supa Quick?
That's an easy one. Supa Quick is Bridgestone's family channel and preferred distributor of Bridgestone and Firestone tyres. Bridgestone has been in existence for over 80 years and is the number one tyre manufacturer in the world. The consumer can have faith in knowing that they are buying a trusted brand. The Firestone brand in particular, enjoys iconic status in South Africa, one that stands for heritage, service and reliability


WELSH Water are still telling customers to boil their drinking water.
Peter Perry, Welsh Water operations director, said this morning: "We know that this situation is inconvenient to our customers and compensation is something that we will be considering, however, at this stage of the operation we are concentrating on making sure that everyone affected knows about the boil water message, and trying to locate the source of the bacterial problem.
"We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers and assure them that we are doing all we can to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, so that the Boil Water Notice can be removed."
The precautionary boil water notice for customers in parts of Denbighshire and Flintshire and a very small area of Conwy, is continuing as Welsh Water tries to find the cause of bacteria detected at the Alwen Water Treatment Works.
Mr Perry said: "We had vans out yesterday loud-hailing the boil water message across the area affected, concentrating firstly in the most densely populated towns and villages, until 8.30 last night. We started loud-hailing again this morning at 7.30am and will continue again until 8.30pm tonight. We have delivered 500 advisory posters to supermarkets and libraries, and information packs have also been delivered to schools, so that pupils can take the message home with them."
If customers are unsure as to whether the Boil Notice affects them they can call our 24 hour operational helpline, which is free from landlines, on 0800 052 0130. A list of affected areas is also available on Welsh Water's website at www.dwrcymru.com.
There is no evidence that anyone has any illness as a result of drinking the water and so it is not being treated as a public health incident. The National Public Health Service for Wales is continuing to maintain close surveillance of the population affected to monitor for any illness.


text:
Arbery family lawyer: Feds looking into how case handled
by: JEFF AMY, Associated Press
Posted: May 25, 2020 / 07:30 PM CDT / Updated: May 25, 2020 / 07:30 PM CDT
In this May 17, 2020, photo, a recently painted mural of Ahmaud Arbery is on display in Brunswick, Ga., where the 25-year-old man was shot and killed in February. It was painted by Miami artist Marvin Weeks. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)
ATLANTA (AP) — A lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery said Monday that a federal prosecutor told the slain man's mother federal officials are investigating potential misconduct by local officials who handled the case.
Lawyer Lee Merritt said U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, whose jurisdiction includes southern Georgia, met with him and Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, on Thursday.
"They wanted us to know they had already been involved in the investigation," Merritt said.
Barry Paschal, a spokesman for Christine, declined to confirm or deny whether the meeting happened.
"Our office does not discuss active investigations, including addressing whether or not those investigations exist," Paschal said.
Arbery was fatally shot Feb. 23 when a white father and son pursued the 25-year-old black man after spotting him running in their subdivision just outside of Brunswick. They told police they believed he was responsible for break-ins in their neighborhood. More than two months passed before Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were arrested on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.
Brunswick Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson has defended her office's involvement. The elder McMichael worked for her as an investigator before retiring a year ago, which required the office to step away from the case.
She handed the case to Waycross Circuit District Attorney George Barnhill. That prosecutor also recused himself, but not before writing a letter saying he believed the McMichaels had been justified in trying to hold Arbery until police arrived and their actions were "perfectly legal."
Raise a glass: Boulevard Brewing Co. unveils beer for late Topeka native, proceeds for charity


A complex supply chain doesn't have to be complicated.
Geneus centralises the procurement process and benefits every stakeholder. It enables brands to grow, equipment manufacturers to achieve volume of sales, and provides a simplified buying and selling process for outlets and distributors.
Geneus enables brands to eliminate off-contract spend, reduce risk and increase market share whilst ensuring a consistent brand experience for your customers. By creating an approved network for your outlets to buy from, and capturing indirect spend, Geneus can unlock the hidden value in your supply chain.
Geneus – co-ordinated purchasing at your fingertips.
If you're an equipment manufacturer looking to increase market share and boost sales, Geneus can help. Using our intuitive eCatalogue, you can digitise your range and showcase your products, providing you with the perfect sales tool to lock down pre-negotiated pricing and enable your distribution network to sell online.
Distributors representing equipment manufacturers love Geneus too. As part of the approved supplier network, you can purchase equipment from OEMs at an agreed market price, then set your price to sell directly to your customers. Geneus gives you full and transparent collaboration across your sales network, unlocking opportunities by making it easier for your customers to purchase your products.
Fitting-out a new restaurant or refurbishing an existing one can be complicated and error-prone. With our store-in-a-box concept, outlets access the approved supply chain in the simplest, most time and cost-effective way possible for all back and front of house equipment, including furniture, uniforms and more. Benefit from a single guided buying experience to configure and purchase the equipment you need to open a new restaurant.


text:
The Tomb of Rufina Cambacérès
A beautiful young girl said to have been buried alive in her coffin…
brianmka/Flickr (Creative Commons)
hyperbolation/Flickr (Creative Commons)
sebastian-silva/Flickr (Creative Commons)
carson (Atlas Obscura User)
Allison Meier/Atlas Obscura (Allison Meier)
Top Places in Buenos Aires
Floralis Generica
Cementerio de la Recoleta
Palacio Barolo
The Cementario de la Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is easily one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. Designed by French engineer Próspero Catelin and remodeled in 1881, the cemetery is a Victorian neoclassical explosion, with ornate mausoleums at every turn.
Meant to house Argentina's rich and famous, the crypts and gravestones are huge baroque masterpieces, mimicking the architecture of the city's wealthy houses. Among the cemetery's elite are Eva Peron, Nobel winner Luis F. Leloir, and Isabel Walewski Colonna, grandchild of Napoleón Bonaparte. One gravestone not belonging to anyone particularly famous, however, embodies one of the cemetery's most interesting—and horrifying—stories.
Rufina Cambacérès was born into a wealthy family, heirs to a large cattle fortune, and her father Eugenio Cambacérès, was a well known writer and politician. Rufina suffered an early tragedy when her father died of tuberculosis when she was only four years old.
In 1902, Rufina was nineteen and had grown into a beautiful young woman, and something of a Buenos Aires socialite. While getting ready to attend a show, Rufina suddenly and without warning collapsed onto the floor. (Many modern versions of this story include a bit about this being caused by a scandalous revelation, something about her boyfriend sleeping with his own mother, but this is almost certainly a fabrication added on later to spice up the story.) Doctors were called in, and supposedly all three doctors pronounced the young Rufina dead of a heart attack. Rufina was put in a coffin and sealed in her mausoleum, and a funeral was held.
A few days after the funeral, a cemetery worker found that the coffin had moved within the crypt and the lid was broken in places. Fearing grave robbery, he opened it to find something even worse—scratch marks covering the inside of the coffin, and Rufina dead, hands and face bruised from having tried to break her way out of the coffin.
The explanation doctors were said to have given later is that Rufina had suffered a attack of "catalepsy" (the classic buried-alive diagnosis, and the one used in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Premature Burial") and later awakened in her coffin, only to die of exhaustion and shock.
Or so the legend goes. The tale has all the earmarks of a urban legend, and, as it is quite difficult to find any evidence to support it, it's almost certainly untrue. What actually happened to Rufina is difficult to determine, though she did die at the age of nineteen, and the part about a cemetery worker finding her casket moved and broken may be true as well. The rest is likely the result of overactive local imaginations.
Her tomb is a stunning Art Nouveau masterpiece and features a full-sized statue of Rufina holding the door to her own mausoleum, said to have been built by her mother as a tribute to what happened to her.
catacombs, crypts, & cemeteries memento mori unusual monuments strange statues
wythe, jhamburger, carson, Collector of Experiences, Allison
Cementario de la Recoleta
Original Tomb of Tomás Guido
Buenos Aires' city of the dead contains some very famous remains, including Eva Perón.
The humble tomb of an Argentine general, hand-built by his son using stones brought down from the Andes.
105-foot wide giant metallic flower blooms anew every day in the heart of Buenos Aires.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
This historic, palatial theater is now one of the world's most beautiful bookstores.
Bohemian National Cemetery
Cemetery featuring rare glass-fronted columbarium.
The Haserot Angel
The angel of death appears to weep black tears at this grave marker.
Bern, Switzerland
The Child Eater of Bern
A nearly 500 year old sculpture depicts a man eating a sack of babies, and no one is sure why.
Gdańsk, Poland
Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office
Modern art commemorates one of the first military actions of World War II.


text:
Michael Bloomberg warns intolerance on college campuses is dangerous for democracy
e-News.US Politics
America's increasingly polarized political discourse — including on college campuses — threatens the future of democracy, Michael Bloomberg argues in a recent editorial.
Writing on the Bloomberg news site, the 77-year-old billionaire former mayor of New York City observes that Americans are becoming too unwilling to engage with people whose ideas differ from their own, as exemplified by supporters and detractors of President Trump.
"Without engagement," Bloomberg writes, "liberal democracy can't survive."
TEXAS STUDENTS REACT TO DOXXING THREATS AGAINST CONSERVATIVES ON CAMPUS
He adds that Americans used to move forward productively after elections, regardless of which side won, but now seem paralyzed by absolutism and intolerance.
"To put it simply," Bloomberg writes, "healthy democracy is about living with disagreement, not eliminating it."
"To put it simply, healthy democracy is about living with disagreement, not eliminating it."
— Michael Bloomberg
"Without engagement, liberal democracy can't survive," Michael Bloomberg writes in a recent editorial. (Associated Press)
He points to college campuses as a prime example, citing the experience of Steven Gerrard, a professor at Williams College in Massachusetts.
Students declared Gerrard an "enemy of the people" after he advocated for Williams to join other schools in signing on to the Chicago Statement, published by the Committee on Freedom of Expression at the University of Chicago, which calls for free speech to be central to college and university environments.
The students distributed a letter in which they called free speech a term that "has been co-opted by right-wing and liberal parties as a discursive cover for racism, xenophobia, sexism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and classism."
According to Bloomberg, "This view suggests that universities must suppress the very act of reasoning.
"Incredibly," he adds, "many seem willing to try."
He notes that fewer than 70 of more than 4,000 institutions across the U.S. have adopted or endorsed the Chicago Statement – and asserts that the lack of support has helped promote intolerance in the culture.
In the end, Bloomberg writes, a democracy can't survive if its people are unwilling to discuss areas of contention, or extend political bitterness into business boycotts and other demonstrations of intolerance.
"Restoring the ability to disagree without becoming mortal enemies," he writes, "is a new and urgent civic imperative."
Source : Dom Calicchio Link
'Intolerance' • Bloomberg • college • Michael • warns
Category Latest Posts
Senate rejects request for more time to respond to motions.
Senate rejects Democratic bid to ensure votes on witnesses.
After 12 hours of deliberation, the Senate adjourns.
Senate adopts trial rules after bitter debate over evidence.
Bid forcing Roberts to rule on subpoena motions is rejected.
Trump roars back on Twitter.
A Guide to the Case For and Against Removing Trump
Senate turns back amendment over admission of evidence.
Biden and Sanders Trade Attacks Over Honesty and Social Security
Senate rejects effort to subpoena documents from the Pentagon
Late night of debate takes its toll on the Senate
Negotiations to truncate debate on witnesses and evidence yields no deal.
Negotiations to limit debate over evidence yield no deal
McConnell requests that Democrats bundle their amendments
A sketch artist captures the scene inside the chamber
Senators recess for dinner
Senate rejects a third bid by Democrats to subpoena records
Four Senators Are Trying to Be in 2 Places at Once. Here's How.
Senators are now held to a vow of silence.
McConnell's changes to the trial rules come after concerns from Republican senators.
China's Dream: 6 Aircraft Carriers All with Killer J-20 Stealth Fighters Aaron Carter says brother Nick's restraining order was retaliation for siding with alleged sexual assault victims
Eight-month-old boy pushed under hole in US-Mexico border wall as attempts to cross illegally prove perilous
Witness in ex-Dallas officer's murder trial shot and killed
Police make arrest in '73 murder case by live-tweeting girl's last day
1780 Alexander Hamilton letter was stolen more than 74 years ago; now give it back – Fox News
INSIGHT-Does renewables pioneer Germany risk running out of power?
Every Democrat wants Barack Obama's 2020 endorsement – but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are likely the top contenders to get it – CNBC


text:
VIDEO: Usain Bolt's Manchester United Trial
Day 2 in Oslo
PICTURE: Morrison Joins Birmingham
CedarsDevil August 6, 2012
Never got that reply on text mate, like you said some fucker might still be wondering.......!
So I hear RvP is having his medical?
Mr Bee
Personally I never skip through or miss any of your posts, in fact I look forward to them........Albeit you're an old fart of course! ha ha
911_DEVIL August 6, 2012
IMAGINE via goal.com
When people revise the excellent legacy of manchester united boss sir alex ferguson
They often refer to the 'WHAT-IFS?'
What if paulo Gascoigne had come to OLD TRAFFORD in 1988, what if alan shearer had chosen trophies over a sense of loyalty to newcastle united in 1996, and what if united boss had sensationally outbid barcelona for ronaldinho in 2003
This questions can never be answered, and its perhaps with a profound sense of regret that this is so.
Like those times before, sir alex now stands on the precipice -- a deal for lucas can be made, but with PSG circling, time seems to be running out for united to DO so (per ESPN).
This is likely to be the final 'WHAT IF?'
Situation that the legendary boss will find himself; and its more than likely that, were he to sanction a move for moura, that he would not be around to reap the benefits of such a signing
He's spoken in the past of wanting to be able to hand over a world class to his eventual successor when he does retire, which may in turn be a factor in a chase for the brazilian
Indeed, with the next world cup to be held in rio de janeiro in 2014, perhaps he envisions the seleccao rising to the summit of international football over the next couple of years, with lucas a prominent number.
Moura is a player whose ability has been debated, but his potential is undeniable.
Its his 'diamond in the rough' status which is reminding many of a certain
CRISTIANO RONALDO, who was capable but not consistent
Even a couple of years into his spell at old trafford, there were many with persisting that the portuguese winger would never be a world class player
That he was destined to wallow in a mire in a mire of step overs and dives
Regarding those who today doubt united spending close to £30m on lucas moura, it must be said that yes, he
May fail, and leaving the red devils having to take a £10-15m loss.
But he may succeed, and succeed spectacularly, becoming the difference making X-FATOR the club has been lacking since 2009
He may bring to united the ability to deploy a tactically versatile formation capable of regaining the inch lost to spain's finest in the past few years
He may be another anderson, a quality player, but one who never fulfilled that early potential that persuaded sir alex to part with £20m for his transfer in 2007.
But there's the rub
There were those who had doubts over gascoigne in '88, and that ronaldinho would be a risk in 2003
There are few guarantees in football
And the signing of moura would certainly not be one
But with the transfer saga reaching to its inevitable climax, sir alex should make a decision that could define the future of the most famous club in the world.
He must sign lucas moura, or run the risk of that last 'WHAT IF?' Loom over him long into an uncomfortable retirement.
wayne August 6, 2012
jesus,as Ricky Gervais would say "are you having a laugh"
Hi mate, I am pretty sure you are familiar with the term 'daft as fuck' ...........If you catch my drift
50 Shades of WillieRedNut August 6, 2012
Gazza and Shearer were the ones that missed out. We went on from strength to strength. Won everything. It was their loss imo. Top players, though.
You always sing the same note as me :-P
Haha acapella
Clint-Iamyourpapii August 6, 2012
Who the fuck is Lucas Moura?
Some midget Pumped on steroids impersonating Theo Wallcott for Brazil. Plays in a league equivalent to the Blue sq Premier League where most players can defend a cross or a guy that walks towards them and the does a sudden turn. Defending in Brazil is of such a low standard they become attacking defenders down there, no tactical sense which is why the likes of Anderson, Fat Ronaldo and Ronaldinho played like God's in there time in their home league.
Why the Fuck is Lucas Moura worth £30m?
He doesn't even look as promising as 35m Carroll, I'd give £20m for the Theo lookalike and scream about being ripped off. He's not even rated as highly as Ganso or Neymar....Ramires or David Luiz.
The £30m linked with and the £20-25m linked with RVP is all paper b/s. They know linking us with the likes with Baines,Moutinho, Martinez, Witsel etc doesn't spin enough money so they twirl about the same story everyday.
can't*
then*
MaxRooney August 7, 2012
Sign him up!


text:
House Passes Class Action Bill; Next Stop Is Bush's Desk
Regulation and Compliance > Legislation
by Arthur D. Postal
February 09, 2005 at 07:00 PM Share & Print
The original version of this story was published on National Underwriter Life & Health Magazine
House Passes Class-Action Bill; Next Stop Is Bushs Desk
The House overwhelmingly passed legislation on Feb. 17 that would take large multistate class-action lawsuits out of state courts and move them into federal courts. The 279-149 vote sends the first Republican priority legislation of this Congress to President Bush for his signature in relatively short order. The GOP-controlled Senate passed the bill a week ago by a 72-26 vote.
Republicans are expected to use the overwhelming vote and prompt passagethe bill was not expected to reach the Presidents desk before Easteras a springboard for passage of legislation reforming the asbestos and medical malpractice litigation systems, as one Democrat noted during debate on the House floor.
Efforts also are under way to pass a bankruptcy bill sought by large credit card banks, but it is unclear what will happen to that legislation.
Jack Dolan, a spokesman for the American Council of Life Insurers, said, "It looks like we finally crossed the goal line. It appears as if we will finally get sensible reform."
Dolan said class-action changes have been needed for some time. "Life insurers applaud the House, Senate and the Bush administration for finally getting this bill through the Congress."
Under the bill, class-action suits seeking $5 million or more would be heard in state court if the primary defendant and more than one-third of the plaintiffs are from the same state. But if fewer than one-third of the plaintiffs are from the same state as the primary defendant, the case would go to federal court.
The bill also would limit lawyers fees in so-called coupon settlementswhen plaintiffs get discounts on products instead of financial settlementsby linking the fees to the coupons redemption rate or the actual hours spent on a case.
The House acted on compromise legislation that first reached the floor of the Senate last year but was tied up by Democrats demands that non-germane amendments be added. The House acted on the Senate bill out of concern that any amendments to make it stronger would subject it to a Democratic filibuster in the Senate.
The bill passed after a two-hour debate and Democrats efforts to pass a substitute bill failed. In supporting passage, Republicans said on the floor of the House that restricting most large class-action lawsuits to federal court will stop lawyers from reaping huge profits from the system and lead to lower prices for consumers.
Democrats have argued that Republicans only interest is in hurting a big group of Democratic donors and helping big business escape multimillion-dollar verdicts from state courts.
Reproduced from National Underwriter Edition, February 18, 2005. Copyright 2005 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.


Apart from having enough capital to begin their businesses, entrepreneurs also need to have the right skills and experience to run the businesses. Entrepreneurs who are to succeed in this competitive business world must be able to apply business strategies that help them stand out among the many in the market. Entrepreneurs cannot succeed without applying the right knowledge in every area of business. It is great that there are professionals with the right knowledge to take any business forward that entrepreneurs can rely on. Some of the areas the experts can offer their skills include organizational culture, customer experience, sales training, front office, marketing expenditure optimization, strategic planning among others.
When entrepreneurs hire the best-consulting services, they will manage to achieve the set objectives much easily. The fact is that entrepreneurs cannot know everything that concerns managing and growing a business. Seeking professional help in different facets of the business is very important. Although many entrepreneurs know that they need the help of consultants, they are not sure of the best consultants to hire. However, ascertain qualities are inherent in a good consultant.
The first quality of a good consultant is a person of unimpeachable character. You need to ensure that your interest comes before that of the professional. If you think that a great consultant is the one who only tells the things that makes you happy at all times, you are wrong. No matter how good consultants might be, at times they may tell you things that are not pleasing to you with the aim of saving your business.
As mentioned earlier, great consultants must have the right experience. If the consultants are to help you overcome challenges and seize opportunities, they must have experience. Basically, the duty of the professional is to bring in experience as far as handling your business issues is concerned.
Gauge the ability of the consultant to solve problems. You certainly, want to have someone who can help you solve problems that may be hindering the achievement of your business objectives. Great consultants must also have the right communication skills. Make sure that the consultant can communicate well both orally and in writing. Great consultants are also good and listen.
The interpersonal skill of the consultant is also something that you should consider. The relationship between you and the consultant should be based on trust. You need a consultant you can share your business ideas without fear. With the right information, it will be easy for the consultant to help you.


It is fashionable in national circles to make fun of California for its political incompetence and dysfunctional government. The policies adopted by our elected leadership have unquestionably led to California's dismal rankings in unemployment business climate out-migration of productive citizens to other states wasteful use of public funds etc. etc. ad nauseum.
While the fallout from bad policies is one thing naked power grabs are no laughing matter. California in addition to simply being unable to govern itself through incompetence is now developing a reputation of becoming a Banana Republic through strong-arm tactics that would make both Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez proud.
Several recent stories reveal California's backward slide into a political third world. First there is the vengeful reaction of California's Speaker of the Assembly to fellow democrat Anthony Portantino's failure to toe the party line by refusing to vote for the state budget as he was told.
In a fit of adolescent pettiness Speaker John Perez slashed the maverick lawmaker's staff budget. As cover Perez claimed that Portantino was spending too much. Portantino objected and called for the Speaker to release the office expenditures for each member.
At first Perez refused saying the budget for Assembly operations was not public information. But after suits were filed by the Sacramento Bee and Los Angeles Times and the public began to press for full disclosure he relented. While the initial figures released by Perez suggested that Portantino was indeed a big spender independent analysis of staff expenses reveals that Portantino was justified when he said the leadership was "cooking the books" in an effort to embarrass him.
This battle reflects something much worse than a spat between individual lawmakers; it goes to the conduct of an institution that prefers to operate in secret and when pressed for facts is willing to put out false information. It is clear to most Californians that the money the Legislature lavishes on itself does not belong to lawmakers it belongs to California taxpayers who have every right to examine exactly how it is spent.
However the secrecy surrounding its internal budget is just the tip of the iceberg when judging the shady dealings of California's legislative branch. In the aftermath of the state budget lawmakers passed more than a dozen measures without any public hearings. One blocks school districts from firing teaches to respond to a revenue shortfall. Whether state government should bar the layoff of key employees or if this is a decision that should be left to local school districts is worthy of public debate but lawmakers rammed through this and other bills without public input.
Now with the current legislative session ending next week legislative leaders are pursuing a last-minute ploy to change election dates for initiatives to help those they support and hinder those they oppose. If they succeed in moving all initiatives from the June primary election to the November general election when they expect a bigger turnout of "their" voters it will be done with a minimum of public scrutiny and debate.
Public policy and spending decisions should not be made as if by witches around a midnight cauldron. The Senate and Assembly are public bodies whose conduct should be open and deliberative. But as we head into the final week of the Legislative session look for the usual 11th-hour political deals strong-arm threats and lots of campaign cash changing hands. The casualties from this week will be many and varied and will undoubtedly include both transparency and good government. And this year with one party holding all the cards it will be much much worse than before.


text:
Public school officials oppose expansion of state voucher program
Public school officials and advocates in Ohio are opposing the expansion of a state voucher program that would require local public tax dollars to pay for students to attend private schools.
The Ohio EdChoice Scholarship Program provides vouchers for eligible students in grades K-12 whose school buildings are designated as underperforming, as designated by the Ohio Department of Education. For the current school year, 517 school buildings are eligible for vouchers from schools across the state; however, after a change in law that provides a liberal definition of "failing schools," the program is set to grow by approximately 400 percent statewide next school year, which would designate nearly 70 percent of all Ohio public schools as EdChoice eligible. If the expansion is not amended, 1,227 schools would be on the list for the voucher program next school year.
Public school boards of education across the state are passing resolutions to oppose the expansion, urging state legislators to amend the program. In Ohio, public schools lost $113.5 million to EdChoice Scholarships in the 2018-2019 school year. That amount grew by $35 million to $148.2 million this school year. It is difficult to estimate the increase for the 2020-2021 school year, but the increase in eligible school buildings will funnel several hundred million dollars from public education to private and parochial schools.
EdChoice Scholarships total $4,650 for students in grades K-8 and $6,000 for high school students. Public school districts would have to use local tax dollars to pay the difference between their per student foundation payments from the state and the cost of each voucher.
The EdChoice Voucher program designates "eligible" schools based on the Ohio Department of Education's report cards, which some school officials believe are not good measures for public policy decisions.
Ridgewood Local Schools Superintendent Mike Masloski has a personal example of the unfairness of this initiative. "Our Ridgewood Elementary School was just named a high progress school by the Ohio Department of Education, but at the same time, this same elementary is listed as 'underperforming' for the purpose of EdChoice Vouchers," he said. "The current system is outrageous and demonstrates exactly why the EdChoice Voucher program is irrational."
Public school districts around Ohio are asking community residents to contact their state legislators and encourage them to change the way the EdChoice program is funded and how the program determines schools that are not meeting performance criteria. Legislators have delayed the beginning of the voucher application period from Feb. 1 to Apr. 1, 2020, giving them time to resolve many outstanding issues with Ohio's EdChoice program.
The House last week unveiled its plan to address the EdChoice Voucher program in Senate Bill (SB) 89, which passed the House by a vote of 88-7. The bill includes a phasing out of EdChoice vouchers based on school performance; however, it increases the eligibility for income-based vouchers from 200 percent of poverty level to 250 percent of poverty level, or $65,500 for a family of four. Income-based vouchers are funded directly by the state and do not include local funding. SB 89 is seen as a "step forward" in addressing a poorly designed voucher program.
However, it is incumbent upon legislators to keep the income eligibility level at its current 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines ($52,400 for a family of four) and provide funding for districts which have lost revenue due to the exponential growth of vouchers.
« Lynn Ann Koski
Bessie Elizabeth Infield »


When it comes time to resell your fleet vehicles, choose Foss National. We are experts at the many factors that affect auction results, as our results prove: we lead the industry in consistently earning higher resale prices and faster turnaround for our clients—which directly lowers your total fleet costs.
Reselling a fleet of vehicles is a job best left to experts. Without industry connections and years of experience, how do you know the most effective sales strategy?
Common questions—like reselling a vehicle to an employee—an have legal and tax implications. How do ensure that regulations are followed?
Even more important: do you want to devote your valuable staff to the task of selling your vehicles? Why not free your staff to take care of your business, and let us take care of the resale?
The experts in our Vehicle Remarketing Management service understand the resale industry like no one else.
Can you make more money by timing the resale of your fleet vehicles? This paper explains seasonal trends and provides tips for the era of online vehicle sales.
While online sales have changed the buying market, there are still seasonal variations in used-vehicle prices. This paper shows the factors in play, including the online market's effect on pricing trends.
Industry data proves that Foss National consistently sells fleet vehicles for higher dollars in less time—even vehicles with higher kilometres. The Foss National brand on used vehicles is recognized and respected throughout Canada. We have an excellent reputation with wholesalers and auction houses. e apply the most effective sales strategy, from online Internet sales to wholesalers and auctions—for your specific fleet and market.
When we sell your vehicles, we consider the many factors that could affect your sales success: the type of vehicles, age, condition, kilometres, and the time of year, location of sale, transportation costs and many other considerations.
Foss National is respected for our integrity and honesty, which attracts more bidders, and results in higher prices. For on our maintenance control programs, we provide vehicles' full maintenance history, for complete transparency on the vehicle's history and conditions. Buyers will pay more for a vehicle when they can trust its condition.
We provide CarProof Vehicle History Reports—in fact we were one of the first to offer this level of detailed disclosure.
We can handle the details of selling leased vehicles directly to your employees, in fact, about half of our fleet sales go to employees. Often this is a win-win situation: the resale price is higher, which benefits the company, while the employee pays a price that is lower than retail.
Vehicle write-offs can be a challenge to sell, but not for Foss National. Our team has the network and processes to get the top dollar for your write-offs and salvage vehicles.


text:
Q: operator -> or ->* applied to "const std::weak_ptr" instead of to a pointer typeC/C++ In a lambda function, instead of this, I was trying to use weak_ptr to access all member function and variable, but I'm getting this error:

operator -> or ->* applied to "const std::weak_ptr" instead of to a pointer type

A: std::weak_ptr<T> by design safely refers to an object which may or may not still exist. It does not offer operator-> or operator* since you have to make sure the object still exists before you can try to access it.
To access an object referred to by a std::weak_ptr you first call lock() which returns a std::shared_ptr. Then, you need to check if that std::shared_ptr refers to an object. If it does, then the object is safe to access and won't be deleted until that returned pointer is destroyed (because there will still exist a std::shared_ptr for it). If it doesn't then the std::weak_ptr was referring to a destroyed object which you can't access anymore.
Example :
#include <memory>

class foo
{
public:
    void bar(){}
};

void test(std::weak_ptr<foo> ptr)
{
    // Get a shared_ptr
    auto lock = ptr.lock();

    // Check if the object still exists
    if(lock)
    {
        // Still exists, safe to dereference
        lock->bar();
    }
}


text:
Who Are the Pollinators?
Pollinator Conservation Program -
Although birds, bats, and other creatures are also pollinators, insects are the animals that do the bulk of the pollination that affects our daily lives. Some of these insect pollinators will be familiar (bees and butterflies), but you might be surprised by some of the others (flies, wasps, and beetles). Here we provide an overview of these five main groups of insect pollinators—including their life cycles, habitat requirements, and conservation needs. For further reading, check out our page about endangered pollinators.
Solitary Bees
Honey bees (Apis spp.) may be the most well-known, but they represent a tiny fraction of all bee species! Worldwide, there are an estimated 20,000 species of bees, and approximately 3,600 bee species are native to the United States and Canada alone. Of these myriad bee species, more than 90% lead solitary—rather than social—lives, in which each female constructs and provisions her own nest, without the assistance of others.
The majority of solitary bee species are not aggressive and many are stingless—undeserving of the fear many people feel towards bees. Bees are also important pollinators of a variety of plants, possessing hairs and other specialized anatomical structures that readily collect and transfer pollen.
Solitary bees, clockwise, from top left: A blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria) pollinating an almond blossom, a leafcutter bee (Megachile sp.) pollinating a blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella), a long-horned bee (Melissodes sp.), and a pure gold-green sweat bee (Augochlora pura) on butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). (Photos: Derek Artz / USDA-NRCS; Barbara Driscoll; David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org; Xerces Society / Sarah Foltz Jordan)
Bumble bees are important pollinators of wild flowering plants and agricultural crops. They are able to fly in cooler temperatures and lower light levels than many other bees, making them excellent pollinators—especially at higher elevations and latitudes. They are characterized by their rounded, fuzzy bodies and their ability to perform "buzz pollination," which involves grasping a flower in their jaws and vibrating their wing muscles to dislodge the pollen. Many plants—including a number of wildflowers and crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cranberries—benefit from buzz pollination.
Because they are essential pollinators, the loss of bumble bees can have far-ranging ecological consequences. Alarmingly, recent work by the Xerces Society in concert with the IUCN Bumble Bee Specialist Group indicates that some species have experienced rapid and dramatic declines. In fact, more than one quarter (28%) of all North American bumble bees are facing some degree of extinction risk.
Bumble bees, clockwise, from top left: A brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis) pollinating purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea), a tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), a yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus) in flight, and a western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis). (Photos: Xerces Society / Katie Lamke; David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org; Kara Keating-Stuart; Xerces Society / Rich Hatfield)
Butterflies and moths—both members of the order Lepidoptera—are valuable pollinators, supporting the health of ecosystems and agriculture. As with many other insect species, butterflies and moths in the U.S. are experiencing significant declines: 19% are at risk of extinction—including species with special habitat needs and generalist species that were once widespread. Sadly, this includes the iconic monarch butterfly, which has experienced dramatic declines in populations both east and west of the Rocky Mountains—see our monarch conservation page for more information. From the grassland-dependent species of the Pacific Northwest to swallowtails of Central and South America, the Xerces Society works to conserve butterflies and moths throughout the world.
Butterflies and moths, clockwise, from top left: A great purple hairstreak (Atlides halesus), a member of the gossamer wing family (Lycaenidae) of butterflies; a white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) nectaring at a thistle; a Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton), a member of the brushfoot family (Nymphidaliae) of butterflies; and a cloudless sulphur butterfly (Phoebis sennae) on a thistle. (Photos, top row: Xerces Society / Stephanie McKnight; bottom row: Bryan E. Reynolds)
Wasps are wrongly maligned due to a reputation for being aggressive. In reality, they are adept hunters that we wouldn't want to live without. They are doing us all a great service in keeping insect populations in balance and managing pests—they are counted among the many beneficial insects that can be utilized for conservation biological control. From an evolutionary standpoint, bees are simply wasps that have adopted a vegetarian diet!
Many wasps are smooth-bodied and do not actively collect pollen. Those with hairs lack the branched, pollen-trapping hairs found on most bees, making them relatively minor pollinators of most plants. Nonetheless, they do provide some incidental pollination, carrying and dropping some pollen grains as they move among flowers.
Wasps, clockwise, from top left: A thread-waisted wasp (Ammophila procera) on spotted beebalm (Monarda punctada), a braconid wasp, a paper wasp (Polistes sp.) on spotted beebalm, and a Mutillidae species on goldenrod (Soldiago sp.). (Photos: Mary Keim / Flickr Creative Commons 2.0, Katja Schulz / Flickr CC 2.0, Mary Keim / Flickr CC 2.0, Xerces Society / Emily May)
With over eighty-five thousand species worldwide, flies form one of the most diverse orders of insects, Diptera. Although a number of these species are reviled as crop pests and carriers of disease, many are beneficial—from the aquatic midges that serve as an abundant food source for migratory birds to the fly pollinators of apples, peppers, mangoes and cashews.
Because flies are generalist foragers, with no nests to provision and sometimes sparsely haired bodies, they don't get much credit as significant pollinators. However, they can be important pollinators for specific plants.
Flies, clockwise from top left: A feather-legged fly (Trichopoda pennipes) on goldenrod (Solidago sp.), a tachinid fly (Tachinidae sp.) on milkweed (Asclepias sp.), a syrphid fly (Syrphidae sp.), and flower flies (Toxomerus geminatus) on Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus). (Photos: John Beetham / Flickr Creative Commons 2.0, Xerces Society / Stephanie McKnight, Judy Gallagher / Flickr CC 2.0, Dan Mullen / Flickr CC 2.0)
Beetles are the most diverse group of organisms in the world. In fact, approximately one of every four species of plant, animal, bacterium, or fungus that has been described is a type of beetle. As might be expected in such a large group, beetles are quite diverse in color, shape, and ecological role.
Fossil records suggest that beetles, along with flies, were probably the first insect pollinators of prehistoric flowering plants in the late Jurassic era, around 150 million years ago. Beetles are still pollinators of many flowers such as magnolias and water lilies—whose flowers harken back to more ancient forms.
Beetles, clockwise from upper left: Lady beetles mating, Colorado plains soldier beetles (Chauliognathus basalis), a seven spotted lady beetle (Coccinella septempunctata), and a soldier beetle (Cantharidae sp.) on blanket flower (Gaillardia sp.). (Photos: top row, left to right: Rob Flynn / USDA-ARS; Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org; bottom row, left to right: Debbie Roos, NCSU-CES / Flickr Creative Commons 2.0; Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org)
Endangered Pollinators
Pollinator Conservation Program
Find national and region-specific resources including plant lists, seed mixes, conservation guides and more in our searchable library.
Go to the Resource Center
Pollinator Conservation Seed Mixes
Our partners in the native seed industry are offering specially designed, Xerces-approved wildflower seed mixes. Learn more.
Pollinator Conservation Resources for...
Roadside & Utility Agencies
Park Managers & Groundskeepers
Pesticide Applicators
Natural Land Managers
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – December 2020


text:
Lavabit to have its day in federal appeals court
By Joab Jackson
U.S. Correspondent, IDG News Service |
Lavabit, the private email service that shut down last year after a court order called for its private SSL (secure socket layer) keys, will make its case Tuesday before a U.S. federal appeals court.
Although tangentially related to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's activities, the case could eventually affect all Web service providers, such as Google or Facebook, in that it could set precedents for the legal scope that law enforcement agencies will have over those holding the keys to encrypted data.
"This case is about protecting the encryption architecture that underwrites the security of the Internet," said Brian Hauss, a legal fellow for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "That architecture depends on SSL encryption and SSL encryption depends on the continued privacy of the private keys of the companies that use that encryption."
Before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, lawyers for the now defunct email service will argue that the government electronic wiretap orders that Lavabit received—orders that spurred the company to shutter operations—were far too broad, and jeopardized the Fourth Amendment right to privacy of its users.
Snowden reportedly used the Lavabit email service just after he exposed the first of what would become many confidential National Security Agency (NSA) documents.
Lavabit was founded by Ladar Levison, who set the operation up as an encrypted email service. By 2013, it had attracted over 400,000 users.
Just after Snowden had fled the U.S. in June 2013, the FBI produced a court order demanding from Lavabit metadata about a single account, presumably Snowden's, although many of the early records dealing with the case remain under a court seal. The order cited a 1994 amendment to the Stored Communications Act that allows federal law enforcement agencies to traffic data without a search warrant.
Soon after, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained another "pen register order" allowing for a "pen trap" to collect all routing data for the individual. A pen trap records all routing, addressing or signalling information between electronic communications, in this case email.
Lavabit agreed to the pen trap, but refused to turn over to the government its SSL keys that would allow the law enforcement agency to decrypt the communications in real time. Lavabit's SSL keys worked for all of Lavabit's users, not just the one user under scrutiny. By handing over its private SSL keys, Lavabit would be making all of its users' email open to the government.
Lavabit offered to develop a work-around that would capture only the email of the person under scrutiny. The FBI declined Lavabit's proposal, however, and the company was held in contempt of court for not handing over the keys in a timely fashion.
By August, Lavabit had capitulated and handed over the keys. Shortly after, Levison shuttered the service. Levison had argued that by nature of its business, a secure email service can't host a surreptitious government pen trap. Doing so betrays the entire service it is offering to its customers.
Although both parties are expected to focus on procedural and technical considerations, the appeal will also raise many far-reaching questions about how much access law enforcement agencies should be allowed in their investigations.
Court orders that call for a company's SSL keys in order to pursue a single suspect are far too broad and could chill free speech, some argue.
"If, in the name of criminal law, we violate the privacy of an entire swath of innocent people, we risk violating some of the necessary rights of citizens to keep our democracy healthy," said Aris Michalopoulos, co-founder of the Empeopled social networking site. Empeopled filed a brief in support of Lavabit in the case.
As the law currently stands in relation to electronic services, "people aren't able to speak freely, without looking over their shoulder, and worrying that somebody is listening," Michalopoulos said.
Already the actions of law enforcement agencies have left other companies wary of offering similar secure email services.
For instance, Silent Circle, a communications provider co-founded by PGP inventor Phil Zimmermann, shut its encrypted email service in August, citing how the government's actions in the Lavabit case would make such services impossible to run.


Overweight and obesity are defined by the WHO as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to an individuals health.
Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer and while it was once an issue only in high income countries, overweight and obesity has now dramatically risen in low- and middle-income countries.Such countries are now facing a "double burden" of disease, for while they continue to deal with the problems of infectious disease and under-nutrition, they are also experiencing a rapid upsurge in chronic disease risk factors such as obesity and overweight, particularly in urban settings.
What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?
The commonly used diabetes drug metformin could reverse the harmful thickening of heart muscle that leads to cardiovascular disease, according to a study at the University of Dundee.
UT Southwestern researchers have found that a protein in the body's innate immune system that responds to gut microbes can suppress the most common type of liver cancer.
Ketogenic diet or keto diet has been in the news as a trending diet option for weight watchers and those who wish to lose those extra pounds.
The Framingham Heart Study, the nation's longest running cohort study with longitudinal analysis of cardiovascular disease, has been renewed for an additional six years and $38 million dollars from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
People often say they can get by on five or fewer hours of sleep, that snoring is harmless, and that having a drink helps you to fall asleep.
In a bid to fight obesity, public-health researchers have been trying for decades to find a way to convince teenagers to skip junk food and eat healthily, to little avail.
A new study has shown that celebrity fat-shaming leads to an adverse reaction among general women towards people who are overweight. The study titled, "Shaping the Body Politic: Mass Media Fat-Shaming Affects Implicit Anti-Fat Attitudes," was published in the latest issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
A new app can predict the likelihood that a patient will develop an incisional hernia following abdominal surgery, using big data to potentially help address a problem effects one out of every eight of these surgical patients.
A year in space seems to have a small but significant, transient effect on the gut microbiome, according to a new paper on the NASA Twins Study published in the journal Science.
A newly published paper in the Lancet journal EBioMedicine identifies a link between high levels of blood lipids and worsening of disease in multiple sclerosis patients who are overweight or obese.
Nearly half of current hospital admissions for heart failure are caused by a type of the disease with no treatment options. Cardiology researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are changing that reality with a fresh approach, recently published in Nature.
Atrium Health, Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to create a next-generation academic healthcare system.
A new study has shown that the age at which a person is diagnosed with diabetes could significantly impact the risk of heart attack or stroke.
DNA methylation is a mechanism that regulates whether genes are "on" or "off" and is influenced by hereditary and environmental factors, as well as lifestyle and nutritional habits.
A new molecule -EPB-53-, could help fight type 2 diabetes and the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a new study led by the team of Manuel Vázquez-Carrera, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona, and the Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Center.


57 Sandra Crescent is in the city of Grimsby, Ontario and found in the community of 542 Grimsby East in Grimsby. Sandra Crescent has 1 home presently on the market, while the neighbourhood of 542 Grimsby East has 3 homes on the market. Of the 154 total listings listed in Grimsby, 542 Grimsby East makes up just 1.95%. Properties in 542 Grimsby East are listed for an average listed price of $696,267, or an approximate monthly mortgage of $2,541.* That is 22% higher than the average asking price of $572,055 found across all Grimsby properties for sale. The average 542 Grimsby East listed home is 1,800 sq ft, has 4 beds, and 3 baths. The community around 57 Sandra Crescent has more houses for sale than apartments. The 3 bed, 3 bath townhouse for sale at 113 Sumner Cres, Grimsby is comparable and listed at $489,900. Another similar home is the 3 bed, 2 bath townhouse located at 32 Walker Court, Grimsby and priced for sale at $459,900.
Browsing properties outside of 542 Grimsby East? The city also has 78 houses for sale (Grimsby).


text:
#ifndef _XNV_WAVE_DETECTOR_H_
#define _XNV_WAVE_DETECTOR_H_

#include "XnVNiteDefs.h"
#include "XnVPointControl.h"

struct XnVWaveContext;
class XnVEvent;

class XNV_NITE_API XnVWaveDetector :
	public XnVPointControl
{
public:
	/**
	* Type for the wave event callbacks
	*/
	typedef void (XN_CALLBACK_TYPE *WaveCB)(void* pUserCxt);

	/**
	* Create the wave control
	*
	* @param	[in]	strName			Name of the control, for log purposes.
	*/
	XnVWaveDetector(const XnChar* strName = "XnVWaveDetector");
	~XnVWaveDetector();

	/**
	* Called when the primary point is created.
	*
	* @param	[in]	pContext	The hand context of the newly created primary point
	* @param	[in]	ptFocus		The point in which the session has started.
	*/
	void OnPrimaryPointCreate(const XnVHandPointContext* pContext, const XnPoint3D& ptFocus);
	/**
	* Called when the primary point is updated.
	* This will cause the algorithm to look for waves.
	*
	* @param	[in]	pContext	The hand context of the updated primary point
	*/
	void OnPrimaryPointUpdate(const XnVHandPointContext* pContext);
	/**
	* Called when the primary point is replaced by another.
	* This will reinitialize the algorithm for the new hand
	*
	* @param	[in]	nOldId		The ID of the old primary point
	* @param	[in]	pContext	The hand context of the new primary point
	*/
	void OnPrimaryPointReplace(XnUInt32 nOldId, const XnVHandPointContext* pContext);
	/**
	* Called when the primary point is destroyed
	*
	* @param	[in]	nID			The ID of the hand that was the primary point
	*/
	void OnPrimaryPointDestroy(XnUInt32 nID);

	/**
	* Register for the wave event
	*
	* @param	[in]	cxt	User's context
	* @param	[in]	pCB	The Callback to call when the event is invoked.
	*
	* @return	A handle, to allow unregistration.
	*/
	XnCallbackHandle RegisterWave(void* cxt, WaveCB pCB);
	/**
	* Unregister from the wave event
	*
	* @param	[in]	handle	The handle provided on registration.
	*/
	void UnregisterWave(XnCallbackHandle handle);

	/**
	* Reset the algorithm.
	*/
	void Reset();

	void SetFlipCount(XnInt32 nFlipCount);
	void SetMinLength(XnInt32 nMinLength);
	void SetMaxDeviation(XnInt32 nMaxDeviation);

	XnInt32 GetFlipCount() const;
	XnInt32 GetMinLength() const;
	XnInt32 GetMaxDeviation() const;
protected:
	XnVWaveContext* m_pContext;
	XnVEvent* m_pWaveCBs;
}; // XnVWaveDetector

#endif // _XNV_WAVE_DETECTOR_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Meri Hanikarak Biwi 30th August 2018 Episode Start With Vallabh coming home and telling how he fell down and the man helped him. The man/Don acts good. Ira takes Vallabh to room. Akhilesh says I will get water. The don points gun a him and says I want my diamonds, else I will kill Vallabh, the waistband has bomb, if you try to tell anything, I will get Vallabh arrested. Akhilesh says don't do anything to Vallabh, I will help you in finding diamonds. Don says you just have 24 hours to return my diamonds. He goes. Ira asks how did you fall. Vallabh says I went to pluck flowers for Ganga. Ira says you behave like kids, I will send her to take care of you. He asks really.
She asks what happened to you, I can't understand. Akhilesh comes. Vallabh smiles and gives him flowers. Akhilesh asks did you bear pain for my sake.He says I m your Ganga, no one expressed me such love. He hugs Vallabh. Vallabh gets glad. Akhilesh thinks to remove the belt some how. He tickles Vallabh and removes the belt. He throws the belt out. Vallabh asks why did you throw the belt. Akhilesh says you don't need that cheap belt, I will relieve your pain by massage. Vallabh asks really. Akhilesh massages his back. Vallabh jokes. Akhilesh says you won't go to shop till you get fine. Vallabh says I have to go to get payment. Akhilesh says you can take it later. Vallabh says I got fake diamonds, which looked like real diamonds, I got rings order, I have to get payments for those rings. Akhilesh thinks to find the diamonds. He says I will get the payments. Vallabh gets glad and asks him to get the diary to check details. Akhilesh goes to Ira. She gets angry. Akhilesh says sorry, you got tension because of me. Ira says no, I m happy, I will party alone.
Akhilesh asks is it your marriage anniversary. Ira says no, Akhilesh is finding a girl for himself, I should be happy if he is moving on. Her finger gets hurt. He asks did he tell this to you. Ira asks will I go and ask him. He says I think you are upset. Ira says I don't care, he isn't my real husband, he is my good friend. He says yes, you should be happy. She says I m happy. He thinks sorry I m glad to see your jealousy, I will make you realize that you love me. He helps her.
Akhilesh comes home and tells about Vallabh. Chandu jokes. Akhilesh says Vallabh doesn't know that I m Ganga, goons are after the real diamonds. Devina tries to hear their conversation. Akhilesh says I will get the rings back. Devina says the roof is leaking. Pushpa says I m purifying the house by Gaumutra, I m keeping fast for my husband's long life, you also keep fast for Birju. Devina laughs and refuses. Bhoomi shows interest in fasting. They look at her. Devina asks why will you wake up soon, the fast is for married ladies. Pushpa says yes. Bhoomi says come on, I can help you. Pushpa gets glad and hugs her. Chandu asks what to do now, tell this to Ira. Akhilesh asks how shall I say. Chandu says tell her about diamonds. Akhilesh says I have to say about Teej. Chandu says Vallabh is in danger, think about diamonds.
Meri Hanikarak Biwi is an Indian Drama series on &TV. Featuring Karan Suchak and Jiaa Shankar, Meri Hanikarak Biwi is about Akhilesh, a village simpleton whose world turns upside down when his doctor fiancée accidentally performs a vasectomy procedure on him before their wedding.


This March 5, 2018, file photo shows Gregg Popovich, coach of the San Antonio Spurs, during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The wife of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has died. She was 67.
The Spurs confirmed Erin Popovich's death Wednesday. The team didn't provide further details.
"We mourn the loss of Erin," Spurs general manager RC Buford said in a team statement. "She was a strong, wonderful, kind, intelligent woman who provided love, support and humor to all of us."
The Popovichs have two children and two grandchildren. They met at the Air Force Academy in 1970s when he was an assistant coach for the Falcons. Erin's father, Jim Conboy, was Air Force's head athletic trainer.
Gregg Popovich has coached San Antonio since 1996, leading the Spurs to five NBA titles. San Antonio will face Golden State on Thursday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.
Popovich ran the Spurs' practice Wednesday. They Warriors lead the series 2-0.
LeBron James was made aware of the death shortly after the Cavaliers' win over the Pacers in game two of their playoff series.


text:
Welcoming Rachael Orr as our new CEO
By Camilla Born on December 7, 2022
Rachael Orr (right) at a Placeshapers event
Photo credit: Placeshapers
Camilla Born
How can there be a just energy transition in Europe when so many voices remain unheard?
Our chair of trustees Camilla Born introduces Climate Outreach's new CEO, Rachael Orr, who will be joining our team at the end of January. Rachael's experience and passion for social change and evidence-based research will be key to leading our organisation as we work to create the biggest impact we can during this critical decade for climate action.
People everywhere today are living with a new reality of climate impacts and climate transition. We are in a critical decade where inaction risks exposing the world to unthinkable climate impacts. But there is a choice to be made, a choice that publics everywhere are turning toward. At Climate Outreach our mission is to build and foster this social mandate for climate action.
Today we introduce Rachael Orr, our new CEO who will lead us into our next phase. Rachael comes to us with a background grounded in social change and a commitment to independent, evidence-based research and analysis.
Rachael will join Climate Outreach's Senior Management as CEO alongside Chief Research and Engagement Officer, Dr Amiera Sawas, and current acting Executive Director and Deputy CEO, Noora Firaq.
In her own words, Rachael said:
"I'm really thrilled to have been appointed as CEO of Climate Outreach. Climate change is the defining social issue of our time, and I have long been an admirer of the fantastic work that Climate Outreach do. I really believe that the biggest challenge, but also the greatest opportunity we now have in fighting climate change is in really ramping up public engagement. I can't wait to get started working alongside all the hugely talented staff at Climate Outreach, and their partners and colleagues, to deliver this."
As Chair of the Climate Outreach board I am privileged to see how every member of our fantastic team works to pursue our mission. From working with communities to understand and rewire the normative approach to climate communications, to reaching a broader diversity of people, and tapping into the evidence behind what drives behaviour change. From interrogating what 'just transition' means to identifying the messages and messaging that land with people across the political spectrum, and understanding how to communicate new climate realities and the latest climate science. And all this is supported by our growing Operations department who are enabling us to maximise our impact as we continue to grow from a small to a medium sized organisation.
I am excited for Climate Outreach's next chapter during this critical decade. Welcome Rachael!
One response to Welcoming Rachael Orr as our new CEO
Dorothy Orr says: says:
Congratulations on your new post Rachael. I'm sure you will do wonderful thing with climate action. I would love hear hear all about what's going on and if there are ways to link up with local community projects then it would be great to find out how we might get involved at Greener Peebles where I volunteer in the community garden. Wishing you and the whole team every success in delivering your message for a brighter greener future for everyone.
By Camilla Born
Camilla Born is a political strategist, policy advisor and activist specialising in climate diplomacy, security and risk. She is committed to finding solutions for wicked problems. Her work addresses climate change as a systemic risk to our cultures, societies, economies and political systems. She is currently on secondment to the UK Cabinet Office as Deputy Director of Strategy in the COP 26 team. Prior to this appointment she supported the UK's leadership role on adaptation and resilience at the UK's Department for International Development and was a Senior Policy Advisor at E3G. She is also a Senior Fellow with the Stockholm International Peace and Research Institute (SIPRI) and the very proud Chair of Climate Outreach.


Railroad transport company CSX Transportation has long occupied one of downtown Jacksonville's most distinctive highrises, and conducts its most critical business—such as informing investment portfolio and fund managers of its quarterly earnings and media outreach—from executive suites and meeting rooms on the 15th floor.
This floor, including the executive boardroom, committee meeting room, and vestibule/lounge area, was fully renovated by Gresham, Smith & Partners. To ensure an optimal, ergonomic video conferencing and meeting experience, this architectural firm brought Midtown Video, a Miami-based AV systems integration company, into the project to install customized videoconferencing and meeting control systems.
While waiting for meetings to begin, attendees pass the time in the vestibule/lobby area, where they can watch TV—including satellite TV channels, DVDs, and/or Apple TV—on two Panasonic 55-inch displays, and eat food served in the nearby kitchen. When no video program is selected, Apple TV shows beauty shots as screen savers.
For private meetings and negotiations, the adjacent committee room accommodates eight people, and features a Lifesize Icon 600 videoconferencing system, three Panasonic 55-inch displays, and Crestron AV systems control.
The executive boardroom features a massive conference table—designed and built by Antique and Modern Cabinets of Jacksonville—that seats 21 people, and two Panasonic 98-inch 4K/UHD wall-mounted displays.
Powering the room are a Crestron 3-Series 4K Digital Media Presentation System 300, Lifesize Icon 800 Video/Audio conferencing system, and two Lifesize camera 10X systems that provide different perspectives of the room. AV equipment, such as a Crestron 8x8 digital media switcher, is stored in racks in the nearby IT closet.
Crestron 10.1- and 8.7-inch wired and wireless touchscreens enable meeting hosts to remotely control the sound, lights, and window shades. With custom programming and graphics, the control panels allow users to select media sources for display, like satellite TV, DVD players, and Apple TV, as well as multiple PCs, laptops, and mobile devices.
In the boardroom, an equipment trough runs the length of the conference table, so control equipment can be hidden away, including mobile device charging stations and table boxes for plugging in computer devices. While VGA with audio, HDMI, USB, Ethernet, and AC power connections are supported, a Barco ClickShare system allows people to plug a device into their USB that allows them to direct their screen output to the room's displays, and switch between computers with ease.
At the heart of each room is a Crestron Avia 12x8 DSP with Dante audio/IP networking, USB audio, AEC and audio conferencing interface, and a Crestron eight-channel (75W per channel) power amplifier. "The most complex part of this installation was the digital signal processing (DSP) associated with the audio system," VanOrmer said.
"Due to the large size of the conference table and room, we used the Crestron DSP and mix-minus processing to independently process each mic, and amplify the voices at each end of the table, so that all voices could be heard at the same volume," VanOrmer said. "We programmed the DSP using the acoustic echo cancellation feature to eliminate feedback and echo caused by audio picked up by the room mics.


text:
Shoukry says Egypt seeks to reach legally binding agreement on GERD filling
Sun, 27 Jun 2021 - 09:49 GMT
A handout satellite image shows a closeup view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia June 26, 2020. Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies via REUTERS
CAIRO - 27 July 2020: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Egypt seeks to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as the international community is aware of the great danger it poses on downstream countries.
In a phone interview with 'Kelma Akhira' TV program, Shoukry said that failing short to overcome obstacles hindering a solution over the GERD would further scale up violence and conflict in East Africa and the Horn on Africa.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should shoulder its responsibility towards containing repercussions of the failure of talks in this respect, the foreign minister said.
Egypt will continue to put forth its vision vis-à-vis GERD, Shoukry said, adding that the dam issue should be taken with great seriousness.
Regarding the stance of interfering in river-related issues, the minister said that the countries nominated for membership in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to maintain international security and stability must play their role regarding water-related issues or any issue affecting international security and stability.
"Egypt is pressing ahead with all political and diplomatic efforts in GERD talks, to reach out a fruitful result to achieve its goal, giving the priority to protecting Egyptians' interests," he said.
As for Ethiopian officials' statements on GERD, Shoukri dubbed the Ethiopian statements as "provocative", stating that such statements were meant to dissuade Egypt from the main topic. He said Egypt adopts a balanced policy that enjoys wide world respect.
Ethiopia conducted its first filling in July 2020 with 5 billion cubic meters. The total capacity of the reservoir is 74 billion cubic meters to be filled over several years [the years number is still one of the disagreements between the three countries].
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are at loggerheads over the $4-billion dam; Cairo voiced concern over its water share [55.5 billion cubic meters] after Ethiopia started building the dam on the Blue Nile in May 2011.
In 2015, the three countries signed the Declaration of Principles, per which the downstream countries [Egypt and Sudan] should not be negatively affected by the construction of the dam.
In March 2021, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stated, "No one can take a drop of water from Egypt... If it happens, there will be inconceivable instability in the region that no one could imagine. This is not a threat."
Sudan, as well has warned more than once of filling the GERD before reaching a legal binding agreement.
Ethiopia, on the other side affirms that the second filling will be conducted, despite all negotiations and mediations.
Earlier in May, Egypt slammed recent Ethiopian remarks reiterating the unilateral plans to complete the Grand Dam (GERD) filling despite the absence of an agreement with Egypt and Sudan, saying it reveals Ethiopia's bad intentions and efforts to undermine the ongoing mediation efforts.
The Ethiopian foreign ministry said it plans to start generating power from GERD in the upcoming rainy season between June and August.
The Egyptian ministry said its statement comes in response to Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti's reiteration that his country will implement the second dam filling even if the three countries do not reach an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.
The Ethiopian spokesman's remarks "reveal again Ethiopia's bad intentions and its endeavor to undermine the ongoing efforts by international and African mediators to resolve the GERD crisis," the Egyptian ministry said.
Egypt added that the Ethiopian remarks also show the latter's "desire to impose the fait accompli against the downstream countries, a matter that Egypt did not and will not accept".


A terrific promotional size of 50ml – prefect for the handbag – our Hand Cream which treats and nourishes the hands.
Cares for dry hands and protects against environmental aggressions. Perfect forms hand cream is non-greasy formula, which is pleasant to apply and absorbs quickly. A true treatment for the hands and at a 50ml size - perfect for the handbag!


STRENGTHTAPE® | Spartan Challenge from STRENGTHTAPE on Vimeo.
STRENGTHTAPE® | Kinesiology Tape | AC Joint from STRENGTHTAPE on Vimeo.
STRENGTHTAPE® | Kinesiology Tape | Achilles Tendon from STRENGTHTAPE on Vimeo.
STRENGTHTAPE® | Kinesiology Tape | Plantar Fascia from STRENGTHTAPE on Vimeo.
STRENGTHTAPE® | Kinesiology Tape | Low Back from STRENGTHTAPE on Vimeo.
STRENGTHTAPE® | Kinesiology Tape | Patellar Tendon (Jumper's Knee) from STRENGTHTAPE on Vimeo.
STRENGTHTAPE® | Kinesiology Tape | Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondyle) from STRENGTHTAPE on Vimeo.
STRENGTHTAPE® | Kinesiology Tape | How To Remove from STRENGTHTAPE on Vimeo.