text:
Hottest month doesn't lead to expected ozone pollution
By: Max Roth
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah's culprit for bad air in the summer is a gas created when the sun heats up pollutants floating in the air.
It's called ozone. It's mostly invisible, but it can cause respiratory problems just as harmful as the more visible and reviled winter inversion on the Wasatch Front and in the Cache Valley.
So with July 2013 a full two degrees hotter on average than July of 2012, there should have been a big ozone problem.
Turns out 2012 was worse in terms of air quality.
"Last summer we also had a lot of fires with the valleys filled with smoke, and this year we haven't had a lot of that," said Bo Call, the air monitoring manager with the Utah Division of Air Quality.
Fires seem to be the likely difference-maker amidst the long list of pollution creators.
Cars and trucks contribute more ozone-creating pollution to the Wasatch Front than any other pollutions source. It's possible Utahns drove less, especially with gas costing between 20 and 30 cents more per gallon in July of 2013, but there is no evidence suggesting fewer cars are on the road.
Industry contributes 22 percent of air pollution on the Wasatch Front, and Kennecott did suffer a crippling landslide in their open-pit copper mine in the Spring. But Kennecott tells FOX 13 News they ramped up work within days of the slide. They said they are running their equipment and their power plant as much as they did last summer.


text:
ESPN Boston High School Report
Creators Crosse Final: Billerica 10, Franklin 9
7yJosh Perry, Special to ESPNBoston.com
Coach and Dad: Raising the best quarterbacks in MIAA history
5yNate Weitzer, Special to ESPNBoston.com
St. Sebastian's rolls to victory over Middlesex
5yJohn McGuirk, Special to ESPNBoston.com
Video: Highlights of Billerica's upset over Everett
5yBrendan C. Hall
Billerica stuns Everett in overtime thriller
For small-school state title contenders, less has to be more
5yTom Joyce, Special to ESPNBoston.com
Super 8 Watch: Loaded 'Compass Challenge' slate set for 2017
5yJohn Botelho, Special to ESPNBoston.com
High school sports programming note
5yESPNBoston.com
Providence high school football team receives prestigious award
5yMike Scandura, Special to ESPNBoston.com
Top 25 MIAA Football Rankings
Video: Recapping Everett's Homecoming win over St. John's Prep
Xavier (Conn.) gets best of interstate tilt with St. John's
Everett dominates St. John's Prep for a 35-14 win on Homecoming Day
No. 11 Springfield Central rolls Westfield 39-6
Marblehead uses strong second half to down No. 24 Danvers 30-23
No. 6 BC High Throttles No. 9 Leominster
5yJoe Parello, Special to ESPNBoston.com
Josh Perry, Special to ESPNBoston.com
LEXINGTON, Mass. - Billerica came into the third annual Creators Crosse Tournament as the favorite in the field, but the Indians would not be able to walk through anybody, if they wanted to take home the trophy.
In fact, according to senior captain Danny Lynch, winning the trophy required being "Billerica Tough."
He said, "Coach always says that the phrase is 'Billerica Tough.' We always have to stay tough, persevere and get through everything. I mean we don't worry, we just stay cool, play our game, and we just go after it and good things happen."
Lynch, who finished with a hat trick, was speaking just moments after his goal with 1:03 remaining earned a 10-9 victory for Billerica (9-1) in Saturday afternoon's tournament final against Franklin (8-1) at the Lincoln Park fields in Lexington.
"It was a great tournament and there were some great teams in it," said Billerica coach Craig Flynn. "We're fortunate to come away victorious. He's from Billerica, so I think it's only right we get to take it home this year."
The Indians had trailed 5-4 in the second quarter but entering the fourth quarter held a 7-5 advantage. The Panthers were fired up coming out of the break and quickly got back into the game.
Junior Austin Kent picked out senior Kyle Lundgren from behind the cage with a diagonal pass across the crease and the midfielder made no mistake from close range cutting the lead to one just 40 seconds into the fourth.
Kent (three goals and an assist) tied the game with 7:44 remaining when he found a little space to fire home on the left side, but only eight second later the Indians took back the lead. Jeff Trainor scooped up a ground ball on the face-off and raced 40 yards straight down the middle before planting a shot past goalie D.J. Shea (12 saves).
Flynn said, "Dean Brooks was doing a great job on face-offs all day and I thought we had the better of the face-offs."
Billerica made it 9-7 when Kevin Casey found Derek Laundry for a transition goal, but the Panthers continued to fight and again battled back to tie. First, Lundgren (three goals and two assists) was in the right place at the right time to pick up a rebound after Tyler Canto (nine saves) blocked a Kent shot. Then Lundgren made a pass while falling down to pick out jack Vail and the senior took a second before firing past Canto.
"Lacrosse is a game of runs, you know, and we kept getting up and those guys kept fighting, scratching, clawing to come back and it was game all the way through to the end," said Flynn.
"We battled from two-goal deficits, three-goal deficits…With a few bounces either way we could have won," commented Franklin coach Lou Verrochi. "They wanted this type of schedule and they proved that they belonged up here with the best."
After winning the face-off after Vail's tying goal, the Indians made good use of the possession by swinging the ball rapidly from one side to the other and Drew Laundry caught Franklin in a slide and picked out Lynch right on the edge of the crease.
"Once I saw the ball spinning back side, I knew my guy would go to the ball and I'd be wide open in the crease," described Lynch, "and it was just him getting me the ball and me sticking it in the back of the net. It felt like slow motion."
Verrochi explained, "We had a miscommunication on that crease guy. He shouldn't have had a shorty on him, he should have had a pole, and that sort of hurt us. He didn't realize it was his responsibility and when he did it was too late."
The Panthers won the ensuing face-off and had the chance to try and tie the game again, but Billerica's defense held out and for the third straight game in the tournament, the Indians were able to bounce back from a first half deficit to pick up the win.
The Creators Crosse Tournament's wooden stick trophy was designed by Billerica resident Rick Ortolani, whose son John was a former midfielder for the Indians and currently plays in Major League Lacrosse.
As the final whistle sounded, the players raced onto the field to surround Canto and celebrate the trophy. As Lynch explained, the Indians were bringing the trophy home.
"From the beginning, people were telling us that we're the favorites coming in," he said, "and we tried to give the people what they want and take it home. It means a lot to the program…we hope to do it next year, too."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, monks or nuns; or the building used by the community, particularly in the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, and the Anglican Communion.
^ Evangelisti, Silvia (2008). Nuns: A History of Convent Life, 1450-1700. Oxford University Press. p. 38-39. ISBN 9780199532056. Finally, irrespective of religious beliefs, convents remained a possible model for women--Catholic as well as Protestant--to pursue. In Protestant Germany, forms of female religious associative life did not die out, but instead survived in the shape of Protestant convents. These could be governed by a Lutheran abbess, and inhabited by Lutheran nuns in religious habits who claimed membership of a monastic order, paradoxical though this may seem.


text:
Posts published in "Day: May 28, 2018"
Exec: Longer visa validity for medical tourists needed
By Kristianne Fusilero on May 28, 2018
The inter-agency body tasked to promote medical tourism and wellness has pushed for the extension of validity of visa for foreigners who want to avail…
Milan: More companies eyeing investments in the city
Foreign investors have continued to get interested in putting up their businesses in the city as a Chinese company expressed its desire to set up…
NPA attacks military camp in Surigao Sur; no one hurt
By Rhoda Grace Saron on May 28, 2018
The military questioned the control of the Communist Party of the Philippines leadership over its force as New People's Army rebels reportedly continue to engage…
Al-ag still eyes public office but unsure which position
By Ma. Cecilia Badian on May 28, 2018
Vice mayor Bernard Al-ag clarified that he has not discussed with his party any plans for the May 2019 elections. "We will have to wait…
Clash kills rebel, 3 troops injured
An unidentified member of the New People's Army (NPA) was killed while three soldiers of the 28th Infantry Battalion were wounded during a clash in…
Cook nabbed for P30K drugs
Authorities seized almost P30,000 worth of illegal drugs from a drug surrenderer in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Talomo Proper in Talomo District Saturday night.…
Albayalde advises barangay officials in the drug list to give up
Philippine National police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde said they will treat barangay officials involved in the drug trade just like the usual crime suspects. "Pantay…


Ride from Hood River to Rowena Crest with Field Rep. Peter Cornelison on the Historic Highway through the car-free Mosier Twin Tunnels past vineyards and orchards up to scenic river views at Rowena Plateau. On our way back we'll stop in Mosier for a bite to eat.
This is a paved bike ride, so mountain and road bikes, or electric bikes, are fine. Participants are to bring their own tire repair kit and all other riding essentials, including snacks and water. Helmets are required.
More information on how to prepare for your bike ride.
Click "+Add" to complete a separate ticket for each person in your party, on the intended ticket level.
Once tickets are saved, click the "continue" button to go to Page 2.
On Page 2, click the bubble next to the main contact's name (to autofill the information). This person will receive the confirmation email.


Transcription of 2-3h English audio to English text .
Make the sentence easy to understand and easy read , not just copy.
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You can choose to take any number of audio , based on your capacity.


During the event open houses planners and guests will be able to mingle with vendors from Planterra's preferred vendors list as well as enjoy light dessert refreshments and champagne. The open houses are NOT public events and registration is required. See the registration link here or below.
We look forward to showing off our space to planners as well as our wonderful garden boutique to community members. The West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce will be here for a ribbon cutting, so make sure you are here!


text:
Evergreen hauls Belize Bank and others before US Federal Court
Uncategorized	— 28 May 2016	— by Pambana Bassett
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. May 26, 2016–On the 13th of May, the legal dispute in which Belize Bank International and Evergreen E-Pay Solutions Inc. have been embroiled, flared up again. In 2015, the legal wrangling between the two entities took place in the Supreme Court of Belize, where Evergreen was successful in getting the court to order Belize Bank to issue a payout to the company; then on the 3rd of February 2016, Belize Bank presented an appeal. Now, the battle will play out in the United States' Federal courts.
On Friday, May 13, in Miami, Florida, Evergreen (an e-commerce business) filed a federal law suit alleging that Visa International had permitted three banks in Belize to process international transactions despite not having proper licensing. The case, assigned to US District Judge Donald Graham, includes serious allegations such as fraud, breach of contract, negligence, and business defamation. Evergreen's current complaint against Visa and Belize's "Defendant Banks" includes 21 counts. It also makes claims against specific persons, and makes allegations of constant lies and threats of violence by some of these individuals. Evergreen claims that being wrongfully associated with illegal business activity destroyed its business and tarnished the name of its owners, Robert Allen and Kelliane Beltran. They further argue that it was actually Visa, and the defendants — Belize Bank, Credomatic and three named Belizean bank officers — who acted illegally.
According to the numerous summons, the plaintiff is identified as Evergreen E-Pay Solutions Inc., Digital Empire USA, Inc., Robert Allen and Kellianne Beltran, and it is stated that the plaintiff is suing the following defendants: Visa, Inc., Visa International Service Association Inc.; two Delaware incorporated entities, Caribbean Investment Holdings Ltd., BCB Holdings Ltd., British Caribbean Bank International Ltd., Belize Bank Ltd., and Belize Bank International Ltd. (all Belize-incorporated companies); and Credomatic International Corporation, a Costa Rican corporation, along with individuals listed as Alina Gonzalez, Filippo Alario, Christopher Coye, and John Does 1-10 (collectively "Defendants").
According to the lawyer for Evergreen, Joseph J. Pappacoda, a Fort Lauderdale sole practitioner, all three of the implicated banks are under Caribbean Investment Holdings, which are majority-owned by the well-known businessman Lord Michael Ashcroft.
Evergreen went on to say that the case ought to be processed through federal courts in Florida, because the "majority of false and fraudulent statements by Defendant Banks' representatives referenced in this Complaint to Plaintiffs were made from Belize, Central America to Palm Coast, Florida, either by phone call, email, mail, or facsimile transmission." Also, the approximately 700,000-800,000 Visa transactions processed for Evergreen were allegedly processed through Bank of America in Miami, Florida. The representatives of the listed Belizean banks have been summoned to that jurisdiction.
Past 2015 Belize Supreme Court Case
In Belize, Evergreen has had success in arguing their case against the Belize Bank. According to a 2015 Supreme Court ruling issued by Justice Courtney Abel, the Belize Bank and Evergreen had an agreement — a contract that the bank suddenly and illegally terminated. Belize Bank was ordered to pay Evergreen "$3,309, 373.44 plus interest at the rate of 8% from the date of filing of the claim until judgement, together with costs to be agreed or on the prescribed basis under the rules."
The bank, however, appealed the ruling on the 3rd of February, 2016 and requested a stay of the judgment on March 16 pending its appeal. According to the submitted affidavit of Bank Company Secretary Abner Peralta, "the Appeal has good prospect for success, in which event, the Bank would not be liable for any sums to the Claimant, Evergreen E-Pay Solutions Ltd."
On why they (the Bank) would prefer to defer payment until the appeal concludes, Belize Bank's Chairman, Lyndon Guissepi, in his affidavit expressed concerns "about the timely return of those funds to the Bank if successfully appealed, given that Evergreen is not a Belize business; this might give rise to concerns that the recovery of the Order payment would take long, or fail to happen". He went on to assure the court that they would not run away from the obligation to pay Evergreen if the appeal is not successful. Guissepi writes, "the Bank believes that the Claimant will suffer no prejudice if it is ultimately successful in its appeal because the Bank will be in a position to satisfy the payment terms of the Order at that point and pay compensation by way of interest."
A Court Case, Now Billions
Back in Miami, Evergreen is now focusing on the alleged illegality of Visa's dealings. Reports on the case presented this past Friday to US federal judge Donald Graham specifically address that the three Ashcroft-controlled banks provided Visa credit and debit card processing services for about 800,000 online purchases by customers of Evergreen's international merchants. In money terms, Evergreen reports say that between August of 2012 and February of 2014, the banks and Visa processed card transactions amounting to US$10-$15 million. Evergreen's lawyer, when addressing the press, claims that the monetary benefit to Visa is the reason that the company (Visa) did not address violations sooner.
Pappacoda, a Floridian, is quoted as saying that "The Belize banks did not have the proper Visa licensing, did not have the proper capital reserves or the bank rating to process international Visa transactions. Visa turned a blind eye because [they] were making a lot of money." According to Evergreen, Visa made significant revenue from processing the US$10-$15 million in card transactions. With this legal argument, Evergreen is alleging blatant illegality.
Part of this money was being made by Visa through Belize Bank transactions and through their business relationship with Credomatic and Evergreen's customers, Film World Media (Canada), Razzle Enterprises Ltd. (Delaware), and UAB Click2Sell Ltd (Lithuanian). Evergreen claims that more was to be made from incoming businesses at the time Belize Bank wrongfully terminated the business relationship. Evergreen claims that it acted legally throughout the entire process; however, Belize Bank had criticized an excessive chargeback of 2.05% incurred by one of their businesses.
Chargebacks were also an issue raised by Visa. The Belize Supreme Court ruling states that Visa did in fact charge Belize Bank US$68,800 for program violations relating to chargebacks. As they detail in their new lawsuit, Evergreen believes that the chargebacks were not the major concern.
Chargebacks are usually measured against monthly volumes processed by merchants. Industry standards dictates that anything between 2% and 5% would trigger red flags for Visa Inc. Evergreen explains that one of their customers, Merchant Film World Media Inc.'s, was flagged for a high chargeback of 2.05%. Evergreen claims that the returns were not exponentially greater than standard, and goes on to blame the Belize Bank for Film World Media's exceeding limits to the "false and fraudulent MCC Category Coding".
As part of this alleged scandal, Evergreen's lawsuit states that the profitable transactions were falsely coded as Belize retail transactions ("MCC #5999: miscellaneous specialty and retail stores") when the transnational transactions should have been coded as "cross-border, high-brand-risk transactions". They claim that it was Credomatic that "provided the programming gateway for transfer of funds … and fostered the use of false and fraudulent MCC Category Codes used by [the Defendant Belize banks]." They claim that according to "logic" Belize Bank and Visa must have known that the codes were, as they allege, fraudulent.
According to Evergreen, Visa and the Belize banks are to blame. It states that "due diligence matters, such as licensing verifications, capital reserves verifications, and bank A or B Rating verifications, were either not completed by Visa and Visa International at the time of establishing [Belize Bank Ltd.] and [Belize Bank International Ltd.] as Visa Member-Acquirer Banks on or about July, 2006, or were 'unofficially' waived, or simply ignored, by Visa, and Visa International some time thereafter".
It must be noted that Evergreen is not only going after businesses, however. The company in its lawsuit details personal grievances and names specific individuals. In this new court case, Evergreen is going after management and former management of the Belize Bank. In their claim they have summoned and pointed fingers at Christopher Coye, Filippo Alario and Alina Gonzalez multiple times and, in effect, accuse them of participating in the alleged illegal activity of their employers. Evergreen also alleges that they and their business partners were constantly lied to by Belize Bank representatives, which created mistrust between their business partners and which ultimately prompted death threats against them. They claim that substantial funds in their Belize Bank account were frozen and they had no other option but to sell their US and Belize properties at a loss and that they lived in hotels fearing for their lives, and those of their friends, and unborn child.
Evergreen's case, is specifically about registration, breach of contract and knowledge of what they say was false codification. They claim that they had no knowledge of these alleged violations when doing business with Belize Bank. They additionally claim that, using fake e-mail addresses, they have found that officers of Belize Bank continue to make overtures to potential business partners despite still, allegedly, not meeting regulatory standards.
Pappacoda says that the Belize Bank had claimed in previous years that it had acquired the necessary licences, and it was only after investigation and after the Evergreen owner Robert Allen had done business with them that he found that the banks did not have the proper licensing to process international payments. That, they explain, is why they are not only pursuing the Supreme Court case in Belize, but now are also going after Visa, Credomatic, Ashcroft's Belize Bank and a number of individuals in US federal courts for alleged civil and criminal wrongdoing.
We attempted to get comments from Belize Bank Chairman, Lyndon Guissepi on the matter; however, he indicated that he was in a meeting and was therefore not available for comment at the time.


text:
Ana Paula Scheffer (18 August 198916 October 2020) was a Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast.

She represented her nation at international competitions. She competed at world championships, including at the 2009 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.

Scheffer was discovered dead at her home in Toledo, Paraná suffering from heart attack on October 16, 2020, aged 31.

References

1989 births
2020 deaths
Brazilian rhythmic gymnasts
Place of birth missing
Gymnasts at the 2007 Pan American Games
Pan American Games medalists in gymnastics
Pan American Games bronze medalists for Brazil
South American Games gold medalists for Brazil
South American Games silver medalists for Brazil
South American Games medalists in gymnastics
Competitors at the 2006 South American Games
Competitors at the 2010 South American Games
Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games
People from Toledo, Paraná
Sportspeople from Paraná (state)
21st-century Brazilian women

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
package org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.applicationhistoryservice.metrics.timeline;

import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
import org.apache.hadoop.classification.InterfaceAudience;
import org.apache.hadoop.classification.InterfaceStability;
import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;

import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.net.InetAddress;
import java.net.MalformedURLException;
import java.net.URISyntaxException;
import java.net.URL;
import java.net.UnknownHostException;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.Set;

/**
 * Configuration class that reads properties from ams-site.xml. All values
 * for time or intervals are given in seconds.
 */
@InterfaceAudience.Public
@InterfaceStability.Evolving
public class TimelineMetricConfiguration {
  private static final Log LOG = LogFactory.getLog(TimelineMetricConfiguration.class);

  public static final String HBASE_SITE_CONFIGURATION_FILE = "hbase-site.xml";
  public static final String METRICS_SITE_CONFIGURATION_FILE = "ams-site.xml";
  public static final String METRICS_ENV_CONFIGURATION_FILE = "ams-env.xml";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_AGGREGATOR_CHECKPOINT_DIR =
    "timeline.metrics.aggregator.checkpoint.dir";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRIC_AGGREGATOR_SINK_CLASS =
    "timeline.metrics.service.aggregator.sink.class";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_CACHE_SIZE =
    "timeline.metrics.cache.size";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_CACHE_COMMIT_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.cache.commit.interval";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_CACHE_ENABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.cache.enabled";

  public static final String DEFAULT_CHECKPOINT_LOCATION =
    System.getProperty("java.io.tmpdir");

  public static final String HBASE_ENCODING_SCHEME =
    "timeline.metrics.hbase.data.block.encoding";

  public static final String HBASE_COMPRESSION_SCHEME =
    "timeline.metrics.hbase.compression.scheme";

  public static final String CONTAINER_METRICS_TTL =
    "timeline.container-metrics.ttl";

  public static final String PRECISION_TABLE_TTL =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.ttl";

  public static final String HOST_MINUTE_TABLE_TTL =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.minute.ttl";

  public static final String HOST_DAILY_TABLE_TTL =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.daily.ttl";

  public static final String HOST_HOUR_TABLE_TTL =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.hourly.ttl";

  public static final String CLUSTER_SECOND_TABLE_TTL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.second.ttl";

  public static final String CLUSTER_MINUTE_TABLE_TTL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.minute.ttl";

  public static final String CLUSTER_HOUR_TABLE_TTL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.hourly.ttl";

  public static final String CLUSTER_DAILY_TABLE_TTL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.daily.ttl";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_TIMESLICE_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.second.timeslice.interval";

  public static final String AGGREGATOR_CHECKPOINT_DELAY =
    "timeline.metrics.service.checkpointDelay";

  public static final String RESULTSET_FETCH_SIZE =
    "timeline.metrics.service.resultset.fetchSize";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_MINUTE_SLEEP_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.minute.interval";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_HOUR_SLEEP_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.hourly.interval";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_DAILY_SLEEP_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.daily.interval";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_SECOND_SLEEP_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.second.interval";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_MINUTE_SLEEP_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.minute.interval";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_HOUR_SLEEP_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.hourly.interval";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_DAILY_SLEEP_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.daily.interval";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_MINUTE_CHECKPOINT_CUTOFF_MULTIPLIER =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.minute.checkpointCutOffMultiplier";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_HOUR_CHECKPOINT_CUTOFF_MULTIPLIER =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.hourly.checkpointCutOffMultiplier";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_DAILY_CHECKPOINT_CUTOFF_MULTIPLIER =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.daily.checkpointCutOffMultiplier";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_SECOND_CHECKPOINT_CUTOFF_MULTIPLIER =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.second.checkpointCutOffMultiplier";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_MINUTE_CHECKPOINT_CUTOFF_MULTIPLIER =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.minute.checkpointCutOffMultiplier";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_HOUR_CHECKPOINT_CUTOFF_MULTIPLIER =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.hourly.checkpointCutOffMultiplier";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_DAILY_CHECKPOINT_CUTOFF_MULTIPLIER =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.daily.checkpointCutOffMultiplier";

  public static final String GLOBAL_RESULT_LIMIT =
    "timeline.metrics.service.default.result.limit";

  public static final String GLOBAL_MAX_RETRIES =
    "timeline.metrics.service.default.max_retries";

  public static final String GLOBAL_RETRY_INTERVAL =
    "timeline.metrics.service.default.retryInterval";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_MINUTE_DISABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.minute.disabled";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_HOUR_DISABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.hourly.disabled";

  public static final String HOST_AGGREGATOR_DAILY_DISABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregator.hourly.disabled";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_SECOND_DISABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.second.disabled";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_MINUTE_DISABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.minute.disabled";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_HOUR_DISABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.hourly.disabled";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_DAILY_DISABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.daily.disabled";

  public static final String DISABLE_APPLICATION_TIMELINE_STORE =
    "timeline.service.disable.application.timeline.store";

  public static final String WEBAPP_HTTP_ADDRESS =
    "timeline.metrics.service.webapp.address";

  public static final String TIMELINE_SERVICE_RPC_ADDRESS =
    "timeline.metrics.service.rpc.address";

  public static final String TIMELINE_SERVICE_DISABLE_CONTAINER_METRICS =
    "timeline.metrics.service.container.metrics.disabled";

  public static final String CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_APP_IDS =
    "timeline.metrics.service.cluster.aggregator.appIds";

  public static final String SERVER_SIDE_TIMESIFT_ADJUSTMENT =
    "timeline.metrics.service.cluster.aggregator.timeshift.adjustment";

  public static final String OUT_OFF_BAND_DATA_TIME_ALLOWANCE =
    "timeline.metrics.service.outofband.time.allowance.millis";

  public static final String USE_GROUPBY_AGGREGATOR_QUERIES =
    "timeline.metrics.service.use.groupBy.aggregators";

  public static final String HANDLER_THREAD_COUNT =
    "timeline.metrics.service.handler.thread.count";

  public static final String WATCHER_DISABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.service.watcher.disabled";

  public static final String WATCHER_INITIAL_DELAY =
    "timeline.metrics.service.watcher.initial.delay";

  public static final String WATCHER_DELAY =
    "timeline.metrics.service.watcher.delay";

  public static final String WATCHER_TIMEOUT =
    "timeline.metrics.service.watcher.timeout";

  public static final String WATCHER_MAX_FAILURES =
    "timeline.metrics.service.watcher.max.failures";

  public static final String PRECISION_TABLE_SPLIT_POINTS =
    "timeline.metrics.host.aggregate.splitpoints";

  public static final String AGGREGATE_TABLE_SPLIT_POINTS =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregate.splitpoints";

  public static final String AGGREGATORS_SKIP_BLOCK_CACHE =
    "timeline.metrics.aggregators.skip.blockcache.enabled";

  public static final String TIMELINE_SERVICE_HTTP_POLICY =
    "timeline.metrics.service.http.policy";

  public static final String DISABLE_METRIC_METADATA_MGMT =
    "timeline.metrics.service.metadata.management.disabled";

  public static final String METRICS_METADATA_SYNC_INIT_DELAY =
    "timeline.metrics.service.metadata.sync.init.delay";

  public static final String METRICS_METADATA_SYNC_SCHEDULE_DELAY =
    "timeline.metrics.service.metadata.sync.delay";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_CLUSTER_AGGREGATOR_INTERPOLATION_ENABLED =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregator.interpolation.enabled";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_PRECISION_TABLE_DURABILITY =
    "timeline.metrics.precision.table.durability";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_AGGREGATE_TABLES_DURABILITY =
      "timeline.metrics.aggregate.tables.durability";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_WHITELIST_FILE =
    "timeline.metrics.whitelist.file";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_APPS_BLACKLIST =
    "timeline.metrics.apps.blacklist";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_APPS_WHITELIST =
    "timeline.metrics.apps.whitelist";

  public static final String HBASE_BLOCKING_STORE_FILES =
    "hbase.hstore.blockingStoreFiles";

  public static final String DEFAULT_TOPN_HOSTS_LIMIT =
    "timeline.metrics.default.topn.hosts.limit";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRIC_AGGREGATION_SQL_FILTERS =
    "timeline.metrics.cluster.aggregation.sql.filters";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRIC_METADATA_FILTERS =
    "timeline.metrics.service.metadata.filters";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_HBASE_AGGREGATE_TABLE_COMPACTION_POLICY_KEY =
    "timeline.metrics.hbase.aggregate.table.compaction.policy.key";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_HBASE_AGGREGATE_TABLE_COMPACTION_POLICY_CLASS =
    "timeline.metrics.hbase.aggregate.table.compaction.policy.class";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_AGGREGATE_TABLE_HBASE_BLOCKING_STORE_FILES =
    "timeline.metrics.aggregate.table.hbase.hstore.blockingStoreFiles";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_HBASE_PRECISION_TABLE_COMPACTION_POLICY_KEY =
    "timeline.metrics.hbase.precision.table.compaction.policy.key";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_HBASE_PRECISION_TABLE_COMPACTION_POLICY_CLASS =
    "timeline.metrics.hbase.precision.table.compaction.policy.class";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_PRECISION_TABLE_HBASE_BLOCKING_STORE_FILES =
    "timeline.metrics.precision.table.hbase.hstore.blockingStoreFiles";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_SUPPORT_MULTIPLE_CLUSTERS =
    "timeline.metrics.support.multiple.clusters";

  public static final String TIMELINE_METRICS_EVENT_METRIC_PATTERNS =
    "timeline.metrics.downsampler.event.metric.patterns";

  public static final String HOST_APP_ID = "HOST";

  public static final String DEFAULT_INSTANCE_PORT = "12001";

  public static final String AMSHBASE_METRICS_WHITESLIST_FILE = "amshbase_metrics_whitelist";

  private Configuration hbaseConf;
  private Configuration metricsConf;
  private Configuration amsEnvConf;
  private volatile boolean isInitialized = false;

  public void initialize() throws URISyntaxException, MalformedURLException {
    ClassLoader classLoader = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
    if (classLoader == null) {
      classLoader = getClass().getClassLoader();
    }
    URL hbaseResUrl = classLoader.getResource(HBASE_SITE_CONFIGURATION_FILE);
    URL amsResUrl = classLoader.getResource(METRICS_SITE_CONFIGURATION_FILE);
    LOG.info("Found hbase site configuration: " + hbaseResUrl);
    LOG.info("Found metric service configuration: " + amsResUrl);

    if (hbaseResUrl == null) {
      throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to initialize the metrics " +
        "subsystem. No hbase-site present in the classpath.");
    }

    if (amsResUrl == null) {
      throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to initialize the metrics " +
        "subsystem. No ams-site present in the classpath.");
    }

    hbaseConf = new Configuration(true);
    hbaseConf.addResource(hbaseResUrl.toURI().toURL());
    metricsConf = new Configuration(true);
    metricsConf.addResource(amsResUrl.toURI().toURL());

    isInitialized = true;
  }

  public Configuration getHbaseConf() throws URISyntaxException, MalformedURLException {
    if (!isInitialized) {
      initialize();
    }
    return hbaseConf;
  }

  public Configuration getMetricsConf() throws URISyntaxException, MalformedURLException {
    if (!isInitialized) {
      initialize();
    }
    return metricsConf;
  }

  public String getZKClientPort() throws MalformedURLException, URISyntaxException {
    if (!isInitialized) {
      initialize();
    }
    return hbaseConf.getTrimmed("hbase.zookeeper.property.clientPort", "2181");
  }

  public String getZKQuorum() throws MalformedURLException, URISyntaxException {
    if (!isInitialized) {
      initialize();
    }
    return hbaseConf.getTrimmed("hbase.zookeeper.quorum");
  }

  public String getClusterZKClientPort() throws MalformedURLException, URISyntaxException {
    if (!isInitialized) {
      initialize();
    }
    return metricsConf.getTrimmed("cluster.zookeeper.property.clientPort", "2181");
  }

  public String getClusterZKQuorum() throws MalformedURLException, URISyntaxException {
    if (!isInitialized) {
      initialize();
    }
    return metricsConf.getTrimmed("cluster.zookeeper.quorum");
  }

  public String getInstanceHostnameFromEnv() throws UnknownHostException {
    String amsInstanceName = System.getProperty("AMS_INSTANCE_NAME");
    if (amsInstanceName == null) {
      amsInstanceName = InetAddress.getLocalHost().getHostName();
    }
    return amsInstanceName;
  }

  public String getInstancePort() throws MalformedURLException, URISyntaxException {
    String amsInstancePort = System.getProperty("AMS_INSTANCE_PORT");
    if (amsInstancePort == null) {
      // Check config
      return getMetricsConf().get("timeline.metrics.availability.instance.port", DEFAULT_INSTANCE_PORT);
    }
    return DEFAULT_INSTANCE_PORT;
  }

  public String getWebappAddress() {
    String defaultHttpAddress = "0.0.0.0:6188";
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return metricsConf.get(WEBAPP_HTTP_ADDRESS, defaultHttpAddress);
    }
    return defaultHttpAddress;
  }

  public int getTimelineMetricsServiceHandlerThreadCount() {
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return Integer.parseInt(metricsConf.get(HANDLER_THREAD_COUNT, "20"));
    }
    return 20;
  }

  public boolean isTimelineMetricsServiceWatcherDisabled() {
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return Boolean.parseBoolean(metricsConf.get(WATCHER_DISABLED, "false"));
    }
    return false;
  }

  public int getTimelineMetricsServiceWatcherInitDelay() {
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return Integer.parseInt(metricsConf.get(WATCHER_INITIAL_DELAY, "600"));
    }
    return 600;
  }

  public int getTimelineMetricsServiceWatcherDelay() {
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return Integer.parseInt(metricsConf.get(WATCHER_DELAY, "30"));
    }
    return 30;
  }

  public int getTimelineMetricsServiceWatcherTimeout() {
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return Integer.parseInt(metricsConf.get(WATCHER_TIMEOUT, "30"));
    }
    return 30;
  }

  public int getTimelineMetricsServiceWatcherMaxFailures() {
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return Integer.parseInt(metricsConf.get(WATCHER_MAX_FAILURES, "3"));
    }
    return 3;
  }

  public boolean getTimelineMetricsMultipleClusterSupport() {
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return Boolean.parseBoolean(metricsConf.get(TIMELINE_METRICS_SUPPORT_MULTIPLE_CLUSTERS, "false"));
    }
    return false;
  }

  public String getTimelineServiceRpcAddress() {
    String defaultRpcAddress = "0.0.0.0:60200";
    if (metricsConf != null) {
      return metricsConf.get(TIMELINE_SERVICE_RPC_ADDRESS, defaultRpcAddress);
    }
    return defaultRpcAddress;
  }

  public boolean isDistributedCollectorModeDisabled() {
    try {
      if (metricsConf != null) {
        return Boolean.parseBoolean(metricsConf.get("timeline.metrics.service.distributed.collector.mode.disabled", "false"));
      }
      return false;
    } catch (Exception e) {
      return false;
    }
  }

  public boolean isSecurityEnabled() {
    return hbaseConf.get("hbase.security.authentication", "").equals("kerberos");
  }

  public Set<String> getAmshbaseWhitelist() {

    ClassLoader classLoader = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
    if (classLoader == null) {
      classLoader = getClass().getClassLoader();
    }

    BufferedReader br = null;
    String strLine;
    Set<String> whitelist = new HashSet<>();

    try(InputStream inputStream = classLoader.getResourceAsStream(AMSHBASE_METRICS_WHITESLIST_FILE)) {

      if (inputStream == null) {
        LOG.info("ams-hbase metrics whitelist file not present.");
        return Collections.EMPTY_SET;
      }

      br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(inputStream));

      while ((strLine = br.readLine()) != null)   {
        strLine = strLine.trim();
        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(strLine)) {
          continue;
        }
        whitelist.add(strLine);
      }
    } catch (Exception ex) {
      LOG.error("Unable to read ams-hbase metric whitelist file", ex);
      return Collections.EMPTY_SET;
    }

    return whitelist;
  }

  public boolean isContainerMetricsDisabled() {
    try {
      return metricsConf != null && Boolean.parseBoolean(metricsConf.get(TIMELINE_SERVICE_DISABLE_CONTAINER_METRICS, "false"));
    } catch (Exception e) {
      return false;
    }
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Answer United Now Provides Innovative Automated Absentee Services
Jun 8, 2021 | Business
Answer United's Automated Absentee Service will save your company time, money and reduce disputes that often lead to costly litigation
KALAMAZOO, MI, June 08, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ — Answer United, an industry leader in telephone services, announces that it is now providing an innovative Automated Absentee Service in addition to its Live Absentee Service and other call center solutions. For companies that rely on personnel being present in the workplace to do their jobs, absences can lead to downtime and decreased productivity.
A USA Today analysis of federal labor market data revealed that more workers called in sick in 2020 than at any time in at least two decades. This scenario resulted in administrative nightmares for companies that need to track worker attendance. Workers were uncertain who to call, managers were left unaware, and Human Resources personnel scrambled to keep up with the underlying paperwork. The Answer United service automates a solution to all of those headaches.
Based on its experience helping over 1200 customers automate their telephone challenges, including hundreds of absentee clients, Answer United realized that a state-of-the-art, 24-hour, flexible, call-in solution was needed. Taking the lessons of its Live Service to the next level, the Automated Absentee Service allows employees to call a dedicated phone number from a card they received.
The company is asked to provide an up-to-date employee roster. The Automated attendant then takes the caller through a step-by-step process that requests and verifies pertinent information. The employee is prompted to state whether he/she is late or absent, and also provide an absence reason. Return date, work location and shift information are optional. A Verification Code is given to the employee and the appropriate manager is notified via email or text.
Answer United's Automated Absentee Service is designed to save the company time, money and reduce disputes that can often lead to costly litigation. State-of-the-art technology is used to streamline the process and document every pertinent detail. It also has the ability to automatically manage a high amount of call-ins, which might occur due to weather or other emergencies.
"We created our Automated Absentee Service offering after seeing a bigger need in the Absentee Service category," stated Answer United CEO Scott Gignac. "This streamlined service offers efficiencies and scales well for larger organizations, making it very cost-effective. We are excited to offer our customers this innovative technology; we are very proud of this offering."
In addition to saving substantial amounts of money and minimizing manager time on mundane details, the service costs just pennies per employee per day. Additional features of the Answer United Automated Employee Call Off Service include 24/7 availability, robust reporting, no call limits, and support of 24+ languages, as well as a text broadcast and voice broadcast option.
Answer United is an award-winning, U.S.-based answering service that requires no long-term commitments. As an alternative to the Automated Service, the company's Live Absentee Answering Service offers a higher level of customization for employers with more specific needs, such as backfilling or using a more customized script. Although the Automated Absentee Service saves you quite a bit off the price of the Live Absentee Service, some customers still prefer the personal element of a live representative. A unique capability for Answer United is that it can anticipate and automatically switch from Live to Automated if call volume should surge for some reason. This means that employees will not receive a busy signal.
"The ultimate goal at Answer United is to provide cost-effective solutions that enable businesses to be more efficient and more productive," concluded Gignac. "We believe that the Automated Absentee Service is merely the next step to improved compliance, reduced litigation and increased efficiency. Many Fortune 500 companies have us answering their employee call off lines for these very reasons."
Just a few of the industries that Answer United supports include factories; hospitals and medical, dental and veterinary offices; property management firms; consulting and counseling companies; home health care; professional and home maintenance services; attorneys and accountants; and government offices.
About Answer United: Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Answer United is a national leader in telephone services that has provided quality answering services and web-based call center support solutions for almost 60 years. In addition to the new Automated Absentee Service, the company offers 24/7 professional call answering, call center and virtual receptionist services. Visit Answer United's website or call 800-937-5900 to request a quote or schedule a demo.
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text:
Marine Resources Commissioner's year-end report: Shark research, new patrol boat, CARES Act checks
Patrick Keliher
Patrick Keliher (Photo courtesy Maine Dept. of Marine Resources)
Policy and Management Bureau
The New England Fishery Management Council met on December 1-3 via webinar. Much of the current work of the Council is focused on identifying specifications for fishing year 2021, including catch limits for the federal scallop, whiting, and spiny dogfish fisheries. The Council did take final action on groundfish catch limits for FY2021 as a part of Framework 61. The Council will continue work on Framework 61 in January when it is slated to take final action on a redfish universal sector exemption.
DMR has been auditing the data collected through the CARES Act application process. As we said in a recent email to industry, we received more than 2700 applications and appeals. We have confirmed the eligibility of the majority of applicants and we anticipate that ASMFC will mail checks to this group this week. The arrival of the checks will depend on how the Christmas season impacts the Postal Service. We are also working to resolve errors and other issues that have delayed processing of payments for the remaining 25% of applications.
The remaining eligible applications will be advanced to ASMFC as soon as those situations have been resolved. We appreciate everyone's patience as we work to ensure the accuracy of the applications. DMR will send updates when we know more about the timing of the second round of payments. Calls to check on payments only will slow the process so again, be patient and we will send periodic updates.
Additional coronavirus relief has been approved by Congress however it is much too early to know how NOAA will distribute relief money to the States. We will update the industries on this funding in early 2021.
DMR announced the launch of the Maine Seafood branding and promotion initiative on December 9 and garnered positive press from local and national press as well as trade publications. There will be much more to come as we continue to develop the website, seafoodfrommaine.com, and implement strategies to build consumer awareness and demand for Maine Seafood by helping people learn about, find and prepare the best seafood on the planet.
DMR recently announced the latest winners of the state's scallop license lottery. Ten individuals won eligibility to apply for a drag license and four were awarded a chance to apply for a dive license. Each has been notified and is responsible for applying for a license within 30 days of notification. The new licenses are the result of a limited entry system established by the legislature and implemented through regulation in June 2018.
Recently the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission made some adjustments in its striped bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that dealt with the use of circle hooks. Circle hooks have been required when fishing with bait for striped bass and bluefish in Maine for seven years. We added an exemption many years ago that allowed worms to be used on a J hook associated with a tube and worm rig. Maine continued to ask for this exemption, but it was caught up in a much larger exemption being pushed by Massachusetts that would have had impacts to the resource. At the end of the day the tube and warm exemption was removed from the FMP. Not only is this a problematic issue for many charter boat captains, it could impact sales of marine worms dug in Maine. We will continue to work on this issue to make sure this proven conservation tool doesn't have unintended consequences with the worm industry.
As you are likely aware Governor Mills has supported an offshore wind initiative for the Gulf of Maine that involves the state applying for a research lease.
We understand the concern and angst from such a discussion and we also recognize that the timing of feedback around siting and the layout of a 12-turbine research lease will be challenging in the face of Covid-19 and the need for social distancing. We will do our very best to work with you and our hope is that we will see some positive news regarding Covid-19 which will allow for some small, socially-distanced meetings after the first of the year.
The Governor's Energy Office is the lead on this project, and I would encourage you to visit their website for information - https://www.maine.gov/energy/.
DMR will provide updated information on our website as well - https://www.maine.gov/dmr/ and will send email notices about any future meetings. DMR's role in this effort is to ensure the best available science and data is being used. We will also be developing a set of research priories to help the state better understand the impacts to both the resource and to industries that need to access the areas that will be the focus of a research lease.
Science Bureau
The Fall 2020 Inshore Trawl Survey successfully wrapped up on October 23, 2020. The survey was able to complete 91 out of the 120 scheduled tows. Data from the survey has been entered in our database. Updated data and trends can be viewed on the data portal at: https://mainedmr.shinyapps.io/MaineDMR_Trawl_Survey_Portal/.
The final meeting of the DMR Lobster Research Collaborative (LRC) was held virtually on November 9. The meeting featured two-year research project updates, a summary of the 2020 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission stock assessment report, and a group discussion to rank future lobster research priorities.
"Foster and provide funding mechanisms for lobstermen-scientists research projects" and "Develop collaborations with industry to design information products, future priorities, and strategies for the fishery" were selected as the top research priorities.
DMR will provide a summary of the LRC research projects and the full results of the priority voting in early 2021.
Maine DMR secured a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation award for $1,548,528 for the Increasing Access to Fish Habitat and Aquatic Connectivity through Stream Restoration (ME) project on the Sabattus River.
This project will remove two dams on the Sabattus River in Lisbon, opening up 25 miles of habitat for sea-run fish, and facilitate a multi-million dollar stream cleanup of mercury and linoleum in coordination with DEP.
Once fully restored, the Sabattus River should support a commercial alewife fishery with over 1 million fish annually returning.
Maine DMR has joined forces with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, the Center for Coastal Studies, the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the New England Aquarium, Arizona State University, the University of Maine, the Atlantic Shark Institute, the NOAA Fisheries Apex Predators Program, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada in a collaborative effort to study white sharks within the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.
The research will involve hundreds of acoustic receivers throughout the northeast to detect white shark movements from Rhode Island to Canada. Research will also be conducted on multiple life stages using new and innovative tagging technologies, such as acoustic transmitters, data loggers, and satellite-linked tags, as well as tissue analysis.
The Bureau of Marine Patrol recently received an FDA grant award of nearly $15,000 to cover law enforcement certification training costs. This funding provides vital support for the tuition costs associated with required Maine Criminal Justice Academy training as well as required annual Officer training.
Employment background investigations for three potential new hires are on-going and expected to be completed before the new year.
MMP currently has an open application process to begin filling eight vacant officer positions along the State's vast coastline. Most of our vacant positions are in the Eastern Maine region and it is critically important to both our service model and our operational readiness that we prioritize the hiring and training of new officers. If you know of any interested candidates, they can review employment information on our website at the following location: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/marine-patrol/employment/marine-employment.html.
A new 42' patrol vessel is currently in production at Farrin's Boat Shop in Walpole and we hope to commission the new platform into service this coming Spring. The new 42' Calvin Beal will be stationed in Boothbay Harbor and replace the recently decommissioned P/V Monitor. MMP has also ordered two new small vessel assets and anticipate their arrival at some point next Summer.
As if 2020 wasn't enough of a challenge, we sadly responded to an unusually high number of maritime fatalities this year. I want to once again express my deepest condolences to the friends and families who lost loved ones at sea this year.
This has been a long, tough year. Let's hope 2021 brings some positive change for us all. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year.
Patrick Keliher is Commissioner of the Maine Dept. of Marine Resources


text:
Ty Dolla $ign - Only Right (Ft. YG, Joe Moses & TeeCee4800)
Videos 05/29/2015 YG
Produced by: Mustard Source: WorldStarHipHop Support: iTunes
After releasing the single a few weeks ago, Ty Dolla $ign returns with the follow up music video for 'Only Right.' The DJ Mustard-produced track is starting to pick up heat as the song includes contributions from fellow West Coast artists YG, Joe Moses and TeeCee4800. Check out the video above as we await Ty's forthcoming album Free TC, dropping later this year. Purchase 'Only Right' on iTunes.
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text:
How a former Liverpool player went from World Cup star to Championship flop in six months
We look back on eight years ago
David Byrom
GET THE LATEST ROBINS NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
The World Cup is in full swing as we approach the end of the first week of the tournament.
By chance, Bristol City are also searching for a goalkeeper after releasing Luke Steele and missing out on transfer target Dean Henderson.
Unlike eight years ago, however, we do not think they will announce the signing of England's World Cup keeper, when they swooped to capture the experienced David James.
We take a look at how the signing panned out - and how James went from an England player to a Championship flop.
The World Cup
Robert Green lets the ball slide under him in England's 1-1 draw with USA (Image: Getty)
Whilst Jordan Pickford went between the sticks for England on Monday evening, he faced a battle for the starting spot from Stoke City's Jack Butland and Burnley's Nick Pope.
The trio are fine young goalkeepers that should give England managers plenty of food for thought for the next eight years or so.
It is a far cry to what happened in 2010.
Joe Hart was a fresh-faced 23-year-old with just three caps and, whilst he was regarded as the England goalkeeper of the future, most felt he was too inexperienced to play in a World Cup.
That left two keepers battling for the starting spot in Fabio Capello's side - Rob Green and David James.
Green had generally performed well in a poor West Ham side in the 2009/10 season whilst James had made 25 appearances for a Portsmouth side beset with financial problems that eventually finished bottom of the table.
Despite this, James was backed by Gordon Banks and David Seaman to be given the number one shirt by Capello.
Yet the Italian opted for the younger player in Green - and this backfired in the opening game against the USA when the Hammers keeper committed a howler in the 40th minute, allowing Clint Dempsey's shot to roll through his legs to level the scores in a 1-1 draw.
After the error, Green performed poorly in training, and James was recalled for England's second fixture, becoming the oldest ever World Cup debutant as England laboured to a goalless draw with Algeria.
David James in action against Germany during the 2010 World Cup (Image: Getty)
Despite the poor team performance, James won praise for his assured performance.
"So much about England's display here was sloppy and uncomfortable but, even amid the toils, James offered only reassurance," the Guardian reported.
"From his dart out of the area to hack away John Terry's under-hit back-pass, to the jump and claim amid a mess of bodies on the edge of his six-yard box: this was a player exuding calm confidence."
He then started England's final group game, which saw them qualify for the knockout stages as James kept another clean sheet.
Bristol City to unveil new kit tomorrow - but not in the traditional way
As was to be expected, James was given the nod for England's round of 16 game against Germany, but the game went poorly.
After 20 minutes, Matt Upson and John Terry allowed Miroslav Klose to latch onto a long ball and fire past James - although questions could be asked over the keeper's lack of speed off his line to close the striker down - before Lukas Podolski doubled the lead, exposing huge gaps in England's defence.
Upson pulled a goal back for England before Frank Lampard famously had a goal disallowed before half-time.
England then fell to pieces in the second half - James should have stopped Thomas Mueller's shot for the Germans' third before a swift counter-attack saw Mueller complete the thumping.
The result saw England exit the World Cup and it proved to be James' last international cap - although the keeper was insistent that the Germans "would have crumbled" had Lampard's goal counted.
Signs for the Robins
David James pulls off a save for Portsmouth (Image: Getty)
James was out of contract at Portsmouth but had been offered a new deal at Fratton Park.
Pompey were managerless at the time following the departure of Avram Grant, and they were in financial ruins, with administrators being brought in.
Prior to the World Cup, administrator Andrew Andronikou had made the claim that James had offered to take over as manager.
"David has expressed an interest in taking the next stage of his career into management," he said. "Albeit we believe it has come a bit too early to appoint him as manager.
"I believe he will have an input into the decision going forward. I think everyone has an input into what is going to happen, but the David James question is very much core to our decision making."
Such quotes meant many assumed James would be extending his deal at Fratton Park, yet, two months to the day after Andronikou had said those words, the club withdrew their contract offer due to the player's failure to commit to a new deal.
Chief executive David Lampitt said: "We have done everything we possibly could.
Bristol City striker Gustav Engvall made available for transfer - but loan club Gothenburg do not want him
"Our first preference would have been to keep hold of him, but unfortunately in these circumstances we can't always get over the line with these things.
"Both myself and Steve Cotterill tried to get to the point where we might be able to retain him as a player. He's been a great player for this club, a real asset over a number of years.
"We held out for him for as long as we could, but we've got three weeks until the start of the new season and we need to continue the re-building process and obviously part of that is getting a good goalkeeper in."
The news prompted a scramble for his signature, with Celtic looking most likely to sign him.
James was due to take a tour of Celtic Park but delayed the trip to Glasgow over a family issue, with Sunderland boss Steve Bruce also confirming he had spoken to the keeper's representatives.
Yet, by the end of the week, it was announced he was signing for Bristol City, due to a desire to stay close to his home in Devon after recently getting married.
David James is mobbed by fans on his unveiling at Bristol City (Image: Getty)
At the time he said: "I've had offers to stay in the Premier League but it is more important that I play football - which I love - for the right club and be a family man. It's for the family initially. I recently got married and I'm living down in Devon.
"I've played against Bristol City a few times, namely in the FA Cup a couple of years ago. The area I'm not terribly familiar with but I've been around a number of times and it's a wonderful city.
"I had a long conversation with the chairman Steve Lansdown yesterday and I liked what he said about the club and his ambition. I know all about the plans for a new stadium and desire to win promotion to the Premier League."
He continued: "The club is ambitious and that's what I am. The South West has not had a club in the Premier League and that needs to change.
"It's not about money; I've had better offers financially elsewhere. It's about doing what I need to do as an individual and a player. I wanted a home environment and other options wouldn't satisfy that."
His time at the Robins
James' time at Ashton Gate got off to an inauspicious start as he conceded three in his first match against Millwall, failing to keep a clean sheet in his opening four games.
The Robins' start to the season was hampered by the fact that Steve Coppell resigned just four months into his reign at Ashton Gate, citing a lack of passion for the job.
Steve Lansdown denied that Coppell's resignation had come over a dispute about James, describing reports stating that were nonsense.
He said: "It's nonsense. I may have come up with the idea and put it to Steve. I asked him if he would be interested. From that point on it was in Steve's hands.
"He phoned David to see whether he was interested. My only involvement was to speak to David because he wanted to know what my ambitions for the club were. I know why people are saying all this. It's because they are looking for an answer [why Coppell resigned] but that's not it."
Keith Millen took over following Steve Coppell's departure (Image: Getty)
Coppell's assistant Keith Millen was appointed as manager, installing some continuity into the club, and the manager was quick to quash rumours over James' future after the keeper said Coppell was one of the reasons he signed for the Robins - but Millen also ruled out the prospect of making James his assistant.
James said: "I spoke with Keith on Thursday to find out where he was going to go and it was all very positive. Steve Coppell was a factor in me signing, but he wasn't the only reason. I was surprised by his decision, but that's football."
The Robins conceded 23 goals in their first 13 Championship matches with James, and he was back in the news when he admitted he was drunk when first speaking to the club over signing.
He said: "I thought I would either stay with Portsmouth, move to a Premier League club or go to Scotland. In between thinking about all that, there was my wedding to Amanda to organise. Somehow it all converged at a single point, the morning after I received a phone call from an unknown number. I don't usually answer those, but I was still drunk and so I picked it up.
Bristol City in the running to sign former Chelsea and Leicester City defender but face competition from Aston Villa
"Much to my astonishment the man on the other end was Steve Coppell. He said, 'All right Dave, I'm the Bristol City manager, and was wondering if you'd be interested in having a look at the club?' If it had been anyone else, I would not have considered it, but such was my respect for Steve that Bristol City became a serious contender."
James was ever-present for the Robins in his first season at the club as they limped to a mid-table finish, conceding 65 goals in the process - he was involved in a couple of controversies, having a red card rescinded after being sent off in a 4-0 loss to Middlesbrough.
After he brought up his 30th game for the club, he triggered a renewal clause in his contract, giving him another year at Ashton Gate.
He said: "I'm happy that I've played the games to have earned another contract. When I came here, there had to be incentives for me to want to carry on playing.
"Having been here for two thirds of a season and, enjoying the experience, I want to continue and improve on that."
On James' new deal, Millen said: "David proved his fitness last year and he clearly sees us going in the right direction."
Yet a disastrous start to the following season saw the Robins bottom after 10 games with just six points to their name, and Millen parted ways with the club.
David James in action for Bristol City (Image: Getty)
Derek McInnes was appointed as Millen's replacement and the new manager did herald an upturn in form - with James' performance in a goalless draw with West Ham proving to be a particular highlight.
The Robins gradually pulled away from the relegation zone, and James brought up his 900th club appearance, being given the captain's armband for the game - which was a 2-1 loss to Cardiff City.
McInnes said: "David is an outstanding professional and hardly ever misses training, let alone a game.
"We so wanted to mark his 900th game with a win. The lads gave everything and to be beaten by two deflected efforts is hard to take."
Yet the goalkeeper's performances had errors in them, such as against Watford in March, when he punched the ball into the back of his own net.
Performances such as that saw the club decline to offer him a new deal and he went off injured in his final Robins game - a draw with Burnley.
Sunderland "very close" to four new signings - could a Bristol City and Rangers target be one of them?
James subsequently wrote in the Guardian: "In truth it was a bit of a relief leaving Bristol City – although it was not my decision. Question marks had been hanging over my future for some time, so when the manager called me into his office and told me that Saturday would be my last game I didn't argue about it.
"He asked me if I wanted to play and without hesitating I said yes. I always want to play, why would I say anything otherwise?
"But afterwards, as I sat in the car, I wondered how I could possibly take part on behalf of a team I would no longer be a part of? I wrestled with it in my head and then, irony of ironies, during the match I tore the fibres in my hand and had to be substituted."
James went on to sign for Bournemouth, making 19 appearances before ending his career with spells in Iceland and Kerala Blasters in India, playing alongside current Robins assistant manager Jamie McAllister.
Bristol City FC Transfer News


Hello Lovely Friend, are you a Sugar Daddy/Sugar Mommy/Sugar Baby looking for an amazing Sugar Arrangement in Livonia in the United States?
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's ninth largest municipality.
With a large Sugar Dating community of Sugar Dads, Sugar Babies and Sugar Mamas, Livonia is the perfect place to find your beautiful mutually beneficial relationship and exciting Sugar Romance.
Live Life NOW or never - if I'm on, it's because I need to be out of necessity. You are here because you want to be, I am here because I need to be. But it suffices all needs for me, mental, physical and financially.


Thank you for peeking in! Lisa Kryschuk Photography has a new look and a few new changes in the works! So excited!
With the new logo and the new fresh look, I have some new products in the works and will be sharing images and announcements soon! So peek back often!
Be sure to visit the new site!
I guess it would be fitting to add a few new favorite image to share too! This little guy is going to break some hearts!!!


So glad you "surrendered to what is right here, right now," because I who have only the memory of such burdens in the bound-in days, was laughing with delight at your "choo-choos, ho-hees and brooommmm-vrmmms," and chuckling later at your pile of "bees." The memory is sweet, though the burden sometimes weighed hard at the time.
Blessings to you this snow day.
Yes, heavy AND sweet, maybe more like molasses than honey! Thanks for stopping by, Sylvia.
So much that I resonate with here that's playing out in my life right now, Kelly. I also fondly remember - as my boys are either in college or about to be, that "swarmed" feeling--especially on the umpteenth snow day (which it seems is true here in my neck of the woods too). Praying that you rest in the overwhelming grace of God.
It is true that a picture can tell a thousand words and these illustrate your words perfectly :). It's funny, sometimes it still feels this way, even with teenagers. So many things that only mom can handle. I guess that is a blessing that I should tuck in my pocket for today, hmmm?
What an analogy. Beautifully told.


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Optimal Antiretroviral Therapy During Bone Marrow Transplant in HIV-1 Infection
Durand, Christine Marie
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
See 9 grants from Christine Durand
See grants from Johns Hopkins University
Role of SLC39A8 (ZIP8) in selenite transport
Genetic Analysis of Ampk-Alpha in Astrocytes During Normal and Energetic Stress
Deciphering T cell repertoire using DNA-barcoded MHC-peptide tetramers
Cytomegalovirus and Nuclear Tumor Suppressors
Molecular basis of enzyme-catalyzed pehydrolysis of acetate esters for pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass
In this Patient-Oriented Mentored Career Development Award, Dr. Christine Durand will study allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) in HIV-1-infected individuals with hematologic malignancy both in an effort to improve the clinical care of this patient population and to provide new insight into strategies for HIV-1 eradication. The proposed studies, together with structured mentorship, and formal instruction in methodologies of clinical investigation will train Dr. Durand as an independent investigator who will design and lead trials focused on patients with HIV-1-infection who require cancer and transplant-based treatments. Candidate. Dr. Durand has trained at Johns Hopkins for more than a decade, earning her M.D. at the School of Medicine (SOM), completing her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Infectious Diseases (ID). She is completing her third year of post-doctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Siliciano, a leader in the field of HIV-1 latency. During this time, she has investigated HIV-1 persistence in bone marrow and established collaborations between the Division of ID and the Department of Oncology, to facilitate novel investigation into HIV-1 persistence during cancer treatment, including alloHSCT. She will join faculty in July of 2013 as an Assistant Professor within the ID Division. Dr. Durand has a strong foundation in translational laboratory research; however her career goal is to lead clinical trials. With the support of a K23, she will have the protected timeto obtain formal training in clinical investigation and obtain practical experience in the design, implementation, and analysis of clinical trials. Environment. Dr. Rich Ambinder will be the primary mentor; he is director of the Hematologic Malignancies Division and co-director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is chair of the only US cooperative group trials of HSCT in HIV-1-infected patients. Dr. Charles Flexner is co-mentor. He is a Professor in Infectious Diseases/Clinical Pharmacology, Principal Investigator of the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, and the Director of the Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation (GTPCI) at the School of Public Health (SPH). For the proposed studies, Dr. Durand has support of the Division of Oncology's clinical trial facilities, and support from th Hopkins Center for AIDS Research. Studies on HIV-1 reservoirs will be performed in the laboratory of her collaborator and advisor, Dr. Robert Siliciano. For her career development training, Dr. Durand will complete comprehensive coursework in Clinical Investigation through the GTPCI at the SPH and SOM with full tuition support from Johns Hopkins. Research. Growing evidence suggests that alloHSCT can be successfully extended as curative therapy to HIV-infected individuals with relapsed aggressive lymphoma and high-risk leukemia. Moreover, there is great interest in the idea that alloHSCT could eradicate HIV-1 reservoirs due to the allogeneic effect, whereby all host hematopoietic cells are replaced by donor hematopoietic cells. If antiretroviral therapy (ART) can be continued during alloHSCT this could protect donor cells from becoming infected and ultimately lead to HIV-1 cure. To explore this hypothesis, in Aim 1 Dr. Durand will perform a clinical trial in order to determine whether a strategy of optimized ART is feasible in alloHSCT; optimized ART includes the use of antiretrovirals that avoid drug-drug interactions as well as the use of enfuvirtide (ENF), a subcutaneous antiretroviral, during periods when oral medications are not tolerated. The primary outcome of this trial will be the percent of patients who maintain ART. Secondary outcomes will include the tolerability of ENF in the alloHSCT setting and infectious complications.
In Aim 2, Dr. Durand will explore the impact of alloHSCT on long term HIV-1 reservoirs in peripheral blood and in tissues within the optimized ART trial (Aim 1) as well as within a national trial of alloHSCT with standard ART in HIV-1 infected individuals with hematologic malignancy.
Public Health Relevance Individuals infected with HIV are at risk for certain types of lymphoma and leukemia that are treated with bone marrow transplantation. Continuing HIV medications during bone marrow transplant therapy is difficult because of drug interactions and side effects from chemotherapy. There is interest in whether bone marrow transplant can cure HIV infection but this may depend on continuing HIV medications during the transplant. This grant includes a clinical trial that uses special approaches to continue HIV medications during bone marrow transplant and will assess whether this approach contributes to HIV elimination.
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
5K23CA177321-03
Subcommittee I - Transistion to Independence (NCI)
Radaev, Sergei
Internal Medicine/Medicine
K23 CA Optimal Antiretroviral Therapy During Bone Marrow Transplant in HIV-1 Infection
Durand, Christine Marie / Johns Hopkins University
Durand, Christine Marie / Johns Hopkins University $161,608
Shaffer, Ashton A; Thomas, Alvin G; Bowring, Mary Grace et al. (2018) Changes in practice and perception of hepatitis C and liver transplantation: Results of a national survey. Transpl Infect Dis 20:e12982
Nguyen, Anh Q; Anjum, Saad K; Halpern, Samantha E et al. (2018) Willingness to Donate Organs Among People Living With HIV. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 79:e30-e36
Durand, Christine M; Bowring, Mary G; Brown, Diane M et al. (2018) Direct-Acting Antiviral Prophylaxis in Kidney Transplantation From Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Donors to Noninfected Recipients: An Open-Label Nonrandomized Trial. Ann Intern Med 168:533-540
Durand, Christine M; Halpern, Samantha E; Bowring, Mary G et al. (2018) Organs from deceased donors with false-positive HIV screening tests: An unexpected benefit of the HOPE act. Am J Transplant 18:2579-2586
Van Pilsum Rasmussen, Sarah E; Bowring, Mary Grace; Shaffer, Ashton A et al. (2018) Knowledge, attitudes, and planned practice of HIV-positive to HIV-positive transplantation in US transplant centers. Clin Transplant 32:e13365
Shaffer, Ashton A; Durand, Christine M (2018) Solid Organ Transplantation for HIV-Infected Individuals. Curr Treat Options Infect Dis 10:107-120
Cash, Ayla; Luo, Xun; Chow, Eric K H et al. (2018) HIV+ deceased donor referrals: A national survey of organ procurement organizations. Clin Transplant 32:
Durand, Christine M; Bowring, Mary G; Thomas, Alvin G et al. (2018) The Drug Overdose Epidemic and Deceased-Donor Transplantation in the United States: A National Registry Study. Ann Intern Med 168:702-711
Riddler, Sharon A; Zheng, Lu; Durand, Christine M et al. (2018) Randomized Clinical Trial to Assess the Impact of the Broadly Neutralizing HIV-1 Monoclonal Antibody VRC01 on HIV-1 Persistence in Individuals on Effective ART. Open Forum Infect Dis 5:ofy242
Doby, Brianna L; Tobian, Aaron A R; Segev, Dorry L et al. (2018) Moving from the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act to HIV Organ Policy Equity in action: changing practice and challenging stigma. Curr Opin Organ Transplant 23:271-278
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Love and Its Opposite
by Mike Orme
Everything But the Girl singer continues to play the matriarch of love-lorn electronic music on her latest solo album. Ewan Pearson again produces.
If you've known Tracey Thorn over the last 20-odd years, you've known her as the maven, if not matriarch, of love-lorn electronic music. With Everything But the Girl, it seemed like her every long-held note wore away the ideal of the stable relationship-- ironic considering that Thorn ended up marrying her co-collaborator Ben Watt. Considering that she and Watt are on a presumably happy course, what with the marriage and the kids and all, Love and Its Opposite seems a unusual effort. The opening cut, "Oh, the Divorces!", says it all: With spare and folksly instrumentation behind her, Thorn pleads "Who's next? Who's next?" implying love's unfortunately serial nature. She's certainly playing a character here, but her resigned candor convincingly suggests that she's been burned enough to carry a record suspicious of love's charms.
Take the title. Thorn invites poetic discussion of what love's opposite actually is, and it sure as shit doesn't have to be hate or war. On "Long White Dress", Thorn suggests that romance does little but gunk up her head, and at this point it's better to settle. Love's opposite? Might as well be reality. Whether she herself believes it or not, the record all over laments the perfectionist disappointment of eluding true love. The curiously ham-fisted "Singles Bar" has Thorn's narrator just past her prime but still trying to fit into the Sexy Jeans, desperate to reel in a guy and the satisfaction to which she once felt entitled but somehow missed. The cliché "I wish you'd help me out of this mess/ I wish you'd help me out of this dress" sums up the shortsighted, long-in-the-tooth gal 20 years removed from the Everything But the Girl heyday.
Working once again with British producer Ewan Pearson, Thorn further dials down the synthesizer-based production that garnered her and Watt their greatest fame. 2007's Out of the Woods was a relatively low-key affair, but Love and Its Opposite plays more like a conventional singer-songwriter album. The shift in gears isn't unwelcome: Thorn, as always, exercises that smoky voice to great effect. It's not especially clear how much self-aware Thorn's hammy singer-songwriter character is, because if you don't suspend a bit of disbelief, then "Singles Bar" and "You Are a Lover" seem more a stilted narration of an unhappily independent woman inhabiting Lilith Fair's second stage. It's nice to think, however, that Thorn's earnest, middle-aged concept album, saddled as it is with its middle-of-the-road folksiness, illustrates that it's not all about love vs. hate, but the truly adult idea of still caring vs. no longer giving a shit.


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Home › News › SOP to tax bill about proposal to extend the Commissioner's care and management role released
SOP to tax bill about proposal to extend the Commissioner's care and management role released
Supplementary Order Paper No. 193 to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2019–20, GST Offshore Supplier Registration, and Remedial Matters) Bill was released today.
The Supplementary Order Paper reintroduces the proposal to extend the Commissioner of Inland Revenue's care and management role, which was removed from the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2018-19, Modernising Tax Administration, and Remedial Matters) Bill earlier this year.
The proposed amendments provide options to resolve legislative anomalies where there are issues with tax laws that produce outcomes which are inconsistent with clear and understood policy intent. The options allow for an Order in Council to be made on the recommendation of the Minister of Revenue, and provide the Commissioner of Inland Revenue with an exemption-making power. These can be used to modify the application of tax laws, at the optional application of taxpayers, for a limited period of time, and following a period of public consultation.
For more information see the SOP, the revised departmental disclosure statement, Cabinet paper and minute, and the updated regulatory impact assessment.


Press Release: HON. MICHAEL "MIKEE" L. ROMERO, Ph. D.
I have just filed a Resolution asking the House of Representatives to urgently and immediately convene and conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation and in the exercise of congressional oversight functions, into the current lack of supply of NFA rice at the public markets, reportedly because of the suspension of the sale of NFA rice because of limited buffer stocks. I am a Member of the House Committee on Food Security.
The probe would be jointly conducted by the Committees on Agriculture and Food and Poverty Alleviation, and the Special Committee on Food Security, which will ascertain whether or not the suspension and the supposed cause or causes are the workings of any syndicate or syndicates within and outside of the NFA in an effort to artificially create a supply shortage and price surge involving rice ultimately sold at retail.
This investigation is consistent with the priority of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and of the 17th Congress on fighting and weeding out graft and corruption in government.
The National Food Authority (NFA) is the government agency mandated to ensure national food security and stabilize supply and prices of staple cereals both in the farm and consumer levels, and in furtherance of this is tasked regulate the importation of rice, corn and other cereals, procure rice and maintain buffer stocks of rice to ensure the availability of affordable rice to the Filipino people, especially the poor.


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The Science of Digital Camouflage Design
by Guy Cramer, President, HyperStealth® Biotechnology Corp. &
Lt. Col. Timothy R. O'Neill, Ph.D., United States Army (Ret.), defense consultant
Recently a trend towards digital (pixalated) camouflage has appeared in military camouflage with Canadian Forces CADPAT, U.S. Marines MARPAT, U.S. Army ARPAT, Finland Model 2005, and most recently the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan KA2 pattern. This trend is not due to artistic creativity but scientific fact.
Why digital?
Lt. Col. Timothy R. O'Neill, Ph.D., United States Army (Ret.), defense consultant, developer of digital camouflage explains the test results below.
These graphs show performance of the improved MARPAT (Dual-Tex derivative) against the current NATO 3-color pattern and a forest green monochrome target, all adjusted for overall brightness.
This test was run under SBIR contract to Office of Naval Research in Fall 2003/Spring 2004 at West Point, NY. Observers were first-year cadets; all has vision 20/20 Snellen or higher; all had normal color vision.
Scenes were presented in random order with one target in each slide. Measure was time in msec required to make a correct detection, and time in msec required to make a correct identification (of target shape).
Graph at left indicates very high performance improvement for the MARPAT (it took more than twice as long to detect).
The slide on the next page (below) shows a similar recognition degradation (that is, it also took longer to identify the target shape once the target was detected).
Overall effects were highly significant statistically.
Results were presented at the midyear joint meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and Division 19 of the American Psychological Association in March 2004. Results will appear in Military Psychology in 2004.
Recent digital developments, by Guy Cramer
A picture is worth a thousand words: (left) U.S. Army personnel get a good look at the new Army Combat Uniform with ARPAT (Army Pattern); as you can see there is a large difference with the color and pattern over the existing woodland they are wearing.
Designing a digital pattern can be as simple as using graph paper and filling in the squares or as complex as running multiple fractals (graphics with feed back loops) and advanced algorithms through graphics programs, this process is called C2G (Camouflage Designated Enhanced Fractal Geometry). This still doesn't mean you're going to end up with a good concealment pattern, if you don't understand the science and factor that into the design, the best efforts can still come up short as we believe happened with the unrealistic measure the the new U.S. Army pattern (ARPAT).
Designed for multiple environments ARPAT was derived from the U.S. Marines digital MARPAT, however one main difference with ARPAT was the removal of black in the pattern leaving it with three colors and with only one color scheme for Woodland, Desert, and Urban we believe it is equally ineffective in each environment, we affectionately refer to ARPAT as the Alternate Reality Pattern as we cannot determine on what scientific basis it was developed. Dr. O'Neill has designed objective tests of ARPAT to compare the results in a number of environmental settings with Woodland MARAPT / Desert MARPAT and our new Advanced Generation II MARPAT: Woodland / Desert and Cold Weather (3 separate) color schemes. Actual testing is scheduled to take place within the next few months.
Our concern with ARPAT is that concealment effectiveness has been compromised by the one (multi-environment) color scheme requirement, which seems to be based on budgetary restrictions rather than protection of the individual. Our past research shows a minimum of two different color schemes; woodland and high desert are required for sufficient concealment in global operations.
My initial camouflage experimentation began after reading the Canadian Government spent millions on the development of CADPAT in the 1990's. I spent a few hours on my computer and improved on the design, posting these new patterns on the internet. This page caught the attention of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and I began the journey of designing camouflage for government and military. Jordan wanted the best design I could produce and given the lack of bureaucratic red tape usually associated with something on this scale I was able to produce the KA2 pattern, with a number of improvements over CADPAT/MARPAT/ARPAT.
KA2 has a larger Macropattern over Canadian/U.S. digital patterns to better break the symmetry of the soldier. KA2 is omnidirectional but with a higher trend toward horizontal disruption to further break the human SymAxis. Further enhancements of KA2 are the bright and dark areas to mimic natural reflections and shadows which simulate depth. Different color schemes have been adjusted to take advantage of this effect as KA2 Digital Urban for Jordan's Police shows the greatest amount of depth and texture typical of urban/suburban settings. KA2 Digital Desert for Jordan's Army / Air Force has the highest contrast for disruption (Jordan has dark deserts) but the reflective element of the pattern was replaced with a green to represent sparse vegetation, this change removes some of the depth and texture appearance of the Urban pattern making the Jordan Desert Digital closer to sparse Arid/Desert environments where small reflective elements are typically few and far between.
Similar research was use to determine the most appropriate color schemes for KA2 Digital Woodland for Jordan's Special Forces, and the separate KA2 Digital Woodland for the Jordan Royal Guard (not yet shown to public).
As I progressed in pattern development and began to design digital patterns for vehicles for a large Defense Contractor, my work was forwarded to Lt. Col. O'Neill, considered the world expert on camouflage. After reviewing my work Lt. Col. O'Neill asked me to work with him on the design side of new patterns based on his extensive research. These new patterns (which we can't show you) currently undergoing simulation studies, have special features not seen in existing digital patterns and are considered advanced next generation patterns for the U.S. Military.
We believe through the development of over 300 digital concealment patterns, we have overcome many of the obstacles that plague the current field of CCD (Camouflage, Concealment and Deception) in military camouflage design. While we are unable to share the meat and potatoes of our work , we can let you see the abstract below:
Individual Soldier Camouflage:
What the Sniper's Eye Tells the Sniper's Brain
Military applications of camouflage principles have traditionally fallen short of their potential, owing in large part to naïve interpretations of natural processes and the scientific basis of camouflage; lack of confidence in poorly-designed results has led to continued development of uniforms and other personal concealment measures that use camouflage as a fashion statement rather than as a tool for reducing personal vulnerability. A major contributor to this waste of resources is the complex nature of concealment processes. Understanding how camouflage works in the visual spectrum depends on tracing the braided contributions of such seemingly unrelated threads as the biophysics of visual processing, the distinction between detecting a target and recognizing it, signal detection theory, biomechanics and perceptual vector analysis, and the integration of camouflage design, tactical doctrine, and training. Current work on these topics for the United States Marine Corps and other foreign and domestic customers underscores the need for a coherent strategy to replace the present combination of chaotic objectives, research and development stovepiping, and lack of coherent vision. We provide an alternative theoretical and practical approach based on careful science and common sense.
Timothy R. O'Neill, Ph.D., United States Army (Ret.), defense consultant
Guy Cramer, President/CEO, HyperStealth® Corp.
Lt. Col. O'Neill adds the following to conclude:
"Digital" camouflage is actually a misnomer, based on the superficial resemblance of these patterns to quantized or coarse digital images. In fact, the patterns of squares (or whatever shape we use) is employed to model the texture of typical backgrounds using a mathematical function. We could use hexagons or shapeless blobs as well, except that it is easier to render complex patterns by computer using squares. It is easy to misunderstand the purpose and mechanisms of this kind of design, which is why so many measures that try to use the approach without insight fall short.
Return to home page: www.hyperstealth.com
CADPAT is a Trademark of the Canadian Government
MARPAT is a Trademark of the U.S. Marine Corps
ARPAT is a Trademark of the U.S. Army
KA2 is a Trademark of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
C2G-Camouflage is a trademark of United Dynamics Corp. (A Colorado Corporation)
Fracture Camouflage is a trademark of HyperStealth®
HyperStealth® is a Registered Canadian Trademark of HyperStealth®.
This page and information © Copyright 2005, Guy Cramer and Timothy R O'Neill, All Rights Reserved.


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Libraries have been lending books to the public for thousands of years. First libraries date back to 2600 BC during Sumerian civilization. In the modern era lending books largely happens by Public Libraries. Generally worldwide public libraries are non-profit organizations offering book lending services free to their patrons and are generally funded through taxes and donations or by the state., Public libraries are accessible to general public and are run by civil servants, state employees, or volunteers. Some of the largest libraries in the world include Library of Congress in the United States of America and British Library with millions of titles in their catalogs. Besides the public libraries, private libraries also provide lending services, and are usually run by individuals, associations, or by corporate organizations and universities. Private libraries usually require a subscription or membership to the library (paid or unpaid) and provide services specific to the organization, area or university.

Book rentals
Historically before the industrial revolution, books were too expensive for commoners to buy, and there were businesses which made profit by renting out books for a fee. Kashi-hon in Japan was one of such businesses. In modern era in developing and developed nations, for-profit book rental services have started to lend physical books, audiobook CDs, e-books, and audiobook MP3s through stores and/or by an online (website) interface after popularization of the World Wide Web. Most book rental companies provide books with doorstep delivery using logistic services. Following the popular Netflix model for video rental, many book companies have applied features such as unlimited rentals, free shipping, and no late fees to their book distribution services.

Book rental models

Based on rental method
Based on the rental method the book rental companies can be categorized into two subgroups:
 Book rental companies having a subscription-based models where a monthly or periodic subscription fee is charged and members can rent a number of books based on the subscription.
 Book rental companies taking a fraction of book cost as rent. This is the most prevalent model in textbook and college book renting.

Based on type of book rented
Based on the type of books that the book rental service rents following classification can be done:
 Physical or Printed Books. The category can further be subdivided into
 Companies focusing on fiction, non-fiction, and other non-academic books.
 Companies who primarily rent academic, reference, and educational publications.
 E-book renters
Many companies renting physical books also rent e-books. Since e-book rental distribution rights are totally different from physical books many smaller companies are not able to rent e-books from standard publishers like McGraw-Hill, Pearson, Prentice Hall, Cengage, etc due to the high licensing fees required for rental rights.

See also
 3M Cloud Library
 Booksfree
 BookSwim
 Online book rental in India
 OverDrive, Inc.
 Simply Audiobooks

References

Book promotion
Reading (process)
Book rental