The next day, the main street square was filled with a huge crowd that counted every member of Valeria, a hundred and twelve in total.
On their faces wasn't a trace of the happy mood of the festival or the fatigue it should have left on them.
The slums witnessed at a similar scene only once before.
The funeral of Valeria's founder and leader, Vatel Famille.
At that time, his comrades and subordinates stood still in a solemn silence from the moment his empty coffin was lowered into Verna's water to its disappearance beyond the lake's boundary. Like them, the people living in the slums silently prayed to the sky.
Vatel's loss had been a shock for everyone.
Now that the mood was similar, everyone anxiously wondered if another funeral was going to take place.
Some of them were silently standing with their face cramped in an anxious and confused expression.
Takumi was simply sitting on a fountain's bench, looking at the crowd.
Asked Gaitsu, who sat near him with an impatient smile.
The moment he spat those words, the crowd started to stir.
Her tender voice sounded cold like ice.
Mirta wore a fur coat, Vatel's favorite, over a simple dress.
That must have been hard to wear for her, but she decided to show Valeria's symbol.
She was standing as a leader, not as a helpless girl.
In her smile there wasn't trace of doubt or worry.
He nodded at her words, then got up.
Announced Takumi quietly, but everyone heard him.
Gaitsu snorted, sure about his victory.
The gaze of everyone shifted from his confident face to Mirta's.
In the words of their leader was braided humility, but her eyes housed a fire comparable to her father's.
She showed the crowd a tender smile.
Everyone knew that she was just spouting her stupid ideals.
But she would have never felt ashamed of expressing them.
Her words resounded loudly because of her firm believe.
Valeria's members hung their heads and clutched their fists uncertain about what to do.
Seeing their doubt, Takumi rose his voice again.
The curious bystanders started to murmur, while someone lost his cool.
Takumi poked the enraged Gaitsu with some parchment.
In it were written the names of each member of Valeria, and a number alongside them.
There were some big differences between those numbers.
Ignoring the furious man, Takumi looked at the crowd.
Those who weren't siding with Gaitsu were clutching their fists in rage.
People were divided into those who would've never betrayed him, who were the majority, and veterans who worked alongside Vatel and adored their former leader, who were the minority.
That was the gap between new and old members.
What Gaitsu did was deciding a price for that tag.
Exactly like… they were a bunch of slaves.
Someone raised his right arm from the crowd, a leather bag of money in hand.
When it fell on the ground, a high-pitched sound echoed in the square.
Again and again, the scene repeated itself, and more coins clinked around.
But soon, no more hands imitated the others.
Takumi's lips curled into a smile.
Valeria's members let out a roar at his exaggerated words. It was so loud that the whole slums seemed to shake, and maybe even reached the middle part of Listina.
Gaitsu was confused and angry at what was happening.
But as he talked, the nearby bystanders shoot him down with poisonous words.
In that storm of insults, people started to throw stones and garbage at him.
As everyone turned their back at him and despair painted his face, Gaitsu screamed an order to his men.
A lively voice reached him from his side.
Kunon wore a cheerful smile as she grasped a dagger in each hand.
Her warm smile only served to make her words more terrifying.
Every member of Valeria knew the Hound's strength.
That's why Gaitsu's men started to shiver.
The miser's mouth opened and closed from anger and humiliation, while Takumi's face was full of confidence.
Takumi's gaze pierced Gaitsu with his bottomless black irises.
The man's face flushed from anger, but since he was at a disadvantage, he couldn't do anything but leave.
Both he and his subordinates got away under a rain of stones and garbage, and once they weren't in sight anymore, the turmoil slowly came to an end.
Then, Takumi let out a deep sigh.
He lifted a leather bag from the ground and held it high.
He then put his other hand in the bag and extracted its contents, which were thrown into the air without sparing a single coin.
Shouts of joy resounded in the square.
Valeria's members imitated Takumi's gesture, and the shopkeepers started to bring wine and food, moved by the scene.
It looked like another festival was going to start.
Said Karin, approaching Takumi from the midst of the crowd.
The man bought trust with money, while Takumi gained trust from scattering money.
There wasn't much difference between the two. If anything, the young slave merchant was corrupting people for the better.
While Karin imagined her friend and wore a pitiful expression, Kunon was running toward them producing a soft pitter-patter with food in her hand.
She started to stuff her mouth with various treats. The cute girl who was standing there until a moment before was nowhere to be found.
Turning to face Karin, Takumi saw her toothy smile.
Trying to hide her embarrassment, she spoke while playing around with her black hair.
Said Kunon smiling innocently, and Takumi also curled his lips.
He turned his back at them, and the girls walked around him to peer at his face.
When Kunon pointed that out, Karin's face flushed again.
The three merged into the crowd and enjoyed the festival.
They had to take the chance to rest, given how exhausting would have been the next days.
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_of_the_valley read the introduction and "cultural symbolism" parts to understand this better.


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Stuxnet still a threat to critical infrastructure
News by Rene Millman
Despite original attackers losing control of Stuxnet malware, it still poses a problem for organisations
Infrastructure is still being infected with Stuxnet nearly five years after the malware first appeared, according to a report published by a Czech security firm.
Titled "Internet Attacks Against Nuclear Power Plants", the research by Kleissner & Associates said that the malware, alleged to have been developed by US and Israeli spy organisations to infect Iranian nuclear facilities, could still be found on at least 153 devices around the world in the last couple of years.
While nearly half of these computers were based in Iran, infections could also be traced to India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan and China. At least six of the machines ran SCADA development software, which is used in industrial control of equipment, especially power plants.
The infections have been monitored by the firm's Virus Tracker sinkhole servers. The security firm has managed to gain control of two of the command and control servers and pointed them to Virus Tracker in efforts to keep track of the malware.
Kleissner pointed out that while the malware is still running, it cannot be controlled by the original attackers as the command and control domains are now owned by the infosec firm. But as infections are still ongoing, the firm said this meant that companies weren't doing a good job when it came to cleaning up an outbreak.
"It is inevitable that existing malware infections lower the overall security of the particular machines and the entire networks and therefore make it easier (or possible at all) for anyone else to intrude the system," said the research paper.
It added that as the firm could control any remaining Stuxnet infected machine, "any capable intelligence service (or individual with the knowledge and skills) could seize control and potentially cause considerable damage leveraging the remaining infections."
Worryingly, Kleissner claimed that many nuclear facilities have administrative systems infected with common malware and in turn these systems could be subverted to attack industrial control systems with terrifying consequences.
Steve Lamb, consultant at Context Information Security told SCMagazineUK.com that it was entirely possible that cyber-criminals or government could still control infected machines.
"Any backdoor as suggested by Kleissner that uses relatively simple encryption would not provide authentication of the entity submitting commands to the infected devices," he said.
Lamb added that nation states have substantial resources to develop bespoke malware and go to great lengths to remain hidden.
"Detecting these infections will often be the first problem, as traditional anti-virus scans for known signatures are unlikely to find such advanced malware. Intrusion analysis techniques, such as monitoring for outgoing traffic beaconing to command and control servers, or regular auditing of event logs, currently offer the best chance to detect advanced malware infections," Lamb added.
Lamb said that the best approach to securing control systems is to air-gap them from the industrial facilities' internal corporate network, "thereby significantly reducing the risk of control networks becoming infected. Air-gapping does not offer complete security against such threats – nothing ever does – but it does increase the skills and effort required by potential attackers when attempting to penetrate the control network."
Gavin Millard, technical director of Tenable Network Security told SCMagazineUK.com that this type of long term infection is not new or limited to Stuxnet.
"In 2001, I found in a supply cupboard a box of OS2 5.25" floppy disks infected with the Michelangelo Boot Sector virus. This is the nature of the beast, once released, no matter how targeted it is, it's out there and will never truly go away," said Millard. "Many times computer security 'experts' denounce Anti-Virus Software saying it's dead, or we should slim them down by getting rid of 'old' viruses, but this is the scenario in which anti-virus software was designed for and is the best tool for the job."
Rafe Pilling, principal security consultant at Dell SecureWorks told SCMagazineUK.com incident response procedures for standard malware breakouts are well understood by practitioners in the field.
"However when you move into the realm of malware developed by or on behalf of foreign nation states the pool of companies with the talent and resources to address this threat is much smaller," he said.
Security intelligence analyst at SecureData, Adam Shoeman told SCMagazineUK.com that with advanced threats such as Stuxnet, a persistent infection is likely to be rootkit- or Kernel-based and therefore difficult to remediate.
"Simple solutions involve virtualising workstations and recycling VMs daily to essentially provide a 'new' machine each day. This architecture does run on a persistent virtualised platform, which is now more commonly becoming the target of attackers due to the cloud enabled nature of todays businesses," he said.
Chris Boyd, malware intelligence analyst at Malwarebytes told SCMagazineUK.com that there is always the possibility with any malware that it could be taken over by a rival group, which may endanger any attempt at covert operations should the new controller decide to be very overt in their actions.
"These breaches are high risk scenarios which can result in major political fallout when they come to light. While ordinary businesses likely have nothing to fear from Stuxnet, there are plenty of other nation state attacks which could be aimed directly at various sectors - for example, financial or medical," said Boyd.
MORE FROM SC MEDIA UK
US tried and failed to attack North Korea with Stuxnet worm

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New & Notice - Jong-Hyuk Yim's paper was selected as a Key Scientific Articale on Advances in Engineering.
Jong-Hyuk Yim's paper was selected as a Key Scientific Articale on Advances in Engineering.
Jong-Hyuk Yim's paper ("Directional terahertz emission from corrugated InAs structures", Opt. Express, Vol.21, Issue 17, pp. 19709-19717 (2013 ) was selected as a Key Scientific Articale on Advances in Engineering.


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Home › The History of Sexuality, Vol. 2: The Use of Pleasure | Michel Foucault
The History of Sexuality, Vol. 2: The Use of Pleasure | Michel Foucault
304 pages | Vintage Books | 4.14.90
In this sequel to The History of Sexuality, Volume I: An Introduction, the brilliantly original French thinker who died in 1984 gives an analysis of how the ancient Greeks perceived sexuality.
Throughout The Use of Pleasure Foucault analyzes an irresistible array of ancient Greek texts on eroticism as he tries to answer basic questions: How in the West did sexual experience become a moral issue? And why were other appetites of the body, such as hunger, and collective concerns, such as civic duty, not subjected to the numberless rules and regulations and judgments that have defined, if not confined, sexual behavior?
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity | David Graeber & David Wengrow
A People's History of the United States | Howard Zinn
The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale | Art Spiegelman


Our Senior Preschool Room is an stimulating program which prepares children for a seamless entry into the school system. In addition to having tons of fun, the senior room encourages independent self help skills including; hanging up coats and back packs, changing shoes and boots, putting on and removing outside winter-gear, proper hand-washing and toilette etiquette. Our teachers also focus on letter and number recognition as well as early printing skills. Children are encouraged to play in groups and problem solve with assistance to the best of their ability at this age. Methods from "Handwriting Without Tears and "Jolly Phonics" are incorporated to encourage literacy and make learning a wonderful stress free experience.
We will be closed on Monday February 18 for Family Day, enjoy the long weekend with your family!
We are welcoming Hillary Tansley to our senior room and Jamie Shillington is moving to our junior preschool room. Hillary has been with us for over a year as an enhanced worker from Lansdowne Children's Centre and we are thrilled to have her as part of our Paradise Too family!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY To …… Parents please free to bring in a peanut/nut free store bought treat for your child's birthday!
We have implemented a "Helper of the Week". Each week a child is given the opportunity to help the teachers and the other children in the class. This promotes working together and co-operation. It also builds a sense of well being and happiness as a child discovers the joys of helping one another. The name of the helper of the week is listed on your child's calendar. Please see the monthly calendar for your child's name and week.
While we are playing and having fun in the senior room, we will also be learning about letters and numbers, practicing with our pencils, and working on our colours. Outside the senior room door we have a calendar posted for our parents so you are able to follow along with our schedule. Please note that our program is very fluid and we follow the "How Does Learning Happen Program" set out by the Ministry of Education. You will see pictures and explanations posted outside our rooms documenting this learning process. For example, if we go for a walk on the trails and see a deer we may spend the rest of the day talking about the deer, its habitat ect., If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to us or call at anytime during the day.
Drop in for a visit anytime!!


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ASM Global to manage Baltimore venue
Venue management giant ASM Global has added Baltimore's Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric (2,565-cap.) to its expanding portfolio.
The Modell Lyric joins recent ASM additions the Gateshead Quays (12,500-cap.) in the UK the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (23,000-cap.) in Ohio, USA. ASM Global also holds a 25% stake in Australian stadium operator VenuesLive.
ASM Global, which formed as the result of a mega-merger between AEG Facilities and SMG, has a five-year agreement with the Lyric Foundation for management of the Baltimore venue. An Outback Concerts-promoted Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band show will be the first to take place under ASM's management on 16 and 17 June 2020.
"We are excited to welcome the Lyric to the ASM Global family of performing arts centres," says Bob Newman, president and CEO of ASM Global. "We have a long and successful history in Baltimore at the Royal Farms Arena (14,000-cap.) and more recently at MECU Pavilion (4,400-cap.).
"ASM Global understands the Lyric's vision and mission"
"The Lyric further expands our portfolio in the region and compliments the other two facilities, enabling us to better serve our patrons, promoters and partners in the area."
"We are happy that our first booking at the Lyric is Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band," adds Bob Papke, vice president of theatres for ASM Global. "The Modell Lyric is an incredible venue and we look forward to bringing a variety of artists and attractions to the theater."
John Denick, chair of the Lyric Foundation comments that ASM Global "understand[s] the Lyric's vision and mission.
"They represent a great opportunity for growth, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship," says Denick.
The Modell Lyric, a not-for-profit performing arts centre serving the greater Baltimore area, has hosted acts including Aretha Franklin, Robbie Williams, Chris Rock, Diana Ross, Santana and the Grateful Dead.
Tickets for the Ringo Starr show go on sale at 10 a.m. EST today (Friday 15 November) here.


Welcome to one of the most charming and beautiful Spanish-style homes in all of Los Angeles. Recently updated! Two bedrooms and 1 3/4ths bathrooms. Hardwood floors throughout and an original wood burning and gas fireplace. Windowed breakfast nook, modern recently updated kitchen outfitted with high-end Bosch appliances. Central cooling and heating system. Spacious bedrooms with french-door access to the private, terra-cotta fenced patio surrounded by trees. One-car garage and one car driveway. One of a kind masterpiece.


We are currently offering opportunities to sponsor an NCO player's chair for a season.
This is an opportunity for you to support the NCO financially whilst also associating yourself with your chosen player. Your support will help us to continue to develop artistically and ensure that we are able to retain our world class musicians.
Sponsor acknowledgement inside the programmes alongside the name of the sponsored NCO player.
Two complimentary tickets and programmes to two NCO Macclesfield concerts of the sponsor's choice, along with the opportunity to enjoy a post-concert drink with members of the NCO.


THE Veterinary Association of Zambia (VAZ) has welcomed the decision by President Lungu to split the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock into two ministries.
During his maiden speech to the Fifth Session of the 11th National Assembly recently, President Lungu announced plans to split the ministry into the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
VAZ public relations officer Amy Kingdom said in an interview yesterday that the veterinary professionals and para-professionals consider the decision as beneficial for all agriculture sectors.
Dr Kingdom added that this will allow each sector to more readily attain the aspirations enshrined in the Revised Sixth National Development Plan.
"As an association, we look forward to working with the government as it establishes the new Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, and we are offering our services to assist with developing policies and frameworks that can take the livestock and fisheries sectors forward," Dr Kingdom said.
She said the development will ultimately benefit rural households, which largely depend on the agriculture sectors for their livelihoods.
Dr Kingdom said veterinary professionals and para-professionals in both public and private sectors have also offered their knowledge and services to further the development of the veterinary, fisheries and livestock sectors.
"We hope to work together in unity of purpose, to increase these sectors' contribution to sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction and employment creation, and we look forward to seeing the benefits that a well-funded Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development will impart to the country," Dr Kingdom said.


Price is determined by several factors but you can generally expect that an expensive window replacement will offer you top-notch quality. However, don't just merely look at the price tag to assess quality. Instead, check actual performance ratings. Different homes have different needs so ratings will help narrow down your choices into replacement windows that will suit your property perfectly.
Many window types work well with a range of architectural styles but there are those that are particularly suited for a certain home style. For instance, minimalist sliding windows work best with more modern homes, while double hungs, with their timeless design, are excellent with more traditional home styles like American Farmhouse or Cape Cod. Going over libraries will help you visualize what a certain window type will look like on your home.
Consider the rooms you're buying windows for: do you need windows for ventilation, for lighting, or to help enhance the view? How squarely does the sun's light enter through the window? The window's purpose, and that of the room, will guide your choice of window.
Given the focus on quality that reputable manufacturers have, even their stock windows can be expected to perform well. However, they understand too that different homes have different needs so they have made customization options available to you. Even just choosing a different glass option can make the difference between a good and great replacement window. Don't forget that windows let you harness both form and function so there will be options available as well to let you customize your replacement window's appearance.
Interested in getting a vinyl window? Check out Part 3 of this blog series for a quick guide on how to care for it.


Celine Dion has penned a touching and heartfelt "love letter" to the LGBTQ community as part of Billboard's project to celebrate Gay Pride month.
"I'm honoured to be able to offer words of enthusiasm, encouragement, and strength, in support of pride and all of my friends in LBGTQ community," the French-Canadian superstar wrote, before adding that she believes that like music, love has no boundaries.
"I've always said that music is a language that has no barriers, and it's also true that love is an emotion that has no barriers," she explained.
The "My Heart Will Go On" singer went on to voice how lucky she feels to have been able to work with people from the LGBTQ community throughout her career and thanked all of her fans who have supported her over the years. "I've been fortunate to be surrounded by so many beautiful people from the LGBTQ community throughout my entire career… Who have contributed significantly to my success and [thank you to] many of my loyal fans who have stood by me, in the name of love," she said.
Celine's admiration for her fans didn't stop there. The 49-year-old singer confessed how they all have "made such a positive impact in [her] life," adding that she hopes that people around the world will keep accepting other people's differences. "I pray that our world will continue to better understand that acceptance and tolerance are virtues that we can never have enough of," Celine stated.
Celine is one of many stars to take part in Billboard's unity campaign. Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, Lea Michele, Liza Minnelli and Canada's own Tegan and Sara also wrote sweet notes.


text:
Las banalidades eran, en el sistema feudal francés, las instalaciones técnicas que el señor feudal tenía la obligación de mantener y de poner a disposición de todos los habitantes del señorío, y como contrapartida, esos habitantes solamente podían utilizar, mediante pago, esas instalaciones técnicas. Así se constituía pues una serie de monopolios tecnológicos, que al campesino le resultaba muy caro pagar, y que cuando la cosecha era mala sencillamente lo arruinaba.

Las principales banalidades fueron:
 el horno banal (taxado para el horneado);

 el molino banal;

 la prensa banal;

 el mercado de vinos.

Las instalaciones banales (hornos de pan, molinos, prensas), no deben ser confundidas con las instalaciones comunitarias, mucho más corrientes en esos días, y cuyo mantenimiento y gestión era responsabilidad de la respectiva comunidad. En efecto, las instalaciones banales siempre eran mantenidas, gestionadas, y explotadas, por el respectivo señor feudal, quien daba los servicios e imponía unilateralmente los precios y las condiciones a los usuarios que vivían en el señorío, y que estaban obligados a contratar esos servicios.

Otro de los derechos señoriales era la llamada banalité de tor et ver, que exclusivamente daba al señor feudal el derecho de poseer un toro y/o un cerdo macho. Así, la reproducción de los animales también podía estar sujeta a regalía, en beneficio de su propietario.

Los privilegios citados fueron abolidos en la noche del 4 de agosto de 1789, y fueron abolidos definitivamente sin derecho a compensación el 17 de julio de 1793 (en la Convención montañesa).

Fuentes destacadas
 Eugène Bonnemère, Histoire des paysans, depuis la fin du Moyen Âge, 1856.
 Jean-Jacques Clere, L'abolition des droits féodaux en France, sitio digital 'Cahiers d'Histoire / Revue d'histoire critique', 2005, págs. 135-157.

Véase también
 Comuna (en derecho del antiguo régimen, banal se oponía a communal).
 Ban, institución política medieval.
 Banvin o Vino de Ban.
 Noche del 4 de agosto de 1789.

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Moulin de la Mousquère, Notion de la banalité (moulins)
 Pays de Billom Saint-Dié, le four banal

Derecho medieval
Impuestos de Francia
Revolución francesa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: mat-nav-list inside cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport not getting updated with the HTTP data I am getting list of "incident_ids" from a HTTP get call as shown in the ts file and populating in the HTML in the mat-nav-list. Problem is mat-nav-list inside cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport not getting updated with the HTTP data but when I remove cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport the mat-nav-list  is showing the data.
Here's my HTML file
<mat-card class="home-card">

         INCIDENTS

            <mat-card class="incident-details-card"> INCIDENT DETAILS </mat-card>

            <input placeholder="Search Ex: INC12345678" class="incident-search" (keyup)="refresh_data()">

            <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport [itemSize]="1" >
                <mat-nav-list>
                     {{ link }}
                </mat-nav-list>
            </cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>

Here's my ts file
    import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
import { IncidentService } from '../incident.service';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-home',
  templateUrl: './home.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./home.component.css']
})

export class HomeComponent implements OnInit{

  incident_ids: any = []

  constructor(private incidentService: IncidentService) { }

  ngOnInit(): void {
    this.incidentService.get_incident_numbers()
      .subscribe(data => {
        for (let val of data.d.results){
          this.incident_ids.push(val.INCIDENT_NUMBER)
        }
      })
  }

  refresh_data() {
    console.log(this.incident_ids[0])
  }

}

Here's my API call inside service file
    get_incident_numbers(): Observable<any>{
    const url = this.baseUrl + "?$format=json&$select=INCIDENT_NUMBER"
    return this.http.get(url, this.httpOptions)
  }

Can anyone please point out what I am missing?

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OBJECTIVE: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened an interdisciplinary working group of experts to develop recommendations for the assessment and treatment of depression in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). METHOD: Consensus of experts. RESULTS: Our current recommendations are that the Beck Depression Inventory-I be employed for epidemiological studies of depression and CHD, that the Patient Health Questionnaire 2-item version be employed for screening for trial eligibility, that the Depression Interview and Structured Hamilton (DISH) be employed for diagnostic ascertainment for trial inclusion, and that the Hamilton rating scale, which is part of the DISH, be employed for both depression symptom reduction and the remission criterion in any trial. We further recommend that a randomized controlled trial be undertaken to determine whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, psychotherapy, or combined treatment can reduce the risk of CHD events and mortality associated with depression in CHD patients. CONCLUSIONS: This report summarizes the recommendations made by the working group and discusses the rationale for each recommendation, the strengths and weaknesses of alternative approaches to assessment and treatment, and the implications for future research in this area.


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Doctor's Advice: Eight Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
This blog is brought to you by our friends at Kaiser Permanente
After so much time apart, a lot of friends, families and colleagues are planning to gather this year to celebrate Thanksgiving, religious holidays and the new year. The centerpiece of so many gatherings is food, making this a challenging time of year to avoid unhealthy weight gain.
In addition to the heaping portions of food we're presented with, many of us struggle this time of year to fit exercise into our busy schedules. And many of us get stressed out by the logistics and commitments associated with holiday season, prompting us to stress eat. It's all a recipe for weight gain.
Fortunately, with some planning you can manage the holiday season without packing on too many extra pounds. Here are some tips to navigate the holiday season:
1. Be mindful of what you are eating, and learn to recognize a portion size. Common Thanksgiving meals include turkey, sweet potatoes, yams, gravy and stuffing. That's before you even get to desserts such as pecan or pumpkin pies. And depending on your religious traditions, your plate may be full of carb-laden or fatty foods during Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa. Then there's New Year's Eve, when many people drink calorie-rich alcohol or overdo it on appetizers while staying up until midnight.
With so much tempting food, it's important to be cognizant of the amount of fat, sugar and calories in what you eat and drink. Check nutrition labels when you can. Be mindful of the size of a serving. A portion of your favorite food may be much smaller than you'd expect.
Closure of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF)
Jack Spirakes, Public Information Officer
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Washington Metropolitan Area District Office
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced the closure of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). Through the American Rescue Plan Act, the SBA launched the RRF to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open. The SBA received over 370,000 applications from restaurant owners across the United States.
The program provided a total of $28.6 billion in critical funding to over 105,000 restaurants. As part of this effort, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund supported 3,777 small restaurants with gross receipts of less than $50,000 in 2019.
Due to overwhelming demand, and given the original appropriation provided in the American Rescue Plan Act, the SBA was unable to fund all qualified applications. Applicants who have not received funding will have their applications held in the order received within the RRF application platform to allow for processing if additional funds are made available by Congress.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund application platform will remain open until mid-July to allow applicants to check their status, address payment corrections, and/or ask questions. The SBA will disable access to the platform on July 14, 2021.
Existing program information can be found at https://www.sba.gov/rrf.
Six Thousand H-2B Visas Available for Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala
By: Jack Spirakes, Public Information Officer
On May 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a temporary final rule making available an additional 22,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural guest worker visas for fiscal year 2021 to employers who are likely to suffer irreparable harm without these additional workers.
While 16,000 of the additional visas are limited to returning workers, 6,000 visas have been reserved for nationals of the Northern Triangle countries (Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala), regardless of whether those nationals are returning workers. The supplemental visas support President Biden's vision of expanding lawful pathways for protection and opportunity for individuals from the Northern Triangle and address the needs of U.S. employers at risk of permanent and severe financial loss.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) strongly encourages qualified U.S. employers to consider this supplemental H-2B allocation reserved for nationals of the Northern Triangle in filling positions for which they cannot find qualified and available U.S. workers. If fewer than 6,000 beneficiaries are requested toward the visas set aside for nationals of the Northern Triangle countries, USCIS will announce on its website by July 23 that the unused Northern Triangle country visas will be made available to employers regardless of the beneficiary's country of nationality, subject to the returning worker requirement.
The H-2B nonimmigrant classification applies to noncitizen workers seeking to perform nonagricultural labor or services in the United States on a temporary basis, usually lasting no longer than one year (unless the employer's need is a one-time event that could last up to three years), for which U.S. workers are not available.
For more information please visit the USCIS website.
COVID-19: Prevention and Preparation in the Business Community
The Coronavirus is here and its global outbreak requires being proactive when implementing strategies to protect our workforce while ensuring continuity of operations.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared both a state of emergency and a public health emergency, effective immediately. The DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) will activate the District's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC) to provide additional coordination for the District's COVID-19 response.
DC Health recommended that non-essential mass gatherings, including conferences and conventions, be postponed or cancelled through March 31.
As more individuals become affected in our market and around the country it is important to learn how we can all help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 and minimize its long term impact.
Employers should be ready to implement strategies to protect their workforce from the Coronavirus while ensuring continuity of operations.
It is also important to follow preparedness guidelines set forward by Federal, State, and Local agencies to help protect your staff and customers from all potential illnesses.
For the business community, DC Health and the business-wing of HSEMA have put together toolkits and informational resources at coronavirus.dc.gov that can be used for guidance.
Online Presence for Small Business Workshop a Success
By: Idaliz Ortiz
Having a presence on the web is vital in today's world. With the right knowledge, it can be a cost-effective way to grow your business.
In this workshop series, brought to you by the GWHCC Foundation's SBTA program, attendees will learn the nuances of having an online presence and continue to thrive through this unprecedented time, in the midst of COVID-19.
The first topic, Branding, covers the importance of having a Business Name, Logo and Brand Identity as you kick-off your endeavor.
Learn now: What is considered an essential business in Maryland, D.C. or Virginia?
By: Idaliz Ortiz -Director of Marketing and Communications
D.C. has joined Virginia and Maryland in closing nonessential businesses to help control the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the DMV. This includes a variety of businesses, such as coffee shops, restaurants and many retail stores.
The order goes into effect today Wednesday, March 25, at 10 p.m. through April 24.
"The intent of the order is to temporarily cease all nonessential business activities, including tour guides and touring services; gyms, health clubs, spas, and massage establishments; theaters, auditoriums, and other places of large gatherings; nightclubs; hair, nail, and tanning salons and barbershops; tattoo parlors; sales not involved in essential services; retail clothing stores; and professional services not devoted to assisting essential business operations," D.C. government officials indicated in its executive order.
To see more on the executive order, check here.
However, it isn't always obvious what businesses are considered essential.
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, China and reported by the World Health Organization on December 31. It has infected hundreds of Chinese citizens with pneumonia-like symptoms and has now spread across international boundaries.
Because of this it is important for all employers to monitor the Coronavirus outbreak and implement strategies to protect their workforce while ensuring continuity of their business operations.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. Here are links to a variety of resources provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help educate employers and employees on how to prepare for and address the impacts of the Coronavirus.
Guidance For Employers - How to plan and respond to the Coronavirus
Workplace Tips - Tips and resources for employers to combat the virus
Corporate Aid Tracker - How businesses are helping nationwide
Resilience in a Box - A toolbox to help businesses put a plan in place (created by the US Chamber Foundation in partnership with the UPS Foundation)
More Resources - Including consolidated, business-specific guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Interim Recommendations for Facilities with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (CDC – 3/12/20)
Key EPA Resources on the Coronavirus Disease
State of Michigan Guidance/Resources for Employers and Workers
U.S. Chamber/CDC Webinar
To mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Mayor Muriel Bowser issued Mayor's Order 2020-04: Prohibition on Mass Gatherings During Public Health Emergency - Coronavirus (COVID-19).
View the Mayor's Order here.
For the most up-to-date information on the Coronavirus in the DMV region, please visit the DC Coronavirus website at coronavirus.dc.gov/ and/or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
Thanking Latino-led small businesses this Hispanic Heritage Month
In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week to recognize the rich culture and contributions of Americans who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean.
Just two decades later, lawmakers expanded the observance to a month-long celebration, stretching from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
Hispanic Heritage Month – like its shorter precursor – always starts on Sept. 15, a historically significant day that marks the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
The 10 significant rules for small businesses that want opportunities with the federal government
By: Maria Asuelimen
A lot of businesses want to sell their services/products to the U.S. Federal Government. Why not? After all, the federal government is the largest customer you can have the world!
Some people tend to believe that you can become rich quickly by becoming a federal contractor. That's not exactly correct. There's more to federal contracting than most people realize.
Federal contracting is not for the faint of heart. It is not a get rich quick scheme.
4 Tips To Say "Thank-You" & Drive Employee Engagement
By: Dina Potter
HR 4 Small Biz dina@hr4smbiz.com
As entrepreneurs, we hit the ground running every single day and often find there isn't enough time to do EVERYTHING we want to do. It's easy to take for granted those who are in the trenches with us throughout the year. So, as Thanksgiving draws near, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on how your staff is driving the growth and success of your business and ask yourself: When was the last time you took the time to say thank you in a way that really showed how much you appreciate your team members' contributions?
Idaliz Ortiz
Idaliz Ortiz is a Puerto Rican former multimedia journalist. She received a GLAAD award in 2017 for Spanish Programing - Special Feature, and was twice nominated for a Capital Emmy Award. She is currently the GWHCC Director of Marketing and Communications. Feel free to email her at iortizmorales@gwhcc.org
Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
All Rights Reserved.
800 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-728-0352 | info@gwhcc.org | sitemap


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Home Features Police Dept. calls for community responsibility in reducing crime
Police Dept. calls for community responsibility in reducing crime
Assistant Commissioner of Police Elodio Aragon said in a press conference today Monday, December 12, at the Racoon Street Police Station, that the police department is requesting the assistance of the general public in carrying out their Christmas anti-crime operation.
Aragon said that the operation commenced on November 13, 2012, as a crime reduction initiative by the Eastern Division of the Belize City Police Department and the operation has so far been productive.
"Since the operation commenced in November we have seen a marked reduction in crime," he said. "I want to assure the public that this Christmas we are working quite diligently to ensure that they have a safe Christmas," he went on to say.
Aragon said the presence of police officers in certain areas in the city and the numbers of available police officers from different divisions participating in the operation have contributed to the impact of the operation. He said he wants to assure the public that the police department is doing their part in looking after the public's safety, but the department also needs the cooperation of the general public to ensure their security.
"The police department can only do so much when it comes to us putting out our officers in the areas we have identified that there is a lot of business taking place," Aragon said. "But I would like to speak out to the general public because the police cannot do it alone. We need the support of the public until the end of the year, especially during the Christmas time," he added.
Aragon said the number one way for the public to assist the police is to report crime. He said that he encourages the public to call 911 and Crime Stoppers to report any suspicious activity or information they have regarding criminal activity.
"This is the way we work and I believe if we work together, we can see a big difference in this city," he said. "Statistics have shown that when the public works with the authority, a lot can be done."
Aragon said he needs the public to also be aware of what they need to do to keep safe. He said he advises the public to secure their homes, vehicles and motorcycles when leaving them, making sure they are properly locked and secured. Also, they must not leave purchased items or anything of value in plain view in vehicles, and should inform neighbours of their absence when leaving home.
"If every community person does this, it will go a long way with us," he said.
Aragon said that he wants to remind the public that public drinking and unauthorized gambling are illegal activities. He said that the laws regarding those offenses, as well as drunk driving and the unauthorized use of fireworks, will continue to be strictly enforced during the Christmas time. He said that the sale of fireworks also requires a license.
According to police reports, as of December 10, 2012, there have been 133 murders in the country, as compared to last year when there were 124 murders for the year ending December 2011. Aragon said that the complete statistics on the crime situation will become known to the public at the end of the year.
"At the beginning of next year we could look at all the statistics and discuss where we are and where we need to go," he said.
Aragon said that next year there will be a number of plans executed with an aim to reduce the crime statistics.
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Curated Video Service Flipboard TV Debuts on Samsung Galaxy S20 Phones
16 topical channels contain content from major publishers
Flipboard TV is ad-free and, after a free three-month trial period, will cost $2.99 per month Flipboard
By David Cohen
Flipboard TV, a curated video service inside the Flipboard application featuring content from publisher partners and local TV stations, debuted Friday with 16 channels, exclusively on Samsung Galaxy S20 phones.
Flipboard TV will provide video from major publishers including American Media, The Associated Press, Bloomberg Media, Bonnier, Bustle Digital Group, Digital Trends, Dow Jones, Hearst Magazines, Hearst Television, Lonely Planet, Mansueto Ventures, McClatchy, Penske Media and The Recount.
The 16 topical video channels that are part of Flipboard TV as it debuts are: Auto, Business, Celebrity, Entertainment, Fitness, Food, Lifestyle, Local, News, Outdoors, Politics, Science, Sports, Style, Tech and Travel.
Flipboard TV is ad-free and, after a free three-month trial period, will cost $2.99 per month. Flipboard said it will share revenue with participating publishers based on dwell time.
Flipboard vice president of business development Claus Enevoldsen said in a release, "The interest we're getting from publishers to collaborate to develop an ad-fee subscription service for video content is encouraging. Today, almost all publishers produce high-quality video that they'd like to make more discoverable, and there is an appetite to explore and experiment with new business models. Users, on the other hand, are getting used to paying for premium content, which makes me bullish about our model for Flipboard TV."
david.cohen@adweek.com David Cohen is editor of Adweek's Social Pro Daily.


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From the football field to the world of biotech
10 September 2020 , By Dr Darrin M Disley, CEO of Mogrify
Dr Darrin M Disley, CEO of Mogrify, knows his way around a football field and will be speaking at Drug Discovery Digital.
A serial biotech entrepreneur, Disley was once told he wasn't good enough to study chemistry, so he momentarily chose football. Fast forward to October 2020, he will be giving the plenary keynote address at ELRIG's Drug Discovery Digital conference, outlining his vision for the future of healthcare. Disley's untraditional career path from footballer to academia and entrepreneurship is filled with moments of self-discovery, resilience, reflection and reciprocity
"My career has very much been nonlinear," says Disley. Raised in East London, his journey into academia seemed improbable. "Pursuing science wasn't something we did in the East End," he quips. Disley's serendipitous entry into academia began with a three-year apprenticeship as a laboratory technician while still playing semi-professional football. It was during this apprenticeship that one of his former teachers Brian Carline encouraged him to further his studies at university. "I grew as a person at university. In my first year, I ranked 55th out of 57 in the BSc Honours Chemistry program. By the end of my third year, I placed second," he recalls. "This gave me the confidence to realise that I could actually succeed in academics." Disley then went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Biotechnology at Cambridge under the mentorship of one of UK's most entrepreneurial scientists, Professor Christopher Lowe. He had now arrived at the intersection of research and entrepreneurship.
Taking a multidisciplinary approach to drug discovery
"Even before universities had tech transfer offices, we were working in a multidisciplinary way, merging hardware, wetware and software to solve emerging challenges in clinical diagnostics and drug screening," Disley describes. "I learned that having a breadth of knowledge rather than a deep focus in one area could actually be my strength."
Working in an interdisciplinary environment uncovers the broad applications of research projects, enabling researchers to perceive the societal impact and gauge the commercial value of their findings. Disley's entrepreneurial journey began towards the end of this postdoc by way of setting up his first business specialising in product design and development. Since then, he has built start-ups and grown numerous businesses securing over $525 million in funding. "Bringing diverse minds and skill-sets together to solve complex problems has been a common factor in commercialising technology," he comments.
A vision for economically feasible healthcare models
Disley believes that the drug discovery community can strongly influence healthcare outcomes. "The biggest challenge facing humankind is how we're going to feed, fuel and heal a population that is already critically aged in the west," he notes. Disley's keynote address at Drug Discovery Digital 2020 will dive deeper into what an ideal healthcare system could look like in the future – what it would comprise of and how it would be more accessible, affordable, and beneficial to the ageing population.
"Currently, we mostly treat illness with a one-size-fits-all approach," he notes. "This is economically unsustainable because with longevity comes increased healthcare costs." Disley's hopes that this episodic nature of healthcare is replaced with a more holistic approach towards sustainable health. "Our healthcare goal should not be to just prolong life but to foster an ageing population that is healthy and societally productive," he says.
The drug discovery community is already starting to address this challenge by developing targeted molecular therapies and companion diagnostic tests. "With precision therapeutics, we can get the right drug to the right patient. By gathering relevant patient data over time, we can create new economic healthcare models," Disley explains. "This means, even small decisions made in a drug discovery laboratory can significantly impact our healthcare in the long run. Scientists can, therefore, benefit from looking at the field with an entrepreneurial eye to help make informed decisions in research."
The importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset in drug discovery
"Knowing how your science fits into the big picture and how it can be applied to benefit the community is an incredibly important trait," says Disley. "We have a real need in biotech and life sciences to train scientists on how to navigate boardrooms. Scientists are fundamentally curious, resilient, and passionate. But, understandably, they often don't realise that their skills are transferable from bench to boardroom."
Persevered efforts during a Ph.D. and postdoc and the ability to outline clear research goals, troubleshoot and course-correct are invaluable qualities that scientists inherently bring to any career path they choose. Disley continues: "By giving scientists – who are already lateral thinkers and problem-solvers – the necessary tools to write a business plan and create a strategy, they can develop the confidence to operate in an entrepreneurial setting."
Too often, however, early career scientists have a finite vision of what an ideal career should look like, missing out on opportunities that directly match their skillset. Needless to say, Disley knows a thing or two about crafting a unique career path.
Why researchers need to frame their own definition of success
"It can be tempting for younger scientists to always compare their own success with others. Under hierarchical structures and social pressures, I've typically seen three common measures of success: fame, fortune and peer review," shares Disley who has mentored over 300 scientists. "My advice to early career researchers is to start by asking, 'What does success feel like to me?' and then align future career journey based on a personalised definition of success."
Disley offers wise words for those of us still finding our professional paths, his passion for mentoring clear: "Whether your future is in a lab or a boardroom, showing up to work every day knowing why you're there, what success looks like and how to measure it will ultimately lead you towards a rewarding career. Rather than a job title, it's about finding an environment, culture and set of functional roles that is aligned to your fundamental drivers as a human being is right for you."
The current challenges in drug discovery can only be resolved when diverse groups of scientists with unique talents and ideas collaborate to solve a problem. "Working in silos can actually hold us back," says Disley. "But bringing our individual expertise to the table – from academia, pharma, or business – will help us achieve major milestones in drug discovery much faster."
Disley's path is as inspirational as it is unconventional. He is clearly passionate about helping the next generation of drug discovery scientists succeed and can clearly see how their unique skills will benefit the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.
To hear more insights from Disley, register for Drug Discovery Digital to attend his talk, 'The Path Less Travelled: From EastEnder to Footballer to Biotech Entrepreneur'.
Article orginally published on the ELRIG website.
Image: Tevarak Phanduang
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On Friday, we had our last day of swim lessons with Miss Shannon. Mom and Dad are proud of how far we've come. Earlier this week Trent got in big trouble from Mom for going into the deep end of the pool without an adult with him.
On Saturday I went to my classmate Aniela's birthday party. During pizza and cake, the boys sat on one side of the room and the girls on the other. Boys rule, girls drool.
Trent and I are obsessed with Nerf guns now. We cannot play with them around Betty because she chews up the bullets.


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[Poetry reading at the University at Buffalo, March 9, 1967] / Jon Silkin.
[Poetry reading at the University at Buffalo, March 9, 1967] / Jon Silkin. is UB Only.
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Recorded in 146 Diefendorf Hall, University at Buffalo on March 9, 1967 on a 7 inch Scotch reel-to-reel tape.
Poet Jon Silkin performs poetry from A peaceable kingdom (1954), The re-ordering of the stones (1961), Nature with man (1965) and Amana grass (1971). Silkin relates the story of his infant son's death and also about his concern for the welfare of animals.
Jon Silkin.
The Poetry Collection of the University Libraries. Digital conversion was made possible through a 2009 National Endowment for the Humanities grant.
from A peaceable kingdom:A death to us --Caring for animals --Death of a son --The child --Burying. --from The re-ordering of the stones:The coldness. --from Nature with man:Defense --Dandelion --Lilies of the valley --A strawberry plant --A daisy --Moss.from Amana grass:Divisions.
Hear@Buffalo: The Poetry Collection's Audio Archive
UB Only
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lib-pc002-PCR294.mp3
Hear@Buffalo - The Poetry Collection's Audio Archive
Jon Silkin., "[Poetry reading at the University at Buffalo, March 9, 1967] / Jon Silkin.," Digital Collections - University at Buffalo Libraries, accessed January 17, 2020, https://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/items/show/54164.


Check out our tips and tricks for Glyph 2. Note: in the guide, "strata" refers to the layers that need to cleared away to reveal the glyph underneath by making matches of three or more colored stones.
When matching, it's generally better to start at the top and work your way down. When you match at the bottom, potential matches at the top of the screen might get split up as the tiles fall.
You'll automatically be taken to the map screen after completing the mini-game, but you can build or upgrade monuments at any time by accessing the Map button from the game screen.
Quest mode ends when you run out of lives. However, when you start a new game you'll begin with your monuments and energy from the previous game.
You don't necessarily have to clear away all strata on the board to clear a level; just enough to reveal the glyph underneath.
If you've just made a match underneath a group of stones, you can be quick and click on the group before they fall to break the strata underneath them.
Some mini-tasks can only be completed once per level, and some are ongoing – in other words, you can (and should) do the task as many times as possible to rack up the points.
When you make a match, new tiles will fall from above to fill in the holes. In situations where this is not possible, such as underneath Solid Rock, random tiles will simply appear to fill in the spaces.
Making matches charges the power meter, but it will gradually drain the longer you go without making a match. The exception is when it has completely filled — then it will stay charged until you use it.
Look for opportunities to rack up energy. For example, find a level with a single, easy, repeating mini-task (like matching 50 blue tiles in 1 minute in level Water 3-1), and a slow timer. You can rack up a lot of energy by just matching blue tiles over and over again, and matching tiles will recharge your timer automatically, you don't have to worry about running out of time.
You'll lose a life if the level timer reaches zero (in other words, all the light drains out of the spiral at the bottom right of the screen). You can re-charge the timer by making matches or by using Gestures.
If you're desperate and about to run out of time, trying casting a low-level Row gesture – it will completely refill the timer.
In the Altar min-game, you don't have to trace the glyphs in the column in which they appear – you can trace them anywhere on the screen.
Lives are precious, because if you lose them all your game is completely over. So needless to say, don't waste them.
When you lose all your lives in Quest mode, you will start a new game keeping the monuments you've collected and the energy you had built up. If you want to start again from scratch, you must start a new player profile.
These stones can't be matched, and will fall to the bottom of the grid if matches are made underneath (but will not actually fall off the grid once they reach the bottom).
Destroy these with Gestures to get them off the grid.
A great trick to destroy Obsidian stones is to first use a Sort power-up to get them all lined up in a row (if you're lucky, they'll all gather at the bottom of the grid). Match the rest of the sorted glyphs to charge your power meter, then use the Horizontal Gesture to wipe out all the Obsidian stones at once.
Shadow stones only spread if you match the glyphs touching them. Otherwise, they'll stay put. If you're about to make a match that touches the Shadow glyph, the glyphs around it will darken as a warning.
These will appear randomly on the board. Certain monuments, such as the Oracle's Hermitage in the Wood realm, increase the likelihood of Light Stones appearing.
Match stones that are touching the Light Stone to activate its power; when activated, it will destroy any Shadow stones on the board. If there are no Shadow stones, it will destroy other colored stones.
These appear as metal circles with colored centers. Clicking on one will destroy all stones of that particular color on the board, without digging the strata underneath.
Chroma Bombs are good for clearing Broken Stones from the board, but try to avoid using them to clear normal stones off the board because you should be digging strata with these stones instead.
These squares will stay in one place and can only be destroyed with Gestures.
These stones gradually spread across the board, turning adjacent stones into Inferno stones as well. Their spread is dependent on time, not turn, so they will continue to spread the longer you wait.
Deal with Inferno Stones by nailing them with Gestures, or just try ot beat the level before they spread too far.
Any unused gestures at the end of the level will be converted into a power saver bonus.
You can tell which stones will be affected by a gesture because they will start to vibrate.
You can cast a Gesture in one of two ways: Either hold down the mouse and trace the gesture, or just click on the Gestures you wish to use in the lower left corner of the screen.
If you've selected a Gesture and then decide you don't want to use it, just click anywhere outside the grid and it will become de-selected.
Destroys stones in a given area (including Obsidian and Solid Rock), but does not dig strata.
Turns all stones the same color so that you can clear them all with a single click and dig a level of strata at the same time. Select the Gesture, then click on the specific color of stone in the grid that you wish to spread.
This is one of the most valuable Gestures in the game. Use it to clear hard-to-reach nooks and crannies on the board.
Don't select a Broken Stone color to use Paint with, since clicking on it won't dig any strata.
Paint turns Obsidian Stones, Solid Rock, Shadow Stones and Inferno Stones into colored stones, so it's a great way to clear the board of undesirable obstacles.
You want to try to have this Gesture at Level 3 Power at all times; doing so turns the entire board one color. At lower levels, the Gesture will paint a smaller area.
This Gesture requires no power to use.
If you're stuck, wait a few seconds and the game might throw you a bone in the form of this power-up, which can be used to shuffle around the stones and hopefully free up some new matches.
At level 1 power, 1 row is destroyed; at level 2 power, 3 rows are destroyed; and at level 3 power, 5 rows are destroyed.
Behaves in the same way as the Row Gesture, but destroys columns instead of rows.
Rearranges jumbled tiles into sections sorted by color.
A Level 3 Sort arranges all tiles into perfect rows, while lower level spells sort more haphazardly. This Gesture is only really effective at Level 3.
Once everything is sorted, clear the top layer first, then the middle, then the bottom. If you clear the bottom first then tiles will fall down to take their place and you'll lose the perfect sorting.
Try clearing as many crossed out tiles from the board before using a full-strength Sort power-up. That way, there will be more strata-digging stones on the board for you to click, and more of the board will be dug when you clear the sorted stones.
Destroys a small area of stones and digs strata. This power-up is useful for digging hard-to-reach strata in little nooks and crannies of the grid when Paint Gestures aren't available.
It costs 150 energy to build a monument, 75 to upgrade it to Level 2, and 70 to upgrade it to Level 3.
You can continue to build monuments in any zone even after you've cleared that zone. Simply go to the Map screen and scroll left or right by clicking on the arrows to access different zones.
1) Monuments that grant bonuses only in a certain zone, such as the Hut, which grants extra energy for levels completed in the Wood zone.
2) Monuments that grant bonuses based on stone color, like the Heart of Burning Power, which grants a chance of generating energy off of red stone matches. These monuments originate in the zone that the stone is native to (like red in the Fire zone), but the powers carry through the entire game.
3) Monuments that grant powers that aren't related to Zone or stone color, like the Wheel of Time, which slows the timer.
In earlier zones, it's more important to build monuments that grant you extra energy than ones that increase your power bar. Once you reach the Aether zone, however, power becomes increasingly important since the levels are much more difficult.
The first monument you build in each Zone should be the one that grants extra energy for completing levels in that zone. The earlier you do this, the more levels you'll get to complete with the bonus in place, and the more energy you'll rack up.
Below you'll find descriptions of each monument. I've ranked them in a rough order of importance based on the strategy of racking up as much energy in the beginning as possible.
Comment: This should be the first monument you build in the game. Upgrade it to level 3 before building any new monuments. It will allow you to earn extra energy for all levels you complete in the Wood zone.
Comment: If you lose all your lives in Quest mode it's Game Over, so this is another monument you should build and fully upgrade as soon as you can.
Comment: Again, it's a good idea to build this as quickly as possible so that you can start earning bonus energy every time you play the Altar of Creation mini-game.
Level 2 Power: Matching 5 or more green stones give a 4% chance of increasing your power by two levels.
Level 3 Power: Matching 5 or more green stones give an 8% chance of increasing your power to maximum power.
Comment: Levels in the Wood zone are pretty easy, so this monument likely won't be necessary.
Comment: Build it if you have a lot of extra energy left over, but even 8% isn't fantastic odds.
Comment: Again, 1% is a very low chance, but feel free to build this if you have extra energy.
Comment: The timer moves at different speeds depending on the level, and in certain levels the timer can move very fast, so this is definitely a good one to build.
Comment: Another useful monument to help you rack up bonus energy. This applies to monuments in any zone, not just the fire zone.
Comment: The priority of this monument depends on your reflexes. If you find that you're having trouble tracing all the monoliths in time in the Altar of Creation bonus levels, then building this monument will allow you to miss a few without penalty.
Comment: Every time you complete a mini-task (as outlined in the upper right corner of each level), you'll earn bonus energy, which is a nice little boost.
Comment: This is useful because it lets you see the exact location of the glyph below so you know which areas you need to clear and which you can ignore.
Comment: Since levels in the Metal zone are starting to get more complex and challenging, it might actually be a good idea to invest in this power and upgrade it to level 3 – it never hurts to have a level 3 Gesture available right at the beginning, especially if it happens to be Paint.
Comment: Having visual aids at the beginning of a level to show you were the matches are helps you clear away a nice chunk of strata immediately, and if you don't have the Temple to Titanuxx power-up yet, will give you a quick power boost as well.
Comment: Building this monument and upgrading it as soon as possible makes it much easier to clear Shadow stones from the board.
High: The Aether levels start to get quite difficult, so starting off each level with the ability to cast a level 3 Gesture is definitely a good thing.
Comment: This is the final zone, so depending on how much energy you've racked up at this point, you may or may not need to build this monument.
Comment: Light stones come in handy not just in clearing Shadow stones but in clearing other colors from the board. The downside is that they can get in the way and prevent you from making matches in tight spots.


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Reduta Dobrego Imienia
Polish League Against Defamation
Against producers of a TV series called "Generation War", created by German Broadcaster ZDF/2016/ ongoing
July 2016 marked the commencement of a lawsuit against the producers of the TV series "Generation War".
The lawsuit was brought by an over-ninety-year-old soldier of the Home Army (AK) and the World Association of Home Army Soldiers against the producers of the TV series "Generation War", i.e., UFA Fiction and ZDF (Second German Television), for violating the personal rights to national identity, to national pride, to national dignity, and to freedom from hate speech.
The TV series included scenes that suggested that the Home Army allegedly served as an accessory to the heinous crimes against Jewish people.
Germans, on the other hand, are portrayed de facto as victims of World War II.
Home Army soldiers demanded an apology on Polish national television (TVP) and on all networks where the TV series was broadcast, and PLN 25,000 as compensation for the violation of personal rights.
The case is handled pro publico bono by lawyers Monika Brzozowska-Pasieka and Jerzy Pasieka from the Pasieka, Derlikowski, Brzozowska and Partners law firm.
The League is covering the corresponding travel and accommodation costs incurred by Home Army soldiers.
The TV series tells the story of five residents of Berlin in their twenties during World War II, and specifically shortly before the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. One of the protagonists is Viktor, a German of Jewish descent. Because of his Jewish origin, he is sent to Auschwitz, a German death camp in Poland. But he escapes from the train to join a Home Army unit. He takes part in a number of military operations, and he is known for his courage among his brothers-in-arms. However, when they find out that he is a Jew, he has to leave the unit, as the unit in general, from officers to rank-and-file soldiers, is clearly antisemitic.
The TV series as a whole portrays the Home Army and its soldiers in a peculiar, negative light, in each scene involving the unit (from the moment Victor joins the unit, to all the operations, including the climax one involving the train full of people in striped uniforms, bargaining for food with villagers, and, finally, Viktor's expulsion from the unit). Portrayed as part of the Home Army, the unit seems to be a gang of robbers and other criminals, dressed in semi-civilian, semi-military fake uniforms. All unit members seem to be filled to the bone with passionate hatred towards Jews. Given their behaviour, they are just a group of criminals, who partially disguise themselves by wearing uniforms and white and red armbands with large letters "AK" (worn by all "guerillas" in the film), as if to tell the audience what type of thugs they are (no such armbands were actually worn, except for the Warsaw Uprising). In the TV series, the "guerillas" take every opportunity to make derogatory remarks about Jews, as if their whole life (under the German occupation) revolved entirely around this issue. All characters representing Poles are disgusting individuals who can only repulse the audience.
The producers of the TV series are sued by a 90+ year-old captain, who, being 16 years old, was arrested along with his entire family by the Gestapo in 1940 (because of a foul-up at the print shop responsible for publishing the underground magazine "Walka" [The Fight]) and transported away in 1941 to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp (camp number 8258). Husbands of his mother's sisters, who were arrested with him by the Gestapo, died in the camp. He was released from prison as a result of efforts made by the Wedel family. After his return from the camp to Warsaw, he joined the resistance in the Union of Armed Struggle (ZWZ) and then fought in the Chrobry battalion. In 1942, at his own request, he was transferred to the 1st School Assault HMG Company, 4th Region, 5th District, Home Army, Warsaw City Centre. His mother's sister was involved with the Żegota organisation, while he participated in many operations to rescue and hide people of Jewish origin. His aunt appears, e.g., in W. Bartoszewski's "Ten jest z ojczyzny mojej" [This one is from my Homeland]. Following his graduation from the NCO Infantry School on 11 November 1943 he was promoted. He fought in the Mokotów District during Warsaw Uprising. After the surrender of the Uprising, he ended up in Stalag (German prison camp) XB Sandbostel as a prisoner of war (registered under number 221371). Following the camp's liberation, he became Polish Army soldier in Italy, and later served in the Polish II Corps which was part of the British Army. In December 1945, he managed to get to Poland to live in Kraków. In 1951, he was arrested by officers of the Public Security Office, accused of espionage and sentenced to 12 years in prison. During the so-called "Gomulka's thaw", the legal classification was changed from espionage to participation "in an organisation", and after the amnesty of 1956, he was released.


text:
Liverpool's 8 Creepiest Ghosts and Hauntings
The Penny Lane Poltergeist
Speke Hall, Liverpool
The Empire Theatre
The Queensway Tunnel
Newsham Park Hospital
Adelphi Hotel
Anfield Stadium
5 Haunted Places to Visit in Liverpool
Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool
Otterspool
Breeze Hill
Sir Thomas Street
Guest writer DOMINIC McELROY is a lead paranormal investigator for Irish Paranormal Investigations and a lifelong Liverpool F.C. fan who has been to Liverpool more times than all their cup and league wins combined. In honour of his favourite player Steven Gerrard, Dominic tells us his favourite 8 haunted locations in Liverpool.
Made famous by The Beatles, number 44 Penny Lane was host to a poltergeist who spanned pre and post WWII and The Beatles themselves. Believed to be a young blonde-haired girl, activity started in around the time of the first world war and continued to more recent times. Following interest from local media, residents of Penny Lane began to step forward and tell of thuds, bangs, apparitions and vibrating walls.
Speke Hall is a Tudor style National Trust building on the banks of the River Mersey. Considered to be a hotbed of hauntings from a Victorian Gardener to a priest, this picturesque location has the darkest of stories to tell. In the 18th century Lady Mary was a notable affluent woman of social standing. She married a playboy who gambled and played away every penny they had. On hearing the news, she threw their baby son from the window before committing suicide in the Great Hall. Footsteps are often heard along with the sound of a baby crying.
Dating back to the 19th Century, The Empire Theatre was an old-time music hall. One of the staff was on stage cleaning, when a piece of equipment fell on her. Elizabeth tumbled into the Orchestra Pit and broke her neck. It was written off as an accident, but the equipment needed someone to have caused it to drop. She remains in the theatre, usually seat A5, perhaps waiting for the truth to come out. She is one of many seen within the theatre and they have scared so much, workmen carrying out restoration at the end of the 1990s downed tools and walked out in fear!
Also known as the Old Tunnel or Birkenhead Tunnel, it runs under the River Mersey and is over 2 miles long. It was famously featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. During the 1960s a female pillion passenger was flung from the saddle and died instantly. Since then cars have swerved to avoid her ghostly apparition and crashed. A vintage spectral police car is also seen in the tunnel.
The former orphanage and mental asylum was in operation until the end of the 1990s. One nurse in particular reported ongoing phenomena only to be found dead on a ward some time later. As the building lays to rot with wheelchairs and beds rusting, reports continue of apparitions and activity in this Grade II listed building.
Not the smallest of burial grounds, there are just shy of 60000 corpses buried within. Unusual for a cemetery, there are several reported spectres including William Huskisson, an MP who has the unusual honour of being the first person to be run over by Stephenson's Rocket. What was left of him was interred at Saint James' and the sightings began soon after.
First the site of a hotel in 1826, the Adelphi has been rebuilt upon and guests have included Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan. Ghosts who have a permanent reservation include a pageboy who was trapped in a lift and a suicide victim known as George, who has a ghostly habit of shouting from the window to passers-by! Read 7 Haunted Liverpool Pubs To Visit.
In 2008 when rumours were abundant of Liverpool looking for a new ground, workers reported seeing the apparition of the legendary Bill Shankly. The iconic Liverpool manager has his ashes buried within the shadows of Anfield and famously gave his address as such to a hotel as 'that's where he lived.' Perhaps the thought of his beloved Anfield being reduced to rubble was just too much!
It would appear Liverpool is a city where you truly never walk alone.
(Originally published on Spooky Isles 26 January 2013)
HOWARD JACKSON takes a look at some of Liverpool's spookiest locations, including the world-famous Beatle landmark Penny Lane!
If you do not want to hang around after dying and you are called George and live in Liverpool, think about changing your name. Of the 37 ghosts that haunt the city the most popular name is George. These five five are well worth looking at. So, enjoy the atmosphere of a city that relishes the past more than most. Visitors that are called George should be fine.
The old, famous and once very grand Aldephi Hotel in Liverpool is still popular with those who come to see the Grand National. It occupies pride of place in the city centre and is the other side of Lime Street, the same street Maggie May had to abandon when her career in prostitution was terminated. George has been seen in the Adelphi several times and by different guests. He stands by the beds on the fifth floor. The rumour is he likes to observe out of town racing folk.
Out in the suburbs but not too far away is Penny Lane, the location made famous by The Beatles and popular with tourists. It is near to the enormous Abbey Cinema, now destroyed, and a sorely missed gothic monument. Number 44 is the house that suffers the visitations. The ghost has not been seen but witnesses have testified to hearing his loud and very creepy footsteps.
For those who think Scousers only drink and watch football, we have ghosts who are well read and inspired by the great authors. A fan of the classic supernatural story, 'The Signalman', the ghost around Otterspool Rail Station appears waving a red flag. The history of the ghost is recent. In 1951, a teenager was saved from being killed by a train. The rescuer, though, died and he is still there waving his red flag, as anxious as the hero created by Charles Dickens. There is a fine coastal walk from Otterspool, pick a fine day.
Breeze Hill, Walton is busy with traffic and many travel it once a fortnight to Anfield to watch the world famous Liverpool football team. It also has a special attraction for the paranormal. Two of the old terraced houses have hauntings. George, there is that name again, was once a former slave. The experience has left this George full of anger. No merely standing by beds for this George. He has slapped one man as he lay on the bed. A woman who rented the property was forced to flee the premises. She was in tears and she screamed something about an angry spirit. There is, though, a decent pub around the corner. Visitors can combine a look at the famous street with a pint and a visit to the two football stadiums.
This old street is located in the city centre and is popular with the young that roam between bars. There is much to do and see. Before I began drinking, I was given my first job in Sir Thomas Street at something called the Youth Employment Bureau. In the same street, a ghost has been heard in a toilet. It issues warnings about future events and since Cameron became Prime Minister has been quite busy. Fortunately, the ghost is not confined to the loo. It has been seen climbing stairs and passing doors. The toilet is significant. A woman was supposedly murdered close to the toilets where the warnings are heard. This is just the thing for the curious but you have been warned.
HOWARD JACKSON is the author of Treat Me Nice Elvis, his music and the Frankenstein Creature. He is also one of the contributors to Frankenstein Galvanized which is edited by Claire Bazin. Treat Me Nice and Frankenstein Galvanized are published by Red Rattle Books, which can be followed on Twitter here.
Haunted Places to Visit
Haunted Places to Visit in England
Contact us now on our Contact Page if you'd like to write for Spooky Isles!
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Top 5 Haunted Lancaster Pubs to visit
CHRIS NEWTON visits some of Lancaster's most haunted pubs to check out the spirits for us…
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JACOB MILNESTEIN investigates the real-life North London locations that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula
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John Tantalon, from North Edinburgh Nightmares, tells Spooky Isles ghostly tales from the Scottish capital.
Dark ghosts, not all human, at haunted Athelhampton House
RICK HALE delves into the historical mysteries and hauntings of Athelhampton House in Dorset
Cambridge: Top 5 Haunted Places to Visit
Cambridge is full of paranormal hotspots. TRACY MONGER lists five haunted places to visit in the historic university town...


text:
/**
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describe('activities with replyToId', () => {
  test('should render when the predecessor is lost', () => runHTMLTest('replyToId.subsequentSetOfActivities.html'));
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Home Press Releases FG reiterates commitment to Sport Development
FG reiterates commitment to Sport Development
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to sport development in the country with the promise to continually sustain support given to Nigerian Athletes within and across the globe.
The Minister of Youth and Sport Development, Mr. Sunday Dare gave the assurance today in his office in Abuja, when the Nigerian-American professional Mixed Martial Arts UFC Champion, Kamurudeen Usman paid him a courtesy call.
According to him, "I warmly welcome you to the Ministry of Youth and Sport Development for deeming it fit to pay a courtesy call to the Ministry after your great heights of achievement in Mixed Martial Arts. This is because you have identified with the Ministry that has the mandate for sport development in the country."
Mr. Dare who eulogised Kamarudeen as a patriotic citizen with the Nigerian spirit, stressed that a large number of Nigerian youth are sports loving people and that the visit will leave a pathway to the recruitment of the youth in the sport.
"We are looking at growing the sport in Nigeria by involving majority of our young ones in the sport and you stand a better position to mentor Nigerian youth in the sport" he said.
The Minister assured further that the Sports Ministry will work with Kamarudeen at the National level and that it will give necessary support to sustain his height of achievements.
Mr. Dare who thanked Kamarudeen the reigning UFC Welterweight Champion for coming home to identify and share his success story, added that the greatest beneficiary of the visit is the youth of our country who are interested in the mixed martial arts game.
Earlier in his speech, Mr. Kamarudeen expressed appreciation to the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in particular, for its commitment to sports development in the country.
He explained that his mission is to effect a change around the world and achieving this change is by creating a foundation of mixed martial arts champions in which young Nigerians can actually see a future different than where they are presently and create a platform for a lasting legacy in other to move Nigeria forward.
Mr. Kamarudeen currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is the reigning UFC Welterweight Champion.
John Olatunji
Asst. Chief Inf.
For: DIRECTOR-PRESS
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF YOUTH AND SPORTS
FG Sport Development
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As part of our Book Week Scotland celebration, the children were asked to bring into school their favourite books.
Primary 1 pupils particularly enjoyed sharing their stories with the rest of the class and telling them just why they love them so much.
The children were also encouraged to work with a partner to read and retell their stories to each other.


For this USD 58 million power plant project in Iraq by Kavin Engineering and Services, the remote location of the site and the extreme weather conditions required that all of the equipment, piping, structural steel, and instrumentation and electrical components be built as modules in Malaysia, and placed into containers. These containers where then transported by sea, road, and rail to Iraq and then assembled on site. This approach significantly reduced the amount of work on site, and enabled the project to be completed in a mere five months.
Because all elements were prebuilt and then assembled on site, it was crucial to minimize risk of clashes in the design process. Kavin Engineering and Services used Bentley 3D design tools including AutoPLANT, ProSteel, and STAAD.Pro. They then used Bentley Navigator to review the model and ensure it was clash free. The team extracted drawings directly from the 3D models.
Since all clashes were identified and adjusted beforehand, the risk involved during the construction phase in Iraq was virtually reduced to zero. The drawings issued to Malaysia for construction were also more accurate, which resulted in the company completing the project ahead of schedule and increasing profit by USD 1 million. Interoperability among applications reduced engineering time by 30-40%.
The interoperability between STAAD.Pro and ProSteel allowed the team to share data, which reduced the time typically required to create the ProSteel model. The dynamic update of 2D drawings saved rework time in issuing the documents and the ability to import data from STAAD.Pro to STADD.foundation reduced man-hours by 50%.
Using 3D models, the company completed the project ahead of schedule and increased profit by USD 1 million.
AutoPLANT, ProSteel, STAAD.Pro, and Bentley Navigator interoperability reduced engineering time by 30-40%.


These Dunnage Bags are extremely strong as detailed in our video below where we actually drop a Nissan Navarra on to one to prove the strength.
Dunnage air bags come in a variety of sizes and can be small or up to 2 metres in height. These dunnage bags have incredible flexibility and can be placed inside a container, in a pallet box, or around products or other objects. They provide excellent product protection and padding, preventing your goods from taking damage in transit. Best of all, they can be reused. Simply deflate at the end of the transit and reinflate as and when you need product protection.
Traditionally, Dunnage Bags have been used for filling the void between pallets in transit, thus securing them in place and preventing product damage.
However, we have now on a number of occasions utilised them in combination with wooden pallet collars to create the ultimate product protection for products within a crate. The ability to match dunnage air bags to a void makes them instrumental in the construction and implementation of product protection, either in ships' holds or trucking containers.
In two examples recently, one from a pump company and one from a precision engineering firm, we've created the crate around the product with our Wooden Pallet Collars and then, to fill the void between the product and sides of the crate, we've utilised Exporta's Dunnage Air Bags.
These bags have held the products securely and safely, decreasing the likelihood of the products taking any damage in transit. So far, feedback has been superb. The sturdiness of the pallet collars combined with the flexibility of the air bags has gone down a storm and we think that there are more applications similar to this out there for these fantastic products.
In the past, there has been issue with what to do with traditional dunnage – often loose wood or heavy materials – upon arrival at the destination. Sometimes the dunnage cannot be offloaded due to customs duties on imported timber or materials, other times quarantine rules restrict the movement of dunnage from ship to shore. As a result, unwanted dunnage is often jettisoned overboard and adds to the local area's driftwood problem. This can cause damage to the natural ecosystem and, if allowed to build up, have serious impact on the local community.
Dunnage bags mitigate some of this issue. Thanks to the fact that they can be deflated and reused, once products have arrived at their intended (or even unintended) destination, they can be deflated and stored. This means that they take up less space, reducing the issue of unwanted dunnage. This in turn reduces the desire for the ship's captain to jettison unwanted, space-consuming, heavy dunnage. It is these seemingly small improvements in the transportation industry that make large knock-on impacts to operational costs, as well as helping reduce environmental impact in an industry notorious for waste and environmental damage.
Dunnage has long been a requirement for the transit of products via shipping routes. Rough seas, hard sailing, and delicate manoeuvring of a ship through unsafe areas could all cause goods in the hold to slide around or fall over, damaging goods and causing a loss in profit for the shipping company and/or the merchant.
To combat this, heavy, weighted material was draped over barrels and crates and scrap wooden placed in between them to restrict movement. This worked to an extent, but there were several issues. The weight of the dunnage meant that ships could carry less cargo, increasing the cost of shipping and reducing profits across the board. Dunnage was also often jettisoned after unloading, as an empty ship has no need for material to weigh down its cargo and an empty ship can travel faster, meaning more trips can be completed in the same amount of time.
This was the industry standard for years as there was no viable alternative. As material science and production capabilities advanced, however, a new option was born. In 1970, the dunnage air bag, also known either as a dunnage bag or dunnage airbag, was introduced. The initial material used was rubber, giving the dunnage bag expandability, durability, and flexibility. Over time, this design morphed into a Kraft paper outer with a plastic (polyethylene) inner lining. The outer paper lining is made of the highest quality, lightweight Kraft paper of high tensile strength. The inner polyethylene lining provides optimum pressure and the outer Kraft paper lining provides optimum strength. When used for the chemical industry, dunnage bags can be polycoated. A polycoat can make the dunnage bag resistant to specific chemicals.
The other main type of dunnage air bag is a woven polypropylene dunnage bag. Woven Polypropylene bags are extremely durable and can be used in dry and wet conditions. These dunnage bags are best for extreme heavy loads.
Poly woven dunnage airbags have greater elasticity than Kraft paper dunnage airbags for more surface contact with the pallets. Poly woven material provides greater tear strength, and superior moisture resistance than most other dunnage bag materials. Poly woven dunnage airbags typically have greater reuse opportunities, due to the durability of the woven material, and are recyclable.
Dunnage air bags are of no use by themselves. Like many things in life, they work best in partnership with others. If you are looking to buy dunnage air bags today, you may also be interested in our plastic pallet range. Our business at Exporta was built on plastic pallets. We understand plastic pallets. We live plastic pallets. If we could, we would breathe plastic pallets.


When processing active pharmaceutical ingredients (API's), containment is imperative. Not only does this protect the product from contamination, but it also ensures operators are protected from exposure to the highly hazardous materials.
Additional clamps were added to the contact parts in question. When closed, the clamps keep the underpan, mesh screen and lid sealed together, and all parts can be carried jointly to a containment booth for cleaning. As the Russell Compact Sieve® is inherently an enclosed sieve to provide contained sieving during operation, these are the only parts that would be in contact with the API's. Therefore, sealing these components together effectively contains the harmful material, meaning the exterior surfaces are safe to handle, and the sealed unit can be carried by the operator to a containment booth.


text:
Blowing stuff up in outer space; Cal State San…
Blowing stuff up in outer space; Cal State San Bernardino enters the galaxy of game design
By Andrew Edwards | aedwards@scng.com | Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
PUBLISHED: December 3, 2009 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: August 29, 2017 at 10:43 a.m.
SAN BERNARDINO – The art and science of video game design is part of the curriculum at Cal State San Bernardino.
"Vector Force," for sale as an indie game to XBox Live users, is the first video game to be designed at the campus.
Computer science professors and the student who led Vector Force's design said the process is a way to learn the principals of "computational thinking."
"It's learning how to program and what to program," student and lead "Vector Force" designer Mark Chapman said. "It's taking those concepts and applying them to any field."
"Vector Force" is a shooter in the mold of games like "Raiden," "Ikaruga" or just about any of the pizza-parlor classics that have involved spacecraft and explosions since the days of "Space Invaders."
Players take control of a star fighter and view the action from an overhead perspective while they try to survive attacks from wave after wave of enemy craft.
Vector Force's graphics are comparable to those of games offered for the Nintendo 64 or original PlayStation. The game contains the traditional elements of its genre: an insane amount of enemy fire, power-up after power-up and massive boss enemies.
Computer science and engineering professors Arturo Concepcion and David Turner observed that the kind of thinking that goes into "Vector Force" can be applied to game design – Chapman's career objective – or other applications in the universe of computer programming.
But whichever fields future graduates enter, the campus' computer science and engineering is not done with gaming.
The more ambitious follow-up to "Vector Force" is currently titled "Mythic." The plan is to craft a massive online world similar to games like "World of Warcraft."
The new project's premise is a world where three rival nations must confront something called "The Mythic" in the aftermath of what Chapman called an "atomic bomb of magic."
There's also the part about using games, which have evolved from childhood diversions into a mass entertainment force on the level of movies and television – to train a new generation of programmers.
"What we want is to use the 'Mythic' game to attract young kids to computing," Concepcion said.
andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
Andrew Edwards | reporter
Andrew Edwards is part of the Southern California News Group's business team and focuses on housing stories for the Inland Empire. He's based at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and has also worked for publications including the Long Beach Press-Telegram and The San Bernardino Sun. He graduated from UCLA in 2003 after studying political science and history.
aedwards@scng.com
Follow Andrew Edwards	@AndrewEdwardsIE