text:
Saloni Killedar
Issues and Challenges in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHRs) of Young People in India
Authors: Saloni Killedar, Project Statecraft, Rijul Alvan Das, Project uP
The Current State of SRHRs in India
India has more than 50% of the total population under the age of 25. A quarter of our population is below 14 years of age (Kedia et al, 2018). Adolescents (those between 10-19 years of age) make up 20% of our population. Young people ought to be provided with quality education and healthcare, among other things. While a lot is said about education and skill development, young people's health is an issue that demands more attention. Even of the limited attention that the issue of health gets, certain aspects of it are brushed under the carpet. One such aspect in our country is that of sexual and reproductive health. As per the United Nations Population Fund, good sexual and reproductive health implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life, the capability to reproduce, and the freedom to decide if, when, and how often to do so. It is an indispensable part of universal human rights and has been enshrined in various policy documents and international conventions such as ICPD Programme of Action(1994), Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women(1979).Sexual and reproductive health involves features like accessibility, availability, awareness etc. regarding it.
In Indian society, it is considered a taboo to discuss issues pertaining to sex and reproduction. It is highly contextual with regards to the culture and tradition of any geographical area. Hence, topics such as sexual well-being, reproductive healthcare and other allied matters have usually stayed absent from regular policy discourse. Due to the lack of proper support, be it institutional or otherwise, a large proportion of our population is unaware of the necessity of an individual's SRHRs. In a study, it was found that only 15% of people within 15-24 years of age have received sex education (Guttmatcher,2014). This is a serious concern that needs to be addressed since the future demographic structures crucially depend on the actions of the present. It is absolutely imperative that the young people of India have adequate information and access to facilities so that they can exercise their right to well-being.
An essential subset of reproductive health is menstrual health. In India, only 64% of women in urban areas and 45% of women in rural areas use sanitary hygiene products. The current scenario has exacerbated the situation. There is no specific plan on how to tackle the lack of access to menstrual health care. This leads to period poverty which is a state where women don't have access to safe and hygienic-sanitary products and are unable to manage their periods because of community stigma and sanctions.
People's mindsets and customs come in the way of getting menstrual health care. Schools and colleges do not provide adequate support regarding information and accessibility of menstrual health products. Availability and accessibility of menstrual products is also an issue. Poor menstrual health can lead to many issues which women are oblivious about. For instance, Dysmenorrhea, which is painful menstrual periods caused by uterine contraction. Primary dysmenorrhea is when women experience recurrent pain, while secondary dysmenorrhea is when there is a disorder in women's reproductive organs. Many women who suffer are unaware of these and do not discuss it candidly because of the prevalent stigma. Additionally, few campaigns have been conducted in order to create awareness about this. However, the few campaigns conducted (by the State and non-profit organizations) to create awareness has failed to reach the vast majority. For instance, a social media campaign of "Padman challenge" was taken up by celebrities to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene, where they uploaded pictures on social media with sanitary napkins. This campaign was ineffective as most of the population lives in rural India who have no idea surrounding the issue of menstrual hygiene.
Due to the stigma around menstruation, women are restricted from entering temples, kitchens, schools, etc.. Some women are forced to stay in secluded places because of mythical beliefs that menstruating women emit some kind of smell and rays. All these social myths can be traced back to a regressive society where men understood that menstruation is a women's issue and dismissed its importance. However, these barriers are subtly fading because of various NGOs like Sukhibhava Foundation, Not just a piece of cloth etc, who work with rural and urban communities to improve menstrual health practice. Additionally, movies like Padman have made a breakthrough as it addresses real suffering of women where they use unclean clothes or rags repeatedly and stay isolated due to which the likelihood of contracting diseases like cervical cancer, reproductive tract infection etc. increases. This movie succeeded in spreading an appropriate message to the society.
Let's not "whisper" but, rather brazenly sensitize.
One of the most fundamental problems that lie in this aspect is a lack of concerted political will. There are a few programs that seek to address these concerns of SRHRs when it comes to young people. One of the most popular programs in this regard is the Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) Clinics set up in 2006. This was amongst the first time that due policy focus was given on young people's SRHRs.[1] However, as research suggests, these have not been as effective as they should have been. While some say that the registration in these clinics was not convenient, others point to the behaviour of staff in these clinics. In addition to these, issues about privacy also arise in a lot of cases (Tiwari et al, 2015) (Population Council. 2014). Another program that specifically focuses on adolescents' health is the Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakaram (RKSK) that was launched in 2014. A heavy focus of the scheme is on the sexual health of adolescents. The scheme is promising since it focuses on issues such as making reproductive services and healthcare accessible to adolescents etc. A feature of this program is to have Adolescent Friendly Health Centres (AFHCs) in every district which would encourage young people to come out and seek guidance, counselling and be informed about their SRHRs. However, due to faulty implementation, it has not reached all parts of the country. Moreover, the scheme calls for youth leadership in decision making. However, young people are often absent in policy discussions regarding the issue.
Lack of awareness is another serious hindrance that ought to be taken care of. The best illustration of the problem is the ineffectiveness of sex education which youngsters receive. A massive challenge to sex education comes from society's orthodox members who consider it to be gross and 'inappropriate' to talk about sex to young people. Often is the case that adolescents are exposed to sex, sexuality etc. by their peers and not qualified medical practitioners and teachers. One of the major reasons for the same is the absence of a comfortable environment at home or school where healthy conversations could take place (Vaidyanathan, 2020). In a survey conducted for adolescents, most participants said the reason they did not consult a doctor for their problems is that they did not find them "serious enough" (IANS, 2018). This shows how ineffective our existing sex education program is since it doesn't equip learners with the tools to correctly analyse what is and what is not serious enough for their health and well-being. The problem also lies with the curriculum on sex education.. School curriculum doesn't have a rights-based approach which would inform people about their rights and responsibilities when it comes to sexual health, reproductive care etc. Consent as a concept is almost absent from the sexual education programs in most schools.
Coupled with a lack of awareness is the issue of child marriage. The legal age for marriage in India is 18 years for girls while it is 21 years for boys. Nearly 27% of girls are married before the minimum age. As a nation, India leads the world charts when it comes to the number of children, mostly girls, getting married (End Child Marriage, 2020). Poor socio-economic condition is a primary reason. Intergenerational poverty can lead to early marriage as girls who marry young are unlikely to receive the education required to live an empowered life, they start a family early with minimum education and exposure, which in turn leads to the cycle of poverty as this is followed by generations. It also implies not having the access to knowledge of safe sexual and reproductive practises. Due to this, a very high proportion of them face the risk of experiencing unsafe practises combined with physical, emotional and sexual violence. Another issue with child marriage is the lack of agency of the woman in the union. Due to this, even if they have the knowledge, they are deprived of their decision making power and freedom of choice.
Awareness and knowledge about SRHRs is an essential component for the holistic growth and development of an individual, particularly young people. It does not just benefit the person, but also enhances the society and nation. This is especially true in countries like India where young people form a large proportion of the entire population. Furthermore, the youngsters of today will drive the population growth as per a report (UN, 2019), since they will be the ones who enter reproductive age brackets in the future. Hence, it is necessary to ensure that they make informed choices about their sexuality, preferences, family planning etc. For this, it is necessary that the hindrances that lie in the realization of SRHRs are obliterated.
In order to achieve that goal, a good place to start would be schools. It is absolutely necessary for young adults to have a comprehensive understanding of the issue. For this, a revised curriculum should be prepared which would address all aspects of human sexuality. This includes information in complete biological processes, along with their emotional and psychological aspects. In addition to this, proper training must be given on consent, gender identity, interpersonal relationships etc. Due focus must also be given on rights such as the right to seek abortion amongst other essentials. However, mere information is not enough; steps must be taken to make sure that the curriculum is implemented across states. We have seen how opposition to comprehensive educational plan by states regarding adolescent sex education has in fact led to bans. For instance, the Adolescent Education Programme, released in 2007 by the Central Government, got banned in 12 states because it deemed inappropriate and would promote "risky" sexual behaviour in adolescents (Chowdhury, 2020). Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, sex education must be contextualised so that the following twin objectives are achieved.:
(i) acceptance in the society
(ii) effectiveness of sex education
The engagement of all stakeholders in the development and implementation of the curriculum would be highly instrumental in this regard. A need for inclusion of physicians and paediatricians in policies and programs is essential as they can help people, especially the rural poor, who do not have proper access to healthcare facilities. Therefore, prevention programs need to be launched which should include-
1) Knowledge related to sexual and reproductive health, and accessibility to education of contraceptives in remote regions.[2]
2) Medical and psychological support to adolescent girls who are pregnant. Also, there should be prenatal care which helps women in medical, social, educational, nutritional needs and child care training etc.
3) Discussions on sexuality and reproductive issues should be encouraged by the physicians and full access to information and services should be given at the local level
Furthermore, in order to cater to socio-economic issues, public interventions are imperative. Interventions focusing on increasing marriageable age, accessibility to contraceptives and education will make a significant difference in improving the overall sexual and reproductive health. The presence of subnational policies and programs targeting early marriage and early childbearing is essential as issues can be addressed at the grassroots level. Even though child marriage is prohibited by law, there are nearly 1.5 million child brides in the country. Stricter punishments for those who contravene the law should be placed. Additionally, parents should be incentivised to send their daughters to schools instead of focusing on their marriage. In addition to this, continued investments in areas where early marriage and early first birth of the first child birth would yield high benefit-to-cost ratio as it will reduce adverse effect on reproductive health and will lead to a secured future. There is also a requirement for community sensitization, comprehensive sexual education and enrolment of girls completing their entire education.
Another crucial intervention would be that of our government and political forces. One way of showing political will is via budgetary allocations. Implementation of schemes like RKSK requires inputs such as financial resources and a trained and dedicated staff to redress the issues brought by people, among others. Most of the existing policies are implemented and acted upon by people who are not in the demographic group whose issues they seek to solve. Hence, it is essential that young people are adequately represented in the decision making process so that their interest is truly reflected in the programmes. Another important role of the government is to ensure that existing laws and regulations are sternly implemented. Monetary and social benefits along with regular sensitization campaigns could go a long way in alleviating the problem.
Therefore, proper and effective interventions with deep understanding of the root cause of the issue is the key to solving problems pertaining to sexual and reproductive health of the youth.
We have seen the challenges and possible solutions that pertain to adolescent and young people's SRHRs. With this article, we seek to initiate a discussion in the society on this issue. While there are some positive aspects regarding India's case such as the abolition of 12% tax on sanitary pads, a lot of work needs to be done. This is all the more true given the fact that COVID-19 is ravaging the world, which could potentially undo all that has been done to secure the limited SRHRs that adolescents and young people have.
For starters, there have been reports that a large number of child marriages could follow in the coming decade primarily due to the pandemic. The primary reason for the same is cited to be the economic situation of the family. Due to lack of information, unsafe practises and ill-informed decision making could take place as a consequence. Since India has the largest numbers of child brides in the world, the effects could be more pronounced here. There are already cases of severe domestic and sexual violence in Indian households. Currently, the focus is on mitigating the pandemic which therefore is compromising the attention required for SRHRs. Due to the pandemic, people might not be able to access reproductive services, essential child care etc., which could potentially put millions of people at risk. For this, due public action and government support is required so that this hidden calamity of the pandemic is tackled successfully.
Body of Knowledge - Improving SRH for India's Adolescents. (2017, March). https://www.dasra.org/assets/uploads/resources/Body%20of%20Knowledge%20-%20Improving%20SRH%20for%20India_s%20Adolescents.pdf
Brown, S. N. (2002). Media Interventions to Promote Responsible Sexual Behavior. The Journal of Sex Research.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224490209552123
Chatterjee, S. (2017, April 7). The News Minute | News. The News Minute. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/young-indians-are-homophobic-misogynist-and-orthodox-says-csds-survey-60003
Chowdhury, J. (2020, March 9). Why Is Sex Or Sexuality Education In Indian Schools Still A Taboo? Feminism In India.
https://feminisminindia.com/2020/03/09/why-sex-sexuality-education-indian-schools-taboo/
End child marriage. (2020). UNICEF India. https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/end-child-marriage#:%7E:text=Estimates%20suggest%20that%20each%20year,15%2D19%20are%20currently%20married.
Indo Asian News Service(IANS). (2018, January 12). India unprepared for teen sexual revolution, only 20.3 % of unmarried boys use condoms. Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/sex-and-relationships/india-unprepared-for-teen-sexual-revolution-only-20-3-of-unmarried-boys-use-condoms/story-0CSlMwuxKPFQ2Yb9oqd0uK.html
Joar Svanemyr, ,. A. (2015). Creating an Enabling Environment for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Framework and Promising Approaches. Journal of Adolescent Health 56 S7eS14, 56 S7eS14.
Kedia, Gutta, Chapman, Mishra, S. S. T. V. (2018, October 5). Here's what young Indians really want from life. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/10/here-s-what-young-indians-really-want-from-life/ [5]
Khan, A. (2003). Adolescent Reproductive Health in Pakistan: Status, Policies, Programs and Issues.
http://www.hivpolicy.org/bib/HPP000293.htm
Kothari, G. S. U. M. J. (2019, April 23). A half-written promise. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-half-written-promise/article26914712.ece
Tiwari, V. K., Raj, S., Piang, L. K., Nair, K., Gandotra, R., & Elizabeth, H. (2015). REACH AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL HEALTH (ARSH) PROGRAMME IN A STATE OF INDIA: PERSPECTIVES AND CHALLENGES . Indian Journal of Preventive & Social Medicine, 46(3-4), 9. http://ijpsm.co.in/index.php/ijpsm/article/view/94
Population Council. (2014, August). Provision of adolescent reproductive and sexual health services in India: Provider perspectives. https://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/2014PGY_ARSH-IndiaProviderReport.pdf
Vaidyanathan, P. (2020, May 6). Need for Comprehensive Sex Education: Moving Beyond Birds & Bees. The Quint. https://www.thequint.com/neon/gender/india-needs-a-comprehensive-sex-education-plan
Population Council. (2014, July). Accessing Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics in India: The Perspectives of Adolescents and Youth. https://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/2014PGY_AFHC-IndiaReport.pdf
Muttreja, P. (2020, April 7). OPINION: Covid 19 and Reproductive Rights of Girls and Women. Amnesty International India. https://amnesty.org.in/opinion-covid-19-and-reproductive-rights-of-girls-and-women/
Lenny Mushwana, L. M. (2015). Factors influencing the adolescent pregnancy rate in the Greater Giyani Municipality, Limpopo Province – South Africa. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences. http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/20063
Organization, I. L. (2003). Technical and vocational education and training for the twenty-first century: UNESCO and ILO Recommendations. program and meeting document. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000220748
Sexual & reproductive health. (n.d.). UNFPA India. https://www.unfpa.org/data/transparency-portal/unfpa-india
Shaohua Chen, Y. W. (2001). China's Growth and Poverty reduction. Economic Policy and Poverty Reduction Division. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17538960701770547
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019- Highlights. United Nations. https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf
World Health Organization: WHO. (2019, June 14). Sexually transmitted infections https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis)
Is migration truly global?
Failure of Kodak: An investigation with the application of the paradox of strategy
Applying Nudges from Behavioural Economics in combating the COVID-19 Pandemic


text:
Shady Company Offers Fake Yelp Reviews For $495
by Raphael Brion Mar 29, 2012, 9:50am EDT
Share All sharing options for: Shady Company Offers Fake Yelp Reviews For $495
Photo: JoeRobb/Flickr
Phony online reviews are a cancer on sites like Yelp. Generally unstoppable — despite Yelp's claims that its filter is effective — the deception undermines the legitimacy and credibility of all the reviews. And producing fake reviews is a seriously big business, with large companies entirely devoted to fraud. Yesterday Eater Philly got its hands on an email that was sent to several chefs in Philadelphia. The email came from a "reputation management firm" that specializes in "correcting negative reviews" about restaurants. The "firm" specializes in gaming online review sites like Yelp, Google, CitySearch, and TripAdvisor. For the low price of $495 — "50% off" the regular fee of $995 (math is hard) — the company offers these services:
· At first raising the star ratings: "If your rating is 3 stars or below, we can help you to increase your rating to 4.0 to 4.5 stars."
· Twelve months of monitoring of ratings, with a guarantee to continue gaming the score: "[I]f someone then posts a bad review on Yelp or any other review site, or your ratings drop for any reason, we will work diligently to get your rating back up again."
· A "Video Review of Your Restaurant (published online)"
· And, well, because why not: "1,000 Likes" to your Facebook page"
How do they do it? The email briefly explains their approach: "We provide incentives to try new restaurants and write good things about them in exchange for gifts and incentives." Instead of using bots, the company is paying real people to write fake reviews.
It's a little different than other more "industrial" approaches. For example, a company based out of Madagascar, hires out one of its full-time 75 employees for 550 euros a month. That single person is capable of dropping 25,000 fake reviews in three months.
A Yelp spokesperson tells Eater "we do not endorse or partner with these companies (and just goes to show why we have a review filter)." They also passed along a PSA they sent out to their business newsletter mailing list, which reads as follows:
We've recently heard about "reputation management" companies that claim to work with Yelp to remove your negative reviews or otherwise boost your ratings? for a fee (of course!). If you're wondering how these companies can make good on this offer, the answer is simple: They can't.
When a review is completely removed from Yelp, there are two possible scenarios:
1) The person who posted the review has removed it.
2) The review was removed for violating our Terms of Service.
To be clear, Yelp does not endorse or partner with these companies. With that in mind, we want to raise awareness about this issue, so you can avoid spending money on a service that is impossible to deliver on. As we've previously mentioned, the best strategy for reputation management is to provide great customer service, and respond diplomatically to your reviewers.
If you've been contacted by someone offering something along these lines, we'd love to get the details so we can prevent them from preying on others. Please use this form to loop us in. For general questions, contact our user support team at www.yelp.com/contact.
Developing software to detect fake online reviews is a difficult task, but catching fake reviews is just a big game of whack-a-mole. Using real people to write fake reviews is almost undetectable, and it puts to question the trustworthiness of anything on sites like Yelp. Yelp might be full of militant vegetarians and degenerate, frenzied Elites, but it's also very likely full of fake, garbage reviews.
· "Reputation Management" Firm Will Get You Positive Reviews on Yelp for $995 $495 [Eater Philly]
· All Yelp Coverage on Eater [-E-]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Henry Harland (født 1. marts 1861 i New York, død 20. december 1905 i Sanremo, Italien) var en amerikansk romanforfatter.

Han gjorde sig under pseudonymet Sydney Luska kendt ved et par romaner Mrs. Peixada og The Yoke of the Thorah, der indvandt et nyt område for den amerikanse litteratur ved at skildre jødiskt liv i New York. Han fortsatte senere med en række skitser og mindre fortællinger fra det samme område. I 1890 rejste han til England, hvor han 1893 gjorde lykke med en samling skitser: Mademoiselle Miss and other Stories. Hans mest læste bog The Cardinals Snuff-box udkom 1900. Den er oversat til dansk.

Kilder

Romanforfattere fra USA
Engelsksprogede forfattere
Amerikanere i 1800-tallet
Personer fra New York City

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Sensei Toida learned kendo in Brazil from a very young age. He as been a member of the Brazilian kendo team for 18 years and has participated in 7 World kendo championships. Sensei Toida holds the rank of 7th dan, renshi.
Sensei Ariyama started kendo in Japan at the tender age of 7. She has trained at the Tama Junior High-school, Toin-Gakuen High-school, Meiji University, and Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance company kendo club in Japan for 15 years. Sensei Ariyama is the instructor of the children's class and holds the rank of 6th dan.
Mrs. Toida started kendo in Brazil when she was 6 years old. Her rank is 4th Dan.
M. Boivin started practicing kendo at 41 years old and has been a member of the Montreal kendo club since 2006. His rank is 4th Dan.


London, Nov 23 Moderate coffee drinking is safe and three to four cups a day may have some health benefits, a study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) showed.The University of Southampton researchers collected data on the impact of coffee on all aspects of the human body, taking into account more than 200 studies - most of which were observational, the BBC reported on Thursday.
But Paul Roderick, co-author of the study, from the faculty of medicine at the University of Southampton, said the review could not say if coffee intake had made the difference."Factors such as age, whether people smoked or not and how much exercise they took could all have had an effect," the BBC quoted Roderick as saying.


text:
Lorraine Scott Scholarship Award
Soroptimist International of Watsonville established the Lorraine Scott Memorial Scholarship in 1997 to aid a Watsonville High School graduate to attend college for four years. This program honors a deceased Soroptimist International of Watsonville Past President, Lorraine Scott (1940), and accords with Soroptimist's Mission Statement "[i]mproving the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world."
Annually, the Watsonville High School Administration establishes a cut-off date for student scholarship, grant, etc., applications. No applications (entries) will be accepted for consideration after that date. Incomplete applications will be ineligible.
To be eligible, candidates should meet the following criteria:
The applicant will be a current year Watsonville High School woman graduate.
The applicant shows characteristics of maturity by displaying her motivation to further her education and accept responsibility.
The applicant demonstrates financial need.
The applicant has been accepted at a four-year college or university as a full time student with a goal of obtaining a Bachelors degree.
The applicant has a history of maintaining good grades, but is not necessarily at the top of her class.
The applicant has an above average attendance record.
The scholarship monies are paid directly to the recipients selected college or university. This is a four-year scholarship, and the total award is paid over a four-year award. Continuing eligibility after the first-years payment hinges on satisfactory grade achievement by the recipient.
Members of Soroptimist and their immediate families are not eligible for this scholarship.
For more information, e-mail our awards coordinator for more details.
© 2020, Soroptimist International of Watsonville. All Rights Reserved. Website design by Brooktown Design.


We have an immediate position available for an Oracle Developer to support our client to develop next generation innovative products, services and solutions. As a member of The Oakleaf Group team, you will have an exciting and challenging opportunity to work with emerging technology, modernize financial applications, and grow in a friendly workplace where you can work independently and collaboratively. In this position the ideal candidate will work to solve complex "hot topic" issues currently faced by the financial services industry. We bring depth of experience to a wide range of highly satisfied clients, delivering trusted advice along with quantitative, technology, regulatory, and operations strategies. Do you possess the talent and dedication to be part of our growing team?
Create logical and physical database design.
Database development and creation of upgrade scripts.
Design and development of ETL procedures.
Develop and tune SQL and PL/SQL code.
Design database packages and procedures.
Write ad-hoc queries based on schema knowledge for various application requirements.
Deal with complex data models and object relational database mapping.
Build the database, conduct performance tuning utilizing SQL, ETL loading.
BS Degree in computer science or relevant fields.
5 years' experience with Oracle application DBA.
Expertise in developing and debugging PL/SQL code.
In-depth knowledge of SQL (Structured Query Language) including writing complex queries as well as tuning SQL queries.
Knowledge of Redshift (Postgres) would be a plus.
Strong UNIX and UNIX scripting experience.
Must have strong experience with infrastructure as well as application DBA.
Must have strong experience with application database design, analysis and implementation.
Must be able to provide end-to-end DBA support for the system and application side within an Oracle database from building/upgrading the databases.
Apply object changes, performance and tuning.
Participate as a team member in data management strategies. Integrate data architecture with appropriate components of the extended enterprise, transaction factories, and the data warehouse.
Develop stored procedures, database triggers and SQL queries where needed.
Provide database change and release management.
Develop new and support existing ETL processes using industry leading ETL or customization tools.
Experience with large volumes of data: querying, loading and reporting.
Hadoop development and/or administration experience.


text:
AFP Navigation
Advice & Services
A Quick History of European Picture Frames
Unframed oil paintings should only be seen on an artist's easel or in a conservator's studio. As an art dealer I would never show a client a painting unframed, not least because I believe the artist would not have wanted me to. In 1833, when J.M.W. Turner painted a view of the Bridge of Sighs in Venice he included the figure of Canaletto working at his easel, seen bottom left, painting the same vista.
If you look closely you will see that Canaletto's unfinished canvas sits on his easel in a frame!
No artist ever framed a canvas before starting the painting itself so why did Turner include such a unlikely sight? I believe it was because he simply couldn't bear to let the public see an image of an unframed oil painting, especially a 'Canaletto'.
The importance of the frame in the correct presentation of 18th or 19th century oil paintings should never be underestimated. In fact in my opinion antique and vintage picture frames are works of art in their own right. I often buy pictures not for the painting but for the frame in which it hangs. Once restored, I will wait to marry it to a suitable unframed painting, or simply enjoy looking at it from time to time.
The genesis of what we know today as the picture frame dates back to Italy during the Renaissance when ornate removable mouldings (as opposed to the earlier 'engaged frames') were first used to surround religious images. These late 15th and 16th century Tabernacle frames (reborn 350 years later as the frame-of-choice for many Pre Raphaelite paintings) were designed as parts of an architectural interior and the development of picture frame design, like that of European furniture, is closely linked to that of architecture and in particularly entablature.
Gradually simpler frames began to be used to support secular portraits and none-religious epic history paintings and still lives. These are known as 'cassetta' (little box) frames and feature a variety of simple mouldings and decoration. But by the late 16th century ever more elaborate frames were becoming increasingly popular.
Italian Auricular frames
The first of the 'auricular' (resembling the shape of the ear) frames were the Medici, Florentine and Sansovino frames of the 17th century Italian Mannerist style. Sansovino frames are typified by overlapping and intertwining scrolls and volutes, parcel-gilding (partial gilding), and sgraffito decoration. Medici and Florentine frames meanwhile are always fully gilded and of an openwork design.
The Sunderland frame
Though influenced by the Italian Mannerist style, the scroll-work on early English frames is softer and shallower in relief. Sunderland frames are characterised by their auricular carving and typically feature a cartouche at the top and a mask at the bottom.
Dutch frames
Trade with the New World in the 17th century saw the introduction of numerous unfamiliar materials to Northern Europe such as tortoiseshell and exotic woods like ebony. Netherlandish frames of the period are often of 'bolection' style (raised convex moulding), ebonized, and enhanced by silver and ivory inlays and tortoiseshell veneers. Basically seen in two varieties; the more austere 'Protestant' designs featuring stepped flats and ripple mouldings, and often ebonized – and the more elaborate Dutch Auricular style with gilding and festoons of flowers and fruits.
The Carlo Maratta or Salvator Rosa frame
Named after the Italian artist Carlo Maratta 1625-1713 (also known as the Salvator Rosa frame) these neoclassical frames became popular throughout 18th century Europe thanks to the Grand Tour. Basically a water-gilded wide centre hollow (scotia) frame with a raised convex outer and inner sight edge, and ogee moulding.
The Palladian or Kent frame
The Palladian frame became popular in Britain in the Georgian period and examples can be seen today supporting many fine 17th and 18th century British oil paintings. These Palladian frames became widely known as 'Kent' frames after the country's foremost architect of the time, William Kent. Like all of Kent's designs it was directly influenced by the 16th century Vitruvian architecture of Andrea Palladio and his 17th century British follower Inigo Jones. Kent frames typically feature a flat architrave profile with a wide frieze, sometimes carved and sanded, characteristically with outset angular corners and architectural mouldings.
The Louis frames
Exquisitely carved and gilded French Baroque and Rococo picture frames from five periods; Louis XIII (1630–1643), Louis XIV (1643–1715), Régence (1715–1723), Louis XV (1723–1774), and Louis XVI (1774–1792).
Louis XIII frame: a Baroque style with convex profile and/or cylindrical 'torus' section. Intricately carved with running leaf patterns and water gilding.
Louis XIV frame: as you would expect from frames named after the Sun King, Louis XIV frames are profusely decorated with foliate c-scrolls, strapwork, acanthus corners, shell cartouches, and naturally, sunflowers.
Régence frame: very similar in style to both the Louis XIV and Louis XV frames and often referred to as 'Transitional' frames. The Régence frame is characterised by hand-carved cutting, sand texturing, cross-hatching and punch-work to the gesso surface.
Louis XV frame: From the French Rococo period and heavily influenced by the fête galante paintings and designs of Antoine Watteau 1684-1721 and Francois Boucher 1703-1770. The Louis XV frame is often described as 'wall furniture'; asymmetrical and flamboyant it echoed flamboyant 18th century fashions and interior design. Frames feature pierced motifs, shells, animals, birds, and floral and foliate decoration.
Louis XVI frame: a neoclassical style which followed the Rococo. Louis XVI frames mark the 18th century revival of interest in antiquity and shed the ornamentation of previous French frame designs. Louis XVI frames typically had a square entablature, often with architrave, and decoration that included classical symbols such as acanthus leaves, lamb's tongues, and ribbon twist ornaments.
The Empire frame: fuelled by the architectural discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum, Napoleon's rule saw further interest in neoclassicism. Features of the Empire frame include anthemion (or palmette) shapes, honeysuckle, and lotus and acanthus leaf decoration.
The Victorian Rococo Revival frame
A 19th century British Victorian style inspired by the earlier Louis frames but with even larger ornamentation. Most commonly made in plaster and composition – a mix of whiting, glue size, linseed oil and resin – antique Rococo revival frames perfectly compliment a great many 19th century British oil paintings.
Artist's frames
Painters have always been fond of designing frames that they believed would best compliment their own artwork. Many important artists of the 19th century in particular made famous various frame styles that now bear their names; Sir Thomas Lawrence, D.G. Rossetti, G.F. Watts, and James Whistler being perhaps the most familiar.
Here I have been recounting the past history of picture frames but that of course does not mean they do not have a present. Today, the highly skilled craftsmen of paulmitchell.co.uk, tanousframes.com, rollowhately.com and arnoldwiggins.com create wonderful copies of original period frames using the same techniques and materials as the artisans of the past. But before you place an order do remember that throughout history the best frame-makers have always been able to charge more for their frames than many artists could for their paintings!
'Framing the Nineteenth Century' by John Payne.
'The Secret Lives of Frames: One Hundred Years of Art and Artistry' by Deborah Davis.
'A Closer Look: Frames' by Nicholas Penny.
'Looking at European Frames: A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques' by Gene Karraker.
© 2019 Academy Fine Paintings | Privacy Policy | FAQs | Website T&C | T&C of Sale | Login | Website by CleverClick


This retro inspired peephole top features a fabulous green leopard print. Its a super cute item which will jazz up your wardrobe on even a grey day. Its also reversible, and can be worn backwards as a high neck top.
Made from softest handprinted, viscose, cotton lycra, its beautiful against the skin and also washes and wears well.


This year has started at a breakneck pace (how is it April already?) for lots of reasons, but most excitingly because of my involvement in what should be an incredible project. Alongside 99 other writers, I will be taking part in the 26 Armistice project and creating a centena – an entirely new form devised by 26 founder director John Simmons that is exactly 100 words long, with the first three repeated as the end's conclusion – to mark the end of the 'war to end all wars'.
Each centena will focus on an individual who was alive during the First World War – mine will be about my paternal grandmother's father who worked on a number of medical ships, including the Plassy, the crew of which helped to care for the injured during the Battle of Jutland.
To get us in the mood, a few 26 writers met up at the Imperial War Museum last weekend to wander round its excellent First World War exhibition and try our hand at a quintude – a 50-word piece, this time created by fellow 26er Ed Prichard, written in response to an object found in the exhibition.
I have no fear for the future.
To labour for one's beliefs is no labour at all.
you are where I am not.
I hope to post more on the project as I get into my research.


text:
The ways in which a metal hull may be protected
Shipwrecks and Salvage > 4. Marine Protection >
Identify the ways in which a metal hull may be protected including:
– corrosion resistant metals
– development of surface alloys
– new paints
Marine environments accelerate the corrosion of iron or steel due to the presence of electrolytes, which promote galvanic action.
The steel hulls of ships may be protected by:
Corrosion resistant metals.
Stainless steel effectively resists corrosion.
A passive film of chromium (III) oxide forms on stainless steels and prevents further corrosion.
The cost of stainless steel makes its use as ship hulls prohibitively expensive.
Surface alloys.
It is possible to form a stainless steel like surface on ordinary steel by bombarding it with ions of chromium and nickel.
These metal ions are formed in a high temperature gaseous discharge and are directed at the surface of ordinary steel where they become embedded as atoms and so form a surface alloy.
The bulk of steel below the surface remains unaltered.
The surface alloy resists corrosion almost as well as solid stainless steel.
New paints.
Polymer-based paints have been developed that are particularly effective in protecting against rust.
The polymer cures in air to form a film that is quite impervious to oxygen and water.
Additives in the paint react with surface atoms in the steel to form a layer of very insoluble substance called pyroaurite.
This ionic layer is tightly bonded to the steel surface and extends well into the polymer layer, effectively protecting the migration of ions from one place on the steel surface to another, and thus preventing rusting.


text:
'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' director Milos Forman dies at 86 – FOX 61
FOX 61DANBURY — Czech filmmaker Milos Forman, whose American movies "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadeus" won a deluge of Academy Awards, including best director Oscars, died Saturday. He was 86. Forman died about 2 a.m. Saturday at Danbury … and more …read more Source:: Academy Awards News By Google News
from WordPress https://ift.tt/2ENU8SI
Oscar goes Cuckoo: Hollywood's greatest success st...
'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' director Milos F...


Join Perfect Harmony Men's Chorus at Bunky's for a Fall Fundraiser Dinner, "A Trip Around the Mediterranean." That's right, even though Bunky's focuses on catering now, they've opened their doors up for a special 'one-night-only' event, Saturday October 14, 6:30pm at Bunky's (2425 Atwood Ave, Madison).
As you dip your veggies in delicious hummus and baba ghanoush, and savor delicious chicken kabob or squash ravioli, you will be serenaded by members of Perfect Harmony! Wait, did we mention a dessert course of homemade baklava? Gluten free and vegan options available. There will also be a cash bar and a small silent auction. Tickets – $40 ea.
Make your reservation now because SEATING IS LIMITED and spots are going fast! Call 608-571-7462, or reserve online at www.PerfectHarmonyChorus.org.
Please plan to arrive early enough to find street parking in the neighborhood. Our friends at St. Bernard's church have offered the use of their parking lot during this event! They ask that we PARK IN THE WHITE LINES AREA, but not to park in spaces with yellow lines. Thank you.


Originally designed by David Gilday, OneMindstorm built the MindCuber to test out and compare it with the other Lego Mindstorm Rubix Cube Solvers. The MindCuber is the best Rubix Cube Solver we have ever seen. When we first began to build this robot, we thought it wouldn't work, such as the Tilted Twister by Hans Andersson it never worked the robot couldn't detect the colors correctly. But, the MindCuber worked, it is better than the One Armed Wonder which we demoed earlier. This solver doesn't require a computer and it can complete its task with a color sensor. We give this robot a 10 out of 10. David Gilday did a wonderful job creating this amazing robot.


text:
June 16, 2014 June 16, 2014 bcnn1wp
Mali Music Releases New CD "Mali Is…" With RCA Records
Mali Music
Growing up in Savannah, Georgia, the man now known as Mali Music grew up in the church. He has had a career as a gospel artist but has now moved into the secular ranks with a deal with RCA Records. This move didn't sit well with some of those who first encountered him via gospel music, and they took to various social media outlets to say so. Mali says despite the classification change, he's still the same artist at heart.
"There has been no change, there has just been an elevation because of the platform that gospel music has been considered on. So now it is because of what I'm doing."
He considers his music to still be inspirational. Sybil Wilkes says that it's music that even heathens can ride to.
The former Kourtney Jamaal Pollard, 26, got his musical moniker from his middle name Jamal, which became as it often does in Black families, abbreviated to Mali. At 11, Mali became the musical director at his church. At 16, armed with Pro Tools and recording equipment, he crafted an independent album The Coming after a strong response from his MySpace page.
After gaining popularity as a traditional gospel artist, Mali performed during the Music Matter segment at the BET Awards and was approached by Akon, but ultimately signed with Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts' Bystorm Entertainment. His RCA release Mali Is…is out June 17th.
"I'm so excited about it. I put my whole heart into it and it's the evolution from where it was before to where it is now and I don't think anybody can not relate to it."
SOURCE: Black America Web
Kourtney Jamaal Pollard
Mali Is ...
Previous "Think Like a Man Too" Cast Shares the Best Advice Their Fathers Gave Them
Next Amazon.com Under Investigation for Death of Worker at New Jersey Warehouse
Jazmonique Strickland, the wife of pastor and former president of the local chapter of the NAACP Stricjavvar 'Strick' Strickland of Second Baptist Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is arrested 'for sexually assaulting at least four boys with her husband, who paid teens to have sex with the mom-of-five while he watched' possibly leaving their children without parents as they may spend decades in jail
Alabama Church Splitting From United Methodist Church Following Vote


text:
Q: Как сделать "защиту от дурака"? (Игра "Поле чудес") Необходимо сделать "защиту от дурака", (чтобы пользователь мог ввести только слово длинной загаданного или только один символ + без пробелов). Желательно без регулярных выражений(ещё не проходили). Помогите, пожалуйста.)
package javaapplication1;

import java.util.Scanner;

public class JavaApplication1 {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Play round1 = new Play();
        round1.PlayTheGame();
    }

}

class Play {

    String ch;
    char chr;

    void PlayTheGame() {
        String text = "chocolate";
        StringBuilder text2 = new StringBuilder(text);
        int rez = 0;
        int temp = 0;
        boolean[] mask = new boolean[text.length()];
        for (boolean b : mask) {
            b = false;
        }

        while (temp != text.length()) {

            System.out.println("Key in one character or your guess word"+"("+text.length()+" letters)"+": ");
            Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);

            ch = scanner.next();
            if ((ch.length()!=1)||(ch.length()!=text.length())) { // таким способом не получается
                System.out.println("You entered incorrect data!");
                break;
            }
            chr  = ch.charAt(0);
            rez = rez + 1;

            for (int i = 0; i < text.length(); i++) {
                if ((ch.equals(text))) {
                    temp = text.length();
                    System.out.print(text);
                    break;

                }
                if (chr == text.charAt(i)) {
                    mask[i] = true;
                    temp = temp + 1;
                }

                if (mask[i] == true) {
                    System.out.print(text.charAt(i));
                } else {
                    System.out.print("_");
                }

            }
            System.out.println();
        }
        System.out.println("rezult = " + rez);
    }
}

A: Вкратце, ответ на ваш вопрос:
    if (ch.contains(" ")
         || (ch.toCharArray().length!=text.toCharArray().length && ch.toCharArray().length!=1)) {
            System.out.println("You entered incorrect data!");
            break;             //!!!!!!тогда игра заканчивается, надо убрать чтобы мы могли после выдачи ошибки продолжить
    }

Но у вас есть и другие ошибки:

*

*например цикл игры закончится если не убрать break.
уберите его и поставьте else, включив в него все оставшиеся проверки в цикле ввода.

*ch = scanner.next(); переходит к следующей букве а нам надо к строке. Используйте nextLine().

*вы перепутали rez = rez + 1 и temp = temp + 1. просто переставьте их местами. Иначе счет (rez) не увеличится при верной букве, а цикл сократится ибо увеличена циклическая переменная (temp).
Возможно есть еще какие то ошибки и я забыл их сюда вписать, но в результате отредактированный, рабочий код будет таким:
public class JavaApplication1 {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Play round1 = new Play();
        round1.PlayTheGame();
    }

}

class Play {

String ch;
char chr;

void PlayTheGame() {
    String text = "chocolate";
    StringBuilder text2 = new StringBuilder(text);
    int rez = 0;
    int temp = 0;
    boolean[] mask = new boolean[text.length()];
    for (boolean b : mask) {
        b = false;
    }

    while (temp != text.toCharArray().length) {

        System.out.println("Key in one character or your guess word" + "(" + text.length() + " letters)" + ": ");
        Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);

        ch = scanner.next(); //вот тут ошибка! нужно использовать nextLine

        if (ch.contains(" ") || (ch.toCharArray().length != text.toCharArray().length && ch.toCharArray().length != 1)) {
            System.out.println("You entered incorrect data!");
        } else {   //ставим стобы цикл продолжался после некорректного ввода

            chr = ch.charAt(0);
            temp = temp + 1;

            for (int i = 0; i < text.length(); i++) {
                if ((ch.equals(text))) {
                    temp = text.length();
                    System.out.print(text);
                    break;

                }
                if (chr==text.charAt(i)) {
                    mask[i] = true;
                    rez = rez + 1;
                }

                if (mask[i]) {
                    System.out.print(text.charAt(i));
                } else {
                    System.out.print("_");
                }

            }
            System.out.println();
            System.out.println("rezult = " + rez);
        }
    }
}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Policy Briefing: Separation dents a mum's confidence, but can she get over it?
Issue 22, Policy & Politics
Lucinda Platt (LSE) and Tina Haux (University of Kent)
How does separation affect a woman's view of herself as a parent? Our research suggests separation certainly knocks a mother's confidence and it does not seem to recover quickly over time.
Research on the impact of separation and divorce has tended to focus on its effect on children. We know, for instance, that children whose parents have divorced tend to score lower on a variety of emotional, behavioural, social, health and academic outcomes than children whose parents have stayed married. Children who have experienced a number of family splits tend to have lower academic achievement and higher levels of delinquent behaviour.
But we also know that children don't show the same level of change if their parents divorce after a marriage where there was a high level of conflict, and that the negative effects of separation can and do improve over time.
There is also some evidence on how a split can affect parents. Separation can have a negative impact on mothers' income, mental health and life satisfaction. However, the evidence to date has tended to show that, given time, all these recover again, though a woman's financial health tends to improve more slowly than her sense of wellbeing.
Until now, though, we had less idea of how separation might affect a mother's view of herself as a mother. Can separation actually affect a woman's ability to parent?
For the first time, as part of Nuffield Foundation funded research, we have been able to use data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) to explore some of these issues, and to look at whether any impact of separation on perceived parenting competence gets better over time. The MCS is a large-scale survey which follows the lives of children born at or just after the Millennium. Their parents were questioned when they were nine months old and again at three, five, seven and 11 years old. Focusing on the questions asked about parenting ability in the first four surveys we investigated a sample of more than 12,000 mothers, around 2,000 of whom had separated before their child was aged seven.
These mothers were asked, pre and post-separation, how they viewed their own competence as parents: did they feel they were very good, better than average, a person who has some trouble being a parent, or not very good at it?
Using recognised question scales we also investigated whether the relationship between separation and parental competence, was linked to changes in a child's behaviour and his or her mother's mental health. Looking just at those 2000 mothers who had experienced a separation, we investigated whether evaluation of their parenting competence improved with time since separation, and whether it was greater when parenting was more equally shared, that is when their child spent more time with his or her non-resident father.
What did we find? The results were mixed. Women who separated did indeed suffer a reduced perception of their own parenting competence (Fig 1).
Figure 1: Mothers' evaluation of their parenting, by separation status and age of child
When we took account of other factors likely to influence parenting confidence, this relationship remained. However, other consequences of separation appeared to explain the knock to parenting competence. Separation went hand in hand with higher rates of maternal depression and with higher rates of child behavioural problems. And these appeared to account for the blow to the mothers' confidence in their own parenting.
By contrast with other existing research, which suggests that effects of separation tend to recover with time, we found no improvement in perceived parenting competence among these separated mothers as time went by. Mothers who had been separated for longer tended to view their parenting competence in no better light than those who had been separated more recently, even though their mental health did tend to recover.
We also looked at the level of contact between the children in these families and their fathers – could the mother's view of her own ability to parent be affected by the amount of contact the child had with his or her father? But we found no relationship.
In summary then, separation did affect the perceived parenting capacity of these mothers – but it did so through increased risk of maternal mental ill health and child behavioural problems.
We concluded that these other factors, which were exacerbated by separation, rendered parenting itself more challenging, especially without the presence of the child's father: that is, that being a single parent is inherently tough. It is, of course, also possible, that the shock of separation may affect a woman's ability to parent, and that that may have a knock-on effect on a child's behaviour. But we cannot establish cause and effect here.
From a policy perspective and for those concerned with how best to support families after separation and divorce, it would seem that looking solely for a recovery over time in a mother's mental health may not be enough to help her get back on her feet after a split. Indeed, if it's considered important to help single mothers establish a happy, healthy home for herself and her child, then this could give all those concerned pause for thought. Psychological and practical support around parenting are likely to be key.
Tina Haux is Quantitative Lecturer in Criminology/Sociology in the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at the University of Kent. Lucinda Platt is Professor of Social Policy and Sociologyin the Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. This article is based on a Nuffield Foundation funded research project: Parenting and contact before and after separation. Two Working Papers based on the research are published in the LSE Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) series: Parenting and post-separation contact: what are the links? and Mothers, parenting and the impact of separation. The authors would like to thank their co-author Rachel Rosenberg for her meticulous work in preparing the data and the Nuffield Foundation for funding the study and their continued interest and support for research in this field (the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation).
The research project made use of surveys 1-5 of the Millennium Cohort Study and was accessed from the UK Data Archive. The authors are grateful to The Centre for Longitudinal Studies at UCL Institute of Education for the use of these data and to the UK Data Archive and UK Data Service for making the MCS data available. However, they bear no responsibility for the analysis or interpretation of these data.
Image: Jannik Nitz (CC-BY-2.0)


No one can guaranty results, and the GUARANTEED SATISFACTION POLICY is not a promise of a cure, but we are so confident in our services that we promise that your care at the Ridge Wellness Center will meet or exceed your reasonable expectations, or your money back.
To be eligible for a " Guaranteed Satisfaction " refund, you simply agree to, and comply with the treatment recommendations given you for the care of your condition. See the complete policy for description of compliance qualifications.
If you choose to participate, you will be asked to read the "Guaranteed Satisfaction " policy, and indicate your understanding of the policy and patient's responsibilities by signing a signature page. This page must be returned to our office within your first week of care for you to qualify for the program.
Ask questions until you have a complete understanding of your condition and the factors which may have contributed to your condition. You should have and understanding of the prescribed treatment plan and goals of care.
If at any point during care you have concerns or do not feel comfortable with the way your condition is progressing, with your treatment, or office policy, immediately tell the doctor. Any conflict will have a negative impact on your progress. It is best to clear these conflicts as quickly as possible.
Understand that some conditions will not respond to conservative or alternative care. Discuss your expectations with your doctor. Our policy is to guide you in the right direction and to the practitioner who is best qualified to help you recover.
Manual therapies require consistent application. Missing treatments will negatively effect your chances of achieving your treatment goals. If you must miss an appointment, reschedule the visit as soon as possible.
Home therapy is prescribed to enhance and maintain the gains made by your in-office treatments. Home therapy will consist of flexibility and/or strength exercises necessary for success of your treatment.


Valencia, Spain is the Spanish gateway to the Mediterranean. It is a coastal city known for its charming views, historic sites, and scenic beaches. With a wide range to see and discover in the city, tourists may need to sign up for a Valencia tour to explore it with ease. There are several options to tour the city: via scooter tour, bus tour, bike tour, or simply the walking tour.
Taking on a bus tour may be a faster-paced one compared to that of a scooter; however, it allows you to see more of the city. The usual bus tour lasts for two hours; the passengers are earphones and are given an informative audio guide in four languages: English, Spanish, German or French. For those who want a more customised bus tour in the city, they can try the hop-on, hop off type of bus tour.
With its flat streets and lanes especially designated for bikes, taking a guided bike tour in the city is also a convenient way to get a peek of some of its top attractions. Most of the tours include an experienced tour guide who can speak English. This tour is usually made up of small groups or around 15 riders per tour.
A guided tourist tour in the city is ideal for those who want to explore Valencia with ease and control. Most guided scooter tours can take about four hours to many of the top attractions in the city. Covering the tour are scooter rental, insurance, road assistance, a multi-lingual guide, bottle of water, helmet, and a city map.


abDocs is an application that allows you to access and share documents between PCs and other mobile devices. With abDocs, you can access your documents from any of your Windows, Android or iOS devices whenever you like and wherever you are.
Test abDocs v1.10.2001; you will need 1.46 MB of free space on the hard drive. This program developed by Acer Incorporated is always available for downloading free of charge here. Open the System Utilities category, the File Managers subcategory, to see the software. This tool runs on Windows 7/8/8.1/10 and its most popular versions are 1.10 and 1.09. AbDocs.exe and AcerCloud Docs.exe are among the most popular setup packages that users use to download abDocs. The direct download link of the program is clean to use.


around the world create profitable online, niche stores.
We are situated in the Rocky Mountains in beautiful Cache Valley, Utah.
In 2006, Amazon.com invited Associate-O-Matic to be a part of their Amazon Web Services (AWS) Developer Advisory Council (DAC). Over the years we have provided feedback to Amazon Web Services from our userbase. We've also been featured on Amazon.com as an Amazon Web Services - Success Story.
Read what our customers are saying about Associate-O-Matic.


text:
Premier announces 2020 – the Year of Indigenous Tourism
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk
Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development and Minister for Cross River Rail
The Honourable Kate Jones
The Premier has tonight announced next year would be dedicated to First Nations experiences in Queensland, in front of a packed audience at the Queensland Tourism Awards on the Sunshine Coast.
Buoyed by the success of this year's record-breaking Year of Outback Tourism campaign, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declared 2020 the Year of Indigenous Tourism.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been proudly practicing and preserving their cultures by sharing it with the next generation for tens of thousands of years," the Premier said.
"In recent times, their culture and stories have been an integral part of our tourism industry, attracting people from all around the world to learn and experience more about the world's oldest living cultures.
"During the last financial year almost half a million visitors to Queensland took part in First Nations experiences like visiting an Aboriginal art gallery or festival, visiting an Aboriginal cultural site or community or taking a tour with an Indigenous guide or ranger.
"More tourists than ever before want a cultural experience when they travel and Queensland is perfectly placed to capitalise on that demand.
"That's why we're also committing $3.4 million over the next two years to create tourism jobs for Indigenous Queenslanders and to position the state as the nation's leader in Indigenous tourism."
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said the 2019 Year of Outback Tourism campaign smashed records and she was excited for what's in store in 2020.
"It's been a whip-cracking year for outback tourism with more than one million tourists visiting the bush and spending a record $724 million in the last financial year.
"This was a dedicated campaign to encourage more visitors to the outback and to support our region's doing it tough due to the long-running drought, and it worked.
"The Year of the Outback Tourism has been so successful, we are extending the initiative into 2020 with even more events being delivered to showcase our extraordinary outback destinations and support rural and remote communities."
The Premier said despite it being a challenging year due to natural disasters, it was a record-breaking year for Queensland's tourism industry and she was proud to be able to celebrate with industry at the Queensland Tourism Awards.
Hosted by Queensland Tourism Industry Council, more than 80 awards will be presented across 28 categories including two RACQ People's Choice Awards.
"Queensland's tourism sector is flourishing with a record 28 million tourists visiting the Sunshine State in the year to June 2019 and spending a record $24.8 billion," the Premier said.
"Tourism means jobs and economic growth and my Government continues to deliver both in spades throughout Queensland and especially in our regions.
"We have increased jobs in tourism by more than 15 per cent since 2015, with 236,000 Queenslanders directly or indirectly employed in the industry.
"That's one job in every 10 which is more than agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining industries combined.
"It has been a challenging year with drought, floods and bushfires affecting regional Queensland and my Government is working with our regions to support our communities in every way.
"We're investing $180 million in new attractions, events, products and experiences and we have more than $14 billion in the pipeline including investment in our Great Barrier Reef islands.
"We invest in tourism to create jobs for Queenslanders."
Zoe Russell – 0439 982 347


Renewable Resources Councils are a primary instrument for local renewable resources management as set out in the final agreements. Each Renewable Resources Council acts in the public interest in a manner consistent with their Final Agreement to make recommendations to the Minister, the affected Yukon First Nation, the Fish and Wildlife Management Board and the Salmon Sub-Committee on any matter related to conservation of fish and wildlife. Each Renewable Resources Council makes provisions for public involvement in the development of its decisions and its recommendations.
The Council's jurisdiction is the Selkirk First Nation Traditional Territory which includes the community of Pelly Crossing.
The Selkirk First Nation and Yukon government each nominate 3 members and may nominate 1 alternate member each. Alternate members may participate in the Council's work. The Minister of Environment appoints 2 Co-Chairs as determined by the Council.
Requirements: All nominees should have resided in the Selkirk First Nation Traditional Territory for at least 1 year immediately prior to their appointment and should have long term familiarity with renewable resources in Selkirk First Nation Traditional Territory. A temporary absence from Selkirk First Nation Traditional Territory does not constitute an interruption of residency.
Meetings: First Tuesday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Council offices in the Selkirk First Nation Administration Building.


text:
Playwright Hangout
Famous ex-residents include playwright George Bernard Shaw
Location: 2 Whitehall Court, SW1A 2EJ
Description: The Royal Horseguards hotel houses approximately 280 bedrooms. The listed building was built in 1884 and used by the secret service and was also partly occupied by government departments during World War I.
Incorporating deluxe suites and apartments, the Royal Horseguards has a restaurant which has been awarded an AA Rosette award which recognises the high quality of food offered and superior service skills.
More importantly, famous ex-residents include playwright George Bernard Shaw and 19th Century prime minister William Gladstone.
Themes: Historical Architecture Military
Ranking This Month: 1940/3019
Borough for Pubs», 1.3km
Henry VIIIs Kennels», 4.4km
Top Hat Madness», 0.2km
The Pool Of London», 1.3km
Christmas under Nelson», 0.2km
Playwright Hangout», 0km
Browns, Telephone and Kipling», 0.8km
Linley Sambourne House», 3.1km
Tigers in Town», 1.2km
Parliament Hill Park, But Why?», 3.9km


text:
Q: Python DataFrame: replace or combine selected values into main DataFrame I have two pandas DataFrame as below. It contains strings and np.nan values.
df =
   A    B    C    D    E    F
0  aaa  abx  fwe  dcs  NaN  gsx
1  bbb  daf  dxs  fsx  NaN  ewe
2  ccc  NaN  NaN  NaN  NaN  dfw
3  ddd  NaN  NaN  asc  NaN  NaN
4  eee  NaN  NaN  cse  NaN  NaN
5  fff  NaN  NaN  wer  xer  NaN

df_result =
   A    C    E    F
2  sfa  NaN  NaN  wes
4  web  NaN  NaN  NaN
5  NaN  wwc  wew  NaN

What I want is copy entire df_result DataFrame to df DataFrame with corresponding columns and index. so my output would be =
   A    B    C    D    E    F
0  aaa  abx  fwe  dcs  NaN  gsx
1  bbb  dxs  fsx  fsx  NaN  ewe
2  sfa  NaN  NaN  NaN  NaN  wes
3  wen  NaN  NaN  asc  NaN  NaN
4  web  NaN  NaN  cse  NaN  NaN
5  NaN  NaN  wwc  wer  wew  NaN

So basically I want to copy exact values of df_result to df even thought ther are np.nan values like A:5 (changed from fff to NaN). Also, I need to keep the order of columns as it is. Please let me know efficient way to do this. Thank you!

A: df.update(dfr.fillna('NaN'))
df.replace('NaN',np.nan)
Out[501]:
     A    B    C    D    E    F
0  aaa  abx  fwe  dcs  NaN  gsx
1  bbb  daf  dxs  fsx  NaN  ewe
2  sfa  NaN  NaN  NaN  NaN  wes
3  ddd  NaN  NaN  asc  NaN  NaN
4  web  NaN  NaN  cse  NaN  NaN
5  NaN  NaN  wwc  wer  wew  NaN

A: Assuming your columns and indices are setup properly, you can just say.
df.loc[df_result.index,df_result.columns] = df_result

example of it working:
import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
df=pd.DataFrame(data=[ [1 for y in range(5)] for i in range(5)] , columns=list(range(5)))
df.loc[0::2,2]=np.nan
print(df)
df2 = pd.DataFrame(data=[ [2 for y in range(3)] for i in range(2)] , columns=list(range(2,5)),index=range(1,3))
df2.loc[:,3] = np.nan
print(df2)
df.loc[df2.index,df2.columns] = df2
print(df)


Turron Davenport | 2/25/2015, 10:29 a.m. | Updated on 2/25/2015, 10:30 a.m.
Those are the words that Ozzie Newsome used to start the annual State of the Ravens press conference. The fact that the first thing that was mentioned was creating cap flexibility tells just how big of an issue the team is having. The Ravens have spent quite a large figure in each of the past two years. In 2013, the Ravens spend $125.7 million and in 2014 they spent $126.5 million.
Bisciotti identified Ngata as being right in line with the past Ravens great such as Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs. Granted, Reed was able to move on to a new franchise unlike Lewis and Suggs for the time being.
Halite Ngata's contract calls for him to have a cap number as high as $16 million. He is in the final year of his contract and could become a free agent in 2016. If he does hit the open market, there will surely be some teams that will pay a premium for one of the elite interior defenders in the NFL. Ngata was one of the Raven's leaders in interceptions with two and he was constantly getting pressure on the quarterback last year.
Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs celebrate after Ngata sacked Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger during a game at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA on November 2, 2014.
Ladarius Webb is also a player whose contract needs some special attention. He was a solid starter for most of the season, but he fight through nagging back injury that hampered him all year. The Ravens have been actively interviewing draft prospects who are small corners that can cover the slot. It is very likely that one of the small guys is selected in the draft. Webb is still likely to be a Raven next year because they only said $2 million if they release him.
The free agency period is right around the corner so the Ravens will need to get the Ngata and Webb deals redone. Otherwise, there really isn't much that they can do regarding their own free agents. The most notable free agent to be would be Torrey Smith.
Could Ravens Lardarius Webb's future in Baltimore be in doubt?


Note: Tickets for shows not listed below are either free (NoLi Night Market; Al's Saturday Block Party; Kickoff Party feat. Amtrac, etc.) or will be available at the door on the night of the show (CunninLynguists, Tribe Called Lex and Nemo Achida at Cosmic Sunday night).
Please note that advance tickets to individual shows will end on Tuesday, 9/17 at 5 p.m.; after that, we will sell a limited number of tickets at the door of each show pending availability / capacity, with weekend pass holders receiving priority entry in the event that a venue reaches capaccity.
Advance weekend pass sales will end at 5 p.m Thursday, 9/19, but will be available for $75 (cash only) at the door of most venues. All doos sales are cash only.
University of Kentucky students can purchase discounted Weekend Passes with a valid student ID at the UK box office (UK Student Center, Room 253) Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. The UK box office can be reached at (859) 257-TICS.


text:
Q: Finding n such that f n is maximized in Haskell I am using Project Euler problems to learn Haskell and I find a recurring theme in many of these problems where I need to find a value n that gives some property (usually minimum or maximum) to a function f n. As I build up a solution, I often find it convenient to create a list of pairs (n, f n). This helps me quickly see if I have any errors in my logic because I can check against the examples given in the problem statement. Then I "filter" out the single pair that gives the solution. My solution to problem 47 is an example:
-- Problem 47

import Data.List
import ProjectEuler

main = do
    print (fst (head (filter (\(n, ds) -> (all (==consecutiveCount) ds))
                       (zip ns (map (map length)
                                    (map (map primeDivisors) consecutives))))))
    where consecutiveCount = 4
          consecutive n start = take n [start..]
          consecutives = map (consecutive consecutiveCount) ns
          ns = [1..]

It seems to me that there's a more "haskelly" way to do this. Is there?

A: Use maximumBy from Data.List with comparing from Data.Ord, e.g.
maximumBy (comparing snd) [(n, f n) | n <- ns]

this will compute f once for each n. If f is cheap to compute, you can go with the simpler
maximumBy (comparing f) ns

A: Well, you could write your function as
main = print $ fst $ head
         [ (x,ds) | x <- [1..]
                  , let ds=map primeDivisors [x..x+3], all ((==4).length) ds]

You could consider it "more Haskelly" to use Control.Arrow's (&&&), or "fan-out"
   filter (all ((==4).length).snd)
          . map (id &&& (\x-> map primeDivisors [x..x+3])) $ [1..]

To be able to tweak the code to try the simple examples first, you'd usually make it a function, abstracting over the variable(s) of interest, like so:
test n m = [ x | x <- [1..], all (==n) $ map (length.primeDivisors) [x..x+m-1]]

to search for m consequitive numbers each having n distinct prime factors. There is actually no need to carry the factorizations along in the final code.


1. What is the weather like as the novel opens?
2. Why does Mrs. Reed forbid Jane from joining her, Eliza, John, and Georgiana in the drawing-room?
(a) Because her children have complained that Jane is getting all the attention.
(b) Because she feels Jane has too much of a sociable and childlike disposition.
(c) Because she feels Jane does not have a sociable and childlike disposition.
(d) Because she feels Jane is contagious and does not want her children to get sick.
3. According to Jane, who bullies and punishes her "not two or three times in the week, nor once or twice in the day, but continually?"
4. Why is Jane taken and locked in the red-room?
(a) Because she defends herself against John.
(b) Because she pulls Georgiana's hair.
(c) Because she tells on Eliza.
(d) Because she defends herself against Bessie.


Sikorsky, February 22, 2010 - HOUSTON, Texas - Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today announced the continuation of upgrades for the S-92® helicopter, which has already received more than 60 enhancements since entering service in 2004. These upgrades, combined with the aircraft's rugged and flaw-tolerant design, have enabled the S-92 helicopter to become a leader in the highly demanding offshore oil, Head of State, and search and rescue segments. Sikorsky, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., announced the latest upgrade efforts at the Heli-Expo show in Houston.
• Reliability improvements to the rotor deicing system that have resulted in exceptional availability of aircraft equipped with the system this season.
• Enhanced active vibration control system for greater customer comfort.
• A cockpit noise reduction kit for greater pilot comfort.
• A new two-piece oil filter bowl assembly that reduces wear and tear and is easier to maintain.
• Next generation metal-chip detectors that require less maintenance and cleaning.
• Improved Air Stair Door with increased weight-carrying capacity .
• Search and Rescue Automatic Flight Control System that allows the aircraft to fly a pre-programmed coupled approach and reduces pilot workload in the search and rescue environment.
• Load-sensing cargo hook that automatically updates aircraft weight and balance readings.
• Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) capability for Gulf of Mexico region operators (co-developed with PHI) that improves safety and on-time performance.
Starting this October, Sikorsky plans to introduce a strengthened main transmission housing that has been developed for the H-92TM helicopter, a militarized variant of the commercial S-92 helicopter. The new housing is currently in the certification process and is designed to reduce unscheduled maintenance by eliminating such possibilities as the foot-mount cracks recently experienced by some operators. The new housing will have a much longer life than the current housing and will be manufactured by Sikorsky for retrofit on existing aircraft and installation on all new S-92 and H-92 helicopters.


This week's questions come from a defunct blog called Tense Teacher.
Do you prefer night or day?
What is your one wish?
Do you wish this year was over?
What is one fear that you are most paranoid about?
What personality trait would you look for in someone you wanted to date?
Are you quick to judge people?
Do you think you are always right?
Do you watch reality T.V.?
What is a good reason to cry?
Do you prefer sun or rain?
When was the last time you slept in a tent?
Do you open your eyes when under water?
What is the worst veggie?
What was your last family vacation together?
Have you ever seen the X-Games?
Do you own or have you ever played a xylophone?
Do you like the color yellow?
What do you yearn for most?
Do you believe in the Zodiac?
Posts in four minutes. I'm tired! Hope I did it right!
I came, I saw I bligged.


text:
Trends in AI: What's to Come?
Legal Data and the Future of Legal Services
By Wolfgang Alschner In Artificial Intelligence Future of Legal Profession
This post was prepared for the Law Society of Ontario Symposium on AI and its role in litigation on November 13, 2018.
The current artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is fueled by the unprecedented availability of big data. Data is the oil of the 21st century, so the saying goes. AI, algorithms and processing power are mere tools. The real value is generated from mining large data repositories. Therefore, in order to think about trends in legal AI over the next five years or so, it is crucial to start with legal data – what is it, who owns it and how does the distribution of legal data affect trends in legal AI in the near future.
The bad news for small and medium sized law firms is that other actors hold most legal data. As a result, small and medium sized firms will be consumers rather than producers of legal AI. The key challenge they face in the short to medium term will thus not be how to deploy AI, but how to develop in-house expertise in what legal technology to buy and when to outsource to legal tech intermediaries. This will coincide with a transformation of the legal eco-system as legal technology pervades and sometime replaces an ever-larger set of tasks that used to be performed by human lawyers. The future will not necessarily offer fewer employment opportunities in law, but there will be fewer lawyers working in traditional roles as legal technology becomes mainstream.
Most law firms will be consumers rather than producers of AI-based insights
AI needs data to generate insights. But where does this data come from in law? Legal data can be divided into two groups: (1) public data on the legal system and (2) private data on legal processes, files and cases.
Public legal data concerns information about primary legal sources (e.g. cases, laws, regulations), their commentary (e.g. parliamentary debates, scholarship) and actors (e.g. lawyers, judges). AI can extract value from this data by evaluating the success rate of lawyers or by predicting court outcomes, just to name a few applications. But calling this data public is somewhat of a misnomer. Whereas portals such as CanLII provide free access to court decisions to be read by humans, terms of service restrictions prevent this data to be mined by computers. Most of the "public" legal data is, in fact, in private hands – be it because the largest repositories of legal information are private companies like Westlaw or LexisNexis or because courts are unwilling or unable to share data. As a result, public legal data in large quantities is often out of reach for smaller law firms.
Private legal data is data produced in-house in the process of rendering legal services. Courts amass legal process data and law firms accumulate memos, files and filings. This data can be mined to streamline, standardize and automate legal processes. Yet, in order to meaningfully apply AI to in-house data, it has to reach a certain scale. Global law firms will be able to extract value from the data their lawyers produce in-house, but smaller law firms will not find it worthwhile to hire data scientists to apply raw AI to their smaller data sets.
In short, large quantities of public or private legal data will generally be out of reach for smaller law firms. Since AI needs data to do its magic, most law firms will thus become consumers rather than producers of insights generated by legal AI.
Navigating a growing and increasingly crowded legal technology space
As consumers of AI-based insights, most law firms will need to buy legal technology. This has three important consequences as legal technology becomes more important and replaces tasks formerly carried out by human lawyers.
First, smaller law firms will need to become technologically aware and learn to navigate an expanding and increasingly crowded legal technology space. They will need to progressively integrate new technologies into their workflows to remain competitive, provide high-quality yet cost effective services and fulfill their professional obligations. They will also face tougher procurement decisions in the process. What technology do I need to buy? How can I tell a good from a poor quality technology vendor? When do we need to buy a technology and when do we need to buy a legal technology service? To answer these questions law firms will need to increasingly invest in staff training and create new full-time positions dedicated to managing the firm's relationship to legal technology. For smaller firms the rise of legal AI will therefore be a managerial rather than a technological challenge.
Second, a new type of law firm will emerge that will act as legal technology intermediary between legal tech and more traditional law firms. As consumers of AI, smaller law firms will not find it economical to build in-house expertise to mine legal data themselves, but they may nevertheless face a case or an opportunity that requires AI techniques. To fill a growing demand for ad hoc legal technology expertise boutique firms specialized in legal technology will emerge to support law firms on e-discovery or legal data mining matters. Often these firms will operate as local vendors and support service for larger legal technology companies. These small and often local legal technology service providers will become vital intermediaries between legal tech companies and traditional law firms.
Third, AI will spur the growth of legal technology in companies with access to large legal data. AI-powered technology will improve and proliferate to ever new legal market segments where it progressively crowds-out traditional lawyers. As the legal technology space expands and becomes more crowded, the space occupied by traditional law firms will shrink. In the aggregate, this will shift employment opportunities in the legal sector away from traditional law firms and towards legal technology intermediaries and producers of legal AI.
Not necessarily a smaller, but certainly a different profession
The uneven distribution of legal data will therefore transform the legal profession. Whereas in the longer term the disintermediation of legal services through legal technology provided directly to end-users will likely lead to a decline in legal jobs, the short to medium term will be dominated by legal technology provided to law firms resulting in a less significant effect on net employment in law. Qualifications such as legal technologists will become mainstream, firms operating as legal technology intermediaries will proliferate and incumbent and new legal technology providers will seek to mine ever-larger datasets creating new jobs for legal data scientists in the process. In short, we will have fewer lawyers working in traditional roles and more lawyers working in one way or another with legal technology.
So what should smaller law firms do to brace for this future? First, law firms need to build legal technology expertise in-house, e.g. by creating positions such as that of a legal technologist, but not overinvest in specialized skills particularly if they lack access to large legal data. Second, they will have to work more closely with legal technology intermediaries that offer specialized technology services on a needs basis. Finally, in an increasingly technology-laden world, they will have to monitor changes, threats and opportunity associated with AI's impact on the law. Many regulatory questions from professional responsibility surrounding the use of legal technology, to the ownership and accessibility of legal data or the transparency of AI algorithms remain unresolved. These issues will be debated within the profession and in society over the next five years and will require input and active participation by lawyers.
Everything from coding4lawyers to legal data science resources and research.
Artificial Intelligence(1)
Future of Legal Profession(1)
Legal Text Mining(1)
Trade Agreements(1)
access_time Last update September 5, 2019.
Data Science For Lawyers
The project is hosted at the University of Ottawa. It is funded by the Ontario Research Fund and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. It is supported by the University of Ottawa's Centre for Law, Technology and Society, the leading Canadian research hub for law, policy and technology.
© 2019 Wolfgang Alschner
chat networking coding local-network layer menu folders diagram panel route line-chart compass search flow data-sharing search-1 message target translator candidates studying chat networking coding local-network layer menu folders diagram panel route line-chart compass search flow data-sharing search-1 message target translator candidates studying


text:
Houston police 'car guy' fixing up vintage cruisers
Local // Houston
Nicole Hensley Nov. 21, 2018 Updated: Nov. 21, 2018 6:37 p.m.
1of7Houston Police Officer Jason Knox poses with his restored 1996 Chevrolet Caprice HPD cruiser and will drive it in the Thanksgiving Day parade Thursday.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
2of7The old cruiser Houston Police Officer Jason Knox fixed up has the all Columbia blue that blanketed the HPD fleet in the mid-1990s.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
3of7Houston Police Officer Jason Knox sits in the restored 1996 Chevrolet Caprice HPD cruiser that features a computer console from that year.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
4of7Houston Police Officer Jason Knox talks to Knapp Chevrolet head painter Aurelio Morillon (left) about painting a 1988 HPD cruiser on Wednesday.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
5of7Houston Police Officer Jason Knox expects his 1988 HPD cruiser to be completed in January.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
6of7Houston Police Officer Jason Knox's keys for his 1988 HPD cruiser.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
7of7Houston Police Officer Jason Knox talks to Knapp Chevrolet head painter Aurelio Morillon (right) about the freshly painted door rims on '88 Caprice.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Officer Jason Knox may be the one behind the wheel, but his Oilers-blue cruiser is the real celebrity.
Selfies, thumbs up and lookie-loos greet the handy Houston police car aficionado everywhere he goes in the law enforcement version of the 1996 Chevrolet Caprice he patched up to patrol the streets of Space City just like they used to.
Some, he says, remember the car from the inside.
"Nostalgia kicks in," said Knox, a member of Houston Police Department's Public Affairs Division.
The 22-year-old car is decked out with the Columbia blue that blanketed the HPD fleet in the mid-1990s. For Knox, it's the first restoration project he has completed since he decided as a patrol officer in 2015 to return retired cop cars to their former glory. A visit to the Los Angeles Police Department museum inspired him, specifically their collection of vintage law enforcement vehicles — one for each decade, Knox said.
He searched high and low for a 1996 model Caprice that served the nation's fourth largest city and had a chance at being roadworthy again, but that was a bust.
"By the time they make it to auction, they're pretty dead," Knox said.
Knox cast a wider net outside of Texas. He found a government surplus auction in Pasadena, California, that was offering the same model he was looking for.The Caprice he was eyeing once belonged to the Pasadena Police Department, where it logged a whopping 196,000 miles on it. He snagged the car on the cheap — a cool $700 — with little to no competition.
The good news? The car was ship-shape to boot. All he had to do was ship it back to Houston and change the oil, air filters and transmission fluid.
He said Chief Art Acevedo blessed the project but was the city was unable to earmark any funds to the restoration, which wrapped up in April. The Houston Police Officers Union pitched in a grand that covered the single-tone paint job. Another $350 of his own cash was required to order up the same decal shields that graced Houston police vehicles of that era, according to the union's website.
"I thought it would need a new engine, but it started right up with an ice cold AC," Knox said. "I'm not fixing to take the whole engine out and replace that. That's beyond my skill set."
He attributes the good condition of the vehicle to the official who drove it last, likely an administrative member of Pasadena's force or a detective.
The Caprice was once considered the gold standard of rear-wheel-drive cop cars because of their heavy-duty brakes, suspension and engines. But when General Motors stopped manufacturing the vehicles at their Arlington plant in 1996, the more expensive Ford Crown Victoria took over the law enforcement market and became the new favorite. It was discontinued in 2011.
To prepare for his project, Knox read up and memorized how General Motors tweaked the body of their Caprices from year to year. The car he fixed up is a near match — inside and out — to the final 300 or so Caprices bought for Houston patrols after 1995, and similar to the earlier models that ferried Knox to school. His father, Councilman Mike Knox, served as a Houston police officer for 15 years until retiring in 1995.
Tracking down the same bits and pieces that made the same car that roamed Houston streets proved to be a pain.
In his spare time, he surveyed junkyards for parts. He popped open the hood of a chopped-up police Caprice near Hobby Airport and found the unique paint code that matched the Oilers football uniforms. He stumbled upon a working computer console from that year on eBay. It isn't patched into the Houston police servers but back in the day, the clunky four to five-inch monitor would have shown a log of calls and vehicle information during traffic stops. As for the emergency light bar, Knox found on Craigslist, he said.
Don't expect to see Knox in your rear-view mirror during a traffic stop. The car is strictly for community events and parades, he said. He plans to show it off during the Thanksgiving parade Thursday in downtown Houston.
Knox's next project is to recreate the '88 Caprice police package to show what Houston authorities used to drive. He tracked down a barely-used Caprice from that year that was last registered to the campus police at the Texas State University in San Marcos. It had only 75,000 miles on it, which Knox said is "very low mileage for its age."
The condition was just as good, Knox said, besides a touch of rust that required him to sandblast the wheels. After a fresh coat of paint, he expects to hit the road with it in January.
For his first car, he knew it didn't need to be perfect. It needed to fire up and look like it came "straight off the streets."
"I wanted it to have the dings and bumps," he said, pointing to the cracked dashboard.
The bumps were not hard to miss during a drive from Midtown to the Montrose neighborhood, where bystanders stopped to gawk and snap photos of the ride as Knox sipped a coffee nearby.
Of the attention, Knox said "the car paid for itself."
nicole.hensley@chron.com
@nkhensley
Nicole Hensley
Follow Nicole on:
nkhensley
Nicole Hensley is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She joined the Chronicle in 2018 after covering breaking news at the New York Daily News and The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington. A native of Seattle, Nicole is a graduate of Washington State University.
Friends: Bellaire teen's dream was to join Army
Friends: Bellaire teen who was killed in school shooting dreamed of joining Army
Police: Tot abandoned first by slot-playing parents and then accused car thieves at Houston park
Sheriff: Woman flown to hospital with 'serious' head wound after...
'Take me to the king': In contest that has become tradition, young...
The top terrorist threats in the state of Texas, according to a recent...
Houston Housing Authority opts not to extend contract of CEO Tory Gunsolley
She's off the streets. Why are her clothes still in plastic bags?
No indictment for sgt. in stepson's shooting
People who served time say it was based on ex-cop Goines' lies