text:
Felpham mum's world 'fell apart' after house fire
A Felpham family have to 'rebuild their home and lives' after a 'devastating' fire over the weekend.
Six fire engines were called to the 'well alight' property in Mornington Crescent at 12.08am on Sunday morning (March 10), according to West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. Read our original report here
Ginnie (second right) and her family. Picture contributed
At home was mum-of-three Ginnie Mason and two of her children, with her eldest son raising the alarm to Ginnie's dad Chris, who lives next door.
'It's very difficult watching it happen to my daughter'
Chris said: "The fire started late on Saturday night. The eldest was in the garage, and as he walked back into the house, he saw smoke through the kitchen door.
"He shouted and I realised what the situation was and put the ladder up to the back window where my daughter and the children were and they came down to safety.
Firefighters tackle the blaze
"They then had to stand at the front of the house in the pouring rain watching their home being burned to the ground. It is distressing. My daughter is so upset and it is so difficult.
"It's very difficult watching it happen to my daughter. Her world fell apart on Saturday night and that was difficult to watch."
A fire service spokesman said crews spent nearly eight hours tackling the blaze, which caused 100 per cent damage to the ground floor by smoke and heat. 100 per cent of the first floor was damaged by smoke, whilst 50 per cent of the roof was damaged by fire. Crews remained at the scene to cut away and damp down, and left 8.13am.
"It was an absolute stroke of luck [that it was discovered when it was]," Chris said.
Six fire engines were sent to the scene, where crews spent nearly eight hours tacking the blaze
"We now have to deal with the aftermath. It's great that I live next door but my daughter has to see the state of her house everyday.
"We are just trying to come to terms with it. It is a terrible situation. We are just getting on with it. We've lost possessions, photos, the usual stuff. They are lost forever and that's something we have to deal with. It's far too early to say exactly how much they've lost.
"It's not just fire damage as most of the house is covered in smoky soot. It's like someone walking into a room and spray painting the whole thing in black."
Felpham park becomes fifth Arun greenspace to be recognised in annual awards
'World turned upside down'
Family friend Tracey Arnell has set up a fundraising page with a target of £15,000 to help the family get back on their feet.
She said: "Our wonderful friends Ginnie Harper (Mason), Jason Gibbons and their family have had their world turned upside down as a blaze that started at their house has destroyed their home.
"Ginnie and her family managed to get out safely and are staying with friends and family following this devastating incident that has resulted in the family losing their home and possessions.
"The family have now found themselves at the beginning of a journey to rebuild, not only their home but their lives.
"We would be very grateful for any contributions from local traders/businesses to help turn this around for them." Click here to donate
'The neighbours have been superb'
Chris said the fundraiser has been a 'big comfort and a massive help'.
He added: "We have to pick ourselves up and get on with it.
"It's amazing to look at the thoughtfulness and niceness of people just to put a bit of money on there. We can't thank them all, unfortunately. We would very much like to.
"It's emotionally supporting that you know that people are routing for you. It means a lot to Ginnie and the kids. They are living with me at the moment. It will be a couple of months before they get back in there.
"Tracey is a very close family friend and her husband is a carpenter so he has helped us out. The neighbours have been superb as well. They have all come out, asking if we need anything, offering for us to stay over. It was pouring down with rain for hours and hours.
"It was heart warming. They have been absolutely brilliant. People have been dropping in with food and clothes."
Nick Gibb, MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, reacted to the news of the house fire.
He said: "My thoughts are with the family whose house was severely damaged by fire this Saturday evening.
"I am relieved by initial reports that no one was seriously injured and, like everyone else, extremely grateful to the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service crews that acted quickly and effectively to bring the blaze under control."


text:
Western leaders looking into Brazilian acquisition of Colorado lamb processing facility
Photo Source: Pixabay Free Stock Photos
Congress, Food Production Government/Politics
By Colter Brown, Northern Ag Network
LAWMAKERS WANT INVESTIGATION OF LAMB PROCESSING PLANT ACQUISITION BY JBS
At the 11th hour Senators and Representatives from Western States are calling on the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the acquisition of the Mountain States Rosen lamb processing plant by JBS USA. Montana Senator Steve Daines and Congressman Greg Gianforte said in the letter that, "This acquisition could have a major impact on sheep ranchers in Montana and their ability to get lamb to market, as well as result in an increase in lamb imports."
The purchase of the Greeley, CO facility, that's owned by 145 sheep producers from 11 states, was announced last week and could have significant long-term impacts on the nation's sheep industry. Mountain States Rosen (MSR) is the second largest lamb packing plant in the country processing 350,000 lambs annually. MSR accounts for about 20% of the entire U.S. lamb market.
Mountain States Rosen filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, forcing the plant to be sold. JBS, a Brazilian owned meat packing company, has said they plan to use the facility as a value-added beef plant. Removing that processing capacity from the supply chain will leave the sheep industry with more lambs than there is ability to process them.
The purchase and potential conversion to a beef facility has created a lot of concern amongst sheep producers. The industry has already been hit hard by the recent trade disputes and the fallout from COVID-19. Lamb prices have fallen well over 30% in 2020 alone and many producers are dealing with drought conditions on top of all the challenges.
At this point the chief concern of the industry is that JBS may be attempting to buy market share and shift from processing domestic lambs to importing lamb. JBS is already the largest importer of lamb into the United States.
That fear has led many sheep producers to call upon lawmakers and the Justice Department to halt the sale of the plant. Set to be finalized on Friday, July 31st, sheep producers say the long term affects to the nation's sheep industry must be examined.
Lawmakers from Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Utah joined together to send a letter to the Department of Justice to at least temporarily halt the sale. The Senators and Representatives commented in the letter that the DOJ must "demand that JBS cease from any irreversible actions that might harm the ability of American sheep ranchers to get their products to market until the Department can determine how best to protect competition in this significant part of America's food supply."
The letter says that "In addition to eliminating hundreds of jobs, JBS will eliminate a major domestic competitor in the region and could replace significant quantities of the American-raised lamb with imported products. Industry experts tell us that the lamb processing market does not have the capacity to absorb the lambs currently going to MSR."
"Approximately 15-20% of the US Supply may not find a processor when they are ready for market. We are told that many of these family operated sheep ranches in the Western states may go out of business after this deal, costing the lamb industry potentially hundreds of millions of dollars per year."
The letter was signed by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Barrasso (R-WY) and John Thune (R-SD). From the House, Congressmen Greg Gianforte (R-MT), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Liz Cheney (R-WY), Christ Stewart (R-UT), Rob Bishop (R-UT), and Devin Nunes (R-CA) signed the letter. To read the full letter click here.
JBS USA responded to Northern Ag Network with the statement below on the decision to acquire Mountain States Rosen:
"As a part of our continued commitment to invest in the city of Greeley, JBS USA made the decision to acquire the facility previously owned and operated by Mountain States Rosen out of bankruptcy through an auction process. Mountain States Rosen recently filed for bankruptcy in April and liquidated its assets, including the facility in Greeley."
Read the full article on Northern Ag Net by clicking here
Tags: Brazil, Congressional Republicans, JBS, lambs, Mountain States Rosen, sheep growers, Western Ranching
Famine End Game: The systematic dismantling of private farms and ranches
By RANGEFIRE! / January 23, 2023
A grassroots model for fighting climate hysteria in politics
MIT Climate scientist: Climate is an absurd, quasi-religious scientific narrative
Biden's policies threaten to bring everything to a screeching halt
By RANGEFIRE! / November 18, 2022
RANGE: Still winning after more than 30 years
RANGE writer inducted into the Montana ProRodeo Hall of Fame
Colorado's urban liberals pushing to introduce wolves into rural counties

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Very popular for holiday entertaining! Perfect, make ahead, healthy, low-fat appetizers.
"Oh! I said I would get an appetizer to tomorrow's party?" …"Yes of course I remember"…Does that sound familiar? With so many gatherings and potlucks this time of the year it is so easy to forget, isn't it? I hear ya!
So here is the perfect appetizer to take to any gathering! The Tandoori Chicken Salad Pinwheels are super easy to make, can be made ahead of time and don't need any reheating.
Tandoori chicken made the traditional way may become tough and rubbery in this salad. Hence I added the tandoori chicken masala to the cooked and shredded chicken breast. This salad is low fat but tastes creamy and yummy and the red peppers and scallions juxtapose superbly in the pinwheels!
For the wraps, you may use store bought or try the Turmeric and Cumin Roti Wrap. The filling in that recipe is a great vegetarian alternative too.
In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, yogurt and the tandoori chicken masala, until well blended.
Add the cooked, shredded chicken and mix in.
Warm the tortilla or wrap on a griddle or in the microwave for 20 seconds. Spread half of the chicken mixture all over the tortilla/ wrap. Top with half the red pepper and scallions.
Roll tightly and wrap in a plastic wrap. Repeat with the other tortilla/wrap, leftover chicken mixture, red peppers and scallions.
Refrigerate the rolls for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Remove wrap, slice rolls into ½ thick slices and serve!
Try these easy, low fat and healthy appetizers this weekend! Healthy appetizers…how often can we say those words together ? Ha…ha…enjoy!
The appetizer looks so vibrant and colorful …i am sure it tastes great !
Thanks Poonam. It does taste yum so is popular at parties too.
Thanks so much Sania. I am truly honored.
Thanks so much Indah! Hope you like the pinwheels!


Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 41 seconds.
Many Australian retailers have limited shelf space to offer companies so as a small business owner, it can be difficult to enlist new products into the major stores. Having the company's products in these channels is beneficial as it provides exposure to the target consumer. However, to generate interest in products that is on retailer shelves, the business needs to be able to get the goods in stores.
Pitching to retailers can be daunting and difficult. There are heaps of other companies that are already trying to break into the market as well. So here are some recommendations for a business to get their foot in the door..
Knowing the retailers is essential. Don't waste their time – research and get to know which retailers fit the business' target market. It is important to assess the pertinence of the retailer and their audience in relation to the brand and product. This includes understanding the store's demographics and making sure they relate to the product's intended audience. If there could be a relationship between the retailer and the company's brand and product, then reach out and communicate with them.
*Remember to make an appointment via email or telephone (or both) before addressing the retailer. Examine who are the best contacts to speak with and establish a relationship.
Highlight the product's Unique Selling Point, and support it; show the retailers that this product sells. This could mean creating different ways to sell the product prior to meeting with a retailer. A great deal of business owners forget that they are asking retailers to take an enormous risk by requesting them to stock a product many of their customers may not have seen before. Social media is another a great way to create interest in a product (creating a solid online presence also helps towards a firm's marketing strategy). The more that people notice the product, the more likely it is that retailers will choose to stock it.
For a business to have knowledge of its own product might seem obvious, but how much should they know? Instructions, warranty, features, product specifications? Well the truth is, the more they knows, the better they can sell the product. Being able to know the product inside-out is beneficial as retailers are going to be asking questions. Make sure to know the product before entering the appointment with the retailer. For example, ensuring the packaging of the product takes up as little territory on the retailer's shelves as possible can be a huge green light for some of them.
But knowing everything about the product is only half the battle. Passion is essential. The best salesmen are those who leave the consumers (in this case, retailers) with the desire to spread the word and recommend their product. Be memorable with the pitch.
If the business is located in a big city, why not start there? Use the knowledge about local stores to perfect sales techniques and deal with any fundamental issues the company may have with its product. This experience will be advantageous in the acquisition of future sales.
Localised retailing is a brilliant strategy for small business owners to get their product noticed and to utilise an accessible distribution channel. It is important for the business to do its research to identify the right stores in order to get the best returns for its efforts. Build the knowledge and then dive in to get a name out in the market.
The Glow Platform is an easy to use tool that allows you to create your own surveys, analyse data and share insights with your stakeholders. Conduct your very own research project today or access our Dynamic Reports to view pre-packaged insights over a variety of topics and categories.
This entry was posted in FMCG and tagged FMCG innovation, FMCG market research, Retailers, target market, Unique Selling Point, USP.


text:
#include "tensorflow/core/common_runtime/partitioning_utils.h"

#include <algorithm>
#include <functional>
#include <memory>
#include <optional>
#include <string>
#include <unordered_map>
#include <utility>

#include "tensorflow/core/common_runtime/graph_constructor.h"
#include "tensorflow/core/framework/function.h"
#include "tensorflow/core/framework/types.h"
#include "tensorflow/core/graph/graph.h"
#include "tensorflow/core/graph/graph_partition.h"

namespace tensorflow {

namespace {

// A helper to partiton a `graph` given a `device_set` and a `graph`.
// `partitions` maps device names to the graphdef assigned to that device.
Status PartitionFunctionGraph(
    const DeviceSet& device_set, Graph* graph,
    std::unordered_map<string, GraphDef>* partitions,
    std::function<string(const Node*)> node_to_loc,
    std::function<string(const Edge*)> get_tensor_name_attr) {
  PartitionOptions partition_options;
  if (node_to_loc != nullptr) {
    partition_options.node_to_loc = node_to_loc;
  } else {
    partition_options.node_to_loc = [](const Node* node) {
      // TODO(iga): To support the distributed case, first split the graph by
      // worker (e.g,. using the master session's `SplitByWorker` policy), and
      // then recursively partition the per-worker shards at the remote
      // worker(s). Currently, we simply split the graph at device boundaries.
      return node->assigned_device_name();
    };
  }
  int64_t edge_name_counter = 0;
  partition_options.new_name = [&edge_name_counter](const string& prefix) {
    return strings::StrCat(prefix, "/_", ++edge_name_counter);
  };
  partition_options.get_incarnation =
      [&device_set](const string& name) -> int64 {
    const Device* d = device_set.FindDeviceByName(name);
    if (d == nullptr) {
      return PartitionOptions::kIllegalIncarnation;
    } else {
      return d->attributes().incarnation();
    }
  };
  partition_options.control_flow_added = false;
  partition_options.get_tensor_name_attr = get_tensor_name_attr;

  return Partition(partition_options, graph, partitions);
}

}  // namespace

Status PartitionFunctionGraph(
    const DeviceSet& device_set, std::unique_ptr<Graph> graph,
    std::unordered_map<string, std::unique_ptr<Graph>>* subgraphs,
    std::function<string(const Edge*)> get_tensor_name_attr) {
  std::unordered_map<string, GraphDef> partitions;
  TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(
      PartitionFunctionGraph(device_set, graph.get(), &partitions,
                             /*node_to_loc=*/nullptr, get_tensor_name_attr));

  for (auto& partition : partitions) {
    const string& device = partition.first;
    GraphDef& graph_def = partition.second;
    // Each partition gets a new graph.
    std::unique_ptr<Graph> subgraph(
        new Graph(graph->flib_def().default_registry()));
    GraphConstructorOptions opts;
    opts.allow_internal_ops = true;
    opts.expect_device_spec = true;
    TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(
        ConvertGraphDefToGraph(opts, std::move(graph_def), subgraph.get()));
    subgraphs->emplace(device, std::move(subgraph));
  }

  return Status::OK();
}

StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<Graph>> InsertTransferOps(
    const DeviceSet& device_set, std::unique_ptr<Graph> graph) {
  // Skip transfer op insertion if the graph nodes are not assigned to multiple
  // devices.
  auto node_to_loc = [](const Node* node) {
    return node->assigned_device_name();
  };
  bool has_multiple_devices = false;
  absl::optional<std::string> location;
  for (const Node* node : graph->op_nodes()) {
    if (location) {
      if (*location != node_to_loc(node)) {
        has_multiple_devices = true;
        break;
      }
    } else {
      location = node_to_loc(node);
    }
  }
  if (!has_multiple_devices) {
    return graph;
  }

  // Transfer ops are needed as there are multiple devices, so proceed with the
  // partitioning.
  auto new_graph = std::make_unique<Graph>(graph->flib_def());

  std::unordered_map<string, GraphDef> partitions;
  TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(PartitionFunctionGraph(device_set, graph.get(),
                                            &partitions, node_to_loc,
                                            /*get_tensor_name_attr=*/nullptr));

  GraphDef merged_graph_def;
  if (!partitions.empty()) {
    auto iter = partitions.begin();
    merged_graph_def = std::move(iter->second);
    while (++iter != partitions.end()) {
      // TODO(b/220440252): MergeFrom() does memory copies when merging repeated
      // fields. Ideally, we can merge repeated fields by 'moving' data.
      // Consider using `proto2::util::MoveToEnd()` or so, once it is open
      // sourced.
      merged_graph_def.MergeFrom(iter->second);
    }
  }

  GraphConstructorOptions opts;
  opts.allow_internal_ops = true;
  opts.expect_device_spec = true;
  TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(ConvertGraphDefToGraph(opts, std::move(merged_graph_def),
                                            new_graph.get()));
  return std::move(new_graph);
}

Status UpdateArgAndRetvalMetadata(
    Graph* graph, std::vector<FunctionArgIndex>* arg_indices,
    std::vector<int>* ret_indices,
    std::vector<AllocatorAttributes>* arg_alloc_attrs,
    std::vector<AllocatorAttributes>* ret_alloc_attrs, bool ints_on_device) {
  std::vector<std::pair<Node*, FunctionArgIndex>> arg_nodes;
  std::vector<std::pair<Node*, int>> ret_nodes;
  const AttrValue* attr_value;

  // Find the Arg and Retval nodes, along with their corresponding indices
  // in the original function.
  for (Node* node : graph->op_nodes()) {
    if (node->IsArg()) {
      TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(node->attrs().Find("index", &attr_value));
      int index = static_cast<int>(attr_value->i());
      int sub_index = -1;
      if (node->attrs().Find("sub_index", &attr_value).ok()) {
        sub_index = static_cast<int>(attr_value->i());
      }
      arg_nodes.emplace_back(node, FunctionArgIndex(index, sub_index));
    } else if (node->IsRetval()) {
      TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(node->attrs().Find("index", &attr_value));
      int index = static_cast<int>(attr_value->i());
      ret_nodes.emplace_back(node, index);
    }
  }

  // Sort the nodes by index so that the order is stable.
  //
  // In particular, this enables calling a single-partition function with
  // the same signature as the original unpartitioned function.
  auto arg_comparator = [](std::pair<Node*, FunctionArgIndex> a,
                           std::pair<Node*, FunctionArgIndex> b) {
    return std::tie(a.second.index, a.second.sub_index) <
           std::tie(b.second.index, b.second.sub_index);
  };
  std::sort(arg_nodes.begin(), arg_nodes.end(), arg_comparator);
  auto ret_comparator = [](std::pair<Node*, int> a, std::pair<Node*, int> b) {
    return a.second < b.second;
  };
  std::sort(ret_nodes.begin(), ret_nodes.end(), ret_comparator);

  arg_indices->reserve(arg_nodes.size());
  for (const auto& pair : arg_nodes) arg_indices->push_back(pair.second);
  ret_indices->reserve(ret_nodes.size());
  for (const auto& pair : ret_nodes) ret_indices->push_back(pair.second);

  for (int i = 0; i < arg_nodes.size(); ++i) {
    Node* arg = arg_nodes[i].first;
    arg->AddAttr("index", i);
    TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(arg->attrs().Find("T", &attr_value));
    if (arg_alloc_attrs != nullptr) {
      AllocatorAttributes alloc_attr;
      DataType type = attr_value->type();
      MemoryType mtype = ints_on_device ? MTypeFromDTypeIntsOnDevice(type)
                                        : MTypeFromDType(type);
      if (mtype == HOST_MEMORY) {
        alloc_attr.set_on_host(true);
      }
      arg_alloc_attrs->push_back(alloc_attr);
    }
  }
  for (int i = 0; i < ret_nodes.size(); ++i) {
    Node* ret = ret_nodes[i].first;
    ret->AddAttr("index", i);
    TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(ret->attrs().Find("T", &attr_value));
    if (ret_alloc_attrs) {
      AllocatorAttributes alloc_attr;
      DataType type = attr_value->type();
      MemoryType mtype = ints_on_device ? MTypeFromDTypeIntsOnDevice(type)
                                        : MTypeFromDType(type);
      if (mtype == HOST_MEMORY) {
        alloc_attr.set_on_host(true);
      }
      ret_alloc_attrs->push_back(alloc_attr);
    }
  }

  return Status::OK();
}

string FunctionNameGenerator::GetName() {
  while (true) {
    const string candidate = strings::StrCat(name_, "_", counter_++);
    if (flib_def_->Find(candidate) == nullptr) {
      return candidate;
    }
  }
}

}  // namespace tensorflow

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Your privacy while using Turkey's For Life matters to us so we will never sell your e-mail address or other personal data, should you provide it to us for any reason.
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service such as Akismet. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Our online Contact Form collects your name, email and content so that we can keep track of your query or feedback. You will need to consent to such information being retained by us by ticking the box beneath your message before submitting.
A cookie is a small piece of data (a text file) that a website, when visited by a user, asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information.
We also use third party cookies (ie. ones from a domain different than the domain of the website you are currently visiting) for our advertising and marketing efforts, including personalised advertising by services such as Google's Adsense.
To learn more about cookies and how to manage or delete them, you can visit allaboutcookies.org or consult the help section of your browser.
Many links on this site to third party websites are purely for information and reference. However, we also participate in a number of affiliate schemes whereby we may receive a commission if you click through from a link on our website and make a purchase. It should come at no extra cost to you and we only deal with other website which we ourselves endorse.
For example, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases and you can view their cookies notice here. Likewise, we also use the white labels and affiliate schemes of HotelsCombined, Booking.com and Travelpayouts to help you find hotels and flights at good prices while helping to pay for our website's running costs.
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images etc.). Embedded content from other websites – like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Twitter, for example – behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
We use Google Analytics, a web analysis service provided by Google, to better understand your use of our website. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit our website, what pages they visit and what other sites they used prior to visiting. Google uses the data collected to track and examine the use of our website to prepare reports on its activities and share them with other Google services.
We do, however, use the Monster Insights plugin to to anonymise the information sent to Google Analytics.
If you have left comments on this site you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal or security purposes.
Should you have any issues with our privacy & cookies policy then please feel free to get in touch using our Contact Form.


text:
Texas Leftist
Tag Archives: Dos Centavos
Houston Politics
Texoblogosphere: Week of March 26th
March 29, 2018 L. Wayne Ashley	2 Comments
The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with the marchers as it brings you this week's roundup.
Off the Kuff analyzed the Harris County precinct data for the Democratic Senate primary.
SocraticGadfly offers his thoughts on the lawsuit by Seth Rich's parents.
Stace offers his thoughts on law enforcement and media portrayal of the Austin bomber.
As if last weekend's March For Our Lives events weren't epic enough, Texas Leftist was glad to see some Houston Area high school students start yet another impressive movement. By bringing prominent Democratic and Republican leaders together in ways that political forces have fallen short, the Inaugural Day of Unity Texas is off to a great start.
Neil at All People Had Value made the point that we are facing an authoritarian/Constitutional crisis.
And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.
Stephen Young lists ten Texas celebrities who ought to get into politics, a list that might have been a bit more useful before the primaries.
Space City Weather explains why a hurricane forecast for 2018 will be a challenge.
Jeff Balke puts the blame on negligent drivers for the spate of car crashes with light rail trains in Houston.
Dwight Silverman shows how to manage your Facebook privacy settings.
Mean Green Cougar Red takes a long look at the Uber self-driving car that caused the death of a bicyclist.
Austin BomberDos CentavosJeff BalkeMean Green Cougar RedStace
Texoblogosphere: Week of February 12th
February 14, 2018 L. Wayne Ashley	Leave a comment
The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds everyone that early voting for the primaries begins next week as it brings you this week's roundup.
Off the Kuff emphasizes that the bathroom bill issue isn't going away any time soon.
Stace provides some insight on the latest voter registration data from Harris County.
Socratic Gadfly notes that various activist groups can't get on the same endorsements page.
Neil at All People Have Value said it is okay not to give money to the rich. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
For all the press and hype which surrounds the leading Democratic candidates for Governor, Texas Leftist continues to wonder when the actual FUNDRAISING will show up. Less than a month from the primary, it's past time to make some money moves!!
G. Elliott Morris interprets the state of the polls.
Durrel Douglas finds lessons from the Astros for Democrats.
Juanita would like to know when Rep. Blake Farenthold is going to pay us taxpayers back for that sexual harassment settlement money.
Paradise in Hell collects a list of things Mike Pence was surprised to learn.
The TSTA Blog casts a wary eye on the latest anti-education campaign from Empower Texans.
Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!
Bathroom BillDos CentavosDurrel DouglasStaceValentine's Day
Equality, Politics, Texas Politics
Texas Senate Schedules Bill To Repeal In-State Tuition
May 19, 2015 L. Wayne Ashley	Leave a comment
Remember last November, when the state of Texas had the opportunity to choose its next Lieutenant Governor? At the time, both candidates made their views on the matter of in-state college tuition guidelines abundantly clear… Democrat Leticia Van de Putte supported in-state tuition for undocumented students, while Republican Dan Patrick was staunchly opposed. In 2011, then Senator Dan Patrick felt so strongly against the practice, that he co-authored a bill that would have abolished in-state tuition for everyone whether they are undocumented or not.
Well today in 2015, Dan Patrick is the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, and he gets to decide what bills move forward in the state Senate. Should we really be surprised that he has now scheduled SB 1819… a bill that aims to abolish in-state tuition exemptions? If passed, the legislation would take effect in September, and could potentially affect thousands of current college students and those planning to attend in the coming Fall semester.
Besides the havoc placed upon undocumented students, the bill would also eradicate in-state tuition waivers for American citizens from out-of-state, and force institutions to either drop their waivers entirely or try to cover the costs of anyone that previously qualified for a waiver. If you haven't guessed by now, the likely result of SB 1819 would be an increase in tuition and fees for all students as schools try to cover students, or adjust to lower numbers from the impact.
Lots of folks are saying that this move is just for show. "Even if the Senate approves the bill, it'll never pass the House" or "Greg Abbott would veto the bill immediately". But if those things are the case, then why is the Senate even dealing with the measure? Why risk angering an entire generation of college students, and all those who care about them?
As far as this blog is concerned, it's not okay to just sit back, watch the drama, and hope for the best. If you care about preserving Texas in-state tuition, this is a time for action. Dos Centavos has some great resources that you can use to call your state Senator and tell them not to support this ridiculous bill. Let's show Austin that in the last two weeks of this legislative session, they should have far more to do than impede the lives of our next generation of leaders.
Angelo State University logoDan PatrickDos CentavosLamar University logoPrairie View A&M University logoSam Houston State University logoSB 1819Stephen F. Austin State University logoTarleton State University logoTexas A&M Commerce logoTexas A&M Corpus Christi logoTexas A&M University logoTexas in-state tuitionTexas rising tuition costsTexas Senate repeal in-state tuitionTexas Southern University logoTexas State SenateTexas State University logoTexas Tech logoTexas undocumented immigrantsUH Clear Lake logoUHCL logoUniversity of Houston Downtown logoUniversity of Houston logoUniversity of Texas Austin logoUniversity of Texas Dallas logoUniversity of Texas San Antonio logoUT Arlington logoUT Brownsville logoUTEP logoUTPB logoUTSA logoWest Texas A&M university logo
Houston Politics, Politics
Despite Stay, Houston Prepares For Immigration Action
For recent immigrant communities across the United States, what happened this week is an all-too familiar song and dance: take two steps forward, and two steps back. Just hours before President Obama's Executive Actions on Immigration were set to take effect, they have encountered a judicial road block. Here's more from Michael D. Shear and Julia Preston of the New York Times…
WASHINGTON — One day before hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants were to begin applying for work permits and legal protection, administration officials on Tuesday postponed President Obama's sweeping executive actions on immigration indefinitely, saying they had no choice but to comply with a federal judge's last-minute order halting the programs.
In a decision late Monday, Judge Andrew S. Hanen, of Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas, in Brownsville, ruled in favor of Texas and 25 other states that had challenged Mr. Obama's immigration actions. The judge said that the administration's programs would impose major burdens on states, unleashing illegal immigration and straining state budgets, and that the administration had not followed required procedures for changing federal rules.
Upon hearing news of Judge Hanen's stay, Republican Congressional leaders across the country immediately championed the decision. You know… those same Republican Congressional leaders that continue to criticize President Obama for trying to do something sensible about Immigration, but won't lift a finger in Congress to pass comprehensive reform themselves. If you're thinking this whole situation screams of ultimate hypocrisy, you'd be correct.
Same goes for Texas Governor Greg Abbott, whom referred to the Obama Administration's plan as "Executive Amnesty". As the Burnt Orange Report points out, it seems that the Governor would rather have Texas families torn apart than do something sensible.
But even with the temporary setback, Houston city leaders are working hard to ensure that the process of helping hundreds of thousands of people come out of the shadows can move forward as soon as possible. Today after the weekly City Council Meeting, the Mayor unveiled new resources designed to help families stay up to date with the latest Immigration Action developments. Here's that information via the City of Houston press release…
Houston Mayor Annise Parker today announced the launch of a new informational website for immigrants who are interested in applying for citizenship or deferred action. The new website is the product of a partnership between the City's Department of Neighborhoods Office of International Communities (OIC) and the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC). The partnership was established last December in response to President Obama's executive order on immigration.
"We formed this partnership with one simple goal in mind—to make sure that Houston is prepared for the implementation of the President's executive order," said Mayor Parker. "I am certain the recent court order delaying implementation of the President's order will be temporary. When it is lifted, Houstonians affected who will be able to take advantage of the President's order need access to accurate information and a way to connect with reputable organizations that can help them. With the launch of this new website, I'm pleased to report that Houston is ready."
The website [www.citizenshipcorner.org] provides access to accurate, up-to-date information about applying for citizenship and new "deferred action" programs that offer the right to stay in the U.S. and work permits to eligible undocumented immigrants. The site will help people find trusted community organizations for legal guidance and assistance.
"The new immigration policies will have a huge impact on our community," said Wafa Abdin, Vice President of Immigration and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance, a member of HILSC. "We are the largest provider of low-cost legal services for immigrants in Houston. We are working with our colleagues in the Houston region to address the increased demand from immigrants seeking accurate information and legal assistance as pertains to the expanded DACA and the new DAPA program."
DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is of course a program that was initiated by the Obama administration in 2012. Under the new plan, DACA is set to be expanded, so more people will be eligible for protection from deportation and a 3 year work permit.
DAPA, or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, is a new program that would grant the same work permits and protection from deportation to parents of American Citizens or DACA recipients.
It's important to note that despite the judges' claims, the DACA program has been incredibly successful in its first two years. Over half a million work permits have already been granted, including some 88,000 for undocumented persons residing in Texas. Free from the looming threat of deportation, DACA has improved the lives of its beneficiaries, whom no longer have to seek illegal routes of doing business within the United States. The program of bringing more people out of the shadows is actually serving to make everyone safer.
And by the way, the "cost burdens" that everyone talks about from Immigration Action? That's false as well. Each DACA recipient had to pay a $465 fee for the work permit, which brought over $250 million in additional revenue to the U.S. government. That's more money that can be used to actually make the country safer… not the other way around.
Thankfully, Houston sees the extreme benefit that these programs can provide to the region. So visit www.citizenshipcorner.org and to stay up to date on the developments, and help stop the spread of misinformation.
Dos Centavos, Brains and Eggs and Off the Kuff have more on the judge's injunction and basically unforgivable reactions from our esteemed GOP leaders.
(Houston Mayor Annise Parker surrounded by Council Members and Immigration Advocates. Photo credit: HTV video)
Burnt Orange ReportDACADACA expansionDAPADeferred Action for Childhood ArrivalsDeferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent ResidentsDos CentavosGreg Abbott Immigration actionHILSCHouston Immigration Legal Services Collaborativehow much does Obama Immigration Action costimmigration action houstonImmigration Action StayJudge Andrew S. HanenJulia Preston New York TimesMichael D. Shear New York TimesOff the Kuffundocumented immigrants HoustonWafa Abdin Houston
Chron: Sheriff Adrian Garcia Certain To Run For Mayor
January 23, 2015 L. Wayne Ashley	Leave a comment
The clock is slowly ticking on towards the Houston municipal elections. But one area that has seen significant action is the race for Mayor. This week, another major candidate has made moves that are sure to shake up the race. Theodore Schleifer of the Houston Chronicle reports that all the signs point to an impending announcement from Garcia…
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia is sending every possible message that he intends to run for mayor this year, aggressively increasing his political operations and signaling to some close advisers and backers that a campaign may be imminent.
Garcia, under the Texas Constitution, would have to resign as a county official immediately upon declaring his candidacy. That presents Garcia, who watchers expect to immediately move to the field's top tier if he joins the burgeoning mayoral fray, with a fateful decision: Does he step down as the county's top Democratic officeholder to make a bid that would make him either Houston's first Latino mayor, or politically unemployed?
"At the end of the day, it's like standing at the craps table, placing the bet – and you could walk away with nothing," said Garcia confidant Greg Compean.
Perhaps most tellingly, county sources say, is that Garcia's top staff at the Sheriff's Office are looking to jump as they eye other county positions that would give them a landing place beyond Garcia's tenure and vest them in the county's pension system. Garcia's top lieutenant and close friend, Armando Tello, left last month for a lower-profile post in Precinct 6, and other executive officers currently are scoping out other opportunities.
"He's running," said Hispanic Chamber of Commerce head Laura Murillo, who once considered her own bid for mayor. "He's getting ready to make his announcement very soon."
Murillo is not in Garcia's inner circle, but several of the sheriff's other allies confirmed a bid is all but inevitable.
Sheriff Garcia joins a growing field of possible candidates… including State Representative Sylvester Turner, former Congressman and City Council member Chris Bell, current Council Members Stephen Costello, Jack Christie and Oliver Pennington, Ben Hall, Bill King and Orlando Sanchez. Crowded doesn't even begin to tell the story here, but it's important to note that some candidates have more potential than others. From the pillars of potential money and name ID, Garcia presumably sits in the upper echelon of contenders right out of the gate with Sylvester Turner. Though there is certainly nothing to stop Ben Hall from bank rolling his own massive campaign, as we basically saw from 2013.
Side note… are there any women interested in running for Mayor? Any??
By far, a Garcia run will have the most immediate impact on local politics. As Dos Centavos points out, his resignation as County Sheriff could mean a substantial roll back of the Progressive policy agenda that has been actualized in recent years. Would a more Conservative Sheriff dismantle aggressive Mental Health reforms and LGBT protections in Harris County law enforcement? That remains to be seen. But those fears aside, there is no doubt that Garcia is a most worthy candidate to lead the city of Houston.
Brains and Eggs, Off the Kuff and Texpatriate have more on this fast-moving development.
(Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia. Photo credit: harrisdemocrats.org)
2015 Houston municipal electionsBen HallBill KingBrains and EggsChris BellDos CentavosElection 2015 HoustonHarris County Sheriff Adrian GarciaHouston Mayoral election 2015Jack ChristieOff the KuffOliver PenningtonOrlando SanchezStephen CostelloSylvester TurnerTexpatriateTheodore Schleifer Houston Chronicle
Politics, Texas Politics
Finally: President Obama Issues Substantive Immigration Action
November 20, 2014 L. Wayne Ashley	Leave a comment
If you are a Texan, chances are good that you have met someone who is, knows or is directly related to an undocumented immigrant living in the United States. 16.6 million families in the United States are of "mixed status" — households where American Citizens and undocumented persons live under the same roof. As such, President Obama's Immigration Accountability Executive Actions, announced tonight, will have a massive effect on the Lone Star State.
On this historic night, here are the basics, directly from a White House Press coordination..
The President's Immigration Accountability Executive Actions will help secure the border, hold nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants accountable, and ensure that everyone plays by the same rules. Acting within his legal authority, the President is taking an important step to fix our broken immigration system.
These executive actions crack down on illegal immigration at the border, prioritize deporting felons not families, and require certain undocumented immigrants to pass a criminal background check and pay their fair share of taxes as they register to temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation.
These are common sense steps, but only Congress can finish the job. As the President acts, he'll continue to work with Congress on a comprehensive, bipartisan bill—like the one passed by the Senate more than a year ago—that can replace these actions and fix the whole system.
Three critical elements of the President's executive actions are:
Cracking Down on Illegal Immigration at the Border: The President's actions increase the chances that anyone attempting to cross the border illegally will be caught and sent back. Continuing the surge of resources that effectively reduced the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border illegally this summer, the President's actions will also centralize border security command-and-control to continue to crack down on illegal immigration.
Deporting Felons, Not Families: The President's actions focus on the deportation of people who threaten national security and public safety. He has directed immigration enforcement to place anyone suspected of terrorism, violent criminals, gang members, and recent border crossers at the top of the deportation priority list.
Accountability – Criminal Background Checks and Taxes: The President is also acting to hold accountable those undocumented immigrants who have lived in the US for more than five years and are parents of U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents. By registering and passing criminal and national security background checks, millions of undocumented immigrants will start paying their fair share of taxes and temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation for three years at a time.
As listed above, these executive actions are not the commands of a king, or the harsh over-extensions of a power-hungry dictator. They are common-sense reforms that honor the law of the United States, while recognizing the reality of those living within our borders. Your neighbors, your classmates, your friends and your community members are the ones that will directly affected.
But even if you are not someone related to an undocumented person, the President's actions help you as well. Here's why…
A known community is a safer community. People that live in fear of deportation also live in fear of the law, and of public actions in general. Imagine that you are someone who is mugged, and the only witness is an undocumented person. Would they be willing to go with you to the police station to identify your attacker? Or someone in a traffic accident… what's the likelihood that the person who hit you is going to drive off and never be seen again? These are real issues that everyone in today's society deals with. Our law enforcement will now be able to do their jobs better because more people in our communities can be true eyes and ears for bad actors.
A known community is a more prosperous community. Bringing people out of the shadows decimate the black markets they are forced to rely upon for goods and services. Their money, and their tax dollars enters the books, and provides more direct contributions to our schools, cities and states. Legal working abilities also decimate the severe wage theft that many undocumented persons experience, but are too afraid to discuss.
There will be much more to assess in the coming days. But for tonight, millions of people across this country can rest easier and get ready for a new chapter in their lives.
The venerable Dos Centavos has more.
Dos CentavosImmigration reformnew deportation rulesobama inmigracionPresident Obama Immigration ActionUnited We DreamWhy Immigration Reform is better for non immigrants
Dear Texas Democrats: Don't Blame All of 2014 On Voter ID
November 12, 2014 L. Wayne Ashley	1 Comment
Given how badly Texas Democrats lost last week, few are surprised to see a lot of in-fighting and finger-pointing within party leadership. As has already been addressed, there were some notable missteps on the part of Battleground Texas, which the group, to its credit, is actively working to address.
But in recent days, a new whipping boy has emerged for the 2014 failures… Texas' discriminatory Voter ID law. Here's more on the argument from Ross Ramsey of the Texas Tribune…
Say this for the state's new voter ID law — it gave Texas Democrats a patsy for the thumping they took on election night.
The overall number of votes cast in this year's election was less than in 2010 — by about 271,000. Although that appears to be part of a national trend, Texas Democrats blamed the state's voter ID law, which they say discourages people from showing up.
Texas turnout, already the worst in the country, dropped. The state's population is larger than it was in 2010. More than 14 million Texans registered to vote, according to the secretary of state — up from 13.3 million in 2010. Turnout that year was 37.5 percent. Turnout this year (the numbers are unofficial) was 33.6 percent.
The people who did not show up appear to be Democrats. The Republican numbers were up in the governor's race, while the Democratic numbers were way down.
At a post-election discussion last week, Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, suggested the voter ID law might be to blame for the decline, implying that Democrats are more numerous among non-voters than Republicans. His opposite on the Republican side — Steve Munisteri — guffawed at that, instead crediting his own party's turnout efforts, the state's recent voting history and the national trend against Democrats.
There's no doubt that the stringent Voter ID law was a contributing factor for Democrats… possibly a significant one. As Think Progress reported, poll watchers in Houston did see some issues, and the number of Provisional Ballots cast more than doubled from 2010. Because of Voter ID, it is definitely more difficult to vote in Texas than it used to be.
But the party and related organizations need to be careful not to point the finger exclusively at the law, else they risk losing the opportunity for a thorough examination of other factors, including their own culpability. If all 600,000 of those voters estimated to be disenfranchised had shown up to the polls, wouldn't we have way more than 16,000 Provisional Ballots cast? Press outlets would have reported on long lines of frustrated voters being turned away. Had Voter ID been the sole reason that Democrats stayed home, evidence would bear that out.
Instead, many of the Democrats didn't make it to the polling place at all. We already know that most Texans are low-propensity and low-information voters. Getting them to suddenly turn up attention before the election, and then turn out to vote was always going to be a greater burden for Dems than the habitual voters of the GOP. Then there are the more subtle tricks, like Abbott's last-minute decision to cancel on his debate commitment with Davis just so he could weasel out of mainline TV coverage for less-noticed PBS. And of course, the internal friction between the party and other political organizations didn't help either.
At the end of the day, all of these factors played a supporting role in the issues of 2014. But let's hope that Texas Democrats do not try to cast any single one, like Voter ID, as the only star of the show. Instead, it's time to live, learn, examine and focus on the battles ahead in the 2015 Texas Legislature. Dos Centavos has more on what promises to be a long ride.
2015 legislature TexasDos CentavosGilberto HinojosaGreg Abbott DebateRoss Ramsey Texas TribuneSteve MunisteriTexas 2014 electionsTexas DemocratsTexas GOPTexas Voter IDtxlegeVoter Apathy Texas Democrats
HERO Opponents File Suit Against City of Houston
Is Houston REALLY About To Be Bigger Than Chicago??
My Megareview of Megabus: Houston to Dallas
TLCQ 2015: Endorsements in Houston City Council Districts
CONFIRMED: Tidal Music Streaming Counted On Billboard Charts
All People Have Value
ArtsHound
Big Jolly Politics
CultureMap Houston
Fort Worth Architecture
Greg's Opinion
Houston Architecture Info Forum (HAIF)
Houston Chronicle Politics Blogs
Houston Chronicle Texas Politics Blog
Houston On The Go
Liberal America
Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC
mikemcguff.com
Not Of It.
Skyscraper Page
Swamplot
Texpatriate
The MaddowBlog | MSNBC
The Texas Tribune Blogs
The Week Magazine
2013 Houston city elections
2015 Houston municipal elections
Annise Parker
Hounews
Houston City Council
Houston Early Voting
Houston Equal Rights Ordinance
Houston municipal election
Houston Non- Discrimination Ordinance
houvote
Leticia Van De Putte
March 6th Primary Texas
Primary Election Day Texas
Texas 2014 elections
Texas 2018 Democratic Primary
Texas Democrats
Texas Infrastructure
TexWatch 2014
TLCQ 2018
turn texas blue
txlege
Victoria Advocate
When Is Early Voting
A Voice for the Rest of Texas
IVP 13: Ingressive Voices Podcast- Full Text
The Ingressive Voices Podcast– Check It Out!!
UPDATE: HCSO Files Charges In Murder Case
Houstonians, Nation Search For Terrorist Killer of 7-year old Jazmine Barnes
Texas Vietnamese Community Worries As Trump Administration Threatens Deportations
Support Texas Leftist
My Appearances on Houston Matters
Friday's Show: Education Update, And A Runner Overcomes An Eating Disorder (Jan. 17, 2020) January 17, 2020
Thursday's Show: The Race For Congressional District 22, And Poet Nick Flynn (Jan. 16, 2020) January 16, 2020
Wednesday's Show: Refugee Decision, And Tax Credits For Renewable Energy (Jan. 15, 2020) January 15, 2020
Tuesday's Show: Astros Punished For Sign Stealing (Jan. 14, 2020) January 14, 2020
Monday's Show: Energy Independence, And Houston's Top Sports Moments (Jan. 13, 2020) January 13, 2020


Ever wondered how graphic tablets work? I have! So I did some research on the matter and I will try to explain how I understood what I've found.
Graphic tablets with styluses that uses a battery.
Graphic tablets with styluses that do not require a battery.
Graphic tablets with a display that are also called Display Tablets (original, I know).
Generally all of these types of tablets share a common ground. Their styluses emit electromagnetic signals, which are captured by the pad and then transmitted to the given device.
That was just very, very basic explanation of how graphic tablets work, let me elaborate.
The styluses have a digital chip, a transmitter and a modulator inside their cylindrical shape. The tip of the stylus sends out a signal that is captured by the tablet surface which then gets sent to the computer where the tablet drivers determine where the pen is located, what it's doing and so forth.
The pad itself has a circuit board with multiple send/receive coils and a magnetic reflector, which on its part emits electromagnetic signals that capture the pen/stylus electromagnetic signals. The sending mode coils emit a signal to simply detect whether the those (coils) in the stylus are within range. The receiving mode is used to get information on the pen and that information is processed by the drivers on the computer to determine whether there's applied pressure, tilt, speed, position, etc.
That being said, the Graphic Tablets which use a battery are typically Bluetooth and have to be paired with the devices that usually do not have the pad technology mentioned above.
Being Bluetooth gives them quite the versatility as they can work with almost any Bluetooth-enabled device that has a capacitive screen, but information such as pressure and tilt (if there is any) is basically handled by just the pen and the drivers/software installed. Which means that it's not always that accurate.
Bluetooth styluses are great but they don't come without drawbacks, one example would be that most of them lack pressure sensitivity. That's unless they specifically say they support pressure sensitivity.
Out of all the Bluetooth styluses, it appears that the Apple Pencil has the best reviews so far. Personally using one I do also support that it's great for drawing.
The Apple Pencil has tilt detection, pressure sensitivity and is quite accurate in terms of positioning. Although Apple do not say what are the Pencil's pressure levels, it appears that they're more than enough for a sketch, doodle or a comic illustration. There doesn't seem to be a parallax near the edges of the screen and depending on which software you're using and the resolution of the canvas and brush size, there could be a bit of lag but it wouldn't be enough to disrupt your workflow (unless you're using maxed out brush on a 3000×3000 with 300 ppi canvas).
I'll give a bit more detail on display tablets below, however I'll just note that the iPad Pro seems to have been designed for drawing in mind right from the very start and it's not that they've decided to make it drawing compatible when thinking up what people could use it for.
Graphic tablets without battery in the stylus are typically found in Wacom products. The brand's target is digital 2D and 3D artists.
The reason why Wacom's styluses do not need a battery to power the pen is because their pads use technology built in that provides power to the pen through "resonant inductive coupling". As a result, no batteries are inside the pen, making them lighter.
Display tablets, the technology mostly remains the same, however any metal or other material parts that could disrupt the electromagnetic signals are covered up or if their own magnetic field is too great. In addition, there are components inside the casing of the tablet that are also found in computers, such as a processor, power unit, etc.


Erzetich headphone amplifiers (Bacillus, Bacillus Tilia and Perfidus) have gone under the knife. While their entrails are mostly untouched, the most obvious difference is now their appearance. Acrylic front panels have been replaced by 7 mm thick aluminum that demanded a different graphic approach along with some other tweaks and upgrades on their exterior.
The main story stays the same: exclusivity of a boutique low volume production and attention to the sound and appearance. All units are handcrafted and tested several times during the production – by ear and by measuring instruments.
Erzetich's products are purposefully handcrafted in the forests of Slovenia, lending an authentic artisan edge to each unit. Because they are made by hand in small quantities, audio fans can be sure they are receiving an exclusive item guaranteed to add an inimitable component to their gear.
The linden wood, used for the main body of the Bacillus Tilia, is artificially aged using a proprietary system to give it a dark and rich tone while making every unit unique.
Erzetich is a small company based in the woods of western Slovenia. They specialise in personal audio, specifically on headphone amplifiers and accessories. All of Erzetich products are handcrafted and combine design, creativity, functionality and technology to create unique and timeless products.
For more information about Erzetich Headphone Amplifiers kindly use this—LINK.


Picks up and delivers mail, specimens, supplies, and reports while following established schedules and guidelines. Responds to ad hoc requests from department staff for additional stops. Performs other duties as assigned.
Performs basic polysomnographic testing and associated interventions under the direct supervision of the clinical director or medical director. May verify insurance, enters patient admission information into the HBO system. May provide supervision of other staff. Subject to overtime and callback as required. Reports to the Director of the Sleep Center. Performs other duties as assigned.
4 North is a 24 bed, Inpatient post-surgical unit. We are a team work environment with a focus on best outcomes for our post-surgical patients. We see a wide array of post-surgical patients and get to work with some of the best surgeons in the area. Our patient population varies across the lifespan. Our patients are typically stable post-surgical cases, who needs to spend a day or two in the hospital before transitioning out of acute care.
: Evaluates and assesses patients to establish functional, measurable goals to promote restoration of functional abilities. Provides treatment according to a written plan of care to meet established goals. Plans for discharge and communicates findings and progress according to professional licensure/certification, scope of practice and departmental/discipline policies and procedures. Produces other reports as needed. May supervise clinical students and support staff including certified/licensed assistants, technicians, and volunteers. Adheres to the ASHA Code of Ethics. Provides a caring relationship that facilitates health, and healing. Performs other duties as assigned.
Position Title: Technologist-Surgical I-Tennessee Job Family: Nursing Job Summary: Assists surgical team during operation/procedure by arranging, inventoring and maintaining sterile set up for operation, and passes items as needed. Assists in preparation of surgical suite, moving patients, and in cleaning. Provides aid in exposure, homeostasis, and other technical functions that will help the surgeon carry out safe operation with optimal results for the patient. Performs other duties as assigned.


The house in Llubí, Illes Balears, has 4 bedrooms and has capacity for 8 people.
The accommodation is fully equipped and cozy, and has 140 m2.
It is located 15 kms from playa de muro sand beach, 25 kms from Golf Alcanada golf course, 0,2 kms from Llubí supermarket, 47 kms from Palma de Mallorca airport and 49 kms from Aqualand Arenal water park and in a residential neighborhood within an urbanization.
The accommodation is equipped with safe-deposit box, independent kitchen, deposit to be paid upon arrival time, bathroom with shower, bathroom with tub, washing Machine, barbecue, coffee maker, dish washer, dishes and tableware, freezer, iron and ironing board, kettle – water boiler, microwave, oven, refrigerator, Toaster, terrace, garden, dining highchair, cable – satelite TV, WIFI Internet, air conditioning in the living room, hairdryer, linen – bed sheets, towels, heating, balcony, garden furniture, private pool, cots available and smoking not allowed.


text:
PA Transit Riders Call for Equity and Racial Justice in the Regional Low-Carbon Transportation Program
Comments Submitted to the Transportation and Climate Initiative from Pittsburghers for Public Transit and Philly Transit Rider's Union 10/30/20
Dear Governors and Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) Leaders:
Transit rider member organizations have participated in the TCI MOU discussions for several years, and have constituencies that include frontline communities in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh region. We, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and the Philly Transit Riders Union (Philly TRU), hope to strengthen the equity language in the MOU, to both ensure that those with the most at stake have a strong voice at the table to determine how the TCI resources are allocated, and to ensure that they will receive a clear and measurable benefit from the cap-and-invest proceeds.
We recognize and appreciate the steps taken to include a minimum investment for "overburdened and underserved" communities, and the need to have state-level equity advisory bodies to oversee implementation. We also appreciate the acknowledgement that complementary policies to the TCI must be deployed, as market-based schemes do not themselves address carbon emissions due to transportation, and may, in fact, increase emissions and create worse outcomes in communities already heavily burdened by power plants.
PPT has been a signatory and collaborator in the Green for All Policy Design letter for an Equitable Clean Transportation Program, the TCI equity toolkit and subsequent letter submitted in response to the draft MOU in March 2020. We support and echo the Green For All recommendations submitted on 10/23 around the equity commitments, and would like to further elaborate on a few specific points.
Our comments regarding the equity commitments for the MOU are as follows:
1. Proceeds must put into a 'lock box' not to be raided for general funds. This is a high priority, because TCI runs the risk of becoming a regressive tax on low-income and Black and Brown communities if substantial resources are not protected and set aside to be directed by frontline communities. A TCI MOU approved by the governor by executive order could be modified or overturned by the legislature or subsequent governors. TCI without substantial resources allocated to "underserved and overburdened communities" is worse than no TCI at all.
2. The term "overburdened and underserved" should identify a specific and defined community across all the participating states. That might be a term in line with Title VI law, or "Environmental Justice" communities. This definition should encompass BIPOC residents, people with disabilities, low-income residents, older adults, and communities who experience poor air quality due to transportation, power plants, or other manufacturing emissions.
3. The percentage of dedicated investment dollars should be increased beyond the 35%, and the allotment should be determined relative to the percentage of overburdened and underserved communities in the state. We understand that PA is looking at the "underserved and overburdened" communities as those defined as EJ communities, which represent about a third of the state. Under that framework, the 35% represents merely an equal share of the proceeds, not a larger or more equitable share to help repair historic and current wrongs. Many other states apparently have an even higher percentage of EJ communities, which would be poorly served by a less-than-equal share of the revenue. We are calling for the carve out for "overburdened and underserved communities" to be a minimum of 150% of the state percentage of those communities. For example: if "overburdened and underserved" communities (defined according to Title VI or EJ standards) represent 35% of the state, then 52.5% of the TCI proceeds should be allocated for that constituency.
4. A significant percentage of TCI funds that are not part of the equity allotment should be dedicated to funding the expansion of public transit. Funding frequent, affordable, high quality public transit is a critical investment for addressing transportation emissions at the same time that it increases equity in our transportation systems.
Regarding the Community Advisory Body:
1. We believe that those who are targeted for the equity allotment should be the ones at the table to allocate resources and to design metrics to assess their efficacy. These Community Advisory Bodies must have the majority of seats filled with representative residents from disproportionately affected communities, who both live in that community and represent the demographics which define them as such. Representatives for the Community Advisory Body should additionally be chosen through an independent selection process, in concert with community-based organizations, and established as independent, non-political authorities.
a. The role of the Community Advisory Committee should include defining metrics for equitable outcomes, (including air quality monitoring and data tracking, changes to household income, public health impacts and increased jobs/services access). They should also advise on the RFP process and proposal evaluation criteria, and ensure communities are robustly engaged in all proposed infrastructure investments and programs.
2. Community Advisory Members should be paid for their time, local expertise, and reimbursed for travel. Moreover, community organizations should receive capacity grants for community outreach and education on the TCI program and develop their own proposals, including technical assistance. Funds for both of these should not be derived from the equity allotment, but be in addition.
Complementary policies we recommend:
1. At a minimum, TCI must do no harm to frontline communities already suffering from the emissions from electricity generation. We are deeply concerned about the disproportionate attention given to electrification as a remedy for transportation emissions, which will necessarily result in greater impacts on power-generation communities, and believe that it is unjust to secure resources for some underserved and overburdened communities at the expense of others. States must, in the MOU, commit to enacting, during the adoption of the TCI program and not at a later date, a complementary policy (such as California's AB 617) that would guarantee significant emission reductions in disproportionately polluted communities.
Workforce development goals:
We uplift the calls for workplace development and job training, especially for workers affected by the transition to cleaner vehicles and for communities who are under-employed. There should be provisions for ensuring that these jobs pay prevailing wage and commit to union-neutrality.The TCI program should include supplier diversity goals to encourage proposals from women and minority-owned businesses.
Ensuring that the TCI Investments are Equitable and Effective:
1. The Participating Jurisdictions will annually review and report the impacts of each Participating Jurisdiction's individual program, including with respect to equity. Annual reports will specify how TCI program proceeds are spent by each Participating Jurisdiction and include lists of projects and programs supported by TCI proceeds and the levels of investment received by each. We would especially call for a critical eye towards investments in electric-charging stations, for them to be weighed against investments in transit-supportive infrastructure like bus rapid transit corridors in terms of equity, efficacy in reducing transportation emissions and number of residents served.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to on-going conversations around TCI.
Philly Transit Riders Union
← No Love for the Mon…
Weekend Service Victory and Service… →


Find the Best Convince APK Mobile Android Apps and Games Below!
Kids are the most trouble some lot when it comes to sleeping.
There are a lot of good tips about persuading and negotiating inside the app.
Repeating the step-by-step line that you see on the screen, at the end you get a complete picture.


text:
namespace BeyondThemes.BeyondAdmin
{
    using System;

    public partial class Pa_Cls_ComunasGlo_ListarOctava_Result
    {
        public int CodComuna { get; set; }
        public string NombreComuna { get; set; }
    }
}


Dr John Smith – you're under arrest. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court..."
Manchester, 2008. The TARDIS lands inside a run-down tower block, beside a dead body – which leads to some awkward questions when the Doctor is found there by the police. Made the prime suspect, how can the Doctor prove to the no-nonsense DI Patricia Menzies that this is not the open-and-shut case it seems, and that she's actually investigating the death of an alien?
Higher up in Ackley House, a girl named Maxine watches the Doctor being taken away in a squad car. Someone wants her to find out what happened in that room, and isn't going to be happy if she doesn't come up with the goods. But she's got hold of someone who knows – someone very important to the Doctor.
22 out of 40 (55.0%) raters say this story requires a previous story.
Simply outstanding! A brilliant mystery. I loved it. Superb execution! I won't say more and spoil it for you. It would be far too easy to include spoilers. A must see/listen. A definite 10/10. Congrats to the BigFinish team.
The Condemned is a story that picks up from the cliffhanger at the end of The Girl Who Never Was, seeing Charlotte Pollard being rescued by the Sixth Doctor who is in a bit of a mood because he has just lost Evelyn and is still grieving. India Fisher and Colin Baker are a match made in heaven as they both work really well off of each other, even though their characters don't really trust each other. Charley is someone who is terrible at keeping the secret that she knows about the TARDIS and the Doctor, and the Sixth Doctor calls her out on all the little of anachronisms that she points out and I honestly think he's already guessed who she is.
Eddie Robson does his best at allowing the two characters to grow together over the course of the story as Charley gets herself kidnapped and the Doctor is arrested for murder. Yes this story is a murder mystery straight out of Agatha Christe with our own detective in DI Menzies who is a great character throughout the story as she has the wool pulled from her eyes on how aliens are real, but doesn't let it bother her because Life Moves On. The best bits of this story is the conclusion as it turns into a story Rob Shearman would write which is always a plus once the first twist about the murder is revealed. Honestly you should listen to this as to say anything else would be a horrible spoiler.
Two characters, one mystery and two very different styles of stories.
The story begins with Charlie and Sixie together, but very quickly they separate and their individual stories are so different as to be told in different styles.
Sawbones Hex joins a police woman on a murder case reminiscent of either "The Bill" or a "men in black" movie, while Charlie finds herself deep in a psychological thriller within a twisted haunted building not unlike "Ghostlight" or "The God Complex".
These are totally different yet connected stories that work well together.


text:
Setositibiella is a genus of flies belonging to the family of the Lesser Dung flies.

Species
S. terrestris Papp, 2008

References

Sphaeroceridae
Sphaeroceroidea genera
Diptera of Asia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I was looking for some before pictures of the living room and realized that I, for some odd reason, didn't take those pictures. The best I could do were the pictures I took when we had our floors redone. It didn't look much different on day to day basis, really.
Also, I got a new Christmas tree that I put up before I took the after pictures. I have been waiting five years for a 7.5 foot tree. I just wanted a tree that was as tall as the room because I just love big Christmas trees (and, yes, there are presents already under the tree as we are having a Thanksmas celebration this week with family).
Michael calls this room our grown-up room. I do feel like a grown-up in this room. Gone are all the college and newlywed hand-me-down pieces that were falling apart. And it's so cozy (though to be fair, the Christmas tree is making it feel extra cozy). And it has a rug! This is the first rug I've ever purchased (unless you count bathroom rugs and of course, I got it from IKEA).
I think we are done for a little bit on all the updates. But I'm so happy with how everything has turned out!
I love what you have done! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving with your family. I am excited about Christmas and your projected visit to David & Cheryl's. Maybe we can get together a few times so I can spoil Sam a little. Love you all.
Thanks! Looking forward to seeing you!
Looks great! I bet S is ready to,christen the couch.


text:
Open Pond Trail
Trail through the southern end of Conecuh National Forest
The first leg of the double-loop leads around Open Pond and, on the far side, its campground. After passing through a marshy area, the trail reaches Buck's Pond and Ditch Pond, the latter of which holds the best chance for viewing the most wildlife of the three ponds, as it is furthest from the campground.
Some of the wildlife visible along the trail includes American alligators, wood ducks, herons, egrets, kingfishers, doves, wrens, woodpeckers, blackbirds, and goldfinches.
County: Covington
Latitude: 31.089799881
0 Five Runs Loop Trail Trail along its namesake creek in the Conecuh National Forest
2 North Loop Trail Segment of the Conecuh Trail
2 Conecuh Trail Trail through Conecuh National Forest
16 Wiregrass Trail Blackwater River State Forest in Northwest Florida
26 Jackson Red Ground Trail Blackwater River State Forest in northwest Florida


This is not the one and only option.
The building project that is proposed by the Urbandale School District is troubling. The administration is recommending ideas that will have long-term effects on the community. While they have solved a narrow problem, many other problems are created that make it a bad idea. The vote is Feb. 6.
1. It will increase class sizes at the elementary level by consolidating classrooms. This will increase overall average class sizes for the students that need the most teacher contact.
2. It would put up to 750 students on a small property. Other districts, including Urbandale with Webster Elementary, that have gone to four-section buildings built them on double the space available at Olmstead. This mismatch of size will have daily operational problems that will take away from the district's ability to deliver a high-quality education.
3. The bonding will max out the district. With the delayed issuance of the bonds to rebuild Valerius Elementary, the bonding being asked for will have a 25-year maturity. This will limit the district's ability to change as the needs of the facilities change.
While the majority of the dollars in the bond plan are focused on the elementary level, there are some updates at other buildings being proposed, including a high school fitness addition starting in May. If the bond fails to get approved, there are many other ways for the district to improve the buildings. This is not the one and only option.


This program calculates derivatives using the symbolic method. The program is capable of calculating derivatives to the Nth degree.
TI-84 Plus and TI-83 Plus graphing calculator program calculates derivatives using the symbolic method.


This pretty beach lies just below the village of Kardiani and can be reached from the village by footpath, or by a relatively newly paved road which branches off the main road between Tinos Town and Pirgos. A mix of sand and pebbles, the beach has two tavernas and some sunshades, and lovely views across the sea to Syros. In fact, looking over your shoulder and up the mountainside to Kardiani is pretty fantastic too.


That seemingly simple request started a 3-year chain of events leading to the formation of Shuffle Tech International, the hot new company that manufactures the world's first fully-automatic card shuffler designed for home use. At the time, automatic shufflers used in casinos cost $16,000 to $20,000 and weren't available to anybody without a gaming license. Shuffle Tech's founders began by shuffling a deck by hand and creating the mechanisms required to emulate hand shuffling. By December 2005, Shuffle Tech had a semi-functional model, retained a patent attorney to confirm that no such machine already existed, and then began engineering and design development.
In contrast to the mechanically elaborate "black boxes" used in casinos, the Shuffle Tech machine is simple and transparent and does not require weekly maintenance. Shuffle Tech uses a simplified mechanism to emulate hand shuffling.
And whereas the casino shufflers cost $16,000 to $20,000, the Shuffle Tech machine is affordable and available for home use. It sells for just $600, and a flush mounting kit is available for only $120.
Shuffle Tech machines and flush mounting kits are currently available directly from Shuffle Tech (see shopping cart) and from resellers and professional installers throughout the world.
Please email info@shuffletech.com for more information.


What player wouldn't like to believe that they're accepting PokerQQ something for choosing to play at a particular web gambling club? Practically all welcome this like they're receiving a bit of something as a byproduct of playing and this is the reason most web gambling clubs as of now have presented club rewards. They come in different organizations and don't every single present player a similar entirety of cash, yet they're extraordinary offers that give players various distinctive advantages.
Web club rewards can be found almost at each web gambling club. They're promptly accessible despite the fact that they can vary starting with one a specific gambling club then onto the next so it's justified, despite all the trouble for players to glance around to verify they discover one that suits their playing details. The most run of the mill type of online club reward is a store coordinating reward, where you have to store your very own cash yet then find the opportunity to get more from your web gambling club to expand your bankroll. There are explicit guidelines and measures in regards to withdrawals when playing with a web club reward, however they are definitely justified even despite the exertion at whatever point you increment your odds of winning enormous when you have more to wager!
That is the essential reason players love online gambling club rewards – their bankroll is greater and they feel as though they are accepting "free cash"! Numerous club will have distinctive sorts of rewards since games that might be played are regularly determined. This is an extraordinary favorable position implying that most players can in any case get an online gambling club reward without finding they're constrained to playing games that simply aren't of enthusiasm for them by any means.
What these kinds of rewards may likewise do by determining games to encounter is acquaint you with games you would conceivably not have attempted. In case you're regularly a table games player and furthermore have this web gambling club reward that constrains you to spaces, at that point you're bound to look at the games to meet the betting necessities and you may to be sure get totally snared!
A decent web club reward can likewise go about as motivation to attempt a new online gambling club too. You could just need to discover one that is better and afterward love a gambling club you've in no way, shape or form played at.


November was a busy month at Leighton, with a few new faces and lots of project work... however, we still like to encourage our staff to take a day away from the office to keep up to date with the industry. The perfect opportunity to do this was to attend one of the UK's leading tech conferences for designers and developers which returned to Newcastle this year.
On Friday 10th November, we attended the 'DiBi' (Design It; Build It) conference, which featured eight inspiring talks from industry thought leaders who all presented their take on the subject of 'play'.
David shared his experiences of maintaining and developing the look and feel of the BBC's entire online output by introducing us to their shared design framework: Global Experience Language (GEL) bbc.co.uk/gel/articles/what-is-gel, which enables the UX & Design teams at the BBC to create consistent and delightful user experiences across all of their digital services.
He also focussed on the importance of learning about your audience; what they need, how they think and behave, as building empathy for your users helps you to make better decisions and develop services of real value and what we learn about people helps fuel the design process. This clip that David shared with us shows how the BBC go about understanding their users in order to provide great online experiences. bbc.co.uk/gel/articles/what-is-design-research.
Play gives us the chance to practice what we're learning.
Never stop learning about your audiences.
Design to the needs of your audience.
Provide recognisable and delightful experiences.
Give users the confidence to explore more of online content.
Alex's talk taught us that sticking to pre-defined design concepts can sometimes lead to stagnation and the trouble with "pre-set" and "pre-defined" is that no one accounts for newly formed teams to sync, poor briefs, little space to experiment and running against time and creating patterns without proper consideration often leads to thoughtless design.
Design exercises enable you to model scenarios and practice without risk of failure.
It's important to enable play within your teams.
Play is a natural escape to imaginary worlds which can be used to learn and grow.
Play is the ultimate learning by doing.
During Ade's talk, he asked - "can you make someone who is afraid of (or doesn't understand) technology understand what your product, service, or idea is?" He also pointed out that "a joke is bad when you have to explain it" which can be translated into the products we design and build.
Don't use empathy as a buzzword. Build it as a skill to create understanding and trust.
Take a step back and reframe the problem when you're stuck; take your time.
Johannes talk was very insightful for designers, as he demonstrates ways in which we can use the power of design to improve experiences and increase users commitment. He demonstrated how lumonisty.com gives feedback to the user - when you've entered your name into the signup form, the message underneath the input box will be personalised with your name e.g; "Nice to meet you, Kate." He also showed us how beoplay.com/landingpages/beoplaym3#introducing makes users curious by cutting off half of the image you want to see, making you click for more content. He also mentioned that it's important to build trust for your product by showing the humans behind it, which can be achieved by prominently displaying a phone number for fast customer support. He also used MailChimp as an example of inspiration for conveying personality in your product with their Voice and Tone guidevoiceandtone.com.
Remember to use the power of design with intentionality.
Engagement-focused growth hacks shouldn't be abused.
Remember the tiny details that make a difference to our experiences.
Catt shared her experiences of developing games to teach us how UX designers can "borrow" from game design. Catt covered methods in which we can make our digital experiences more engaging – and even game-like, in order to keep users engaged.
One way in which we can achieve this (other than using points/achievement systems) is by offering "easter eggs" in our experiences, which are those surprising pleasures, e.g: when you discover something or figure something out. Brains love to play, it helps them learn, understand and connect.
Make experiences more engaging for users.
Make designs game-like without coming off as gimmicky.
Make your work sustainable - starting from documenting it well.
Mark made us realise that it's easy to get absorbed by focusing on the processes we know instead of focussing on the end goal. In order to not get absorbed in process, we were told that we need to widen our perspective by taking a step back and trying new things instead of using the "same old." He shared his experience when it was challenging for him to find a place to be creative, as he had to rent a hotel room for two days to use as a recording space. The lesson we learned from this is that if you can, improvise when it comes to working space – it may increase your focus.
He also said that balancing improvisation with structure can help with creativity, and flexible process provides useful constraints.
Creativity only happens when you leave a space to play.
Liam told us an interesting story of how people with different skillsets and a shared understanding of the value of good customer experience come together to deliver delightful experiences. This story taught us that having a clear vision, members of our company/ team will understand how their actions contribute to the larger picture, and a diversity of team members' backgrounds ensures that we can come up with more inclusive ideas. Liam also added that "we are all designers" – even engineers (who affect product load times) and finance directors (who control the budget), as decisions that are made outside of designers' control can heavily affect the customer experience.
When you take your team on the journey, they understand that UX is more than drawing boxes.
Good designers have ideas; great designers encourage ideas in other people.
DIBI 2017 was a great event with some fascinating speakers, which left us feeling excited about the work we do and how we can incorporate 'play' into our processes.


Zotter brings Austrian chocolate culture to the Shanghai Fashion Center. The new Chocolate Theatre in Shanghai is opened officially on May 31st with a delegate from the Chinese government. There will be Viennese Schnitzel, Gugelhupf and apple strudel.
On 2400 square metres of the heritage-protected brick factory on the bank of the Huangpu River, we revive Austrian chocolate art, along with everything that goes with it: A small manufacture that produces filled chocolates and chocolates "on demand", a great tasting tour and of course a Viennese coffee shop with drinking chocolates and "apple strudel." Like in Bergl, the Chocolate Theatre has all 16 tasting stations with Running Chocolate, Drinking Chocolate online, Conching Time Machine, basic Chocolate Fountain and Cocoa Cinema. All chocolates are imported from Austria in organic and fair-trade quality. We only produce filled and individual chocolates locally, which visitors can mix on demand. The Chocolate Theatre in Shanghai is run by daughter Julia Zotter (26).
Best received are the Hand-scooped Chocolates, nothing like it has been seen in China before. The Chinese are happy to try out new things and the Running Chocolate is of course a highlight because the Chinese know it but can experience for the first time that something sweet is served on the running conveyor belt. "The Chinese laugh a lot at the Running Chocolate conveyor belt, it is a real highlight of the tasting tour," Josef Zotter says.
The theatre currently has 40 employees. The number of employees will soon double to 80 when the theatre will be open 7 days a week.


We are now a good few months in to weaning Henry and I have to say I am loving it! I was really dreading it this time round after having such an easy time with Alfie. But we've been extremely lucky to be blessed with two fantastic eaters. There's not much I've given Henry yet that he doesn't like (except cucumber!) and the baby led weaning is working brilliantly again. The one thing I'm not enjoying? The mess! When we were asked to review the Messy Me highchair cushion, I jumped at the chance!
We have an Ikea Antilop highchair that we bought for Alfie. It was used for just over a year with him yet is still in fantastic condition. The inserts and covers however were starting to look a little worse for wear. I'd been looking at getting some new ones when I was contacted by Messy Me to ask if I wanted to try out their highchair cushion. I was very excited to accept as I'd heard how easy they were to keep clean.
The product arrived very quickly and we were sent a gorgeous navy blue insert covered in white stars. It is so pretty, I love the colour of it. The fabric is oilcloth, which is wipe clean so it's easy to clean up after a messy dinner (of which we have plenty!) I love the design of the cushion. It's not just a back and two sides, it also has a bottom for Henry to sit on. I think this is nice because it gives his bottom a little padding, as well as his back.
The size of the cushion is perfect – it's big enough to keep him safely cocooned in his seat, but small enough that he's not squished. I think this is the perfect insert for growing babies – with Alfie he only used the IKEA insert for about a month as he was so big but I was always worried he was uncomfortable! Henry is a bit smaller but I can see this insert lasting him until he outgrows the highchair!
The one thing I hated about the IKEA insert is how hard it is to clean. Both my kids are VERY messy when it comes to eating, which has never bothered me, I'm happy to see them enjoy their food. But it does mean the highchair gets covered in food, and with the IKEA insert being cotton fabric, it basically needs to go in the washing machine when it's dirty. I had two, but there were still times that we had no insert to use because the cover was in the wash.
The Messy Me insert has been a game changer in that respect. I can just wipe it down with a damp cloth or baby wipe, and it's spotlessly clean again. Even tough stains have been no match for the messy me insert! You do have to be careful with some foods. Whilst the oilcloth is pretty tough, it's not foolproof – tomato, black/blueberries and carrot have been known to stain if you're not quick enough with cleaning. A few of our white stars are now a faint shade of orange, however it's not really noticeable and it doesn't affect the use or look of the insert at all.
Overall, we love the Messy Me highchair insert. It does the job more than well, is comfortable and easy to clean and also looks great. I would highly recommend this product for babies who are weaning, and beyond!
Head over to my facebook page to check out the video I created to show just how it stands up to the job of Henry devouring his lunch!


City Central Orchestra Plus Fireworks (July 1): Springettsbury Township hosts a Sounds of Summer concert series with performances each Sunday and Wednesday throughout the hottest months of the year. On the Sunday before Independence Day, enjoy the 10-piece City Central Orchestra performing while visitors hit the dance floor, and then get into the Fourth of July spirit by watching the fireworks show, which will end the performance. Shows start at 7 p.m. at the Springettsbury Township Park Amphitheater.
PeoplesBank Park (July 4): PeoplesBank Park, home to the York Revolution baseball club, is the place to be on Independence Day. The fun starts at 3:45 p.m. with free family fun on the Brooks Robinson Plaza just outside the ballpark. Activities include face painting, balloon art, inflatables and much more. Stay to watch the Revolution game at 5 p.m. — this is the first time in five years the Revolution have had a home game on Independence Day, so there's no guarantee you'll always be able to celebrate America's birthday by watching America's pastime. Stay after the game for big band swing music, and then cap the evening off with a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.
Cheap Sneakers Concert (July 4): The Sounds of Summer concert series by Springettsbury Township is live on the evening of the Fourth with Cheap Sneakers, a band that performs classic rock favorites from the 1970s. Stop by to hear them perform hits by ZZ Top, The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more. As noted above, shows start at 7 p.m. at the Springettsbury Township Park Amphitheater.
First Friday (July 6): Downtown York will have its regular First Friday event on July 6, including downtown restaurants and shops hosting special events and offering live entertainment and promotions. First Friday starts at 5 and goes until 9 p.m. in the Market District.
York is a place of rich history, which makes it a perfect area to spend Independence Day and the week surrounding it. Check out these events, and look for more to be announced in the days leading up to July 4th. Given that the holiday falls on a Wednesday in 2018, we're in for a week or more of fun and festivities.
York is also a great place to live no matter the time of year. At CENTURY 21 Core Partners, we know York inside and out. If you're interested in buying or selling a home in this beautiful part of Pennsylvania, we can help. Our team includes REALTORS® whose expertise is only surpassed by their desire to see your real estate objectives met. Get started with the process of buying or selling your home when you contact us today.
Get in touch about buying or selling a home in York, PA, or the surrounding areas.


Charter groups come in all sorts of configurations, from college buddies that vacation together every other year for the past 20 years, to an all women charter to commemorate a special birthday, but family vacations are some of the most popular. Whether it's a multi-generational trip or young children experiencing their first time aboard a yacht, usually one person is paying the cost. Enter the request for a Master Cabin.
Yachts these days come in myriad of configurations, but typically cabin accommodations are either focused on equal guest accommodations or the special treat of a deluxe master cabin plus other comfortable cabins.
Catamarans used to fall into the all-equal category, but there are now a wider array of options. The Privilege builds in particular developed a center line master suite with a generously appointed cabin and ensuite bath that are set up for 6 or 8 guests. Try the Privilege 615 Anastasia with her award winning crew, or the larger Xenia 74 with 4 superb crew to see to all the details.
Lagoon has recently developed a 78' design that has been built as either a power catamaran like Double Down or try the sailing version, to be launched in November, Tell Star. Each of these yachts has a very spacious master cabin. Double Down also offers an opening balcony just for the master suite. New to the charter fleet is the very affordable Lagoon 52 Joy – lovely space and excellent French crew.
Whatever your size range, there are power, sailing and catamarans with that special master cabin for your comfort and privacy. Ask us for a recommendation for your next charter – we know our yachts and are happy to find the right fit for your group!