1) Allowing a share/unit offering with an offering price below $0.05.
2) Allowing a debenture offering with a debenture conversion price below $0.10.
3) Allowing offerings involving a warrant with an exercise price below $0.10.
In order to rely on the Relief Measures, an issuer must demonstrate that it is subject to immediate or imminent financial hardship and that it does not have the time or resources to undertake a share consolidation before closing the financing. In addition, the principal use of proceeds of the financing must be to maintain or preserve the existing business of the issuer and none of the proceeds may be used to compensate or satisfy obligations to related parties of the issuer.
The Bulletin includes an amendment to the originally-implemented Relief Measures by introducing the concept of an "Excluded Amount" with respect to financings with a share/unit offering price below $0.05 or a debenture conversion price below $0.10. The amended Relief Measures provide that up to $50,000 of the gross proceeds raised in a financing in reliance on the Relief Measures can be used for general working capital purposes and is not subject to the "Maintain/Preserve Existing Business" and "No Payments to Related Parties" conditions noted above.
Specifics of the requirements and conditions associated with use of the Relief Measures are detailed in the Bulletin.
Ara Basmadjian, articling student, assisted in the preparation of this article.
On October 11, 2012, the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") issued a request for comments on proposed amendments (the "Amendments") to the TSX Company Manual (the "Company Manual") and the TSX Rule Book (the "TSX Rules"). The Amendments provide clarification to the process of appeal with respect to listing-related decisions. Furthermore, the Amendments offer consistency between the appeal rules under the Company Manual and those under the TSX Rules.
(5) revision and clarification of the rules relating to the suspension and termination of participating organizations.
The TSX will publish the Amendments for a 30-day comment period. Written comments are accepted until November 12, 2012.
The Canadian Securities Administrators ("CSA") published Staff Notice 43-307 Mining Technical Reports – Preliminary Economic Assessments, which is intended to clarify the definition of "preliminary economic assessment" ("PEA") in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). NI 43-101 defines a PEA as "a study, other than a pre-feasibility study or feasibility study, which includes an economic analysis of the potential viability of mineral resources". The terms pre-feasibility study ("PFS") and feasibility study ("FS") have the meanings ascribed by the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, as amended. The CSA notes that certain issues have been identified in monitoring PEA disclosure since June 2011 when this definition was included in NI 43-101.
The Notice emphasizes to issuers that a PEA is to be kept separate and distinct from both PFS and FS, which indicate more comprehensive studies, and provides further guidance to issuers on other aspects of PEA preparation and disclosure to address the issues that have arisen. The CSA notes that the definition of PEA has two elements that distinguish it from other studies, namely that, by definition it cannot be a PFS or FS and it can only demonstrate the potential viability of mineral resources, not the technical or economic viability of a project. The Notice provides guidance to issuers regarding how to properly identify and disclose a PEA and avoid the staff challenging the study or taking the position that the issuer is treating the PEA as a PFS.
On November 10, 2011, CSA staff published CSA Staff Consultation Note 45-401 Review of Minimum Amount and Accredited Investor Exemptions (the consultation note). The consultation note provided information about the two exemptions under review and set out 31 consultation questions. The comment period closed on February 29, 2012.
On June 7, 2012 CSA staff published CSA Staff Notice 45-310 which updates market participants on the status of the consultation.
With respect to the Accredited Investor Exemption, some commenters supported retaining the accredited investor exemption and the definition of accredited investor in its current form while others suggested that the CSA could broaden the exemption to increase access to capital by businesses and opportunities to invest in the exempt market for more people.
Given the number of comments and the diversity of the feedback provided, the CSA indicated they would need further time to complete their review and consider the feedback. The CSA have indicated that they will finalize their review and publicly report on their conclusions later this year. A copy of the notice can be found here.
On June 8, 2012, the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") published a staff notice (the "Notice") aimed at providing guidance to issuers and capital market participants on the use of block purchase exemptions and securities purchased in error under a normal course issuer bid ("NCIB").
Subsection 629(l)(7) of the TSX Company Manual (the "Manual") sets out what is commonly referred to as the "block purchase exemption", which allows an issuer to make one purchase per calendar week which exceeds the daily repurchase restriction. In the Notice, TSX staff raise concerns about the practice by some dealers of bundling pre-existing blocks to sell into one purchase order under an NCIB. In the view of TSX staff, the combination of pre-existing blocks is considered inappropriate and inconsistent with the exception, as such practice allows an issuer to exceed the "one block per week" limitation. The Notice reminds issuers that the block purchase exception was created to allow an issuer to repurchase a large naturally-occurring block on the market, particularly in the case of illiquid securities.
The Notice also confirms that securities purchased in error under an NCIB which are taken into inventory by the buying broker firm may not be resold into an NCIB, as such trades would be considered to be pre-arranged trades, contrary to subsection 629(l)(2) of the Manual. The Notice suggests that one way for dealers to ensure that such securities are not resold into an NCIB is to temporarily cease purchases under an NCIB during resale of such securities.
On July 1, 2012, changes to the Mineral Tenure Act Regulation will come into effect in British Columbia.
The good news is that many of the current registration fees will be eliminated including fees for registration of exploration and development work, registration of payment of cash in lieu of work, registration of portable assessment credits, amalgamations, reduction of cell claims and transfer of ownership.
The number of cells per claim that can be selected will be increased from 25 to 100 per acquisition. The fees, however, will increase for registration of mineral claims from $.0.40 per hectare to $1.75 and from $2.00 per hectare to $5.00 per hectare for placer claims.
In addition, the new assessment requirements will increase from the present $4.00 per hectare in each of the first three years and $8.00 per hectare thereafter to $5.00 per hectare for years one and two, $10.00 per hectare for years three and four, $15.00 per hectare for years five and six and $28.00 per hectare for each subsequent year.
The assessment work for placer claims will increase from $10.00 per hectare to $20.00 per hectare per year.
The result is that new assessment work being filed on claims will create, in effect, new anniversary dates such that new assessment filings will commence with the new process starting with the first year in which the new assessment would apply. As an example, if a claim is good until 2015 and new assessment work is filed in 2012, the assessment work for 2016 and 2017 would be $5.00 per hectare commencing in 2016.
Payments by cash in lieu will double for each of the time periods and the new minimum time frame for filing cash in lieu will be six months rather than the current one day.
Mineral lease rentals will also increase from $10.00 per hectare to $20.00 per hectare and placer lease rentals will increase from $5.00 per hectare to $20.00 per hectare.
It will also be possible to subdivide claims consisting in two or more cells. Any assessment work on such claims would be divided among the number of cells.
On May 10, 2012, the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) released a request for comments on approaches to the establishment and operation of price and volume thresholds or volatility controls by each marketplace in Canada. IIROC has proposed the following two guiding principles: (i) that marketplace thresholds should operate to generally preclude the execution of orders at prices that would otherwise, on execution, require regulatory intervention by IIROC on the triggering of a single-stock circuit breaker or the application of IIROC's policies and procedures for the variation and cancellation of trades; and (ii) that the volatility control mechanism used by a marketplace should have the least amount of impact on the market-wide operation of the price discovery and access to tradable liquidity.
The release is the first step in the public consultation process which may lead to IIROC making a formal proposal on the establishment of price and volume thresholds to be adopted by marketplaces. While the release discusses existing marketplace controls, IIROC specifically issued guidance or request for comments with respect to single-stock circuit breakers, regulatory intervention for the cancellation or variation of trades and market-wide circuit breakers. IIROC notes, however, that currently none of these mechanisms are triggered by the volume of an order, but instead are based on price impact.
Comments are being accepted until August 8, 2012.
On April 30, 2012, the Canadian Securities Administrators (the "CSA") announced the official designation of DBRS Limited, Fitch, Inc., Moody's Canada Inc. and Standard & Poor's Rating Services (Canada) as Designated Rating Organizations ("DROs") under National Instrument NI 25-101 Designated Rating Organizations ("NI 25-101").
NI 25-101, which came into force on April 20, 2012, established a regulatory framework for the oversight of credit rating organizations by permitting them to apply for DRO status. The CSA designation orders make each of the DROs subject to regulation under applicable Canadian securities laws.
On April 26, 2012, the Canadian Securities Administrators ("CSA") published two staff notices addressing disclosure requirements related to the prospectus exemptions found under National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus and Registration Exemptions ("NI 45-106"). The notices are aimed at improving compliance by issuers, underwriters and their advisors and assisting market participants in avoiding deficiencies in their NI 45-106-related filings.
In CSA Staff Notice 45-308 – Guidance for Preparing and Filing Reports of Exempt Distribution, the CSA provides guidance relating to reports of exempt distribution filed in accordance with Form 45-106F1. Specifically, the notice highlights a number of issues observed by the CSA and clarifies requirements in respect of such topics as filing deadlines, filing fees, improper reliance on unavailable exemptions, failure to include a complete list of purchasers and failure to disclose all commissions and finder's fees.
In Multilateral CSA Staff Notice 45-309 – Guidance for Preparing and Filing an Offering Memorandum, the CSA addresses compliance with the rules relating to offering memoranda ("OM"). The CSA highlights that issuers must ensure that an OM is in the correct form, does not contain any misrepresentations and provides sufficient information to enable a prospective purchaser to make an informed investment decision. Issues identified by the CSA include the failure to update the OM when distributions are ongoing, using an incorrect form of update and inadequately disclosing the issuer's business. While the OM exemption is not available in Ontario, the guidance in Staff Notice 45-309 applies to Ontario-based issuers distributing securities in other jurisdictions under the OM exemption.
Each Notice confirms that responsibility for compliance with NI 45-106 rests with the issuer, that the use of a prospectus exemption under NI 45-106 is subject to regulatory oversight and monitoring and that identified non-compliance may result in corrective action where appropriate.
The OSC Strategic Plan includes six key initiatives, as follows: (i) expanding the OSC's research and analytic capability to be able to respond to and keep pace with market developments and investor concerns and to support policy-making by creating a dedicated Research and Analysis Group; (ii) engaging investors more effectively by creating an Office of the Investor to strengthen the OSC's focus on investor engagement; (iii) improving internal policy coordination and priority setting by establishing an internal Policy Coordination Committee; (iv) aligning all operations and programs with defined OSC goals and priorities and developing and reporting on key performance indicators; (v) improving risk identification and management by establishing an Emerging Risk; and (vi) delivering excellence in the execution of operations.
A copy of the OSC's Strategic Plan can be found here.
This article was written by Mark Evans and Michael Beeforth.
The Ontario Divisional Court's recent decision in Deeb v IIROC, 2012 ONSC 1014 (CanLII) will be of interest to securities law practitioners with clients operating in Ontario, as it speaks to the ability (or inability) of respondents to circumvent the disciplinary process of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organisation of Canada (IIROC) by means of an application for judicial review. Deeb confirms that, in line with previous decisions, IIROC derives its authority from the contractual relationships with its members and not from statute, and that when an individual or firm contractually submits to IIROC's jurisdiction, it is bound by that commitment and will be unable to bypass IIROC's disciplinary procedures by proceeding directly to the civil courts.
IIROC is a self-regulatory organisation that regulates investment dealers in Canada. IIROC is recognised as a self-regulatory organisation by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) pursuant to the Ontario Securities Act (RSO 1990, c S.5), which allows persons or companies affected by a direction, decision, order or ruling made by IIROC to apply to the OSC for a hearing and review of the relevant direction, decision, order or ruling. Despite being recognised by the OSC, IIROC is an independent body and receives its funding from its members.
Hampton Securities Limited is a dealer member of IIROC. Peter Michael Deeb, the president and chief executive officer of Hampton, is registered as an 'approved person' with IIROC. Both agreed to be bound by IIROC's rules and bylaws and submitted to IIROC's jurisdiction. Specifically, in its April 2008 membership application, Hampton stated that it "submits to the jurisdiction of IIROC", and that it "agrees that IIROC is entitled to exercise such jurisdiction over the applicant and its approved persons with respect to any matter, facts, actions or circumstances existing or arising prior to, as at, or after the date" on which it became a member.
In late 2009 IIROC commenced an investigation into both Deeb and Hampton on the basis of three anonymous complaint letters received by IIROC, which were shown but not produced to them. The investigation led to a business conduct review of Hampton in 2010, which resulted in a business conduct report describing three matters relating to Hampton's conduct.
Subsequent to the release of the business conduct report, on September 1 2011 IIROC issued a notice of hearing pursuant to its rules naming Deeb as a respondent in a disciplinary hearing. An alert concerning the notice of hearing was posted on the IIROC's website and distributed to its members. Hampton and Deeb alleged that they experienced several deleterious consequences as a result, including loss of business to Hampton, loss of Hampton's staff and the inability of Deeb to open a bank account.
On November 3 2011 the applicants commenced an application in the Ontario Divisional Court under the Judicial Review Procedure Act (RSO 1990, c J.1), seeking an order quashing IIROC's notice of hearing and compelling it to retract its business conduct report, produce the three anonymous complaint letters and set aside the close supervision by IIROC to which Deeb had previously consented. IIROC subsequently moved to quash the application for judicial review.
• The application was premature as the applicants had proceeded directly to the divisional court without pursuing relief before an IIROC hearing panel.
In granting IIROC's motion and quashing the application, Justice Pepall held that IIROC had met the plain and obvious test on both issues.
• proceedings by way of an action for a declaration or for an injunction, or both, in relation to the exercise, refusal to exercise or proposed or purported exercise of a statutory power.
The plain language of the act indicates that the judicial review jurisdiction under the second category is limited to exercises of 'statutory power', while case law has established that the jurisdiction under the first category is limited to exercises of 'state power'.
In accepting IIROC's submission that its disciplinary jurisdiction over the applicants flowed from the contractual commitments made by its members, the court held that IIROC was not created by and derived no authority from statute, and that it did not exercise any state power other than narrow delegated powers that were not engaged in the current case. Accordingly, disciplinary investigations or steps initiated by IIROC were properly overseen by IIROC and were not the subject of judicial review under the act.
The court also rejected the applicants' argument that IIROC derived its regulatory authority from the OSC's recognition order, referring to the Ontario Court of Appeal's decision in Taub v Investment Dealers Association of Canada, 2009 ONCA 628 (CanLII), which specifically confirmed that "[IIROC's] duties are not determined by statute and… recognition by the OSC does not transform [IIROC] into a government actor".
The court agreed with IIROC's second submission, holding that in the event that its decision concerning jurisdiction was incorrect, the application was nonetheless premature as there were ongoing proceedings before a properly constituted IIROC hearing panel. The hearing panel was properly the decision maker of first instance in the context of IIROC's disciplinary proceedings and should decide the merits of any requests made by parties to those proceedings. Finally, the court held that there were no exceptional or extraordinary circumstances that justified the exercise of its discretion to permit the application to be heard despite the ongoing IIROC proceedings.
The divisional court's decision in Deeb follows the Ontario Court of Appeal's ruling in Taub that IIROC's jurisdiction over its members is grounded in contract and not in either statute or in IIROC's recognition as a self-regulatory organisation by the province's securities commission. Accordingly, one should expect that the courts in Ontario will continue to respect IIROC's jurisdiction in regards to disciplinary proceedings over its members (and former members) and, absent extraordinary circumstances, will not intervene in such proceedings at the preliminary stages through applications for judicial review.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has published proposed changes to Parts I, IV and VI of the TSX Company Manual (the "Manual"), and in Appendix H of the Manual (the "Amendments"). The Amendments are being published for a 30-day comment period. Comments should be in writing and delivered by January 23, 2012 to the TSX. The Amendments are to primarily put a Due Bill Tracking System into practice for TSX listed companies.
A Due Bill process is being introduced in Canada to help improve the オンライン カジノ accuracy and timeliness of the valuation reporting of clients" holdings when securities undergo certain material corporate events. Due Bills are entitlements which attach to listed securities undergoing certain material corporate events. Due Bills attach to such securities between the second trading day prior to the record date and payment date, for trading purposes, to allow listed securities to carry their appropriate value until the entitlement has been paid. Further details are available at the TSX website.


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Printing amphotericin B on microneedles using matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation
Roger Sachan, Panupong Jaipan, Jennifer Y. Zhang, Simone Degan, Detlev Erdmann, Jonathan Tedesco, Lyndsi Vanderwal, Shane J. Stafslien, Irina Negut, Anita Visan, Gabriela Dorcioman, Gabriel Socol, Rodica Cristescu, Douglas B. Chrisey, Roger J. Narayan
Transdermal delivery of amphotericin B, a pharmacological agent with activity against fungi and parasitic protozoa, is a challenge since amphotericin B exhibits poor solubility in aqueous solutions at physiologic pH values. In this study, we have used a laser-based printing approach known as matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation to print amphotericin B on the surfaces of polyglycolic acid microneedles that were prepared using a combination of injection molding and drawing lithography. In a modified agar disk diffusion assay, the amphotericin B-loaded microneedles showed concentrationdependent activity against the yeast Candida albicans. The results of this study suggest that matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation may be used to print amphotericin B and other drugs that have complex solubility issues on the surfaces of microneedles.
matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation; microneedle; amphotericin B; antifungal
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Khanna P, Strom J A, Malone J I, et al., 2008, Microneedle-based automated therapy for diabetes mellitus. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, vol.2(6): 1122–1129.
https:/dx./doi.org/10.1177/193229680800200621
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Boehm R D, Daniels J, Stafslien S, et al., 2015, Polyglycolic acid microneedles modified with inkjet-deposited antifungal coatings. Biointerphases, vol.10(1): 011004.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1116/1.4913378
Boehm R D. Jaipan P, Skoog S A, et al., 2016, Inkjet deposition of itraconazole onto poly(glycolic acid) microneedle arrays. Biointerphases, vol.11(1): 011008.
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Schmidmaier G, Wildemann B, Stemberger A, et al., 2001, Biodegradable poly(ᴅ,ʟ-Lactide) coating of implants for continuous release of growth factors. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research (Applied Biomaterials), vol.58(4): 449–455.
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https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.06.016
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https://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00393-11
Copyright (c) 2017 Roger Sachan, Panupong Jaipan, Jennifer Y. Zhang, Simone Degan, Detlev Erdmann, Jonathan Tedesco, Lyndsi Vanderwal, Shane J. Stafslien, Irina Negut, Anita Visan, Gabriela Dorcioman, Gabriel Socol, Rodica Cristescu, Douglas B. Chrisey, Roger J. Narayan

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Nani (voetballer) (1986), Portugees voetballer
Nani Lehnhausen (1975), Nederlands actrice
Nani Roma (1972), Spaans auto- en motorcoureur
Giovanni Nani, voormalig bisschop van Brescia
Nani (cartoonist), Braziliaans cartoonist, levend van 1951 tot 2021

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Southeastern Queens
149-10 183th Road
149-10 183th Road, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413
149-10 183th Road, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413 - Industrial Space
149-10 183th Road is located at 149-10 183th Road in the Springfield Gardens neighborhood, NY, Springfield Gardens, 11413. The Class B Industrial building was completed in 1974 and features a total of 39,611 Sqft.
There are 29 industrial spaces for lease in the Springfield Gardens neighborhood, totaling 94,549 Sqft of available industrial space. The industrial space availability for the 11413 zip code is 76,817 Sqft, in 15 industrial spaces. The average asking industrial rent per sq. ft. in Springfield Gardens is $22.79/sqft/year. For Class B industrial buildings the average industrial rate is $23.63/sqft/year.
In Springfield Gardens, there are 16 class B industrial buildings. At zip code level, there are 15 commercial properties, of which 14 are industrial buildings over 50,000 square feet.
50-09 27th Street, Long Island City, NY 11101
199 Cook Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206
2162-2172 3rd Avenue
2162 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10035
148-11 175th Street & 175-11 148th Road
175-11 148th Road, Jamaica, NY 11434
$21 - $21.5/Sqft/Year
28 Wythe Avenue
28 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11249
9502-9508 Ditmas Avenue
9502 Ditmas Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11236
572 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
184-45 147th Avenue
184-45 147th Avenue, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413
438-454 West 18th Street
107-15 - 107-37 180th Street
107-27 180th Street, Jamaica, NY 11433
City Springfield Gardens
Neighborhood Springfield Gardens
What is the total square footage of 149-10 183th Road?
149-10 183th Road totals 39,611 square feet.
149-10 183th Road was built in 1974.
Springfield Gardens Demographics
The average household income in zip code 11413 is $100,730, from a total of 12,356 households. In terms of employment, there are 81.42 % white-collar and 18.58 % blue-collar jobs in zip code 11413.


"TELUS is tremendously proud to offer its full suite of wireless products and services to residents of the Northwest Territories and Yukon. For the very first time, starting September 6, you will be able to purchase a smartphone or other device from TELUS and activate a local Yellowknife or Whitehorse phone number," said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO.
Petron Communications will expand its dealer stores to Yellowknife and Whitehorse later this year and will feature TELUS Learning Centres after opening.
TELUS will also contribute $25 from every new smartphone purchase or activation in the Northwest Territories to the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation in Yellowknife. Meanwhile in the Yukon, $25 from every Whitehorse phone number activation will go to the Yukon Child Development Centre. Both TELUS campaigns will run from September 6, 2013 to May 6, 2014 with up to a maximum of $25,00 for each charity.


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Tracking the cats: Revived F-Type and four-door XK among the claws In Jaguar's paws
Julian Rendell
A $50,000 Jaguar F-Type two-seat sports car, a coupe version of the new XF sedan and a sporty four-door XK supersedan are centerpieces of the company's post-Ford model plans.
The cars are all in the feasibility stage--none is a confirmed program with concrete production plans. But a senior Jaguar source says, "These are all cars we know Jaguar must do." Some are closer to production than others, and firming up the product plan and committing investment will be the top priority once the expected purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover by Tata Motors of India goes through later this month.
The sexiest of the projects is the new two-seat F-Type sports car, named for the stunning yet stillborn 2000 Detroit show concept that evoked cues from the beloved E-Type. Production feasibility work done on that design means Jaguar already knows how to make the F-Type a reality.
Styling is an evolution of the XK, keeping key details such as the "Spitfire Wing" oval grille, which chief designer Ian Callum has decreed mandatory for sports-car designs. And while the hard points put the car at about four inches shorter and slightly narrower than the XK, specific underpinnings are undecided. Engineers favor aluminum, using the XK as a basis; bean counters lean toward steel and the XF platform. The main engines for the front-engine, rear-drive cat will be V6s, but the engine bay will allow space for high-end, V8-powered performance variants.
F-Type concept
Details aside, this is the car that Jaguar enthusiasts and insiders have wanted for years, ever since the F-Type debut (we named it AutoWeek's Best in Show at Detroit in 2000). At that time, the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the F-Type prompted Ford's then-CEO, Jac Nasser, to say that "stupidity" would be the only reason not to build the car. Could Jac be back, or is his legacy finally creating the Jaguar models for which he had hoped? Regardless, the car that appeared headed for history's scrapheap as recently as 2005 seems to have new life.
Jag also wants to give its brand name a lift with a hot, AMG-style XKR derivative. With power punched close to 500 hp and badged XKR-R, the 2010 model would be priced above $100,000, or a $10,000 premium over a standard XKR.
Almost as straightforward to get into production is the XF Coupe. Work already under way on the XF-based two-door incorporates styling cues such as the two-inch-lower roofline of the C-XF concept.
XF coupe
Less likely is an XF convertible, despite interest among U.S. dealers. Engineering studies show a large amount of platform strengthening would be needed, adding weight that would compromise performance. Jaguar also isn't convinced that sales would justify the investment.
More exciting is the idea of a four-door XK sedan in the mold of the Aston Martin Rapide, the Porsche Panamera and the Mercedes-Benz CLS. As is the Rapide, which is essentially a long-wheelbase DB9, Jag's swooping four-door would be based on a stretched XK with an extra pair of doors for access to a snug but functional rear cabin.
Sales might not be huge, but the segment for ultraluxury and quick sedans with coupelike styling is growing rapidly. Porsche plans to sell 30,000 Panameras, Aston is looking for extra capacity to build Rapides, and Mercedes-Benz has scored a huge hit with the CLS.
XJ sedan
Sources say a stretched XK wouldn't clash with Jaguar's established XJ flagship sedan, because the reskinned and re-engineered XJ will be substantially larger when it arrives in late 2009. Length, width and wheelbase grow to give the next XJ, Project X351, a much roomier cabin.
Another model that comes and goes from Jaguar's product plan--a Jaguar crossover--is back on again, though its future is far from certain. The company last considered this idea with Project X500, a Jaguarized Ford Explorer. Today, some insiders believe the crop of luxury crossovers has opened that door again.
Jaguar's advanced design studio is rumored to have developed several convincing designs for a new soft-road Jaguar based on the XF. While the idea apparently has strong backing from the United States, internally most believe Jaguar should leave the 4x4 market to Land Rover.


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Q: barrel connectors which guarantee outer contact before inner contact? Is there any feature I can look for on a barrel connector to ensure that the outer conductor (the negative terminal in my case) makes contact first before the inner conductor?
I can't seem to find this information, and for the pair we have, it looks like the inner conductor usually makes contact first.

A: In direct answer to your question, I don't think there is. This kind with an all-metal ring around the outside has a chance of working. I'll let you shop for whatever style it is that you need.

You have an interesting problem. To quote the Wikipedia page:

RS-232 drivers and receivers must be able to withstand indefinite short circuit to ground or to any voltage level up to ±25 volts.

So, one might guess that a 24V connection would be guaranteed to not cause problems, however it appears that (your?) RS-232 level converter is either non-compliant or non-compliant with power off. Charging your power supply capacitor through protection diodes is probably not conducive to the health of the chip.
The cheapest solution is probably to use a different chip and/or put Schottky diodes  from the output/input to the +/- RS-232 supplies and perhaps 12 TVSs from the output/input to your circuit ground.
If money is no object, then a DC-DC converter on the input power is another solution, or opto-isolate the RS-232 as @Ignacio suggests above.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Ian is the Finance Director at BIT and head of Operations.
Ian joined the team in September 2015 after spending three years as FD of the education charity Teach First. Prior to this Ian worked within the media sector with finance roles at ITV, Virgin Media and Channel 4. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and holds a BSc in Mathematics with French from Southampton University.


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Understanding Donald Trump and his Supporters in Order to Stop Him
Category: Political Science & Economics
Posted on August 1, 2016 by Nathan Lustig
Donald Trump has a very good chance of being our next President. We need to admit it if we want to do anything about it. If you're thinking Trump can't win, you're either in a bubble or lying to yourself.
He's not a sideshow. He's not someone to laugh at. Many of his supporters have real grievances that the major political parties and their fellow citizens have ignored. Voting for Trump is not illogical for some people in the US. He is the first person to at least speak to them and offer a hand. Unfortunately, he's done it in a terrible way, taking advantage of their plight for personal gain, increasing fear and scapegoating people who don't deserve it.
Trump is a real threat to our country. He is already taking us down a dark path that makes us less safe both at home and abroad.
We need to make sure Donald Trump doesn't become President Trump. Although he hits on some major problems in the US, he will be a disaster for the United States and the world, betraying the people who he purports to help, just like the major political parties have done for the past 35 years.
I'm not a Hillary supporter, I really dislike her. I would vote for Kasich, Bernie, Romney, McCain, Obama (if he could), Kaine, Warren, Biden, Bloomberg, Rubio and many more ahead of her.
I don't like the modern dynasty of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton/Bush, only broken by 8 years of Obama. I don't like it when power stays in the family, like Argentinian quasi dictators who set up their wives for power after they leave. I don't trust her. At all.
She's in bed with the big banks. She uses fake Southern accents when campaigning in the south. The clear misuse of the email server. If she was anyone else, she'd face a big fine, potential jail and at least be disqualified as a presidential candidate. I really dislike the at least perceived use of the Clinton Foundation to curry favor with donors and foreign governments.
But in our binary system in a choice between a lying, calculating politician who only cares about carving out a personal legacy vs. a narcissistic, opportunistic, power hungry, short tempered, autocrat fraudster who doesn't read, has nice things to say about brutal dictators, the Tiananmen Square killings and more, I can't not to vote for Hillary.
Against Donald Trump, I'll vote for her. Because Donald Trump would be a disaster for our country. The simple truth is that Trump represents a real threat to the United States and to the world.
Trump is a fraud. He's likely not even a billionaire. He's short tempered. He doesn't read books. He wants to meddle with the international order that's prevented war in the US and Europe since WWII. He misrepresents facts and preys on emotion. He's vengeful. He's attacked military veterans. He uses racial fear and prejudice to appeal to voters, even retweeting multiple "stats" and memes from white supremacist websites.
He's a huckster who only cares about personal power and wealth. He's abandoning patriotic themes that have made the US a world class country, turning toward Russia. And his new buddy Putin is playing him like a fiddle. Trump's only in it to stroke his massive ego and augment his personal power. He won't release his tax returns to show his likely conflicts of interest with Russia, that he's likely not a billionaire, his likely lack of charitable giving, his likely offshore tax haven accounts, his likely lack of paying much in taxes.
The worst part of Donal Trump is that his supporters deserve a champion who will actually fight for them. I mean really fight for them.
Not claim to be the "working class champion," but actually hire 78 foreign workers while he's running for President. Not just insult people and make proclamations. But actually provide workable solutions for people who have real grievances: job losses to technology, the top 1% and .01% getting all of the gains since the financial crisis, a bank bailout instead of bailout to the people, changes in culture, and loss of status.
He reminds me of Latin American strongman populist dictators, caudillos, like Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro, and Cristina Fernandez or Russian strongmen like Vladimir Putin who exploit real class divisions and attack other branches of government to seize power and enrich themselves and leave their country in even worse disarray than they found it, while being willing to use dubious methods to do so.
He's a man who said, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters." Imagine that man in charge of the FBI, the military and a government that has the biggest arsenal in world history? Not to mention our nuclear weapons.
He's a man who asked or invited a dictatorial foreign power to hack a US citizen's government email account. Imagine if he had the power use the NSA to access his enemy's, perceived or real, emails, texts and private conversations? This is not a man we can trust with our massive surveillance state.
Donald Trump: "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing."https://t.co/XHc9hh4gBt
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 27, 2016
Economy and Culture is Changing Too Fast without Adequate Government/Societal Response
Our global economy no longer works for a large number of people. Trump and Bernie blame international trade and bad tax policy, which rightly do deserve some blame, but the main culprit is technology destroying jobs at an unprecedented rate. Our meritocratic ideology has told people for generations that if they work hard, they'll get ahead. It's still true for some people. But many people can't evolve as fast as technology is changing.
Simply saying "you should work harder, let's cut taxes and promote free trade" as the Republicans have done doesn't help someone who's lost their manufacturing job as a 35 year old. Or someone who went to university expecting a good paying job, but now works at Starbucks.
Supporting policies like open immigration that suppresses wages, climate change regulation, and penalizing coal use, like the Democrats have done, disproportionally hurts the working class. We're going to have massive creative destruction. We can't stop it even if we wanted to without massively lowering our standard of living. The political parties completely screwed up by not helping the people who were sold the American Dream and ended up worse off than they thought they would be.
This is also a culture election. A protest election. It's railing against the big banks, the politicians, the people who insist you can't say things. It's about the politicians unwillingness to speak in real terms. It's about promises to help that have been broken for decades.
Republicans have said that if you just support the conservative movement, you'll have a better life. God, tax cuts, hard work and patriotism. They haven't delivered for the working class for more than 30 years. GDP and the stock market has soared, but you can't feed your family on GDP. For those outside the top 30%, its stagnant wages, and even worse, life is getting harder, life expectancies are going down, drug use is up, and the alienation of our modern society makes it worse.
The Democrats have been the party of banks, immigration, handouts and treated poor people as if they have little or no agency. You're poor because something's been done to you, rather than something you can fix, so the thinking goes, which leads to more victimization. When someone comes along and tells you that you can fight back, proud people will jump at the opportunity. Even if the guy telling you to fight back is a demagogue. But at least he's your demagogue.
Studies show that people are happier when they win a $10,000 lottery than someone who wins a lottery for $100,000, but then loses $50,000. We've told people they were going to be $100,000 winners via the American Dream, but are now only $30,000 winners.
A Donald Trump is what happens when the elites and politicians value their own interests first and don't help the rest of us, and is intensified by the greatest change since the industrial revolution.
It's affecting people across class, race and education levels: from people left behind by closing factories to those with college degrees who thought things would be better like promises were made and haven't been kept. All the while the top keep getting richer, the politicians worse, and events in the country give people a growing sense of decline.
Next, think about culture shock. People used to know the rules of the game. Culture is moving so fast right now, aided by technology. Humans haven't evolved to adapt to cultural change extremely quickly, but with the rise of technology, things are changing at an exponential rate. Jobs that used to last hundreds of years now have a half life a less than a decade. Old social conventions, many of them unfair at best and discriminatory at worst, have changed in half a generation.
We went from having to know phone numbers to never needing to remember them. From VCRs, to DVDs to Netflix. From small, locally owned shops to Walmart and Amazon. From gays being ostracized to mainstream. From "normal" American food, to sushi in Arizona, Wisconsin and other small towns.
Many previously respected professions are now relegated to humor. Where white working class people are the people who are the brunt of jokes. Where we talk openly about transgendered people and young people proclaim they're "gender fluid". Where towns that used to be all white now have Spanish and Arabic speakers. Where many people knew how to fit in. To be clear, I don't think these changes are bad. But put yourself in the shoes of someone who feels the world is spinning away from what they know, who now feels out of place in their own country.
Social justice warriors or bigoteers who have stifled debate with political correctness have made things worse. Going over board on political correctness paints people into a corner and doesn't allow them an out. It becomes extremely hard for people to change their minds when exposed to new information and experiences once they're in the corner. To make people comfortable in a changing culture, welcome them, educate them, don't shame and vilify them for attitudes that likely rise from ignorance instead of hate.
As Dale Carnegie put it in How to Win Friends and Influence People, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."
The toxic brew of rapid cultural change, being the brunt of jokes and bigoteering lead to alienation and a desire to harken back to the past when things were "normal," or at least didnt change so fast. And when politicians aren't willing to say things that many people believe are common sense, it opens the gate for someone who's willing to burn it all down.
How can we avoid President Trump?
The media, the left and the people who view him a a joke are helping him win. Those who who shocked and appalled by every trolling Trump comment are helping him win. The conservatives calling him not a true conservative are helping him win.
The best ways to go after Trump:
Business record – Show that he's a scam artist and huckster
Russia – Show his massive ties to Russia that at best compromise him, and at worst put him in Putin's pocket
Show he's only in it for himself – Show that he actually won't help the people he's supposedly championing.
Get under his skin – Show his narcissism and inability to take even an ounce of criticism. He'll implode.
Treat poor whites like we treat other ethnic minorities: people worthy of respect, who shouldn't be the brunt of white trash jokes.
Stop attacking for racism, sexism, things he's said…it only helps him
Stop saying you cant understand why anyone would vote for him
Dale Carnegie said that if you attack people, it just entrenches their position. Calling Trump and his supporters racist, stupid, uneducated, lazy and worse when many of his supporters have real grievances just makes it more likely they'll be motivated to burn it all down on election day. If we want to avoid a President Trump, we need to hammer Trump on Russia, his business record and get under his skin. Show him to be the huckster who's only in it for himself that he really is.
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Freedom From Toil, 2013 Style
N.J. high school teacher fights modern-day slavery in Ghana fishing trade.
By Steve Lipman	March 20, 2013, 12:00 am 0 Edit
He could have been one of the ancient Israelites toiling for the Pharoah under the brutal Egyptian sun some 5,000 years ago. Even his name is biblical.
Three years ago, 10-year-old Joshua was a modern-day slave, and Evan Robbins was a social studies teacher at Metuchen High School in central New Jersey, and a modern-day abolitionist. Robbins had traveled 5,000 miles to Ghana's Lake Volta to witness contemporary slavery firsthand, in the form of that West African country's massive, and exploitative, fishing industry.
Like other young Ghanaian boys enslaved in the fishing trade, working 12 to 15 hours a day, eating two meager meals a day, Joshua was thin; he owned a single shirt and a single pair of pants. Like his fellow slaves, some as young as 4, he had never gone to school. Like them, he slept on a dirt floor.
Robbins, who teaches about slavery in the pre-Civil War United States, was in the middle of Lake Volta on a small island, with no electricity or running water. He was there with an anti-slavery NGO to take part in delicate negotiations with village elders and fishermen for the freedom of some slaves that the fishermen controlled.
After two marathon days of talks under an unrelenting sun, officials of the International Organization on Migration had won the freedom of five slaves, in exchange for a fish farm and a motorboat.
The look on Joshua's face as the negotiating team left — without him — changed Evan Robbins' life.
When he returned to his New Jersey home in Verona, Robbins, 47, decided to form his own slave-freeing organization, in order to give himself more flexibility in his fight. And so Breaking the Chain through Education (btcte.org), a 501c3 charity, was born. It's an effort that has expanded from Robbins' family home to encompass his Metuchen High students, and beyond.
"Joshua was one of the reasons — definitely," Robbins says.
Robbins' story resonates, particularly at this time of year, as Jews prepare to retell the Exodus story at Passover seders the world over. But his story also is part of a movement that is gaining traction of late in the Jewish community, as individuals and organizations take a stand against contemporary slavery, which, experts say, includes as many as 27 million people across the world. They are enslaved in factories and private homes, working in fields and in brothels, and doing backbreaking work untangling fishing nets and bailing water on Lake Volta.
While isolated members of the Jewish community have lobbied against slavery in recent years, the movement is now becoming a much higher priority in communal circles; next month UJA-Federation of New York hosts an all-day conference on the topic. (See accompanying story, page 18.)
Through the Breaking the Chain foundation, which Robbins founded a year and a half ago with the help of his students, he is responsible for 30 young Lake Volta slaves gaining their freedom. Some have been returned to their families, others have taken up new lives in foster homes. His crusade, he says, which also involves building schools for the ex-slaves, "is part of my life." And it is part of what underpins his Conservative Jewish faith. "The core part of Judaism," Robbins says, "is helping other people."
Robbins' organization has produced "A Modern Day Slavery Reading for Passover" to be read before the Four Questions at the seder. Based on a prayer written by Rabbi Joel Soffin of Temple Shalom in Succasunna, N.J., it reads, in part, "we have come to know in our very being that none can be free until all are free."
The Robbins family mission to rescue young slaves began in a bedroom in their home seven years ago. One of Robbins' daughters, Maya, then 6, was home sick. Evan, staying home to care for her, read a story in The New York Times about child slavery in Ghana — thousands of children enslaved at dangerous work in the fishing industry, toiling long hours for no pay, sometimes drowning and receiving no medical care.
"We decided we should do something about it," Robbins says. He told his high school students about his interest. Enthused, they formed a club and started raising money, which Robbins gave to the IOM (iom.int), which monitors human trafficking as part of its mandate to "help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration."
Robbins invited Simon Deng, a former Sudanese slave and human rights activist, to address his students. With students designing and selling items like calendars and T-shirts, Breaking the Chain has raised more than $200,000. Rather than buy freedom for individual slaves, the organization buys freedom for groups, offering fisherman valuable quid pro quos.
"By establishing schools in destitute villages, we provide local fishermen and their families with educational opportunities and alternative ways of earning their living," the BTCTE mission statement declares. "In exchange the trafficked children they employ are set free and returned to their families.
Robbins, who was recently honored for his humanitarian work by the New Jersey Education Association, can tell you the story of each slave he has played a role in freeing, boys who are growing into young men, who are back with their families, and, for the first time, in school.
And he can tell especially about Joshua, and the efforts to free him.
It was Robbins' first trip to Ghana, and the negotiations that he was a part of had the air of a traditional village meeting. They featured drumming and extensive shaking of hands, 150 men and women and children sitting around on plastic chairs outside on the dirt, under the hot sun. The fare was "hardboiled eggs with some spicy sauce," Robbins remembered. He and two IOM representatives bargained, through a translator, with the fishermen for two days, 15 hours a day; the visitors made a moral argument, explaining why slavery is wrong. They made a financial pitch, offering the fishermen something they needed in return for slaves' freedom.
The final agreement: five slaves' freedom for a fish farm and a boat motor. "We didn't exchange money," Robbins says.
Joshua — Robbins does not reveal the ex-slaves' last names — wasn't one of the five.
The fisherman had bought Joshua five years earlier from the youngster's grandfather in a nearby village, for the equivalent of $38; the money was needed for a dowry for Joshua's mother. And the fisherman would not part with him.
Joshua was at the negotiations the whole day — with "a very serious look on his face," Robbins says — because his owner was there the whole day. "His face was one of the saddest things I have ever seen."
When Robbins and the IOM representatives left the Lake Volta area the next day, Joshua went back to work on the boats.
And, back home, Robbins took his concerns to his students again.
They were reading "Three Cups of Tea," Greg Mortenson's book that describes how he oversaw the building of 171 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
We should build a school, Robbins' students suggested.
He agreed.
Through IOM representatives on the ground in Ghana, who visited several villages and proposed a trade — a school for a village in return for the freedom of slaves owned by fishermen who live there — one agreeable community, Awate Tornu, a farming-and-fishing village of 1,000 people on the shore of Lake Volta in eastern Ghana, was found.
First free the slaves, then we'll start building the school, the IOM representatives insisted.
Nineteen boys went free; construction on the school, a one-story, V-shaped, cinderblock structure, began.
As part of the deal, Joshua also went free. The IOM people negotiated separately for his release.
Robbins would like, of course, to rescue more than a score of children at a time. The fishermen are tough bargainers. "This is what we are able to get."
"I think it's a wonderful initiative," Chris Lom, IOM senior media and communication officer, says of Robbins nonprofit. An individual like Robbins, who has neither wealth nor political connections nor a background in international human rights is "an exception," he says.
"When somebody steps up to the plate like this, it's a wonderful story," Lom says. "He's obviously an exceptional individual. He's managed to have his students gain an awareness of how lucky they are. He's a very good teacher who has instilled in his students a very worthwhile concern for the least fortunate people in the world."
IOM keeps Robbins up-to-date on the progress of the school's construction and the lives of the now-freed slaves.
Last year, the Robbins family, active members of the Conservative Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell, went to Ghana to see for themselves.
Robbins and his wife, Lisa, 47, a reading specialist teacher, took their two daughters — Arianna, 17, and Maya, 12, both of whom attend the Golda Och Solomon Schechter School in West Orange and assist their parents' fund-raising and administrative activities in Breaking the Chain through Education. "From the beginning our kids were involved in it," Robbins says.
During their visit, Lisa trained teachers; the daughters played with the village children, and Maya, who had recently marked her 12th birthday, was named a "Queen Mother" in a thank-you ceremony during which she was blessed in a ceremonial headscarf, kinte cloth and beaded necklaces and bracelets.
"I wanted to go back to Ghana as soon as I got back here," says Maya, whose bat mitzvah hall was decorated with photos of freed slaves and other Breaking the Chain mementoes. "It's a charity we're really committed to."
Her father returned to Ghana a few months ago, for more reunions, and for the dedication of the completed school.
Is he scared in Ghana? No, he says. "I never felt any danger." He's never been threatened, although he is possibly affecting the slave owners' livelihood and trying to change an accepted economic way of life.
Robbins hopes to schedule more-frequent monitoring visits to Ghana, and plans to start a campaign to release another group of slaves within the next few months. "I'd like to rescue another 20 children." This time, "the old way," through trades for "a motor or a fuel pump," he says; it's less expensive than a school.
His reunions with the now-free youngsters are emotional, he says. He finds himself "holding back tears." The children, he says, are reserved. Words of thanks don't come easily. "It's an unbelievable feeling that someone is free because of what you did. That's thanks enough."
Last year, he reunited with Joshua, who is living with a foster family — "His [own] family wasn't able to take care of him" — and is attending school. "He's doing great," Robbins says.
Joshua, Robbins says, was more demonstrative, and he knew he owed his freedom to the American he had met for one day three years earlier.
"He jumped into my arms," Robbins says. "He hugged me."
steve@jewishweek.org


You may see, sense or acknowledge an Angelic Star Gateway opening akin to a portal. Simply observe the gateway being present with it for as long as feels appropriate. When you feel ready you can allow yourself to move through the Angelic Star Gateway. You may or may not be then made aware of a larger Angelic Star Gateway which is the main gateway that aligns you to and supports you in connecting with the Angelic Dimensions. When you feel ready allowyourself to move through the heart of this larger Angelic Star Gateway and you will enter into the heart Angelic Dimensions. If you do not become aware of a larger Angelic Star Gateway, simply know the smaller Angelic Gateway will take you to a dimension of the Angelic Kingdom where the appropriate angelic qualities are available to you. The larger Angelic Star Gateway will direct you to the core and heart of the Angelic Kingdom and Dimension.
After taking time to explore and connect with your Angelic body and maybe one or two Angelic Star Gateways. You may wish to sit in meditation or quiet time and call forth my energies, Archangel Michael as well as your community of Angelic beings and your soul to be present with you. As you connect with all who are present with you, ask the below questions out loud one by one, waiting to receive any guidance or inspiration after each. If information oran awareness flows, then you may wish to document it. If you do not receive any insights, know the questions have been asked and the answers will dawn within your awareness with divine timing.


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About the Paper Lion
The Student News Site of Farmingdale High School
FHS Pops
Jamie LaGattuta, Staff Writer
Filed under School News
If you thought you knew how talented Farmingdale High School was, think again. On Thursday, March 28th, students took the stage and entertained the audience with a variety of acts such as rock bands, amazing vocalists, a marching band performance, and dancers. Aside from the many different talents, there was diversity across the board, such as music by Frank Sinatra and Pollyanna all the way to the Jonas Brothers, rap music, and rock.
Not only was the pops concert a chance for students to show off their hard work, but it was also a chance to raise money for the National Alliance for Mental Illness. In the lobby there were lollipops and tickets being sold for raffles where you could win gift cards to places like The Meatball Place, Stop and Shop, and Infinity Yarn. With all the donations and raffle buying, Tri M was able to make $1,050.
Throughout the concert there was such an accepting energy and everyone cheered each other on. Senior Maddy Burke said, "It was really cool to see everyone express themselves and have a good time." The crowd would give standing ovations, yell words of encouragement, and clap along to all the music. Another senior Sarah Cruz said that, "The support and pride that filtered the auditorium left the performers feeling a sense of belonging. Seeing everyone work together to put on a show while doing what they love left everyone with a rare type of happiness." Even after the concert was over, the positive feedback didn't stop. Parents and students were packed into the lobby giving countless compliments to the performers. Pops is a great opportunity for the school and community to come together and show support and appreciation for a great cause and great talent.
Check out the full concert here!
What is your favorite school event?
Language Week
P.S. I Love You Day
St. Baldricks
June 2019 Issue is Here!
AP Capstone Seminar
Wall of Fame 2019
FHS Has R.E.A.L. Harmony
Are We Ready?
FHS "After Dark"
Labyrinth: A Place for Creativity
History Club Honors A Hero
The Signing Dalers
Coffee House 2019


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Banking Law and Debt Recoveries
What you need to know about the Films and Publications Amendment act
On the 2nd of October 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Films and Publications Amendment Act which is controversially called the "internet censorship bill". Background Minister of Communications Ms Faith Muthambi…
https://randles.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/fpb-amendment-bill.jpg 1080 1920 Randles /wp-content/uploads/2018/04/logo.png Randles2019-10-17 05:08:002019-10-17 05:08:00What you need to know about the Films and Publications Amendment act
The Cost of Hot News
In a previous article (https://randles.co.za/2019/05/14/the-light-at-the-end-of-what-has-become-a-dark-tunnel/) we discussed how you can protect yourself against cyber-harassment and cyber-stalking and what avenues are available to you…
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THE LIGHT AT THE END OF WHAT HAS BECOME A DARK TUNNEL
Imagine getting this text from a complete stranger: "You look exquisite today, I bet you smell even better" Or maybe this: "You are a waste of space. The world would be so much better without you." Or maybe even this: "If…
https://randles.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/40445396_xl.jpg 6076 6004 Randles /wp-content/uploads/2018/04/logo.png Randles2019-05-14 06:43:232019-05-14 06:43:23THE LIGHT AT THE END OF WHAT HAS BECOME A DARK TUNNEL
WHAT IS CRYPTOCURRENCY: 21ST-CENTURY UNICORN – OR THE MONEY OF THE FUTURE?
Today cryptocurrencies have become a global phenomenon known to most people. While still somehow geeky and not understood by most people, banks, governments and many companies are aware of its importance. While many South Africans use…
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THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA
We are all connected through technology via these things called Apps which include WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to name a few. However have you ever thought about the effects these social networks could have on case and the…
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DIGITALLY AWARE WILLS AND GENERALLY PRUDENT BEHAVIOUR
Death is a constant but so is change and your will should, amongst other things, cater for the digital environment that envelops all of us. Increasingly, we all tend to keep information that is of sentimental as well as business value…
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email: info@randles.co.za
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Visit the official COVID-19 government website to stay informed:sacoronavirus.co.za


text:
/*******************************************************************
* 版权所有: 深圳市震有科技有限公司
* 文件名称: DateTimeUpDownBase.cs
* 作   者: chenzhifen
* 创建日期: 2014-07-08 16:36
* 文件版本: 1.0.0.0
* 修改时间:             修改人:                修改内容:
*******************************************************************/

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Input;

namespace ModernUI.ExtendedToolkit.Primitives
{
    public abstract class DateTimeUpDownBase<T> : UpDownBase<T>
    {
        #region Members

        internal List<DateTimeInfo> _dateTimeInfoList = new List<DateTimeInfo>();
        internal DateTimeInfo _selectedDateTimeInfo;
        internal bool _fireSelectionChangedEvent = true;
        internal bool _processTextChanged = true;

        #endregion //Members

        #region Constructors

        internal DateTimeUpDownBase()
        {
            this.InitializeDateTimeInfoList();
        }

        #endregion

        #region BaseClass Overrides

        public override void OnApplyTemplate()
        {
            if (this.TextBox != null)
            {
                this.TextBox.GotFocus -= new RoutedEventHandler(this.TextBox_GotFocus);
                this.TextBox.SelectionChanged -= this.TextBox_SelectionChanged;
            }

            base.OnApplyTemplate();

            if (this.TextBox != null)
            {
                this.TextBox.GotFocus += new RoutedEventHandler(this.TextBox_GotFocus);
                this.TextBox.SelectionChanged += this.TextBox_SelectionChanged;
            }
        }

        protected override void OnPreviewKeyDown(KeyEventArgs e)
        {
            int selectionStart = (_selectedDateTimeInfo != null) ? _selectedDateTimeInfo.StartPosition : 0;
            int selectionLength = (_selectedDateTimeInfo != null) ? _selectedDateTimeInfo.Length : 0;

            switch (e.Key)
            {
                case Key.Enter:
                    {
                        if (!IsReadOnly)
                        {
                            _fireSelectionChangedEvent = false;
                            BindingExpression binding = BindingOperations.GetBindingExpression(TextBox, System.Windows.Controls.TextBox.TextProperty);
                            binding.UpdateSource();
                            _fireSelectionChangedEvent = true;
                        }
                        return;
                    }
                case Key.Add:
                    if (this.AllowSpin && !this.IsReadOnly)
                    {
                        this.DoIncrement();
                        e.Handled = true;
                    }
                    _fireSelectionChangedEvent = false;
                    break;
                case Key.Subtract:
                    if (this.AllowSpin && !this.IsReadOnly)
                    {
                        this.DoDecrement();
                        e.Handled = true;
                    }
                    _fireSelectionChangedEvent = false;
                    break;
                case Key.OemSemicolon:
                    if (this.IsCurrentValueValid() && (Keyboard.Modifiers == ModifierKeys.Shift))
                    {
                        this.PerformKeyboardSelection(selectionStart + selectionLength);
                        e.Handled = true;
                    }
                    _fireSelectionChangedEvent = false;
                    break;
                case Key.OemPeriod:
                case Key.OemComma:
                case Key.OemQuotes:
                case Key.OemMinus:
                case Key.Divide:
                case Key.Decimal:
                case Key.Right:
                    if (this.IsCurrentValueValid())
                    {
                        this.PerformKeyboardSelection(selectionStart + selectionLength);
                        e.Handled = true;
                    }
                    _fireSelectionChangedEvent = false;
                    break;
                case Key.Left:
                    if (this.IsCurrentValueValid())
                    {
                        this.PerformKeyboardSelection(selectionStart > 0 ? selectionStart - 1 : 0);
                        e.Handled = true;
                    }
                    _fireSelectionChangedEvent = false;
                    break;
                default:
                    {
                        _fireSelectionChangedEvent = false;
                        break;
                    }
            }

            base.OnPreviewKeyDown(e);
        }

        #endregion

        #region Event Hanlders

        private void TextBox_SelectionChanged(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            if (_fireSelectionChangedEvent)
                this.PerformMouseSelection();
            else
                _fireSelectionChangedEvent = true;
        }

        private void TextBox_GotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            if (_selectedDateTimeInfo == null)
            {
                this.Select(this.GetDateTimeInfo(0));
            }
        }

        #endregion

        #region Methods

        protected virtual void InitializeDateTimeInfoList()
        {
        }

        protected virtual bool IsCurrentValueValid()
        {
            return true;
        }

        protected virtual void PerformMouseSelection()
        {
            this.Select(this.GetDateTimeInfo(TextBox.SelectionStart));
        }

        protected virtual bool IsLowerThan(T value1, T value2)
        {
            return false;
        }

        protected virtual bool IsGreaterThan(T value1, T value2)
        {
            return false;
        }

        internal DateTimeInfo GetDateTimeInfo(int selectionStart)
        {
            return _dateTimeInfoList.FirstOrDefault((info) =>
                                    (info.StartPosition <= selectionStart) && (selectionStart < (info.StartPosition + info.Length)));
        }

        internal void Select(DateTimeInfo info)
        {
            if (info != null)
            {
                _fireSelectionChangedEvent = false;
                this.TextBox.Select(info.StartPosition, info.Length);
                _fireSelectionChangedEvent = true;
                _selectedDateTimeInfo = info;
            }
        }

        internal T CoerceValueMinMax(T value)
        {
            if (this.IsLowerThan(value, this.Minimum))
                return this.Minimum;
            else if (this.IsGreaterThan(value, this.Maximum))
                return this.Maximum;
            else
                return value;
        }

        internal void ValidateDefaultMinMax(T value)
        {
            // DefaultValue is always accepted.
            if (object.Equals(value, this.DefaultValue))
                return;

            if (this.IsLowerThan(value, this.Minimum))
                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("Minimum", String.Format("Value must be greater than MinValue of {0}", this.Minimum));
            else if (this.IsGreaterThan(value, this.Maximum))
                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("Maximum", String.Format("Value must be less than MaxValue of {0}", this.Maximum));
        }

        internal T GetClippedMinMaxValue(T value)
        {
            if (this.IsGreaterThan(value, this.Maximum))
                return this.Maximum;
            else if (this.IsLowerThan(value, this.Minimum))
                return this.Minimum;
            return value;
        }

        private void PerformKeyboardSelection(int nextSelectionStart)
        {
            this.TextBox.Focus();

            this.CommitInput();

            int selectedDateStartPosition = (_selectedDateTimeInfo != null) ? _selectedDateTimeInfo.StartPosition : 0;
            int direction = nextSelectionStart - selectedDateStartPosition;
            if (direction > 0)
            {
                this.Select(this.GetNextDateTimeInfo(nextSelectionStart));
            }
            else
            {
                this.Select(this.GetPreviousDateTimeInfo(nextSelectionStart - 1));
            }
        }

        private DateTimeInfo GetNextDateTimeInfo(int nextSelectionStart)
        {
            DateTimeInfo nextDateTimeInfo = this.GetDateTimeInfo(nextSelectionStart);
            if (nextDateTimeInfo == null)
            {
                nextDateTimeInfo = _dateTimeInfoList.First();
            }

            DateTimeInfo initialDateTimeInfo = nextDateTimeInfo;

            while (nextDateTimeInfo.Type == DateTimePart.Other)
            {
                nextDateTimeInfo = this.GetDateTimeInfo(nextDateTimeInfo.StartPosition + nextDateTimeInfo.Length);
                if (nextDateTimeInfo == null)
                {
                    nextDateTimeInfo = _dateTimeInfoList.First();
                }
                if (object.Equals(nextDateTimeInfo, initialDateTimeInfo))
                    throw new InvalidOperationException("Couldn't find a valid DateTimeInfo.");
            }
            return nextDateTimeInfo;
        }

        private DateTimeInfo GetPreviousDateTimeInfo(int previousSelectionStart)
        {
            DateTimeInfo previousDateTimeInfo = this.GetDateTimeInfo(previousSelectionStart);
            if (previousDateTimeInfo == null)
            {
                previousDateTimeInfo = _dateTimeInfoList.Last();
            }

            DateTimeInfo initialDateTimeInfo = previousDateTimeInfo;

            while (previousDateTimeInfo.Type == DateTimePart.Other)
            {
                previousDateTimeInfo = this.GetDateTimeInfo(previousDateTimeInfo.StartPosition - 1);
                if (previousDateTimeInfo == null)
                {
                    previousDateTimeInfo = _dateTimeInfoList.Last();
                }
                if (object.Equals(previousDateTimeInfo, initialDateTimeInfo))
                    throw new InvalidOperationException("Couldn't find a valid DateTimeInfo.");
            }
            return previousDateTimeInfo;
        }

        #endregion
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Exploring the Role of Perceived Stress in a Patient's Experience of Fibromyalgia | OMICS International | Abstract
Journal of Pain & Relief
Exploring the Role of Perceived Stress in a Patient's Experience of Fibromyalgia
Toussaint LT1, McAllister JS2, Whipple OM2, Aleman K2, Hassett LA4, Oh HT3 and Vincent A2*
1Department of Psychology, Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa, USA
2Department of Medicine Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
3Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
4Department of Anesthesiology , University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Corresponding Author : Ann Vincent
Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Received May 13, 2014; Accepted September 08, 2014; Published September 10, 2014
Citation: Toussaint LT, McAllister JS, Whipple OM, Aleman K, Hassett LA, et al. (2014) Exploring the Role of Perceived Stress in a Patient's Experience of Fibromyalgia. J Pain Relief 3: 155. doi: 10.4172/2167-0846.1000155
Copyright: © 2014 Toussaint TL, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine cross-sectional relationships between perceived stress and fibromyalgia impact. Also, we sought to examine the mediating effects of key fibromyalgia symptoms including pain, fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, dyscognition, depressed mood and autonomic symptoms on this relationship. Data from 705 patients meeting Fibromyalgia Research Survey Criteria who completed a battery of self-report measures was used. Bivariate correlations revealed that stress was associated with fibromyalgia impact (r=0.49). Stress was also associated with all symptoms assessed (rs=0.29-0.77) and fibromyalgia impact was also associated with these symptoms (rs=0.33-0.59). Mediation modeling revealed that the total effect of stress on fibromyalgia impact was statistically significant (B=0.35,p<0.001), however, the direct effect was not significant when controlling for all mediators (B=0.03,p<0.05) and the total indirect effect of all mediators (B=0.32,p<0.05) was statistically significant and fully explained the association between stress and fibromyalgia impact. Specifically, pain, fatigue, negative mood, and autonomic dysregulation had significant indirect effects on this relationship. Our results demonstrate that perceived stress is associated with the patient's experience of exacerbated individual fibromyalgia symptoms. Also, the patient reported symptoms serve to explain the relationship between perceived stress and a patient's report of overall impact of fibromyalgia on day-to-day living.
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text:
Landscape Strategy & Guidelines
Landscape Character
Local Distinctiveness and Landscape Change
Policies on rural land management
Historic & Cultural Heritage
Dry Stone Walls
Agricultural land in the Cotswolds AONB comprises 176,393 ha. This is 86% of all land within the AONB. The main land uses are crops and fallow (41.29%), permanent and temporary grassland (43.79%). Other key land uses are woodland on farm holdings3 (6.13%), set-aside (4.47%) and rough grazing (2.11%).
The AONB has a similar proportion of land in crops and fallow and permanent and temporary grassland as England. However the AONB has more woodland on farm holdings (6.13%) compared to England (3.29%). The AONB also has more set-aside but less rough grazing.
Farms in the Cotswolds AONB
There are a total of 3,434 farm holdings in the Cotswolds AONB with an average size of 51.4 ha according to the 2007 survey. However it is important to note that farm holdings do not equate with farm businesses, many farm businesses cover several holdings.
Many holdings (43.21%) are under 5ha in size and do not have a significant income from agriculture. The next most numerous categories by size are those in the 5-20ha range (20.97%) followed by those over 100 ha (13.86%, 476 holdings). The AONB has a greater proportion of large holdings over 100 ha compared to England (12.78%).
An estimate can be made of the area occupied by each size category of holding (assuming that holdings in the 5-20ha range have an average size of 12.5ha, those in the 20-50ha range 35ha, etc). Based on these assumptions, holdings smaller than 5ha occupy just over 2% of the agricultural area of the AONB while those over 100ha occupy 70%. In terms of farm type, the category with the most holdings is 'other' (49.77%). These are closely associated with the smallest holdings referred to above. The next numerous categories are specialist cattle and sheep (21.46%), specialist cereals (13.57%), mixed (4.46%) and dairy (3.23%), see Figure 2-3. The AONB has more 'other' and cereal farms than England, but notably fewer dairy farms.
There has been a significant increase in the total number of the holdings recorded since 1990 from 2,180 to 3,022 in 2002 and 3,434 in 2007. This is mainly explained by a review of the register of holdings included in the Defra June Survey which caused an increase in the number of small holdings recorded across England. However, there have also been more small holdings created as a result of farm restructuring and the division and sale of farms in lots. In terms of farm type, over the period 1990 to 2007, there have been increases in the number of holdings categorised as cereals, horticulture, pig and poultry, and cattle and sheep. Reductions have occurred in the number of dairy holdings (239 to 111) and mixed holdings (247 to 153).
The main crops grown in the AONB are winter wheat, oilseed rape and spring barley. Changes in cropping the AONB over the period 1990 to 2007
There has been a 30% reduction in the total area of cereals grown in the Cotswolds since 1990, mainly as a result of an increase in the area of set-aside, as well as oil seed rape. The decline in the area of winter barley is particularly notable. It is also worth noting that the area of spring barley (for malting and/or feed) has recovered in recent years, in part encouraged by agri-environment scheme spring cropping options.
The area of oil seed rape grown in the AONB has increased by 89% to 12,900 ha since 1990. The area of another key break crop, field beans, grew in 2002 and has since declined. The area of maize has increased to around 1,500 ha. Set-aside has fluctuated from 3,860ha in 1990, to 14,470ha in 1995 to 7,880ha in 2007.
In common with other parts of the country, there has been a decrease in the number of decline in the number of dairy cows and pigs, which have decreased by around 55%. There are now around 11,500 dairy cows and 23,000 pigs in the AONB. The total number of beef cows has reduced by 8% over the period 1990 to 2007, this includes a strong recovery since 2002. There are now around 10,800 beef cows in the AONB.
The total number of sheep has reduced by 23% over the same period. There has been a slight recovery since 2002 to 258,500 presently however the number of ewes, the breeding flock, has continued to decline.
Agricultural labour
The agricultural labour force in the Cotswolds AONB stands at 5,021, including 3,287 farmers, 256 farm managers and 1,478 farm workers, see Table 2-1. 65% of farmers, 44% of farm managers and 59% of farm workers are part-time or casual
The total labour force in the Cotswolds has decreased by 6.1% over the period 1990 to 2007. This overall trend masks an increase in the number of farmers (probably reflected in the increase in the number of holdings) but a significant 45% decrease in the number of farm workers. This includes a 55% fall in the number of full time workers and an 18% decrease in the number of part-time workers. Labour intensity, expressed as the Number of Whole Time Equivalent5 (WTE) labour over Total Agricultural Area has fallen in the Cotswolds AONB from 0.020 WTE/ha to 0.018 WTE/ha over the period 2002-2007.
These trends reflect the restructuring process that has occurred across the farming sector over the past two decades. Maintaining skills and a knowledge of the land will be a key challenge for the future.


The company has been able to live up to these ambitions and now has approximately 9000 licensed users across 80 countries around the world. Major machine manufacturers have standardized on JETCAM systems and supply them together with their machines.
JETCAM is represented in a wide variety of independent sheet metal machine shops, manufacturing everything from simple heavy gauge components to the most sophisticated and delicate components employed in the electronics and aerospace industries. JETCAM's world-class user base also includes some of the best known and most demanding companies in the world, such as ABB, Bombardier (Canada, Mexico and Northern Ireland), Embraer, Kone Elevators, General Electric, Siemens, Volvo, Lucent, John Deere and Ericsson.
After the initial installation of JETCAM products, users are able to benefit from a maintenance program that provides automatic upgrade to new releases of the software for continuing enhancement of performance and functionality.
The ongoing development program of JETCAM is designed to achieve two things. Firstly, to continuously enhance the features, performance and level of automation of existing products. Secondly, to introduce new products that bring the same level of ease of use and reliability provided by the JETCAM Expert CNC programming and nesting software to other aspects of machine shop operation, such as 3D design and unfolding and production control. One Such example is the new CrossTrack platform which was developed from the ground up to resolve the complex issue of managing orders, materials, nests, parts/plies and kits in the composite manufacturing industry. Traceability, especially in aerospace is critical - CrossTrack delivers this, giving complete visibility from the initial material, tracking the order, all individual elements and through to the finished part.
JETCAM can be seen around the world in many shows and seminars, and is featured regularly in the press.


Mallory Van Dover and Brian Cato met through their sons, both named Mason. They brought two children each (including the two Masons) to all blend (almost) seamlessly under one roof.
(Standing from left) Mason Cato, Nic Cato, Mason Jewell. (Front from left) Mallory Van Dover, Brian Cato, Emma Jewell.
We can't all be "The Brady Bunch," and honestly, who would want to? Blended families bring together many different personalities to all suddenly reside together under one roof. Add some teenage emotions and complicated adult relationships into the mix, and you are almost sure to have a kink or two to work out along the way.
Six years ago, Mallory Van Dover with her son, Mason, now almost 20, and daughter, Emma, 16, joined Brian Cato with his sons, Mason, 20, and Nic, 16, in what all members of the family hoped to be a harmonious union.
At times, Van Dover said she felt the blame for the unrest, more often than not, was directed toward her, and she struggled at first to find her path as a stepparent.
"I think it's normal for parents in a newly blended family to want everything to be OK right away—especially moms or stepmoms. I was guilty of that, and I probably tried too hard in the beginning. My advice would be to go slowly, and give everyone in the family time to adapt to all the newness," she said.
Would you describe yourself as an active stepmom? Yes.
What is the hardest thing about being a stepmom? Knowing the boundaries between being a responsible and nurturing parent figure and overstepping those "invisible" boundaries.
What about being a stepmom brings you the most joy? Seeing my stepsons grow up and exhibit the behaviors and traits we have tried to instill in them. Also, watching the relationships between my biological children and stepchildren deepen. Those relationships have become much more organic, and that's been very rewarding. And I think my stepsons trust me more, and to me, that is everything.
How would you describe your relationship with your stepsons? Better. Better than it was, and always improving. Six years in, we have a good relationship, but there are still times it's hard to know how far I can "parent" them. I love them, provide for them, and want the best for them, but I still know I'm not their mom.
What lessons did you learn about how to strengthen your bond with your stepkids? Spend time with them while you are not trying to parent them. Whether in a group or one on one, this allows the relationship and trust to develop.
What are the three most common feelings you experience as a stepmom? Confusion. Uncertainty, and, finally, some satisfaction.
Recall an instance your husband really supported you as a stepmom. There are several times my husband has reminded his boys that the decisions we make about their lives are made "together." If I ask any of our children to do something, he expects them to respond accordingly. If he disagrees with a decision I make (which sometimes happens), he and I discuss it privately and try to understand where our parenting methods and choices are coming from.
What is a common misconception about stepmoms? That they cannot have a positive impact on their stepchildren. By having all of our kids together, all four have benefitted from both mine and my husband's examples. Everyone benefits from having as many sources of love as we can get, including kids who gain extra parents. I was lucky to have a stepmother and stepfather in my own life that I now refer to as my "parents." Stepparents can be a huge influence, just as a great coach or teacher can be. Your impact can be enormously positive, but it takes a tremendous amount of patience, communication and time.
What is one piece of advice that's gotten you through? Be patient. Go slowly. Back away when you feel resistance, and try to understand where your whole family is coming from. It's very natural to approach stepparenting as if it's all about you and how YOU feel, but it works better if you can stop and realize that every member of your family is going through an adjustment period.
What tools do you recommend as a co-parenting guide? Brian and I attended Ron Deal's seminar on building stronger blended families just after we married. Ron offered incredibly valuable advice and I still think about and incorporate his messaging, even now. I highly recommend it! smartstepfamilies.com.
What advice would you give other women about to become stepmoms? Make sure you and your husband discuss how you will handle parenting your kids. Be open to learn from your spouse and try to see the logic behind their approach. My husband and I have learned a ton from one another. Brian is a LOT more fun than I am, but I'm the one who makes sure clothes are washed (with soap) and put away, chores are shared, and that our children learn to operate in their first community—their family.


text:
Marie Byrd Sproul
Good Ink
Marie Byrd Sproul is a freelance theatre director. Her work tends to focus on social justice issues and elevating the voices of women.
Marie has worked as an Associate Director and an Assistant Director to some fantastic artists. These credits include collaborations with directors Aaron Posner(Holmes for the Holidays at Cleveland Playhouse, Conference of the Birds at The Folger Theatre, and The Last Five Years at Signature Theatre), KJ Sanchez(ReEntry at Centerstage, Roundhouse Theatre & The Annenberg Performing Arts Center), Gavin Witt(Twelfth Night at Centerstage) and Jeremy Cohen(Let There Be Love at Centerstage).
In 2006 she started the theatre company, OnStage, with Maureen Rogers and Sarah Kendrick in Catonsville, MD. During her time as Artistic Director of the company, she directed Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas, The Ash Girl and Heaven Can Wait.
Her direction of Salvation Road at the DC Capital Fringe 2015 Festival garnered several honors including, Favorite Show of the Fringe, Favorite Drama and Favorite Ensemble.
She recently directed an 8 city National Tour of a new play commissioned by Advocates for Youth, Remarkably Normal by Jessi Blue Gormezano.
Marie is also a founding member and Associate Director of Ally Theatre Company. A company that produces theatre designed to engage audiences through acknowledging and confronting systemic oppression in America.


Nikki Blonsky wallpapers for your PC, Android Device, Iphone or Tablet PC. If you want to download Nikki Blonsky High Quality wallpapers for your desktop, please download this wallpapers above and click «set as desktop background». You can share this wallpaper in social networks, we will be very grateful to you.
Nicole Margaret Blonsky was born in new York in a family of workers. Although her father is Jewish, mother is still raised their daughter in the Catholic faith. In 2006, she graduated from high school. Nikki wanted to play Tracy Turnblad after I saw "hairspray" on Broadway. Before filming "hairspray" Nikki was working at a company "Cold Stone Creamery", which produces ice cream.