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Not Fade Away
An industry career spanning four decades, Michael Muskat, president of Deer Stags and makers of NoSox, knows a hit when he sees one – and how to run with it when opportunity knocks.
Greg Dutter | October 24, 2012
Call it destiny, fate, preordained or whatever, but Michael Muskat always knew he'd make a living in the shoe business. And, for 40-plus years and still going strong, he has done exactly that—selling a ton of shoes, primarily men's styles under the Deer Stags brand. Now with the successful debut of NoSox this spring, a casual hybrid brand, the offering includes women's and kids' styles.
That inevitability of a career in footwear stems largely from the fact that Muskat was born into the business. His father and uncles—dating back to post-World War II—served as territory shoe salesmen, selling Jarman and Fortune brands, among others, for General Shoe Corporation (known today as Genesco). As a young child, whenever it was time for the family to hop into the car, Muskat's father made room by unloading the sample cases while the occasional order pad left behind served as doodling paper for the kids. "I always thought I'd grow up to do the same: get a territory, pack my bags and go out and sell shoes," he confirms. Muskat did just that beginning in the late '60s. His family had made the leap into importing with the launch of Dunbar Boot Company, which made its mark as one of the first U.S. importers of cowboy boots. It was under the Dan Post label for Acme Boot Company. That factory was based in Majorca, Spain, and happened to be next to another shoe factory. "My father asked if my brother (Rick) and I would be interested in importing shoes," he says. "That became Glen Shoe Company, which is basically what we still are today just under a different name and, of course, now importing from China primarily."
Muskat, who oversees product and marketing while his brother controls the backroom, has experienced his share of sales runs over the years, including a particularly explosive one when the company held the Saturday Night Fever license in the late '70s. "It didn't get any hotter than that," he recalls, noting it included 2- and 4-inch heel shoes for men, which was groundbreaking at the time. "That's when the men's fashion craze really exploded. Guys wanted to look like John Travolta and get decked out on Saturday nights. It was fun and the trends changed constantly." The company later focused on private label manufacturing for leading wholesalers such as Rockport and Nunn Bush during the late '80s comfort revolution and then renewed its focus on branded business with the acquisition of Deer Stags (hence the name change) in the early '90s. In addition to Deer Stags, the stable of brands today includes the men's brands Rockadelic, Detour and Soft Stags as well as the aforementioned and current center of attention, NoSox.
Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel.
What one word best describes you?
Driven.
From a lifestyle standpoint, it's the Rolling Stones. I am 66 years old and have been following those guys since my 20s, and they're still doing it and so am I.
Who is your favorite character in literature?
Peter Pan. He had a great philosophy on life, which is to stay young.
Who would be your most coveted dinner guest?
Not being political but just for his personality, it'd be Bill Clinton.
What might people be surprised to know about you?
I always say what I feel, so I'm not quite sure there is anything surprising to know about me.
What is your motto?
Sales cure all ills.
What is your favorite hometown memory?
I was born and raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and my favorite memories are of coming home from public school and playing in the local playground.
Regarding the latter brand, Muskat believes NoSox has the legs to make a big sales run. All initial signs point to it. For starters, he reports that NoSox's initial 250 specialty comfort retailers have all re-ordered for fall. "It's been phenomenal. I haven't had this good of a feeling in 30 years," Muskat gushes. He adds, "They are offering ideas about how we can grow the business together. It's terrific." To that end, Muskat predicts the sky's the limit and expects NoSox to grow within its existing account base next year as well as add more specialty independents to its roster. "I would be very disappointed if second-year sales didn't do three times the volume," he maintains.
So why does NoSox have that coveted buzz that so many other start-ups fail to garner? As much as everyone would like there to be a fool-proof recipe, Muskat admits you never really know until it's presented to buyers. They are the ultimate tasters. But there have been some key ingredients that went into the NoSox pot that shouldn't be overlooked. For starters, Muskat designed the collection on a single oblique last for cost efficiencies as well as creating a signature look. "NoSox is not intended to be a full-line shoe company," he says. "I want it to be more like Toms, Palladium or Dr. Martens—brands that are all known basically for one item as opposed to, for example, Easy Spirit, which represents eight million different things."
Secondly, Muskat says the hybrid design zeros in on a long line of utilitatian fashion hits that span Ugg to Merrell to Toms. They are all versatile, easy-on and -off, with or without socks and suitable in the office or in the park. Interestingly, the whole NoSox concept grew out of a casual conversation Muskat had with a colleague. The two veterans were discussing—lamenting, really—the state of the industry and, specifically, how the athletic business had virtually taken over the entire casual shoe market for the past 30 years. "We were kidding that if anybody could come up with a casual shoe that's kind of a sneaker but not really a sneaker, yet had all the bells and whistles that stimulate a person to buy an athletic shoe to wear for casual purposes, then they would really be on to something," Muskat explains. Soon after he got together with his design team and created a collection of shoes that hit on those touchstones, beginning with it being extremely lightweight "NoSox is a great crossover product," he offers. "It's a true hybrid, because the side profile looks like an athletic shoe and from the top it looks casual." As for the name, it's catchy, apropos and happened to be lying fallow in the company archives. Sometimes, Muskat notes, the shoe business can be serendipitous like that.
Another key ingredient of the NoSox recipe: strictly targeting specialty comfort retailers—those that Muskat believes are the only ones willing and able to introduce new product concepts. And, unlike the Deer Stags tier, can do so at a higher price point (in the case, $60 to $90). Muskat is grateful such buyers still exist, albeit in far fewer overall numbers. He fondly remembers the days when one could call on thousands of such buyers. While ever an optimist who hopes the future will be his favorite era, he considers the '70s and '80s to be the golden age for selling shoes. Back then the company's offices were located on 34th Street in Manhattan, which was ground zero. "You could call on Macy's and Gimbels in the morning, E.J. Korvette just before lunch, Franklin Simon & Co. after lunch and B. Altman that evening, and you hadn't even left the block yet!" he exclaims What's more, Muskat says, there was plenty of room for everybody to hawk their shoes. And the cherry on top: the emphasis was on product and not markdown money requirements and other financial tourniquets that often kill creative aspects of the business. "I'm a product guy," Muskat professes, noting back then buyers and wholesalers traveled like a band of gypsies as they'd shop the European markets twice a year in search of the next great trends. "We would go out at night together where the main conversation was always about which was the best last, the best pattern, the hottest colors, etc.," he says. "Today, it's bottom-line driven. You don't have as many merchants involved as you did then, and I miss that aspect a lot."
Ain't that the truth and Muskat's frankness is refreshing. And while he has seen it all from an industry perspective, including the shifts in sourcing that read like a whirlwind world tour and the economic challenges that one must weather just to survive, he continues to press on because the opportunity to create that next hot item always exists. That potential windfall never goes away, regardless of the overall economic climate or retail landscape. A hot item, Muskat says, is just that: waiting to explode at retail because the consumers' need factor coupled with the want can equal the next $100-million idea.
That potential jackpot is what keeps Muskat coming to work each day after all of these years. That and the lifelong musician's soundproof studio he installed in the offices located in Manhattan's Flatiron district. He and three co-workers are also band members of the Offshoots (Muskat plays bass), and the group performs monthly gigs around Greenwich Village. For Muskat, the hunger to sell shoes—and to play rock 'n' roll—never subsides. "No matter how bad the economy is or how much buyers may be [complaining], brands are able to do it. And we believe we can do it, too," he confirms. "But you can't make it happen just because you want it to. The product has to be right."
Is it true that everyone in this business is potentially one item away from a $100-million idea?
Absolutely. You've got to keep throwing things out there until one of them hits. Although today, with the economy and sourcing as challenging as it is, you have to be more deliberate in your thinking. You just can't go off to the factories, design a line and hope something sticks. You've got to offer something that fills an opening that the market will accept. Basically, you know if you do within 10 minutes of the first shoe show you exhibit at.
Did you have a gut feeling with NoSox right away?
When I showed the first samples to my team—many of whom have been in the business a long time—the reaction was confused. They didn't know if they liked it, but nobody said they didn't. So I thought maybe I had something. We then went to the Platform show in Las Vegas where set up a major display and we were flooded with buyers and distributors, who wanted to represent the line in Europe and Asia, which we wouldn't do. We then culled down the line and keyed-in on the retailers we wanted to sell first. It's been a very carefully planned project for the past year and a half.
Is NoSox hitting on a new niche, or is it taking share from something else?
Everything takes share from something else because there's X amount of feet and X amount of dollars out there. But you never want to hear buyers say that they are already covered in that. We didn't hear that with respect to NoSox. People kept saying that the shoes looked cool and unique, that they're light and feel comfortable, and that they wanted a pair for themselves. It's truly a fresh concept.
A lot of new brands jump out of the gate only to quickly crash and burn because the growth wasn't managed properly. How will you avoid such pitfalls regarding NoSox?
Everything has a life span, but look at how long Birkenstock has gone on. And I say this in a loving way; it's an ugly sandal that started out with a granola customer and then it became fashionable and it since has largely gone back to its original customer base. Yet it is still a huge business worldwide. Same for Converse All-Star—it lives, it dies and now it's huge again. Dr. Martens is another example. It's all a matter of the product and the company behind it that keeps it relevant. Along those lines, our spring collection virtually sold out as retailers re-ordered throughout the season as we are a total fulfillment house.
NoSox looks to be another in a long line of popular utilitarian styles. Merrell's Jungle Moc being one example.
Absolutely. But just claiming it offers all of those utilitarian benefits doesn't preclude the fact that it still has to stand by itself. It's interesting that you mentioned Merrell. The brand was doing a tremendous amount of business overseas just before it introduced the Jungle Moc to the U.S. And during one of my European shopping trips I brought a pair of Jungle Mocs to review with our design team as we are always looking how we might interpret unique shoes in our Deer Stags line. My brother just laughed that shoe off the table and said, "Next." To his defense, it didn't make any sense on the one hand—a men's sneaker clog—but, on the other hand, it made all the sense in the world. It's very strange, but you don't know what makes a winner until it's a winner. Similarly, you don't know why certain brand names resonate and others don't.
Are you fortunate just to have one great run in this business?
Well, you can't survive this business long-term with only one great run. A good run comes every four to five years; that's normally the timeline for getting another hot shoe. Now to succeed like Toms, FitFlops or Crocs, for example, all of the elements have to fall into place at the right time. But you can't control all of the elements. Right now, the independent retailer is the only tier with an appetite to test new products. Whereas at the Deer Stags end of the retail spectrum, they don't have an appetite to test anything.
How would you describe Deer Stags' niche in the marketplace?
First off, Deer Stags is the heart and soul of our business, which it has been for the last 20 or so years. I look at it as commodity footwear for men, as we are positioned in the lower mid-tier like in Burlington Coat Factory and Sears. We make shoes that men have to have. The guy needs a quality pair of shoes for work. It's foot covering, but it's fashionable and functional. You often see guys wearing their Deer Stags with jeans as well. Moreover, the Deer Stags customer—what used to represent the middle class—doesn't have the luxury of buying many pairs of shoes today. My customer is often working two jobs and his wife is working, as well. If anybody is going to get a second pair of shoes, it's going to be the wife or the kids first.
Have Deer Stags sales been good this year?
We've had better years, but it certainly wasn't a bad year. I attribute a lot of our success of late to our position in the marketplace and where the economy stands. Some of the top brands in our tier, like Rockport, might be priced at $80 or $90 and Deer Stags is at $40 to $50. If the economy is good, the guy who couldn't afford anything buys our shoes. And if the economy tanks, the guy that doesn't want to spend $80 comes down to buy our shoes. We are pulling from both of those bases as the economy is sort of in the middle.
How hard is it to appeal to a customer with a finite amount of disposable income? Can you blow them away with product?
You can and we do. Our packaging and product is as good as a $200-brand presentation. When that customer leaves with a pair of Deer Stags he feels like he is buying an authentic brand. We also have a terrific customer service department and we are very interactive on social media. We believe our customer is proud of that purchase and loyal to our brand.
Has the recent influx of color into men's footwear reached Deer Stags?
It doesn't really play with us. My guy [wears] black, black, black and sometimes brown. He doesn't have the income to change his shoes because he changed the colors of his clothes.
So how do you grow Deer Stags, or is more a case of maintaining that base?
We're always trying to grow. One way is by getting more SKUs into our existing accounts, and that could be by adding some seasonal product. For example, Deer Stags does a great slipper business. And we are always trying to sell those we don't sell yet. But let's not kid ourselves, the number of buyers today in that tier has been reduced by 80 percent than what it was in the '70s.
A pessimist might say those odds aren't worth it. What makes you keep battling?
Because we've got a profitable business filled with people who come to work every day and I feel a responsibility to them to keep this thing going. And it's going well. For example, we are looking at other markets, like with NoSox. That's how you grow.
What's the biggest challenge facing your business right now?
First of all, we have to sell to more retailers. We have to grow our business. If we want NoSox to be a $100-million brand we obviously can't only sell to 250 retailers; we have to get up into the thousands. So that's one challenge, taking into account the high cost of putting salespeople on the road. Then there's the design challenge in that you've got to keep your product at a level so the consumer wants to keep buying it. And the third challenge is sourcing, which is the hardest aspect for anybody in the shoe business today, and that's regardless of it being men's, women's or kids' product or what tier it's sold in. Sourcing has become an absolute nightmare over the last three years.
Are you planning to move it out of China?
Not at the moment. We are fortunate to have several factories that we have dealt with for years and NoSox is riding the tails of Deer Stags, in this regard. We give them a hell of a lot of volume each year and they believe in us. But anybody that says they are not driven by price is a fool. So as long as I can keep my prices in line, I will stay. But if it goes up to a certain point, then I'm going to have to start moving production elsewhere, which I've done since I started Glen Shoe Company. It has gone from Majorca, Spain, to mainland Spain to Italy to Brazil to Taiwan, back to Brazil and to China. Now we are moving deeper into China, because the biggest part of Deer Stags involves synthetic materials and there is really nowhere else in the world right now that you can make shoes at the quality for that price. But I even bought shoes out of Pakistan until about two years ago when the State Department showed me where the bombs were going off and we decided to source from somewhere else. As far as leather shoes, there's talk about it moving to Italy, India and Vietnam. We'll see.
Might production move to the United States more as well?
I hear a lot about bringing production back to America. In fact, the drummer in my band recently sent out an email that requested everyone to stop buying anything that was not made in the U.S. When I explained to him that our band is primarily financed by Chinese people making Deer Stags, he reconsidered (laughs). The fact is our first big item back in the '70s was the Jazz oxford, which we produced in Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts. We made hundreds of thousands of pairs. And we would be thrilled making shoes in those factories again, but EPA regulations helped put a stop to that coupled with the fact that Americans no longer wanted to work in shoe factories. So they closed as did ones in North Carolina and Arkansas that we also used to source out of. Now if you're willing to pay a minimum of $150 for a pair, I think I could swing making shoes in this country again. But if you want to pay $29.99, I don't know how we are going to be able to make them here.
What do you think has been your best survival trait and enabled you to stay in business all of these years?
We've always been on top of our market. With respect to Deer Stags, we really know who our consumer is. We have had an ongoing love affair with them. From the day the Internet started, we have been reaching out to them. In return, we have a very strong, loyal consumer base that loves our products. We are also safe. Thus, we haven't been hit like a lot of the brands on the fringe. For example, we are not hurt by a warm winter or a cold summer because we are not seasonal. We are a 12-months-a-year business. Again, we are in the commodity footwear business, and I say that with pride because there is always a need for a commodity.
It sounds simple enough, but it's not that easy.
It's not. Nothing is easy. Except for playing a three-chord blues song, perhaps.
Would you say Deer Stags is better off than it was four years ago?
For starters, my 401K is a lot better than it was four years ago, as is everybody's in the company. And we haven't let people go during this time, which I feel terrific about. In addition, I believe we are much better off because NoSox is looking like it's going to explode. Given the current economic conditions and the general mentality of retailers, we're very fortunate to have a brand sizzling the way it is.
How would you describe the consumer's overall mindset right now?
The fact is too many consumers still don't have a job. Once they get one and start to feel good about themselves again, then they will want to shop more and look good as well as have a good time again. Right now, the mentality is: How do I pay my bills? When that's the overriding factor, fashion takes a back seat, except at the higher end because they still have the discretionary income.
Might this recession be building a pent-up demand that will unleash like it did following the austerity of the '40s and '50s?
That's normally the way it goes. I'm of the baby boomer generation where our parents lived through WWII and didn't want to talk about such depressing matters. Although they did tell us to finish our supper because there are starving children in Europe… Today it's Africa. The bigger point being that we were always told how lucky we were, yet we were nothing but lower middle class. But we felt very good about life and we were always optimistic. Then we became yuppies and the disco era hit and we blatantly went off the bean and the you-know-what hit the fan. It's a cycle. And it will come around again. Once people have money again, I expect that they'll become as arrogant as past generations.
What do you love about your job?
Coming to work every day with the people who are here. I work with friends and family. The best part about working in a family business is seeing someone you love and care about succeed. That's a really good feeling.
Along those lines, what's the best lesson you ever learned from your father about how to succeed in this business?
Number 1: Listen first and then look for the opportunity. Don't talk too much until you know what you want to say. Number 2: Go out and sell because orders cure all ills. When you have orders you can get factories to make the goods and banks to give loans. You can be in business. Without orders, you have nothing. And that's the mantra of this company: Go out and sell, sell, sell.


In the exercise I've taken with it —which I told you about on November 1st— I've discovered my current mood to be much lighter though, and I encourage you to be open to that possibility too.
is to create a near future you eagerly look forward to.
What do you expect to gain from your attention?
'IMI OLA is freeing when that is the expectancy you bring to working with it.
'IMI OLA gives you the option of not having a specific answer, and indulging in the search itself, as you look for one. The only decision you really have to make, is if you will commit to taking the time to do.
Best practice: Keep a notebook, if only for the sake of getting out of your own head once in a while.
The intention to follow-up on what you discover— to do the work on it.
Assembling these bullets as an exercise is indeed 'simple' and it's amazingly effective. The critical requirement: Just decide you'll do it.
The #AlohaIntentions hashtag we have adopted for our value immersion, is our shortcut packaging of the 5 actions we want to take, when studying a value to deliberately apply it: 1—Living, 2—Working, 3—Speaking, 4—Managing, and 5—Leading, each and every one with Aloha.
If you are participating in our Ho'ohana Community's value immersion for November 2016, and want to stay on track with it, complete this exercise before Thanksgiving week—you know the holiday will distract you soon, and Thanksgiving is a good distraction to enjoy in the spirit of MAHALO.
Living with Aloha —How do you define your necessary sustenance in living the good life of 'IMI OLA? Are there any changes you should make to keep your 'best possible life' at hand right now? Identify small steps: Consider 'IMI OLA a constant work in progress, and NOT a someday/maybe luxury.
Working with Aloha —How can you Be a Reinventor in the work you do right now? One of the objectives employed by 'IMI OLA reinventors, is to eliminate work which drains you (tedium, drudgery, boring process) by transforming it into work which recharges you with new possibility, more positive in-process prospects, and better outcomes.
Speaking with Aloha —What are the 'IMI OLA conversations you want to have in the next 2 months? An 'IMI OLA conversation is one which creates a more favorable comfort zone within any given partnership —it represents progress in how you relate to someone.
Bonus Link: Review SLC Conversation 101 in this article: Conversational Catch-up ~ With Aloha.
Managing with Aloha —Think of managing as optimizing existing energies, through organizing and planning: What is the 'Imi ola work you have been wanting to do on your MISSION?
Leading with Aloha —Think of leading as creating new energy: How can you Be a Seeker in the work you do right now? Is there study, research, or new learning involved? Is there a new partnership or new network to be explored for added inspiration? What is the 'IMI OLA work you have been wanting to do on your VISION?
Bonus Link on RosaSay.com: Be clear on the difference between mission and vision, to be clear on how you will work on them, managing versus leading. Review The Mission Driven Company.
Carry, and Use, Pen and Paper.
Long Read on Fast Company: 10 Ways To Rescue Handwriting From The Grave. In his book The Missing Ink, Philip Hensher argues that handwriting is good for us and one of the defining behaviors that make us human. Here is his guide to help you reclaim the written word.
"To be able to write down a summary with pen and paper is, I'm convinced, a quite different and superior skill to making notes in any other way. I talk regularly to a lot of students on academic themes, and, despite institutional pressure, don't use anything like Powerpoint to get my argument across. I write with a marker on a white- board. It forces everyone into a more active engagement.
From the other side, the students who make no record, but stare astonished into space, wishing they were still on the ski slopes, do worst in the end. The second worst are the ones who plonk a tape recorder on the desk in front of them and record everything you say with the firm and honorable intention of listening to it again later. The worst ones after that are the ones who get out their laptops, and type furiously as you speak. Those, I have to say, are often still pretty bad students, because typing as someone talks encourages transcription without much thought. That's great if what you are hoping to do with your laptop is to transcribe a stretch of overheard dialogue, not so great if you are trying to understand what people say.


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Ashish Kumar Srivastava Vs. Smt Ankita Srivastava
Allahabad HC
MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 7414 of 2015
About/from the judgment:
In this Judgement the Hon'ble Allahabad high court says that
Significantly in the wake of having followed all states of the trade off went after separation with shared assent, having paid Rs. 18,00,000.... having allowed her to take decorations and bank storage, presently spouse denies to consent to bargain came to... henceforth excused and spouse is currently constrained to challenge cases further. Relevant to include here is that spouse won't get back even a solitary penny.
High Court held that gatherings may pull back their assent once conceded for Divorce by shared assent, whenever before the death of the declaration.
The court says Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 gives two modes to separate specifically (I) on the grounds referenced under Section 13 of the Act or (ii) on shared assent for which a request must be introduced by both the gatherings to the marriage and after interregnum time of a half year they again attorn their assent under the steady gaze of the Court.
The Court has considered the issue concerning whether assent given at the underlying stage for separation can be pulled back at the later. Depending on different Supreme Court Judgments, Justice Ram Surat Ram (Maurya) held that on the off chance that appeal for separate isn't officially pulled back and is continued pending, at that point on the date when the court gives the announcement, the court has a legal commitment to hear the gatherings to discover their assent. From the nonattendance of one of the gatherings for a few days, the court can't assume his/her assent. He additionally held that it is just the shared assent of the gatherings which gives the court the ward to pass a declaration for separate under Section 13-B. So in cases under Section 13-B, common assent of the gatherings is a jurisdictional certainty. The court while passing its pronouncement under Section 13-B would be moderate and prudent before it can induce the presence of such jurisdictional truth. The court must be fulfilled about the presence of shared assent between the gatherings on some unmistakable materials which evidently unveil such assent. No court can expect purview to break down a Hindu marriage just based on the assent of the gatherings dehors the grounds identified under Section 13 of the Act, except if obviously the consenting gatherings continue under Section 13-B of the Act.
The court says that Court has depended on the Supreme Court Judgment in Hitesh Bhatnagar v. Deepa Bhatnagar, (2011) 5 SCC 234, in which it is held as follows;
" The court will undoubtedly pass a declaration of separation announcing the marriage of the gatherings before it to be broken down with impact from the date of the pronouncement, if the accompanying conditions are met:
(a) A second movement of both the gatherings is made not before a half year from the date of documenting of the appeal as required under sub-area (1) and not later than year and a half;
(b) After hearing the gatherings and making such request as it might suspect fit, the court is fulfilled that the averments in the appeal are valid; and
(c) The appeal isn't pulled back by either party whenever before passing the decree.
At the end of the day, if the subsequent movement isn't made inside the time of year and a half, at that point the court will undoubtedly pass an announcement of separation by common assent. In addition, from the language of the area, just as the settled law, plainly one of the gatherings may pull back their assent whenever before the death of the announcement. The most significant necessity for an award of a separation by common assent is free assent of both the gatherings. At the end of the day, except if there is a finished understanding among a couple for the disintegration of the marriage and except if the court is totally fulfilled, it can't give an announcement for separate by shared assent. Something else, in our view, the articulation "separate by shared assent" would be indolent.
Further the court says that Going to the realities of the Case the Court held as follows;
"The solicitor needs for a declaration in separate from suit under Section 13 of the Act, taking into account bargain dated 10.10.2014, as this trade off would work as estoppel against the respondents. Rule of estoppel is a standard of proof. There can be no estoppel against rule. Preeminent Court in State of Bihar v. Task Uchcha Vidya, Sikshak Sangh, (2006) 2 SCC 545, held that it is presently notable, the standard of estoppel has no application where conflict as respects an established arrangement or a resolution is raised.. Area 13-B itself gives freedom for hesitation to the gatherings. The assent must keep during the interregnum time frame and after this period the gatherings ought to again affirm their assent under the watchful eye of the Court. As held by Supreme Court in different cases, the gatherings can pull back their assent during this period. As such Rule of estoppel has no application in an appeal under Section 13-B of the Act."
To Download the original Copy of the judgement [Click here]
Tags blog divorce HC Latest-Judgement Legal-Article

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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World News - Dozens die in Tanzania bus horror
An overcrowded bus has plunged into a river gorge in northern Tanzania killing 54 people and injuring 20 more in the second road disaster in days. The bus was travelling from Mererani to Arusha when it spun out of control on a bridge and fell into the Malala river. Police said the vehicle had seats for 26 people but 74 passengers were aboard, some of them standing. Earlier 28 people riding in a lorry died when it overturned. The cause of Friday's bus accident is not yet known but one unconfirmed report suggests it may have been speeding. ...
Son Says He Killed, Dismembered Mother at Child Molester's Urging
A teenager says he killed and slowly dismembered his mother over several days at the urging of a 50-year-old man he says was sexually abusing him. Angel Rosa, 16, pleaded guilty Friday to a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter in the death of Madeline Irene, 46. He had pleaded innocent last fall to murder and conspiracy. Irene's head and hands were found encased in concrete in a garbage can at the 50-year-old man's home after other body parts were found floating in a nearby river. Psychiatrists for both the prosecution and the defense found Rosa was emotionally under the control of Edwin Gimenez, the convicted child molester who is his co-defendant in the homicide, prosecutor Christopher Belling told the judge. ...
Would-Be Robber Sues 2 Who Foiled Plan From Prison Claims Employees Assaulted Him While Stopping Hold Up. First he tried to rob them with a gun, now he's trying to rob them in court?
man who was beaten by employees of an auto parts store he was trying to rob is now suing the store and those employees. Police say Dana Buckman entered the AutoZone in Rochester, New York, last July, brandished a semi-automatic pistol and demanded cash. Eli Crespo and Jerry Vega – who were working that day – didn't cooperate. The pair beat the would-be robber with a pipe and held him at bay with his own gun. Buckman escaped when the employees retreated into the store to call 911, but he was arrested a week later. Buckman pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and was sentenced to 18 years in prison as a repeat violent felon. ...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/10/national/main1699174.shtml?source=RSS&attr=U.S._1699174
China's Thirst for Oil Rattles Old Order
China's surging appetite for energy is engraved in the landscape of this gritty port city: waterfront piles of coal, gas pipes snaking along grimy roads, and tankers anchored amid islands where pirates once lurked. Zhenhai is at the heart of a global energy revolution.As China's leading oil receiving center, the city provides this nation of 1.3 billion people with hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude per day to feed its galloping economy....
Three Die in Apparent Suicides at Guantanamo Bay, U.S. Says
Three detainees died earlier this morning from apparent suicides in their cells at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the U.S. military said. Two Saudis and a Yemeni were found not breathing or responsive in their cells and attempts to resuscitate them weren't successful, the U.S. military said in an e-mailed statement. Their names aren't being released, the military said. The U.S. State Department has notified the governments of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service has begun an investigation to determine the cause of death for the three detainees who were being held at Camp 1 at Guantanamo, the military said. ...
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=arytDmGgJDos&refer=home
Bush says US troops out only after "victory" in Iraq, For those with short memories, he claimed a great Victory years ago
Bush said on Fri he would like to see US troops out of Iraq as soon as possible but reiterated US resolve to stay until the Iraqi government is able to secure the country on its own. Seeking to quell speculation that the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on Wed would open the way for US troop reductions, Bush said the death of al Qaeda's leader in Iraq would "help a lot" but would not end the Iraq war. "I do not want the American people to think that a war is won with the death of one person," Bush said at a joint news conference with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Zarqawi's killing gave Bush a desperately needed success in Iraq, the most significant since Saddam Hussein's capture in Dec 2003, as he tries to revive sagging American confidence.So why does it take so long to train the Iraq army? We train ours in a few months, and we are training them. Or is it persuading them to support our Puppets that's not working?...
http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-06-09T155128Z_01_N09174005_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-BUSH.xml


Kids and Teens 31,900 Kids and Teens is an Internet directory created especially for children and teenagers. It includes both sites designed specifically for children and/or teens as well as sites designed for general audiences. It does not include sites that are designed primarily to sell merchandise, sites that use profanity or obscenity, or sites that contain sexually explicit content.


text:
The Complete Guide to Film and Digital Production
The People and The Process
By: Lorene M. Wales
The Complete Guide to Film and Digital Production The People and The Process 3rd Edition by Lorene M. Wales and Publisher Routledge. Save up to 80% by choosing the eTextbook option for ISBN: 9781315294872, 1315294877. The print version of this textbook is ISBN: 9781138239821, 1138239828.


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text:
City of Chicopee moves forward with Chief of Police hiring process
City of Chicopee moves forward with Chief of Police hiring
By Hugh Zeitlin, Chris Pisano, Olivia Hickey and Photojournalist: Kevin Culverhouse
Published: Apr. 8, 2022 at 8:32 PM EDT
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) -The city of Chicopee is now moving forward with the process of hiring a new Police Chief.
The process was paused when Mayor John Vieau learned of the FBI investigation into Lynn Clark, but he said the city needs a permanent chief.
"First and foremost, we're excited about picking a new Chief," said Mayor Vieau.
For much of the last two years, the City of Chicopee has been working with an acting Police Chief.
In late 2021, the city began a three-tiered process to hire a new Chief, which Mayor Vieau said should have taken about six months.
Initially, four Police captains initially entered the process.
"One of them chose not to participate and never showed up to orientation. The other three went through the assessment center. We received those results back in December. We also found out about some information where there was potential blackmail going on in the pd and we completely paused that process," explained Mayor Vieau.
Mayor Vieau told Western Mass News that once he was given the all-clear to continue the hiring process, it picked up with two candidates, current acting police chief Jeffrey Gawron and Captain Patrick Major.
The third candidate, who the FBI said was involved in the extortion case surrounding Chicopee Schools Superintendent Lynn Clark was given a chance to re-join the process, but chose not continue on.
"We can't force them to go through the interview process. So we have two viable candidates who are very well qualified," said Mayor Vieau.
Both Gawron and Major have been with the department for decades.
Mayor Vieau said a panel interviewed both men Friday.
The panel consisted of Mayor Vieau, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi and other members of Chicopee city and school leadership.
Mayor Vieau said the Chief of Police is a permanent hire, not a contract position. He said he hopes to know within the next few days who the next Chief of Police in Chicopee will be.


In the Performance Options control panel, on the tab labeled Visual Effects, there is a radio button called Adjust for best performance. If you select it, then all the visual effects are disabled.
But the name of that radio button has been wrong for a long time. It doesn't actually adjust your visual effects for best performance. It just adjusts them for crappiest appearance.
Starting in Windows Vista, a lot of visual effects were offloaded to the graphics card. Consequently, the impact on system performance for those visual effects is negligible, and sometimes turning off the effect actually makes your system run slower because you disabled hardware acceleration, forcing operations to be performed in software.
For example, if desktop composition is enabled, then a backup copy of a window's entire contents is kept in video memory, even if the window is covered by other windows. Without desktop composition, the window manager uses the classic model which follows the principle don't save anything you can recalculate: The contents of an occluded window are not saved anywhere, and when the window becomes exposed, the window receives a WM_PAINT message to tell it to regenerate its contents.
This means that, for example, when you remove a window from the screen and expose the window underneath, the desktop compositor can show the contents of the underlying window immediately because it saved a copy of the window in video memory and has been keeping it up to date. On the other hand, if you disable desktop composition, you will just stare at a blank window underneath, and then you have to sit and wait for that window to repaint itself.
Okay, so if unchecking these visual effects has negligible and sometimes even a negative effect on performance, why do we still present them in the Visual Effects control panel for people to disable?
These are the people who think that a bare computer motherboard on a table with components hanging off it runs faster than a computer packed into an attractive case. And even if you demonstrate that it doesn't actually run faster, they will still keep their computer in its partially-disassembled state because it adds to their street cred.
The Visual Effects settings page turned into a sort of unintended psychology experiment.


text:
Transport, schools and tourist attractions – a list of the main closures due to Storm Eunice
A red weather warning has been issued for Storm Eunice, as it looks set to batter the UK with gusts of wind of up to 100mph.
The warning has been issued from 7am to 12pm on Friday in parts of the country and warns of "flying debris resulting in danger of life" and damage to buildings and homes".
On Thursday morning, several parts of the country suffered power outages, some caused by Storm Dudley. The Northern Powergrid said 1,000 properties had no lights due to the weather
'All trains cancelled' – follow latest updates
Below is a list of some of the things that will be affected by the weather on Friday:
The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for Storm Eunice for Friday
All trains in Wales have been cancelled, with services suspended for the whole day. The disruption is likely to continue into the weekend, with more than 1,000 miles of track expected to be checked and cleared of debris
The only primary school on the Isles of Scilly will be closed on Friday after the Five Islands Academy was advised to shut down by the police
The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company said that, while flights have not been cancelled on Friday, there could be some disruption
There are no blanket cancellations on flights in the UK, but Gatwick Airport and East Midlands asked passengers to check the flight status with their airline
Avon and Somerset Police said it was likely that both the Severn crossings, the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and the M48 Severn Bridge, would be closed due to high winds
From 5am on Friday, the Dartford Crossing on the M25 will be closed
Orwell Bridge on the A14 in Suffolk will close from 4am
In South Wales, bus company Stagecoach said all services would be suspended on Friday morning until after 1.30pm
In the Republic of Ireland, Bus Eireann will not operate during the red warning. Irish Rail will operate provided there is no damage to tracks.
Storm Dudley hit parts of the north on Thursday and Eunice is expected to cause further havoc on Friday
Many schools will be forced to close in Wales. In Cardiff, Ceredigion, Bridgend county, Swansea, Powys and Rhondda Cynon Taf councils have announced all schools will remain shut, while some schools in Newport will shut
Bristol City Council announced that all schools will close
In Somerset, all schools, colleges and other council services will be closed. All waste collections will be suspended with recycling centres and libraries closed. Mendip District Council has confirmed, "all schools, early years settings and colleges in Somerset will close tomorrow".
Dozens of schools in Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham will be shut on Frida and schools in Anglesey, North Wales will also remain closed
Schools and colleges in several counties in the Republic of Ireland will be closed on Friday
Dozens of schools across Cornwall will be closing on Friday morning, while the county's household waste recycling centres will shut
Strong winds of almost 100mph have been forecast
The Prince of Wales has cancelled a planned visit to Newport and Swansea as a result of the forecast
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, west London and Wakehurst, West Sussex will be shut
Chester Zoo and Legoland in Windsor will be shut and anyone who was due to visit will be contacted to rebook
Windsor Great Park, Richmond, Bushy and Greenwich Parks, and National Trust sites including Polesden Lacey in Surrey will all be closed
The London Eye and River Cruise has said it will also be temporarily shutting
Cardiff Crown Court and Newport Crown Court will also be closed on Friday due to the weather
Warwick Castle will also be closed, due to the "high likelihood" of travel disruption and the "vast coverage" of trees throughout the attraction
Hampshire County Council has confirmed the closure of all the council-run country parks
Marwell Zoo near Winchester and Monkey World in Dorset will be shut
Pet food retailer hits out at Royal Canin's 'excessive' price rises – and offers customers 10% off rivals
Chancellor to dismiss 'gloom' about economy – but set to resist calls for tax cuts
Naftogaz CEO says the Ukrainian state energy giant will be out of default soon


There is so much talk about 'Leaning In' with the release of the book by Sheryl Sandberg called 'Lean In : Women, Work and the Will to Lead'. I find it all very fascinating. I have two daughters and I want them to reach for the stars, dream big and work hard to make those dreams come true. Even if that dream, like mine, was to have a family and raise children and be there for them in their younger years. I don't feel less than other women because I quit the work force do this mothering work instead. I also feel so glad that so many women did go back to work after having children, because my daughters could look up to them and see all the things they could become when they were older, especially my own sister and cousins. Whether you lean in, or lean out or just simply take a nap (ha!), there is no one right answer. It takes a village to raise our children. At the end of the day we are all doing the best we can, and that is enough..


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text:
Glasgow junior's message: We need our fathers
Something broke inside Kasai Guthrie when his father returned to the Philadelphia area. He was closer, sure – much closer to Kasai's Newark home than when he lived in Florida, where he had moved when Kasai was 4 years old.
For years, Kasai had been told his father couldn't see him often because of that distance. Five states were between Delaware and Florida.
But now there would be just one borderline, only about 35 miles door to door, and Kasai was psyched. He knew how things would go. His father would come to his basketball games at Layton Preparatory School. They would hang around together and spend hours talking about girls, basketball and other stuff fathers and sons discuss.
But it didn't happen. Kasai was not seeing his father any more than when he lived five states away. He was crushed.
The strong, confident Kasai, who aced almost all of his classes, stood as a leader among his peers, and excelled in basketball, started to disappear. A powerful depression descended upon him. He didn't want to get up in the morning. And anger broke out in ways that left his mother stunned.
"He plummeted into someone we didn't know," she said. "Cursing out teachers? What? Bringing home F's? What? What just happened?"
It's what happened next that changed Kasai's world and launched a mission that he hopes could change the world for other kids who grew up without their fathers.
He calls it "We Need Our Fathers" and it has been the focus of presentations, like the one Jan. 17 at P.S. DuPont Middle School in Wilmington. The purpose is to promote strong role models for young males of color.
Kasai Guthrie, now a 17-year-old junior at Glasgow High School, is coming back.
Distant parents
Kasai's father, William Guthrie, knew nothing of this trouble. The former International Boxing Federation light heavyweight world champion (1997) stayed in touch with his son – one of 12 children (four boys, eight girls) he fathered over the years. They spent time together in the summers and had periodic visits. But he had no clue that his son wanted more.
Truth be told, William Guthrie had never known the kind of father Kasai was looking for either. He loved the two men who held the title in his life – his biological father, who was a junkie, and his stepfather, who was a hard worker and reliable, but also a junkie until he beat heroin and became an alcoholic. Both now are dead.
His biological father was in prison when William Guthrie was born and long after.
"I talked to him on the phone and I got a chance to see him," he said. "You just loved your parents – whatever shortcomings or long-goings they had. You loved your parents. I loved my father and I was always happy to see him when I saw him."
His mother was a hard-core addict, too. And at the age of 5, he says, he was taking care of four younger siblings. His mother would go off on a drug binge and leave them all in the house with him.
"I'll be right back," she would tell him. "Don't let nobody in this house."
He remembers changing his siblings' diapers and washing them out in the toilet.
His stepfather, Joe, raised William from the age of 5. But Joe got an ultimatum from William's mom after she quit drugs in one sudden about-face. He would do likewise within a week, she said, or watch her and the kids walk out the door – without him.
The children endured a lot, foster homes, watching both parents go in and out of rehab, hearing the promises to quit, living through fierce fights.
"This man has beaten her like she was a stranger," William said. "He put her in the hospital, knocked her teeth out and she wouldn't leave him."
This ultimatum was real, though, and by the deadline she set he had quit drugs.
They lived in one of the toughest areas in St. Louis, Missouri, the Pruitt-Igoe Housing Project. William says there were people getting killed there all the time and police eventually refused to even go in. Somebody had to carry the bodies to the outskirts of the project, he said.
Living in the same project were boxing-greats-in-the-making Michael and Leon Spinks. The three trained at the same gym and their famous promoter – the late Butch Lewis – promoted some of William Guthrie's first professional fights.
William Guthrie moved east to work with Lewis and met Kasai's mother at Lewis' birthday party.
He eventually moved to Florida and stayed in touch with Kasai by phone and periodic visits.
"I like to believe we were never disconnected," he said. "It was a social disconnection. I lived in Florida, they lived in Delaware. But there was a kind of spiritual and social and mental disconnection I wasn't even aware of."
Kasai's disconnection was apparent to all around him.
Barton Reese, head of Layton Prep, said he arrived at the school in the middle of seventh grade, highly motivated and showing keen academic and leadership qualities. Two years later, things went bad and Kasai had to leave Layton.
Tamara Varella, Kasai's mother, said her son had a hole in his life that she could not fill.
She encouraged his entrepreneurial energy – the side hustles he developed as a kid, selling silly beads and surplus Halloween candy to schoolmates, and T-shirts and other clothes on eBay.
"I did a great job, but I cannot fill the void of a father," she said.
Her son seemed fine – on paper, she said. But by the time she got him to a counselor, Kasai was in a dangerous place – with suicidal thoughts emerging.
He saw no point in excelling at school or anything else when the one person whose praise he craved wasn't around.
"Why continue to be living if the person I want there isn't there? That thought started to come into my head."
Reese had seen Kasai excel, beyond his years, and had seen his downward spiral.
"Something's got to give when you keep things bottled up for so long," Reese said. "He was a team captain, carrying a 3.8 to 4.0 average, working a year or so above grade level. It finally manifested itself in that kind of behavior. He was angry."
His family stayed in his corner, Kasai said, including his younger brother, Esaias, and his sisters Enaj and Elan.
One turning point came after an extended conversation with a trusted mentor, A.J. English, a basketball star at Howard High School who went on to play in the NBA, and was coaching at Layton at Kasai's request.
"He knew what he wanted to do in life and where he wanted to go and he was always receptive to that big brother/father figure advice," English said. "He wanted that. He yearned for it."
But it seemed to Kasai that nobody understood.
"That kind of thinking causes you to be depressed," he said. "You think you can't get out of this. You think there is no one to talk to and nobody else is going through this."
He learned differently. English, for one, got it.
"I kind of went through the same thing," he said.
English was with Kasai and his mother when they met with Reese and they talked plainly about the issues. Kasai would be leaving Layton.
"We just put it on the table," English said. "Kasai is an extremely bright kid and I let him know it was OK to fall off track. It's OK between the starting line and the finish line that you falter or things don't work out the way you want them to work out. That's part of the growing process. But it's important how you finish."
It's important to get back up, English said, and Kasai has done that. A long talk with his father was an important step.
A mentor steps in
English had the first long talk with William Guthrie, who now lives in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania. The two men, both former professional athletes, had much in common.
"I told Kasai about the conversation – not what we discussed, just that your father loves you," English said. "A lot of times we don't display it in the right manner. But you need to tell him exactly how you feel."
Kasai had his own conversation with William Guthrie. It wasn't easy.
"It was an extremely hard conversation," William Guthrie said. "Your son, your child, saying they're hurting.
"No father wants to hear their son is having hard times. But as we age, we see things in different ways. If we take time to communicate and listen and pay close attention – of course, something was wrong. He was in pain and had missed out on a lot of things. We had to have quite a few conversations."
Kasai was impressed by the way his father responded.
"I think he acted in a great way," he said. "He is trying."
And plans to keep doing so.
"We want to develop our friendship and relationship as father and son," William Guthrie said. "I want to be somebody he can trust and depend on. If I say I'm coming, I'm coming. If we're going to do something, we do it. We keep our word to each other and don't allow anything to come between that. If we're going to church Sunday – we're going."
As Kasai started to develop "We Need Our Fathers" and word got around, other kids told him their own stories.
"They would just tell me what they went through, what they hoped for with their father and why he was not in their life.
"At first I thought, why are they coming up to me? I guess maybe it was because I knew how to get out of it."
With the help of a counselor and many mentors, Kasai says he has gained confidence, self-esteem, and the ability to just be himself. He believes many kids at Glasgow need similar support – and can be successful. He wants to help build a peer mentoring program there.
At private schools he has attended – Wilmington Friends and Layton – "failing isn't an option," he said. He believes the teachers at Glasgow really want to help kids change their lives, he said, and they need lots of reinforcement. He likes seeing the principal in the halls every day.
And he is enjoying Glasgow's basketball team.
"He is one of the finest kids," said Tail Davis, who coaches Glasgow's team. "He is responsible and respectful. I have put a lot on his shoulders – even before the season started. And he calls me with suggestions. He is smart enough to play every position. Like everybody, he makes mistakes, but it never fazes him."
He is gaining traction and spreading the word about fathers and their critical role, whenever he gets the chance.
"That makes me smile, to know my son holds me at that level," William Guthrie said. "There's always room to grow. I'll just keep trying to build and build and build and make sure I keep my word to my son and all my kids. He's a real competitor like I was. I think he's going to do well."
Kasai wants to help others do well, too, so now he is accepting speaking engagements and will do some traveling, as time and finances permit, to share his perspective on fathers. And mothers.
And the kids who need them.


Charles Mingus - Hora Decubitus, from the Mingus, Mingus, Mingus album on the Impulse label. Cranking tune, also, Eric Dolpy does a fairly wacky alto solo.
Sorry, no jazz. I like music that is music, not noise.
Ahmad Jamal's original recording of Poinciana.
Miles spills out his inner saddness and melancholy in ribbons of dissonant tones and phrases that seem to end in question marks. The tinny insignificant echo of his horn seems to haunt and seek a place of comfort that eludes him. I love the whole album but this piece is special to me.
It is one of those "you either get it ..or you dont" kind of jazz pieces.
Lush Life, title track and entire LP, by John Coltrane.
I make no real claim to knowing what my single fave Jazz track is, but the first candidate that popped into my head was the Bill Evans Trio's version of "Milestones" from Waltz for Debby, so I'll go with that. And anything else by the Evans-Motian-LeFaro trio is probably in the running.
And I'll second "All Blues" as well, if I get to "vote" twice.
You have obviously never listened to much jazz. I don't listen to a lot of jaz; some of the more modern stuff is too discordant for my taste, as well.
But Kind of Blue by Miles Davis is some of the best music ever written or performed anywhere, by anyone, ever.
Also, have you ever listened to Take Five by Brubeck?
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Take Five.
The other question is what kind of jazz? Dixieland? Bigband?
Now I like Bigband (sing sing sing - with Gene Krupa, Glenn Miller and Harry James ... 7 min 40 sec of bliss) and I like Billie Holiday on blues anyday. I also go with Jar on Tommy Dorsey and Song of India. Artie Shaw, Begin the Beguine, is also in there. Holiday also sang for Shaw and Miller and Goodman, so those are bonus for me.
When it comes to modern stuff, I like it small group, thoughtful. Miles.
I don't like riffin on as many notes as you can include in a minute kind of stuff. A lot of modern stuff is like this, and to me it is just technical craftmanship without soul.
My dad just bought Take Five, by Dave Brubek.
It's all subjective, what frog thinks is noise, you find beauty. Nothing to fight over I hope.
and if i'm here when they happens, will you promise me this my friend?
I introduced a former client to the classics, at his request.
Knowing that I don't 'hear' jazz, he sent me the Brubeck CD (Time Out, etc.) and asked I listen to it at least twice. I was on nearly familiar ground with the Rondo a la Turk, the rest was gibberish to me. Jarring every nerve in my bod, I didn't have the heart to tell him. He took to the classics as a duck would ..... etc.


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Ron Lenyk, Marla Bloomfield and Linda Buchanan congratulate Angeline Edralin. Photo by Fred Loek, The Mississauga News.
Mississauga – At its 25th Anniversary Celebration Day on October 13th, Peel Children's Centre will present its Ron Lenyk Volunteer of the Year Award for 2010 to Angeline Edralin.
Angeline is the first fundraising volunteer to be recognized with the Centre's Ron Lenyk Volunteer of the Year Award. Having started volunteering at Peel Children's Centre (PCC) during her maternity leave eight years ago, she is also the Centre's longest-serving fundraising volunteer.
"Each year more than 120 specialized volunteers support children, youth and families receiving mental health services at Peel Children's Centre," said Humphrey Mitchell, the Centre's Executive Director. "Our volunteers are mentors, tutors, childcare providers, drivers, family resource coordinators, fundraisers, and members of our Board of Directors. Volunteers are truly the heart of our agency," Mitchell said.
Peel Children's Centre dedicated its volunteer award to Ron Lenyk in recognition of his leadership as a volunteer, philanthropist and advocate in Peel. In addition to his 31 years as the former publisher of The Mississauga News, Ron is a generous supporter of numerous health, social service, sports and cultural charities.
The Volunteer Coordination Program at Peel Children's Centre receives generous financial support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario. Visit www.trilliumfoundation.org for more information.


text:
Why bird flu doesn't spread between humans; The oldest evidence of methane makers; Molecular nanotechnology: Pedal power
The bird virus binds to cells in different regions of the human airway from those favoured by human influenza viruses; Japanese researchers have found evidence of methane-bearing fluid inclusions in about 3.5-billion-year-old hydrothermal precipitates; A set of molecular pedals that is powered by light and twists another molecule is reported
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This press release is copyright Nature. VOL.440 NO.7083 DATED 23 MARCH 2006
This press release contains:
* Disease: Why bird flu doesn't spread between humans
* Geology: The oldest evidence of methane makers
* Molecular nanotechnology: Pedal power
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[1] Disease: Why bird flu doesn't spread between humans (pp 435-436)
Human-to-human transmission of the deadly H5N1 bird influenza virus is rare,
despite the fact that the virus can replicate efficiently in human lungs.
Now researchers have found a useful indication as to why - the bird virus
preferentially binds to cells in different regions of the human airway from
those favoured by human influenza viruses.
Flu viruses infecting humans and birds are known to home in on slightly
different versions of the same molecule, found on the surface of cells that
line the respiratory tract. Researchers led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka show in a
Brief Communication in this week's Nature how this may manifest in patients.
Whereas the version of the molecule preferentially bound by human viruses is
more prevalent on cells higher up in the airway, the molecule that is
preferentially targeted by avian viruses tends to be found on cells deep
within the lungs, in structures called alveoli.
This may explain why human-to-human transmission of H5N1 remains uncommon,
the authors suggest. The virus may preferentially enter cells deep down
inside the lungs, meaning that an infected person is less likely to spread
the virus by coughing or sneezing. The researchers add, however, that
acquiring the ability to infect cells higher up in the airway may be a
crucial step towards realizing the threat of H5N1 causing a human pandemic.
Yoshihiro Kawaoka (University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA)
Tel: +1 608 265 4925; E-mail: [email protected]
[5] Geology: The oldest evidence of methane makers (pp 516-519; N&V)
Methanogenic microbes - methane-making micro-organisms - are thought to be
among Earth's earliest life forms. Exactly when they first appeared, though,
has always been uncertain. No one has been able to find direct geological
evidence to support the hypothesis that they existed in the Archaean era,
3.8 to 2.5 billion years ago.
But as reported in this week's Nature, Yuichiro Ueno and colleges
have been busy. The Japanese researchers have found evidence of
methane-bearing fluid inclusions in about 3.5-billion-year-old hydrothermal
precipitates from the Pilbara craton in Western Australia. Their analyses -
through carbon isotope composition - indicate the methane is of microbial
It is the oldest evidence of methanogen existence, pre-dating
previous circumstantial geochemical evidence by about 700 million years.
Microbial methane may have been important in regulating the climate on the
Archaean Earth - potentially providing sufficient amounts of the greenhouse
gas to mitigate the severely frozen conditions.
Yuichiro Ueno (Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan)
Tel: +81 45 924 5142; E-mail: [email protected]
Don Canfield (Odense University, Odense, Denmark)
Tel: +45 6550 2751; E-mail: [email protected]
[8] Molecular nanotechnology: Pedal power (pp 512-515)
A set of molecular pedals that is powered by light and twists another
molecule is reported in Nature this week by Takuzo Aida and co-workers. The
molecule-sized device extends previous work on 'molecular machines' by
showing how motion induced in one component can be transferred to another.
Several research groups have shown that molecules that change shape
when irradiated with light can be used to create molecular motors and other
devices with moving parts. But in order to carry out useful tasks with such
minuscule components, they will probably have to be linked up to other
molecules, in much the same way as the mechanical motions of pistons in a
car engine are transferred via crankshafts and gears to the wheels.
Aida and colleagues have made a set of molecular pedals in which the
absorption of light in one part of the molecule introduces a kink which
drives the scissor-like swivelling of the pedal units around a kind of
molecular ball-bearing. The challenge was then to transfer this swinging
motion to another molecule, which they did by designing the pedals so that
they trapped a 'guest' molecule between them. When the pedals swivelled, the
guest molecule became twisted. The researchers suggest that sequences of
such interlocking motions might allow remote control of molecular-scale
processes.
Takuzo Aida (The University of Tokyo, School of Engineering, Tokyo, Japan)
Tel: +81 3 5841 7251; E-mail: [email protected]
PRESS CONTACTS...
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Rinoko Asami, Nature Tokyo
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Ruth Francis, Nature London
Tel: +44 20 7843 4562; E-mail [email protected]
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Tel: +44 20 7843 4658; E-mail: [email protected]
Victoria Picknell, Nature, London
About Nature Publishing Group
Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd,
dedicated to serving the academic, professional scientific and medical
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http://www.nature.com/nature NATURE
Monitoring an 'anti-greenhouse' gas: Dimethyl sulfide in Arctic air
Which test is best? Frequent versus infrequent testing for the Omicron variant of COVID-19
Looking back at the Tonga eruption
Gum infection may be a risk factor for heart arrhythmia, researchers find
Hiroshima University
Show all Medicine Science press releases


Showing results for tags 'annotative text'.
We're looking at implementing multileaders instead of quleaders in my office, and so I've been tasked with figuring out how to do it (being as I am the least senior, most peon-ish person in my department). I've messed with them before, so I mostly have it figured out. There is one thing that eludes me- despite much Googling and AutoCADding for Dummies and (the most worthless of all) AutoCAD's F1. My question is: when mleaders are annotative, where do you set the 'paper space text height'? I know I can change the model space text height (among other things) through Properties, but that seems to defeat the purpose of having annotative properties.
Multileader with non-rectangular text border?
rotating annotative text - what's up with that?
Has this ever happened to you? You have a plan at two scales, let's say 10 ft and 20 ft. You use annotative text because you need the same labels on both plans. You create a piece of text, no problem. You have the scale set at 20 ft and you rotate the text. When you go to 10 ft, the text has not rotated, so you rotate it. When you go back to 20 ft, you find the text has rotated the way it was supposed to in the first place, only now you don't want that. The only solution I've found for problems like this is to delete the text and create it again. And every few minutes you have to audit the drawing just so you can work with annotative text at all. It's more trouble than it's worth.
How to use annotative objects correctly?
I been trying to figure out a way to make my Annotative Text to be vertical. I need them for Ductwork plans at work and they seem to be locked on horizontal some how.


When you are getting sunglasses for your mom as a gift, while sticking to classic designs as much as possible, you don't need to be extreme. Sunglasses will look good only when they are updated, current and new in all regards. Of course brand image will play a key role in this. Certain brand names are geared more toward teenagers, such as Marc Jacobs or Ray Ban. Others, more towards mature people. Tiffany is perfect for mature women. Every single pair will be appropriate for your mom.
If you see something on the shelf and feel very strongly about it, go for it. In the end it is gift from you for your beloved mom. If you are strongly opinionated and believe your mom needs a pair of aviators, no problem. Or perhaps she is ready for a pair of butterfly shaped sunglasses just trust yourself and get her this. Tiffany ensured that even aviators are classy, elegant and chic.
In today's material world packaging often becomes as important and it's content. The moment of unwrapping a gift is quite indulging and pleasurefull. But Tiffany took packaging a step further. Their blue box is a true icon. There were countless movies made showing Tiffany blue box with white ribbon. Believe it or not, Tiffany sunglasses packaging is just as awesome as engagement rings. It also has a blue box, shiny blue hard case and silky blue cotton cloth. Packaging alone is worth getting Tiffany's for a gift.


text:
Elon Musk Checks His Wiki Page and Says He Is Not an Investor as It's Claimed
Elon Musk comes up with something new; he says that he's not an investor.
By Nursah Ergü
Even though all the money he has and all the fame he holds, Elon Musk never stops acting like the guy next door, especially on Twitter.
His nerdy, cute, funny tweets and the memes he shares on Twitter have the vibe of some 19-year-old engineering student with a lot of smartness but not with a lot of money.
SEE ALSO: ELON MUSK TRIED TO SEND A TWEET VIA STARLINK SATELLITE AND "WHOA, IT WORKED!"
This time, he comes with something else; after checking his own Wikipedia page, he claims that he's not an investor. Yeah, you didn't hear wrong, Elon Musk, the person behind the biggest companies such as SpaceX and Tesla says that he's not an investor.
And he has a pretty good defense for this argument;
If Tesla & SpaceX go bankrupt, so will I. As it should be.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 22, 2019
People were a little confused about his claim, but with his brilliant and witty mind, he explained the situation pretty clearly.
Started Zip2 with ~$2k & ~$100k of student debt, rolled proceeds into X/PayPal, rolled proceeds again into SpaceX/Tesla, but these are all companies where I played fundamental founding role. Not right to ask others to put in money if I don't put in mine.
This clarification seems pretty logical and probably left no question in the minds of his followers. But if you still have some questions about this statement of Musk, let's go a little deeper.
According to the Cambridge dictionary, an investor is a person who puts money into something in order to make a profit or get an advantage. According to Wikipedia, an investor is a person that allocates capital with the expectation of a future financial return or to gain an advantage.
So, it's obvious that Elon Musk indeed isn't an investor. He started from the bottom and now he's here, thanks to the right moves, intelligence, and maybe a little luck of his.
Elon Musk Says Launch Tower Will Catch Super Heavy Booster Mid-Air
NASA Finds Rare Metal Asteroid and It's Worth $10,000 Quadrillion
Here Is How to Generate a Powerful and Secure Password


Fake news CNN gets a lesson in what 'obstruction of justice' means.
Now that the witch hunt against President Trump has shifted from Russian election hacking, to Russian election meddling, to Russian democracy bombs, to obstruction of justice…CNN hosted Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel appointed to investigate Bill Clinton's many scandals.
Starr of course was at the center of the Monica Lewinsky case, which eventually lead to Clinton's impeachment., but not removal from the office of President.
And, while CNN aired the most 'convenient' 10 seconds of Comey's testimony, they failed to mention the following interaction from earlier in which Comey confirmed under oath that he'd never been asked to end an investigation for political purposes.
He also said that any efforts to do so would be a "big deal." Therefore, to Ken Starr's point, if Comey interpreted Trump's comment on Flynn as a 'directive' then shouldn't that have qualified as "a big deal" that he should have elevated immediately?


Arrival in Hanoi. We welcome you at the airport and transfer you to hotel. Rest of the day is your leisure time.
At 8.00, you will start the tour by visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho's final resting-palace. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts where he used to live in the past. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, built by King Ly Thai To in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Continue to visit the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) – Vietnam's first University constructed in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam's past.
In the evening, free time for entertainment with the funny plays such as squid fishing, karaoke program, stars watching on sundeck… Spend romantic night on board and stay overnight on boat in Halong bay.
Around 11.45 AM, Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi. Transfer you directly to Noi Bai airport (in Hanoi) for the flight to Hue.
Arrival in Hue. Check-in room at hotel and stay overnight at hotel in Hue city.
PM: Visit Imperial capital during Nguyen Dynasty and the seven – storey Thien Mu Pagoda on the riverbank. Return by boat on the gentle Perfume River and do not miss the sunset on the river. You will come back your hotel at 17.30pm to pick up your luguage.
Transfer to Hoi An and stay overnight at hotel in Hoi An.
Afternoon, you have free time to go around Hoi An for sight-seeing and shopping. Stay overnight at hotel in Hoi An.
Morning, your leisure time. Find a nice cafe for relaxation or go exploring the Old Town on foot/bicycle.
Afternoon, transfer to Da Nang airport for flight to Nha Trang. Arrival in Nha Trang, check-in hotel, your leisure time for relaxation at beach and stay overnight at hotel in Nha Trang.
Your leisure time for relaxation at beach and stay overnight at hotel in Nha Trang.
Morning, Your leisure time for relaxation at beach until we transfer you to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh. Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh, transfer to hotel. Check-in at hotel.
Afternoon, Visit Cu Chi Tunnels. Located 60km from Ho Chi Minh city, Cu Chi is now a popular spot for both Vietnamese & foreign tourists – the network of over 200km of tunnels became legendary when they played a vital role in the War. In their heyday, the tunnels were functioning underground cities including numerous trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers & kitchens.
Proceed to Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden. Then a boat ride to An Khanh, a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre, enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shade of the water coconut trees along natural canals. Have a short cycling tour (applied for private tour/if time permitted) then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by the locals. Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through fruit plantations and villages. Go back to Ho Chi Min.
Morning, Ho Chi Minh city tour. We start the trip by visiting Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office, followed by exploring the Reunification Palace, and the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum. Lunch at a local restaurant.
After lunch, we transfer you to airport for your departure flight.
-Boats in Hue and Mekong Delta.
-Kayakking: Safe, clean and beautiful.
-Room on boat in Halong bay with Air Conditioner.
-Meals mentioned (B,L,D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
-Transfer and transport as per itinerary.
Amazing Vietnam beach !Tour guides spoke good English, with a few exceptions, and the transportation and connections were smooth. Some of the announced events were canceled at the last minute, notably on the Ha Long cruise, where Karaoke, fishing I would therefore recommend Hoi An for older travelers. Hotel accommodations were all top-notch. Food was very good and plentiful.
Since the begining to the end the experience here was super good. I went with my boyfriend and we stay one night in a bungalow close to the beach and the pool. The places is really pretty, the breakfast has everything, eggs, fruit, toast, sweets, salad... in general all the meals are good quality. The people working here was nice with us.I wish i could repeat that experiencie in this tour ! Go here!!!


text:
Ged Kearney MP
Federal Labor Member for Cooper
Ged Cooper
Ged's Priorities JobSeeker Childcare #gameover
Media Releases and Cooper News Speeches Op-Eds and Major Speeches
Grants Bulletin Local Sporting Champions Grants Arts Sector Grants Solar Victoria Rebates
Contact Ged Congratulatory Messages Flag Requests Climate & Environment Reference Group
One of my favourite quotes to remember in a crisis is to 'look for the helpers'; you will always find people who are helping. During 2020, indisputably one of the worst years in decades, I've been so proud to see helpers everywhere in Cooper. Firstly, to the North East Neighbourhood House Network and the many not-for-profits—the Bridge at Darebin, Reservoir Neighbourhood House, Jika Jika Community Centre, Preston Rotary, Diverse, the Salvos, the Northern Community Church and so many more: you are the backbone of our community but this year you have just gone above and beyond. When the pandemic hit, you pulled together and organised emergency food relief, providing over 40,000 meals. Believe me when I say that you saved lives this year. You were the safety net that caught people, and you wrapped the arms of community around everyone.
This year, we also learnt whose work is absolutely essential to keep society turning: the retail workers, truckies, emergency relief workers, posties and all of those who put themselves at risk to keep us all going. We are indebted to you. To the healthcare workers—doctors, nurses, carers in nursing homes and allied health professionals—I can't imagine the year you've had. I'm sure many of you are experiencing trauma from what you've witnessed as the pandemic swept through. Please, look after yourselves. To the groups that represent our culturally diverse communities: thank you for working so hard to keep the ties of community strong during the pandemic. To the teachers of Cooper: what you've had to conquer is immeasurable. As a mother of teachers, as a grandmother and as a citizen with hopes for our future generations, I say thank you. Enjoy the pending holidays!
To all our sporting heroes who have been keeping community sport alive: it's been so tough. But I came across so many parents and coaches in my daily walks in the park using their one hour of exercise to throw a ball to a kid's bat, kick a soccer ball around or boot a footy, just to keep skills up. Community sport is run by volunteers, by parents who are determined to give their kids a healthy and joyous outlet. We will be back in force next year, I know it. And I can't wait to get out and cheer my lungs out from the sidelines in support and appreciation.
To our First Nations elders and community leaders: the great health outcomes your communities maintained during the pandemic proves how well you responded. You reminded us of the importance of country and culture when dealing with a crisis. You alerted us to the pressure points for First Nations peoples and you showed us the way through. The pandemic highlighted the cracks in services and needs, especially for First Nations children. I look forward to continuing to work with you to address these.
To the climate and environment groups in Cooper: you found ways to adapt your important work to the restrictions we faced in Melbourne. Our 'Friends of the Creeks' groups were a great example, using their hour of daily exercise to pick up rubbish along the creeks and to keep an eye on the health of our waterways. And to my own Climate and Environment Reference Group activists a sincere thank you. The group has done incredible work this year and has helped to ensure I kept a direct line between activists back in Cooper and this chamber. Whilst we've been up against a health crisis, the climate crisis has not gone away. This group has helped to keep our community informed, connected and represented when it comes to action on the climate and the environment. You're wonderful, and I can't wait to see all of you in person next year.
And, of course, to our refugee advocates: you are tireless, persistent and bold. I give a special call-out to the 'Cooper Grans', who keep me grounded and who give me hope. They give me hope that we can get an outcome for asylum seekers and refugees bound up in indefinite detention. To all who make the trip down to the Mantra hotel each week, I thank you. The men inside tell me time and time again how important your presence is. I will not give up fighting for human rights alongside you.
I give a big shout-out to our business community, who've done it very tough. Your resilience and ability to transform and adapt to the crisis was astounding. I have never enjoyed shopping locally as much as I did during the pandemic—seeing the whole community of Cooper come out to support you. And, finally, thanks to everyone who did the right thing, kept each other safe and saw us through to the current double-doughnut situation. It'd be lovely to see your gorgeous faces without the masks. Thank you.
Contact Ged
Authorised by Ged Kearney, Australian Labor Party, 159 High Street, Preston 3072


It was one of several incidents firefighters dealt with on Sunday evening.
Arsonists are being blamed for setting fire to a brick shed outside a block of city centre flats.
Firefighters were called to Bath Lane, off the A47 St Augustine Road by the River Soar, shortly before 7pm on Sunday.
A fire service spokesman said: "There was a small fire in a disused brick hut.
"Crews gained access and located the fire inside before using a hose reel jet to extinguish the fire.
He said the shed was badly damaged by smoke and fire.
Crews also dealt with a grass fire by the Grand Union Canal, in Saddington, near Market Harborough.
A fire service spokesman said: "We received a call to Kibworth Road, Saddington, at 6.38pm on Sunday.
One jet and a light portable pump were used to put out the fire, the cause of which is not known.
Firefighters also tackled an out of control bonfire in Woodgreen Walk, Northfields, Leicester, on Sunday evening.
A crew from Leicester's Eastern fire station attended the incident, described as a "large bonfire out of control", shortly after 9.30pm.
The incident, which was an accident, was quickly dealt with an no-one is believed to have been hurt.


• Well informed on all club activities: for example, know about the club's current financial position, each of the programs run by the club, who is in charge of them and the number of teams within the club.
• Manage committees and/or executive meetings: ensure that all matters are discussed and the best decisions made, without lengthy meetings.
• Represent the club at local and regional levels: for example, a meeting called by your league or council.


Hunter Neoprene Harness – black/ grey | Free P&P on orders £29+ at zooplus!
Hunter Neoprene Harness :"very good."
This Hunter neoprene dog harness is soft against your dog's skin and offers your pet a high level of comfort. The inside is padded with neoprene covered in soft material, to protect your dog's neck and chest. The padding prevents the harness from rubbing or cutting in, even when your dog tugs on the lead.
The outside of the harness is made of strong nylon material, which makes it both secure and rip-resistant. The combination of durability and comfort makes this harness the ideal accessory for high-intensity sport activities like cycling or jogging, as well as your daily walks.
The O-ring is made from nickel-plated steel – ideal for hooking on the matching Hunter lead. The harness has 2 click-fastenings, making it easy to put on and take off. As with any Hunter product, it combines comfort with functionality and great design.
This Harness does not adjust at the front and is quite useless. Brought the Large to fit round my Cocker Spaniel as his chest is 65 cm and the other reviews said to get the size up if its close. The chest strap fitted him fine, the neck or front strap was hanging very lose and definitely defeats the object as a harness are meant to make it extra secure. Also there was no padding around the plastic buckles on the chest strap which could become uncomfortable. Zooplus have said they will refund.
The worst harnesess I have ever had!
Poor quality. Less then 2 month old, but fabric is already wearing out.
I have a big dog (GSD x) I measured her up and opted for the XL - it was however a little small, fitting on the maximum adjustment with no room for expansion! So I've exchanged it for the XXL size. If your dog is on the top end of the sizing scale then I'd go for the size up.


Expedition 8000 RD Picked as Best Footwear Innovation.
The winners of ISPO's Outdoor Awards for the best innovations have been selected and LOWA's Expedition 8000 RD is at the top of the footwear category list. It won because of its combination of innovative manufacturing technology and high-tech materials. The competition is divided into five categories and was open to both exhibitors and non-exhibitors. The awards will be officially presented by an international jury during the upcoming ISPO show, held July 16-18 in Munich, Germany.
The LOWA Expedition 8000 RD provides the extreme warmth needed to climb between 6000 and 8000 meters, the world's highest peaks. Designed with a double construction, the inside is made of a close-cell moldable foam topped with a silver reflective heat barrier. The outside utilizes 4mm of the top-of-the-line Duratherm KL on the market. It is backed with Gore-Tex and an addition layer of close-cell foam. A Vibram Expert sole provides crampon compatibility and the tall gaiter offers further protection from the elements.
LOWA Boots LLC, with headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, is a partnership with LOWA Sportschuhe Gmbh founded in 1923 and based in Jetzendorf, Germany. The U.S. company, launched in 1996, sells, markets, and distributes a complete line of hiking, backpacking, trekking, mountaineering, all-terrain and snow boots, active casual shoes, clogs, and sandals as well as alpine touring boots in the United States and Mexico.


Other Functions Panel Lock V-LINK MIDI Visual Control Tone Demo Auto Off Roland Wireless Connect (wireless LAN function *2) *2: Wireless USB Adapter sold by Roland is required.
Options (sold separately) Dedicated Stand: KSC-68 Keyboard Stand: KS-18Z, KS-12 Damper Pedal: DP-10 USB Flash Memory *3 Wireless USB Adapter: WNA1100-RL *3 *3: Use USB flash memory and Wireless USB Adapter sold by Roland. We cannot guarantee operation if other products are used.
Weight 20 kg44 lbs. 2 oz.
Weight 28 kg61 lbs. 12 oz.


text:
Q: Python reduce() Function for 0 i have vals = [1.0, 0.0, 3.4, 0.0] and I want to avoid multiplying by zero
if i use reduce(operator.mul, iterable) - i get 0.0.
Also for reduce(lambda x, y : x * y, val) too
How can I add the minimum conditions for variables so that only get greater than zero. But if the array was completely out of zero elements, then it returned 0. Zero element from an array can not be deleted
So for vals = [1.0, 0.0, 3.4, 0.0] - return 3.4
for vals = [0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0] - return 0

A: You could remove 0s from the list. If the list becomes empty, return 0, the product otherwise:
>>> no_zeroes = [value for value in values if value > 0]
>>> no_zeroes
[1.0, 3.4]
>>> reduce(lambda x, y : y*x, no_zeroes) if no_zeroes else 0
3.4

Note that from a mathematical point of view, the product of an empy list should probably be 1. In that case, you could write :
reduce(lambda x, y : y*x, no_zeroes, 1)

A: if you use numpy arrays you can filter out the zero values:
import numpy as np
vals = np.array([0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0])
no_zeros = vals[vals>0]
if no_zeros:
    print( np.prod(no_zeros))
else:
    print(0.0)

A: Another option:
from functools import reduce

vals = [1.0, 0.0, 3.4, 0.0]
reduce(lambda x,y: y if x == 0 else (x if y == 0 else x*y), vals, 0)
# 3.4

vals = [0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
reduce(lambda x,y: y if x == 0 else (x if y == 0 else x*y), vals, 0)
# 0.0

A: Just filter out 0.0 values with filter
from functools import reduce

vals_without_zero = filter(lambda x: x, vals)
reduce(lambda x, y : x * y, vals_without_zero)

A: Combining functools.reduce (with initiator value 1) and filter functions:
vals = [1.0, 0.0, 3.4, 0.0]
result = functools.reduce(operator.mul, list(filter(lambda x: x>0, vals)) or [0], 1)
print(result)  #  3.4

vals = [0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
result = functools.reduce(operator.mul, list(filter(lambda x: x>0, vals)) or [0], 1)
print(result)  # 0

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