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Chinese Whispers: WeChat Adds "Stories" Feature in the Latest Update, and More
Yiling Pan @SiennaPan
Photo: VCG
In "Chinese Whispers," we share the biggest news stories about the luxury industry in China that haven't yet made it into the English language.
In this week's edition, we discuss:
WeChat's "Stories" feature allows users to post instant videos that stay up for one day,
Angelababy's online influence slid in 2018, and
Fosun Group's investment in a Japanese theme park.
WeChat's new "Time Capsule" feature is similar to Instagram Stories. Jing Daily illustration.
1. WeChat adds a "Time Capsule" feature, similar to Instagram Stories – WeChat
In its latest system update on December 21, China's top social messaging app WeChat unveiled a new feature called "Time Capsule," which allows users to post instant videos of less than 15 seconds that only appear on individual users' homepages for 24 hours. The new feature is similar to the "Stories" feature offered by a wide range of Western social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.
Users can either upload their existing videos or record new ones through "Time Capsule." They will be able to add descriptions, emojis, music, and location information based on their needs. Viewers of videos can tap on the bubble icon to let friends know they have opened it (see an example above).
China's online community has been excited about this update. Upon the release of the new feature, the topic "WeChat Upgrade (微信大改版)" became the No. 1 trending topic on Sina Weibo, with 340 million readers viewing the hashtag and over 36,000 viewers participating in the discussion.
The development may be revolutionary for luxury marketers. Though the current version is a bit rough and only available for individual users, the feature can create enormous marketing opportunities for brands and is poised to transform the digital marketing landscape in China.
Recommended Reading5 Reasons Why Luxury Brands Can't Afford to Skip WeChat MarketingBy Lionel Sim
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 24: Angela Baby attends the Christian Dior show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2019 on September 24, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
2. Survey indicates the declining online influence of Dior's Chinese brand ambassador – Jiemian
In 2018, Christian Dior's Chinese brand ambassador Angelababy, aka Yang Ying, has seen her online influence drop significantly, according to a new survey by Chinese media outlet Jiemian, in collaboration with Jinri Toutiao and Yian Insurance, listing the rise and fall of Chinese celebrities' online clout. Actress Liu Shishi, who has collaborated with luxury brands such as Omega, Tod's and Chanel, saw the second-biggest decline in her influence.
Recommended ReadingDior's Feminist Message Feels Much More Muted in ChinaBy Huixin Deng
Visitors walk on a bridge at the Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch amusement park, operated by Huis Ten Bosch Co., in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, on Friday, July 17, 2015. Huis Ten Bosch is spread across 1.52 million square meters (376 acres), about twice the size of Tokyo Disneyland, according to its website. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg
3. Lanvin's parent company Fosun Group snaps up Japanese theme park Huis Ten Bosch – Luxe.co
Chinese investment conglomerate Fosun Group is set to acquire almost a 25-percent stake in Japanese theme park Huis Ten Bosch Co, further expanding its portfolio in the high-end hospitality sector. Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki is a replica of a Dutch town known named after a residence of the Dutch royal family.
Recommended ReadingWhy Chinese Investors are Buying into the Global Luxury SectorBy Jeena Sharma
angelababy, chinese brand ambassador, dior, facebook, fosun, instagram stories, instant videos, lanvin, snapchat, wechat, WeChat Stories, WeChat Time Capsule, wechat update
China's New Economic Expansion Plan Should Boost Luxury
How Omicron Just Ruined China's Spring Festival
Has China's Property Sector Reached Its Tipping Point?
+$0.77 -$0.39 -$0.1


Ariana Grande just released a teaser for her highly-anticipated music video for "thank u, next" and it's packed with various cameos. In the teaser posted on Grande's Instagram, Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett and Troye Sivan, among others, reenact a scene from the 2004 comedy.
The video shows each celebrity tell a rumor that they heard about Ariana, including a joke about her highly-publicized former engagement to Pete Davidson. "Ariana broke off an engagement. So, I found a guy to propose to me, and I broke off an engagement," the Bethany Byrd character said.
Ari also previously posted teasers referencing other popular 2000s movies like Bring It On, Legally Blonde and 13 Going on 30. Grande has yet to give a release date for the "thank u, next" music video, but peep the clip below and stay tuned for more details.
In other music news, take a look at Takeoff's futuristic "Casper" video.


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« Reimagining the Waterfront: Manhattan's East River Esplanade
A Design Team Search for the Pierscape at Navy Pier RFQ »
Bird College – Dance, Music & Theatre Performance
Sponsor: RIBA
Type: Expressions of interest
Fee: £50
Eligibility: Expressions of Interest are invited from architect‐led teams, which should also include the services of a structural engineer, M&E engineer and quantity surveyor. Other specialists including landscape architects, acousticians and theatre consultants may also be proposed at this stage.
7 October 2011 – Registration deadline to obtain specification documents
12 October 2011 – Deadline for receipt of PQQs & Expressions of Interest
17 October 2011 – Appraisal of Pre‐Qualification Questionnaires and Expression of Interest documents
10 November 2011 – Short‐listing assessment meeting
14 November 2011 – Shortlist notified
16 November 2011 – Stage 2 Design Brief issued to shortlist
21 November 2011 – Group site visit & open briefing session for shortlist
28 November 2011 – Deadline to raise questions on the Brief
7 December 2011 – Memo issued in response to questions
11 January 2012 – Submission of design concepts
16 January 2012 – Review of design proposals
27 January 2012 – Final assessment (interviews)
30 January 2012 – Result, preferred team identified
6 Shortlisted teams – £5,000 each
Winning team awarded the commission
Geoff Pine – Chairman & Trustee of the Doreen Bird Foundation
Patrick Deuchar – Trustee of the Doreen Bird Foundation
Professor Anthony Bowne – Principal, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Shirley Coen – Principal and Chief Executive, Bird College
June Denton – Founder, VThree ltd.
Laura Lee – Chief Executive, Maggie's Centres
Greg Penoyre – Senior Partner, Penoyre & Prasad LLP [acting as the RIBA Architect Adviser]
Design Challenge:
Expressions of Interest are sought from architect-led design teams with exceptional design skills for the redevelopment of the facilities of Bird College, Sidcup. The College is currently based in buildings over three sites in residential Sidcup which are owned or leased by the Doreen Bird Foundation, and in order to accommodate increased student numbers, additional space is rented in other nearby facilities. This provides a total of ~4,500m2 of accommodation and results in the College operating from six different places on a daily basis. The College wishes to improve its facilities to match the best in the sector and create an exciting new teaching and learning resource for the benefit of students, staff and the wider community of Bexley.
For more information, go to: www.architecture.com/competitions
Young Architects in Competitions
When Competitions and a New Generation of Ideas Elevate Architectural Quality
by Jean-Pierre Chupin and G. Stanley Collyer
published by Potential Architecture Books, Montreal, Canada 2020
271 illustrations in color and black & white
Available in PDF and eBook formats
What do the Vietnam Memorial, the St. Louis Arch, and the Sydney Opera House have in common? These world renowned landmarks were all designed by architects under the age of 40, and in each case they were selected through open competitions. At their best, design competitions can provide a singular opportunity for young and unknown architects to make their mark on the built environment and launch productive, fruitful careers. But what happens when design competitions are engineered to favor the established and experienced practitioners from the very outset?
This comprehensive new book written by Jean-Pierre Chupin (Canadian Competitions Catalogue) and Stanley Collyer (COMPETITIONS) highlights for the crucial role competitions have played in fostering the careers of young architects, and makes an argument against the trend of invited competitions and RFQs. The authors take an in-depth look at past competitions won by young architects and planners, and survey the state of competitions through the world on a region by region basis. The end result is a compelling argument for an inclusive approach to conducting international design competitions.
Download Young Architects in Competitions for free at the following link:
https://crc.umontreal.ca/en/publications-libre-acces/
Don't miss these on-going open competitions, now posted to the website:
• Parliamentary Precinct Redevelopment, Ottawa
• Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Germany
• Harvard GSD Wheelwright Prize
• Haifa Award: Phoenix Prize:
Reconstruction of Beirut Port
• New Urban Plan for Closing of German Airbase in Erding, Germany
• New School, Smart School: Sejong National Model City Middle and High School Design Ideas Competition
• Leisure Harbor, Loano, Italy
Uusi Kansallinen – National Finnish Museum Competition: Following a Time Honored Paradigm
Aerial view of site – Courtesy National Finnish Museum
When major cultural institutions in Finland plan a new building project, one can almost always assume that an open competition will be the vehicle by which the client settles on the building's design. The only question is, will this be organized in a format open to local, Scandinavian, or international architects. In the case of the National Museum of Finland annex competition, it was open to architects throughout the world — resulting in 185 entries.
2019 Annual is here!
• Half price on 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 Annuals.
• 2019 Annual now available in PDF format Look inside.
Senses and Sensitivity
The Opening of Taichung's Central Park by Catherine Mosbach/Philippe Rahm
View from the south with downtown Taichung in the distance image: ©Mosbach/Rahm
The abandonment and closing of airports, including decommissioning those that were used for military purposes, has presented design communities with several opportunities to convert them entirely to civilian purposes. Notable among those which have been the result of competitions are Orange County Great Park, Irvine, California (Ken Smith Landscape Architects), The Estonian National Museum (Dan Dorell, Lina Ghotmeh and Tsuyoshi Tane), and Toronto's less successful Downsview Park competition, whereby the winning design by OMA, with trees as the primary feature, has been basically ignored. Instead, the area has become the site of numerous commercial and residential projects.
Ground Breaking at Science Island
SMAR's Winning Entry Gets the Green Light
Image: ©SMAR Architecture
The winning competition entry in the 2016 Science Island competition in Kaunas, Lithuania by SMAR Architects may only take five years to realize—from the date of the competition to completion. This is encouraging news, as the duration of such projects resulting from a competition can often take much longer—sometimes up to 8-10 years.
A Tribute to Eisenhower
Night view of the memorial tapestry from Independence Avenue, with Gehry's sketch of the Normandy cliffs.
Explaining the contributions of a World War II hero and later President of the United States on a very modest site on Independence Avenue just off the Washington Mall is tantamount to asking an author to describe the life of this person in no more than one paragraph. But on September 17th, after a long and bumpy journey, lasting almost 20 years and navigating a warren of the DC approval processes and public scrutiny, the Eisenhower Memorial finally was dedicated and opened to the public. Designed by Frank Gehry, it has received mixed reviews, the majority being more positive. But most have pointed out that the memorial is more impressive at night than in full daylight. This is due primarily to the illumination of an almost block-long metallic tapestry—featuring a sketch by Gehry, which depicts his interpretation of the cliffs of the Normandy coastline where the Americans landed on D-Day.
Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge: The Reinvention of a 19th Century Icon
Professional winner: Brooklyn Bridge Forest (image © Pilot Projects Design Collective)
While looking for new adventures on a visit to New York City, friends suggested that I take time to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge—certainly a New York icon. For those intending to undertake this trek across the bridge for the first time, the bridge consists of layers, with a large platform for pedestrians on top of a lower level for cars and the metro system. Traversing this connection for the first time between Manhattan and Brooklyn is not just about getting from one place to another, but experiencing a great scenic view of both boroughs and occasionally interacting with other bridge crossers. As for the latter, they provide a flavor of the city's demographics, as opposed to similar experiences one might have of the city's inhabitants when riding the city's subway system.
Copyright © 2021 Competitions
All Rights Reserved Competitions-Archive LLC,
1731 Fernwood Avenue, Louisville, Ky 40250 U.S.A
Ph: (502) 451-3623; Fax: (502) 451-3623
Website: https://competitions.org
E: scollyer@competitions.org
Privacy Policy: CP-Privacy-Policy.pdf
IMPORTANT NOTICE : Unless otherwise indicated, photographs of buildings and projects are from professional or institutional archives. All reproduction is prohibited unless authorized by the architects, designers, office managers, consortia or archives centers concerned. The Competitions-Archive LLC is not held responsible for any omissions or inaccuracies, but appreciate all comments and pertinent information that will permit necessary modifications during future updates.

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Davide Rebellin dies after hit by truck while training
Associated PressNov 30, 2022, 12:36 PM EST
MILAN — Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin, one of the sport's longest-serving professionals, died after being struck by a truck while training. He was 51.
Rebellin was riding near the town of Montebello Vicentino in northern Italy when he was hit by a truck near a motorway junction. The vehicle did not stop, although Italian media reported that the driver may have been unaware of the collision.
Local police are working to reconstruct the incident and find the driver.
Rebellin had only retired from professional cycling last month, bringing to an end a career that had spanned 30 years. He last competed for Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek and the UCI Continental team posted a tribute on its social media accounts.
"Dear Davide, keep pedaling, with the same smile, the same enthusiasm and the same passion as always," the Italian team said. "This is not how we imagined the future together and it is not fair to have to surrender so suddenly to your tragic absence."
"To your family, your loved ones, your friends and all the enthusiasts who, like us, are crying for you right now, we just want to say that we imagine you on a bicycle, looking for new roads, new climbs and new challenges even up there, in the sky."
Rebellin's successes included victories at Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico as well as winning a stage in the 1996 edition of the Giro d'Italia, which he also led for six stages.
Rebellin won silver in the road race at the 2008 Olympic Games, but he was later stripped of his medal and banned for two years after a positive doping test. He had denied wrongdoing.
Australia's Jay Vine wins Tour Down Under
ADELAIDE, Australia — Australia's Jay Vine defended his overnight lead to win the Tour Down Under, the first event of the 2023 World Tour.
Simon Yates of Britain won the final stage and moved up from third to second place on overall standings. Vine came in second on the stage to secure the biggest win of his career in a stage race.
The UAE Team Emirates rider took the overall tour lead when he finished second in Stage 2 and third in Stage 3. He came into the final stage with a 15-second lead on general classification.
The 70-mile stage involved four laps of a 15.5 mile-circuit through the Adelaide Hills before finishing just beyond the summit of Mount Lofty.
Yates led the crucial attack on the ascent less than 1.2 miles from the finish, but Vine jumped onto his wheel and Australian Ben O'Connor also joined in.
O'Connor led out close to the finish line, Vine briefly passed him but Yates came over the top to claim the stage win. Vine retained his overall advantage and claimed the title in his debut appearance in the Tour Down Under.
The 27-year-old made his name in e-Sports before being signed by the UAE team after winning the academy program on the Zwift online platform. He won two stages of the Vuelta a Espana last year and the Australian Time Trial title.
"It's pretty incredible to be standing here and wearing this jersey," Vine said. "The way we drove that was first class. My guys were incredible."
The final stage featured a breakaway of 13 riders but Vine's UAE teammates led the chase by the peloton and put their rider in a position to contest the win.
Yates again rode an aggressive race but had to be happy with the stage win.
"We came Down Under with a lot of ambition. We put a lot into it and we didn't come away with the overall but we can walk away pretty happy," Yates said. "Obviously Jay Vine is a massive talent and the crowd will be happy with a local winner."
France's Coquard wins Tour Down Under Stage 4; Vine leads
ADELAIDE, Australia — French cyclist Bryan Coquard won Stage 4 of the Tour Down Under for his first-ever World Tour win, while Australia's Jay Vine retained the overall tour lead by 15 seconds with one stage remaining.
Coquard is a lightweight sprinter who has had 49 wins in a decade-long career but had never won on the World Tour until he cleared out near the finish to claim the 82-mile stage by a margin of about just over 100 feet.
Vine was among the leading group that shared Coquard's winning time and who retained his lead on general classification over Britain's Simon Yates and Germany's Phil Bauhaus. The race concludes with Stage 5, which ends atop 2,329-foot Mount Lofty.
"It's a long time that I've waited for this win, 10 years," said Coquard, who rides for the French Cofidis team. "I never really expected and I'm very happy and relieved with this win."
While the stage was flat and suited sprinters, it had its challenges. Cross-winds and occasional gradients made the stage difficult and confounded some riders.
After an early breakaway by Jonas Rutsch and former tour winner Daryl Impey of South Africa, the peloton broke into two groups with Vine and other tour leaders among the leading group.
The leading group stayed together around the last, sharp bend towards the finish and Coquard bided his time until his late sprint left other riders flat-footed.
"It was pretty stressful," Vine said. "There was one point there, I thought we were going to have an easy day and I was happy, smiling, waving to families on the side of the road.
"Then, 45 kilometers in it was on and it was on until the end so it was a very hard day. There was a lot more calorie expenditure than I was planning."


A western style rock paper scissor game. You are a bounty hunter. Use your deadly Rock Paper Scissors to take on deadly crew of train robbers.
– When your points are gone, you DIE!
– You must follow the music!
Watch out! Bandits can use either hand, and some can even regenerate their points with a bandit shout!
An "attack" happens when your hand and one of your opponent's hands are facing each other. Rock beats scissors. Scissors beat paper. Paper beats rock. If you win, your opponent loses a point. If you lose, you lose a point. Whoever loses all their points first is instantly vaporized.
You are now playing The Rock the Paper and the Scissors, one of many high quality Funny Games on KBH Games for you to play online. Have a great time playing The Rock the Paper and the Scissors online right now. We have total of 16338 free games indexed on the website for you to enjoy. The Rock the Paper and the Scissors is listed as part of our Funny Games, Skill Games, and Western Games categories of games. The Rock the Paper and the Scissors is liked by 12 vistors that played. We have a large collection of fun games for the entire family to enjoy. Explore the website and see what great games you'll discover today. We also offer fast server speed, easy to use website, and an easy solution to play all your favorite games. We hope that any of these games can brighten your day just a little bit.


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Across four beautiful and spacious campuses, Shady Side Academy students have plenty of room to learn, play, create and compete.
189 Acres. Four Campuses. One Academy.
Each Shady Side Academy campus is specifically designed to meet the needs of children at a particular life stage. The transition from one campus to the next broadens our students' experience, offering more choices and independence at each level.
We offer Pittsburgh-area families four coed campuses, including the choice between two elementary schools (PK-5): the Country Day School in Fox Chapel, nestled in the north suburbs, and the Junior School in Point Breeze, located in the heart of the city's East End. Our Middle School (6-8) and Senior School (9-12) campuses are both located in suburban Fox Chapel and draw students from across the region.
(Fox Chapel, PK-5)
Located on a 17-acre campus in Fox Chapel, our Country Day School serves elementary students in grades PK-5.
(Fox Chapel, 6-8)
Located on a 35-acre campus in Fox Chapel, our Middle School serves students in grades 6-8.
(Point Breeze, PK-5)
Located on a seven-acre campus in Point Breeze, our Junior School serves elementary students in grades PK-5.
(Fox Chapel, 9-12)
Located on a 130-acre campus in Fox Chapel, our Senior School serves high school students in grades 9-12. Five- and seven-day boarding options are available.


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Analysis of the exchange of salt between the Baltic and the Kattegat through the Oresund using a three-layer model
Mattsson, Johan
SMHI, Research Department, Oceanography.
1996 (English)In: Journal of Geophysical Research, ISSN 0148-0227, E-ISSN 2156-2202, Vol. 101, no C7, p. 16571-16584Article in journal (Refereed) Published
The shallowness of the Oresund prevents a continuous inflow of saline Kattegat water to the Baltic. Instead, the salt is exchanged largely by fluctuating barotropic transports. Buffer effects and temporal storage of low-salinity Baltic surface water complicate the exchange. The analysis of salt exchange through the Oresund requires use of a model of the stratification and baroclinically modified exchange processes. In this paper a three-layer model of the Oresund, forced by the exchange with the Kattegat and the Baltic, is formulated and calibrated. Frontal dynamics, necessary to explain the retreat of the uppermost layer, are included. The model is calibrated using genetic algorithms, which provide an efficient and robust optimization method for this kind of model. An analysis of the exchange in view of the model results is presented. The paper also gives estimates of typical mean quantities. For the analyzed period of 11 years (1977-1987) the mean salt outflow rate from the Baltic during outflows is 311,000 kg s(-1) and the mean salt inflow rate to the Baltic during inflows is 500,000 kg s(-1). The net salt outflow from the Baltic is estimated to 19,000 kg s(-1). The mean frontal speed is estimated at 0.25 m s(-1) and the typical required length of an inflow event for high-salinity Kattegat water to reach the Baltic is estimated at 4 days. Further results are also given. In addition, the baroclinic dynamics of the Oresund are discussed.
1996. Vol. 101, no C7, p. 16571-16584
URN: urn:nbn:se:smhi:diva-1638DOI: 10.1029/96JC01422ISI: A1996UX79200023OAI: oai:DiVA.org:smhi-1638DiVA, id: diva2:897646
Journal of Geophysical Research


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Q: How to resize xfs in CentOS on GCE? I have a VM with CentOS on GCE (Google Compute Engine).
I added 10GB of disk space in GCE, and the system can see this space. I tried to add 10GB to the partition with xfs_growfs, but it didn't work.
What went wrong? Here's an image of the console where I tried to make the change.

A: You have to run growpart first to grow the partition that XFS is sitting on, like this:
sudo growpart /dev/[DEVICE_ID] [PARTITION_NUMBER]
sudo xfs_growfs /dev/[DEVICE_ID][PARTITION_NUMBER]

This is documented pretty well in Google's official docs here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Like a true Atlanta United fan, you're always here to cheer on your team. And inside the stadium or out, you stand by your community! Because you know that when we cheer together, we win together — and not just on the field. So let's rally together to dream bigger and make a difference.
Enter to Be Named Fan of the Match!
A chance to be voted Fan of the Season!
Thomas' dedication for Atlanta United goes beyond the sport, his passion derives from the city of Atlanta. Thomas grew up near Atlanta, the ultimate sports fan, and was beyond excited to finally have a team that they can build from the ground up. "There is a different energy surrounding Atlanta United, our fans stand behind the team fiercely" said Thomas. This team, this city has made it apparent that they are nothing without the fans.
We're here to give back to young dreamers in your community. And we need your help! For every submission, we'll donate to First Works Soccer.
Beyond teaching the fundamentals of the game, First Works Soccer is dedicated to helping develop youth leaders in under-served Metro Atlanta communities. As a part of their program, they aim to teach kids character and life skills, and help them build connections so they may have a better future — and we think that's something worth supporting. We're calling on you to fan fearlessly for their cause!
Success! Your information has been submitted. Thank you for supporting a great cause!
Hmm… Looks like something went wrong. Please refresh the page and try again.
How Do You Fan Fearlessly?
Please choose a valid upload format 10MB or less.
Success! You've been submitted into the Atlanta United Fan of the Match Sweepstakes!


Is there a way to change order of the layers after they have been added, like in CS 5? Or, does the user need to delete and start over just to move layers to back or front? Geezzz, I hope not!
I'm afraid to say yes, you would currently have to delete layers in order to re-order them. This is certainly something we could add if there was a lot of demand for it. Would anyone else want it?
Alternatively, you could re-order them by right clicking on the composite tab at the top and choosing Manual Edit, then re-order the layers by re wiring the nodes, but that would require some knowledge of the node editor.
Yes being able to alter the layer order would be great!
Check my Instagram if you have time, dedicated to my edits done in Smart Photo Editor!
Oh, yes1 An easy way to reorder layers would be a great boon to all!


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Players set to tee-off WAAP in Singapore
Thailand's Paphangkorn 'Patty' Tavatanakit and six-foot tall Wenbo 'Maggie' Liu of China are the top-ranked players in this week's Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) golf championship, which will tee-off on the New Tanjong course at Sentosa Golf Club on Wednesday and conclude on Saturday.
The 72-hole stroke play event features 83 players representing 18 nations, with more than half of the field 18 years old or under, and ages ranging from 13 to 25.
The top-quality field features 15 players from the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, comprising four from Korea, three from Japan, two each from Australia, Thailand and Chinese Taipei, and one each from China and the Philippines.
The winner will earn invitations to both the ANA Inspiration (29 March-1 April) at Mission Hills Country Club in California, USA, and the Ricoh Women's British Open (2-5 August) at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England, as well as next week's 11th HSBC Women's World Championship, also at Sentosa Golf Club.
At 13th in the WAGR, Tavatanakit is the field's highest-ranked player and last year competed at three major championships – ANA Inspiration, U.S. Women's Open and Evian Championship.
Isabella Leung, Yuna Nishimura, A-Yean Cho, Paphangkorn Tavatanakit, trophy, Wenbo Liu, Kirsty Hodgkins, Callista Chen, Yu-Sang Hou with the trophy in Singapore.
Tavatanakit, who went to school in Bangkok, also started playing college golf at the University of California, Los Angeles last year and her impressive results since joining the UCLA Bruins include a tie for first at the Stanford Intercollegiate in October.
In the same month, she finished runner-up at the Annika Intercollegiate by 3M and third at the Nanea PAC 12 Preview, while in December she finished third at the Dixie Amateur won by Korea's Yujeong Son, also playing in Sentosa this week.
"I'm loving college so far and I'm really pleased with my results since I started. I've learned a lot about game planning, adjusting to a team environment and how to handle myself on a golf course," said Tavatanakit, who wore a UCLA bucket hat for her practice round on Tuesday.
"I've prepared myself pretty well in terms of getting ready for this week physically and mentally, but I'll take any outcome. At the end of the day, it's a new experience that I can learn from so I just hope to do my best. I'm trying to not think too much about winning and I'm just so glad to come back to Asia, see my parents again and enjoy this week."
Fellow Thai Atthaya Thitikul, 53rd on the WAGR, won the SEA Games individual gold in Malaysia last August and is one of two players in this week's field who have won professional events.
Last July, Atthaya succeeded Lydia Ko as the youngest-ever winner on the Ladies European Tour when she won the Ladies European Thailand Championship at 14 years, four months and 19 days.
"It was a really big surprise. It made me feel more confident about my game," said Atthaya, who turned 15 on Tuesday (February 20). "I'm excited about this week because all the top players from the Asia-Pacific countries are here. I'm not thinking about winning, just doing my best."
The towering Liu has also won a professional tournament, the Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge in China last April, and is currently ranked 20th on the WAGR. Standing 1.82 metres tall – "not as tall as Michelle Wie" – the Beijing-based 17-year-old is currently in the process of adjusting her swing under new coach Gary Gilchrist.
"I'm aiming to do well this week and I'm feeling fine, but I'm in the middle of changing my swing so I think my chances are only so-so," said Liu, who was previously coached by Andrew Park in Orlando.
Yujeong Son (35th) and compatriot Ayean Cho (36th) are the field's third and fourth highest-ranked players, followed by Yuka Saso (38th) of the Philippines.
Australia's Kirsty Hodgkins (40th) and Grace Kim (66th) are Australia's highest-ranked players. Hodgkins has played at the University of Colorado since August 2016 and is one of three Australians playing college golf in the US along with Colorado teammate Robyn Choi and Julienne Soo, who's in her third year at the University of Oklahoma.
"The course is amazing," said Hodgkins, who's based outside Brisbane. "The challenging holes are the long par-fours including eight and 12, which also has water so that's going to be a little interesting."
Choi agreed that the 6,456-yard (5,904-metre) layout would prove a big test. "The par-fours are long and it's challenging, but I love the course."
Callista Chen, the highest-ranked of the six Singaporeans in the field, will hit the WAAP's first tee-shot from hole one at 8.00am on Wednesday and hopes that local knowledge of the New Tanjong will boost her chances of a high finish.
"Especially because this is the first WAAP, it's very special to be able to hit the first tee-shot. I'm aiming to finish in the top 15 or top 20, so if I finish anywhere there, I'll have achieved my goal," said Chen.
"My first major golf memory was here at Sentosa a few years ago watching the HSBC Women's and that inspired me to take up golf seriously and sparked my ambition to turn pro. The course does play pretty long and needs a lot of five-irons and hybrids in to the greens, plus the greens being hard doesn't make it easy, so having home advantage helps."
Jacqueline Young, Singapore's second-ranked player, is also delighted to be part of the first edition of the championship.
"It's a huge opportunity and it's incredible to be around all the top players from around the region," said Young. "The prize of going to three big tournaments if you win is just unreal."
The Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific championship has been developed by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) and The R&A to nurture talent and provide a pathway for Asia's elite female amateurs to the international stage. The championship will be contested over four rounds of stroke play from 21-24 February 2018.
Entry to the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is free of charge.


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Home » Borna virus infection
Updated January, 2021
These Guidelines were first published by Hans Lutz et al. in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 17 (7), 2015, 614-616, and updated by Hans Lutz in 2017. This update has been compiled by Uwe Truyen.
Borna disease virus is the aetiological agent of a central nervous disease (CNS) seen in several animal species, including horses, sheep and cats. Borna Disease virus is endemic in certain regions of Europe and can cause severe and fatal encephalitis in humans and certain animal species.
The mode of transmission is unknown, but may occur through direct contact or indirectly via the secretions of an infected animal.
Shrews may play a prominent role in the epidemiology of the disease.
Infection starts in the olfactory nerve cells and then spreads to the CNS.
Signs include abnormal gait, ataxia progressing to paralysis, lower back pain and behavioural changes.
Serological tests are of little diagnostic value.
Detection of viral RNA by RT-PCR in pooled samples of blood, CSF and body secretions (urine, conjunctival, or rectal swabs) are diagnostic for the infection.
Pathology and histopathology, in conjunction with clinical signs, are considered the most reliable diagnostic methods.
BoDV-1 is so far not confirmed to be involved in the aetiology of psychiatric disease in humans.
Other Bornaviruses have been described in rodents (including the variegated squirrel) and birds.
Other Bornaviruses such as the VSBV-1 may represent a risk for humans.
Borna disease virus (BoDV)-1 historically affects horses and sheep (for review see Ludwig and Bode, 2000). The disease was first described in 1855 in horses which became severely sick, near the German town of Borna (cited in Lundgren et al., 1995). More recently, BoDV-1 has been described as the causative agent of a viral meningoencephalitis in cattle, ostriches, cats and dogs (Ludwig and Bode, 2000). In the mid-1970s, staggering disease – a non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis – was described in cats in Western Sweden (cited in Cubitt and de la Torre, 1994 and Lundgren et al., 1995). Later, it was found that antibodies recognising BoDV-1 were common to these cases (Lundgren and Ludwig, 1993). Finally, in 1995, BoDV-1 was confirmed as the aetiological agent of staggering disease (Lundgren et al., 1995).
A hypothesis that BoDV-1 infection may be involved in the development of selected neurological disorders in man has not be confirmed. A research group within the German Robert Koch Institute studied the potential health threat of BoDV-1 to humans and concluded that BoDV-1 was not involved in the aetiology of human psychiatric diseases. However, the recent detection of cases of fatal encephalitis in humans in Bavaria suggests that the question of BoDV-1 involvement in neurological disorders cannot be clearly answered.
BoDV-1 is an enveloped virus with a helical capsid and a single-stranded RNA genome. The genome comprises 8,900 bases and, based on sequence analysis, it was assigned to the order of Mononegavirales as a member of the Bornaviridae family (Cubitt and de la Torre, 1994; Cubitt et al., 1994). Bornaviruses have been detected in a variety of animal species including mammals and birds (Kuhn et al., 2015). BoDV particles are spherical and have an average diameter of approximately 100 nm. The genome encodes six known proteins including an envelope protein of 56 kd. Interestingly, BoDV-1 can infect a number of brain-derived cell types, but it does not usually induce any cytopathic effect.
Feline BoDV-1 has been reported in many countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, United Kingdom, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and Finland (cited from Ludwig and Bode, 2000 and Someya et al., 2014). The fact that BoDV-1 was also shown to be present in horses in North America and several other species in Western China suggests that cats in the USA and China might also be affected by BoDV-1. Clinical staggering disease has been mainly observed in Sweden, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The seroprevalence in cats with neurological diseases in different countries has been reported to vary widely between 0 and 67 %. In healthy cats, the occurrence of BoDV-1 antibodies is much lower, varying between 2 and over 40 % (Reeves et al., 1998).
Predisposing factors
Access to forested areas was reported to be an important risk factor for staggering disease, since 68 % of all clinical cases occurred in cats with access to forests. Staggering disease shows a clear peak in frequency in the spring (Lundgren, 1992). So far, an association between BoDV-1 infection and gender has not been described. The findings on the age distribution of BoDV-1 infection are controversial. A recent study in Japan found no age preference in BoDV-1 infection, although cats younger than one year with infection were reported (Someya et al., 2014).
The mode of transmission of BoDV-1 has not been completely elucidated. It is postulated that transmission occurs through direct contact with an infected animal or indirectly by contact with secretions of an infected animal. Infectious virus and viral RNA can be demonstrated in saliva, urine, skin, tears and faeces (Nobach et al., 2015). In addition, the local occurrence of the disease in forested areas in Sweden suggests that vectors such as ticks may also play a role in transmission. In 2006, a shrew (Crocidura leucodon) was identified as the reservoir host in an area of Switzerland and in Southern Germany where BoDV-1 is prevalent in horses and sheep (Hilbe et al., 2006, Dürrwald et al., 2014). These shrews have recently been shown to shed BoDV-1 over a period of over 200 days in urine, faeces and saliva without showing clinical signs (Nobach et al., 2015). It is therefore clear that shrews can serve as reservoirs for BoDV-1 infection in cats. However, BoDV-1 infection appears not to be readily transmitted between cats.
It is postulated that BoDV-1 may infect nerve endings in the oropharynx, the nose and/or the intestinal tract. The virus is thought to migrate along the nerves to the central nervous system (CNS) (Wensman et al., 2014), where it leads to lymphocytic inflammation and neuronal degeneration. A strong T-cell response to the virus is believed to be responsible for the development of clinical signs, but other factors may also be important for disease development (Wensman et al., 2014).
Affected cats develop gait disturbances, ataxia, pain in the lower back and behavioural changes (Fig. 1). In some cases, the affected cats lose the capacity to retract their claws. Clinical signs will usually progress and affected cats will eventually die after developing severe paralysis of the hind legs. However, some cats will recover partially or even completely. Subclinical infections can also occur. (For review see Tizard et al., 2016).
Fig. 1. One-year old female domestic shorthair with typical clinical signs of staggering disease. Courtesy A.L. Lundgren, PhD thesis 1995
CD8+ lymphocytes stimulated by BoDV-1 have been found in the peripheral blood, spleen and brain (Johansson et al., 2002). These findings suggest that a successful immune reaction usually allows infected cats to control the infection. A weak innate immune response to BoDV-1 infection in rat brain cell cultures was described (Lin et al., 2013). It is therefore to be expected that a weak innate immune response may also contribute to disease development in cats.
Diagnosis on the basis of clinical signs alone is not possible as there are several other viral infections that can lead to similar clinical signs (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Leukaemia Virus and Feline Coronavirus). Detection of antibodies to BoDV-1 by ELISA or indirect immunofluorescence in cats exhibiting clinical signs typical for BoDV-1 infection permit a tentative diagnosis (Wensman et al., 2012).
However, the diagnostic sensitivity of the detection of antibodies, at 81 %, means that not every cat with BoDV-1 infection will have detectable levels of antibodies (Wensman et al., 2012). The reason for this is unclear. It is speculated that different strains of BoDV-1 exist which are sufficiently different from the antigen used in the assay and therefore remain undetected. Alternatively, some cats may not be capable of mounting an immune response that is serologically detectable.
The diagnostic specificity of antibody detection is also very low, as many seropositive cats may be completely healthy (Wensman et al., 2012). In the absence of clinical signs of Borna disease, diagnostic serology is of little value.
Detection of viral RNA by RT-PCR (reverse transcription PCR) in pooled samples of blood, serum, urine, conjunctival, nasal, oral or rectal swabs and possibly CSF collected from cats with clinical signs of Borna disease can be considered diagnostic (Wensman et al., 2012).
Currently, the most reliable means of diagnosis of Borna disease is considered to be pathology and histopathology of the CNS of affected animals. The most important histopathological findings include perivascular cuffing (Fig. 2) in the hippocampus, basal ganglia, cerebellum, cerebrum and the grey matter of the brain stem (Lundgren, 1992). In addition, plasma cells were frequently seen close to neurons (Lundgren et al., 1997), indicative of an inflammatory reaction and thereby explaining the clinical findings in cats with staggering disease.
Fig. 2. Perivascular mononuclear cuffs in the caudal colliculus. Courtesy A.L. Lundgren, PhD thesis 1995
Immunohistochemistry or detection of BoDV-RNA are techniques that confirm a tentative diagnosis of BoDV-1 infection. However, they are not used in routine diagnosis as they are expensive and require experience. Antigen and virus specific nucleic acid can be demonstrated in the hippocampus, predominantly in the neuronal nuclei, and, in chronic infections, antigen is also seen in astrocytes. Additionally, not all clinically affected cats are positive by these tests.
In cats with end-stage staggering disease, mild neutropenia is observed in about a third of the affected population. No other changes of clinical or biochemical parameters are observed.
Currently, no vaccine is available for the prevention of staggering disease. As the exact modes of transmission are still not completely clear, it is difficult to make specific recommendations for preventive measures. Cats without access to a rural environment are probably at a lower risk of BoDV-1 infection compared to those with unlimited access to such areas. In areas where staggering disease is known to occur, it might therefore be recommended that cats are kept indoors. However, limiting outdoor access should be carefully weighed against the risk of BoDV-1 infection. For many cats, outdoor access is an important component of their well-being.
Zoonotic risk
As BoDV-1 persistently infects the CNS of many animal species, it was postulated that this virus might also infect the human CNS. Indeed, it was shown that humans can be seropositive for BoDV-1 and that the frequency of BoDV-1 antibodies was increased in human patients with chronic neurologic disorders. Specifically, among 70 psychiatric patients, 20 % were found to be seropositive, compared to only a few percent of the normal population. This led to the hypothesis that BoDV-1 infection may be involved in the development of selected neurological disorders (Bode et al., 1993; Bode and Ludwig, 2003) and triggered the creation of a research group within the German Robert Koch Institute in the 1990s to study the potential health threat of BoDV-1 to humans. In 2007, the Robert Koch Institute published a statement that:
1) the methods providing seropositive results in human blood were not adequate to support a reliable statement about the presence of antibodies to BoDV-1 and
2) that the RNA sequences found in human blood and tissue were the consequence of BoDV-1 contamination in the laboratory of the respective research lab.
Therefore, it was concluded that BoDV-1 was not involved in the aetiology of human psychiatric diseases and, after dozens of careful studies, the research group ended its activity in 2007.
However, a study published in 2016 demonstrated that patients with primary psychosis showed circulating immunecomplexes and BoDV-1 antigen in their blood significantly more frequently than blood in samples from healthy donors. The authors concluded that surveillance of BoDV-1 should be considered in psychiatric research (Zaliunaite et al., 2016). Furthermore, three human breeders of variegated squirrels (Sciurus variegatoides) in Germany independently developed encephalitis and died within 2 to 4 months after the onset of clinical signs. Using advanced molecular procedures, researchers at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute in Greifswald and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical medicine, Hamburg, detected a previously unknown Bornavirus in brain samples of these three patients and in an in-contact squirrel (Hoffmann et al., 2015). This virus was designated variegated squirrel bornavirus 1 (VSBV-1). A publication in 2017 evaluating more than 450 squirrels from Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom found VSBV-1 RNA in 11 squirrels belonging to 2 squirrel species (Schlottau et al., 2017). These observations suggest that human handling of these animals represents a considerable risk for transmission. Whether or not cats may become infected by VSBV-1 is not clear yet.
A comprehensive epidemiological and virological study on retrospective fatal human encephalitis cases in southern Germany revealed important and surprising insights into classical Borna Disease virus infections (Niller et al., 2020). By screening 56 human encephalitis cases of putative viral origin from 1999-2019 for BoDV-1 RNA, BoDV-1 RNA was detected in eight newly defined cases, and the first human infectious BoDV-1 was isolated. All samples were from endemic regions in southern Germany. Phylogenetic analyses revealed several regional clusters, and epidemiological studies indicated independent spillovers from local wild animal reservoirs, most likely from the bicoloured white toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon). Virtually all human patients lived in rural areas, and were regularly working in agriculture. Three of them kept dogs, five kept cats, and most of them had regular contact with cats. Some of the cats brought mice and shrews into the patients' house.
However, despite these data, the role of the cat in the transmission of the disease in humans remains unclear. Cats are considered dead-end hosts (Bornand et al., 1998) and hypothetically, may passively pick-up the virus from infected shrews and expose it to humans. In a multicat household in that area, where infected shrews had been brought home by cats, all cats were monitored and none was found to be infected. There is no indication of a cat-to-human or human-to-human transmission.
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Dürrwald R, Kolodziejek J, Weissenböck H, Nowotny N (2014) The bicolored white-toothed shrew Crocidura leucodon (HERMANN 1780) is an indigenous host of mammalian Borna disease virus. Plos one 2014 Apr 3;9(4): e93659. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093659. eCollection 2014.
Hilbe M, Herrsche R, Kolodziejek J, Nowotny N, Zlinszky K, Ehrensperger F (2006): Shrews as reservoir hosts of borna disease virus. Emerg Infect Dis 12, 675-677.
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Lin CC, Wu YJ, Heimrich B, Schwemmle M (2013): Absence of a robust innate immune response in rat neurons facilitates persistent infection of Borna disease virus in neuronal tissue. Cell Mol Life Sci 70, 4399-4410.
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Niller HH, Angstwurm K, Rubbenstroth D, Schlottau K, Ebinger A, Giese S, Wunderlich S, Banas B, Forth LF, Hoffmann D, Höper D, Schwemmle M, Tappe D, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Nobach D, Herden C, Brochhausen C, Velez-Char N, Mamilos J, Utpatel K, Evert M, Zoubaa S, Riemenschneider MJ, Ruf V, Herms J, Rieder G, Errath M, Matiasek K, Schlegel J, Liesche-Starnecker F, Neumann B, Fuchs K, Linker RA, Salzberger B, Freilinger T, Gartner L, Wenzel JJ, Reischl U, Jilg W, Gessner A, Jantsch J, Beer M, Barbara Schmidt (2020): Zoonotic spillover infections with Borna disease virus 1 leading to fatal human encephalitis, 1999–2019: an epidemiological investigation. Lancet Infect Dis 20, 467–477.
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Schlottau K, Jenckel M, van den Brand J, Fast C, Herden C, Hoper D, Homeier-Bachmann T, Thielebein J, Mensing N, Diender B, Hoffmann D, Ulrich RG, Mettenleiter TC, Koopmans M, Tappe D, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Reusken CB, Beer M, Hoffmann B (2017): Variegated Squirrel Bornavirus 1 in Squirrels, Germany and the Netherlands, Emerg infect dis 23, 477-481.
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Trust in יהוה – the very thing that every true believer must do at all times! The Hebrew root word used for 'trusts' is בָּטַח bataḥ – Strong's H982 which carries the meaning, 'to trust , be bold, confident, be secure, courageous' , and in saying that the blessed man not only trust in יהוה, but also that the blessed man's trust is יהוה, we are able to see that to trust in יהוה is not just something that we do as an active response to a particular circumstance, but rather it is who we are – we are 'trusters' – who are continually trusting יהוה in all things, aměn!
What then is true 'trust'?
Trust is the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something. It is a dependence upon one, or one in which confidence is placed. It is the confidence, reliance and resting of the mind in the integrity/friendship of another person.
When you make the bold statement that you 'trust in יהוה', do you really mean it? Or do you allow doubts and fears to come and cause you to waver in your ability to fully trust – especially when things do not seem to go your way?
Pure trust in יהוה results in the blessing of being stable and unshaken by unfavourable circumstances that we may find ourselves in. As Yirmeyahu writes here – when יהוה is your trust you will not get affected by the heat or pressures of life – in other words when the heat is turned up and persecutions are on the rise or difficult circumstances and trials are hitting you from all sides – the true truster in יהוה stands unaffected!!! Are you a true truster in יהוה, or are you easily shaken?
5 powerful verses indeed – and within these verses we see such great truth to the power of these words as we look a little deeper at the root meanings of some of the key Hebrew words contained herein.
The theme of this Psalm is security that we have in יהוה amidst a crooked world and an age of much insecurity for many. As we look at some key words, I hope to encourage you to be steadfast in placing your trust in יהוה, as we are reminded of the true and pure confidence that we can experience in trusting our lovingly committed Creator, Redeemer and King - יהושע Messiah!
The title of this Psalm is – שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת – 'shiyr hama'a lot' - which is best translated as 'A song of degrees'. Tehillim 120-134 are all titled as 'A song of degrees' and these Psalms are believed to have been songs that were sung by those who travelled to Yerushalayim each year to the Feasts of יהוה. The two root words are - שִׁיר shir – Strong's H7892 which means, 'song, music, musical' and מַעֲלָה ma'alah – Strong's H4609 which means, 'what comes up, steps, high degree, ascends, stairway', and comes from the primitive root verb עָלָה alah – Strong's H5927 meaning, 'to go up, ascend, climb, approach, go'; and when one also recognises how a derivative of this root verb is the word עֹלָה olah – Strong's H5930 meaning, 'whole burnt offering, ascent, staircase, stairway'. The olah offering represents a giving totally of oneself to יהוה, and these songs express the true worship of true worshippers of Elohim who confidently place their trust in Him, and offer up their entire lives as a living sacrifice, having the sound of continual songs of praise on their lips, declaring their steadfast trust in יהוה.
These are not just simple words randomly sung in a hope to feel confident – they are songs of ascending praise to the One in whom we are to put our trust; and here the writer makes it clear in declaring straight up that those who trust in יהוה are like Mount Tsiyon!!! People who confidently place their trust and reliance upon יהוה are like Mount Tsiyon – which is a symbol of pure strength and stability. Mount Tsiyon is an emblem of permanence and reflects the power of the renewed Covenants of Promise in the Blood of Messiah as opposed to Mount Sinai – a mountain scorched with fire!
Mount Tsiyon is not shaken and remains forever – and what this is declaring is that His Covenant of Peace shall never be shaken, and when Messiah comes again and He shall reign on Mount Tsiyon – a symbol of an unshakeable reign!
We who trust in יהוה are like the unshakeable mountain – we are not shaken by trouble and battles that may surround us!
The Hebrew word translated as 'shaken' is מוֹט mot – Strong's H4131 which means, 'removed, to waver, slip, fall, shake, totter'. We who trust in יהוה shall never be 'shaken' and never waver or slip or fall, or even totter as we stand firm in the Truth! Those who are trusting and never shaken shall inherit the earth, while those who waver shall not dwell in the earth.
Sha'ul tells us in Eph'siyim/Ephesians 4:14-15 that we are not to be as children that are tossed and borne about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men, in cleverness, unto the craftiness of leading astray; but rather we are to be a people who maintain the truth in love growing up in all respects into Messiah, our Head!
Sadly what we find today is a lot of 'children' so to speak, that when the first sign of trouble or shaking comes, they are tossed about by various teachings and opinions and are therefore never able to actually grow up and stand on their own two feet in Messiah! To bring this home a little closer, we have to ensure that we, who claim to put our trust in יהוה, are in fact not being shaken in the face of trouble, and given over to compromise. To trust fully in יהוה requires the need to believe and obey what His Word instructs us to, no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in or the consequences of our steadfastness amidst a wicked people! For example – when the Word clearly instructs us to guard the Sabbath and set it apart, and observe it as He instructs, then we are to do just that and trust יהוה for our full protection and provision.
Today there are so many who find themselves saying they trust יהוה, while their compromised actions in regards to obeying the Truth speak otherwise! Sabbath keeping or rather lack thereof is just one example of how many claiming to 'trust יהוה' actually do not trust for fear of man, especially when confronted to break the Sabbath for work! – Who do you trust – יהוה and His Word or your own selfish reasoning that tries to secure and protect your position and income through compromise in the fear of losing your work! I know this sounds very harsh, and many would strike me down for me saying this – but this is a harsh reality check of where our true trust lies!!!
A lack of active trust can cause one to stumble and fall, and so we must constantly be reminded to trust in the One who will keep you from falling – and how do we do that? Believe His word and walk in it!!! So many try to excuse away their ability to do what His word says and will compromise when faced with choices that seem too tough to make – when in fact true trust chooses to obey without hesitation! How is your daily trusting in יהוה going??? Have you found yourself compromising and afraid to stand up for the truth in fear of losing something that you think will sustain you. Trust in יהוה without obedience, even in the face of losing what you have tried to hold on to in the flesh, is not true trust, and is often just a vain lip service that lacks heart – where the Torah is supposed to be written upon, in order for us to do what it says!!!
Those who trust in יהוה are blessed and are not shaken; and remain forever!!! The Hebrew word translated as 'remains' is יָשַׁב yashaḇ – Strong's H3427 meaning, 'sit, dwell, remain, abide, inhabit, sitting still', and is a word that is often translated as 'sit', and a modern word derived from this word which is translated as school is 'yeshiva'. And to 'sit' or 'sitting' in the Hebraic min-set is an idiom for learning; and it is at the Master's Feet that we come and sit and drink of His Pure and Clear Living Water and get great clarity and insight and strength to sojourn with joy! Dawiḏ sought with intensity to sit and learn in the house of יהוה all the days of his life; and I believe that we today need to learn to have this intense longing to grow in knowledge and understanding of our Maker, as too many today can hardly find the time to even read a chapter of the Scriptures each day – which reveals a lack of earnestly seeking to dwell and remain in His presence forever – how about you? Those who trust in יהוה are always able to find the time to 'sit and learn', equipped in every way in Messiah to walk and remain steadfast – those who do not fully trust show their lack of trust by their inability to 'sit and learn' and as a result find themselves shaking under the heated pressure of trials.
In verse 3 we are told that the 'sceptre of wrongness' shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous; and what is being declared to us here is the fact that the righteous remnant in Messiah have an inheritance that can never be ruled or overtaken by the wrong! The Hebrew word for 'sceptre' is שֵׁבֶט sheḇet – Strong's H7626 and means, 'rod, staff, branch, shaft' and is a symbol of authority and rulership. We know that in reference to the Authority and Rule of יהוה, that the sceptre would not depart from Yehuḏah until Shiloh (the sent One) came – and so Messiah came and took up the sceptre and rules forever in the order of Malkitseḏeq - the Righteous King and High Priest!!!
The rule of the wicked will never rest on our allotted inheritance! The Hebrew word used here for 'rest' is the primitive root verb נוּחַ nuaḥ - Strong's H5117 meaning, 'to rest, abandon, give comfort, settle down and remain'.
When the promise remains for us to enter in His rest - that is of Messiah – we see clearly how we are to enter into His rule and authority – His Kingdom Reign in which we shall abide and remain in forever – and where wickedness will have no place or part!
We have an allotted inheritance – the meek shall inherit the earth and the earth shall be ruled in righteousness and justice – for they are the foundations of His throne – and in our inheritance we have the sure promise that no wickedness will be able to rule or have any authority!!!! This promise remains for the faithful who continue to trust in יהוה and walk steadfast in righteousness, as ambassadors of the Kingdom to come, guarding to do all He commands without wavering! The only way this sure allotment can be lost by some is if they stretch forth their hand to unrighteousness! The term translated as 'stretch forth' is the Hebrew word שָׁלַח shalaḥ – Strong's H7971 which means, 'to send, stretch out, extend, send away, let loose' and is a word that is used frequently in the Tanak, and also describes the 'putting away' of a wife as a final step of the divorce process. Many women were put away without having been divorced in the correct manner and this Messiah spoke harshly against. But here we can see this word representing the 'loosening' of one's firm grip of the Truth and putting one's hand to unrighteousness! We are to cling to the truth, giving no room for our hands to be found doing unrighteousness; and sadly so many who claim to trust in יהוה, do not have their hands on the trust, but have rather let loose their grip and have turned to hold fast to selfish and fleshly works!
We who claim to live in Him, must walk upright and straight, not allowing ourselves to loosen our grip on the Truth and be found putting our hands (our works) to unrighteousness and sin! The workers of lawless ness will be severely rebuked and told that they are not know by the Master, even after they try to appeal to Him how they have 'done' and 'worked' so much in His Name, yet their works are not of righteousness, which is to guard and do His commands and walk in His Torah – and they will be rebuked and cast away from His presence, and there will be a waling and gnashing of teeth!
We have an inheritance in Messiah our King, and we have a clear choice – hold fast to the Truth and make sure both hands are fully clinging to His Truth, as we work the good works of righteousness that has been prepared beforehand for us to do; or let go and stretch forth our hand to unrighteousness and join the crooked who will be led away with the workers of wickedness!!!
Verse 4 is a proclamation of truth with the righteous appeal to a just and righteous Elohim to do good to who are good and upright in heart! While verse 5 clearly tells us the fate of the crooked – being led away to destruction!
The word for upright is יָשָׁר 'yashar' - Strong's H3477, and means, 'right, straight, upright and righteous'. The Book of Yasher, commonly known to us as 'Jasher', means the book of the 'upright/straight' or the Book of the 'Righteous'.
I encourage you to go and check out the commentary notes on Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 3-7 for a more deeper understanding of what 'yasher' means!
In contrast to walking straight and upright we see the word translated as 'crooked' which is the Hebrew word עֲקַלְקָל aqalqal – Strong's H6128 which means, 'crooked ways' and comes from the primitive root עָקַל aqal – Strong's H6127 meaning, 'to bend, twist'. We see so much twisting of the Truth going on as many devise their own crooked way by twisting or bending the truth to suit self!
Many rely on the inherited traditions that have been built on twisted lies and refuse to straighten up and walk in the Truth – in the straight and narrow way! Twisting the truth is lies – and we are not sons of the deceiver, but sons of Elohim – and we must speak truth. There are those in Christianity who are twisting Sha'ul's writings thinking that he is teaching them that the Torah has been done away with, which is absolutely ridiculous! Then there are those who are walking the Torah road who sadly want to throw out Sha'ul's writings and in so doing they end up on a path that leads to a denial of Messiah!
For many who twist writings – they do so because they are untaught and unstable. We must be ever learning as we come each week on a Shabbat and immerse ourselves in the word as we gather together in community and learn the Torah of Elohim! There are many twisted teachings out there – too many tickling ear messages that are leading many astray – let us not be sons of twisting – but rather sons of Truth as we walk in and remain in the Truth!
As one reads Mishlĕ/proverbs 30 we find a very rhetorical line of questioning being given in the first couple of verses that lead to the ultimate question of whether one actually knows the Name of The Creator and Redeemer! So many claim to trust in the Creator, yet they do not know His Name – how can you trust in someone that you do not even know their name!!!
Walking in the fear of יהוה is strong Trust, as you hear, guard and do His clear instructions (Torah) and find your refuge in Him, no matter the circumstances you find yourself in.
The appeal I make to you all tonight is simply this – TRUST IN יהוה AND BE NOT SHAKEN!!!
You either believe His Word or not – you either trust in Him and make Him your trust or not – there can be no middle ground. This song of degrees makes it clear and reveals the fate of the those who trust in יהוה versus those who do not.
May this Psalm be a continual song of ascents to us who trust in יהוה with all our heart and not become a song of judgement because we lacked heart and did not trust after being shaken by trouble.
TRUST IN יהוה AND BE NOT SHAKEN!!!
For His Name, favour and shalom be upon Yisra'ĕl… Now and forever, Aměn!


Oval ceramic serving platter with fluted rim hand-painted with the beautiful, rich colors of the Ricco Deruta pattern. With scrolling brush strokes encircling several bunched balloons, the pattern dates back to the 15th century. Ceramic platter of exceptioinal quality. Dishwasher safe. Made and hand painted in Deruta, Italy.
The recipient of the gift was very pleased about the colors and designs of the serving platter.
I misjudged the measurements on the item and it's much smaller than I had envisioned.
The oval serving platter is lovely and goes well wth other Deruta items that I own.
Beautiful dish that matches other Deruta items I have.


Avoid Surgery & Get Relief Now!
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You can continue reading here to learn more about varicocele pain relief treatments. I have also made my website a comprehensive resource for varicocele treatment. You can search and find almost anything related to varicocele, or visit this resource page for reference to a ton of great free and premium resources.
Varicocele occurs when blood does not circulate well and pools. Pooled blood is toxic. Toxic blood pooling causes varicocele pain. It damages the testicles, sperm, sperm DNA, veins, and vein valves.
Varicocele pain should be treated as a serious condition. Varicocele pain means that the testicles are either being damaged or are under stress by toxic varicocele blood pooling. In the long-term, varicocele pain turns into infertility, impaired testosterone, and increased varicocele grade. So, it is critical to start your treatment as soon as possible.
Putting your feet up on the wall is a great and easy way to alleviate pain after a long and stressful day. This is especially important for you if you sit for many hours a day or are physically active.
Your testicles function optimally at 1-2 degrees bellow normal body temperature. Varicocele breaks down the primary cooling mechanism of the testicles. Therefore cooling is critical to allow the testicles fucntion properly, heal, and treat varicocele pain.
A diet high in anti-oxidants is very helpful, including: Berries, nuts, dark leafy greens, herbs, spices, citrus fruit, red wine, tea, etc.
So, those treatments will help greatly reduce your varicocele pain. However, there is more varicocele treatment than just toxic blood pooling. If you're looking for a comprehensive varicocele natural treatment program to help 100% cure varicocele pain, reduce varicocele swelling, improve fertility and prevent varicocele from progressing, buy the Varicocele Healing Guide.
Now, I'm offering the biggest and best selection of varicocele natural treatment resources. And, really, I'm at the point where I can confidently say that Varicocele Healing's natural at home treatment without surgery isn't just an option, but likely the-best-treatment-option for varicocele at this time.


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Home / Hockey / US Blanks Canada 2-0
By Steve Erickson
Photo Credit https://twitter.com/i/status/1346681724411858944
Canada enters the game as one of the best Canadian teams ever assembled and to do it, they must beat their US rivals who have been in Edmonton for the past 51 days and on a day where former Canuck "tender" Eddie Lack celebrates his birthday.
For the players of Canada as well as the US this is what many have dreamed of and waited for in order to pull out a win, that would be well worth the day's spent in quarantine.
Both countries have met five times since that saw them play a thriller in 2010 in a game that saw them play O/T that the US won remembering we should remember that Canada has never trailed after the score was scoreless.
While officiating can be controversial at times, this game has referee's Olivier GOUIN and Carter SANDLAK with Jonathan DESCHAMPS and Nathan VANOOSTEN on the lines.
When we look at the games Canada has played, realistically speaking they haven't been tested yet; so scoring the first goal is so very important.
In 2013 the US won their fourth Gold and can't dwell past records, but if Canada wins they will go down in history as the greatest Canadian Junior Team – ever!!
Canada has 19 first-rounders on the squad and it should be noted that all four lines are able to deliver the knock-out punch.
The US double shifted their number one line that saw Alex Turcotte get the US on the board at 13:25 sending Canada to refocus moving forward.
Canada got its first PP at 16:38 of the first but were unable to capitalize even after sending everyone pressing the net in hopes of jumping on a rebound.
With a surprise call that has never been called all tournament, Canada was called for a crease violation and with Canada in control of the puck that warranted an automatic whistle with the ensuing face-off in the neutral zone.
The first ended with Canada trailing by one looking to refocus heading into the second that would see no scoring by either team.
The third was more of a wide open period with Canada desperately in need of a goal to get them back into the game, but shot after shot was turned aside by the US tender.
The third was more of a physical contest with Canada pressing having all shots turned aside by Spencer Knight who stopped 15 in the third period alone, while Levi was only tested once and overall shots were 34-21 for Canada.
Canada pulled Devon Levi at 18:22 of the third for the extra attacker, but the US forced Canada to the outside limiting any shot thrown at the net.
The only loss in the tournament for the US was the very first game that saw them drop a 6-0 loss to Russia who played strong on both ends of the ice.
The US had problems that saw them lose players due to COVID-19 as did other teams, but you have to give the organizing committee all the credit to pull this off.
Truth be spoken, this could not have happened without those behind the scenes who worked many long hours to make this a huge success for the IIHF, the Cities of Red Deer and Edmonton.
It is interesting to know that this game was also the 12th shutout of the tournament, which surpassed 2004 for the most in one U20 event.
It was also the lowest-scoring game between the two countries since a 1-1 tie in Winnipeg in 1999.
Can't wait till next year!!!
2021 World Junior Hockey ChampionshipEdmonton AlbertafeaturedIIHFTeam CanadaTeam USAVancouver Giants
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About Steve Erickson
Sports Broadcaster for Delta TV/Eastlink TV 2015 Delta Chamber of Commerce - Volunteer of Year Inductee 2017 Vancouver Canadians Baseball Broadcast Hall of Fame Play by Play Delta Ice Hawks (PJHL), Surrey Eagles (BCHL), Youtube/Sportswave TV


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Defending Gibraltar
Starlink is Here
Defending Gibraltar Depopulation
NancyDrewberry June 30, 2021, 11:40pm #1
It is no longer a matter of when, because Starlink is already here, but it is a matter of why, how it works, where it is and what it is.
Why? We are told it provides faster internet speed and to increase internet accessibility to the public and more (much more AI).
As far as what it is and how it works is not as easy to discern. I could not find any safety studies, but some are saying it is safe because it is not 5G. This article says, "Starlink is safe in terms of data transmissions. It isn't 5G, which some people worry about. It isn't the same as Wi-Fi, either. Starlink uses existing frequency bands (the Ka and Ku bands) that have long been used for satellite communication without issue." What Is Starlink and How Does Satellite Internet Work?
Where? In the ionosphere.
The wavelengths that are being used, Ka and Ku, is explained here: Frequency Letter Bands
Environmental review is discussed here:
SpaceNews – 28 Dec 20
Viasat asks FCC to perform environmental review of Starlink - SpaceNews
Viasat has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to perform an environmental review of SpaceX's Starlink broadband constellation.
Is Starlink a cause for concern?
Video - 4 minutes viewing time:
UFO Starlink Over Texas!
Mysterious string of lights seen over Texas and other parts of the country: What Were They? https://banthis.tv/watch?id=6081c04d9c96bc01a0dde151
NancyDrewberry July 16, 2021, 11:44pm #2
Innovations in the wrong hands are dangerous.
Principia Scientific Intl. | A science-based community – 14 Jul 21
Seven Nikola Tesla Inventions That Changed The World | Principia Scientific...
165 years ago, on July 10, 1856, the Serbian-American engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla was born. The genius scientist has more than 700 inventions and patents. Some of his ideas changed the world, while others anticipated the inventions of the...
NancyDrewberry September 2, 2022, 6:00pm #3
Space, the final frontier?
China Threatens To Destroy Elon Musk's Starlink
"[A] combination of soft and hard kill methods should be adopted to make some Starlink satellites lose their functions and destroy the constellation's operating system."
Chinese military researchers recently called for the destruction of Elon Musk's Starlink satellites, an extraordinary threat for a state to make against a private foreign enterprise.
In December 2021, China filed a complaint with the United Nations, claiming that two of Musk's Starlink satellites had nearly collided with the Tianhe module of its Tiangong Space Station -- in April and October of 2021-- and that Chinese astronauts had been forced to maneuver the module of the station to avoid the collision. Starlink is part of Elon Musk's SpaceX and the satellites are part of a plan to make internet coverage from the satellites available worldwide, with the goal of launching nearly 12,000 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.
Space is becoming crowded and risks of collision -- whether with satellites or space debris -- are not new. Tellingly, China was among the first to help create much of that debris: In January 2007, China tested its first successful anti-satellite missile (ASAT), destroying one of its own inactive weather satellites and creating one of the world's largest space debris incidents. That space debris is still floating around in space, causing collision risks every day.
The United States rejected China's claims that the Starlink satellites had endangered China's space station. The US stated that if there had been a "significant probability of collision" with China's space station, the U.S. would have given notice to China ahead of time. "Because the activities did not meet the threshold of established emergency collision criteria, emergency notifications were not warranted in either case."
China is now taking things a step further: Chinese military researchers are threatening that Musk's Starlink satellites must be destroyed. The problem, however, does not appear so much to be the fear of collision, but rather that China believes that Starlink could be used for military purposes and thereby threaten what China calls its national security.
Five senior scientists in China's defense industry, led by Ren Yuanzhen, a researcher with the Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications -- which is under the People Liberation Army's (PLA's) Strategic Support Force – recently wrote that "a combination of soft and hard kill methods should be adopted to make some Starlink satellites lose their functions and destroy the constellation's operating system."
Soft kill methods target software and operating systems of the satellites, whereas hard kill methods physically destroy the satellites, such as using an ASAT weapon.
According to the scientists, China should "vigorously develop countermeasures" against Starlink, as such capabilities are necessary for China "to maintain and obtain space advantages in the fierce space game."
Unsurprisingly, China has eagerly copied Elon Musk's SpaceX to achieve its own space ambitions: China's Long March 2C rocket, for instance, which China launched in the summer of 2019, had parts that were "virtually identical" to those that are used to steer the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
China is not the only state actor to show an interest in interfering with Musk's Starlink satellites.
Russia too has sought to jam Starlink's internet service in Ukraine and failed. "Starlink has resisted Russian cyberwar jamming & hacking attempts so far, but they're ramping up their efforts," Musk tweeted in May.
Starlink is a problem for Russia because Musk's satellites have enabled Ukraine to stay connected to the internet – and the rest of the world – amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempts to cut the country off.
Musk began to send Starlink terminals to Ukraine in late February at the request of Ukrainian government officials, as a backup for when Russia would predictably try to cut off internet access. According to one US general, the use of Starlink in Ukraine ruined Putin's attempts to isolate the country.
"The strategic impact is, it totally destroyed Putin's information campaign," said Brig. Gen. Steve Butow, director of the space portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit.
"He never, to this day, has been able to silence Zelenskyy."
"We've got more than 11,000 Starlink stations and they help us in our everyday fight on all the fronts," Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's vice prime minister, told Politico.
"We're ready, even if there is no light, no fixed internet, through generators using Starlink, to renew any connection in Ukraine."
China's threats against Musk's Starlink is more proof that the country is not ready to let anyone stand in the way of its "fierce space game", as China put it. General David Thompson, the U.S. Space Force's first vice chief of space operations, possibly trying to downplay the Chinese's Communist Party's threat to the West, described it as merely a "shadow war."
In this "space war", China – and Russia to a slightly lesser degree -- is conducting attacks against U.S. satellites with lasers, radio frequency jammers, and cyber-attacks every day. While the attacks are "reversible" for now, which means that the damage to the attacked satellites is not permanent, they demonstrate China's malign intentions.
"The threats are really growing and expanding every single day. And it's really an evolution of activity that's been happening for a long time," Thompson said in November 2021.
"We're really at a point now where there's a whole host of ways that our space systems can be threatened."
In addition to its "fierce space game", China is forging ahead with a number of projects that will significantly accelerate the country's space capabilities.
China has reportedly sped up its program to launch a solar power plant in space. The purpose of the plant is to transmit electricity to earth by converting solar energy to microwaves or lasers and directing the energy to Earth, according to the South China Morning Post. The first launch of the project is scheduled for 2028 and will be the world's first such project in space. It is probable that China got the idea from the US; NASA reportedly proposed a similar plan more than two decades ago but never went on to develop it.
China recently launched its third crewed mission to the Tiangong Space Station's Tianhe module, where three astronauts will work on completing the space station before returning to Earth in December. China only launched the first module of the Tiangong Space Station in April 2021, but expects to have the space station fully crewed and operational by the end of the year, when the space station will have an additional two science lab modules and a robotic cargo ship. The space station will also help China to deploy and operate its new space telescope, Xuntian, meant "to rival NASA's aging Hubble Space Telescope, with a field of view 300 times larger and a similar resolution. It will make observations in ultraviolet and visible light, running investigations related to dark matter and dark energy, cosmology, galactic evolution, and the detection of nearby objects." Xuntian is scheduled to launch in 2024.
China's explicit goal is to become the world's leading space power by 2045. It is important to keep in mind that China's space program – even what might look like harmless, civil aspects of space exploration – is heavily militarized. The organization in charge of China's manned space program, for instance, is the China Manned Space Engineering Office, which is under China's Central Military Commission Equipment Development Department. Similarly, the People's Liberation Army runs China's space launch sites, control centers and many of China's satellites.
Is Starlink going to be the source of a 'new internet'?
Musk hints at partnership with Apple on iPhone 14 satellite connectivity
Washington Examiner – 9 Sep 22
Elon Musk confirmed that his private space company SpaceX met with Apple to discuss using its private satellite network, Starlink, for the new satellite connectivity feature on the iPhone 14, teasing a future partnership between the two companies.
Elon Musk Exposed 5G
NancyDrewberry October 1, 2022, 8:40pm #5
NancyDrewberry:
Elon Musk to Provide Florida With Starlink Satellites in Response to Hurricane Ian
NTD – 1 Oct 22
Elon Musk to Provide Florida With Starlink Satellites in Response to...
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk agreed to provide the company's satellite internet service, ...
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said SpaceX Chief Executive Elon agreed to provide the company's satellite internet service, Starlink, for help in response to Hurricane Ian in areas of Southwest Florida still without connectivity.
"We are working with Elon Musk and Starlink satellite. They are positioning those Starlink satellites to provide good coverage in Southwest Florida and other affected areas," DeSantis told reporters on Saturday. "We are expecting 120 additional large Starlink units to deploy to Southwest Florida."
NancyDrewberry October 11, 2022, 1:49pm #6
Who is controlling Elon Musk? Is he placating the people or is he the real deal as he infers?
Much of his wealth has come from the US military (of defense) funded by the US tax payers.
Elon Musk's Starlink Makes Asia Debut With Japan Launch: What You Should Know
Elon Musk's Starlink Makes Asia Debut With Japan Launch: What You Should Know...
SpaceX's Starlink announced that it has now launched its services in Japan, making it the first Asian nation to get Elon Musk's high-speed internet service.
SpaceX's Starlink announced that it has now launched its services in Japan, making it the first Asian nation to get Elon Musk 's high-speed internet service.
CEO Musk's Starlink, which became a 'crucial support' system for Ukraine after Russia invaded the country, is now expanding its reach in Asia. Starlink, on its Twitter, posted that the services are now available in Japan too.
"Starlink Launches Service in Japan - First Country in Asia," SpaceX posted on Twitter.
This came after Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI Corporation last year in September announced that it chose Musk's Starlink to deliver its high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to its 1,200 remote mobile towers in Japan.
The corporation then, in a statement, said, "as soon as 2022, KDDI will be able to offer an urban mobile connectivity experience to its rural mobile customers."
"An experimental license has been issued by the MIC (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) to operate the ground station for Starlink service installed at KDDI's Yamaguchi Satellite Communication Center. Both companies have been conducting a series of technical demonstrations to evaluate their quality and performance," it noted.
Earlier in August, SpaceX landed a deal with Japan's Sky Perfect JSAT Holdings, Inc. for the use of the U.S. company's Starship to launch Sky Perfect's Superbird-9 communication satellite.
be1 November 5, 2022, 7:41am #7
Ukrainian Starlink units go dark over funding issues – media
Kiev is concerned about losing access to Elon Musk's internet service if the US or UK doesn't step in to pay
Some 1,300 Starlink satellite terminals went offline in Ukraine last week due to a failure to pay the military's internet bills, deepening fears that the country will no longer be able to afford the pricey satellite service, two sources familiar with the situation told CNN on Friday.
The terminals, all part of a block purchased from a British company in March, began to go dark on October 24 for lack of funding, causing a "huge problem " for the military that depended upon them. Aware the bill was coming due and that they would be unable to pay it, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense asked its UK allies for $3.25 million to cover the monthly cost and rotated the terminals out of use so they wouldn't wink out at a critical moment. However, their request was turned down.
Starlink parent company SpaceX alerted the Pentagon in September that it could no longer pay the full cost of Ukraine's Starlink usage, asking Washington to pick up the slack, according to CNN. With approximately 25,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine, Musk estimated the military's use of the service would cost nearly $400 million over the next 12 months. Fewer than 11,000 were being paid for at the time he wrote to the Pentagon.
Musk then appeared to change his mind about footing the bill for the service a few days later, tweeting "We'll just keep funding Ukraine for free ."
However, a senior defense official told CNN SpaceX has continued negotiating with the Pentagon, adding that officials are eager to get Musk to commit resources in writing because they fear he will change his mind."
Western media have accused him of hindering the network's operation by Ukrainian troops in Russian-controlled areas, which Musk denies. Last month, he warned that even though the company has "diverted massive resources toward defense " as the Russian military attempts to take the system out, "Starlink may still die ."
Moscow believes Starlink is a legitimate target, reasoning that the US and its allies have been using "elements of the civilian space infrastructure, including commercial, for military purposes ." Because this "essentially constitutes an involvement in military action through a proxy ," the "quasi-civilian " satellite network is fair game, Russian diplomat Konstantin Vorontsov told the UN last month.
With SpaceX CEO Elon Musk no longer paying for the service, Ukraine is worried it can't afford Starlink satellite internet


Who thinks it's a good idea to just blow off Valentine's Day? I am guessing not many hands will go up for that idea…some might even say that their spouse will kill them if they don't bring forth at least a sentimental thought. Never mind the flowers, candy or sparkler. Just forget about the day later this week. Well, that probably is what some of us do every day … with our hearts…we just forget about our hearts. And that is why heart attack and stroke are the top two causes of mortality in the United States. So, what do you do to remember of your hearts?
Exercise – there is a new exercise program recommended almost every week, it seems, but the simple fact is that getting your body moving regularly and vigorously supports a healthy heart…and the rest of the body with it.
Eat right – we all know what the good foods are and what the bad foods are; make a healthy diet your Valentine's Day resolution.
Lower blood pressure – you will need a medical provider to give you your actual numbers (not to exceed 12/80), and if your numbers are high stick to the prescription you will be given and follow #1 and #2 along with losing weight and cutting your salt or sugar intake.
Lower your cholesterol – focus your diet on fruits and vegetables along with fish, nuts and soy; your doctor can tell you if a statin is indicated.
Manage your blood sugar – sugar is not your friend, so limit its visits to your body in order to keep down your weight and not beat up your pancreas…your heart will thank you.
Maintain a healthy weight – losing weight should be an outcome of the first 5 instead of a goal in itself, but keeping your weight down lightens the workload for your heart.
Don't smoke – smokers have double the risk of a heart attack and triple the risk of a stroke over nonsmokers; it is not just your lungs that suffer if you smoke.
So this list is the short version of a lot of material I have covered in other posts. If you have questions, you can use key words to search the blog for a related post or you can go to the American Heart Association web site. Make February your heart-healthy month!


The New Zealand construction sector continues to see strong growth matched by a corresponding need for skilled professionals.
As a specialist construction and engineering recruitment firm we're seeing extremely high demand for candidates across all disciplines but recently there's been a surge of enquiries for quantity surveyors.
Half of the current vacancies listed on our website are for QS professionals. Most are at a senior level in and around Auckland but there are plenty of opportunities across New Zealand for those with three to five years in commercial construction to progress their careers towards senior level.
Strong technical knowledge, leadership skills and a very keen eye for detail.
In return, successful candidates can expect a generous remuneration package with salaries ranging from NZ$70-100,000 for intermediate QSs and up to $170,000 for experienced senior QSs.
Auckland is an extremely busy market that offers long-term work security and exciting opportunities to fast track your career. Christchurch and Wellington remain buoyant and we do receive regular enquiries from regional firms.
We welcome applications from overseas candidates with the right experience. Many internationally recognised qualifications can be easily transferred to New Zealand, for example the UK's Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has an office in Auckland.
So whether you're already working here and looking for the next step of your QS career, or considering a move to NZ for a fresh career challenge and the famous Kiwi lifestyle we'd like to hear from you.
Check out our vacancies page or register now and we'll match you with top firms keen to review your application.


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Albert Falardeau
Joseph D. Falardeau
Don E. Falardeau
Burial Trusts
Thomas F. Walser
22 Syracuse Street
Baldwinsville,, New York, United States
Obituary of Thomas F. Walser
Thomas F. Walser, 89, of Baldwinsville passed away Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at Crouse Hospital. Tom was born in Syracuse and lived in the area most of his life. He was a graduate of CBA in Syracuse and attended LeMoyne College. He retired from Marine Midland Bank in N. Syracuse in 1990 after over 30 years of service. Tom was a member of the Baldwinsville First Baptist Church where he taught religious instruction, was a deacon and a trustee of the church. He also served in the Army National Guard.
Tom was predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Barbara Weller Walser in 2017 and two sisters, Ann Walser Reilly and Jean Walser Alexander.
Surviving are his son, Thomas M. (Brenda) Walser; daughters, Denise J. (David) Pearsall, Michelle G. (Warren) Kelly, and Kathryn A. (Christopher) Long; grandchildren, Melanie, Brian, Jason, Daniel, Zachary, Brayden, Micah, Emily, Victoria, Amanda, Elayna, and Dustin; great-granddaughters; Joy, Evelyn and Adeline; several nieces and nephews.
Calling hours are 10:00am – 12:00 noon, Saturday, August 25 at the First Baptist Church, 22 Syracuse St., Baldwinsville with services to follow at 12:00 pm. A reception will follow in the church hall.
Donations may be made to Crouse Health Foundation, 736 Irving Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210 in memory of Thomas F. Walser.
93 Downer Street | Baldwinsville, New York 13027 | Tel (315) 635-3031 | Fax (315) 635-7086
About Us | Funeral Planning | Pre-Planning | Grief Resources | Legal Advice


This is an excellent summary of how diet affects health, well-being, and quality of life. It examines a variety of healing diets, analyzes them from a practical and knowledgeable perspective, evaluates and compares them to each other. Readers are offered valuable insight into how each dietary movement differs, how each offers value, and how individuals can create a unique, individualized dietary regime for their needs and goals.


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ACCEPTED

#### According to
The Catalogue of Life, 3rd January 2011

#### Published in
null

#### Original name
Bulbophyllum densissimum Carr

### Remarks
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub