text:
namespace Appleseed.Services.Base.Engine.Processors.Impl
{
    using Appleseed.Services.Base.Engine.Configuration;
    using Appleseed.Services.Base.Engine.Processors;
    using Appleseed.Services.Base.Model;
    using Appleseed.Services.Knowledge.Model.Illumination.Services.AlchemyIlluminator;
    using Appleseed.Services.Knowledge.Model.Illumination.Services.OpenCalaisIlluminator;
    using Common.Logging;
    using System;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    using System.Configuration;
    using System.IO;
    using System.Reflection;
    using System.Text;
    using System.Xml;

    /// <summary>
    /// Uses Alchemy API to enlighten the content with key words
    /// </summary>
    public class AppleseedModuleItemIndexOrganizer : BaseOrganizer, IOrganizeThings
    {
        private readonly Common.Logging.ILog logger;
        private readonly string sourceName;

        public AppleseedModuleItemIndexOrganizer(ILog logger, string sourceName)
        {
            if (logger == null)
            {
                throw new ArgumentNullException("logger");
            }

            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(sourceName))
            {
                throw new ArgumentNullException("sourceName");
            }

            this.logger = logger;
            this.sourceName = sourceName;

            this.IlluminateService = new HashSet<string>();

            var illuminatorsConfig = ConfigurationManager.GetSection("illuminators") as IlluminatorsSection;

            foreach (IlluminatorsElement illuminator in illuminatorsConfig.illuminators)
            {
                if (illuminator.Type == "Alchemy")
                {
                    var _apiKey = illuminator.ApiKey;
                    this.AppleseedAlchemyApi = new AlchemyAPI();
                    this.AppleseedAlchemyApi.SetAPIKey(_apiKey);
                    this.IlluminateService.Add("A");
                }

                if (illuminator.Type == "OpenCalais")
                {
                    var apiKey = illuminator.ApiKey;
                    this.AppleseedCalaisApi = new CalaisIlluminationService(apiKey);
                    this.IlluminateService.Add("O");
                }
            }

        }

        private AlchemyAPI AppleseedAlchemyApi { get; set; }

        private CalaisIlluminationService AppleseedCalaisApi { get; set; }

        private HashSet<string> IlluminateService { get; set; }

        public void Organize(List<AppleseedModuleItemIndex> itemsToOrganize)
        {
            var path = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location) + "\\Data";
            var xmlFile = path + "\\OrganizedData.xml";
            if (File.Exists(xmlFile))
            {
                var content = File.ReadAllText(xmlFile);
                var result = Core.Serialization.XmlSerialization.Deserialize<List<Model.AppleseedModuleItemIndex>>(content);
                itemsToOrganize.Clear();
                itemsToOrganize.AddRange(result);
                this.logger.Info("Data already organized.");
                return;
            }

            //List<CollectionIndexItem> SmartItemCollection = new List<CollectionIndexItem>();

            // custom limited concurrency level task scheduler set to do 2 threads
            // Scheduler lcts = new Scheduler(2);

            //List<Task> createItemTasks = new List<Task>();
            //TaskFactory factory = new TaskFactory(lcts);
            //CancellationTokenSource cts = new CancellationTokenSource();

            var index = 0;

            //foreach(string url in urlstoIndex){

            bool isSuccess = true;

            foreach (var item in itemsToOrganize)
            {
                string url = item.Path;
                var content = item.Content + " " + item.Summary;
                this.logger.Info(index + ". Content Length: " + content.Length);

                /*
                                createItemTasks.Add(
                                    factory.StartNew(() =>
                                        {
                                            this.logger.Info(this + ". Async Extract Start: " + url);
                                            */
                //1. Extract Author(s)
                //2. Extract Categories
                //3. Extract Concepts
                //5. Extract Entities
                //4. Extract Keywords

                try
                {
                    this.logger.Info(index + ". Organize Start: " + url);

                    //adding sourceName here -- all data should have a source
                    item.Source = this.sourceName;

                    if (this.IlluminateService.Contains("A"))
                    {
                        item.SmartKeywords = this.GetKeyWords(content);
                    }

                    if (this.IlluminateService.Contains("O"))
                    {
                        // TO DO: add OpenCalais Illuminator
                        // AppleseedCalaisApi.Illuminate(content);
                    }

                    this.logger.Info(index + ". Found Keywords : " + item.SmartKeywords);
                    this.logger.Info(index + ". Organize End  : " + url);
                }
                catch (Exception e)
                {
                    item.SmartKeywords = string.Empty;
                    item.Source = this.sourceName;
                    isSuccess = false;
                    this.logger.Info(index + ". Error: " + e.Message);
                }

                /*
                        }, TaskCreationOptions.LongRunning).ContinueWith(t =>
                        {
                            this.logger.Info(a + ". Async Extract End  : " + "" + url); //+ t.Status
                        })
                );       */

                index++;
            }

            ///////////// GraphDB, close it at this moment
            //try
            //{
            //    if (isSuccess == true)
            //    {
            //        var graphDBsConfig = ConfigurationManager.GetSection("graphDBs") as GraphDBsSection;

            //        foreach (GraphDBsElement graphDB in graphDBsConfig.graphDBs)
            //        {
            //            if (graphDB.Type == "Neo4j")
            //            {
            //                this.logger.Info("GraphDB Storage for " + graphDB.Name + " using Neo4j");
            //                var uri = new Uri(graphDB.Uri);
            //                Neo4jGrapher.Neo4jGrapher grapher = new Neo4jGrapher.Neo4jGrapher(uri);
            //                grapher.WriteIntoNeo4j(itemsToOrganize);
            //                this.logger.Info("GraphDB Storage for " + graphDB.Name + " Succeed");
            //            }
            //            if (graphDB.Type == "RavenDB")
            //            {
            //                // TO DO: RavenDB Graph DB
            //            }
            //        }
            //    }
            //}
            //catch (Exception e)
            //{
            //    this.logger.Info(index + ". Error: " + e.Message);
            //}

            if (!Directory.Exists(path))
            {
                Directory.CreateDirectory(path);
            }

            var xml = Core.Serialization.XmlSerialization.Serialize(itemsToOrganize);
            File.WriteAllText(xmlFile, xml);

            //Task.WaitAll(createItemTasks.ToArray());
        }

        private string GetKeyWords(string input)
        {
            var contentKeywords = new StringBuilder(); //, content_categories, content_concepts, content_entities, content_authors;
            var alchemyXmlKeywords = this.AppleseedAlchemyApi.TextGetRankedKeywords(GetFirstCountKB(input, 150));
            var doc = new XmlDocument();
            doc.LoadXml(alchemyXmlKeywords);
            var root = doc.DocumentElement;
            var nodes = root.SelectNodes("/results/keywords/keyword/text");

            foreach (XmlNode node in nodes)
            {
                contentKeywords.Append(node.InnerText + ",");
            }

            return contentKeywords.ToString();
        }
    }
}


text:
Eine Abschussprämie ist eine Belohnung für das Töten von Tieren oder Menschen.

Allgemein
Mit der Auslobung einer Abschussprämie für Tiere wird das Ziel angestrebt, den Wildbestand zu reduzieren oder zu regulieren, wie bei Schwarzwild zur Vermeidung von Wildschäden. Oft geht es dabei um Beutegreifer wie Fuchs, Dachs und Marder in gefährdeten Bezirken, z. B. bei Tollwutgefahr. In der Vergangenheit wurden Abschussprämien zur Ausrottung von unerwünschten Arten genutzt. Abschussprämien waren früher ein fester Bestandteil der Besoldung von Förstern und Jägern. Der Begriff ist vom Kopfgeld zu unterscheiden, welcher eine Belohnung für die Beibringung einer Person, tot oder lebend, bezeichnet.

Abschussprämie Tiere
Nach dem Bundesjagdgesetz sind in Deutschland Abschussprämien für Federwild (Vögel) verboten. In den Ländern sind Ausnahmen möglich, z. B. für Ringeltauben zur Wildschadensverhütung. Behörden, wie Landratsämter und Forstverwaltungen loben die Prämien aus.

In der Schweiz gibt es kantonale Regelungen, z. B. Art. 40 Abschussprämie Für  den  erlaubten  Abschuss  von  Haarraubwild  und  gewissen  Vogelarten kann der Regierungsrat Abschussprämien festsetzen.

Beutelwolf
Im Jahr 1830 wurde von der Van Diemen's Land Company eine Abschussprämie auf den Tasmanischen Beutelwolf ausgesetzt. Das Tasmanische Parlament beschloss 1888 eine weitere Abschussprämie auf jeden getöteten Beutelwolf. Ziel war die Ausrottung des Tieres. Bis in das Jahr 1909 wurden 2184 Prämien ausgezahlt.
Die letzte Abschussprämie wurde am 13. Mai 1930 an Wilfried Batty aus Mawbanna ausgezahlt. Im September 1936 starb das letzte Exemplar der Beutelwölfe im Zoo von Hobart in Tasmanien.

Wolf
Obwohl der Wolf in der Schweiz bereits im Jahre 1872 ausgerottet wurde, sah das staatliche Jagdgesetz bis in das Jahr 1902 eine Abschussprämie von 100 Franken vor.

Schwarzwild
Da sich die Afrikanische Schweinepest in Richtung Westen seit einigen Jahren verbreitet, stellen mehrere Bundesländer Überlegungen an, Abschussprämien für Wildschweine auszuloben. In Bayern soll es diese Prämie ab Beginn des Jahres 2018 geben.

Abschussprämie Menschen
Den Bulgarischen Grenzschützern wurde für jeden an der Grenze getöteten DDR-Flüchtling 2000 Lewa aus der Staatskasse der DDR gezahlt.
Die britische Kolonialregierung zahlte in Australien eine Abschussprämie für die Tötung von Aborigines.
Ebenso gab es Abschussprämien für die Tötung der Feuerlandindianer wie auch für die Indianer in Massachusetts, USA. Dort erhielt 1703 jeder Siedler 12 £ für einen indianischen Skalp. Im Jahre 1723 wurde die Prämie auf 100 £ erhöht. Für getötete Frauen und Kinder wurden 50 £ gezahlt.

Literatur
 Ilse Haseder, Gerhard Stinglwagner: "Knaurs Großes Jagdlexikon" Augsburg 2000, S. 17, ISBN 3-8289-1579-5
 Gregor Lutz, Tatanka Oyate: Die Lakota – Amerikas vergessene Kinder
 Hans Rudolf Sennhauser, Müstair – Kloster St. Johann: Naturwissenschaftliche und technische Beiträge
 Andreas Stieglitz, Tasmanien: Reiseführer einer einzigartigen Insel

Weblinks

 witas
 http://www.jagderleben.de/jagd/nachrichten/Abschusspr%C3%A4mie

 https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/flucht-aus-der-ddr-a-948791.html Spiegel-online Ein Tausender pro Todesschuss

Einzelnachweise

Jagdrecht
Gesetz und Regelwerk zur Jagd

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


New York Players are Coming to the Nigra Arts Center!
New York Players will perform a concert at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts on Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available at pncreativeartscenter.org or at the door. The concert is sponsored by Stewart's Shops.
Billed as New York's Dance Party Experts, New York Players is well known for entertaining with a wide range of dance music at corporate and private events, nightclubs, concerts and festivals throughout the area and beyond.
This concert is the first of the Nigra Arts Center's 2018 Concert Series, featuring ten local acts in a variety of genres and styles. All shows are open to the public and will take place in the center's Grand Gallery at 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville. For more information and to buy tickets, call (518) 661-9932 or visit pncreativeartscenter.org.
March 01, 2018 /Lexington - Fulton County Chapter, NYSARC, INC.


Feb 8, 2018. Frigid winter weather – with roads covered with slippery snow and ice – can. changes the time you have to respond to hazards, and makes.
Odometer taxes. Now that OnStar has paved the way, many state governments are considering an odometer tax, whereby you would be taxed based on the number.
Mar 24, 2014. In fact, strong wind results in a number of mutual insurance claims every. insurance claim, or worse, according to The Automobile Association. If you must drive in strong winds, however, be particularly aware of. Always remember to check the weather report before venturing out in weather that looks.
Driving off the uninteresting Interstate highway system onto secondary highways. If you are wary about driving in the United States, it is suggested that you rent a. Purchase car rental insurance when driving a hired car – all states require. Some states require drivers to switch on headlights when weather requires the.
MGA/MAGNETTE Annual Dinner – 3 December 2017. Changing the name of our get together to "Annual Dinner" paid dividends. No rain for our drive to Norton.
If you're on a road trip to Washington or have rented a car at the airport, you are likely wondering about the ins and outs of driving on what locals call.
If I loan a car to a friend who has an accident, is he/she covered by my insurance ?. Weather and traffic conditions may dictate that you drive slower than the.
I Am a Business Customer. We believe that safety on the roads is achieved when careful driving habits are adopted early on. different types of terrain and adverse weather conditions when practice driving; Evaluating his. Once your teen obtains a learners' permit, he or she should be added to your car insurance policy.
ADVISORIES, WATCHES AND WARNINGS: What do the designations mean? Whatever you do, metro Atlanta, stay off the roads and bundle up for another cold day. By.
Mar 7, 2012. The collision had all the hallmarks of a car accident caused by an. When old people are involved in fatal crashes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports, their victims are. at night, avoiding freeways, or staying home during bad weather. They had spotted Palmer's mother driving erratically.
Sep 29, 2016. Cold weather means the oil in your car becomes thicker. "Driving without winter tires will not void your insurance if you have a claim.
Car History Report: The key to a car's past. Car history reports have turned into a fundamental part when you want to purchase a used car in Australia.
STOCK CAR RACING IN THE 1960s AND 1970s. Text by Sue George as told by Curt Lawson; Photos by Curt Lawson. Introductory note: Here is an interesting look.
We chose to upgrade the included "Basic. Sand or ash in a storm can cause scratches and strip the paint off the car. check the road and travel conditions.
Jan 31, 2017. In a genuinely major-league snow storm, you should stay put and leave your. You would be better of with a front-wheel-drive car, with the weight of the engine. In AWD and 4WD vehicles, I've experienced slipping in such conditions. Is Disrupting A $200 Billion IndustryEverQuote Insurance Quotes.


text:
It is great to have exciting news. I am delighted to inform you that Carol and Dave Noonan, Clounleharde are grandparents since last week. Congratulations to them and to their son David and Kate on the birth of a baby boy David "Sonny" Noonan in Melbourne, Australia. Yes, it is such a pity that it such a long way away but the news is still good and exciting and hopefully Carol and Dave will be able to visit one day in the not too distant future.
Things are so quiet during this Covid time. I was browsing through March 2011 – 10 years ago – and wish to remind you of some of the happenings as follows:
"The Killeaney AFC quiz took place in the Knockdown Arms on Friday night last. The committee wishes to thank all who supported it, thus helping to raise some funds for the club. The questions were prepared to suit both adults and children. Congratulations to Carmel and Derek Murphy and their helpers Darragh Murphy and David Culhane who beat Patrick Langan and Tom O'Grady in a tie breaker at the finish. Quizzes are always a bit of fun and this was no exception with a bit of controversy thrown in when a certain lady contradicted one of the answers. Anyone who went to Clounleharde School knows that "Honour your father and your mother" is the 4th commandment and not the 5th. All in all it was a lovely relaxed night of camaraderie and we look forward to more later on.
On Sunday afternoon we heard the sad news of Neidín's passing, which came as a surprise to us all. Ned O'Shaughnessy, aged 86, has been a character around Knockdown for many years and loved by all for his roguery. Nearly everybody has a story to tell about Ned. He was noted for not "hitting the counter" and he would boast about it himself. If a visitor or stranger came into the Knockdown Arms Ned would get into conversation with them and in no time would be offered a drink. He would wink at Ta behind the bar and say "I scored again, Ta." But he was generous in his own way. He was a great friend of Danny Mullane and in Danny's later years would help him to the pub and keep him company. Of course he scored again but he was doing a good deed also. When he had his own car years ago he often gave a lift to those who had no car and would sing for them. Shanagolden and The Galway Shawl were his songs. Many years ago he hired a taxi to take some children to a circus in Shanagolden and these children never forgot his kindness and think highly of him for his generosity. So Ned left us with many memories. He loved when the neighbours called to see him in St Ita's where he spent very happy years. He was one of the few who was afraid he would not be kept in there. He would always ask how was everybody at home. His good friend David McMahon died recently too and he missed him a lot. The cottage where Ned and his parents Con and Molleen lived has been called Tigh Neidín in memory of him. We wish Neidín peace and extend our sympathies to his nieces and nephews."
It is nice to see that Tigh Neidin is occupied once again.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Solr Index Handlers with Multivalue Field I want to import a CSV into solr via Index Handlers like described in the docs:
https://solr.apache.org/guide/7_1/uploading-data-with-index-handlers.html#csv-update-parameters
I have a CSV with the following structure:
ID    |    Name    |    Property    |
1     |    Tee     |     Sweet      |
1     |    Tee     |     Fluid      |
1     |    Tee     |      Hot       |
2     |   Bread    |     Salty      |
3     |    Milk    |     Fluid      |

The first values are always equal if the ID is the same, only the property varies. Now I want to import the property as a multivalue Field to solr.
Is there any way to achieve this with a Index Handler. If not, how else?

A: I will write a program to scan through the CSV data and produce the JSON objects that you can ingest into Solr. This will require you to scan all rows in the CSV file so that you can aggregate properties for rows with the same ID that way you will end up with a JSON like this:
[
{id: 1, name: "Tree", properties: ["Sweet", "Fluid", "Hot"]},
{id: 2, name: "Bread", properties: ["Salty"]},
{id: 3, name: "Milk", properties: ["Fluid"]}
]

You will want to use field names that match your schema or your dynamic field definitions so that they are indexed properly too.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Castles and fortifications in Italy
Home > Tags > Castles and fortifications in Italy
Stenico Castle
A seat of power built on a spur overlooking the roads of communication towards the Valli Giudicarie, Stenico Castle dates back to more than 2000 years. It was first built as a refuge for the Stoni - a proud Alpine population exterminated by the Romans - from which the town takes its name. The castle history is closely tied to the Prince-Bishops of Trento, who also used to administer justice. Legend has it that prisoners ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Stenico, Italy
Conegliano Castle
Starting from its foundation in the 11th century, Conegliano featured an innovative type of fortified settlement, common to several towns of the area, such as Bassano and Marostica. A fortified area on the top of the hill, with the below village which spreads along the Monticano river and at the feet of the main hill. The old Castle used to include a smaller walled area with several towers, also protected by moats. Withi ...
Founded: 11th century | Location: Conegliano, Italy
Sarre Royal Castle
Sarre Royal Castle stands on a promontory in Lalex, which overlooks the Aosta flatland above the national road for Mont Blanc. It was built in 1710 on the ruins of a fortress mentioned in 1242. The property was purchased by the King of Italy Victor Emanuel II, who renovated it and used it during hunting expeditions in Val d'Aosta. The royal castle of Sarre, after becoming the private property of the King, was used as h ...
Founded: 13th century / 1710 | Location: Sarre, Italy
Aymavilles Castle
The castle of Aymavilles is certainly the most characteristic and recognizable element of the Aymavilles for its position and architecture characterized by the four cylindrical towers crowned by 'murder holes' that enclose a central body with a square base. The building, the origins of which date back to 12th century, was repeatedly reconfigured, changed its use from defensive to that of elegant lordly resi ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Aymavilles, Italy
Torre di Federico II
Torre di Federico is an octagonal ancient tower that was allegedly a summer residence of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. The two floors possess beautiful vaults. The aspect of the building is austere. It was part of a bigger complex, named Old castle and destroyed by Arabs. Remnants include some pieces of the old, imposing walls on the top of the green hill where the Tower rises. The tower is an imposing 26 metres hig ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Enna, Italy
Schisò Castle
Schisò Castle, which overlooks the bay of Giardini Naxos, was originally constructed in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was rebuilt in the 16th century, with a military observation tower added which served to patrol Cape Schisò and the bay against raids by Barbary pirates who were led by the Turkish corsair Barbarossa Kheir-ed-Din to plunder the many small coastal fishing villages on the coast south of Port Schisò. Wit ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Giardini Naxos, Italy
San Nicola l'Arena Castle
San Nicola l"Arena Castle was built in the 13th century to protect the town agains pirates. Today it is a well preserved example of medieval castle with three watchtowers.
Founded: 12th century | Location: San Nicola l'Arena, Italy
Castle of the Counts of Modica
Castle of the Counts of Modica in Alcamo was mentioned for the first time in a diploma dated 1391. The construction of the castle was started by the Peralta family at about 1340 and was finished in 1350, under the feudatories Enrico and Federico Chiaramonte; it was a mansion and a defensive structure until the 16th century. If equipped with munitions and food, it could resist for a month anda a half, quartering 30 compa ...
Founded: 1340-1350 | Location: Alcamo, Italy
Torre Cabrera
The Torre Cabrera was originally built in the 15th century, and was enlarged and rebuilt in the following centuries. Today, it is in good condition and it is open to the public as a museum. In the 15th century, the site of Pozzallo had natural springs known as 'Pozzofeto' and 'Senia', which were marked on nautical charts and were well known among sailors. When the Chiaramontes, Counts of Modica b ...
Founded: 1584 | Location: Pozzallo, Italy
Motta Sant'Anastasia Castle
The Tower of Motta Sant"Anastasia was built between 1070 and 1074 by the will of the Count Roger of Hauteville. The massive tower with a rectangular plan, with a base of about 21.5 by 9 by 17 metres, is about 21 metres high and is a typical defensive structure of the early Middle Ages. The roof terrace retains almost intact battlements. The structure consists of three elevations. Only the first of these is still the ...
Founded: 1070-1074 | Location: Motta Sant'Anastasia, Italy
Masegra Castle
The imposing Masegra Castle was built in the Middle Ages and strategically positioned at the opening of the Valmalenco valley so it could easily control the access to the valley. Since it was the property of the influential Salis family, it is the only castle in the town of Sondrio which wasn't destroyed by the Grisons during their invasion of Valtellina in the 16th century. As time went by, the castle lost its orig ...
Founded: 15th century | Location: Sondrio, Italy
Salemi Castle
The castle of Salemi is one of the best preserved castles in Sicily. Inside, the library and the resurgence museum are housed. The castle has Norman origins and dominates the town with its trapezoidal shape and square, 20 meters high, corner towers, and a cylindrical tower. The castle was built by Norman King Roger around 1077 to the site of Roman-Arab fort. Frederick II altered it in the 13th century. In 1441, on Decem ...
Founded: c. 1077 | Location: Salemi, Italy
Ameglia Castle
Ameglia Castle was mentioned from the 10th century among the castles belonging to the Bishopof Luni. Ameglia was an attractive site, as it was equipped with a court, a fish market and aport and was then supposed to have a great economic grouth. The castle was also mentioned in another document of 1174, in which it is written that the inhabitants of Pietracoperta – a territory destroyed by the Genoese - had lived in Ameg ...
Founded: 10th century AD | Location: Ameglia, Italy
Castello Nelson
Admiral Horatio Nelson received the estate of nine million hectares together with the title of Duke of Bronte as a gift from the Bourbon King of the Two Sicilies after he helped the king to escape certain death during the revolution of Naples in 1796. Nelson himself never lived on the property but his descendants the Hood-Bridgeport's took possession of the dukedom until the final heir sold it to the city of Bronte in 1 ...
Founded: 18th century | Location: Maniace, Italy
Pedres Castle
Located at 89 meters in height, the Pedres castle was built between 1296 and 1322 during the Pisan-Aragonese domination period during the ascent of the Visconti family. It is characterized by two squares, one upper and one lower, surrounded by polygonal walls, reachable through stairs built with large granite boulders. Its position allowed to control the territory up to the Gulf of Olbia. In 1339 the castle was entruste ...
Founded: 1296-1322 | Location: Olbia, Italy
Hocheppan Castle
The Hocheppan Castle with its impressive donjon is located high above Missian, a district of Eppan on the wine route (officially Eppan an der Weinstraße). Until today, it ranks among the most important fortresses in Southern South Tyrol and has some surprises in store for art lovers, panorama fans and gourmets preferring proper meals. The castle in the environs of Eppan was built in 1130 and was, already at that time, o ...
Founded: 1130 | Location: Eppan, Italy
Pagazzano Castle
The Castello Visconteo di Pagazzano is a moated, late-medieval castle which originates from the 11th century. It was burned down and 200 inhabitants were killed in a battle in 1353. The castle and the territory of Gera d'Adda, including Pagazzano, was inherited in 1354 by Bernabò Visconti. The territory was disputed over the centuries by surrounding ruling forces, and various Visconti descendants. In the 19th cent ...
Founded: 14th century | Location: Pagazzano, Italy
Catajo Castle
Castello del Catajo is a patrician house near the town of Battaglia Terme. It had its origins in a simple villa that was rebuilt and extravagantly enlarged in the manner of a feudal castle from 1570 onwards by Marquess Pio Enea I degli Obizzi, a member of an Italian noble family of French origin. The house contains a vast cycle of historical battle scenes frescoed in 1571–1572 by Giambattista Zelotti, a pupil of Paolo V ...
Founded: 1570-1573 | Location: Battaglia Terme, Italy
Carini Castle
Carini Castle was erected between the late 9th and early 12th century, certainly on a previous Arab construction, by the first Norman feudal lord Rodolfo Bonello, warrior in the retinue of Count Roger. The excavations carried out during the recent restoration, both in the east and in the north, they have surfaced walls of earlier times to the Norman. The castle has a large courtyard, where there is the residential struct ...
Founded: 11th century | Location: Carini, Italy
Naro Castle
The Castello di Naro was built on top of a hill in the 14th century by the Chiaramonte family. The complex includes walls with battlements, a square tower built by Frederick II of Aragon and the imposing "mass of the male". On the east side there are two mullioned Gothic windows that illuminate the great "Hall of the Prince", which is located on the first floor of the tower. The portal is flanked by tw ...
Founded: 14th century | Location: Naro, Italy


The Board for Regulate of Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced India's squad for International Cup 2019 in England.
Virat Kohli leads a robust group this is for sure one of the most favourites for the gruelling version that sees all groups enjoying every different within the staff degree.
Fellow top-order batsman Rohit Sharma will function Kohli's deputy, with Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul additionally within the combine for a place on the peak of the innings.
Former skipper MS Dhoni, who led the aspect to the identify at house in 2011, will likely be in the back of the stumps however the Males in Blue have a back-up possibility in Dinesh Karthik in case the 37-year-old Dhoni struggles with shape or health.
India pass into the International Cup with arguably their best-ever bowling line-up as Mohammad Shami, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar make up a powerful tempo assault. Upload to that the ominous spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal along part-timer Kedar Jadhav and Kohli will likely be fancying his aspect's possibilities on the mega match.


text:
Q: ffmpeg keyframe extraction I have been trying to extract keyframes from video using ffmpeg 0.11.1 . So far all the commands I have tried do not extract keyframes but return all the frames ie 25fps*total time number of frames in the output.
I tried setting the keyint_min as 25 to make sure there is a amximum of 1 keyframe per second.
ffmpeg -vf select="eq(pict_type\,PICT_TYPE_I)" -g 250 -keyint_min 25 -i C:\test.mp4 -vsync 2 -f image2 C:\testTemp\thumbnails-%02d.jpeg

But still all the frames are returned.
Then i tried, to separate the keyframes by 20 seconds.
ffmpeg -i C:\test.mp4 -vf select='eq(pict_type\,I)*(isnan(prev_selected_t)+gte(t-prev_selected_t\,20))' -vsync 0 -f image2 C:\testTemp\%09d.jpg

Again same result, all the frames are returned.
What should I do?

A: In your first command you are using the filter as an input option. I don't know how ffmpeg will interpret that.
Try this:
ffmpeg -i C:\test.mp4 -vf select='eq(pict_type\,I)',setpts='N/(25*TB)' C:\testTemp\%09d.jpg

Change 25 to the frame rate of your source: 30000/1001 for NTSC video, 24000/1001 for NTSC film, 25 for PAL, etc.
Control output quality with the -q:v or -qscale:v option (just called -qscale in old ffmpeg). Range for mpeg* is 1-31 where 31 is the worst quality.
Next time remember that ffmpeg usage questions are to be asked at superuser.com since stackoverflow is specifically for programming.


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Interview with Kirk Thatcher (Part 1 of 2)
By Kenneth Plume
Updated: 21 May 2012 3:40 am
Posted: 10 Feb 2000 8:00 am
FilmForce's Kenneth Plume recently talked to Kirk Thatcher.
While Thatcher's name may not be instantly recognizable, his face may be remembered by genre fans as the "punker on the bus" in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – whose blaring & acidic music confounded Kirk and Spock, prompting Spock to silence the cacophony with a fabled "Vulcan neck grip".
However, Thatcher is much more than just "the punker on the bus" – he has the unique blessing of having been creatively involved with several of fantasy & science fiction's most beloved franchises: Star Trek (as an Associate Producer), Star Wars (as a Creature Shop technician), and the Muppets (as a writer).
How cool can cool get? Find out in Thatcher's own words...
(CLICK TO ENLARGE ANY PHOTO BELOW THIS POINT)
PLUME: Can you give me a little background on yourself?
THATCHER: I started in the industry when I was about 19 at Lucasfilm...ILM...working in the creature shop on Return of the Jedi. I was a self-taught movie and monster maker. I made masks and creatures at home.
PLUME: Are you from the California area?
THATCHER: I'm from Los Angeles, so when I was growing up, I would talk to people like Rick Baker and John Chambers – who were very helpful in answering questions. I was just like most guys in the effects industry, just doing stuff in the kitchen sink and in the garage.
When I was in high school, I met the production designer for Star Wars...a guy named Joe Johnston...and he'd been very kind in showing me around ILM when they were still based in Los Angeles. So after I'd gone to UCLA for two semesters, I called Joe up and said that college just wasn't working for me...they wouldn't even let me touch a Super 8 camera until I was a junior...and [asked if there] was any chance that I could come work at ILM.
He said, "You know, we're gearing up for the next Star Wars movie...Return of the Jedi...and we're starting up a creature shop, so send up your resume." So I sent up my resume, and had an interview with Tom Smith, and got the job as a technical assistant – which is basically the lowest man on the totem pole at the company.
PLUME: But a hired man regardless...
THATCHER: Exactly – a working man. So I started working at ILM in the creature shop. I actually helped set up the creature shop, working for Phil Tippet. I actually painted the walls, and helped set up the paint room to paint the creatures. I worked in the mold shop – basically just A to Z, from sculpting to molding to fabricating to painting them and shipping them out the door.
PLUME: So this is what – 1981?
THATCHER: 1981. Basically starting about March, and we worked on the movie until about Christmas – then sent everything to London. For most of the Spring and Summer of '82, I was on location with the movie. I went to Yuma, Arizona and then Oregon. After that, I worked on a bunch of other things at ILM. I worked on Star Treks II and III, Poltergeist, and E.T. – I was one of the guys that painted E.T.. I had a great time at ILM, learning a bunch of stuff, then Chris Walas got this movie...Gremlins...and Chris and I had become friends, since he had worked at ILM also.
Thatcher behind the scenes on Return of the Jedi: (l-r) with Nien Nunb; the Rancor beast from Jabba's Palace; a slew of Admiral Ackbar headpieces; Ewoks & crew, on-location.
THATCHER (contd): He got Gremlins on his own, so I worked with Chris for about a year and helped set his place up and work on Gremlins. After that David Fincher [director of Seven, The Game, and most recently Fight Club] and I wanted to break out and do our own thing, so we started a rock video company.
We were the two youngest guys at ILM – he's actually a year younger than I am. He'd been a camera assistant in the matte department. So we did some rock videos together. I was the production designer, and he was the director. It was a lot of mind-bendingly difficult work for very little money, and no time. We had a motto, "We can do it – but it won't be fun". We did some Rick Springfield videos, and some Martha Davis and the Motels videos. This is about '83-'84. We did about 10-12 videos together, and then I moved down to L.A. – and he [Fincher] moved down from San Francisco soon after and helped form Propaganda Films.
After I moved down, I interviewed for Star Trek IV to basically be Leonard Nimoy's right-hand guy...and got that job...and eventually became Associate Producer on the film. Working closely with Leonard Nimoy was great. I started out as assistant to the director and it eventually became Associate Producer. He wanted to call me "Associate Director," but there was no title like that...and the DGA wouldn't allow it...and so they called me an Associate Producer. He was great – it was the best job I ever had. He let me do a lot of stuff. He let me write dialogue and design aliens, work with the prop and art departments. I was in heaven.
PLUME: So, basically, you were a jack-of-all-trades...
THATCHER: Yeah, a jack-of-all-trades – which is why he'd hired me. I'd done all that at ILM...and on my own...and he wanted someone he could trust to see things through. He was definitely directing the picture...don't get me wrong... but he trusted that I would make sure he was getting what he wanted, so he didn't have to focus on it. Because on Star Trek III, he just felt overwhelmed by all the technical stuff...especially all the special effects stuff...because it's such a technical process. He couldn't tell if people were telling him the truth, or just giving him a run-around – so he kind of wanted someone in his camp. We got along great, and we're still very good friends.
Thatcher behind the scenes on Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: (l-r) on the Starfleet Headquarters set with director Leonard Nimoy; having fun outside the Bird of Prey with (l-r) DeForest Kelly, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and George Takei.
PLUME: How did your cameo in "Star Trek IV" come about?
THATCHER: Well, we were writing the movie...and I was there from the very beginning – even in the script stages...and they wrote this little bit for this punk rocker.
The original idea was that the punk flipped off Spock, then Spock gave him the Vulcan neck grip. I actually came up with the idea of...when he passed out...his face turning off the radio. I actually added a couple little comedy bits. He was supposed to give me the Vulcan "Live Long and Prosper" sign after I flicked him off, but we cut that out. Then I added the scene where Scotty talks to the computer – when the guy tells him to use the mouse, and he holds it up and tries to use it like a microphone. I've always been a Macintosh fan, so I said, "It has to be a Macintosh." Leonard said, "That's funny, let's use it."
Back to the cameo: it was this little bit in the movie, and I walked into Leonard's office and said, "I want to play the punk on the bus." Leonard's got a great sense of humor...he's very funny...so he looks at me with this big smile and says, "Reaaally." I said, "Yeah, I think I'd do a great job. I'll shave my head, get a mohawk, whatever." He said, "Let me think about it."
I said okay, and I was going crazy, because... in 2 weeks...he didn't say anything – and I promised him I wouldn't bother him. I said, "Look, I'm not going to bother you, I'm only going to ask you this one time," so I really had to live with it and not bother him. I never brought it up, never hinted at it, nothing. So...about 2 weeks later...I walk to his office like I did every day, and he said, "Oh, by the way, you can do it." I said, "What. You mean...?" "Yep, you can play the punk." I was like, "Ohhh thank you, thank you." So I went out, shaved the sides of my head, dyed my hair orange and got a mohawk – because they don't really make a mohawk hairpiece that looks real. So I actually had a bright road cone orange mohawk for about 6 months.
PLUME: I'm sure they really respected you on the set after that...
THATCHER: Oh it was great – it was a blast. The first time DeForest Kelley saw me with this outrageous hairstyle, he looked me up and down very slowly and said, "Nice shoes". He then broke into a huge grin and ambled away. He had a very dry sense of humor.
PLUME: You were featured rather prominently on the French poster for the film...
THATCHER: That's what somebody told me.
PLUME: So the French love you...
THATCHER: They would – I have sort of a French attitude in the movie.
PLUME: That shows you the cultural impact you've had worldwide...
THATCHER: Exactly. Leonard said I got the biggest laugh in the entire movie in Russia – because Russia was fraught with punk rockers before The Wall had fallen. So they got a big laugh out of that.
PLUME: You're an icon now...
THATCHER: Yeah, I could win the Nobel Peace Prize and my grave would still say "Punk On Bus – Star Trek IV".
The funny thing was – I got to write and sing that song that was playing on the radio. "I Hate You" [written by Kirk Thatcher and performed by The Edge of Etiquette.] We shot the scene with no sound – there was no music playing. I was just miming to a beat. After we wrapped the movie, the music department was coming to us, and they were playing...like...Duran Duran, or whoever Paramount had some deal with.
I said, "That isn't punk rock music. Punk rock is really raw and gritty and dirty." They said, "Well, we don't really deal with the Sex Pistols and stuff." I said to Leonard, "You know, let me write you a song. I can do a song." I was becoming good friends with the sound editor...Mark Mangini...and a couple of the guys in his sound department. I told Leonard, "We can do a song for you that will sound like a punk rock song. Just let us do it, and you won't have to pay for the rights or anything. And, it will be better than Duran Duran." So I went in with Mark and he wrote the music for it.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: the full lyrics to this song are printed at the bottom of this page.]
THATCHER (contd): I had a melody in mind...but I don't write music...so he turned it into something that could be played on the guitar. We then recorded it in the hallway of the post-production sound facility which Mark had, so it would sound bad and very distorted – as if recorded in a garage. We actually used the mics that the sound guys use to do key codes like, "Spock walking down the street, Take 1" – it's just a cheap mic so it would sound really bad. We did this one weekend. Leonard came in on a Saturday and listened to it...cracked up...and said, "Great. That's it. We'll use it." And that's how "I Hate You" came to be.
PLUME: It was used in another film, wasn't it?
THATCHER: Yeah, it was used in "Back To The Beach", with Frankie and Annette. They called me up and said, "Can we use it?" and I said, "Yeah." I actually got paid more for them using it in that than I did for Star Trek.
Hey, here is a little known fact for all the Trekkies: the voice of the computer...at the beginning of Star Trek IV when Spock is doing that computer test...that's me – I actually wrote those questions. We shot with my voice as a temp track, which we sped up, just so Leonard would have something to react to. So we shot with that, and we used it on the temp track. Finally, they're getting ready to redo it, and they asked Leonard and he says, "Naw, it's fine. Just use that." So after doing all this other stuff, that's how I got my SAG card. For being the voice of the computer! And it's the only thing that I'm not credited for, because...if I was [credited]...my name would have been in the credits four times. It would have been in there more than anyone else's name.
PLUME: You just insinuated yourself everywhere...
THATCHER: I did, yeah. It wasn't anything I lobbied for – it just sort-of happened. When I hear that computer voice now , I cringe because it sounds so goofy.
PLUME: Well, the film still works...
THATCHER: It's amazing. It made about $130 million in the US, and I believe the last Star Trek movie only broke $90 million. It just blew all the other Trek movies out of the water with how successful it was. I think a lot of it is due to Leonard's sense of humor, and the fact that Leonard wanted to make a lighthearted romp instead of a serious science fiction picture. It really reached out to a broader audience.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Here...fully printed & intelligible for the first time anywhere (to the best of our knowledge)...are the complete lyrics to Thatcher's punker / hate song from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home:
"I HATE YOU"
Lyrics by Kirk R. Thatcher
Music by Mark Mangini
(to be sung Allegro con Temptible)
Just what is the future?
The things we've done and said.
Let's just push the button.
We'd be better off dead!
And I hate you!
and I berate you !
and I can't wait to get to you...
The sins of all the fathers,
being dumped on us – the sons
The only choice we're given is:
How many megatons?
So I eschew you!
And I say "SCREW YOU"!
And I hope you're blue too!
We're all bloody worthless,
Just greedy human scum,
The numbers all add up
to a negative sum...
And I hate you...too!
(Repeat in angry scream 'til hoarse – or blood sprays from throat. Whichever comes first...)
This piece courtesy of & copyright Kirk R. Thatcher
CLICK HERE to jump to the final installment of Ken's conversation with Kirk Thatcher – in which Thatcher discusses moving from Star Trek into the world of Henson and Muppets, evaluates the status of recent & current Muppet endeavors, and discusses his many good fortunes while working in the business.
Simpsons Voice Actor Hank Azaria Will No Longer Voice Apu


This design concept has some extreme ideas for self-sufficient living.
via Self-Sufficient Houseboat Lets You Leave Civilization Behind | Designs & Ideas on Dornob.
This entry was posted in Design and tagged Houseboat, self-sufficient.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Forensic Pathology Topic Center
Recognizing the needs of the pathologist and pathology with regard to forensic casework.
Resources on Forensic Pathology, Medicine, and Science
Forensic pathology
Forensic pathology is the subspecialty of pathology that directs its efforts to the examination of living or dead persons in order to provide an opinion concerning the cause, mechanism, and manner of disease, injury or death; the identification of persons; the significance of biological and physical evidence; the correlation and/or reconstruction of wounds, wound patterns, and sequences; and conducting comprehensive medicolegal death investigations.
A forensic pathologist is a pathologist with special training and experience in forensic pathology who is actively engaged in medicolegal autopsies and death investigations. Forensic pathologists shall be board-certified by the American Board of Pathology or American Osteopathic Board of Pathology after appropriate training and passing a rigorous examination, or a non-USA based pathologist with equivalent certification.
The practicing forensic pathologist is licensed in one or more states; he/she is skilled in conducting death investigations, interpreting injuries in both fatal and non-fatal cases, performing medicolegal examinations, determining disease/injury causation to an appropriate degree of medical certainty and determining cause and manner of death.
Additional Forensic Pathology Resources
Fee-for-Service Autopsies
The autopsy fee-for-service list consists of members of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) who expressed an interest in performing autopsies on a fee-for-service basis.
Member pathologists must log in to access the request form if you want to include your information on the list. The list is a service to members of the public seeking a pathologist to perform an autopsy.
Guidelines for Cooperation Between Pathologists and Funeral Professional
CAP revised these guidelines (PDF, 103 K) at the request of the National Funeral Directors Association. Input was obtained from funeral directors and from pathologists serving on the CAP autopsy and forensic pathology committees.
Sample Forensic Case
Read a sample case on meningococcal meningitis. (Word, 2.3MB)
Guidelines, Statements, and Position Papers
National Association of Medical Examiners Position Paper on the Medical Examiner Release of Organs and Tissues for Transplantation (PDF, 223 KB)
Access other CAP committee topic centers and programs:
Autopsy Topic Center
Anatomic Pathology Educations Programs
The following publications are available for purchase through our CAP Press Publications site.
Autopsy Performance and Reporting, 2nd Edition
Handbook of Forensic Pathology, 2nd Edition
CAP Public Policies
The Lock CAP Public Policies outline the CAP's positions on the following issues:
Technological Adjuncts to the Autopsy
Optimizing Death Investigations and Forensic Sciences Practices
Criteria for Autopsies
Restrictions on the Uses of Autopsy Materials
Payment and Performance of the Autopsy Service
Certification of Death
Observation of an Autopsy as Punishment
Informed Consent for Autopsy
Retention of Laboratory Records and Materials
Autopsy Organ and Tissue Retention
Requirements of Chief Medical Examiners
Join the Forensic Pathology Committee
Learn more about our committee activities and how to join the Forensic Pathology Committee.
Lock - Login and CAP Membership Required.


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Q: Div onclick function is not working the onlcick function is not working in the below case it always i have checked in ie8, and in some computer firefox and chrome also not working.
   $ad_div1='

';

but when i give an alert before window.location its working ie,
   $ad_div1='

';

How to slove this problem?

A: The code looks like it should produce code like this
(when $url = "http://example.com" ):

And this seems to work in Chrome and Firefox, see this jsfiddle.
I'm guessing the $url variable is somehow wrong, look at the generated output of your code, does the onclick attribute look like my example the above?
EDIT:
Don't really understand why you want to do this, relying on javascript for tracking, and opening tabs/windows, etc...
Why not create a service on your server to do the tracking and redirect to the supplied url,
so you could simplify the link like this:
$ad_div1='

';

Then using php (or some other server script) or rewrite rule the to handle all /redirect* urls on yourdomain.com that would
log/register the request and give a 302 "moved temporarily" redirect to the url specified by the target parameter.

A: And what exactly going on?
I suppose that when you click on link, browser fires event -> then event goes to yours div and eval code on yours "onclick" attribute -> then event goes to document and document change location based on your href attribute of your "a" element. And thats why your "onclick" not working.
You can try this solution:
onclick="var event = arguments[0] || window.event; event.stopPropagation();window.location='".$url."'"


text:
Карл Виктор Энгельбрект Хакберг (; ) — шведский легкоатлет, выступавший в метании молота и десятиборье. Участник летних Олимпийских игр 1912 года.

Биография
Виктор Хакберг родился 13 августа 1891 года в шведском городе Хускварна (сейчас район городе Йёнчёпинг).

Выступал в легкоатлетических соревнованиях за клуб «Хускварна».

В 1912 году вошёл в состав сборной Швеции на летних Олимпийских играх в Стокольме. В метании молота занял в квалификации последнее, 13-е место, показав результат 38,44 метра и уступив 9,73 метра попавшему в финал с 3-го места Кларенсу Чайлдсу из США. В десятиборье выбыл из борьбы после третьего вида программы — толкания ядра.

Умер 5 ноября 1968 года в Хускварне.

Личный рекорд

 Метание молота — 46,37 (1933)

Примечания

Метатели молота Швеции
Десятиборцы Швеции
Легкоатлеты на летних Олимпийских играх 1912 года


Welcome to our Wexford, Pennsylvania Homeless Shelters and Services for the needy page. Below are all of the homeless shelters and services for the needy that provide help to those in need for Wexford, PA and surrounding cities.
The Lighthouse Foundation runs a food pantry, multiple transitional housing units for homeless individuals 18-21 and families, computer classes, inexpensive cars, and other such services. For more information, check out our website or give us a call.
Men's shelter. Has 25 beds. Hours: 8pm - 8am. Dinner and cereal breakfast provided. Pleasant Valley shelter provides counseling, supportive services, laundry, bathing. Also provides a Medical Clinic for the homeless at this location. Contact for details.
This is a domestic violence shelter only and provides counseling and services to victims of domestic violence. The Center offers individual crisis counseling, referrals, laundry and bathing facilities, and many other services. 36 family shelter. Provides dinner and breakfast.
This is not a homeless shelter, This is an area homeless resource. If you are in the area of ALLEGHENY - Allegheny County Bureau of Hunger and Housing Services, call them for help regarding their Homeless Assistance Programs.
Drop in center for homeless.
Men's and women's shelter. 14 beds. Provides meals of breakfast, lunch, dinner. The Orr house serves mostly elderly persons and those disabled who have just been released from the hospital. It is bus accessible (71C and 64A), and has both laundry and bathing facilities.
Men's and Women's shelter. 84 bed capacity. No meals are provided. The YMCA offers transitional shelter during the winter months of the year. It offers many programs including recreation, literacy, and parent-child courses. It is bus accessible (61C and 56C).
Shelter and outreach for homeless youth aged 18 and younger. This facility offers crisis counseling, life skills training, and health care screening. It is bus accessible (56C), and has both laundry and bathing facilities. 12 beds. All meals provided at shelter.


"This Christmas you make the miracles" raised 50 000 lv. in support of happy childhood in families - For Our Children Foundation "This Christmas you make the miracles"
Yesterday on a thanksgiving meeting with the participants in the "This Christmas you make the miracles" 2018, "For Our Children" Foundation announced the results from the charity campaign.
The initiative's sixth edition inspired employees of 53 small and large socially responsible companies, schools, preschools, educational centers, a media group, dance schools, a health lifestyle club, a circle of friends and even a retirement club to give a chance for happy childhood to hundreds of children. Together we imperceptibly managed to raise the record-breaking amount of 50 000 leva which the Foundation will utilize to support children and families at risk, will address the specific requirements of children with developmental issues and will help them realize their full potential.
"We couldn't manage what we do without your support. 60% of the financial provision come from donations. You give us the stability and certainty that help us follow our mission for 26 years already. Thanks to you we supported 1300 children and families last year", pointed out in front of the guests Galq Gecova, director of the department "Corporate and individual partnerships and Communications" at "For Our Children" Foundation.
During the last few weeks the teams in the office organized with great excitement and a strong Christmas spirit a variety of initiatives supporting the foundation's causes – some of them danced, others spent the day wearing pajamas, or competing in a race with chairs on wheels and in arm wrestling with ski gloves. The most favorite amongst the initiatives were the Christmas lunch and Christmas bazaar.
"Dear friends, I would like to tell you that the kids we supported might never meet us, might never tell us how we changed their lives, but thanks to us they will always believe in the good in people. Thank you for reaching out and helping us so that we can make sure more kids grow up in a secure family environment", shared her thoughts Snezhanka Marinkova, one of the people, "guilty" of accomplishing the campaign this year – senior expert "Organizing campaigns and communications" at the Foundation.
Touched by her words all the participants shared the initiative has brought them together as a team and as people united in a significant and excited cause. Some of the teams expressed their opinion regarding the event describing it as the brightest and the most fun one for the past year and they can't wait to take part in other campaigns, organized by the Foundation. They really got to know the people whom they work with and discovered newfound creative abilities in themselves. An occasion for jokes and unforgettable common memories the campaign is still a topic of conversation in the teams.
For yet another year the "This Christmas you make the miracles" campaign united colleagues and friends, woke up their Christmas mode, bound them with a cause and proved that doing good is not only easy but can also be a lot of fun. And most importantly, it made it possible for dozens of children to feel the magic of spending their holidays in a family environment.


text:
Select ratingGive Beyblade Burst 1/10Give Beyblade Burst 2/10Give Beyblade Burst 3/10Give Beyblade Burst 4/10Give Beyblade Burst 5/10Give Beyblade Burst 6/10Give Beyblade Burst 7/10Give Beyblade Burst 8/10Give Beyblade Burst 9/10Give Beyblade Burst 10/10
Bart Aoi is a hot-blooded kid who loves to attack and wields a Beyblade named Valkyrie. His close friend Shū Kurenai is an elite Blader who is a genius but still puts in a lot of effort, and wields the Beyblade named Spriggan.
Aired: Apr 4, 2016 to Mar 27, 2017
Producers: TV Tokyo, d-rights
Beyblade Burst Episodes
Select episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
Beyblade Burst Episode 1 dubbed
Beyblade Burst Episode 10 dubbed


Repairing the Roof: DIY or Hiring a Pro?
The thing about having your roof fixed by yourself is rather easy, but an easier task would be for you to hire a roof repair person in your area. You need to be cautious in hiring roof repair persons since there are some who will be doing poor jobs to your that would push you to have it repaired yet again after a couple of month but will be charging you a lot for it. The thing about hiring roof repair person for any possible roof problems is that you need to make sure that they can provide you the best possible kind of service, with you needing to pay just the right amount, in other words, you need to get your money's worth with the service that they will be providing you with.
When having your roof done, do not just settle for just a simple patch up being done to your roof, you would want to have the roof replaced or even just the addition of dry materials that would help assure you that the service would last for a long time.
When you have decided on hiring the person for the job, make sure that they have proof of their previous work and services done, as well as their transactions that would list the amount that they ask their customers with. It is understandable that a dallas roof replacement company would want to make as much money as possible on the job, but remember that it is never an excuse to over price a service to gain more money from a customer.
Going around and looking at the different houses that your roofer has serviced would be a good idea for you to get an idea on how the roofers work and how the finish product might look like, you can then imagine how it might look on your house. To learn more about roof repair, you can visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roof .
Getting your roof done, most especially for emergency reasons, you need to get a roofer who is up for the job and can do it in a small amount of time with the highest possible quality. Roof is an important part of any house, that is why it would be ideal that your roof repair person gets the job done in a small period of time.
When you have decided on hiring your roof repair person for your roof repair in dallas , it would be for the best that you look at the other kinds of services that they have already done, and you need to discuss with them their plans for your roof as well as other necessary topics of discussion to avoid any future disappointments and that the service is exactly what you wanted to get.


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Selena + Chef Season 4: Release date, plot, trailer and more
byN. Nandinee
Credit: HBO Max
Is Selena + Chef Season 4 premiering this August? Here is everything we know so far.
Selena Gomez is back in the kitchen for another fun season of Selena + Chef. The show is an American streaming television cooking show hosted by Selena Gomez that first premiered on HBO Max on August 13, 2020, and was nominated for Best Cable or Streaming Reality Series, Competition Series, or Game Show at the Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards. On the review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% based on 5 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. On IMDB, the series has an overall score of 8.3/10 with 1,195 votes.
Since its debut on the streaming platform, the show has been loved and adored by her fans and cooking fanatics worldwide for the humor and surprises that she has to offer while creating some of the best dishes from around the globe. The series already has three jam-packed seasons in its pocket with incredible chefs in each episode, and it is not stopping anytime soon as the new episodes of the upcoming season are all set to premiere by the end of this month.
So it looks like the wait for the fans won't be too long! to get a head start on the upcoming chapter and be ready before the series airs. Here is a summary of all you need to know about the release date, plot, trailer, and cast of Selena + Chef Season 4.
When was Selena + Chef Season 4 renewed?
Selena + Chef Season 4 was renewed for another season back in November 2021. The official Twitter handle of Inside HBO Max also verified the news by sharing the post on the social media handle, quoting, "The Max Original cooking show Selena + Chef, starring @SelenaGomez, has been renewed for a fourth season on @HBOMax, which is slated to premiere next year." Take a look at the post below:
The Max Original cooking show Selena + Chef, starring @SelenaGomez, has been renewed for a fourth season on @HBOMax, which is slated to premiere next year: https://t.co/AHlgIQjla9 pic.twitter.com/ujQr05BRQm
— Inside HBO Max (@InsideHBOMax) November 10, 2021
Selena Gomez also expressed her thoughts about the next season, quoting, "I am looking forward to another season of being in the kitchen with some of the world's best chefs. Hopefully, my skills have improved. More importantly, we've been able to raise money for incredible charitable organizations."
Selena + Chef Season 4 Release Date
The Max Original cooking show Selena + Chef is slated to release on August 18, 2022, exclusively on HBO Max. The announcement of the official release date along with the newly released trailer was also confirmed on the official Twitter handle of HBO Max, quoting, "Throw some sizzle on the grill with @selenagomez in Malibu this summer. Season 4 of Selena + Chef premieres August 18 on HBO Max. #SelenaAndChef" Take a look at the post below:
Throw some sizzle on the grill with @selenagomez in Malibu this summer.
Season 4 of Selena + Chef premieres August 18 on HBO Max. #SelenaAndChef pic.twitter.com/OYU8lr93lj
— HBO Max (@hbomax) August 3, 2022
Selena + Chef Season 4 Plot
According to the official press release by Warner Media, Selena + Chef is back, this time with Selena and her friends and family heading to the beach. Season four will take place at a beach house where Selena will continue to learn the joys of cooking with all-star chefs. Like in its first three seasons, each chef will highlight a different charity in each episode.
To date, the series has raised $400,000 for 26 nonprofit organizations. As each celebrity chef highlighted a charity of their choice, this makes it a force for good in addition to being a relatable twist on the cook-along style where the chef is roughly as unskilled as those at home, making it an interesting and go-to series for the viewers.
Jennifer O'Connell, Executive Vice President, Non-Fiction and Live-Action Family, HBO Max quote, "We are thrilled to continue this delicious series for season four and even more excited to take it to a new setting. The beach vibes will absolutely take it to the next level and we can't wait to see what recipes Selena and the chefs cook up next!"
Selena + Chef Season 4 Cast and Crew
Confirmed guests for the fourth season include the following chefs, Adrienne Cheatham, Devonn Francis, Gordon Ramsay, Kristen Kish, Ludo Lefebvre, Matty Matheson, Nick DiGiovanni, Paola Velez, Priya Krishna, and Rachael Ray. Executive produced by Selena Gomez for July Moon Productions, along with executive producers Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman on behalf of Industrial Media's The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), showrunner Leah Hariton, and Melissa Stokes.
Selena + Chef Season 4 Episodes
Season 4 of Selena + Chef premieres its fourth season on August 18, 2022, with the first three episodes available, followed by three more episodes each on August 25, 2022, and then the final four episodes on September 1, 2022, making that a total of 10 episodes for season 4. The expected runtime of each episode is reported to be approximately 22 to 33 minutes.
Selena + Chef Season 4 Offical Trailer
In the official trailer, the viewers get to see that Selena + Chef is back! Season four takes place in a beautiful Malibu beach house where Selena will continue to learn the delights of cooking with an all-star chef lineup. The season four teaser finally unveiled the Malibu beach mansion where the action takes place.
Fans immediately noticed the connection to the Disney Channel as on Twitter, they were quick to point out that Miley Stewart's house from the popular Hannah Montana Disney Channel original series is the residence Selena would be cooking new dishes in. Take a look at some of the reactions below:
The beach house on #Selenaandchef Season 4 will be the same used for Hannah Montana pic.twitter.com/fAvjnNtpvS
— 🧩 Jo◽ (@selenatorswsel) August 3, 2022
THE BEST SEASON IS COMING! #Selenaandchef pic.twitter.com/WRw8O0xHtF
— Sejal (@kindacrazysejal) August 3, 2022
Selena Gomez X Hannah Montana❤ THEY'RE THE BEST CHEFS! #SelenaAndChef pic.twitter.com/2yNcakG5jZ
— 🧩busra| fan account (@busrararesg) August 3, 2022
Where to stream Selena + Chef?
All the previous seasons of Selena + Chef are available to stream exclusively on HBO Max with an official membership account, or the viewers can also try HBO Max for free for one week before paying $14.99 per month. So, we recommend that to view the different genres of shows offered on the platform, users must purchase a membership based on their preferences.
Selena + Chef Offical Synopsis
Selena Gomez stars in an unscripted cooking series filmed in her home. Each episode features Selena tackling a new cuisine and guest starting a different professional chef, where they cover tips and tricks and how to deal with disasters in the kitchen. For each episode, the show donates $10,000 to the charity of the Chef's choice, often food related.
Catch up on the previous seasons while you wait for more Selena + Chef Season 4 updates.
N. Nandinee
She is a writer who enjoys exploring various subject areas to broaden her artistic pursuits and learning.


Watch Now. Start the Conversation: There is Grace…The Holy Spirit in our Families is the sixth in a series of six videos created by the Family Life Ministry of Atlanta with a generous grant from Leadership 100. These parenting videos brought a diverse group of parents together to discuss raising children in an Orthodox environment.
In this final video of the series, our parents wrap up by reflecting on the importance of allowing the Grace and forgiveness of the Holy Spirit to enter the lives of our families.


Once an icon of American materialism and consumption, the Hummer died an unceremonious death when GM killed the brand. It's military cousin, the HUMVEE, produced by AM General, was not far behind, leaving behind several empty assembly plants across the country. But one of those plants, in northern Indiana, could be retooled to build Bright Automotive's IDEA plug-in hybrid vans if a deal announced Friday goes through.


outcome:- Incorporate leadership theory and skill within the assumed nurse role during healthcare interactions with patients and collaboration with the healthcare providers.
*Use a minimum of three (3) peer reviewed sources less than five years old.
* The paper is just to address/answer the following 4 topics as a student nurse that I have experienced during clinical rotation at hospitals.
1. Give examples of situations in which you observed or experienced any of the various leadership and management styles in clinical. In what ways have they been effective or ineffective for you or for those with whom you have worked? Which style may have been a better approach in the situation?
2.Describe quality improvement activities occurring within your assigned nursing department. Include the following in your description.
o What prompted the quality improvement initiative?
o Which of the Institute of Medicine Primary Goals is addressed through this project?
o Describe the expected outcome and how it will be measured.
3. Compare and contrast the nursing care delivery model used on the unit within which you are working with one of the other nursing care delivery models described in your readings.
o Reflect on why you think the unit chose the model it uses.
o What are the advantages and disadvantages of the model chosen by the unit?
4.Recall a situation in your clinical experiences in which an ethical decision was being made. If you have not been involved in this process yet, ask your preceptor to share an experience with you. Be sure only to discuss the situation as a case scenario without use of names of persons involved.
Which ethical decision-making principles came into play? What impact did the ANA and/or ICN codes of ethics have on the decision that was made?
** PLEASE feel free to include any hospital related experiences/issues/ stories to address the topics.(I don't care as long as they seems real for a student nurse). Please make sure to cover all the facets of every questionsand if the paper exceeds 4 pages, it's fine. If you have any question please let me know.
Understanding of leadership theories is significant to a nurse manager working in a health care facility. The principles enable a clinician to apply good management skills when interacting with the patients and other health care providers. This ensures provision of quality and professional services to the patient. The nurses apply various administrative styles in the clinical settings that best suit the situation. The nursing care models are useful to nurses and promote collaborative care process in a health care organization.
The nurse manager applied the transactional management approach during cardiopulmonary resuscitation of a patient. This was an emergency situation where the style is effective. The manager mainly focused on the outcome of the resuscitation process. The procedure was carried out according to the nursing care manual. The transactional administration method stressed on managing the input of the nurses in the accident and emergency department, and evaluates their experience in the scope of nursing care. However, this style is ineffective in the nursing management of an emerging medical condition which requires initiative and inventive concepts (Urick, 2016).
The nurse administrator also applied a transformational administration method in the clinical situations. The administrator addressed a case of a patient who had undergone tracheostomy. He involved the nursing staff in decision making process to manage the patient who required intubation. He considered the individual contributions of each staff due to variation in their experience and abilities. He explained the objectives of the nursing care, and motivated the workers to accomplish the hospital vision. In addition he illustrated to the staff on the care of the intubation tube while maintaining sterility according to the nursing care manual. This style is effective in collaborative patient care scenario that requires creativity to treat conditions in the medical wards. However, it is ineffective in emergency department (Urick, 2016).
Democratic management approach was mostly evident in the clinical unit. The manager gave regular feedback to the nurses on patient care. The workers were divided in to groups, each headed by a team nurse. The aim was to improve the standard of nursing care delivered to the patients. The manager did not focus on personal errors of the group members. This method is more effective in clinical setting. However, it cannot be applied in care of patients in the critical care department. This style contributed the dominant leadership style used in the clinical unit I rotated (Urick, 2016).
The quality refinement in nursing profession was prompted by a number of issues. First, the need to address nursing staff shortage experienced in the hospital. Secondly, ineffective nursing care structures existing in the healthcare organization. Thirdly, the absence of organized appraisal standards also affected the level of health care services (Kennedy, & Barnsteiner, 2016).


To put your mirrorless camera and lenses in a bag is one thing. To use a CAMSLINGER means to use a camera bag in the sense of a concept and it'll give a fresh touch to the way you are using your photo gear. This post will give you an idea about the new possibilities of the concept behind CAMSLINGER camera bags.
When wearing a CAMSLINGER your upper body is free just as if you wouldn't wear a cam bag at all. In this way you can take along your cam with the feeling of more freedom as if you would have a backpack or a messenger style bag. Your gear is also very comfortable to wear for many hours and it is protected. The cam just doesn't disturb you anymore while carrying around.
This is a feature not to be underestimated. With a CAMSLINGER you can quickly grab your cam with one hand. And if you don't use a lens cap - what is no problem if you have a UV filter on your lens - you can also aim and shoot a photo with one hand. Have your little kid on the left arm and want to make a selfie? Just do it! Doing outdoor sports like biking or climbing? Just do a one handed shot if you like to. Out for street shooting and have a fresh coffee in your hand while the photo of your lifetime comes along? Just grab your cam out of your CAMSLINGER, have your coffee and take your photo. When not in use, the cam is protected in its pouch. You can also easily turn the bag on your back and no one would ever see that you are wearing a cam.
And do you know these situations where you don't like to grab your cam out of your backpack or other cam bag? Because you just don't like to swing around the bag, take both hands to open it, grub after your cam, take it out, put the bag into a position where it does not disturb and then take the photo? A CAMSLINGER puts an end to this. The bag is on the level of your hand so you just have to move your fingers, open the flap, grab the cam and shoot.
The FINGERCAMSTRAP 10 is a little but important piece in the CAMSLINGER concept. If you have fixed it on your cam, you can put your finger in it in the moment you are grabbing your cam. It is fast and it is safe. Maybe not as safe as a strap around your neck, but it helps a lot against dropping your cam.
If you have a mirrorless cam without viewfinder or rangefinder style one with viewfinder – it will already fit superbly into your CAMSLINGER when in minimum volume (70 mm depth). But if one day you'll have a mirrorless cam in DSLR style or you just put an external viewfinder to your cam – that is no reason to buy a new bag. Just adjust the size of your CAMSLINGER to maximum volume (90 mm depth) and continue to use it.
All this together makes a unique concept in wearing and using your mirrorless cam that you won't find in any other bag solution. To put it in one word: You are always ready for your next photo. And you don't even have to think about it, so unobtrusive is this way of carrying a mirrorless cam in a protective bag (to you and others too).
GER - Alle Posts sind in zwei Sprachen verfügbar. Bitte achte auf GER für Deutsch und EN für Englisch.
EN - All posts are available in German and English. Please have a look for GER for German and EN for English.
EN - Making of "A Photoblogger's Philosophy – Steve Huff in Las Vegas"
DE - Making of "A Photoblogger's Philosophy – Thomas Leuthard in Frankfurt"
EN - The making of "A Photoblogger's Philosophy - Chris Gampat in Berlin"
DE - Making of "A Photoblogger's Philosophy – Steve Huff in Las Vegas"
GER - Wie trägt man eine CAMSLINGER?


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Awards and Rewards at Online Casinos
By Jenny McKinnley 46 0
All online casinos try to reward their loyal players and occasionally the casino itself is rewarded. For example, this week players at Intertops have the chance to win a share of a $70,000 cash fund and Super Bowl Road Trip whilst 888poker and 888casino have won multiple awards at the ICE Totally Gaming Awards.
Whilst Intertops casino has a great scheme for rewarding their players, 888 has just excelled at the ICE Totally Gaming Awards.
On March 6th a draw will take place at Intertops casino and 18 players will win cash prizes of up to $1000 and between now and the draw hundreds of players will be rewarded with bonuses of up to $250.
Players at Intertops earn points when they play and then the top players are ranked into six levels which are determined by their deposits, wins and losses. On every Monday leading up to March 5th, 150 players will be awarded the bonus of $250 whilst on Thursdays a further 50 players will receive a bonus of up to $150. According to the Casino Manager the promotion is structured in such a way so that all players are eligible for bonuses, not just the high rollers.
As mentioned, last week it was the turn of online casinos to be rewarded. At the ICE Totally Gaming Awards, 888, one of the world's most popular online gaming providers, were awarded both the Best Online Casino of the Year and the Best Online Gaming Product of the Year.
The ceremony took place on January 23rd in London with the aim of recognising and rewarding excellent products and services as well as innovation from the gaming industry. Over the last year, both 888Casino and 888 Poker reported large growths in revenue and player numbers.
The COO of 888holdings, Itai Frieberger, said that the awards are "great achievements and are recognition of our market leading performance in all aspects over the past year."
Jenny McKinnley
Jenny McKinnley is OCA's financial correspondent. After spending years on the trading floor in both NY and London, she offers insight from the inside out on world financial news and events.
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More frequently reported side effects include: hypersensitivity reaction. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects.
Along with its needed effects, abacavir/lamivudine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
In 1 study, once- or twice-daily abacavir was used in combination with lamivudine and efavirenz. Patients receiving once-daily abacavir had a significantly higher incidence of severe drug hypersensitivity reactions and severe diarrhea than patients on the twice-daily regimen.
Serious and sometimes fatal hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with abacavir. Such reactions have included multi-organ failure and anaphylaxis and usually occurred within the first 6 weeks of abacavir therapy (median onset: 9 to 11 days); however, abacavir hypersensitivity reactions have occurred any time during therapy.
Patients with the human leukocyte antigen subtype B*5701 (HLA-B*5701) allele are at higher risk of abacavir hypersensitivity reactions; however, such reactions have occurred in patients without the HLA-B*5701 allele. Abacavir hypersensitivity was reported in about 8% of patients in 9 clinical trials with abacavir-containing products where patients were not screened for the HLA-B*5701 allele; incidence of suspected abacavir hypersensitivity reactions was 1% in clinical trials where HLA-B*5701 carriers were excluded.
Abacavir hypersensitivity reactions have been characterized by at least 2 of the following key signs/symptoms: (1) fever; (2) rash; (3) gastrointestinal symptoms (including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain); (4) constitutional symptoms (including generalized malaise, fatigue, achiness); (5) respiratory symptoms (including dyspnea, cough, pharyngitis). Almost all reactions have included fever and/or rash (usually maculopapular or urticarial); however, reactions also reported without fever or rash. Signs/symptoms reported in at least 10% of patients with hypersensitivity reaction have included rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dyspnea, cough, fever, fatigue/lethargy, malaise, headache, elevated liver function tests, and myalgia. Other signs/symptoms of hypersensitivity have included mouth ulceration, sore throat, adult respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, edema, lymphadenopathy, hypotension, conjunctivitis, anaphylaxis, paresthesia, lymphopenia, hepatitis, liver failure, myolysis, arthralgia, elevated creatine phosphokinase, elevated creatinine, renal failure, abnormal chest x-ray findings (mainly infiltrates, which were localized), and death.
Lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis (including fatal cases) have been reported with the use of nucleoside analogs.
Elevated GGT was observed in the expanded access program for abacavir.
Hepatic decompensation (some fatal) has been reported in patients coinfected with HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus receiving combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 and interferon alfa with or without ribavirin.
Suspected Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) have been reported in patients using abacavir primarily in combination with agents known to be associated with SJS and TEN, respectively.
Agranulocytosis has been reported after the addition of abacavir to a multi-drug regimen.
An observational study investigating the rate of MI in patients on combination antiretroviral therapy showed an increased risk of MI with the use of abacavir within the previous 6 months. A sponsor-conducted pooled analysis of clinical trials showed no excess risk of MI in abacavir-treated patients as compared with control subjects. Overall, available data from the observational cohort and from clinical trials were inconclusive.
2. "Product Information. Epzicom (abacavir-lamivudine)." GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC.


Why Don't U.S. Schools Teach Grammar?
If I asked you to name something controversial, grammar probably wouldn't be the first thing to pop into your mind. Among English teachers, however, few topics can provoke more vehement disagreement than the question of how grammar should be taught.
Today, schools in the United States are relatively light in their approach to grammar. Students often learn grammatical concepts on an as-needed basis, mainly by having their writing corrected.
The History of Grammar in the U.S.
The marginal role grammar now plays in U.S. English language classes wasn't always the norm, though. Through the 1960s, in-depth grammar instruction was par for the course in both public and private schools.
During this period, many educators not only didn't foresee the imminent demise of grammar as a core academic subject but in fact thought they were on the cusp of bright future with revolutionary new methods for teaching grammar. This was a time when linguists were doing groundbreaking research on how language is put together, and educators thought some of these advances would trickle down into fresh approaches to teaching grammar.
It's the question every teacher hates to hear: "why are we learning this?" But at a time when students were spending hours diagramming sentences and drilling parts of speech, it's one that was begging to be answered.
Unfortunately, this answer was not forthcoming. The more researchers conducted studies looking for good reasons teach grammar, the more they started to wonder whether any such reasons actually existed.
In other words, the report passed a harsh verdict: teaching grammar is at best a waste of time and at worst something that actually hurts students.
This conclusion set off a gradual dismantling of grammar instruction in the U.S. In the decades that followed, educators gleefully took hatchets to grammar curricula. It turned out a lot of people were fed up with grammar!
This resolution is still on the NCTE website. And it more or less summarizes the view of grammar instruction that continues to dominate the U.S. education system.
Teaching grammar doesn't help students. It distracts from more important material, uses time that could be spend actually reading and writing, and gives students an artificial, overly technical view of the writing process.
Teaching grammar is necessary. It prepares students to write well, express themselves clearly, and think logically.
The 1963 report that started the trend toward paring back grammar instruction in U.S. schools falls solidly inline with the first perspective. Although critics (like Martha Kolln) have since questioned whether the studies used in the report were methodologically sound, there has been more recent research supporting the idea that teaching grammar doesn't help students become better writers.
For example, a meta-analysis published in 2007 looked at research into 11 different methods of teaching writing. The conclusion was that all but one of the methods seemed to be effective. The one that wasn't? Well, you probably guessed it – grammar instruction!
If there's no hard evidence that learning grammar separately helps students write, there is reason to believe that the tedium of grammar instruction actually turns students off from English classes. A 1979 study tracked students enrolled in three different English programs – two of which included formal grammar instruction, one of which didn't. While there weren't any differences between the three groups as far as writing skills, the group that didn't learn grammar had a more positive attitude than the two groups that did, suggesting that time used for grammar instruction can be spent on things more engaging for students.
Besides the lack of evidence that teaching grammar serves any real purpose, there are a few other reasons grammar remains such a low priority in U.S. schools.
First, at around the same time as educators were starting to raise serious questions about why students were doing so many grammar drills, there was also a growing movement to make schools more inclusive and less culturally biased. In English, part of this was a shift away from a single, correct, "standard" dialect of English toward the understanding that different dialects of English are spoken with different grammars.
Where Does Grammar Stand Today?
However, with all that said, there are still many people who see the lack of rigorous grammar instruction in U.S. schools as a disservice to students that puts the U.S. at an international disadvantage.
These critics counter the studies showing a lack of correlation between grammar instruction and writing skills by saying that the problem isn't grammar instruction itself, but the kind of grammar of instruction – that the solution isn't to stop teaching grammar altogether, but to teach it better. Some add that even if it doesn't improve students' writing, learning about grammar still has value in its own right.
These advocates of grammar instruction also point out that there is a lot of work to be done on literacy in the U.S. – the way English is currently taught doesn't seem to be doing the job. For example, recent reports by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) both suggest that relative to other developed countries, the U.S. scores relatively low on reading tests.
Although these arguments in favor of teaching more grammar have yet to catch hold in the U.S., they have started to gain traction across the pond in the United Kingdom. Like the U.S., the U.K. deemphasized grammar instruction over the final decades of the twentieth century.
Unlike the U.S., the U.K. has recently started to reverse direction, putting grammar back on top of the agenda. Recently, the country put into place a new national grammar test for 11-year-olds. To implement the updated, grammar-intensive curriculum, many teachers had to sign up for a special grammar crash course since they were not familiar with the material they were expected to present to their young students.
It's too early to tell whether the U.K.'s renewed commitment to teaching grammar will lead to real gains in literacy. There's no enough data yet – plus, the Department for Education had to cancel this year's version of the test after accidentally posting it online.
In the meantime, U.S. students and parents find it odd that although grammar is a relatively low priority in the classroom, it still has a sizable portion on high-stakes tests like the SAT & ACT. Many international students report to score higher on grammar questions due to the fact that they are require to take classes that drill U.S. grammar rules.
Because it's hard to provide definitive proof one way or another, it's hard to see this debate ending soon. Advocates for grammar instruction will point to the country's uninspiring performance on international literacy tests; critics will bring up the studies showing that grammar exercises don't help students learn to write.
What do you think? Is in-depth grammar work a necessity or a waste of time? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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