text:
Patients stranded as Government docs strike over allowances, FTA
By Rajitha Jagoda Arachchi
The powerful Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) trade union conducted a islandwide 'token strike' last Friday (3) making 10 key demands of the Government. The trade union action was couched in the doctors' unions' opposition to the Singapore Free Trade Agreement which they claim will affect the job market in Sri Lanka, but included nine other demands, many of them pertaining to their own allowances, taxation on their (private) earnings, promotions and privileges for their children.
As a result of the GMOA token strike, long queues were visible in all major government hospitals last Friday, while the no-show by the medical officers meant that non-emergency surgeries, medical clinics and Out Patient Departments did not function, stranding thousands of patients all over the country. The token strike did not affect the Accident Service Units, Maternity, Pediatric and Cancer Hospitals, Kidney Units and Military Hospitals.
GMOA branches issued strict instructions to its members not to engage in private practice on the day of the strike, after the scandal during the last doctors' strike, when the GMOA President himself was available for private channeling through the Nawaloka Hospital during an islandwide strike by doctors in Government Hospitals.
GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya speaking to the Sunday Observer said, the strike had been a success as even private sector doctors had supported the strike.
Contrary to this claim, the Sunday Observer using the DOC990 App, an online platform for making doctor appointments in major private hospitals found that private practitioners were available for consultations last Friday. Given this information, Dr Padeniya then admitted that only about 50% of private practioners had participated in the GMOA token strike last Friday.
This meant,, to obtain medical services on August 3, patients had to channel doctors privately. Footage appeared on electronic media of nurses telling patients that they should have followed the previous night's news bulletins before arriving at the hospital for outpatient treatment and clinics.
Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne also issued a press release condemning the work stoppage of government doctors. Work stoppage of the GMOA was not fair action, says the Minister.
FTA and Tax Policy
The irony is that some demands are totally strange to the subject matters of the medical officers, such as, the Singapore- Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. When questioned about the clause in the FTA which the GMOA claims to state as, 'doors are opening for foreign medical officers', Dr. Padeniya refused to point to any clause in the agreement but referred to the videos published on the GMOA website.
PAYE (Pay As You Earn) tax is also one of the major demands the GMOA has put forward for justifying their trade union action.
But, Treasury Secretary, Dr R.H.S. Samaratunge clarified in his comments to the Sunday Observer, that the Government altered its tax policy from time to time, but this was not targeted at any particular profession. "If a doctor earns less than Rs.125,000 per month he does not pay any tax. Doctors who earn Rs 125,000 to 175,000 have to pay 4% out of their extra income of Rs 50,000 which is equivalent to Rs. 2000.00," Dr Samaratunge noted.
"Disturbance Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance for Doctors has been increasing through time. It was increased in 2015 too. We haven't taken any decision to increase the DAT allowance of doctors yet" he said.
Dr. Rajitha Senaratne in his press release pointed out that only doctors who earn more than Rs. 350,000 per month were eligible to pay 24% tax on those earnings, and those who earn less than that can enjoy the same 12% tax rate as earlier.
Dr. Priyanga Dunusinghe, an economist at the University of Colombo told the Sunday Observer that once a Free Trade Agreement is signed there was a grace period for adjusting all elements of the agreement according to the practical situation in both countries. "There could be some problems in this FTA but every agreement gets a grace period so both countries can create a proper regulatory mechanism in needed areas" he commented.
The GMOA has a history of resisting government policy even when it serves the people at large. A few years ago, when the 1990 Suwaseriya free Ambulance service was launched, the GMOA offered stiff resistance, even threatening to reject patients who were brought to Government Hospitals in the 1990 ambulances. In spite of GMOA opposition, the service has proved widely successful as a first response to medical emergencies and is being rolled out all over the island.
Professionalism at stake?
The Sri Lanka Medical Association also weighed in on the doctors' strike, saying it was the union's right to launch trade union action. "But it should never ever be at the expense of patients" Dr. Ruvaiz Haniffa, President, Sri Lanka Medical Association said.
"We are a body that highlights the academic progress in the field of medicine. The GMOA is a trade union formed by doctors. They may have a right to go on strike but certainly not by holding patients to ransom," Dr Haniffa explained.
Withholding treatment to serve trade union purposes could not be condoned, at any level, the SLMA President added. "Doctors in this country are produced because the state invests billions of rupees in their education. This is public money, so they have no ethical right to withhold treatment from members of the public due to union action," he stressed. But SLMA also urges the Government to encourage the participation of professionals when inking international agreements such as the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.
Meanwhile in Japan
About a month ago, bus drivers in Okayama, Japan, went on strike. The drivers had been threatened with job security, but had not received a favourable response from their bus company. Their final trump card was resorting to strike action. But they did not inconvenience commuters.
There are no conductors in Japan, instead a machine collects the fare by cash or card. The day they struck work, the Okayama drivers covered the paying machine and hung boards on it, declaring rides free of charge all day. In essence, commuters had no problems with their everyday life and only the bus company faced difficulties by the strike.
The lack of income for the company was the greatest impact of the trade union action and cost them millions. The drivers aimed their action at bus owners, rather than innocent passengers.
In this context, Sri Lanka is far behind even in trade union activities. The common annexation of the general public as a third party in the middle of the conflict has become the 'habit' of many trade unions in Sri Lanka. A week ago, train drivers launched a lightning strike during the day, with no prior notice to commuters, stranding thousands of rail passengers across the country.
The tragedy of Sri Lanka's highly politicised trade unions, is that the success of their strikes are measured on how much inconvenience is caused to the public. That this would result in public frustration, and finally translate into mass frustration against the authorities, is the calculation. Time and again, and once again last Friday, the doctors' union has proven just that.
Prof. Colvin Gunaratne points to GMOA 'capture' of SL Medical Council
Professor Colvin Gunaratne who resigned from his post as Chairman of Sri Lanka Medical Council on last Friday, issued a damning indictment on the Sri Lanka Medical Council virtually pointing to the capture of the professional governing body by the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA).
There were 25 members in the SLMC and out of them 16 members represented the Government Medical Officers' Association, Prof. Gunaratne said.
Addressing a media conference, Professor Gunaratne said he was resigning because he had found it impossible to function independently.
Since assuming office as Chairman of the SLMC in October 2017, he had been trying without success to rectify errors in the Medical Council Service Minute in the last nine months, Prof. Gunaratne claimed. The Minute needed to change to adapt to needs of modern times, he added, explaining that according to the existing Minute, the voice of patients in matters coming up before the Sri Lanka Medical Council were not represented.
"The purpose of this act is the welfare of the general public of Sri Lanka. This main purpose of the act is not achieved because of the shortcomings of the act. And my resignation is not a sudden decision. I have been observing the conduct of SLMC for five years. Sri Lanka Medical Council receives grievances of patients and can act as a court of inquiry. But two thirds of members of the SLMC are doctors. They are the prosecutors, They are also the judges. They determine the sentence. Tell me if that is reasonable?" Prof. Gunaratne charged.
There were at least three complaints per month against doctors, but none of them have been found guilty by the SLMC in the last five and a half years, the outgoing chairman of the SLMC revealed.
"If someone asks me about a strike launched by medical officers I'd say it's illegal and a breach of ethics," he clarified his stance on the GMOA strike answering a question raised by a journalist during the press conference.
GMOA President threatens journalists with 'traitors' list
President of the Government Medical Officers' Association, Dr Anuruddha Padeniya, incensed by the fact that he was forced to admit that only about half of the private practitioners had participated in the token strike, retorted that the trade union was currently in the process of compiling a 'traitors' list of journalists working against the interests of the motherland.
"We have created a point scheme. In Psychiatry, there is a method to identify people who betray the country. We are going to launch this list and keep it online with the materials you publish. So we can display that you are carrying out a contract," he threatened a reporter over the telephone last Friday. The journalist reported that the article had not even been published yet, but Dr Padeniya responded that there was 'no point', because journalists at the Sunday Observer were supportive of selling the country. "You should be ashamed of doing such a job. If I were you, I would stay home and cultivate rather than work for a paper like yours," the GMOA president charged during the conversation.
"I know you must be recording this. That is good. Let others in your newspaper also listen to this," Dr Padeniya added.
Reporter's Note:Sunday Observer reached out to Dr Padeniya because this newspaper believes in obtaining a cross-section of voices about any social issue it covers. His views and the GMOA demands are reflected in the article on this page, and we reject his disparaging comments about our reporting and our profession. While we respect the GMOA's right to strike work to secure their rights as a trade union, as journalists at a national newspaper, we have a bounden duty to represent the public, their views and difficulties in any story we cover. In this article, and all others, this is all we seek to do and we will not be deterred in this endeavour by threats from the GMOA or any other trade union. The decision of who is traitor, and who is patriot, is one we will leave to our readers.
Nipponese and strikes
Japan is a nation that even conquered the concept of striking. But their history is as dirty as ours. In 1974, Japan faced 9,581 strikes, and the total number of workers involved was more than 3.2 million. However, the number of strikes currently being staged in Japan is limited to 50 or 60. Many Japanese teenagers have not even heard of a strike. The Japanese have gradually developed such a change. Since the end of the Second World War, efficiency has become the first priority in the country which leads them to be the second best economy in the world. Striking is a force that pushes the country backward, Japanese clearly identified from the 1970s.
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text:
Interview: Heather is going to Drama School!
Post author By Song&Dance
Heather started at Song and Dance when she was seven years old, and has grown to be a wonderful young person and a valued member of our team. This week, Heather took up her place to study Drama at TU Dublin Conservatoire. As she starts this exciting new chapter, Rachel sat down with Heather and her dad Brian to chat about her time at Song and Dance, finding her passion, and her plans for the future.
S&D: What do you remember of your first day at Song and Dance, because certainly what we really strongly remember is having to peel you away from your dad's leg to get you in the door.
Brian: But you did it well! You did it gently!
S&D: Haha, do you remember that, Heather?
Heather: I remember being really nervous. Secretly I think I was enjoying it, I was just too scared to admit it. Drama was my first class, and then dancing. I remember having a conversation with my dad – I really wanted to do dancing, because I could see everyone doing it from outside. My dad was like 'just go for it, see what happens'. See, when I was at home, there was no stopping me singing, dancing, acting out all my favourite movies, but when I got in front of people, I shut down.
Brian: That started earlier than here. The first school plays in Heather's primary school, we saw her whole class performing what they had practised, and in behind one of the props, with tears streaming down her face, was Heather. She didn't run off the stage – she wanted to be there –
Heather: I wanted to be there, but there was so many people.
S&D: We see that all the time here, new kids want to come in but they just can't let themselves.
Heather: Absolutely. It is nerve-wracking, but I got there in the end!
S&D: So when did you start to settle in?
Heather: I think my second year, I became friends with my gang I'm still friends with, and once I knew that I had someone to talk to when I went in, I felt a bit more comfortable. Because I knew I could trust them, and no one here would ever make fun of me.
Brian: I specifically remember the first two years after S&D finished for the summer, a couple of weeks before coming back, Heather was distraught. She always wanted to go back, but she was crying her eyes out at night going to bed.
Heather: I was so anxious about it.
Brian: And it took until that third year that she didn't have that about coming back, and then from the fourth year on, they had the same tears when they finished in May!
S&D: What have been your standout Song&Dance moments?
Heather: It's gonna sound so bad, but when I got to the front line. When you're in the class, that's a really, really big thing – to get to the front line. And when I got to play Maisie in Seussical. That was the biggest thing ever for me – I had songs, and I had scenes with people. In my little world, I had made it.
Brian: Heather's first solo on the stage in the Helix, which was 'Take Me to Church' by Hozier. That was the first time for Heather to stand in front of several hundred people she didn't know, and perform. That was the seal broken, and from then, everything was easier.
Heather: Yeah. And I got to wear a microphone and all.
S&D: What has been your favourite class?
Heather: Not just because you're here, Rachel – but Drama really did give me confidence.
S&D: And with [S&D's first drama teacher] Lil, too!
Heather: Oh, absolutely. The first play I did, I played a posh lady, I had my hair back in a slick bun, and I was ready until I saw the crowd. I remember she sat me on her lap and said 'I know you can do it.' And once she said that, every time I got nervous, I thought 'no, Lil thinks you can do it, so you can do it.'
Brian: When Heather started in first year, by the second month, she sang a solo on the stage. And that was confidence she wouldn't have had before.
S&D: You've already mentioned your Song&Dance pals, who have turned into your lifelong friends. Are there other things Song&Dance has taught you?
Heather: Working as a group, and having to work with people. Learning that you might feel comfortable doing something, but another person might not, and saying 'okay, you're not comfortable? I can help.'
Brian: I also see how Heather works with children. It's a skill in itself – but I think it has been born of how she was treated and helped here.
Heather: Yeah. I know what's it like to be that kid who is nervous. I've been in their spot. I remember what Lucy and Rachel and Lil and all did for me, so I want to do that for someone else.
S&D: So now, you're starting drama school! How did you come to the decision to do that?
Heather: I realised, I don't want it to stop. I don't want this to be 'final curtain'. I wanted to keep going. I want to bring new skills to what I do, and I want to perfect it and grow.
S&D: And how do you feel about it, as Heather's parent?
Brian: Neither myself or [Heather's mam] Lorraine would ever have a very fixed view of what you must become, but you must have a plan. So when she came and spoke to us both individually to say 'I have this plan, this is what I want to do', from our point of view, follow the dream.
S&D: And you're so lucky, Heather.
Heather: Yeah, I really am. I swore going into my Leaving Cert 'I am not going to pick a course where I'm going to dread going in to college the next morning'. Like I am never going to dread going into a drama class, or a critical analysis class, or a dance class.
S&D: Yeah. I mean, wait until it's January, at nine o'clock in the morning…! But, still, knowing that underneath it all, you love it –
Brian: Exactly. I'm sure there's times where an engineering student has to do… applied maths, or something really boring for them! But last week, we got to download Heather's timetable, and I could see by her eyes as she was reading through, it's all she wants.
S&D: Anything else to add?
Brian: To see her go to college to do something that's in her heart and in her mind, that was born here, I think it's a really lovely progression to see. It's going to be a good three years.
News Classes
Classes Resume from 14th September
REOPENING: Tuesday 14th September!
Song and Dance is delighted to resume all classes this autumn.
Government guidelines announced on 31st August 2021 brought some good news for Song and Dance – indoor classes for children and adults can resume (with precautions in place) from 20th September!
Song and Dance is still going to open on 14th September, 'thinking outdoors' in our enclosed yard for one last week. We'll resume the following activities outdoors:
All Junior Classes (Tuesday and Saturday)
Musical Theatre Age 7-10 (Tuesday)
All Hip-Hop (Wednesday)
All Drama Classes (Saturday)
All Song&Dance Classes (Saturday)
All other activities, i.e. Musical Theatre (age 11+) and all Choirs, will resume from Tuesday 21st September.
Full Autumn Schedule
We're almost ready to launch the booking for this term. It will open in phases over the coming days (registered students first, followed by new students). Please keep an eye on your emails for notification of your chance to book a place.
We appreciate your support over the last 18 months, and we look forward to seeing you back at class soon.
News Song and Dance Studios
Song and Dance Studios Gets New Ventilation System
Hi Ken here, with an exciting update on the latest technical developments here at Song and Dance Studios. The technical team (led by Jimmy 'The Ideas Man') are always working away in the background on additions to our facilities.
The Winds of Change...
As part of our continuous upgrade and improvement programme, we have had our eye on a mechanical ventilation system for some time. Covid-19 accelerated our planning for adding ventilation. We knew it was more important than ever to provide additional amounts of fresh (non-recirculated) air for the Song and Dance kids – for weekly classes and during shows.
As we are always interested in improving our energy efficiency and protecting the planet, we wanted a system that would recycle the heat already in the building so that we can make best use of the electricity and gas we use to keep everyone warm in the colder months.
We're Dancing in the Air: Our New System
So, in October 2020 (with support from Fingal Country Council, the Facebook Small Business Grant, and Stage Lighting Centre) we took the jump, and in true Song and Dance style we went big! A brand-new, state-of-the-art Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation system (or MHRV to those in the industry) was installed. It was 'all hands on deck', and Jimmy and I had great help from our trusty crew – Noel, Tony, Stephen and Tomás!
How it works: The technical bit
This system uses a high efficiency fan to suck in huge amounts of fresh air from outside, via one big hole in the wall of the studio (see the diagram below). It filters the fresh air and continuously pumps it down the side of the building into Studio 1 and Studio 2.
Another fan sucks air out of the opposite side of Studio 1 and Studio 2 and pumps it back outside through another hole in the wall. At the same time, the machine swaps all of the heat from the air going out into the air going in. This means that the building stays warm, uses as little heating as possible, and we are now getting up to 900,000L of fresh air per hour (previously, we could only achieve this level of air exchange by keeping all windows and doors open).
A New Ad-vent-ure!
We know that this will help keep us healthy – not just in Covid-19 times, but well into the future – by ensuring our studios are as fresh inside as the sea breeze outside!
We're back!
Outdoor Classes Starting 8th May
In accordance with government guidelines implemented on 26th April 2021, Song and Dance is delighted to offer Outdoor Dance Classes from Saturday 8th May.
The Important Details
Song and Dance Studios
Saturdays, 8th May – 26th June (8 week term)
Age 3-4: 10-10.45am
Age 7-8: 12.15-1pm
Age 9-10: 1.30-2.15pm
Age 11-12: 2.45-3.30pm
Age 13-14: 4-4.45pm
Age 15+: 5.15-6pm
BOOKING IS NOW LIVE – CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO START!
Please note, places will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Which class should my child attend? Your child should attend the class for the age that they are right now. If your child is almost at their birthday and you'd like to move up, please email us at info@songanddanceireland.com to join the waiting list for that class.
How many places per class? We have ample space to hold two pods of 14 children (plus two teachers) in accordance with government guidelines. For Junior age groups (age 3-6), there will be 13 children and 2 adults per pod. Everyone will maintain 2 metre distancing at all times.
What about singing and acting? We have definite approval for dancing right now, but the guidelines around singing and acting are unclear (because of voice projection concerns). We are seeking clarification on whether these activities are permitted outdoors, and if we can get that at any point, we will adapt!
Are you offering weekday classes? While we get back on our feet, and test out this new environment, we're sticking to Saturdays only. If there's enough demand, we may consider expanding our offering.
Does my child need to wear a face covering? Under the HPSC guidelines for sporting activities, face coverings are not required for outdoor dance classes. However, if anyone does wish to wear a face covering, they can!
Will we have fun? You bet!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
GE introduces metrology package for highly efficient, extremely precise 3D metrology performed with Computed Tomography (CT)
GE Inspection Technologies 69, Wunstorf, Germany
Advanced industrial CT for 3D metrology and failure analysis
Wunstorf, Germany June 16, 2014 - Due to the enormous efficiency benefits, the use of industrial computed tomography (CT) for non-destructive failure and structure analysis, and 3D metrology (especially for measurement of internal part geometries) is growing fast. The phoenix datos|x 2.3 next-generation CT software from the Inspection Technologies business of GE Measurement & Control now features a new, one-button|CT feature that enables highly automated data acquisition and volume processing. This new advancement allows 3D metrology and failure analysis tasks to be performed significantly faster and consistently more repeatable.
Additionally, it comes with a new metrology package option for highly precise and reproducible 3D metrology, with a measurement accuracy referring to the VDI 2630 guideline for applying CT in dimensional measurement - first implemented in GE's phoenix v|tome|x m CT system, and first available in Europe. It offers reliable precision 3D measurements for nominal/actual CAD comparison, wall thickness analysis and efficient tool correction tasks.
By contrast with conventional tactile coordinate measurement techniques, a CT scan of an object acquires all surface points simultaneously. This includes all hidden features like undercuts which are not accessible (non-destructively) using other methods of measurement. Thanks to considerably faster scanning, reconstruction and evaluation possibilities, an examination report can be generated automatically in less than one hour.
GE's versatile 300 kV microfocus CT system phoenix v|tome|x m is now the first of GE's industrial CT system portfolio (made available in a specific metrology edition) to ensure extremely high precision and reliability of CT measurements. For example, this edition includes temperature stabilization of the enclosure, the high power 300 kV/500 W microfocus X-ray tube and the 4 megapixels high performance 400x400mm DXR digital detector. Additionally, it comes with a direct measurement system for all linear axes, test phantoms for validation and performance tests, and highly automated procedures for axis, system and voxel calibration. Finally, for the phoenix v|tome|x m metrology edition an accuracy specification of 4+L/100 μm referring to VDI 2630-1.3 guideline can be verified.
Beyond 3D failure analysis, industrial CT offers precise coordinate measurement and nom./act. comparison for production control and optimization
The phoenix v|tome|x m CT scanner is now available in a specific metrology edition.
GE's industrial customers now benefit from both CT advantages, combining 3D metrology and inspection within one CT scan," said Dr. Oliver Brunke, lead CT product manager for the GE Inspection Technologies business. "By providing more efficient 3D production process control, GE offers the system solutions to bring CT from the R&D and quality labs directly to the production floor."
About GE Measurement & Control
Measurement & Control is a leading innovator in advanced, sensor-based measurement; non-destructive testing and inspection; flow and process control; turbine, generator, and plant controls; and condition monitoring. Providing healthcare for our customers' most critical assets, we deliver accuracy, productivity and safety to a wide range of industries, including oil & gas, power generation, aerospace, metals and transportation. Headquartered in Boston, USA, Measurement & Control has more than 40 facilities in 25 countries and is part of GE Oil & Gas. For further information, visit www.ge-mcs.com.
About GE Oil & Gas
GE Oil & Gas works on the things that matter in the oil and gas industry. In collaboration with our customers, we push the boundaries of technology to bring energy to the world. From extraction to transportation to end use, we address today's toughest challenges in order to fuel the future. Follow GE Oil & Gas on Twitter @GE_OilandGas.
GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies GmbH
phoenix|x-ray
Niels-Bohr-Str. 7
D-31515 Wunstorf
phoenix-info@ge.com
www.ge-mcs.com/x-ray
Visit: GE Inspection Technologies


Made in the Shade Blinds & More of Orland Park and Southwest Chicago-land offers the best window covering products in the industry with exceptional service and affordable prices. Our advantage is that we bring the showroom to you with our shop-at-home convenience.
You will find quality, name-brand window coverings at GUARANTEED LOW PRICES, and every purchase is backed with a manufacturer's limited lifetime warranty. Our goal is to have completely satisfied customers every time. So, let us provide you with the most pleasant window covering shopping experience ever! Because of our shop-at-home model, every product we sell is custom made for your windows. This means we do not need to have an expensive showroom — because we bring the showroom to you! Since we don't have to have that huge overhead of a separate showroom, we can keep our prices lower for you!
Southwest Chicago residents are now able to take advantage of the products and services from Made In The Shade! Local owner and operator Meysoon Musa has a passion for design and wants to share her passion with you!
That means no high-pressure sales, no "if you buy now, we have a special offer" nonsense. That definitely means that we won't be calling "our manager" to "see if we can do better." These games are completely beneath us, and they waste your time as well.
All of our promotions are clearly listed on our website, and will be a part of our discussions as we chat. After all, we're a guest in your home! When you get your estimate, it will be clearly written with our best price for that product!
After all, with Made in the Shade, our goal is to put your windows on the best-dressed list, not the high stress list!
Our goal is simple: A comfortable shopping experience where you are able to make informed, educated decisions about your window fashion needs — at a great price. Every window is priced individually, and you'll get an estimate from us that shows your savings in black and white. No guessing, no fuss, just clear, easy estimates that show exactly what you'll pay, and not one penny more.
So call us today to make an appointment with Made in the Shade! Let us show you how easy an in-home shopping experience can be. Appointments are available throughout the week, evenings, and on Saturdays.


Are you interested in experiencing a factory environment that manufactures quality leather goods?
Trainees experience a hands-on approach to their learning by being a part of a team environment that focusses on the production of specialised products in a safe, creative and unique factory situation.
With the assistance of TAFE NSW, trainees work under the guidance of key staff within the company as well as complete their theoretical studies on the premises. A TAFE teacher visits the trainees on a weekly basis and provides feedback and assists with the theoretical component of the course.
The teacher then liaises with the Buckaroo factory manager to receive feedback on how the practical component of their traineeship is travelling.
Trainees also get the chance to experience leather craft separate from the on the job training. A trip to a tannery, leather supplier and participating in our design sessions are just some of the extra activities Buckaroo offers.
Please contact us to register your interest. The Buckaroo factory manager will then be in touch with you to discuss further.


The UK Registry today are launching the new shorter .uk extension.
If you are interested in securing your .uk domain extension just open a live chat to our sales team and we will be glad to help you process the order.
The registry will accept ALL registrations. For example we just tried to register bwf.uk knowing full well we had no rights to this domain name as bwf.co.uk has been registered for many years and is owned by someone else. The registry allowed us to process and pay for this order. We entered OUR company details into the order form and proceeded to pay. The order completed. Five minutes later we received an email telling us our money was refunded as we had no legal rights to register this domain.
If the rights lookup tool shows that you have the right to register this new domain name it is vital that the who is information matches 100% the current .co.uk who is details as shown on Nominet Who Is Pages. If you have a slight variation in this the registration will fail.


text:
module Oczor.Test.TestEngine where

import ClassyPrelude hiding (try)
import Test.Hspec

import Oczor.Test.Files

checkDir (d,f) = do
  testSets <- dirTestSets d
  hspec $ describe d $ traverse_ (checkTestSet f) testSets

checkTestSet :: CheckFunc -> TestSet -> SpecWith ()
checkTestSet f (name, list) = describe name $ traverse_ (checkTest f) list

checkTest :: CheckFunc -> Test -> SpecWith ()
checkTest f (id, (l,r)) = it (show id ++ ": " ++ show l) $
  either expectationFailure (\x -> expectTrue (r ++ "\n-\n" ++ x) (x == r)) (f l)

expectTrue msg b = unless b (expectationFailure msg)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Listening Booth: Fenster and More
By John Donohue
Listening Booth is a selection of six new releases
Fenster came about when J. J. Weihl, a native New Yorker, uprooted herself and started making bedroom-pop in Berlin, with Jonathan Jarzyna. The pair likes to toy with the traditional boy-girl song structure, and they trade lines and registers on their début album, "Bones." Their sparse and wistful songs are peppered with the unexpected—a bit of banjo on "Blue to White," a passing siren in the background of "White to Red." Listen to "Oh Canyon":
Lucero, a rocking alternative-country band out of Memphis, added a full horn section, fleshed out by session musicians from its home town, to record "Women & Work," its début album for Dave Matthews's ATO Records. The polished, soulful sound contrasts sharply with the world-weary rasp of the front man, Ben Nichols, and the band delivers a rollicking collection, which shouldn't come as a surprise—"Women & Work" is their seventh studio album, after all. As Nichols sings on one track, "I could get better or I could get drunk." Seems like he opted for the former. Listen to "Sometimes":
The last time Vince Clarke and Martin Gore, of Depeche Mode, worked together, Morning in America was dawning and leg warmers had yet to become a fad. The two parted ways in 1981, and Clarke went on to form Yaz (or Yazzo, as it was known in its native England), with Alison Moyet, and then Erasure, with Andy Bell. Recently, Clarke and Gore reunited as the techno group VCMG. "Ssss," their first release, is pure beats—there's not a vocalist in sight—purely for dancing. Listen to "Single Blip":
In 2008, "Shut Up and Let Me Go," a snappy single from the Ting Tings's début record, "We Started Nothing," followed the twenty-first-century route to chart success—it travelled the world in an iPod commercial. Four years later, the English duo of Jules de Martino and Katie White has returned, with "Sounds from Nowheresville," a toe-tapping set of genre-hopping pop. It has some ska, some rapping, and even some chimes. Listen to "Hang it Up":
Two of the founders of Delta Spirit, a band from San Diego, came out of the emo scene, and the front man, Matt Vasquez has the range to make any sentiment stick. The band took a rootsy approach to its first two albums, and it's latest, a self-titled record, adds some electronic effects that push the frontiers of heartfelt indie rock. Listen to "California":
The Italian singer Elisa, who performs and records in English, released her first album in 1997, when she was twenty. It was a huge hit, she went on to become one Europe's top-selling musicians. Her presence in this country, though, has been a little less dramatic—her ballad "Dancing" was used a few times on the television show "So You Think You Can Dance," and her third U.S. release, "Steppin' On Water," is out this week. It's her seventh studio album over-all, and it draws on the folksier aspects of her work. A varied, mostly stripped-down set of grown-up pop, the tracks keep her earnest and earthy voice at the forefront (though the Italian children's choir Piccolo Coro Artemìa di Torviscosa joins her for a track, "Forgiveness.") Listen to "Love is Requited":
Photograph of Fenster by Maxime Ballesteros.
John Donohue, an artist based in Brooklyn, is the editor of the anthology "Man with a Pan: Culinary Adventures of Fathers Who Cook for Their Families."
What our staff is reading, watching, and listening to each week.


who live or work there, better for our community, and better for the Earth.
• Add the value of in-demand "green"
Learn How, Reap the Rewards: It's as easy as 1-2-3 Green building is a new approach to construction. To learn more about the techniques and benefits of this better way of building, and to get free help greening your project, follow these simple steps.


The Tamil Nadu government, which may remain cold to Kerala's safety concerns over the Mullaiperiyar dam, has sacrificed its share of waters in Parambikulam and Sholayar reservoirs to save acres of 'cole' (farm) land in Thrissur from being flooded this monsoon.
The Jayalalithaa government, in an unprecedented and large-hearted gesture, has consented to re-direct Neerar, a tributary of the Periyar, to Idamalayar dam in Ernakulam district. Besides saving its 'cole' lands from destruction, Kerala will also gain an additional 5 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water (enough to generate 40 million units of power) at the cost of the neighbouing state.
Under the existing river water agreements, Tamil Nadu has the right to divert water from Neerar to Parambikulam and Sholayar dams in the Chalakkudy Puzha basin for its use. Water thus diverted, after filling Sholayar and Parmbikulam reservoirs, ultimately ends up in Poringal Kuthu.
"We found that the best way to arrest the flooding of Thrissur 'cole' lands was to stop the diversion from Neerar to the Chalakkudy basin," said Sudheer P, the deputy director of the inter-state water wing of the irrigation department who mooted the idea. It was logical to divert the water to Idamalayar as the monsoon was less intense in Ernakulam district.


Hofstra University appears in our ranking of the Top 30 Best Online Master's in Computer Science Degree Programs.
Founded in 2012, the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science awards a BA or BS in Computer Science for Hofstra University undergrads seeking a strong introduction to digital infrastructure. Chaired by Dr. Krishnan Pillaipakkamnatt in Adams Hall, the 124-credit, eight-term program builds on a liberal arts core before focusing on tech design. The "College of Distinction" keeps courses like Automata Theory, Bioinformatics, and Discrete Structures small with the 14:1 student-professor ratio. Optional concentrations exist for Leadership & Innovation in Computing, Gaming & Graphics, Networking & Cybersecurity, or Web & Mobile Engineering. Undergrads might also compete in the Hack-A-Thon, intern at Arrow Electronics, analyze in the Big Data Lab, practice with Microsoft Imagine, pledge Upsilon Pi Epsilon, and visit Amsterdam.
Matriculating around 40 Hofstra University post-grads, the MS in Computer Science builds "Pride and Purpose" with greater depth of operating system mechanics knowledge. Coordinated by Dr. Chuck Liang, the 30-credit, hybrid program blends Hempstead meetings with online study on Blackboard. Students prepare for leadership roles in courses like Data Mining, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Programming Language Concepts. Two available specializations are Web Engineering and Networking (Cyber) Security. Before the capstone thesis, MS majors can land eight-month positions at 140+ partners, such as Cobham, Digital Remedy, Laserfiche, Sandata, and Zebra, via the DeMatteis Co-Op Program. Other opportunities include researching in the Embedded Systems Lab, entering the Hofstra-CPXi Venture Challenge, joining the BB-8 Project, becoming IEEE Fellows, and taking the Dual BS/MS Option.
Hofstra University was founded in September 1935 as a New York University commuter campus using the multi-million estate of Dutch lumber magnate William S. Hofstra from Price Brothers. Chartered in 1940, Hofstra College's initial class of 621 paid just $375 per year. After developing the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program, Hofstra gained university status in 1963 from the New York Board of Regents. Endowed for $444.9 million, Hofstra now educates 11,131 Pride as Long Island's largest private, nonsectarian teaching institution. The 116-building, tree-lined Hofstra campus stands in Nassau County just 31 miles east of Manhattan on Northern State Parkway. Linked to 74,144 LinkedIn alumni, Hofstra has trained Jeff Pulver, Lainie Kazan, Frank Zarb, Susan Sullivan, and more.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked Hofstra the 132nd best national university, 71st top value, 38th best engineering school, and 82nd most veteran-friendly campus. On Niche, Hofstra is America's 119th most diverse college, 297th top private university, and 304th most liberal institution. Times Higher Education featured Hofstra University among the world's top 500. Forbes placed Hofstra 148th for research innovation with "B-" finances. College Factual chose Hofstra for the country's 133rd best computer science program and 211th top-paid graduates. PayScale crowned Hofstra University the 111th best bet for mid-career salaries averaging $110,200. The Social Mobility Index distinguished Hofstra for the 345th best opportunity nationally. In Washington Monthly, Hofstra has the 205th highest Ph.D. completion rate and 141st most financial aid too.
In 2018, Hofstra University will undergo another self-study institutional review with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) to keep its Level VI accreditation current through 2024 under president Stuart Rabinowitz. Headquartered 121 miles away in Philadelphia, this Mid-Atlantic regional accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to check Hofstra's 109 baccalaureate and 175 graduate degrees for academic effectiveness. The DeMatteis School has also maintained programmatic approval from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) since 1971.
Scoring spots at Hofstra University is considered "moderately difficult" by Peterson's because only 1,687 of the 26,788 applicants for the Class of 2021 were accepted. First-year Pride pursuing the BA or BS in Computer Science must culminate a high school education or pass the equivalency exam. Completing four years of math and science is recommended. One-third of admitted freshmen rank in the top 10 percent of their class. On average, undergrads present a 3.6 GPA, 1242 SAT score, and 27 ACT score. Typical transfers have maintained a minimum 2.3 GPA in 24-75 credits at other accredited institutions. The MS in Computer Science requires a four-year bachelor's with prerequisites in Discrete Mathematics, Programming Principles, Calculus, Algorithms, and Computer Architecture. Post-grads should achieve at least a 3.0 GPA and 300 composite GRE score.
For 2018-19, Hofstra University will charge full-time Computer Science BA/BS majors $22,320 per semester. Voluntary four-year, locked-in tuition will be $24,050 each term. Studying part-time incurs $1,500 per credit. Budget for the $345 university fee, $105 technology fee, and $80 activity fee. Living at the Hempstead campus' dorms like Stuyvesant Hall adds $14,250 for annual room and board. Cost of bachelor's attendance equals $61,260 for residents and $47,294 for commuters per year. The MS in Computer Science currently bills $1,344 per credit for a $40,320 total price.
According to the NCES College Navigator, 86 percent of full-time Hofstra Pride share $130.8 million in annual financial aid for $22,180 apiece on average. Institutional funds include the Trustee Scholarship, Dean's Scholarship, Assistance Grant, Girl Scout Gold Award, Math Fair Award, Hickman-Seiman Scholarship in Computer Science, Berlin Family Foundation Scholarship, Ziegler Distinguished Scholarship, and Marjorie Strunk Shuart Scholarship for Women. New Yorkers apply for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Enhanced Tuition Award, and STEM Incentive Program. Completing the FAFSA form with code 002732 determines Federal Pell Grant or FSEOG Grant eligibility. The Federal Work-Study jobs pay at least $11/hour for campus employment. The Port Jefferson Patch also records a 69 percent debt rate from Perkins, Stafford, Plus, and alternative loans at Hofstra University.
Learn more about Hofstra University at the Computer Science Department website.


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Our Cusine
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Tel. +39 055 288975 | Email info@anticofattore.it Contattaci
Discover the atmosphere of an ancient Florentine trattoria
An historical cenacle of famous painters, writers and lovers of the traditional tuscan gastronomy, and one of the oldest Trattorias of Florence, Antico Fattore has served the authentic recipes of the best Florentine and Tuscan dishes since 1865. The painters and poets, sculptors and musicians, journalists and critics who ate in the main dining room had a regular arrangement with Giulio, the restaurant owner. Guests would come and go, some of them lived in the city, others were just staying for a day or two, perhaps to take part in a concert or some theatrical performance. Countless famous names would animate Antico Fattore's Wednesday nights, when their weekly meeting would take place, making the restaurant a regular pilgrimage site for artists like De Chirico, Morandi, Carra, Andreotti, and later Carena, Sacchetti Peyron, Bacchelli, Innocenti and Romiti... it would be impossible to mention them all.
Antico Fattore Restaurant
Antico Fattore still offers the same atmosphere of an ancient Florentine trattoria, where prominent artists and intellectuals have met since 1929. That's when an extraordinary combination of literature, art, delicious dishes, Chianti wines, music, disputes, feelings and a pinch of worldliness was born, leading to the launch of the Antico Fattore Literary Prize in 1931.
Our Cuisine
The kitchen of the Antico Fattore was a real holy of holies, and Giulio would only allow friends or food enthusiasts to enter it. That room, full of the smell of delicous meats and sauces, was situated just past the serving counter of the trattoria. Countless stories were written between the oven and the cellar, with the smell of food and wine as their main protagonist. To this day, here you will always find fresh homemade pasta, like tortelli, pappardelle and pici, alongside fine wine from the heart of the Chianti wine region. Together with oil and could cuts, they are just an appetizer to prepare you to our carefully selected meats and second courses. Then, kale and lard bruschetta, fettunta (garlic bread), tortelli with porcini mushrooms, pappardelle pasta with wild boar sauce and truffles anticipate the taste of sausages with white beans in tomato sauce, osso buco (braised veal shanks) and the queen of the table: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the typical Florentine T-bone steak. These are just a few of a our delicious typical florentine dishes.
The Literary Prize
The Antico Fattore Literary Prize was originally created in 1931, taking its name from our restaurant in the Via Lambertesca in Florence, which by that time had become a famous meeting-place for men of culture who also enjoyed good food. Literary movements risen at the Antico Fattore restaurant had a certain importance for the development of Italian 20th-century writing. Painters and sculptors would meet to choose the best poet of the year. Thanks to this event, many outstanding cultural works have been brought to light. For instance, two future Nobel Prize winners had previously received our award: Eugenio Montale for "La Casa dei Doganieri" and Salvatore Quasimodo for "Odore di Eucaliptus". The Prize progressively acquired greater and greater importance, until events put an end to it and it ceased to be awarded.
Old and new values
In 1983 the Folonari family, who has owned the Chianti Ruffino winery since 1913 and has always been aware of cultural responsibilities, sponsored the revival of the Antico Fattore Literay Prize. With great enthusiasm they have striven to recover its old values and to increase its fame and reputation across Europe, so as to make it fully worthy of the city where it originated. Now the Prize intends to honor world's renowned literary works that best express the values of nature, environment, countryside and their pleasures. Since its revival, the Chianti Ruffino – Antico Fattore International Literary Prize has been awarded to A-list Italian and international writers. In 1989, the Prize was awarded to Toni Morrison (USA), who has later received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993.
ANTICO FATTORE
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Home » Southern Foods breaks ground on meat, fish processing & cold storage facility
Industry NewsSupplier News
Southern Foods breaks ground on meat, fish processing & cold storage facility
Southern Foods, a Cheney Brothers, Inc. affiliate, is a full-service seafood, premium meats, artisanal cheese and global and local specialty goods supplier.
KEYWORDS cold storage / design-build / fish processors / meat processors / test kitchen
Southern Foods, Greensboro, N.C., broke ground on an 88,000-square-foot meat and fish processing facility in Greensboro.
The site, constructed by A M King, Charlotte, N.C., consists of an unfinished precast concrete building on Westcliff Road, that when complete, will allow Southern Foods to move to a modern space, shore up its Southeast business and open the company's largest test kitchen to date. The project is scheduled to be complete by late 2019.
"A M King has provided exceptional design and project management experience and services. This is the second project we have done with A M King, and look forward to a continued relationship with them for years to come," says Warren Newell, director of development for Cheney Brothers.
The company needed an efficient space that combines cold and dry storage for distribution, refrigerated food processing spaces, a mezzanine for ample office space and a large area for the test kitchen and walk-up market.
Early on it was decided to use everything possible, including the roof and walls, recycle what couldn't be used and build what was necessary to meet the owner's needs. A M King's design team finalized permitting and satisfied two different building code requirements; focused on how to minimally modify the structure while supporting complex processes; and developed a plan for efficiently incorporating sizeable operations into a smaller, but more streamlined facility.
"The message of this project is powerful," says Jami Lloyd, architectural designer, A M King. "We can do just as much with a building and parts of a building already in place than we can starting from scratch."
The scope of work includes approximately 14,250 square feet of dry storage; 13,500 square feet of food processing areas; 12,660 square feet of office mezzanine; 11,585 square feet of freezers; and 11,429 square feet of coolers/dock. The facility will also include nearly 5,000 square feet of dry dock and fish dock areas. It will be fitted with 26-foot clear height racking, a test kitchen, dry meat age room, cheese processing room and express purchasing for the general public.
A M King will handle HVAC and electrical commissioning, and will be responsible for final connections of owner equipment.
"We cannot wait to get into our new processing facility," says Bill Mutton, President of Southern Foods.
Golden State Foods breaks ground on meat processing facility
Dick Cold Storage breaks ground on new cold storage facility
McCain Foods USA breaks ground on major expansion of potato processing facility
ColdPoint Logistics breaks ground on cold storage facility at new rail-served site
International Workshop on Halal Meat
WCS Logistics / Winchester Cold Storage - Charles Town, WV


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Frankfurt Festival Salsa - Kizomba - Bachata
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Debra Jane Inskip (Wolverhampton, UK)
Debbie started dancing Latin and Ballroom in England when she was a child, which took her to compete at a professional level and win many competitions worldwide.
She then moved to Italy where she learnt to dance salsa and was so inspired by the drive and energy of the Salsa scene that she began studying the different styles using her background of technique and adding something different.
She was then noticed by Tarek who asked her to join his group African Jet, which then started her career in the salsa world. Dancing at many Salsa Festivals around the globe.
Debbie's style, sensuality and passion on the dance floor has led her to become a recognised Female Salsa Dancer. Debbie has performed and taught in many different countries and is known for her feminine style of dance and fast spins. Debbie's passion for Salsa is definitely felt and noticed on the dance floor.
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Every mobile device acts a little differently than the others. We'll talk about these differences and figure out which ones matter most.
Why download a 10-inch image to a 2.5 inch screen? We'll look at the best way to resize images for mobile devices.
Sometimes there's no need to load all the images right away. We'll look at the best techniques for lazy-loading images that fall below the fold.
Mobile browsers have different cache sizes. We'll talk about what this means for mobile WPO.
Take advantage of the time while the user is reading a page and start downloading the next one.
Iframes are typically bad for performance. We'll compare how iframes act on mobile vs. desktop.
WPO is a series of tradeoffs. In this talk, we'll talk about some of the tradeoffs that are specific to mobile.
Loading indicators are important for giving feedback to the user on how the page is loading. We'll look at how mobile browsers handle loading indicators and how you can work with them.
This is what we need – specific takeaways mobile web developers can deploy today. How did Josh find these and prioritize him? Come found out more about these important best practices for mobile performance.


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The Upside Newsletter
🏟 Upside: eSport Analysis: Key Trends, Vendors, Recommendations to Teams. Looking back at the past 2 years.
www.theupside.us
Julien Blin
Two years ago there was a lot of excitement about the eSports market with many pro teams (e.g. soccer clubs, basketball teams, etc..) launching their esports teams. So what is the state of the esports market today? Are pro teams still focused on the world of esports? This is what we plan to discuss in this analysis. But before we do that, let's talk about the current trends, the market size, the ecosystem. As we noted in a previous analysis, the numbers are staggering:
In terms of install base, according to Statista, the eSports market is expected to reach 454M users globally this year and grow to 644M users globally by the end of 2022.
There will be 29.6 million monthly esports viewers in the US at the end of 2022, up 11.5% from 2021, according to Insider Intelligence estimates.
In terms of revenue opportunity, according to Statista, the global eSports market is expected to reach the $1.69B market this year and grow to $2.28B by 2025.
Source: Statista, 2022
Esports' largest tournaments are nearly as large as traditional sporting events.
The League of Legends Championship, a major eSports event, sold out the 15,000-seat Los Angeles' Staples Center in an hour in 2016, then sold out the 40,000-seat World Cup Stadium in Seoul while drawing an online audience of 27M.
The Intel Extreme Masters tournament, held in Katowice, Poland, drew 173,000 fans to the stadium over two weekends.
Other popular global esports venues include London's Wembley Arena (12,500 fans) and Seattle's KeyArena (10,000 fans).
Total prize money in 2016 for the largest tournaments reached $93.3M, up from $61.0M in 2015 and up from from $5.2M in 2010.
Over the past few years, many leagues (NBA, MLS, NFL) and professional soccer clubs in Europe (PSG, FC Schalke 04..), North America (Sixers/NBA, Warriors/NBA..), and South America have signed professional eSports gamers as they are trying to take advantage of this fast-growing market, attract a new audience and sponsors, and drive additional revenues. Celebrities like Shaq, Steph Curry, Robert Kraft, Ashton Kutcher, Jerry Jones, just to name a few, are all investing into eSports.
The number of investments in esports doubled in 2018, going from 34 in 2017 to 68 in 2018, per Deloitte. That's reflected in the total dollars invested, too: Investments are up to $4.5 billion in 2018 from just $490 million the year before, a staggering YoY growth rate of 837%, per Deloitte. These investments are distributed to players across the ecosystem—from esports organizations, to tournament operators, to digital broadcasters—allowing it to function and grow.
Now if we look at the financials of esports teams, as shown in the table below, many esports teams are not profitable today. For example Faze Clan had $36.9M in revenue losses in 2021 while EnthusiastGaming had $41.6M in revenue loss.
As of 2020, the top five most valuable esports teams according to Forbes are:
Estimated Revenue: $45 million
Revenue from Esports: 50%
Owner: Andy Dinh
Estimated Revenue: $30
Owners: Jack and Paullie Etienne
Owners: aXiomatic Gaming, Victor Goossens, Steve Arhancet
Owners: Lee Trink, Richard Bengston (FaZe Banks), Thomas Oliveira (FaZe Temperrr), Yousef Abdelfattah (FaZe Apex), Nordan Shat (FaZe Rain)
Owners: Matthew Haag, Drake, Scooter Braun, Dan Gilbert
But here are the questions: Are most pro teams and leagues getting a solid ROI and fully monetizing eSports? Who is actually making money?
Some argue that the eSports market has not met expectations yet, that most pro teams and leagues are still trying to figure out how to get a solid ROI from eSports and fully monetize this discipline. As a result of that, some pro soccer teams have already pulled the plug and shut town their eSports teams:
This is the case of Russian soccer club FC Anzhi Makhachkala which shut down its eSports division just four months after launching its new eSports franchise.
Some experts like Cecilia D'Anastasio of Kotaku who spoke with seventeen different esports experts also expressed potential concern over the true health of the eSports industry. Those experts argue that in the world of eSports, there are no standard viewership measurements, some potentially inflated view counts, among key issues.
Issue #1: There is no standard viewership measurements: Unlike most traditional sports leagues, viewership numbers are reported either by the game publishers, the esports teams, or the streaming platform. But they are trying to fix this with Riot games saying they are "actively working with a number of entities in the esports and measurement industries to establish standardized data and measurement systems." Average Minute Audience is also the new figure that publishers like Riot and Blizzard are reporting.
Issue #2: The view counts might be inflated..and revenue estimates as well: One of the areas the industry is battling is how to decern junk views vs. real views. According to a former Twitch employee, junk viewers are defined as "someone who's logged in but not engaged with the content," and are a view that "only exists to increase a metric for somebody in sales or business development." According to the report, boosting viewership numbers with junk views is a common practice. The eSports revenue estimates might be inflated too. But some argue that it is difficult to trust much public data on the esports industry, and some experts have even issues with NewZoo's numbers, with some saying that NewZoo's calculations are too opaque to be reliable.
Issue #3: The negative impact of influencers: With more fans wanting to follow streamers like Ninja and not whole teams, some believe that influencers are "short-circuiting" the industry. Because influencers are making so much money, they are driving up the salaries of players on teams, leaving the teams with salaries that are "at completely unsustainable levels."
So is the world of eSports going through a bubble that is about to burst?
"It doesn't make sense to put that much money into an industry that's not making that much. The sooner we recognize that we're fooling a bunch of non-endemic people, the better off we'll be long-term. We'll be able to fix this bubble before it pops." - Frank Fields, Esports and Sponsorship Manager for Corsair
The point of this eSports analysis is not to be negative about the eSports industry but to try to discuss the state of the eSports industry and discuss the hype Vs the Reality of the industry. Now some may strongly disagree with the points raised above. This is just a point of view.
Now let's talk about the mechanics of the eSports industry. But before we get into the best practices on how to successfully enter the world of eSports as a team or league, let's talk about the monetizing strategies and the key players of the eSports ecosystem.
So how do the key players in the eSports space make money?
There are various ways to make money in the eSports space. Those include advertising, sponsorship, merchandising, ticket sales, concessions at events, media rights, streaming videos, and prize money.
Let's take the eSports revenue breakdown from 2017:
(1) Advertising: It is typically the revenue generated from the ads targeting esports viewers, including ads (Intel, Samsung, Coca-Cola, RedBull, etc.) shown during livestreams on online platforms, on VOD content of esports matches, or on esports TV. Generating 22% ($155M) of the eSports industry, advertising is the second largest source of revenue right now. It is expected to grow to $224M by 2020.
(2) Sponsorship: Sponsorship is the #1 source of revenue for the eSports industry, capturing 38% ($266M) of eSports total revenues. It is expected to reach $655M by 2020.
(3) Game publisher fees: Game publisher fees currently capture 17% ($115.8M) of total eSports revenues. This segment is expected to experience slow growth in the coming years though.
(4) Merchandise and ticket revenue: It is typically money generated from the sale of merchandise and live tournaments.
(5) Media rights: Media rights revenue can be defined as the revenue paid to industry stakeholders to secure the rights to show esports content on a channel. This includes payments from online streaming platforms to organizers for broadcasting their content. This also includes foreign broadcasters securing rights to show content in their country and paying for copyright to show video content or photos of esports competitions. Media rights currently capture 14% ($95M) of eSports total revenue, and are expected to grow to $340M by 2020.
So what the key players involved in the eSports market?
Let's start by defining the key eSports segments:
(1) Teams: Pro eSports gamers are typically part of eSports teams. Those teams specialize and compete in specific games like the League of Legends, Dota, or Counter-Strike. Some of the most well known eSports teams include Evil Geniuses, Fnatic, and Optic Gaming.
(2) Organizations: Typically the best eSports teams are recruited to be part of top eSports organizations that specialize in specific video games but operate under the same name such as Cloud9, NRG, TSM, Optic Gaming, or Fnatic. The way to think about it is like in the NCAA where colleges have various sports teams (basketball, soccer, football..) under the same organization.
(3) Leagues: Esports teams, representing the organization (Cloud9, NRG, Fnatic..) they are a part of, compete in their video game's respective league where there are regular seasons, playoffs, and world championships. League tournaments are run by companies such as Major League Gaming (MLG) or the Electronic Sports League (ESL). The most well known eSports leagues in North America include the League of Legends Championships Series, or the Pro League for CS:GO (organized by ESL), or the Call of Duty World League (organized by MLG).
(4) Publishers: Each eSports game is the intellectual property of the game creator, which are commonly called "publishers." The most well known publishers are Riot Games, Valve, Activision, among others. Those publishers have rights around where the game is played, who can host video game tournaments, and more.
Some experts like Michael DE WIT, General Manager at DM-Esports, LLC (owner of the Paris Eternal - Paris franchise of the Overwatch League) believe that publishers must be more flexible and listen to investors/eSports organizations. "In the medium / long term, the esports will have to open dialogues with the publishers. The inherent specificity of this industry gives the publisher full powers through his intellectual property. If we want the economy of esports to develop serenely, then publishers must be flexible and attentive to investors / actors. The big unknown will remain the opportunity or not to create counter-powers against publishers".
(5) Tools/platforms and marketplaces: There are a myriad of eSports tools, platforms and marketplaces. Those include: (a) Livestreaming platforms: Those platforms include streaming services, game highlights, and esports analytics. Twitch and YouTube are among the most popular platforms. Twitch reached 5B total hours streamed in 2016. (b) Aspiring pro eSports gamer and fan resources: It usually includes everything from news sources, industry statistics tracking, coaching, and skill improvement tools. (c) Professional gaming - platforms and infrastructure: It usually includes tournament platforms (e.g., Battlefy) and communication tools (e.g., Discord). (d) Betting and item marketplaces: It typically includes esports gambling, fantasy, and item marketplaces for in-game customization.
So at what stage currently is the eSports industry? Some experts believe that the industry is still in full building mode.
"As the esports transforms itself from being a niche phenomenon to a phenomenon of society, its biggest challenge remains its structure. Whether in France or in the rest of the world, the industry is still in full building mode - its legislation but also its business and valuation remain to be defined and clearly identified. I think that the esport benefits enormously from the current "start-up" of the current generation, and that's a good thing. But if the esports wants to continue, we must move away from that and create a solid ecosystem at all levels", believes Michael DE WIT, General Manager at DM-Esports, LLC (owner of the Paris Eternal - Paris franchise of the Overwatch League)
Mr DE WIT also believes that the eSports industry can be divided into 3 various types of groups depending on their respective strategies.
"In this construction phase, there is a wide range of strategies adopted by the major players in the esports industry. As for the clubs / teams, I think we can divide them into three categories: the "trendy" esports with small short-term investments (eg team present on games such as Apex Legends, Fortnite) , esports category with large long-term investments (eg Overwatch League, League of Legend) and an intermediate category where we continue to apply the codes that gave birth to the world of esports (e.g. Dota 2, Counter- Strike)", says Michael DE WIT, General Manager at DM-Esports, LLC (owner of the Paris Eternal - Paris franchise of the Overwatch League)
So what should a team or league do to successfully enter the eSports space and get a solid ROI?
(1) Do your homework about the esports space to make sure you understand the esports space and can bring value to it:
"First, do your homework, understand all the small subtleties and big details of this competitive space. Learn before you act. See where your organization would bring value either from a competitive or from a business standpoint. As more and more player from the "traditional" economy are pouring into Esport there is still space to fill for traditional sports and media but make no mistake, ESport has its own ecosystem working very well, its own media, its own governing bodies and so on. It's not like they need you, that's the first thing that needs to be understood", said Sebastien Audoux the head of Digital Sports Content at Canal +, during an interview with The Upside.
(2) Be humble and study the game of esports in order to avoid huge mistakes and losses:
"Be humble and don't see Esport as just sports with a keybord and a mouse, it's a very specific competitive landscape with its own codes, values and trends. I would suggest spending hours listening to exec from esport teams, shoutcasters, fans etc. before making any move. Rushing in that area could mean huge mistakes and losses", said Sebastien Audoux the head of Digital Sports Content at Canal +, during an interview with The Upside.
(3) Find the right partners or esports partner to drive your esports strategy:
"Find the right external partner or the right esports expert to help you drive your esports strategy and business. You need someone who has experience working for an esports team and understand the ecosystem, how it works, and won't be lost working for a club", said Xavier Oswald, Managing Director-Business and Strategy, Karmine Corp, a leading French esports team, during an interview with The Upside.
(4) Understand which esports market (Asian, Brazilian..) you want to focus on:
"If a club wants to focus on the Asian esports market, it won't be the same esports video game required when targeting the Brazilian or North American esports markets. These are not the same games that esports gamers will play on. You need to focus on the esports games that are mostly used when targeting a specific geographical esports market", said Xavier Oswald, Managing Director-Business and Strategy, Karmine Corp, a leading French esports team, during an interview with The Upside.
(5) Clearly define your goals when entering the esports space:
"If a professional club just wants to enter esports to do a PR campaign there is not really a point there, but if the professional club really wants to develop a global esports strategy with a bridge between its sports (soccer, basketball) and esports gaming they really need to think it through, said Xavier Oswald, Managing Director-Business and Strategy, Karmine Corp, a leading French esports team, during an interview with The Upside.
"Esports is the competitive aspect of gaming, so if a professional club wants to do some gaming, it is not esports. For example if you take the analogy in basketball between the LA Lakers and the Harlem Globe Trotters, the LA Lakers are here to win the NBA championship while the Harlem Globe Trotters are here to entertain, which brings the questions to the clubs: "Do they want to launch an entertainment/gaming division with Twitch with influencers and some content creators or do they really want to position themselves as a professional esports team with gaming competitions? These are 2 distinct strategies", explained Xavier Oswald, Managing Director-Business and Strategy, Karmine Corp, a leading French esports team, during an interview with The Upside.
(6) Go meet the esports gaming editors and the key players in the esports ecosytem:
"It is also key to go meet the esports gaming editors and key players in the esports system when entering the esports market. That way a club will be able to learn and fully understand what works and does not work in esports, explained Xavier Oswald, Managing Director-Business and Strategy, Karmine Corp, a leading French esports team, during an interview with The Upside.
(7) Focus on developing your esports community:
"Often times professional clubs (soccer, basketball) do not focus their efforts on creating and developing their own esports community, which is a big mistake because this is a key success factor when entering the esports space", said Xavier Oswald, Managing Director-Business and Strategy, Karmine Corp, a leading French esports team, during an interview with The Upside.
(8) Focus on long term gain Vs short term gain: Some argue that many pro teams and sports organizations are trying to get quick wins and are not focusing on eSports for the long run. Instead what sports teams, who want to be successful in sports, should do is to roll up their sleeves, and have a long term vision and commitment towards eSports. Like they say "No pain no gain".
"There's never any quick wins in this business, and there's an awful lot of blood, sweat, and tears that need to go into it. And I think everyone who is successful in this industry has had those times where they've had to really roll up their sleeves, and we're no different", said Ben Payne, the former eSports director at McLaren (F1), during an interview with The Upside.
(9) Do not stretch yourself too thin too quickly:
"I think that you do see people stretched too thin too quickly, which leads to what you're describing (Some teams exiting eSports)", said Ben Payne, the former eSports director at McLaren (F1), during an interview with The Upside.
(10) Do not try to replicate the same experience of your sports for eSports but respect the specificity of eSports. Listen to the eSports community and your staff in order to offer the best eSports experience:
"It is about listening to the community and it's the fans, it's your broadcast, it's listening to your players. Oftentimes, the changes we're making from week to week, they might come from our staff just in the studio sitting with players and talking to them and finding out what they think we should be doing differently", said Brendan Donohue, Managing Director of the NBA 2K League, during an interview with The Upside.
(11) Combine the best of traditional sports with the best of eSports:
"Generally speaking, traditional sports are really good at the business. Whether that's putting on a production or it's creating great partnership or marketing the product. That's really in their wheelhouse. (..) We initially took the approach of, how can we take the best of Esports and the best of traditional sports? That has been our mindset all along. There are a lot of amazing things that I think traditional sports brings to Esports. If you followed our League, you'll know we have a very, you might call it a traditional draft that the players love and their families love and it creates that moment. The perfect moment we had this year was Chiquita being drafted and that moment when the audience erupted", said Brendan Donohue, Managing Director of the NBA 2K League, during an interview with The Upside.
(12) Run your eSports team like any other businesses with its own P&L, KPIs and financial goals:
"I think what you need to do is you need to build yourself a way of operating on a budget that is feasible for that 12-month period (..) We are all held accountable to the money we bring into the business and spend on behalf of the business", said Ben Payne, the former eSports director at McLaren (F1), during an interview with The Upside.
(13) Be transparent with your partners and internal stakeholders:
"The recipe for success is to be transparent with your partners and your internal stakeholders as earlier and as regularly as you can be, and as honest with yourself as you can be", said Ben Payne, the former eSports director at McLaren (F1), during an interview with The Upside.
So ultimately has there been a lot of professional clubs (soccer, basketball..) that successfully entered the esports space? As of today the answer is: Very few clubs successfully entered the esports space.
"There has not been a lot of professional clubs that successfully entered the esports space. For example PSG is one of the few clubs that successfully entered the esports space through a strategy based on licensing. PSG essentially licensed and teamed up with local esports clubs (PSG LGD for the Dota, PSG Talon on League of Legends). Shalke 04 and Barcelona FC are two other clubs that entered the space successfully. In the US Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and investor John Goff invested into Complexity Gaming an esports team", concluded Xavier Oswald, Managing Director-Business and Strategy, Karmine Corp, during an interview with The Upside.
Bottom line: There is no question that the interest among professional clubs towards esports is not as strong as two years ago, but there are a few clubs who successfully entered the esports space. Whether or not the numbers associated with eSports are inflated is debatable. But there is no question that there is still good interest towards eSports from sports leagues and teams, who want to attract a new audience, new sponsors and potentially drive their top line. To successfully enter eSports, pro teams and leagues need to truly operate their eSports division as a business led by executives that used to work in the esports space. They also need to have a long term vision, and be transparent with their partners and stakeholders. They should also listen to the eSports community in order to offer the best eSports experience. These are some of the keys to success to successfully monetize the eSports opportunity.
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"Harry doesn't think about Malfoy anymore. Not really. Not intentionally.
What if the one person you least expect is the only one who really understands what you've gone through?
This could be really useful for our projects.
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Very nice ranch w/screened porch! Good curb appeal. Nice hardwood floors. Needs updating & paint inside. Daylight bsmt rm partially finished. Almost an acre flat lot on quiet dead-end street in one of E. Cobb's best school districts.


MTI058: Is Paying Down Student Loans a Good Investment?
We are told that paying down student loans — or any debt — offers a "guaranteed" return on investment. Even if that's true, is speeding up the pay down on low-interest, tax-deductible debt really the best use of your resources?
This episode tackles the issue of the best way to look at debt, and whether or not it makes sense to pay it off immediately. Could you use your debt to leverage your lifestyle? Can cheap debt make sense in your financial plan? We take a look at the numbers involved in paying down student loans and other debt, as well as consider the psychology.


Like many music lovers around the world we've long awaited the news on the Festival au Désert. It's available now! The 2013 Festival au Désert will be taking place in Burkina Faso. And it's going to be a very special edition, dedicated to Peace and National Unity.
We've penciled down the first outlines for our 2013 Music journey, including both the Festival sur le Niger and the Festival au Désert. We'll work on the details in the next couple of days.


To celebrate the closing of a major new contract at our joint venture, my company visited the Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest craft beer in Texas. Located in the old Houston school district administrative building north of downtown, they brew and bottle the beer on site. After lunch and brews in their lunch room (lots of great burgers; we also liked the jerk chicken and the chicken curry special), we gathered to take a tour of the facility.
Available for private parties. They sometimes have live music.
Our guide is not a brewer: his job apparently is being a guide, and drinking a lot of beer. He talked about the history of the building (it had burned twice and eventually become the school district's junk storage area), as well as the founding of the 20-year-old business.
We first visited the brewing rooms. Our group being composed of approximately 50% process engineers, we naturally were interested in the PVFs (pipe, valves, and fittings), how they maintained temperature, on what pressures the systems were run, and of course the guide knew none of that, although he did pass around packages of hops for us to sniff (at least I think it was hops), told us about his favorite beers, and encouraged us to grab another pint before we headed downstairs.
I knew my chemical engineering degree would pay off one of these days.
I recommend the Christmas stout, although off season you have to pick from one of their nine other year-round choices.
Better living through chemistry: checking the specific gravity, which is indicative of the alcohol content.
I have since noticed Saint Arnold on tap in a few locale restaurants. If you have a chance and like beers, give it a try.
My co-workers, inspecting the vats for a possible leak.


Dawn Transportation Inc. is a national transportation brokerage firm located in the beautiful Central Coast of California. Our goal is to provide a transportation network servicing the nursery, produce and grocery industries. Our company is dedicated to building strong industrial relationships by consistently demonstrating reliability and integrity in each of our transactions.


text:
Hugh A. Bentley (1909–1984) is known for launching a cleanup drive to get rid of crime and corruption in Phenix City, Alabama, in the early 1950s. He was beaten, and survived an assassination attempt with a dynamite bomb.

Personal life
Bentley was born on August 15, 1909, in Phenix City. He was the youngest of seven sons.  His father, Calvin Bentley, operated a grocery store. His mother was Minnie Bentley. Bentley attended the high school in Phenix City, then Massey Business School in Columbus, Georgia, and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He married Bernice Roche, and the couple had three children. Bentley opened a sporting goods store in Columbus, Georgia.

Reform
In 1949, Bentley decided to reform Phenix City, which was widely known as a "sin city," a center of prostitution, and gambling, run by corrupt officials. Phenix City was located across the river from Fort Benning, and its vice dens were a lure for servicemen. After efforts to create civic betterment associations, such as the Christian Laymen's Association and the Good Government League, he organized the Ministers Alliance, which turned over to the Russell County Grand Jury evidence of organized crime in Phenix City. He founded the Russell Betterment Association (named after the county in which Phenix City is located), in 1950. The RBA then enlisted the help of Albert Patterson, an attorney, to help fight corruption at the state level, by running for state Attorney General.

Violent altercations
His house was dynamited in January 1952 while he was away. No one in the family was seriously injured, although his son Hughbo was hurled from his bedroom by the explosion.  On Election Day in May  1952, while monitoring the polling places Bentley, his son Hughbo, and their fellow activist Hugh Britton were beaten bloody by thugs.

Murder of Albert Patterson
In 1954, Albert Patterson, supported by Bentley and the RBA, successfully ran for the Democratic nomination for state Attorney General. On June 18, 1954, Patterson was killed by four gunshots. The assassination prompted Gov. Gordon Persons to declare martial law in Phenix City, and to send in the National Guard to enforce martial law. Those indicted for the murder of Patterson included the Attorney General of Alabama, who was judged mentally unfit to stand trial, the Russell County District Attorney, who was acquitted, and a Deputy Sheriff, who was convicted. Over a six-month period the National Guard cleaned up the town, destroying gambling operations and brothels and enforcing a ban on alcohol sales. A grand jury produced 600 indictments against town officials By 1955 conditions had improved enough that Look Magazine called Phenix City an "All American City."

Motion picture
In 1955 the motion picture The Phenix City Story included a portrayal of Bentley by the actor Otto Hulett.
In 1958, Bentley's life story, in particular his efforts in the Russell Betterment Association, was presented on the TV program This Is Your Life. After the cleanup of Phenix City, Bentley continued to support community improvement, as well as serving as a Sunday School teacher. He died on April 13, 1984, in Phenix City.

References

1909 births
1984 deaths
People from Phenix City, Alabama

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Evidence points to the Armenian Prosecutor General's office involvement in trafficking of human beings
Today was the last day of trial for Lucine Hagopyan, the notorious pimp who has admitted to trafficking of girls to Dubai and forcing them into prostituting themselves.
The head of the "anti-trafficking" department of the Prosecutor General's office presented his argument, which instead of presenting the evidence to put Lucine behind bars for the crimes she herself admitted to, he recommended that she be given 2 years probation, stating that according to the evidence they had, no other law (#132) does not apply and there is no reason to retry the case.
You can't imagine how disappointed I was to hear the prosecutor's defense for Lucine. It was as if Lucine was his client, rather than the criminal that she is.
It's very clear. The evidence was presented and a 5-year-old could tell you that what was presented could only be interpreted as trafficking.
In the closing argument that Lucine's defense attorney made, he himself stated that Lucine obtained the visas for the victims and housed them. He added that those girls had been to Dubai before and worked as prostitutes, yet all the evidence that was presented during the trial, there never was any such statements other than from Lucine that his statement was accurate.
What the reality is and why the trial went as it did was that Lucine Hagopyan even before being arrested, had come to Armenia after being called to settle her issues with the Prosecutor General himself. This was based on her own testimony during the trial.
The information we had right after Lucine arrived to Armenia was that she visited with the prosecutor's office and paid a $150,000 bribe to clear her "debts."
We had visited with Lucine when we were in Dubai, but had not written about her as we were waiting for her (as well as others) to step foot on Armenian soil to print her story so the authorities would have no choice but pick her up and press charges.
I of course was hoping that they would charge her with 132, which hands the punishment of up to 8 years for trafficking, but Edik was sure that they would let her off since she paid such a large sum of money.
Last years trial of mother pimp Nano and her gang at least put them behind bars for a few months, probably because for the 5 traffickers, they only paid $300,000 to the prosecutor's office ($60,000 each).
So what does all this tell me? It tells me that the Armenian government who is led by Robert Kocharian is corrupt and the reason why today we have 2,000 girls in the UAE and about 5,000 girls in Turkey is that our leaders are all prostitutes and can be purchased to do whatever the highest bidder wants.
Though I was hoping that this time the prosecutor's office would do the right thing, I'm glad they showed their true colors and did what they do best and that is to help criminals like themselves continue to commit crimes against our people.
I'm also glad that OSCE and the US Embassy had representatives to monitor the trial, as when the Armenian government claims that they are doing what they can do combat trafficking and to be removed from Tier 2 watch list, the Department of State can do the right thing and they kick us down to Tier 3 and cut our aid.
When the trial was over and those of us observing the trial were talking, I made a comment about the prosecutor that he didn't work well and his anti-trafficking department was just for show. As I said this, the prosecutor left the courtroom with he head hanging low.
The trial was also covered by Gentron Television, which tonight during the 10:30 p.m. news, talked about the verdict and basically implied how the prosecutor's office is not combating trafficking as they should.
So in the end what happened? Lucine was given a 2 year sentence for pimping, but due to her being a single mother with a mother who is "ill", she will only have to serve a sentence of 1 YEAR PROBATION. She walked out of the court a free person.
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The high cost of waiting!.
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Valentines Day is a great national excuse for all of us to e press our love and dedication to others. Yet, to remain dedicated in a relationship, and to continue to actively participate in any relationship is one of the greatest key to its happiness and lengetuvity.
Often, this principle is so much easier said than done. We like to attach our level of happiness to things outside of ourselves. Yet, since we know that we can t control other people s words and actions; why allow them to dictate our happiness.
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I was able to install bwa easily on 64 bit but while I was trying to install on 32 bit, its saying an error.
/usr/lib/gcc/i686-redhat-linux/4.4.7/include/emmintrin.h:32:3: error: #error "SSE2 instruction set not enabled"
but still didn't work !!
Thanks !! Some of feature of SSE is not available for 32 bits and SSE is basically supporting 64 bits by design only.
Unable to install bwa-0.7.17 on ubuntu 10.06 virtualbox machine.
How To Install Gromos96 In Ubuntu 12.04 In 32 Bit .


No one knows the college fan better than we do at Fanzz. We built this company because we knew that Fans needed a place where they could find the right gear of their favorite college team. We are college fans ourselves and know what it means to not only look good at wearing the team colors of your choice but also wearing that "lucky" t-shirt on gameday that's going to help your team win the big one. Or maybe it's getting that perfect jacket or hoodie to wear to the game in cold weather. Perhaps it's the beanie or latest coaches hat that you just have to have in order to show up to the party in fashion. If you are like us we already know what we are going to wear to the upcoming game well before the game actually starts. Let us worry about the different styles, size, and fabric and you worry about doing what you do best. Cheering on your team to victory and making sure that everyone around knows it!


Fifty people, mostly senior citizens, from the City of Bridgetown were treated to a special breakfast on Christmas Day.
Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic welcomed the seniors to the Barbados Labour Party headquarters on Tuesday to share in a nutritious breakfast which was prepared just for them.
Barbados Labour Party candidate, who will attempting to win the seat in the upcoming general election, told Barbados TODAY that this was first of what he hopes will be an annual event.
"I invited seniors, especially those who live alone because I didn't want to bring away those who had families, so that they could have some fellowship on Christmas Day with some other people. We made sure they had some breakfast and enjoyed themselves for a bit and did not have to spend the whole day at home," Bostic said.