text:
Cashing Out: A Return to Organic Practices
March 15, 2012 January 12, 2017 The Isaan Record Features
YouTube Version
MAHA SARAKHAM – In 1996, a group of government officers from the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) proposed an alternative to the reigning model of chemical farming. Buoyed by their idealism and Japanese funding, they initiated a pilot program that trained and established a small network of organic farmers. The result is a community of 900 farmers in four Isaan provinces who now farm a far greater diversity of crops, reject agrochemicals altogether, and are equipped with the skills to package and market their organic goods locally.
In the last few decades, Thailand has implemented a series of government policies that incentivize farmers to produce cash crops like rice, cassava, rubber, and sugarcane. Now an international leading exporter of rice and rubber, Thailand has successfully stimulated its agricultural sector, helping reduce the national level of poverty dramatically. But with this increase in cash crop farming has come a heavy dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides – agrochemicals continue pouring into the country and Thailand's fertile soil is slowly drying out.
High levels of agrochemicals found in Thailand's crops last year have also brought international attention to Thailand's farming habits. Last year, the EU threatened to ban Thai exports on many vegetables, citing dangerous levels of pesticides. In the last ten years, imports of pesticides have more than tripled in Thailand and many worry that without an official monitoring system in place, farmers are likely overusing agrochemicals in attempts to increase their yields and fill their pockets. Concerns for consumers' health and Thailand's environment are rapidly rising.
Making a switch back to organic practices in Thailand, however, is far from simple. For one, agribusinesses can offer high prices for exportable goods and farmers are easily enticed by the promise of a greater income. In addition, the government protects its cash crop farmers far better than its organic farmers who diversify the crops in their fields. According to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, every administration since 1995 has implemented policies that offer insurance to cash crop farmers and price guarantees for their crops. Farmers who opt to farm a variety of crops, on the other hand, are left with far more risk in a country prone to natural disasters.
With these concerns in mind, the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) contacted farmers in Sakon Nakhon, Mukdahan, Mahasarakham, and Khon Kaen. Over many years, the ALRO succeeded in teaching former cash crop farmers the benefits of going organic. Though Japanese funding has now run out, these farmers are nearly self-sustainable. They share tasks with one another in co-ops, work together to standardize suitable prices, and sell their goods at local green markets. And they have found that with farms as diverse as the local supermarkets, debt is no longer a concern nor income a worry. The current administration, however, has shown no intention of expanding the program further.
To learn more about the program, the Isaan Record met with farmers who had worked with the ALRO to return to organic practices. Sakhon Thabthimsai, an organic farmer in Borabue district of Mahasarakham province, tells his story in the video above.
The ALRO's project is just one of many efforts in Northeastern Thailand to rethink and reform the kinds of agriculture being practiced in this part of the country. For more information, visit the Alternative Agriculture Network's website here.
The Isaan Record Based in Khon Kaen, The Isaan Record focuses on social, political and environmental issues in the northeastern region of Thailand, known as Isaan.
email: editor@theisaanrecord.co


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1933 Marjorie 2020
Marjorie L. LaFountain
November 6, 1933 — September 29, 2020
SWANTON – Marjorie L. LaFountain, age 86, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 29, 2020 at the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH surrounded by her family.
She was born in Saint Albans on November 6, 1933 to the late Duncan & Lucille (Dixon) Campbell.
Marjorie was a lifelong Swanton resident and loved her family and friends that surrounded her. She was a proud member of the American Legion, the VFW Ladies Auxiliary and of her Abenaki heritage. She enjoyed walks through town, visiting with people along the way, she absolutely loved to shop, find treasures at garage sales, play 31 with friends and family, word searches and jigsaw puzzles. She was known for her decadent peanut butter fudge, and church windows. Strawberry picking and apple picking were two of her favorite seasonal outings. Marjorie loved to take rides around "The Horn" to look for deer and other wildlife. One of her passions was her baby dolls, porcelain dolls and collecting wardrobes for them. Looking around her home, the love she had for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren was obvious by the number of photos scattered throughout her home. Her family will certainly miss the guaranteed kiss goodbye and the "I love you" from "Nanny" when parting ways. Wear something red when you come to celebrate Marjorie's life, as it was her favorite color.
She is survived by her children, Wayne Parizo and his fiancé Serena Domina of Swanton, Lisa Gratton and her husband Roy of Alburgh, Kelly Bettis and her wife Christina St. Pierre of Crown Point, NY, and Michelle Dufresne and her husband Critter of Swanton; grandchildren, Nathaniel, Mikala, Sabrina, Cody, Lacie, Ashley, Stacy, Christopher, Trevor, Tyler, Chad, Chelsea, Daryl, Shane, T.J., Christina, James, Tara, Pat, Shawn and Jennifer; 25 great grandchildren; one great great grandchild; siblings, Harold Campbell, Duncan Campbell III and his wife Joyce, Robert "Bobby" Campbell and his wife Arlene, Rose Anthony, Sandy and Rick Conger; a dear friend, Don Collins; special fur friends, Portia, Dexter, Ruby, Gretta and Lexie; and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Besides her parents, Marjorie was predeceased by her children, James Roger Parizo, Richard Allen Campbell and his wife Karen, Brenda Starr Leahy and her husband Bill; siblings, Gary Campbell, Duncan Campbell Jr., Norma Parah and her husband Wayne, Jackie Sherry, Pauline Campbell; and a brother-in-law, Bob Anthony.
Marjorie's family would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital staff, and Dr. Macado and her team of amazing nursing staff for the wonderful care they offered Marjorie during her stay.
Family and friends are invited to Marjorie's Life Celebration Events to include visitation from 11-12:00 PM followed by a memorial service at 12:00 PM on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at Kidder Memorial Home, 89 Grand Ave., Swanton, VT 05488. Interment will follow in the Riverside Cemetery, North River St., Swanton.
For those who wish, contributions in Marjorie's memory may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Northern New England Chapter, 114 Perimeter Road Nashua, NH 03063, a charity she donated to.
Vermont Rt. 78
Swanton, VT 05488
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Marjorie L. LaFountain, please visit our flower store.
12:00 - 1:00pm

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Space Launches, Landings & Destinations v4
By SpaceChampion,
February 20, 2021 in General Chatter
SpaceChampion
Ahead By A Century
Location:Locked In The Trunk Of A Car
https://twitter.com/lorengrush/status/1456296972864851975?s=20
Now here's some exciting innovation in the launch market: SpinLaunch aims to throw small payloads into space without using a rocket first stage.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/09/spinlaunch-completes-first-test-flight-of-alternative-rocket.html
"It's a radically different way to accelerate projectiles and launch vehicles to hypersonic speeds using a ground-based system," SpinLaunch CEO Jonathan Yaney told CNBC. "This is about building a company and a space launch system that is going to enter into the commercial markets with a very high cadence and launch at the lowest cost in the industry."
Edited November 10, 2021 by SpaceChampion
Ser Scot A Ellison
Court documents from Blue Origin's lawsuit against NASA regarding the HLS procurement reveal how bad faith it at all was -- much more than obvious at the time.
At the time, Blue Origin argued that NASA was giving SpaceX an unfair chance by waiving safety requirements for the Elon Musk-led company's activities.
The company also argued that SpaceX's plan required far too many Starship launches to get astronauts to the Moon, including half a dozen fuel runs into orbit.
In a controversial graphic it published back in August, Blue Origin took a swipe at SpaceX, arguing it only needed three — not over ten launches like SpaceX — to return astronauts to the Moon.
The graphic also called out their competitor's plan as "immensely complex and high risk" thanks to the many launches.
But the newly released filings suggest that Blue Origin was secretly proposing to get astronauts to the Moon using a much larger number of launches as well, meaning that its comms strategy was deeply hypocritical.
In other words, Blue Origin was ready to show up to the table with a backup plan that sounded a lot more like SpaceX's, including "multiple launches" to fill "a propellant depot" in low-Earth orbit, according to the new fillings.
NASA Admin Bill Nelson also blaming B.O. amongst reasons that Artemis will take longer than 2024 to return human to the moon.
"Having taken a good look under the hood these past six months, it is clear to me that the agency will need to make serious changes for the long term success of the program," Nelson told reporters.
A major factor, he said, is also the delay caused by the lawsuit over the agency's April selection of SpaceX to build the Human landing System to take astronauts to the lunar surface, which was dismissed last week.
"We've lost nearly seven months in litigation, and that likely has pushed the first human landing likely to no earlier than 2025," Nelson said.
Keep in mind it was Trump's idea to move it from 2028 to 2024 in the first place, so ill-considered and NASA humoured him as much as possible. No one really believe 2024 was possible, but shackling SpaceX certainly added unnecessary obstacles.
Meanwhile, Nelson gets far less than he was hoping out of the Infrastructure bill that was passed. $1.1 Billion for NASA, as opposed to the $5.4 B he was hoping for.
SpaceX is proceeding apace with its Starship development and expects FAA approval by end of December, completion of the launch site construction soon, and launch of the first Starship / Super Heavy combo on a test flight by February.
So Raptor 2 is yet to come but they're still planning on further engine development that will make manufacturing even simpler and faster with a complete design overhaul. Musk certainly knows how to keep his people busy!
Edited December 2, 2021 by SpaceChampion
Forgot to post this earlier... Crew 3 launch from last month:
and the DART (Double Asteroid Redirect Test) Mission launch from a week ago.
Quite the claim...
DARPA funded researchers accidentally create world's first Warp bubble
Warp drive pioneer and former NASA warp drive specialist Dr. Harold G "Sonny" White has reported the discovery of an actual, real-world "Warp Bubble." And, according to White, this first of its kind breakthrough by his Limitless Space Institute (LSI) team sets a new starting point for those trying to manufacture a full-sized, warp-capable spacecraft.
In an interview, White added that "our detailed numerical analysis of our custom Casimir cavities helped us identify a real and manufacturable nano/microstructure that is predicted to generate a negative vacuum energy density such that it would manifest a real nanoscale warp bubble, not an analog, but the real thing." In other words, a warp bubble structure will manifest under these specific conditions. White cautioned that this does not mean we are near building a fully functioning warp drive, as much more science needs to be done (Updated 08/12/21).
"To be clear, our finding is not a warp bubble analog, it is a real, albeit humble and tiny, warp bubble," White told The Debrief, "hence the significance."
Corvinus85
Location:Honestly, I give up
22 hours ago, SpaceChampion said:
Don't give me hope.
Hey, that's not Steve Carrell...
The General of the Space Force has heard your jokes
Raymond, who is fifty-nine, with a head shaved bald, pointed to a space-operations badge pinned to his jacket. He noted that the delta symbol at its center had been used by the Air Force—from which the Space Force sprung—years before "Star Trek" 's 1966 début. Raymond explained that the branch "was not a President Trump thing" but had been under discussion for decades, and came about owing to bipartisan support in Congress.
The service now has close to thirteen thousand members, known as "guardians." "Everybody said we stole it from 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' " Raymond said. "Well, no." The term derives from the Air Force Space Command motto from 1983, "Guardians of the High Frontier."
Another Starlink launch:
And the CRS-24 cargo launch to ISS, with the 100th successful landing by a Falcon 9 booster, on the 6th anniversary of the 1st landing.
Edited December 21, 2021 by SpaceChampion
Launch (L) = 1/2*L + 1/4*L + 1/8*L + 1/16*L +...
Loge
2 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:
Gronzag
sad string music playing
The launch is in less than 20 hours.
Livestream. About an hour.
My children's daddy and Social Justice Warrior!
The James Webb Space Telescope is on its way to L2. Now we have an (approximately) 6 month wait for it to arrive and start sending us some really cool data.
The launch has been successful. But that wasn't really the critical part. Let's hope the telescope unfolds and reaches its final destination as planned.
1 minute ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:
It's not quite on its way yet. It's in an earth orbit.
1 minute ago, Loge said:
It has detached from its booster. Shouldn't it be on its way?
No, that will need a boost from its own engine. The last stage brought it up to just below escape velocity.
Well I missed it, but glad it was successful.


The silverfish is a primitive, wingless insect, covered in silvery scales, with three tail-like bristles at the rear of the abdomen, and reaching a length of about 12 mm. It has a characteristic rapid, darting movement.
The closely related firebrat (Thermobia domestica) is pest of very hot areas, e.g. in bakeries and boiler rooms.


text:
Q: WooComemrce Update product Meta data on frontend through API I have a custom field in my product's page that is saved to database and it is also visible in my editor
I am trying to access it through API as a meta data and I am successful in updating that field.
The problem is that it doesn't automatically gets updated on my frontend and I have to click update (product) to get updated value in woocommerce.
I am using this code to save it to my wp database
 function save_woocommerce_product_custom_fields($post_id)
{
    $product = wc_get_product($post_id);
    $custom_fields_woocommerce_title = isset($_POST['alt_points']) ? $_POST['alt_points'] : '';
    $product->update_meta_data('alt_points', sanitize_text_field($custom_fields_woocommerce_title));
    $product->save();
}
 add_action('woocommerce_process_product_meta', 'save_woocommerce_product_custom_fields');

now I need this code as an api to automatically show it on frontend

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Goodson, Daniel E
Reviews of Lawyers from Idaho Pinehurst Call
(Attorneys & law firms, tax return preparation)
Attorney from: Idaho, Pinehurst | Website: website does not appear ()
Are you searching for up-to-date information about the Goodson, Daniel E law firm situated in Idaho? Below are both positive and negative reviews from existing clients and questions asked by users on the Discussion Forum and in the Legal Advice Center. The lawyers of the Goodson, Daniel E firm reside at 106 Lewiston St, with the zip code of 83850, as may also be seen on the map. if you have had any interactions or personal experience with Goodson, Daniel E law firm, who specializes mainly in "Attorneys & law firms & tax return preparation" as well as in other areas of law and defense, do not hesitate to share your opinion of this lawyer with this firm and users who follow this legal profile. Further information on the current offer of legal services of this law office may be found on their official website: website does not appear.
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Would you like to know the prices of a particular lawyer, the average per-hour rates of lawyers in Pinehurst, or what other fees and additional charges you should expect? Inquire directly in the "Legal Advice Center" or contact the Goodson, Daniel E lawyers on telephone: (208) 682-3982 or via the Contact Form. Would you like to chat with a lawyer specializing in tax return preparation, Attorneys & law firms in Idaho Pinehurst as soon as possible and free of charge? Visit the website, send an e-mail, or inquire directly on the Discussion Forum. Where can you find reliable reviews of lawyers & law firms? Where can you find reliable reviews of lawyers & law firms around Idaho? We are building up a rating program to provide you with reliable and credible (valuable) information to help choose the right (top rated) lawyer for your needs.
Idaho Bar Associations - Statewide
525 W. Jefferson Street
Fax: (208) 334-4515 or (208) 334-2764
The Idaho Bar is the organization of all certified lawyers who are licensed by the Supreme Court of Idaho to practice law in the state and surrounding cities such as Pinehurst. The Idaho State Bar has jurisdiction by law over the conduct of all local attorneys. The main function of State Bar Commission is regulating the practice of law and handling ethical matters and other violations. Here you can find comprehensive information about nationwide, states and local bar associations in the USA.
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106 Lewiston St Pinehurst, ID 83850
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text:
Commissioners bestow year-end raises on three departments with higher-than-average vacancy rates
CountyLocal GovernmentCounty Commissioners
Tomas Murawski
It was a season of giving this week as Alamance County's commissioners approved some rather generous pay raises for staff members in three county agencies that have had to contend with relatively high vacancy rates.
The commissioners rung in this yuletide bonanza with one sweeping gesture on Monday when they agreed to set aside roughly $1.4 million to increase the salaries of about 477 positions in social services, EMS, and the sheriff's detention division.
This raft of raises, which ultimately passed by a margin of 4-to-1, includes an additional $5,000 for all employees in the department of social services and a 9-percent increase for the entire staff in emergency medical services. A majority of commissioners also approved an extra $4,000 for every detention officer at the local sheriff's department, with the prospect of another $4,000 for those who actually pull 12-hour shifts guarding the inmates in Alamance County's jail.
The prevailing view of the county's governing board was aptly summed up by its vice chairman Steve Carter prior to Monday night's vote.
"We've got to take care of these people. We can't deny these people the support they need to do their jobs." – County commissioner Steve Carter
"We've got to take care of these people," Carter told his fellow commissioners. "We can't deny these people the support they need to do their jobs."
The wage increases which Carter and his colleagues signed off on this week were originally proposed to the commissioners during a specially-called work session earlier this month (Friday, December 10).
Sheriff: detention officer raises for rest of fiscal year can be financed within budget
During this 6 1/2-hour confab, the commissioners heard from Alamance County's sheriff Terry Johnson about the pressure that his 151-person detention division has felt from its 50 vacant positions (which include 14 posts that were frozen as part of the county's current annual budget and make for an overall vacancy rate of about 33 percent). During this month's work session, Johnson told the commissioners that the lapsed salaries from his openings would more than cover the cost of his requested pay raises, which he predicted would cost the county $738,000 for the remaining six months of this fiscal year.
Social Services director: her department's raises can also be financed within budget
Meanwhile, the county's social services director, Adrian Daye, lamented the stress that her agency's 58 vacancies have placed on the county's social services staff – whose vacancy rate amounts to about 25 percent given its 230 full-time positions. Like Johnson, Daye assured the commissioners that her department's lapsed salaries would be sufficient to cover the county's 50-percent share of the $694,146 that her request needed to fund her proposed $5,000 raises – the remainder of which would be subsidized by state or federal funds.
EMS director: his department will need subsidies beyond existing budget to finance raises
The commissioners received a similar report from the county's EMS director Ray Vipperman, whose 96-person staff currently has 11 openings, or a vacancy rate of about 11.5 percent. Vipperman acknowledged that his department's current budget couldn't absorb the $300,000 that his requested 9-percent raises would cost for the remainder of this fiscal year. Hagood nevertheless assured the commissioners that the county will inevitably have some extra funds somewhere in this year's budget to cover the cost of these raises.
Monday's raises aren't the only ones, just the most recent
The raises which the commissioners authorized on Monday aren't exactly the first stab that the county's elected leaders have taken to address recruitment and retention at the three affected agencies.
Earlier this year, the commissioners approved 4-percent pay raises for three particularly high turnover posts in the social services department. They also signed off on retention, signing, and referral bonuses for the agency's five hardest-pressed positions. The commissioners ultimately decided to terminate these various bonuses when they approved the proposed raises on Monday after the social services director conceded that few employees had claimed the bonuses.
As for the other two turnover-plagued agencies, the county's current budget already includes 5-percent wage increases for all of the county's deputies and jailers. The commissioners have subsequently approved additional bumps in compensation for the sheriff's subordinates with ranks of sergeant or higher.
More recently, the commissioners have offered the county's paramedics bonuses of $100 and $200 to work an extra 12- or 24-hour shift in order to offset staffing shortages in EMS.
During Monday night's meeting, the sheriff insisted that, the county's previous raises, Alamance County's jailers are still woefully underpaid compared to their peers in other counties
"Right now we're so far behind…it's unbelievable," he told the commissioners.
The sheriff also acknowledged that the county may have to give up the roughly $6 million that the jail generates from contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Alamance County's manager Bryan Hagood went on to urge the commissioners to lend their collective support to all of the requested bonuses that were before them on Monday.
"We usually don't like to do that in the middle of the fiscal year. But this year, these three departments in particular seem to be at a crisis point, and it seemed my duty to bring this to your attention." – County manager Bryan Hagood
"We usually don't like to do that in the middle of the fiscal year," the county manager added. "But this year, these three departments in particular seem to be at a crisis point, and it seemed my duty to bring this to your attention."
Weekend fire serves as illustration for more aid to first responders
During Monday's discussion, commissioner Steve Carter pointed to Sunday's cataclysmic fire at the Embers Motor Lodge to underscore the need for adequately-paid emergency services in Alamance County.
"I don't think you can ever pay a first responder enough," she insisted. "We have got to do the right thing by the people who keep us safe." – County commissioner Pam Thompson
Sunday's conflagration also weighed heavily on the mind of commissioner Pam Thompson, who went on to endorse the proposed raises for all three of the agencies under consideration.
"I don't think you can ever pay a first responder enough," she insisted. "We have got to do the right thing by the people who keep us safe."
Meanwhile, commissioner Bill Lashley floated the possibility of using federal pandemic relief to cover the cost of the EMS raises for the next couple of years. Lashley nevertheless assured the three turnover-frazzled department heads that the commissioners will fund their requested raises through the current financial cycle.
"We [also] have the money to take care of you through next year as well, and I want the taxpayers of Alamance County to know that this is not going to raise your taxes one penny." – County commissioner Bill Lashley
"We [also] have the money to take care of you through next year as well," Lashley went on to add, "and I want the taxpayers of Alamance County to know that this is not going to raise your taxes one penny."
The only objection to the proposed raises came from commissioner Craig Turner, who called on his colleagues to take a "more measured" approach to addressing turnover.
"I fully recognize that these departments are in crisis. But this is a $1.4 million increase to the county's current budget. The point of a budget is that you consider all of the needs of county budget, that you rack and stack them for the commissioners to approve." – County commissioner Craig Turner
Turner went on to suggest a less costly mid-year increase that would add 6-percent to the salaries in detention, EMS, and social services. He nevertheless accepted the sheriff's argument in favor of $4,000 bonuses for the detention center's shift workers because he said he recognized the severity of the short-staffing crisis in their division.
Turner ultimately cast the lone vote against a motion to accept the proposed pay raises, which passed with the support of John Paisley, Jr., the chairman of Alamance County's commissioners, as well as commissioners Carter, Lashley, and Thompson.
Coverage of background discussions evolving from county manager's recommendations for raises that took place during special "work session" of the commissioner board of Friday, December 10: https://alamancenews.com/county-mulls-millions-in-raises-for-high-turnover-departments/
Legal Notices, Thursday, December 30, 2021
Donations for Embers fire victims being accepted
Among cities & towns, Graham has highest increase in property values
Property values up 80%; commissioners pledge to support revenue neutral tax rate to offset
County OKs multi-state co. to take over private landfill franchise
Property values up 80%; commissioners pledge to support revenue ...


text:
Rick Pageot
Jazz fest: Dessy Di Lauro and Ric'key Pageot's Harlem Renaissance
When Dessy Di Lauro and Ric'key Pageot headlined at Montreal's Diese Onze in February, they packed the intimate jazz club for their first homecoming show in four years.
The musical Pageot family was out in full force, sharing the stage with Dessy and Ric'key — renowned Montreal drummer Anthony, flutist Steve and their father, Fritz, on bass. "Before that night, I had played music with all of my brothers, but Diese Onze was the first time we played together in public," Ric'key Pageot said.
At Diese Onze, the audience knew they were witnessing something special, including Montreal International Jazz Festival programming VP Laurent Saulnier, who was in attendance. The jazz fest later booked Di Lauro and Pageot's band, Parlor Social, to headline L'Astral on July 8.
"That was my purpose in booking that Diese Onze show," Pageot said. "We invited Laurent Saulnier and he was like, 'Cool, I'll be there.'"
"I was kind of sore the jazz festival hadn't invited us the past couple of years," Di Lauro admitted. "I kind of felt like the Montreal scene had forgotten about us. So I am really happy we're playing indoors and headlining."
"That means the festival is confident we can sell tickets," Pageot added.
A gifted piano and accordion player, Pageot is a true behind-the-scenes leader. At 28, the Vanier College and McGill University music grad (who majored in jazz performance) became the youngest musical director ever hired by the Cirque du Soleil, for their touring arena show, Delirium. Pageot's band featured 11 musicians and six lead singers, including Di Lauro. "Cirque gave our careers a big boost," Di Lauro said.
In December 2007, after two years with Delirium, the couple (who married in 2006) left the show. They moved to Los Angeles where Di Lauro — a veteran session singer who grew up singing in gospel choirs before singing backing vocals on Dubmatique's landmark 1997 album, La force de comprendre — recorded backing vocals in L.A. studios for star performers such as Rocky Dawuni and Social Distortion.
Pageot, meanwhile, was hired by Madonna to be her keyboard player on three world tours — Sticky & Sweet, MDNA and Rebel Heart. "What I learned from Madonna was her attention to detail and showmanship," Pageot said. "She is always looking at the big picture, has a strong work ethic, and I apply that day in, day out to what Dessy and I do."
Parlor Social's upcoming debut album is musically similar to Di Lauro's 2013 solo album, which fused urban and hip-hop beats with a Harlem renaissance aesthetic to create a unique sound the couple calls "speakeasy-soul." Marisa Parisella
In between Madonna tours and Di Lauro's session gigs, the couple released Di Lauro's 2013 solo album, This Is Neo-Ragtime, which fused urban and hip-hop beats with a Harlem Renaissance aesthetic to create a unique sound the couple calls "speakeasy-soul."
Parlor Social's upcoming debut album is musically similar and features such musical luminaries as Teddy Riley, the legendary architect of New Jack Swing. "We are getting very good interest from booking agencies and distributors," Pageot said.
"No guts, no glory," Di Lauro said about the duo pursuing their musical dreams. "We hustle, we work very hard."
"We've thought about quitting Parlor Social many times," Pageot added. "You look at your bank account and go, 'I have to pay the rent, I have to pay the bills.'"
"But we love what we do," Di Lauro chimed in.
"So we're excited to be back at the jazz festival playing the new music we've been developing in L.A.," Pageot said. "It's always a huge treat for us to play for family and friends and our fans in Montreal because they have been rooting for us from the very beginning."
Parlor Social performs Saturday, July 8 at 6 p.m. at L'Astral, 305 Ste-Catherine St. W., as part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Tickets cost $33 to $36 and can be purchased at montrealjazzfest.com. To win a pair of tickets to the concert, visit parlorsocial.com. The draw will be held Friday, July 7 at 5 p.m.
Source: http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/jazz-fest-dessy-di-lauro-and-rickey-pageots-harlem-renaissance
Tagged: Montreal Jazz Festival, Harlem Renaissance, Madonna, Teddy Riley
Parlor Social brings Harlem Renaissance to Napa
Grown Folks Music: No Diggity's 20th Anniversary: PARLOR SOCIAL's Exclusive Interview with TEDDY RILEY
@parlorsocial


Songs to get kids moving with music that parents can appreciate.Simple and easy to use.Helps develop musical appreciation.Includes flashing lights that pulse to the beat!Play existing songs or freestyle.Plays 5 kid-friendly versions of famous songs.Keyboard plays:ABC; by the Jackson 5; Love Shack; by the B-52s; Hot Hot Hot; by Bus Poindexter; Allstar; by Smashmouth and Wide Open Spaces; by the Dixie Chicks. Requires 3 x AA batteries (included). For ages 3 years and over.


Know of an upcoming release? Post it here to inform and discuss with fellow fans.
Post your records for sale here either via a person-to-person trade/sale or Ebay auction and get more exposure for your listing by putting in front of an audience that appreciates what you're trying to sell, or if you're looking for something, you can post a "wanted" listing, and perhaps someone in our community might have what you need to complete that collection you've been building all these years.
Co-founded by one of the pioneers of modern electronic music, few can doubt Rephlex Records' influence on electronic music, and the lasting effect Braindance has had on the current electronic music scene.
Created a great mix you want to share with the rest of WATMM? Post links to your mixes here, so everyone can partake of your mixing skills. Please keep discussion focused on the mixes, and do not start a thread unless you're posting a mix.
Post and discuss any artist's upcoming gig, tour or live appearance and be sure to also put it on the calendar to remind others when the date nears.
Pinned A few albums recently listened.
Started by MIXL2 , 11 Mar 2019 :zoviet*france:, interested?
Is Techno suitable for home listening?
Could you recommend me some good House Music?
Because search function couldn't find one!


text:
Blog: New state venture capital fund will disclose financial data online
by Len Lazarick | April 7, 2011 | Annapolitics Blog, News | 1 |
By MoneyBlogNewz
Under the bill establishing the governor's Invest Maryland venture capital program, detailed information will be posted online about the funds and credits that the state has invested in a company, as well as what the state is getting out of it.
If Invest Maryland passes, the state would auction off $100 million in future tax credits to insurance companies, and use the proceeds estimated at $75 million to invest in Maryland tech companies. The program is to designed to provide capital for new business ventures that could help energize the state's economy.
The bill requires the Department of Business and Economic Development to file an annual report with General Assembly committees. This report would include information on what firms have received money through the program and how much, what tax credits companies have gotten, and what jobs they have created or saved based on the funds.
At the end of spirited debate about the structure of the proposed program on Thursday, House Minority Leader Tony O'Donnell made a motion to make all of that information easily available to the public from a link on the DBED website.
"This is intended to spread the sunshine and transparency," O'Donnell said. "I believe the public has a right to know that information as well."
Del. C. William Frick, D-Montgomery County, floor leader for the debate, said that the committee completely agreed with the amendment. Committee members had already expanded reporting requirements in the bill, Frick said, and he accepted it as a friendly amendment — a somewhat unusual move for a floor amendment from the GOP leader.
If this version of the bill becomes law, Invest Maryland will have easily accessed public information that is far more detailed than most of the state's spending programs. Recent reports on government transparency have shown Maryland's public records availability is often below par.
–Megan Poinski
Megan@MarylandReporter.com
PreviousState Roundup, April 7, 2011
NextBlog: Parole for life sentences changed – again
School systems must choose more standardized tests in the fall
Brinkley, Jacobs decide to challenge incumbent congressmen; Mooney still unsure
Elrich: COVID-19 case numbers are 'headed in the wrong direction'
Rascovar: Hogan and Pugh did what was right
Karlpfrommer on April 9, 2011 at 1:39 am
Delegate Frick and all legislators should know that just because there is transparency does not mean that the enterprise is right. FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME.


text:
namespace Kvasir {
// peripheral DS
    namespace DsRegCtl{    ///< register REG_CTL
        using Addr = Register::Address<0x40035100,0xfffffff9,0x00000000,unsigned char>;
        /// bitfield ISUBSEL
        constexpr Register::FieldLocation<Addr,Register::maskFromRange(2,1),Register::ReadWriteAccess,unsigned> isubsel{};
    }
    namespace DsRckCtl{    ///< register RCK_CTL
        using Addr = Register::Address<0x40035104,0xfffffffe,0x00000000,unsigned char>;
        /// bitfield RTCCKE
        constexpr Register::FieldLocation<Addr,Register::maskFromRange(0,0),Register::ReadWriteAccess,unsigned> rtccke{};
    }
    namespace DsPmdCtl{    ///< register PMD_CTL
        using Addr = Register::Address<0x40035800,0xfffffffe,0x00000000,unsigned char>;
        /// bitfield RTCE
        constexpr Register::FieldLocation<Addr,Register::maskFromRange(0,0),Register::ReadWriteAccess,unsigned> rtce{};
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Book Deal for Troll Harasser Spawns Debate: To Boycott or Not to Boycott?
Nearly a week after it was announced that the petty, self-obsessed bully and troll who was kicked off of Twitter for harassing a female star had garnered a six-figure book deal, the question of how to address his publisher continues to roil the publishing and literary community — at least the segment of it blessed with a conscience.
At the Guardian, the editor of the Chicago Review of Books, Adam Morgan, explains why his publication is essentially boycotting all titles, even the good ones, from Simon and Schuster.
And of course, Simon & Schuster has every right to increase [Milo] Yiannopoulos's platform by publishing his book. However, free speech doesn't protect anyone from repercussions in a free market. The literary community – and society at large – has the freedom to respond in kind. That's why the UK division of Simon & Schuster has decided not to publish Yiannopoulos's book. It's why some professionals, such as author Danielle Henderson and audiobook producer Emmett Plant, are reconsidering their relationships with the publisher.


text:
For Heat and rest of NBA, start of this season is all about getting a grip
By Ira Winderman
MIAMI — Sometimes the NBA season is about little more than getting a grip, appreciating the 82-game grind.
Yet during the course of those games, it also can be as simple as getting a grip, quite literally, especially this season.
With the NBA's shift from Spalding to Wilson as the league's official ball provider, it has meant a recalibration in a sport where touch can mean everything.
No, this is not as dramatic as the attempted move to a synthetic, microfiber ball in 2006, when the coarseness of the product left some players with cuts on their fingers. But even with the same stock of leather now used for the Wilson ball as the Spalding ball, some players insist there is a tangible difference.
"They are trying to push that it's the same, and I'm not here for it," Miami Heat 3-point specialist Duncan Robinson said on a recent episode of his The Long Shot podcast. "I don't think it is actually the same. Now, I think players will get used to it and nothing will really change. But if you handed me like blind-feel test, a Spalding and a Wilson, I would 1,000 percent be able to tell the difference.
"They are not the same basketball. Originally it was pushed that, 'Oh, it's the same everything. The only thing different is the Spalding vs. Wilson logo.' And it's just not."
The NBA has moved to Wilson game balls this season. (Ira Winderman/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
With Wilson balls already used in the NCAA Tournament and with Molten balls used in international competition, most NBA players utilize several brands through their careers, hardly making this moment in time unique.
"I think it's noticeably different," Heat guard Gabe Vincent told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "The Spalding ball's been around forever. I mean, I played with it the last three years, four years myself. Even preparing for the NBA, you practice with it, you get ready for pre-draft with it. It's not a drastic change, I think, but you can definitely feel a difference with the Wilson ball, just like you feel a difference in college and you go somewhere else and play with a different ball."
The NBA has been breaking in the Wilson ball since the pre-draft combine, with it also utilized during summer league. The balls also were made available to teams well in advance of training camps, to allow them to better be broken in.
Wilson had supplied game balls during the NBA's first 37 seasons before Spalding took over the contract in 1983 and held it for the next 37, with this latest change coming during the NBA's 75th-anniversary season.
The NBA's experiment with the microfiber Spalding ball in 2006 barely lasted two months, amid player protests. This time, the change will endure, as players adjust,
"At first you could tell the difference," Heat guard Tyler Herro told the Sun Sentinel, with the Heat hosting the Orlando Magic on Monday night at FTX Arena. "But once you start working out with it and using it, it's more normal.
"The different texture, you feel it, the way it breaks in. But once they're broken in, they feel pretty much the same."
For Heat center Bam Adebayo, it is the third ball he has worked with in the past six months, having also played and practiced with the international Molten ball amid Team USA's run to Olympic gold in the Tokyo Games.
"I feel like it's a slicker ball," he told the Sun Sentinel of the Wilson product. "It's takes a longer time to get used to. But I feel like once we get into the season and get used to it, I feel like we'll be fine."
It is not, Adebayo said, as dramatic as the adjustment to the international ball.
"That's completely different," he said, "because it sticks to your hand, rather than like in the NBA. It kind of slides in your hand a little bit."
Vincent, who played this past summer on Nigeria's national team in the Olympics, agreed about the international ball.
"When they're broken in, they can be very soft," he said. "I think that's why they get the volleyball comment about them."
As with all matters shooting related, Robinson said just give it time.
"I'm optimistic that at some point Wilson will get them so they feel like the old Spalding," he said. "My own immediate reactions or short-term reaction is that the Wilson just has a little bit more of like a tackier feel. The Spalding had this like great feel to it, where it would just like break in really well.
"The beginning of an NBA ball's life is the worst part. But as you wear into it, it gets better and better as you use it. And I haven't found that to be true yet with the Wilson is kind of my big takeaway."


text:
Q: Comparing means on individual observation level data or aggregated daily level data for two periods I have data on purchases on individual customer level. The customers are segmented into different groups, like region. I want to compare sales from different periods.
Should I use the daily aggregated sales data, or should I use the individual customer-level data for the comparison?
To get the average sales with confidence intervals for the daily aggregated data, I use daily sum(sales), and the standard deviation is the std of the daily aggregated sales in the period, and n will be the number of days in the period, and calculate the difference in means with confidence intervals from these.
Or is it better to calculate the average sales on customer level, as in mean(sales), std(sales) from the table with individual customer level data, where n will be the number of customers for both periods?
Some notes on the data: the standard deviation of sales on customer level is much, much larger than the mean. And the number of customers are very large, as in millions.
I calculated using both methods and it gives some different results. The results are consistent in the sense that all groups are positive or negative using both methods. But some groups could have a larger/smaller difference than other groups depending on how I calculated, e.g. aggregated calculations gave group A +34 and B +50, and on individual customer level the result could be group A +40 and group B +20.
This makes me unsure of which method is best to use. Why are the results different?


The moss blanket will perform well in each and every situation, and only your imagination can limit the manner in which it is used. You do not have to go to the other end of the world to discover its charms; it is enough to throw the cover onto your bed, sofa or floor and create a playmat for your children. The intense green of moss will add life to every interior, lending it more freshness and lightness, and it will make those little ones, as well as the bigger ones, feel almost like in a forest hideaway.
The cover is made from two high-quality types of cotton. The top is made of cotton sateen on which we print the Hayka moss motif, and the underside – graphite cotton knit. The inside is filled with polyester nonwoven fabric. The whole is neatly trimmed and quilted with wide stripes.


text:
Olay, What It Taught Me About Skincare and Women:
BeautyFashionMental HealthSpirituality
After walking in an Olay runway show sans makeup, the entirety of my body covered beneath a "SkinVisible" dress, I'm still riding an unexpected high that purportedly stems from healthy skin and the unifying energy of an eclectic, inclusive group of mighty women.
On the heels of New York Fashion Week – which is an experience replete with impenetrable cool girl cliques — my interaction with the women at Olay restored a feeling of unshakable optimism in me that I didn't realize lain dormant.
Using three of the brand's best-selling products, the Regenerist Whip Moisturizer, Ultimate Eye Cream and Daily Hydrating Facials, for twenty-eight consecutive days, I prepared to showcase my results alongside of eighteen other women, including, to name a few, a two-time Olympic medalist, a self-made YouTube millionaire and an NFL sports anchor.
Stripped of all makeup, hair pulled away from my face, I could've easily felt bare, unprotected, insecure. Although I was impressed with the results of the products, and — as such — I felt comfortable exposing my naked mug to a live audience that included reps from various media outlets, I'd never met any of the other women before. With two full days of rehearsals scheduled, and everyone other than the participants prohibited from entering the space (Olay took the initiative to protect our privacy while we changed into and out of the dresses), I didn't know if I'd feel confident engaging with so many unfamiliar faces. Cue the feelings of gross inadequacy; cue the social anxiety.
Over the years, I've armed myself with a repertoire of tools that have empowered me to present my most confident self to the world and to become something of an extrovert. Without hair, makeup, or an outfit, though, and in a room full of women who were collectively so much more accomplished than me, I easily could've walked away from the experience feeling that old familiar pang of intensive self-loathing.
Instead, I found myself interacting with women who were deeply humble — nurturing but strong, powerful but kind; what's more, we were all genuinely interested in getting to know one another. When I arrived for an eight-hour rehearsal on the second day, I immediately recognized the space as being a safe one.
The show itself was a tremendous success; afterwards, we ran backstage, bear hugging and celebrating one another. I've never felt an energy like that before. It was born from authenticity, openness and acceptance.
While I'll always remain loyal to my trifecta of Olay products, and I'll never forget the experience of walking in a runway show on the last day of Fashion Week, my greatest takeaway was the affirmation that woman are boundless in their power, that when we're gentle with each other — we're beautifully mighty.
Five Hundred Degrees
Going BLONDE.
Breaking Up With Your Bestie
What Is the New NoteBrooke? Our Mission:
YOUR Skincare Questions Answered: a Complete Review of the Essentials With Supermodel Favorite, Teacher and Healer, Ildi Pekar.


Research supports the finding that psychiatric patient assaults on staff constitute a worldwide occupational hazard.
Daniel, a twenty-two-year-old patient with schizophrenic illness, became very frightened, then terrified, then explosively angry.
"Time for medicines. Patients please come to the medication room." announced nurse William Wallace.
As Daniel waited his turn, the voice kept repeating that the nurse wanted to kill him. When Mr. Wallace offered Daniel his medications, Daniel struck him hard three times about the head. In the end, nurse Wallace lay on the medication-room floor, unconscious and bloodied with a badly bruised swollen eye and a broken shoulder blade.
Here is a prototypic example of an all-too-common patient assault on a healthcare staff member. It is an example of the many patient assaults that will occur this day and most of them will never be reported in the local news. Certainly not all psychiatric patients are assaultive but many are. So frequent are these assaults that patient assaults on healthcare staff are a worldwide occupational hazard.
These assaults may be physical, sexual, or verbal in nature and may occur in emergency rooms and all types of inpatient and community settings where staff are at risk, especially nursing personnel. The impact of these assaults is extensive and includes death, permanent or temporary disability, medical injury, increased utilization of sick leave and industrial accident claims, medical and legal expense, the severe psychological fright of psychological trauma, lost productivity, staff turnover, and poor worksite morale.
Given the international scope of this issue, what do we know about assaultive psychiatric patients? Are the assault characteristics the same in every country? Do some countries have more patient violence than others? In this short essay, we shall begin to address these questions based on the empirical, data-based research studies published in the global medical and scientific journals for the first 10 years of the 21st century. We will look first at the worldwide findings and then the findings from the American studies, the European studies, and the more limited research from four other continents. Our review will close with suggestions of strategies to reduce violence and mitigate its impact.
This is the first of two companion essays of assaultive psychiatric patients. This paper focuses on the characteristics of patient assailants. The companion essay focuses on the characteristics of staff victims of these assaults. The interested reader will want to read both essays to have a comprehensive understanding of this global patient problem.
From 2000 to 2012, there were 60 published studies that documented 24,666 assaults committed by 30,498 psychiatric patients worldwide.1 Some of these patients were not assaultive and some were repeat offenders. These worldwide studies included 16,283 male and 13,867 female patients. On average, they were 37-years old and were primarily diagnosed with the illnesses of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. Some (3%) had past histories of violence and some (3%) were abusing substances. Male patients with schizophrenic illness and past histories of violence presented the greatest risk.
Even though many incidents of patient assault are never reported nor published, the research time frame of these published 69 studies varied from 2 weeks to 20 years and resulted in a total time of observation and data-gathering of 247.6 years. Thus, the findings reported here are likely representative of assaultive psychiatric patients, even though they likely underreport the extent of the problem.
There were 24 studies published in the United States.2 These studies documented 10,948 assaults by 11,084 patients of whom 5,791 were male and 5,266 were female. Again, some of the patients were not assaultive and some were repeat offenders. The primary diagnoses were schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders (51%), affective disorders (15%) and personality disorders (15%). Many assailants had past histories of violence toward others (84%), personal victimization (55%), and substance abuse (65%). Male and female patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and past histories of violence toward others, personal victimization, and substance abuse presented the greatest risk to healthcare staff in American healthcare settings.
There were 30 studies published by European institutions.1 These papers documented 9,881 assaults by 13,533 patients. There were 7,913 were male and 6,340 female patients, whose average age was 39 years. Primary diagnoses again included schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders (41%), affective disorders (23%) and personality disorders (5%). Some of these assailants had past histories of violence toward others (4%), personal victimization (5%), and substance abuse (4%). Male and female patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders presented the greatest risk for assault in European settings.
There were 15 published studies that included patient assaults in the remaining parts of the world. These studies documented 3,874 assaults by 5,851 patients. This data included 3,299 male and 2,261 female patients. However, the research data for these continents was very limited and inconsistent in its assessment approach, such that further data analyses were precluded.
Taken as a whole, what do these international studies teach us? First is the enormous amount of violence that is occurring in health care settings on a daily basis that goes largely unreported and remains unknown to the general public. This research supports the finding that psychiatric patient assaults on staff do in fact constitute a worldwide occupational hazard. Second, these studies also document that not all psychiatric patients should be assumed to be assaultive. Third, these findings suggest that the various negative impacts on care givers are extensive and costly both in terms of human suffering and financial cost.
These studies also suggest that male and female patients with schizophrenia and past histories of violence toward others and substance abuse present the greater risk to healthcare providers in Europe and the United States. Whether this proves to be true in the other countries awaits further research both in terms of quantity and quality when cultural differences are taken into account and research methodology becomes more rigorous. An important factor that may skew some results is the availability of treatment resources. For example, violence may be more prevalent in an institution with inadequate pharmacological supplies. Addressing these limitations should improve our understanding of patient violence in differing countries and there needs to be a basic research design to assess the same characteristics across countries. This basic design needs to include detailed operational definitions of violence, common assessment measures across studies, and similar statistical analyses. A rigorous review of these several relevant methodological issues1, 2 is presented elsewhere for those who are interested.
The most common worldwide precipitants to these assaults include psychosis, denial of services, excess sensory stimulation, feeling unsafe, substance abuse, and misdirected affection. Psychosis can be treated with medication management and counseling. Denial of services to the patient may occur for any number of reasons and the denial is best coupled with offering another such opportunity at a later time. Excess sensory stimulation can be addressed by modulating the activity in the patient's life, for example, by placing the patient in a more quiet area of the day hall. Feeling unsafe is best addressed by creating a "safe" holding environment with staff considered "safe" by the patient. Substance abuse suggests the need for enrollment in a substance abuse treatment program and misdirected affection is best addressed through empathic but clear education about romantic boundaries.
The treating facility may want to consider further additional consults in medications, behavioral therapy, and forensics assessments. This may be especially true for repeat offenders. Since violence may beget violence, programs for anger management, untreated psychological trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse may want to be initiated.
Violence does not come with the turf. There are good reasons to develop in advance reasonable plans to manage possibly assaultive patients, should the need arise, and there are a wide array of possible risk management strategies to fit the budget limitations of any institution. Providing such high quality care insures the safety of patients, families and staff alike. The tools currently exist to manage this worldwide occupational hazard with clinically efficacious, cost-effective approaches.
1. Flannery R. B. Jr., Wyshak G., Tecce, J., and Flannery, G. J. "Characteristics of international assaultive psychiatric patients: Review of published findings, 2000-2012." Psychiatric Quarterly, 2014, 85: 303-17.
2. —. "Characteristics of American assaultive psychiatric patients: Review of published findings, 2000-2012." Psychiatric Quarterly, 2014, 85: 319-28.
3. Flannery R. B. Jr. Violence in the Workplace. Riverdale, NY: American Mental Health Foundation, 2012.
Safety and Care. Riverdale, NY: American Mental Health Foundation, 2012.
5. —. The Assaulted Staff Action Program: Coping with the Psychological aftermath of Violence. Riverdale, NY: American Mental Health Foundation, 2012.
Raymond B. Flannery Jr., Ph.D. FAPM, Harvard Medical School and The University of Massachusetts Medical School, is an internationally recognized scholar and lecturer on the topics of violence, victimization, and stress management. Dr. Flannery is available for lectures and workshops for all types of groups and may be reached at the American Mental Health Foundation: 212-737-9027 or Email Evander.


text:
Walter Becker (1950–2017) was the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and co-songwriter of American band Steely Dan

Walter Becker may also refer to:

Walt Becker (born 1968), American director, writer and actor
Walter Becker (cyclist) (1932–2012), German cyclist

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Symbol for Area: $S$ or $A$ I grew up (in China) with the symbol $S$ representing the area for a shape.
Some examples would be $S_{ABC}, S_{ABCD}$. Sometimes, for the area of a triangle, a triangle symbol is added, like: $S_{\triangle ABC}$.
However, it seems like that in the English-speaking world, the letter $A$ is more commonly used. Area - Wikipedia

Someone pointed to me that the usage of the letter $S$ in China was under the influence of the Soviet Union, which eventually traces back to the French word: "superficie".
However, I do not speak French so that I can neither confirm nor deny this.
I am wondering which symbol is more commonly used worldwide. It is appreciated if you could share with me some of your knowledge about the symbold of area.


As we ended 2017, we all witnessed an incredibly public conversation about sexual harassment—one that included prominent figures in politics, entertainment and even the news media. Unfortunately, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct are an all-too common occurrence in the workplace. And for many employers, the topic is one of great concern.


Forty-two thousand gallons of diesel spilled from a Marathon Petroleum Corporation pipeline into Big Creek in Posey Creek, Indiana before the leak was detected Tuesday evening, U.S. News & World Report reported Wednesday.
The pipeline was immediately shut off, and workers contained the spill with two booms before it reached the Wabash River.
Kevin Turner, the on-the-scene coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told The Indianapolis Star that it was "considered a large spill."
Fortunately, Turner told The Star that he did not think the spill would impact wildlife. No fish deaths have yet been reported, and it is too early in the year for migratory songbirds to have arrived, he said.
The spill traveled four miles before it was stopped by the booms. "If the product had made it to the Wabash, then we would not be able to collect any of it," Turner told The Star.
Marathon was moving the fuel from its refinery in Robinson, Illinois to its terminal on the Ohio River in Mount Vernon, Indiana.
Turner told The Star that efforts were now underway to recover the fuel, a process that should take about a week. He expected 60 percent of the diesel to be skimmed.
According to The Star, this is not the first time that a Marathon pipeline has leaked. In April 2016, 48,300 gallons of oil spilled into the Wabash River from a pipeline near Mount Carmel, Illinois near the Indiana border.
That leak was caused by the fact that erosion had exposed the pipeline, which had been buried beneath the river, to the river bottom itself.
Marathon spokesperson Shane Pochard told The Star that the cause of the current spill is unknown but investigations are underway with help from the Indiana Department of Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety.
The spill comes as pipelines are under increasing scrutiny in North America.
Indigenous groups and environmental activists ramped up protests this week against the proposed Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline extension from the Alberta tar sands to Vancouver, BC.
In 2017, environmental groups sued the Trump administration over the president's decision to approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, reversing the decision by former President Barack Obama to cancel the project.
And, according to The Intercept, the Dakota Access pipeline, which was the subject of massive protests by the Standing Rock Sioux and their allies, leaked five times in 2017.
In 2016, Undark reported that there had been more than 1,300 crude oil spills from pipelines in the U.S. since 2010, averaging one every other day. While pipelines lead to fewer spills than transporting oil by rail, the other overland option, the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. State Department, International Energy Agency and the Fraser Institute found that pipeline spills release more crude into the environment, Business Insider reported.


text:
fn main() {
    println!("cargo:rustc-flags=-l twinapi");
}


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Irish Navy detain Spanish fishing vessel with 5,000 blue sharks on board: The Irish Naval Service have detained a Spanish registered fishing vessel with an incredible 5,000 blue sharks on board, as well as more than a tonne of shark fins. Catching sharks is legal in EU waters if a vessel has the right to do so, but finning sharks has been illegal in EU waters since 2013. The Virxen da Blanca was boarded by the crew of the Irish offshore patrol vessel LÉ William Butler Yeats around 150 nautical miles off the southwest coast of Ireland. The Spanish vessel was then taken to Castletownbere in County Cork where it was handed over to the Irish police and Sea Fisheries Protection Authority. A special sitting of Clonakilty District Court was held and it was established that the vessel had 164,250kg of blue shark (the equivalent to around 5,000 individual sharks), 98kg of mako shark and 1,250kg of shark fins on board. The master of the vessel was charged and a release bond of €335,000 was placed on the Virxen da Blanca. Reports in the Spanish press state that the owners of the vessel believe that the Irish authorities have misinterpreted the rules on shark finning and that it was only the sharks anal fins on board, and they were simply a byproduct of gutting sharks which had been legally caught. The price of shark fin has rocketed in recent years, drive by demand from China and other Asian countries where shark fin soup is seen as a delicacy. Read more by clicking here.
EU allows anglers permitted to retain one bass per day: Anglers had been limited to fishing for bass on a catch and release basis only for this year, but the EU has now amended the legislation to allow anglers to retain one sea bass per angler per day from the 1st October until the 31st December 2018. The amendment, which applies to both shore and boat fishing, has been welcomed by anglers and angling groups who have been angry that some commercial fishermen have been able to catch and retain bass while anglers have had to return any bass they catch. The change of legislation comes after ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) reassessed bass and found that numbers were higher than expected and that further research showing that bass survival rates from catch and release fishing were higher than expected. It is yet to be decided whether or not anglers will be able to retain any bass in 2019. Read more here.
770lb bluefin tuna caught in commercial nets off coast of Devon: A huge bluefin tuna has been caught off the coast of Devon, but strict EU rules mean that the crew of the commercial vessel which inadvertently caught it cannot keep or sell the tuna and it has had to be donated to science and dissected for research purposes. The fishing vessel Constant Friend was trawling for spats when it caught the 770lb (350kg) tuna in its nets, and the fish was already dead by the time it was brought onto the boat. British fishermen have no quota for bluefin tuna so the fish, which was worth an estimated £10,000 could not be sold or even retained to be eaten. Seven EU nations do have quota for bluefin, including France, Spain and Italy. Indeed, French boats recently caught around fifty bluefin tuna in British territorial waters off the coast of Jersey and were able to retain and sell the fish, something which would have been illegal for UK fishermen to do. Under EU rules all British commercial and recreational fishermen must return all caught bluefin tuna to the sea unharmed and as quickly as possible. Read more and see pictures of the tuna by clicking here.
Scallop conflict between Britain and France potentially resolved: At the end of last month a conflict between British and French fishermen, which had first flared up in 2012 and continued in 2013, was reignited. British fishermen have been legally taking scallops from a zone just outside of France's waters, but French fishermen – who are banned from catching scallops in the summer months – have vociferously claimed that the British fishermen are unfairly depleting stocks. Towards the end of August the conflict came to violence with French fishermen throwing rocks and smoke bombs at British fishing boats, and at least one French boat attempting to ram a British vessel. The issue has continued on this month, with both groups continuing to argue that they are right. However, French fishermen were accused of hypocrisy by the British when they ventured into British waters off the Channel Islands and caught bluefin tuna. The species is classed as Near Threatened in European waters, and Endangered on a worldwide basis by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, but French fishermen still have a quota to catch bluefin tuna. British commercial fishermen, on the other hand, must return all bluefin tuna to the sea unharmed, as the UK has no quota for this species. The two French boats reportedly caught forty-four tuna which weighed between 50kg (110lbs) and 120kgs (265lbs) and would have been worth more than £100,000. The French fishermen have therefore carried out exactly the same actions as they are accusing the British of, leading to the claims of hypocrisy. Read more here. Tensions were raised further when French Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert said that the French Navy was "ready to step in" to stop clashes between French and British fishing vessels. and also carry out checks. In the middle of September talks between the two nations broke down several times without a consensus being reached. However, the BBC reported that some sort of compromise had been reached with the larger British fishing boats agreeing to stop fishing for scallops in the disputed area in return for greater fishing rights elsewhere, while smaller British boats will be able to continue to gather scallops in the Bay of Seine.
Fresh row over 'British crab pots damaged by French fishermen': Just days after the scallop conflict had been resolved a new row began over crab fishing. Cornish fishermen say that French boats have deliberately damaged crab pots. The British fishermen say that damage which could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds has been caused by French trawlers dragging their nets through crab pots which have been set and clearly marked. The incidents are occurring within the twelve mile zone which Britain controls, although the French trawlers do have permission to be there. The BBC reported that one Cornish fisherman said that he had lost 160 crab pots and that fishermen were speculating that the actions of the French fishermen could be motivated by the fact that they could lose the right to fish in this area after Brexit, or as a result of the conflict over scallops. Click here to read more.
Army warning over magnet fishing craze: Last month we reported on the growing popularity of magnet fishing where members of the public use super powerful magnets to pull objects out of canals, rivers and harbours. However, the Ministry of Defence along with the Canal and Rivers Trust has warned over the practice, stating that it is highly dangerous. Items recovered from canals include hand grenades, artillery shells, knives, Samurai swords and even a MAC-10 machine pistol. The Canal and Rivers Trust has said that there is a by-law prohibiting people taking anything out of canals which it owns (although the fine is only £25 and this is rarely enforced) and anyone magnet fishing in a private canal needs the landowners permission. The Ministry of Defence told the BBC that if anyone recovered "live ordnance" they should "contact their local police force as a matter of urgency." It was also pointed out that there is a cost to the tax payer when the police or military have to come to deal with explosives which have been recovered when magnet fishing. Last month a father and son lost their lives when magnet fishing in a canal in Huddersfield, although the exact series of events which led to their deaths remains unknown. Click here to read more on this story.
UK calls for third of world's oceans to be protected by 2030: Environment Secretary Michael Gove has called for one third of the world's seas and oceans to be protected by 2030. Currently just 3.7% are designated as marine protected areas. Gove stated that protecting the oceans was a "global challenge which requires global action" and that "UK has already safeguarded vast swathes of precious marine habitats, but we must go further." The UK is in the process of rolling out a programme designating areas of the UK's territorial waters as protected areas but there is little consensus over the protection each area will be given, and some may even continue to allow damaging commercial fishing methods to take place within them. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Hundreds of mackerel trapped in shallow pools on Cornish beaches: In an unusual, but not unprecedented, incident this week hundreds of mackerel ended up trapped in shallow pools by the receding tide in Cornwall. There were actually two separate incidents (one in Carbis Bay and one in St. Ives Harbour) with people observing hundreds of mackerel trapped in pools just a few inches deep. Local press reported that some people were easily catching some mackerel (but only those over the legal size limit of 12 inches/30cm) while gulls and other seabirds were picking off others. However, the RSPCA reported that the majority of the mackerel made it back out to sea when the tide came back in. Read more and see pictures by clicking here.
Australian authorities cull sharks after attacks: Two people were critically injured in shark attacks off the coast of Queensland this month, leading to the Australian authorities launching a highly controversial shark cull which has so far seen six sharks killed. A woman in her forties and a 12-year-old girl were both injured in shark attacks which happened within twenty-four hours of each other. This led to a drum line being set up which caught six sharks, one of which was reportedly a 12-foot long tiger shark. A spokesperson for Fisheries Queensland said that the sharks were "humanely euthanized" but conservation groups strongly criticised the measures pointing out that there was no way of knowing if the sharks that attacked the people were the ones that were caught, and that shark species across the world are suffering from declining numbers due to overfishing. This year there have so far been thirty-three shark attacks on humans in Australian waters, two of which have resulted in fatalities. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Footage of sharks caught on drumlines shows impact of Australia's shark cull: In a linked story exclusive footage obtained by the Daily Mail showed endangered shark species caught on drumlines, exposing the damaging reality of Australia's shark cull. The Daily Mail describes how thousands of sharks are being "impaled" and "deliberately killed" on baited hooks in order to protect tourists visiting Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The paper reported that around 10,400 sharks had been caught in this manner in Queensland alone – the vast majority of which would have been harmless to humans. It remains to be seen how the emergence of the footage will affect public support for the shark cull. Click here to see the footage.
Tyres used to created artificial reef in France removed from the sea: An artificial reef which was created out of tens of thousands of old car tyres has been removed from the sea after it was discovered that the tyres were releasing toxic chemicals. The project was conceived in the early 1980s and was seen at the time as a way of getting rid of useless, used-up tyres while simultaneously helping the marine environment. Around 25,000 tyres were dropped into the sea several hundred metres off the coast of Cannes on the French Riviera. Initially seen as a way of both recycling worn out tyres and enhancing the marine environment it was eventually determined in 2005 that the tyres were leaking toxic chemicals. Thousands of tyres were removed in 2016, and divers and a boat with heavy lifting gear are removing around 10,000 more tyres over the coming weeks. The remainder of the tyres are set to be removed next year. Other artificial reefs made out of tyres, such as one off the coast of Florida, have also been removed from the sea. Read more on this story by clicking here.
New invention seeks to clean up the world's oceans: A new device will seek to remove rubbish, especially plastics, from the world's seas and ocean, starting with the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Officially known as System 001 the device – which has been heavily promoted acrss the world's media – is a 600-metre long boom which uses tidal currents to float into areas where plastic waste and rubbish has accumulated. Debris are trapped within System 001 and can later be removed and recycled. The device was created by the not-for-profit organisation Ocean Cleanup which is led by Boyant Slat, a Dutch inventor who came up with the idea for System 001 and founded Ocean Cleanup when he was still a teenager. Read more by clicking here.
Noise from fish farms reportedly harms other marine life: News broke this month that noise generated by fish farms to keep seals away and stop them from taking fish may harm other marine life, especially whales and dolphins. The Times reported that acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) may send sound up to thirty miles through the ocean and protected species such as minke whales and harbour porpoises could be affected. The Scottish Government and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee want ADDs listed as a form of "loud and pervasive" noise pollution which would bring much greater scrutiny to their use. Issues such as parasite infestations, huge chemical and antibiotic use and the capture of huge numbers of wild wrasse to use as cleaner fish in farms mean that the entire UK fish farm industry is coming under heavy criticism from conservationists and the general public in recent years. Read more here.
Shop in Kuwait caught sticking 'googly eyes' on fish: A shop in Kuwait has reportedly been shut down by authorities in the country due to sticking plastic 'googly eyes' on fish to make them look fresher than they actually are. The plastic eyes are sold in arts and crafts shops and often used in children's art projects. Images of the silvery fish with plastic eyes placed on them went viral across the world this month. The Metro reports that the shop was shut down by the country's ministry of commerce when their actions became known. Read more and see pictures by clicking here.
Man seriously hurt when bitten by shark off coast of Cork in "angling incident": There were reports that a man had been seriously hurt when he was bitten by a blue shark this month, although the incident is believed to be an "angling accident" rather than a shark attack. The Belfast man was fishing in a boat eight miles off the coast of Cork when he suffered what was described as a "serious injury" to his lower arm. A spokesperson for the RNLI said that there was "a bit of a struggle when pulling the shark on board" which resulted in the man becoming injured. The boat the man was fishing on was met by a RNLI vessel and the man was transferred on board and taken to shore where he was then taken to hospital by ambulance. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Barking seal sparks RNLI callout: A lifeboat crew were dispatched after members of the public phoned 999 to report that a Jack Russel dog was apparently struggling in the water off Roker Pier in Sunderland. However, when they arrived on the scene they found that the dog was in fact a small seal which was not in distress. An RNLI spokesperson said that they responded to animal rescues as the owners often entered the water to try and rescue their pets and ended up putting themselves at risk. Read more here.
Japan fail in bid to overturn ban on commercial whaling: The Japanese government has failed in its attempt to reinstate whaling after losing a vote at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting held in Brazil. The IWC ban on whaling has been in place since 1984, but there are a number of significant loopholes. Norway and Iceland still carry out whaling and Japan also hunts whales under the claims that it is doing so for the purposes of "scientific research." There are also a number of subsistence communities which are also allowed to carry out limited whaling using traditional methods. If Japan had been successful in overturning the ban they would have been able to catch whales in much higher numbers than they currently do, but only twenty-seven governments voted with Japan and forty-one against. Japan has said that it may quit the IWC in response to losing the vote. Read more about this here. The annual meeting also produced a non-binding agreement to give protection to whale species in perpetuity. Following what the BBC described as an "angry debate" forty governments voted in favour of what is now known as the Florianopolis Declaration (after the Brazilian city where the meeting was held) and twenty-seven against. The usual pro-whaling nations of Iceland, Norway and Japan had proposed a different agreement where commercial whaling would take place in "co-existence" with conservation but this was rejected. Read more here.
EU rules could force sea anglers to report catches: There are fears that new EU rules on recording the catches of recreational sea anglers could force UK anglers to become officially registered and begin to record and report their catches. The proposal is being made as the EU attempts to rebuild and restore fish stocks through its much-criticised Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This is series the rules, laws and legislation which allow EU nations to fish in a Europe-wide EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), govern how much quota to catch various species each nation has and provides subsidies and other support for the fishing industries of EU nations. However, the new plans will see the fish caught by recreational anglers included in CFP data for the first time, something which is obviously only possible if recreational catches are recorded. Of particular concern to anglers will be the phrases included in the official EU documentation on this proposal. Member states will have to "put in place a registration or a licensing system monitoring the number of natural and legal persons involved in recreational fisheries" and "collect data on catches from such fisheries through catch reporting or other data collection mechanisms." This catch data will also have to be sent "electronically to the competent authorities on a daily basis or after each fishing trip." It is fair to say that such measures would fundamentally transform the very nature of UK sea angling which has been mostly unregulated since the times of the Magna Carta in the thirteenth century and the entire sector would have to make vast changes to accommodate such legislation. Of course Brexit and the fact that Britain is leaving the EU means that this proposed legislation will may not apply to the UK, but if it is implemented by the EU before the UK leaves than it will become UK law and British anglers will have to follow it until it is repealed by the UK government – something which is not guaranteed to happen. This is an issue which all anglers in the UK and across Europe should watch very closely. Click here to read the full EU document on this.
First steps taken to protect high seas: The high seas – the majority of the ocean beyond the 200 nautical mile limit of any nation – may finally receive protection following the conclusion of two weeks of United Nations talks between international governments in New York. Currently the high seas are almost totally unregulated, with only limited and piecemeal laws regulating which activities can take place there. It is hoped that there will eventually be an international consensus covering issues such as marine protected areas where fishing, oil exploration and other commercial activity is banned and agreeing impact assessments before potentially damaging activities take place. While it is still in the very early stages the talks in New York are being seen as the first steps in achieving this and have been welcomed by conservation groups, environmentalists and national governments. Click here to read more on this story.
Footage of tope and spurdog captured by boat angler off the coast of the Isle of Man: An angler captured brilliant footage of shark species swimming off the coast of the Isle of Man this month. Craig Whalley was boat fishing in Douglas Bay when he used a fishing rod to lower his GoPro camera into the water and filmed tope and spurdog feeding on a huge shoal of herring. Craig has also filmed basking sharks, bottlenose dolphins and seals this year. See the footage by clicking here.
EU urged not to reintroduce damaging fisheries subsidies: Forty not-for profit organisations have urged the European Union not to bring back financial aid to help construct new fishing vessels for fishing communities in the outermost regions of the EU. Fisheries subsidies to build new vessels were phased out over a decade ago for the construction and purchase of new vessels, as the EU eventually accepted that there were too many vessels chasing too few fish in EU waters. However, in 2017 a non-legislative resolution was passed to allow the fleets of distant territories belonging to France, Spain and Portugal to be renewed using EU subsidies. Now the forty organisations – which includes Client Earth, Our Fish, the World Wildlife Fund, Seas at Risk, the Pew Environmental Trust and Oceana – have written to EU commissioners Karmenu Vella and Cecilia Malmström calling on them not to reintroduce the subsidies. Although the organisations accept that communities in the outskirts of the EU need support they do not believe that subsidies which encourage overfishing and damage the marine environment are an effective way of achieving this. The mover by the EU to reintroduce subsidies has been met with surprise. An assessment in 2008 found that the EU fishing fleet was two to three times above the level it should have been at to fish sustainably, and since then it has reduced by less than a tenth. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Seal slaps kayaker in the face with an octopus: A bizarre video emerged this month showing a seal emerging from the water and slapping a man in a kayak across the face with an octopus. The incident happened off the coast of Kaikoura on New Zealand's South Island and it is believed that the seal may have been trying to kill and eat the octopus. See the footage of the incident by clicking here.
Supermarket Iceland to sell 'unpopular' but sustainable fish: UK retailer Iceland has started selling less common species of fish which are not currently popular and are often thrown away as bycatch by commercial vessels. Branded under the What the Fish label the £8 packets contain whiting, megrim, gurnard or pouting, all perfectly edible species which are currently in low demand in the UK. The supermarket hopes that by providing these less common species it will encourage commercial fishermen to catch them and take the pressure off more popular species such as cod and haddock. The range may also be expanded to include fillets of more popular species which are considered the wrong size or shape to sell to consumers at full price. It is currently estimated that around 40% of all of the fish caught across the world is thrown back into the sea dead as bycatch because there is no market for it or fishermen want to use the space on their vessels for a higher value species. Click here to read more on this story.
Pollution threatens the future of killer whales: Persistent chemical pollution in the seas could kill up to half of all killer whales in the world, putting the future of the species under threat. This would mean that killer whale populations in Europe (including the UK), Japan and the USA would all be lost in coming years. The culprit is PCBs, chemicals which were once widely used in everything from paint to electrical appliances and plastics. While they were banned decades ago they remain in the environment for centuries and heave leached into the seas and ocean where they accumulate. Killer whales are uniquely vulnerable to PCBs due to the way in which PCBs amass in the killer whales body fat and pass from mothers to their young in milk. There is unfortunately little which can be done to remove PCBs from the environment, but campaign groups have said that more needs to be done to stop more PCBs from entering the seas and ensure that PCBs which are already present are safely disposed of. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Beluga whale in River Thames: A rare beluga whale has swan into the Thames, and despite concern over its welfare it [at the time of writing] appears to be feeding and behaving normally. Usually found in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters beluga whales can grow to 16 – 18 feet in length and weigh over 3,000lbs. The Thames whale has become known as Benny and divers have observed it diving and foraging for food, normal behaviour which indicates that the whale is healthy. However, there are concerns that Benny may enter busy shipping lanes and members of the public have been asked only to observe Benny from the shore and not try to get close on boats. While many newspapers have reported this as a positive news story the Guardian wrote that the "beluga fever" was "tinged with sorrow" as it was difficult to see how Benny will get out of the Thames and how the story can possibly end well. Read more by clicking here.
Shark species face extinction under current catch levels: A report on the environment section of the Al Jazeera website has outlined the threat that many shark species face, and pointed out that a number of species face extinction due to the rate they are being caught. It is estimated that humans catch around 100 million sharks each year, with the huge demand for shark fin soup from Asian countries, particularly China, being responsible for much of this demand. Once confined to a luxury food of elites in China the rising prosperity of the nation has meant that demand for shark fin soup has rocketed. Shark hunting has grown rapidly to keep up with this demand, with the report in Al Jazeera stating that half of the world's supply of dried shark fins passed through the port of Hong Kong, and one third of these fins were from threatened species of shark. There has, however, been some signs of positive change. Air China now refuses to transport shark fins and the Chinese government has banned the serving of shark fin soup at state banquets and official events. Hong Kong's largest restaurant and catering firm Maxim's – which has over 1000 outlets across Asia – finally bowed to years of pressure from campaigners and stated that it would ban shark fin from its menu's from January 2020. There are also plans to expand shark tourism such as diving with sharks and shark watching boat trips. The shark tourism industry was reportedly worth $315 million in 2013. Read more on this story by clicking here.