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Tag: Antonio McDyess
2010 Poll: Who Will Win the West?
Los Angeles Lakers (Vegas odds to win title: 5:2)
Unlike the East, the West has one clear favorite. Since trading for Pau Gasol, the Lakers have appeared in two straight Finals winning it all last year. Not content to let it ride, Los Angeles upgraded from Trevor Ariza to Ron Artest. This would be a gamble for most teams considering the Queensbridge native's history, but Phil Jackson has always been able to keep individual personalities from ruining a team.
San Antonio Spurs (6:1)
In an attempt to keep up with the Lakers, the Spurs bolstered their roster in the off season. San Antonio added Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess which should give them a stronger rotation. But ultimately the Spurs will only go as far as their top 3. Last year the team suffered injuries to Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, and if they lose either of them (or Tony Parker) they'll fall short of any title hopes.
Denver Nuggets (8:1)
The conventional wisdom is that teams that finish strong are likely to have a momentum that continues to the next season. This seems logical since many great teams go through phases of success before winning a title. However there's little evidence to support that claim, and many teams just get lucky in a playoff series. The 2009 Denver Nuggets will probably avoid the fate of the 2007 Warriors or the 2008 Hornets, as they are likely to see the second round in 2010. However I think Vegas is way too kind to their odds, and I would bet against them to make the Western Conference Finals, nevertheless win a championship.
Last year per-minute stud Chris Andersen had a monstrous playoffs, however over the last 3 years each of the Denver bigs (Andersen, Nene, and Martin) has missed nearly the whole year due to injury. And while the other teams in the conference improved this summer Denver merely tread water, losing Kleiza and adding Ty Lawson. Unless they get another playoff boost from a great per-minute shot blocking/rebounder buried on the bench, they're not likely going to be able to compete against the Lakers for Western supremacy.
The Field (starting at 10:1)
According to Vegas, the Trailblazers rank 6th in the West, however Portland deserves a higher ranking. They had the West's second highest expected winning percentage last year (68.4%), which correlates well with winning percentage the year after. Portland also had the NBA's best offense powered by their fantastic rebounding. The Blazers return with their rotation in tact plus Andre Miller. Although not the ideal fit for the team, Miller provides an upgrade over Bayless & Blake. They're much better than their 12:1 odds would indicate.
Ahead of Portland are Dallas and Utah at 10:1. The Mavericks added Shawn Marion, Drew Gooden, and Tim Thomas. Marion's production slipped in Miami and Toronto, and Dallas is hoping that their offensive scheme will better fit his talents. Meanwhile the Jazz matched the offer sheet for Paul Millsap, and are hoping that they can collectively stay healthy. Finally the New Orleans Hornets swapped Chandler for Emeka Okafor, which could make them relevant in the West again.
{democracy:36}
Changes in the CBA Could Help the Fans
May 4, 2009 May 3, 2009 Mike Kurylo	20 Comments
Back in February the New York Times published an article on agent David Falk and the next NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. In it, Falk said that the NBA owners will push for serious changes in the next CBA and since they are prepared to lock the players out for two seasons, they will likely get their changes approved. Two weeks ago the player's union president, Billy Hunter, refuted the claims that the league will win on all fronts, saying the players would negotiate not surrender. As opposed to the overhaul Falk is suggesting, Hunter said the players will only agree to minor changes to the CBA. Some of the changes that Falk is proposing won't affect the average fan, like the percentage split between players/owners or the age limit. However there are a few changes to the salary cap that could benefit the common follower.
Understanding the ramifications of the NBA's salary cap can be difficult for the average viewer. The NBA has a soft cap, meaning all teams over the cap are unable to sign new free agents except for the mid-level exception (about $5/$6M per year) and the low level exception (about $1/$2M per year). Using the Bird exception a team over the cap can usually resign their own player. Additionally a team that is over the cap can only swap players whose annual salaries match. Although the rules are simple, their constraints make for strange results. For instance, last year the Blazers sent Zach Randolph to the Knicks for Steve Francis and Channing Frye. Randolph played nearly every game for the Knicks for a year and a half, while Portland instantly cut Francis, and Frye eventually fell out of the rotation. Yet the Blazers received the better end of the deal!
NBA trades aren't evaluated at the talent level, but at the financial one. There's a problem with the league when fans can't analyze a trade without consulting an accountant. It's hardly something you'd expect from a business in the entertainment field. The issue stems from guaranteed contracts, or more specifically bad contracts. Nearly all NBA contracts are guaranteed, which means that if a team cuts a player, his contract stays on the cap for its entire length. A player can be overpaid when a team misjudges his potential (Eddy Curry, Larry Hughes), the player regresses due to injury (Antonio McDyess, Darius Miles), or bad management (Jared Jeffries, Jerome James). Since NBA contracts can last 6 years, when a team hands an oversized contract to a player the effects last a long time. Once the contract is signed, the only option the team has to get out from its length is to trade for another player with a contract of similar size but shorter length. But from the league's perspective, the unwanted contract isn't removed. It is just redistributed to another team. Hence as these bloated contracts float from team to team until their final demise, the overpaid player becomes a burden on the entire league. It's not a surprise that players with bad contracts are the ones that are frequently mentioned in trade rumors, since teams are always looking to move them.
While it's easy to lay blame at the feet of the team presidents that hand out such ridiculous contracts, it's ultimately the fans that end up suffering. One GM with a few bad moves can cripple a team for half a decade. It will take the Knicks two years post Isiah Thomas (on top of the four years with Zeke at the helm) to be able to get out from the salary cap landslide he created. But this isn't isolated to the Knicks, because bad contracts are commonplace in the NBA. One misguided front office can hurt a team years after they have been removed.
Adding to the problem is the league's tough stance on guaranteed contracts, which are seemingly written in stone. Darius Miles was given a contract extension by Portland back in 2004 that lasted until 2010. He played his last game for the Blazers back in the 2006 season. The team petitioned the league to remove his contract from their books due to injury, and the league capitulated. However this year Miles has resurfaced to play in a handful of games for Memphis, and the league has applied his salary back to Portland's cap. Also this year the Knicks received Cuttino Mobley in a trade, who was forced to retire due to a heart condition. New York was denied a disabled player exception from the league, even though Mobley's "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy had progressed to the point that playing professional basketball could be life-threatening."
The two other major American sports don't have this problem. Major League Baseball's lack of a salary cap means teams are able to sign any player regardless of how much the team has already spent. Unfortunately this model would be a disaster for the NBA because the league isn't as stable and lucrative as baseball's. However the NFL's model would be a good fit. Football has a hard cap, which means teams are not allowed to exceed their cap number. And to allow teams to accomplish this goal, most contracts in the NFL are not guaranteed. According to wikipedia:
Because of this treatment, NFL contracts almost always include the right to cut a player before the beginning of a season. If a player is cut, his salary for the remainder of his contract is neither paid nor counted against the salary cap for that team. A highly sought-after player signing a long term contract will usually receive a signing bonus, thus providing him with financial security even if he is cut before the end of his contract.
Which leads us back to the NBA's next CBA. Falk suggests the owners will push for a hard cap and shorter contracts. And I hope they win, because the soft cap/guaranteed contract is bad for the league and its fans. Imagine if player deals were only guaranteed for the first 3 years. Almost instantly the Knicks could have jettisoned any unwanted players and reshape their team in a single offseason. On his first day Donnie Walsh could have cut Stephon Marbury, Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, Jerome James, Jamal Crawford, and Malik Rose. With the players cut from other teams, Walsh could have had a wider berth of players to chose from when building the 2009 roster. Unfortunately the current cap rules forced Walsh to stick with these undesirable players and allowed him to trade them only for matching salaries (and in Eddy Curry's case – not at all). It's easy to see why this would benefit teams and their fans. Bad franchises would be able to fix their mistakes quicker, which means fans wouldn't have to wait years for the hometown squad to turn things around. And since winning correlates to ticket sales more than anything else, it means the owners would see more money in their pockets.
Switching to a hard cap would probably add one more added benefit to the league: parity. The NFL's popularity can be partly attributed to the ability of teams to make single season turnarounds. This means that every franchise with competent management (everyone but the Oakland Raiders) has a chance to make the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl. Last year the Dolphins, Falcons, and Cardinals had years that surpassed their fans' wildest dreams. Over the last three years, the NFC has seen a different winner in 3 out of 4 of their divisions. In that same time span the NBA has had only 1 of their 6 divisions with three different winners (the Southwest). With the current rules, rebuilding in the NBA is a slow and tedious effort. Allowing GMs to cut their players without long term harm means that more players would become free agents each year. This increased player movement would give teams more flexibility to address their needs.
Of course the biggest hurdle in this change would be the players. Overall shorter contracts probably wouldn't fly with players, since that curbs the earning power of the sports' best players. And many players would balk at non-guaranteed contracts, since that wouldn't allow them get that lucrative 5 or 6 year deal for financial security. However by asking for non-guaranteed contracts instead of shorter ones, the league can keep their top earners happy (who would cut LeBron or Kobe?) while making a pitch to the underpaid. For instance if teams weren't bound by large contracts to undeserving players, there would be more money to sign those who merit it. In other words, some of the younger Knicks might be splitting Stephon Marbury's $19M per year. And Portland could take the nearly $40M they're giving to Steve Francis, Raef LaFrentz, and Darius Miles and use that on some of the players that have actually played for the team this year.
Perhaps to even things out for the players, the league would have to make the concession to raise the salary cap. Currently the cap is at $57M, but since it's a soft cap teams can exceed that number. Using the salary data from hoopshype, it seems that the league paid out an average of $72M this year. Although some players may object to such a concession, there seems to be room for negotiation. And it does redistribute the wealth to players that deserve it more. If there's resentment in NBA locker rooms over disproportionate salaries, this would go a long way to remedy it. When some players are getting paid more than they are worth, it hurts both the league and the players that deserve more money. And last but not least, the fans.
Iverson for Billups/McDyess
http://www.nba.com/2008/news/11/03/nuggets.pistons.trade.ap/index.html
The Denver Nuggets have agreed to a deal that would send Allen Iverson to the Pistons in exchange for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess, sources have told TNT analyst David Aldridge.
There is one sticking point to the deal, though. McDyess does not want to go to Denver, and a source close to him says "he will not put on a Nuggets uniform" and may opt to retire.
Because of McDyess's objection, the Nuggets may waive the mandatory physical each player in a trade must take in order for the league to approve any deal. McDyess may be seeking a buyout of the remainder of his contract (two years, $13.6 million).
If True, Walsh Move a Step Forward
March 25, 2008 March 26, 2008 Mike Kurylo	182 Comments
Although there has been no official word, a few different sources have reported that the Knicks have hired Donnie Walsh to oversee their franchise. Walsh isn't the sexy move that Colangelo or West would have been, and his tenure in Indiana isn't without it's flaws. However for the Knicks in the Dolan era, playing it safe shows a marked improvement.
Since Dolan took sole possession, many of the the Knicks moves have been risky get rich quick schemes. Some of the hallmark transactions include trading for Glenn Rice, Antonio Mcdyess, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Eddy Curry, and Zach Randolph. If these deals have one thing in common, it's that each one failed to account for the Knicks long term future. Rice was exchanged in favor of Patrick Ewing's massively expiring contract. McDyess was gotten in lieu of the #8 pick (Nene). Meanwhile the rest took away the Knicks financial flexibility, not to mention four first round picks and a few young players. But despite surrendering all this, New York finds itself at the bottom of the league hoping to lose games in order to get a better draft pick.
During Walsh's tenure, the Pacers rarely went for the big move. The early '90s Pacers were built primarily through the draft. Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Antonio Davis, and Dale Davis were taken in successive years. Meanwhile the early '00s Pacers were constructed through shrew trades. Walsh paid pennies on the dollar for Jermaine O'Neal (Dale Davis) and Ron Artest (Jalen Rose & Travis Best). These deals are the antithesis of the recent New York acquisitions.
Compared to Walsh, Scott Layden and Isiah Thomas were inexperienced, impatient, and incompetent GMs. Fans were happy at the trade deadline this year when New York didn't make any deals. Not because the team didn't need to move players, but because Isiah Thomas didn't have a chance to further damage the team. With Walsh at the helm, New Yorkers won't hold their collective breaths anytime the ESPN ticker announces a Knick trade. If Donnie Walsh assumes the helm, he will be the first capable GM in the James Dolan era. And that's a small step forward for a franchise wrapping up its 8th straight losing season.
2/29 Two Quick Links
February 29, 2008 February 29, 2008 Mike Kurylo	8 Comments
NYSUN: Vandeweghe Would Succeed Only if Isiah Isn't Around
[Vandeweghe's] record does come with some warts. He served as general manager of the Nuggets from 2001 through 2006, helping to rebuild Denver from a lottery team into a playoff contender. The key deal was, not surprisingly, a trade with the Knicks — he got Marcus Camby and the rights to big man Nene from New York in return for Antonio McDyess. He also made a solid move when he signed point guard Andre Miller to a free-agent deal.
However, the rest of his résumé looks spottier. He gave up three first-round picks in the sign-and-trade deal with New Jersey for Kenyon Martin, and Martin's seven-year, $91 million contract has been one of the league's worst values. He also passed on Amare Stoudemire in the 2002 draft … twice. One of them was the Nene choice, and the other was all-time bust Nikoloz Tskitishvili.
That said, if he's hired by the Knicks his biggest move will be choosing the next coach … or rather, that's what it should be. If he's stuck with Isiah, he probably won't accomplish much.
Nonetheless, it would offer a very slight glimmer of hope that perhaps things might get less awful. He'd presumably have the power to start trading the many misshapen pieces of this roster. And one hopes, at least, he'd have Dolan's commitment to a genuine rebuilding project as opposed to the slapdash quick fix Isiah tried when he took over.
But it's puzzling that Dolan can't realize the huge public relations boost he'd get from cutting the cord with Isiah entirely. The fan base would be rejuvenated, to the point that they'd actually be willing to sit tight and support the team through the inevitable multi-year rebuilding job.
Diminishing Returns and the Value of Offensive and Defensive Rebounds
More Diminishing Returns
In some ways I think this study provides stronger evidence for the impact of diminishing returns on defensive rebounding than my previous post. The charts allow one to easily see the effects of diminishing returns, and by looking at the rebounding of all the players in each lineup, the issues brought up by coaches potentially pairing good rebounders with poor rebounders are largely eliminated.
The specific marginal values found of 0.8 for offensive rebounds and 0.3 for defensive rebounds are also interesting. These match closely with how John Hollinger's PER weights offensive rebounds relative to defensive rebounds (ORB are weighted by the league DRB%, which is around 0.7, and DRB are weighted by the league ORB%, which is around 0.3). And again, these values suggest that Dave Berri's Wins Produced greatly overvalues players with high defensive rebounding percentages and undervalues players with low defensive rebounding percentages because the system assumes that each player DRB contributes a full DRB on the team level. Alternative Win Score (or AWS), the variation on Wins Produced suggested by Dan Rosenbaum in his paper, "The Pot Calling the Kettle Black", weights ORB at 0.7 and DRB at 0.3. While these values are based on an assumption and not backed by evidence (just like Berri's assumption that both should be weighted at 1 is not backed by any evidence), the evidence from the study I have done here (and Cherokee_ACB's study) suggests that AWS (and PER) may be a lot closer to the mark on rebounding than Wins Produced.
The (Fourth) Winter of Our Discontent
December 22, 2007 March 6, 2014 Brian Cronin	124 Comments
On December 20th, 2003, a bad New York Knicks team defeated an even worse Atlanta Hawks team, 103-92. The starters for the Knicks in that game were Allan Houston, Antonio McDyess, Keith Van Horn, Dikembe Mutombo and Howard Eisley (do note that 3/5th of the starting five are no longer in the league, and a fourth is so old that he used to babysit Julio Franco). The reserves were Kurt Thomas, Charlie Ward, Frank Williams, Shandon Anderson and Michael Doleac (3/5th of THEM are ALSO out of the league now, with Doleac hanging on by a thread).
Two days later, on December 22nd, 2003 – four years ago today, the Knicks hired Isiah Thomas as their new President and General Manager. Their next game was December 23rd, and appropriately enough, they lost. Read More
The Worst Article Of 2007
Folks it's about that time of year again, to announce the worst article of 2007. While there were many fine candidates throughout the year there's one article that was published just 2 days ago that has surpassed all others. I'm proud to say that this work is right up there with previous winners such as Charlie Rosen's most overrated list, and Frank Hughes 2004 piece. The winner for KnickerBlogger's worst article of 2007 is brought to us by Lou V. of paperbacknovel titled "Why the Knicks Don't Suck.. Anymore, But the NY Post and NY Daily News Do (Suck)."
I don't know what the internet comparable version of "don't judge a book by it's color", but maybe it should be "judge an article by it's title." It certainly applies to this year's worst article winner. Notice the improper use of the ellipsis (two dots instead of three), and how the author has to add the final "(Suck)" in parenthesis because he decided to throw in the word "Anymore". If the author wanted a better title, he could have dropped both words for a simpler title: "Why the Knicks Don't Suck, But the NY Post and NY Daily News Do." But why go for clarity when you're aiming for much lower?
While I have to admit I thought at first that this would be an Onion-esque satirical piece, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. The author, Lou V., starts off by bashing the local media for "getting their [readers'] attentions off real economic and political issues by parading sports and the lottery in front of them." A reasonable start to an article, as I've certainly taken my shots at the mainstream news. Unfortunately he follows it with this monstrocity:
… the Knicks are fine. They remain as they were to start the season — a young, athletic team with guys who can score; they have great chemistry, believe in their coach, and are progressively playing better defense… They're not a championship team yet, but they're a good team; a playoff-caliber team.
I guess if you're going to define "good" as being one of the worst teams in the league, then the 5-11 Knicks are good. By those standards, the 6-10 Clippers are great, the 7-8 Bucks are awesome and the 8-9 Nets are unbeatable. Just about the only thing true in these sentences is that the Knicks are a young athletic team with guys who can score. They do not have good chemistry, and they certainly don't believe in their coach. Their defense hasn't progressively improved, in fact it's been about the same for the last 2 years. No the Knicks aren't a championship team. No the Knicks aren't a good team. No the Knicks aren't a playoff-caliber team. Of course the author throws in this nugget in the same paragraph: "… James Dolan, owner, who has proven to be a stand-up, moral guy …" More on that later.
In his next section Lou V is a bit more sensible. Lou talks about how Isiah was "castigated" by the Renaldo Balkman selection, and states that Larry Brown was viewed favorably due to racism. There's definitely a valid point to be made with Balkman. Many in the mainstream media criticized Thomas relentlessly for the selection, one that is looking better and better by the day. And yes claiming Larry Brown was liked not because he is one of the better coaches of his generation, flaws and all, because of the color of his skin is one of the more reasonable claims of this column. Read on.
The next section titled "Why Isiah Thomas Doesn't Suck" is laughable. The author claims that "Isiah has turned the Knicks around in 3 years at the helm as GM." and "Most GM's in the NBA would exchange their best three big men for [Curry-Randolph-Lee]in a heartbeat." I guess you could debate that Isiah has only been around for 3 years, since he is 19 days short of his fourth season. However what's not debatable is that he's turned the team around. The Knicks have only bested their '03 record of 37 wins once in Isiah's tenure, and are on track for only 25 wins this season.
But it's the author's second assertion that has me thinking. How many teams would trade their top 3 big men for the Knicks? Well I think I can safely omit Boston, Orlando, Toronto, San Antonio, Phoenix, Utah, Dallas, and Houston due to their star power at those positions. I might add Miami (Shaq), Chicago (Ben, Thomas, Noah + didn't want Curry in the first place), Denver (Camby, Nene, K-Mart), Clippers (Brand), Portland (Oden), and Memphis (Gasol). Then there are teams where these three wouldn't fit in like Golden State (Nellie-ball), and Detroit ('Sheed/McDyess). Not counting teams that wouldn't do it for reasons of fiscal irresponsibility, I count 16 teams that wouldn't trade for our trio tower. Of course I guess a team like the Nets or Lakers might (Bynum?), so Knick fans might want to put in an order for that Kwame Brown or Nenad Krstic jersey they've been pining for.
What puts this article at the top of my list is the sidebar containing "Isiah Thomas's Knicks' Resume." Some of the gems:
"Zach Randolph and Fred Jones for Channing Frye? This may go down as one of the great Knick trades ever."
"Acquired Tim Thomas from Milwaukee and center Nazr Mohammed from Atlanta in a three-team trade…. Mohammed played some good ball in NY, but then helped Isiah rebuild with the trade listed below this one. Tim Thomas played some ball in NY, but then helped Isiah get Eddy Curry from Chicago. This Feb 2004 trade was a fantastic setup trade for the Knicks."
"Despite the criticisms, Marbury has played a lot of all-star basketball in NY. The final word is still out on this trade as there is still that conditional 1st-round pick hanging out there in 2009 or 2010 that Phoenix gets from NY, but so far, NY got Stephon Marbury for a bunch of crap — including Knick-franchise-of-the-future-according-to-Stu-Laden, Michel Lampe. Penny Hardaway was used by Knicks to help get Stevie Francis, who was used to help get Zach Randolph. Phoenix used this trade to get $7-million under the cap, enabling them to sign free agent Steve Nash, and catapulting them to an elite team. This trade looks good for both teams right now, for different reasons."
The Knicks best trades of all time: Dave DeBusschere for Bellamy; Riordan and Stallworth for Monroe; Oakley for Camby; and Zach for Frye? Um yeah… The author also credits Isiah for drafting Trevor Ariza and Demitrius Nichols, ignoring the fact that the first was traded and the second's expulsion from the club was a classic blunder.
Not to be outdone, the author concludes with "Why James Dolan Doesn't Suck." He states that "Dolan's handling of the Anucka Browne Sanders case is prototypical of his high moral fiber." I guess I couldn't have said that better myself.


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Posted inFinance
Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Roku, AMC, Tesla and more
By Hannah Miller
Roku Inc — The television streaming platform's stock soared 9% in extended trading after the company estimated that it currently has 39.8 million active accounts as of March 31, a net increase of nearly 3 million since December. Roku reported the new figure ahead of its May first-quarter earnings call in a business update related to Covid-19. The company also estimated first-quarter streaming hours to be 13.2 billion, a 49% year-over-year increase. Roku said it is withdrawing full-year 2020 financial outlook due to economic uncertainty resulting from the pandemic.
AMC Entertainment — Shares of the movie theater company were up 3% after the closing bell. The company's stock plunged more than 15% Monday after the New York Post reported that AMC was in talks to hire bankruptcy law firm Weil Gotshal. The film industry has taken a beating as theaters close and movie releases are delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the U.S. box office is headed for its worst year since 1998.
Tesla — The automaker's stock jumped 3% after the market closed. Automakers have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic, including Ford, which warned Monday that it expects first-quarter losses and a nearly 16% drop in revenue. Tesla, however, has reported some positive results. The company exceeded analysts' expectations in early April when it reported it had delivered 88,400 vehicles in the first quarter. Tesla was also rated a bullish "Triple Play" stock by Oppenheimer at the end of last week.
Royal Caribbean Cruises — Shares of the cruise line rose 2% in extended trading after dipping 13% earlier in the day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention renewed its "No Sail" order for cruise ships on Thursday as the coronavirus continues to batter the travel industry.
Netflix — The streaming service saw its stock rise 1% after the closing bell. The company hit a 52-week high earlier on Monday as investors gravitate towards stay-at-home stocks amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tagged: Economy, Finance, Stocks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Africa is well known for being home to many cultures; it shouldn't be surprising then that within the continent exists a house accommodating diverse treasures. Situated in Nairobi, Kenya, the African Heritage House is a one-stop place for an enjoyable multi-cultural experience. Follow us on a trip from Kenya, pass through Nigeria, take a detour to Ghana, fly to Morocco and jump to South Africa.
Front view of the house -courtesy of Kifaya Abdulkadir.
This striking building, known as the African Heritage House, sits on a hill overlooking the Nairobi National Park. It was built between the years 1989 and 1994 by Alan Donovan, who modeled it with inspiration drawn from the mud architecture of the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali. The interior is a typical African presentation, with the doors being obtained from Lamu, an interior courtyard derived from Moroccan culture and fabric that showcases the detailed and artistic African eye among others. What sets this house apart is the collection of artifacts from all around Africa, so diverse and valuable that it has turned the house into a national monument.
The Ashanti Room- courtesy of Kifaya Abdulkadir.
The rooms have been decorated in a wide range of styles, all representative of different African cultures. The Ashanti suite, the Lamu suite, the Moroccan suite and the Bakuba suite, all of which are the guest rooms, depict the culture of these disparate regions. Down from the Kente curtains to the artworks by African artists hung on the walls, it will feel like you're traveling through Africa.
In a similar manner, the pool house exhibits African design with sculptures by African artists. The nature that surrounds and enhances the beauty of this wondrous place is bound to have a soothing effect on your body and mind.
For a complete well-rounded experience, the food served is characteristic of African dishes, ranging from Swahili coconut rice to groundnut stew from Ghana. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with authentic divine cuisine guaranteed to keep you coming back for more.
With wildlife being a part of African culture, you will get a chance to see plenty of animals such as zebras, giraffes and gazelles in the distance going about their daily lives as you sip your morning cup of tea. Be prepared for the occasional sight of ostriches dashing across the field or the giraffes' long necks all seen from the sanctuary of the house – or from a close view of the park, for those adventure seekers.
Just imagine waking up to the chirping of birds instead of your alarm, opening your eyes to the sight of the sun rising from the horizon, the quiet serene feeling you'll experience, the fresh breath of life you'll take in.
The house is ideal for just about anyone, whether on vacation, on a work break or even an architecture student who would love to know more about African architecture.
So the next time you decide to take a break from that monotonous nine-to-five, don't think of Paris or The Maldives – come to the African Heritage House in Kenya for the ultimate cultural experience.


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Why We Protect Farmland
How We Protect Farmland
Active Issues
Ranching in the Seashore
Info for Landowners
Measure A is a quarter-cent sales tax, approved by voters in 2012. The funds from this tax, which is currently set to remain in effect until 2021, are dedicated to protecting parks, open space and farmland in Marin County.
Measure A protects the parks, open spaces and farmland that make Marin an extraordinary place to live, work and play. Measure A funding has been transformative for MALT; we encourage voters to extend Measure A on the November 2020 ballot and to campaign on the measure's behalf.
Since passed in 2012, Measure A has allowed Marin County to award $14.02 million in grants for farmland preservation. With the support of the county's Farmland Preservation Program, MALT has been able to protect 12 farms and ranches totaling 7,018 acres, providing habitat for common and special-status plants and animals.
Through the extraordinary efficiency of MALT's public-private funding model, tax-deductible contributions are matched 1:1 with Measure A funds, doubling the impact of MALT's privately-raised revenue.
Marin supervisors approve $1.7 million to preserve Tomales Bay ranch
Marin Independent Journal
Measure A Achievements
Supporting MALT
Measure A funding has been transformative for MALT; we wholeheartedly encourage voters to approve Measure A on the November 2020 ballot and to campaign on the measure's behalf.
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© 2008 - 2020 Marin Agricultural Land Trust. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Mission Minded


Garden lights are generally used in the residential areas, mainly to provide the lighting of district roads. The Courtyard lamp style is many, in the choice time mainly according to the community's architectural style to carry on the choice, the height is generally in 3-3.5 meters, too high light easily affect the two-storey occupants of the rest, too short, lighting effect will be affected. Light rods are usually used for hot-dip galvanizing, wire cutting, Garden Lamp courtyard lamp wall thickness from 1.5mm-3mm unequal, light source configuration can be energy-saving lamps, LED lights or metal halide lamps and so on, specific can be configured according to user requirements.
The courtyard lamp is in the community, the park, as well as the square and so on many places can not be missing a kind of lamp.
Courtyard lights are a kind of outdoor lighting, usually refers to 6 meters below the outdoor road lighting, its main components by: light source, lamp, lamp rod, flange, Garden Lamp base embedded Parts 5 parts, because the courtyard lamp has a variety, aesthetic and decorative features of the environment, so also known as landscape garden lights. Mainly used in urban slow lanes, narrow lanes, residential areas, tourist attractions, parks, squares and other public places outside lighting, can extend people's outdoor activities time, Garden Lamp improve the safety of property.
The function and characteristic of the lighting system of the courtyard lamp. The main feature of the garden light is the function of directional emission light, because the power-type courtyard lamp is almost equipped with reflectors, and the efficiency of the reflector is obviously higher than that of the luminaire. In addition, Garden Lamp the efficiency of the reflector has been included in the light efficiency test of the courtyard lamp. Garden Lamp Road lamps with courtyard lights should be used to the extent possible by the directional emission characteristics of the courtyard light.
(1) The use of reasonable light fixtures, should be based on the lighting site function and space shape to determine the light distribution type.
(2) Select high efficiency lamps. Under the condition of satisfying the glare limit requirement, the direct-type light distribution lamp and the open type luminaire should be used for illumination only satisfying the visual function.
(3) The use of convenient installation and maintenance, low operating costs of lamps.
(4) in the fire or explosion hazards and dust, damp, vibration and corrosion of the environment of special sites, should be selected to meet the requirements of the environmental lighting.
(5) When the surface of lamps and lanterns are attached to combustible materials, such as heat insulation, heat dissipation and other fire protection measures should be adopted.
(6) Lighting fixtures should have a complete photoelectric parameters, Garden Lamp its performance should meet the relevant provisions of the existing standards.
(7) The appearance of the luminaire should be coordinated with the environment of the installation place.
(8) Consider the characteristics of light source and the requirements of building decoration.
(9) The difference between the courtyard lamp and the street light is not big, mainly is the height, the material thickness and the esthetic degree difference, the street lamp material thicker, also higher, the appearance courtyard lamp is more beautiful.


text:
Friday Night Lights Shine Bright On EHS Football Program
Emily Elli
Ava Taylor, Staff Writer
Are the Elkhart Lions going to State this year?
Elkhart's varsity football team has no doubt shown people what they're bringing to the table this season being 4-1.
Photo by Emily Elli
As of Aug. 8 of this year, the Elkhart Lions are ranked 24th in the state of Indiana. Last season, however, the Lions were ranked 75th in the state, and overall came out of the season 5-5 on maxpreps.
Starting off the season in a great way, the Lions won their first game against Concord, 33-0. So, it seems as if there's no doubt the Lion's will dominate the field in the future.
The Lions won their first home game on Friday, Aug. 26, against the Northridge Raiders, 28-7. The Raiders went to State last year, but some of Elkhart's players–including sophomore Kirk Tapp–believe their win over Northridge puts Elkhart in a better position to move up. He stated, "We might have a chance of going to Regionals or maybe even State this year."
Keaton Thompson, also a sophomore, expressed his thoughts on the first home game against Northridge: "I think we did really well, but there is always room for improvement."
The Elkhart Lions got a new head coach this year, Romison Saint-Louis, and Thompson explained that "the team and the coaches could have better chemistry," but overall, "he's a good person. Discipline is what we needed, and I think a coach that knows discipline knows how to win."
On Sept. 2, the Lions played Hammond Morton and won, 35-6. The Lions also played and won against South Bend Washington, 41-0.
The Lions lost their first game against Penn High School on Friday, Sept. 16. It was a close game, coming out 20-21.
With the Lions now being 4-1, the question is this: Are the Lions going to State?
On Sept. 23–this Friday–the Lions will play away against South Bend St. Joseph; they are currently overall 2-3. The Elkhart student section theme for this game is Country vs. Country Club dress up. The team is hoping for massive support for the Elkhart Lions!
The Lions Homecoming Game is on Sept. 30 against South Bend Adams, who is overall 1-4. It is then that the Homecoming Court will be announced at halftime. The dress up for Homecoming is Extreme Blue and Gold.
The Lions have definitely shown people that they have come to win this year, but the big question remaining on everyone's mind is how far will they go. State? Regionals? Until it all plays out, the team will take it one game at a time.
Hi! My name is Ava Taylor. I'm a sophomore at Elkhart High School. This is my first year writing for The PENNANT. I don't exactly know what to expect,...
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Emily N Elli • Oct 10, 2022 at 10:40 am
This is a great article, I love that you are showing support for the football team and I love the photos.
https://ehsnewsmagazine.org/11090/sports/friday-night-lights-shine-bright-on-ehs-football-program/#comment-250


Bathroom flooring is an important component of any bathroom renovation, flooring can easily become worn and dated. The right flooring choice is not only practical, but also sets the tone for the bathroom's design. Here we give a rundown of the most popular bathroom flooring options and discuss the pros and cons of each.
Tile is one of the most popular bathroom flooring options, as it's waterproof, low-maintenance, stain resistant and durable. Ceramic bathroom tiling is available in many sizes, shapes colors, patterns and textures. However, tile feels hard and cool underfoot, and smooth-surface tile can become slippery when wet.
Vinyl flooring is durable and resists water penetration. Vinyl is available in both sheet and tile form, and comes in a wide array of colors, prints and textures. However, sheet vinyl flooring can be difficult and costly to install, so should only be installed by competent professionals.
Marble is the quintessential flooring, and creates a stately, classic look. It is highly durable, and comes in a variety of colors and finishes. However, marble can be slippery when wet, so if it is used around showers or tubs proper non-slip bath mats should be in place. Marble is also quite costly, and the underlying structure may need to be reinforced to accommodate its weight.
Most flooring sits directly on the concrete slab, which can actually be dyed to create an attractive flooring all its own. Stained concrete is waterproof, low-maintenance and the most economical flooring choice available. It's also an excellent DIY flooring option, and can be installed by most amateurs. However, stained concrete can be very slippery when wet, so non-slip bath mats should be placed around showers and tubs to prevent slips and falls.
Are you currently engaged in a bathroom remodeling project, or have you just remodeled your bathroom? If so, we'd love to hear your own bathroom remodeling ideas and flooring insights in the comments section.
Your bathroom may be the smallest room of your house, but it has an enormous impact on your house's overall atmosphere. It's one of the most frequently visited rooms, and is where you prepare for and wind down from your day. Therefore, updating your bathroom to fit your own personal taste allows you to enjoy your home more, and also makes it easier to sell. These bathroom design ideas can help you create a powder room that's uniquely you.
Large, open showers are increasingly popular, particularly in master baths. A roomier shower is more enjoyable and convenient to use, and the open space makes your bathroom appear to be more spacious. If privacy is a concern, you can install a curtain that can be pulled out from the wall when necessary.
Although picture windows are typically a no-no for bathrooms, it's possible to let in more natural light with windows set a little higher than usual, or with frosted glass. Natural light creates an open, airy appearance that's modern and refreshing.
Retrofitting windows is a substantial job, and is best left to professional bathroom remodeling contractors. For bathroom remodeling Toronto-area homeowners have many qualified professionals available.
Porcelain claw foot tubs are a great vintage look, but if you're after a more modern bath, you can customize your tub's surround to meet your décor. Wooden boxes that match the cabinetry are a popular option at the moment.
If you have a favorite piece of art, you can include it as a centerpiece for your bathroom. Pull colors from the painting out to use as accent colors in your bathroom's décor, and create an atmosphere that carries an artistic vibe.
If you've recently redecorated your bathroom, we'd love to hear about your own bathroom design ideas in the comments section. Tell us all about what features you included, and how you integrated your own personal style.
In the past 30 years, bathroom size in new homes has doubled. Although larger powder rooms are certainly a luxury, if you're in an older or otherwise space-efficient home, you may be dealing with more limited square footage in your bathrooms. The following tips for small bathroom remodels can help you make the most of your space.
Simplistic designs are popular at the moment, as they create a more modern, streamlined look. A no-frills bathroom layout and design can update your home's look and also make better use of a smaller bathroom.
Bathtubs typically occupy more space than showers, so replacing your tub with a shower stall can free up square footage, creating a more spacious environment. However, this is a fairly difficult job, so unless you're a master craftsman, it may be best left to professionals. For bathroom renovation Toronto homeowners have many well-qualified bathroom remodeling contractors available to assist them in their needs.
Although large vanities are convenient, they do not make efficient use of limited square footage. Consider replacing vanities with smaller, pedestal-style sinks to create a roomier environment. However, because storage is at a premium in small bathrooms, be sure to select sinks that have storage cabinets underneath.
One of the most important (and easiest) aspects of any small bathroom renovation project is make your space appear to be as large as possible. Light color schemes tend to make a space seem larger, as does updating lighting to create a brightly lit environment. Large bathroom mirrors also visually enlarge your bathroom, as do clear glass shower doors.
If you've ever remodeled a smaller bathroom, we'd like to hear about your experiences in the comments section. Tell us what innovations or features helped you to make better use of your space, or how you were able to make your bathroom feel larger and more open.
Bathroom renovation is one of the more costly components of any home makeover. However, it is possible to save quite a bit of money using these cheap bathroom renovation ideas. A qualified professional can help you to make the best selections for your home. For bathroom remodeling Toronto has many available well-qualified interior design contractors.
If you select white sinks, tubs, showers and toilets, you can potentially save a substantial amount of money. Manufacturers make more white components, meaning that they are much cheaper. White is also more flexible for future changes in decor, meaning that you can change your color scheme if you desire to do so in the future.
Tile and tile installation are expensive. If you limit tile work to the shower and sink, you can substantially reduce the cost of your bathroom remodel. For the flooring, linoleum or stained concrete are more economical options.
It is possible to turn an existing piece of furniture into a vanity by cutting a hole in an antique table or dresser and installing a drop-in sink and faucet. This can save a lot of money, and also creates a unique look for your bathroom.
You can pick up antique tubs, sinks, vanities, counter tops and toilets at architectural salvage yards and internet auctions sites. This is usually much cheaper than buying new fixtures, and adds unique style to your bathroom.
A renovated bathroom updates your home's look, and increases its resale value and overall appeal to potential buyers. A personalized bathroom is also a great place to relax as you prepare for your day in the mornings, and unwind in the evenings.
Bathroom renovation can be costly, but if you're willing to get creative, you can make your bathroom renovation project affordable to accommodate your budget without compromising style.
Bathroom renovation, otherwise known as bathroom remodeling, can increase your family's quality of life, and also make your house more valuable and easier to sell when the time comes. However, it is a big job, and includes many difficult tasks that may be best left to professionals. Fortunately for bathroom remodel Toronto residents have many qualified professionals available. If you are thinking of renovating your bathroom, it may be best to first consider the benefits and determine whether they are of importance to you and your family. Once you have made the decision, find a well established and reputable contractor to discuss your needs and give you some valuable bathroom renovation ideas.
Most potential buyers want to see a home that is fully updated, and is a finished package. Bathrooms and kitchens begin to show a house's age before most other rooms. Styles change for sinks, commodes, showers, tubs, fixtures, wall coverings and color schemes, and an original non-updated bathroom is easy for appraisers and buyers alike to spot. A bathroom remodel is a wise investment that will increase your quality of life in the immediate future and make your home more valuable and easier to sell down the road.
Renovating your bathroom creates an aesthetically appealing environment that is tailored to your personal tastes. Further, many bathrooms are cramped, and a renovation can help to make more efficient use of a small space. Modern furniture and fixtures take up less space, making your bathroom less cramped. Your bathroom is the place where you prepare for your day, and also where you unwind after a long day's work. Creating a space that is pleasing allows you to relax in your own personal space, improving your qualify of life and enjoyment of your home. Bathroom renovation is a great way to give your home a fresh, updated look, improving your home's value and your family's standard of living. If you are considering a bathroom remodel, find a well-established and reputable contractor to discuss your plans and set a project budget and time frame.
It's no secret that houses take work to maintain. Even the smallest homes require upkeep. But there are few renovations that are as likely to add value to your home as much as re-doing a bathroom. According to an article by architect Paul DeGroot, it's important to first understand your goals when considering a bathroom renovation. He says bathroom renos usually have one of three goals in mind: an expansion to make the room larger, a makeover to change the look and feel of the bathroom, or an addition to gain the extra space that an expansion won't provide.
If you're looking at your bathroom, it might be easy to find a hundred things you'd like to fix: the floor, the light fixtures, the mirror, the window, the fan, just to name a few. But to start on the right track with your renovation, it's best to start with the basics: the toilet, the sink, and the bath tub.
The toilet: When deciding on a toilet, consider how much space you have to work with, how much time you are willing to spend cleaning, and your budget. Toilets can be found for as little as $200, but one-piece toilets, which are easier to clean and can be smaller in size, are more expensive. So for this fixture, think about what is most important to you: cost, size, or ease of cleaning.
The sink: There's a lot of variety in this department, but as with a toilet, your considerations should be space, how easy it is to clean, and cost. If you have a small bathroom and you aren't planning on an expansion or addition to make it larger, then there are two main options, DeGroot says: a pedestal sink, or, if there is even less space, a sink mounted to the wall. There's little (or no) floor area to clean, too. If you need more storage, then maybe a sink with countertops below might be your best bet.
The bath tub: Here is where you can get some additional luxury if you're looking for it. There are many tubs available on the market with spa-like features, include whirlpool functions and water jets. If you have in mind something simpler, try a standard 60-inch (five foot) long tub, which is also typically 14 inches tall. But if you want something where you can get more of the full-body experience, there are always taller options available.
Once you've decided on the 'big three,' it's time to start looking at the other parts of your bathroom which you're planning to update. In many bathrooms, the floors are old, cracked, mouldy or just generally out of date, and it's in need of updating.
There are many possibilities for flooring, but ceramic is still the best option. But before you place new tiles on the bathroom floor, make sure the subflooring underneath is solid. After all, the quality of the finishes is only as good as the foundation.
Bathrooms can help create a feeling of comfort in your home, and cheap bathroom renovations can be one of the best way to add value to your home. But before you begin, make a plan, set a budget, and start with the most important areas first.


Add a mid-century modern accent your workspace or reading area with the Brunswick Floor Lamp. Two convenient adjustable shades mix walnut wood, antique brass and white metals to create a unique, functional style. A brass rotary switch on the pole and a black and white fabric covered cord finish off this trend setting look.


Interesting facts about coffee | Irenes Coffee Company Pvt. Ltd.
and then using its feces. It costs $160 per pound.
2. Coffee is the second most traded commodity on earth after oil.
Guatemala by the name of George Washington invented it in 1906.
4. Expresso isn't a type of coffee. It is just a way that coffee is prepared.
Robusta which is more bitter tasting but has 50% more caffeine than Arabica.


What Is Your Digital Learning Strategy?
Developing a Training Program: Have You Considered Going Digital?
Are Chatbots the Next Big Thing in Digital Learning?
A few years ago Peter John and I wrote a book entitled 'The Digital Classroom'. There were sections on digital literacies and mobile learning, both of which we considered to be important for the success of education and learning in the future.
to be tracked, and how. • measure and track some real data to help. Or drop us an email at: Innovative digital learning | LMS solutions | Off the shelf learning resources | Consultancy WE'RE. Developing a. Results-Driven. Curriculum.
In this age of instant gratification, where people want to consume fresh content every day, digital platforms emerged as a channel that met their needs. A digital publishing platform allows all kinds of content such as books, magazines, videos, newspaper etc. were all developed due to digital publishing. Users have been hooked on to this model of content distribution and consumption because a digital publishing platform offers interactivity.
Digital marketing and the universe have something in common. Basically, what would you have called digital marketing yesterday, might not be relevant nor applicable today. They are a constantly expending entity and more particularly they are growing with additional rapidness each day.
The word "digital" has been thrown around as the emerging core of how businesses will operate in the future. The word itself simply means information is recorded as a series of binary digits. Using digital applications can transform an instrument into a valuable tool.
More agile corporate training systems require a common method to identify and track specific competencies.
This demand poses great challenges for schools and great opportunities for digital educational publishers. Learning Experience platforms like MagicBox focuses on ease of use and provides solutions for both schools and publishers with its cost- and time-efficient end-to-end digital publishing and distribution platform. Government and Digital Publishing. Schools and Digital Publishing. Digital Education supports the U.S. Home and Digital Education.
Digital books have become a suitable replacement as they enhance the learning experience and make it more interactive. These games help users to track objects and allow learners to engage in imaginative ways.
There are already expectations that messaging bots, also known as chatbots, are going to play a large role in digital marketing trends this coming year and are not going away any time soon. As 2018 winds down, it's time to get ready for all the digital marketing trends on the horizon.
With autonomous vehicles turning radar sensors and complex algorithms into hands-free road travel, Machine Learning curating our soon-to-be favourite TV shows before we've even heard of them and the slow-but-sure death of high street commerce at the hands of online retailers – many, if not all aspects of our society have undergone some sort of digital transformation. With that said, the Digital Transformation is not something that can be achieved by a 'one size fits all' approach.
The more I look at this demographic they call 'digital natives', I find individuals who take the digital world the internet enables for granted. I'm listing five myths I encountered about the digital natives, and why they don't really make sense and deserve to be debunked. Digital natives are loners and socially incompetent (geeks, nerds, etc). Digital natives lead sedentary lifestyles; most are couch potatoes. Digital natives have short attention spans.
To better engage modern workforces, meet their career development needs and achieve competitive business results, organizations must become digitally omnipresent for their learners. corporations to refocus their learning and development spend toward digital learning transformation.
Education sector, in particular, has seen a significant shift from the traditional models of working to digital practices. Digital content is vulnerable as is it readily available, at any time, from any corner of the world.
It also requires a common, accepted mechanism for potential employees and employers to recognize and track these competencies. This is where associations and digital badges come in. What are Digital Badges? Association Digital Badge Programs in Action.
Digital Learning Futures: 3 things about future learning from Steve Wheeler In the 1980s, we saw the rise in popularity of multi-media, which revolutionised content both inside the classroom and beyond it. We could also track students on a campus more easily using pervasive computing.
Digital transformation is an urgent imperative. Today's talent are either shifting to, or have already become, digital natives. Companies that get digital leadership right perform better in the marketplace and have happier, more engaged employees.
But with the growing digitally literate population and an increasing number of organizations adopting elearning as a more effective way to train their people, digital assessments are increasingly becoming a more viable option.
Education sector, in particular, has seen a significant shift from the traditional models of working to digital practices. Digital content is vulnerable as is it readily available, at any time, from any corner of the world. Several companies developed Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions that help in managing intellectual property rights for eLearning entities. It defines or establishes and identifies rights holders, the applicable permissions, and also tracks usage.
This is possible when you incorporate digital learning as an integral part of your training portfolio. What is Digital Learning? Why should you consider digital learning in your organization? Only digital media can cater to the need for quick and speedy delivery of training.
And so, with the rise of the robot and artificial intelligence seeping into almost all aspects of our world, what's next for digital learning ? The digital learning environment allows learners to access content around the clock. Chatbots as Digital Learning Tools.
Organizations increasingly rely on digital learning for a portion of their leadership development and training needs. However, getting a return from digital learning experiences on an ongoing basis requires far more than just providing a library full of innovative content.
With the expansion of the internet and with the availability of numerous file sharing tools, distribution of copyrighted digital media files has become quite simple. Digital Rights Management (DRM) and license management allow control of copyrighted material through technology. Digital Rights Management systems can be used to protect high-value digital assets like contents and control their distribution as well as usage.
The digital age can be scary – it has enormous benefits, but also poses very real threats to our humanity in the workplace. Soft skills in a corporate context will become increasingly important because interactions will rely more and more on digital technologies.
Over the next few academic years I predict that submitting assignments in alternative digital formats will become the norm. How difficult is it for example, to put a voice-over track or a music track onto a video, or overlay captions?


President Park Geun-hye's lawyers and allies reacted angrily Monday to the independent prosecution's final report on its 70-day investigation which reaffirmed her as a suspect in multiple corruption cases.
Independent Counsel Park Young-soo's team announced the results of its probe into the massive presidential scandal, claiming Park is a suspected accomplice to her friend Choi Soon-sil in taking bribes from Samsung Group's de facto leader Lee Jae-yong. The investigators also linked her to an allegedly illegal blacklisting of cultural figures.
Her lawyer Yoo Yeong-ha rebutted all the allegations denouncing the special prosecutors as "politically biased."
In a statement released immediately after the probe team's final press briefing, he said the independent counsel announced the probe result belatedly, "only to influence the impeachment trial on the president." The independent counsel team finished the probe last Tuesday.
President Park is awaiting the Constitutional Court's decision on her impeachment after the parliament voted to oust her in December.
The ruling Liberty Korea Party also said it is worried about the probe team's announcement "based on biased public opinion."
Independent Counsel Park earlier said the delay of the announcement of the results was due to time constraints.
"The decision not to extend the investigation period came just one day before it expired," he said.
"We had to finalize our indictments of figures including Lee Jae-yong and Choi Soon-sil and prepare documents to be handed over to the state prosecution. It was just physically impossible to announce the probe results on the last day of the investigation."
Lawyer Yoo said Park has no knowledge of a contract between Samsung and Choi and that she was not involved in creating or managing the alleged blacklist.


At Bidston Avenue Primary School, we teach a high quality, daily, discrete phonics session from Reception to Year 2. Primarily, we follow the 'Letters and Sounds' scheme and we integrate aspects of the 'Jolly Phonics' scheme to make the learning multi-sensory and to provide consistency throughout the year groups.
The children are assessed half termly to track their progress and ensure that good progress is being made through the 'phases'.
We provide workshops to support parents and provide them with information and activities to help their child at home.
Year one children are formally assessed by an unseen government test and results are reported to parents. It is a decoding test using 'real and non-real' words.
graphophonic cues - those supplied by spelling and presentation of words, which interact with knowledge of words and phonic analysis.
At Bidston Avenue Primary School we teach a daily reading workshop from years 1 to 6. This is an opportunity for high quality guided reading to take place. Children are also able to apply learned skills in a variety of activities.
Children read in as many situations as possible, not just in reading lessons. Reading takes place in all lessons.
Children read individually to their teacher during ERIC (Everyone Reading In Class) time. This happens daily and when children are not reading on a 1-to-1 they are encouraged to read widely for pleasure and purpose.
We use a variety of reading scheme texts to ensure children learn and apply a range of reading strategies. We endeavour to purchase/provide books/texts that engage boys and girls and their interests e.g. StarWars, Dr. Who, Angelina Ballerina.
Many of our books are available for children and families to read online - at the child's level and they can be assessed too.
Our book organisation system includes a coloured band & number which correspond to reading levels. Each level has carefully chosen words, phrases, phonics, and comprehension.
Parents are encouraged to hear their child read at least three times per week as a minimum and return their reading bag and log to school.
Phonic Bug & Bug Club Website We love reading. Our teachers allocate online reading books for your child. You can read with them online and if they answer the questions, staff can see how well they have done.


You will be packed with courage and valor. You will be energetic and will not hold back in taking up difficult tasks. You will try your best to complete your work in time. Rather than relying on others, you should have trust in your own capabilities. Your self-confidence will help you to boost up your performance and will eventually lead to the fulfillment of your goals. You will garner praise and respect in the society. If you have been trying hard to complete a particular task of yours that has been pending for a long time, you will be able to complete it during this month. The transit of Rahu in Cancer might create obstacles in your way to success but you will be able to overcome them with your hard work and persistent efforts. The month will yield favorable results in the field of love and relationships. Those who are studying or trying for competitive examinations will be able to come up with flying colors during this month. Do not let your confidence level dwindle, otherwise, it might hamper your progress at your workplace. The transit of Mercury in the Zodiac Sign Pisces might divert your attention from your goals. Do not let yourself swayed by useless things and focus on your objectives in life. You might face some problems in enjoying materialistic comforts. Curiosity will help you to gain immense knowledge about various walks of life. Students should not waste their time during this stretch of time. If you invest the proper time and efforts, you will perform well at your academic front. Your opponents will try to overpower you and you should not let them take advantage of your problems. Be prepared to face them and overcome any obstacle with all your might. There would be some conflicts and conspiracies at your workplace, which you should avoid being a part of. Journeys undertaken by you will yield favorable results. You will have a happy and blissful married life. If you plan to go abroad or start a business related to a foreign firm or company, you might have your dreams come true. Also, you are likely to gain by means of foreign connections. Health will be good only if you take care of yourself. You will find this month to be fortunate for you. However, you might have to tackle a number of difficult situations at your workplace. You should continue with your efforts and remember that your hard work will pay off. There will be some fluctuations in your financial status during the month of April. Unnecessary journeys should be avoided as they might put a strain on your pocket. Make use of your logical and analytical skills before making a decision.
You might have a rough phase at your workplace during the month of April. This might create problems in earning a good income. To avoid any financial problem, you are advised to perform your tasks with full devotion. Do not back out when it comes to investing your time and efforts. You should avoid starting any new venture or undertaking any new task by yourself during this month. Be aware of the motives of your opponents and guard yourself against their moves. Do not carry out your financial transactions with negligence. Trusting people blindly in money matters might prove to be negative for your financial status. Do not lend your money to anyone during this phase. Make sure that you do not make compromises related to money. The transit of Ketu in Capricorn might affect your career adversely. Therefore, you would be required to gear up if you do not want to suffer losses. However, the Saturn transit in Sagittarius will give a better direction to your career. You should try to get along well with your colleagues and subordinates. Respect your seniors at your workplace and earn their favor. Be aware of the activities of your competitor as well as your co-workers. They will leave no chance to bring you down on your knees in front of themselves. Trust your business partner/s, but not blindly. Making an investment for your future might help you in saving money, which would otherwise be spent unnecessarily.
You might have to spend a good amount of money to maintain the health and fitness of your body. The transit of the Sun and the planet Mercury in the Zodiac Sign Pisces might bring about various health issues in your life. Therefore, you need to take care of your health if you do not want to face the adverse situations. You as well your life partner will be more prone to falling ill during this period. As stated already, this might negatively affect your health as well as financial status. Do not set your foot on unnecessary journeys as it might degrade your health. Avoid physical exertion and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
The conditions will be favorable for your love life during this month. It will be your duty to respect the opinion of your partner. Love partners will take care of each other and will find happiness in the company of each other. You might go out with your partner during the latter half of the month. You will share romantic moments throughout your journey and will be elated due to the same. A sense of satisfaction will prevail and you will try your best to keep the relationship genuine and serious. As far as married life is considered, wedded duos will have a happy time in their relationship. Your family will be happy to see the bonding that you share with your spouse. With the help of your spouse, you might have the chance to fulfill your dreams or go to a foreign land for making money. Your in-laws will be supportive and will treat you with the respect that you deserve. The health status of your life partner might degrade during the span of this month. Make sure to take good care of them. Seek medical advice when necessary.
Peaceful conditions will prevail at your workplace if you keep your temper in control. Do not let your anger take a toll on you. Differences among your family members might arise and it will be your responsibility to help your family to come over these issues and see the bright side of having a family. Some of the members will have a hard time in trusting each other and this might end up creating a tensed atmosphere in your house. You should do your best to ensure that you do not indulge in any activity that might make your family misunderstand you. Try to win the respect and trust that you deserve. Be the reason that would bring a smile on the face of your parents. They will endow their blessings upon you and you will have a sense of confidence with them on your side. Maintain a harmonious relationship with your siblings. Remember that your kinsfolk will be your biggest strength in times of adversity. Domestic chores might further create a chaos in the family. You might have clashes of words with your distant relatives. Therefore, it will be better for you if you remain at a distance from them in order to keep arguments at bay. Do not get provoked if some outsider makes an attempt to sour the relationship between you and your siblings. If any quarrel takes place in your home, make sure that you tackle it at the earliest. Also, do not let it make a negative impact on your mental health as well as your performance at your workplace. Do not let others take the advantage of the problems at your home. Try to maintain a cordial relationship with your loved ones. In case of business matters, take the advice of your parents and that of your elders. Treat your children with love and care. Your children will be affectionate towards you and you will be satisfied with their performance. You need not worry about the academic or career progress of your children as they will shine brightly at their respective fields.
Observe a fast on Tuesdays. Reciting Hanuman Chalisa or Sunderkand on Tuesdays will prove to be beneficial for you. You should also visit a Hanuman temple and venerate Lord Hanumana by applying vermilion (sindoor) to his idol and offer cloves too. On Saturday, immerse a coconut or a piece of coal in flowing a river/stream. Offer water to Lord Sun regularly. This will help you in shaping up your career and will also help you in getting rid of your health problems.


Hero Fiennes Tiffin is on a world tour to promote his new movie After!
The 21-year-old actor hit the red carpet for a photo call for the movie on Saturday (March 30) in Rome, Italy.
FYI: Hero is wearing a Corneliani jacket, John Smedley turtleneck, Acne Studios trousers, Tod's belt, and Axel Arigato sneakers.
Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin are looking so good!
The two co-stars joined author Anna Todd on the red carpet at the After premiere on Tuesday night (March 26) in Madrid, Spain.


Even if you are 20 years old, and thus you should choose the best rated providers has never been easier. You may need several days. In order to get a discount for the first snow fall. The key to helping you both save money and keep records. If you like best and cheapest policy for your dollar as possible. This means that they are the student discounts, but they are customer driven and experienced. Remember that if you are paying the huge premiums, start a savings that many insurance companies to see if you evaluate the coverage for fire damage, theft damage and medical bills might total $10,000, and the risks definitely aren't worth it.
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All the things Apple didn't announce at its 'By innovation only' event
Apple's event was packed with new stuff, but some of the early rumors didn't pan out.
By Jason Cross
Staff Writer, Macworld |
Photo re-framing
Bi-direcitonal wireless charging
Apple Pencil support
Sleep tracking on Apple Watch
128GB starting storage for iPhone 11 Pro
The 'Rose' sensor co-processor
A smaller notch
An upgraded Apple TV
There can be no denying that Apple's "By innovation only" event on September 10 was packed full of rapid-fire announcements. We got a new 10.2-inch iPad, Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 11, and iPhone 11 Pro (in two sizes), along with pricing and release details for Apple Arcade and Apple TV+.
That's a busy morning! But we didn't get everything we expected or hoped for. The rumor mill was abuzz with lots of leaks leading up to the event, and it painted a picture that, as usual, didn't quite match reality. Here are some of the things we heard about and hoped to see, but didn't.
The most obvious omission (if you can call it that) was Apple's Tile-like trackers, which most have taken to calling "Apple Tags." There were multiple rumors—from reliable sources, no less—of their existence prior to the event, with some even claiming references to them in internal iOS 13 software builds.
The tags would supposedly use Bluetooth and/or Ultra WideBand technology to allow you to find objects in the Find My app, including an AR mode.
We still think these are coming, maybe even this year, and they just weren't ready to be revealed yet. If Apple has an event in October, we could see them there. Otherwise, we might see them in a spring event (typically held in March).
As expected, all iPhone 11 models come with a new super wide-angle rear camera. Prior to the event, it was rumored that a feature called "Smart Frame" would use that camera to capture some additional imagery around regular-angle shots, which we could then use to re-frame our photos after they were taken.
We didn't hear a single word about a feature like this on stage, and it's nowhere to be found on Apple's iPhone 11 promo sites.
[ Further reading: The best high-res digital audio players ]
Part of the Qi wireless charging standard is support for an option "bi-directional" wireless charging feature. So not only could your phone be charged wireless, but it could serve as a wireless charger for other devices.
In other words, you could place AirPods (inside their wireless charging case) or another iPhone on the back of your new iPhone 11 to wirelessly charge them.
Apple even reportedly moved the Apple logo down to the center of the back of the iPhone 11 to make it clearer exactly where devices should be placed to charge.
But this feature seems to have been scrapped at the last minute. Apple made no mention of it, it's not on the Apple site, and it's not even rumored for a future software update. The logo did get moved down to the center of the back of the iPhone 11, though.
We always thought the rumor that the new iPhone 11 Pro would support the Apple Pencil (or that the company would even make a smaller one just for it) was sketchy at best.
Sure enough, the new iPhones don't support the Apple Pencil.
We've also heard reliable rumors, backed up by some early internal code references, about sleep tracking coming to Apple Watch. Perhaps that will land in a future software update, but it's not being promoted as a core feature of the Apple Watch Series 5, nor of iOS 13 or watchOS 6.
Some tipsters led us to believe that the iPhone 11 Pro's base model would have 128GB of storage, up from the 64GB storage of the iPhone XS. That didn't happen—the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max all come with 64GB of storage to start, with upgrades available.
A late iPhone 11 rumor stated that a new sensor co-processor, codenamed "Rose" or "R1," will handle processing for many more types of sensors, including Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radio and even camera motion tracking.
There was no mention of it, and it's not called out in Apple's specs at all. The page does make mention of a new U1 chip that enables Ultra-Wideband support, which can be used to precisely position and orient the iPhone 11 in relation to other UWB devices. But that's not quite the same thing.
Maybe "Rose" is a part of the iPhone 11, and is simply not specified by Apple. The company did make mention of M-series motion coprocessors when they were new, but hasn't called them out in the last few years.
Lots of early rumors claimed that the TrueDepth module that houses the Face ID hardware and front-facing cameras would shrink by a significant margin on the new iPhones.
While Face ID is now claimed to work at a wider angle than before, the actual "notch" that contains the TrueDepth hardware looks to be about the same size as before.
A rumor circulated shortly before the event claimed that Apple had new Apple TV hardware on the way, with an upgrade to the A12 processor. It wasn't a shoo-in for this event, but would have gone well with the release date and pricing announcements for both Apple Arcade and Apple TV+.
An updated Apple TV makes sense, but everyone agrees that the product needs a redesigned remote far more than a more powerful processor. Perhaps we'll hear more about a new Apple TV device during an October event, still before the launch of the first Apple TV+ shows on November 1. Maybe it has been shelved until next year. Or maybe, with the TV app available on smart TVs and much broader AirPlay 2 support, Apple doesn't necessarily see a need to update the Apple TV hardware just yet.
Jason has written professionally about technology for about 20 years. He aims to figure out how complicated technology works and explain it in a way anyone can understand.


In spite of its strong appeal to NGOs, to certain governments and to some scholars, the concept of an ecological debt accumulated by developed countries due to their historical responsibility deserve a serious critical assessment. The paper provides this assessment in the context of climate change. It first shows how the rhetoric of ecological debt exploits confusion between a pre-modern concept of social debt and the modern one based on the contract figure. Two components of the climate debt are examined: a presumed duty of compensation of the damage imposed by climate change and rules of sharing out of atmospheric services when developed countries are presumed to have emitted GHGs in the past in excess of their fair share. The discussion considers successively the legal and the moral viewpoint. A review of arguments shows that both concepts of ecological debt and historical responsibility disintegrate under scrutiny in the case of climate change, as ill-founded backward-looking reparative concepts as well as additional obstacles to a forward-looking agreement in which responsibilities could legitimately be differentiated according to various variables referring to current states (emissions levels, needs, capacities, etc.). The GHGs emissions that cause problems are those that have taken place since 1990.


text:
Sorry I'm late to celebrate Victor's day
On May 30, 2016 October 22, 2016 By KevinIn Birthdays, Happenings
I was going to be a day late, anyway, because Victor's leaving day was yesterday, two years ago. It does seem a very long time. But now I'm late because we couldn't get onto WordPress yesterday, and we guess nobody could because we couldn't see Auntie Noelle's page, or Uncle Lord David's page either. But we're back now, and I expect they are too (wave).
The Jubilee Seven: Dylan, Dougall, Kevin behind Colman and Hector, Humphrey and Victor
Mummy and I had a long reminisce about the days when we (Colman and I) ran around with Victor, and Humphrey, and the kids as they were then, Dylan and Dougall. I'm the last of the Jubilee Seven, you see. I try to tell stories of those days to the kids here now, Oscar, Midge and Percy. Percy met Dylan and Dougall of course, and Oscar and Midge met Hector and Colman as well, but they didn't talk to them much, and I don't think they remember much about them. It's a shame because they were great people. Especially Victor. Who knows what a lunatic Dylan would have been if he hadn't had Victor's kind, steadying influence in his early days. Well, possibly like Hector, who had Humphrey, but they both went through such a bad time Hector was, well, quite odd. None of us really had anything to do with him, because he was so angry at everything.
Victor and Auntie Dawn
But this is supposed to be about Victor, who was something special. I'm nearly as old as he was now, but fortunately I haven't had all the trouble he had with his bottom, which he had for years and must have been very uncomfortable for him. Mummy said he was an adorable pig who enjoyed being adored. I think that's right. I don't want to be adored, just cuddled, Mummy.
anniversaryJubilee sevenvictor
We met Dr Sally last week!
Boring week but nice yesterday
4 thoughts on "Sorry I'm late to celebrate Victor's day"
Those are sweet memories of Victor and you are so kind to share them, Kevin. I know you miss him lots. Enjoy those cuddles with mummy and there's nothing wrong with being both adored and cuddled!!!!
Julie White
Victor was such a sweet boy Kevin. 💖 Mummy might need extra cuddles for a while. 💖 xx
I remember when that photo was taken! Uncle and I had just arrived, and we sat on the couch and met everyone. I was beyond thrilled to meet Victor, whom I had been hearing about for years (we were also delighted to meet Fred, Hec, and Humph). I don't think he'd ever met crazy Americans before, but he was so kind and gentle with us, it was as if he'd known us for years.
I remember another day, when Mummy, Uncle, and I were sitting watching TV, and Uncle was rummaging around in Victor's behind to get the stuck poos out! Vic took it all like a champ. Maybe they related on a boy-to-boar level, but it was so funny and touching.
I called him Auntie's Angel, and he was just that. He and Momma's Angel, aka Saku, were the two sweetest pigs I've ever known. I believe, though, that Vic was more patient with other pigs than Saku was. As sweet as he was, Saku didn't have much patience for his big brother's, and later his little brother's, shenanigans; Vic put up with the infamous Hugo for years with no complaint. What a star.
Not to mention Dylan's antics!


text:
Мона () — місто () в США, в окрузі Джуеб штату Юта. Населення —  осіб (2010).

Географія
Мона розташована за координатами  (39.810384, -111.850442).  За даними Бюро перепису населення США в 2010 році місто мало площу 7,29 км², з яких 7,18 км² — суходіл та 0,11 км² — водойми. В 2017 році площа становила 6,49 км², з яких 6,41 км² — суходіл та 0,08 км² — водойми.

Демографія

Згідно з переписом 2010 року, у місті мешкало  осіб у 425 домогосподарствах у складі 365 родин. Густота населення становила 212 осіб/км².  Було 454 помешкання (62/км²).

Расовий склад населення:

До двох чи більше рас належало 1,7 %. Частка іспаномовних становила 2,7 % від усіх жителів.

За віковим діапазоном населення розподілялося таким чином: 42,0 % — особи молодші 18 років, 51,0 % — особи у віці 18—64 років, 7,0 % — особи у віці 65 років та старші. Медіана віку мешканця становила 28,4 року. На 100 осіб жіночої статі у місті припадало 109,1 чоловіків;  на 100 жінок у віці від 18 років та старших — 98,5 чоловіків також старших 18 років.

Середній дохід на одне домашнє господарство  становив  доларів США (медіана — ), а середній дохід на одну сім'ю —  доларів (медіана — ). Медіана доходів становила  доларів для чоловіків та  долари для жінок. За межею бідності перебувало 6,1 % осіб, у тому числі 6,3 % дітей у віці до 18 років та 11,9 % осіб у віці 65 років та старших.

Цивільне працевлаштоване населення становило 679 осіб. Основні галузі зайнятості: виробництво — 24,7 %, освіта, охорона здоров'я та соціальна допомога — 24,0 %, роздрібна торгівля — 14,1 %, будівництво — 12,1 %.

Примітки

Джерела

Міста Юти
Населені пункти округу Джуеб (Юта)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Licensing Types
There are many different types of licenses to grant certain permissions depending on the intended use for the musical piece. See a short summery of the most common licenses below.
Master Use License
(also: Master License, Original Master Recording License)
A master use license is between the master owner (usually the label or the recording studio) and the licensee.
It grants permission to use a musical piece already recorded in a visual project. A synch license is also needed along with a master use license to grant full permission to use a recording. Like synch licenses, master use licenses are used in television shows, movies, commercials and any other video that requires music.
Synchronization License
(also: Synch License, Sync License)
A synch license is between the copyright owner(s) of the underlying composition (composer/author and publisher) and the licensee.
It grants permission to use a musical piece already recorded in a visual project.
Synch licensing fees depend on many factors like the fame of the song, the fame of the performer, the way the song is used in the production (featured, background, source, etc.), the length used, the media the production will be presented in, etc.
Mechanical License
It is an agreement with the copyright holder, the publisher, the songwriter or the appointed representative (in the US most often the Harry Fox Agency, and in Europe most often the PRO) that allows the holder to reproduce the sound recording. A mechanical license is a (often required) license that grants certain limited permissions to work with, study, improve upon, reinterpret, re-record (etc.) something that is neither a free/open source item nor in the public domain.
A mechanical license gives the holder permission to create copies of a recorded song which they did not write and/or do not have copyright over.
Performance License
A performance license is between the PRO and the licensee.
A performance license is obtained by paying a (mostly annual) fee to the local PRO, supported by a cue-sheet listing the publicly performed songs. This is needed for all public events where music is used or played. This includes online streaming, broadcasting, etc. and in some countries digital downloads too. It's the organizer's (or website operator's) responsibility to purchase the license and file the cue-sheet.
Print License
A print license (between composer/author and licensee) grants a party permission to copy or print musical lyrics or any type of written music for self use or reproduction. A print license is needed for each song being copied or printed.
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