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Advanced Water Metering
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Crossings Specific Plan
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Traffic Tickets/Reports
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1. What is the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan Project?
The City has been working on drafting a Specific Plan that would change the zoning of the area of town that is south of Talbert, north of Ellis, east of Ward and west of the Santa Ana River. The goal of the zoning change is to create more flexible land use possibilities for the property owners of the area. The hope is that more flexible land use options will result in significant community improvements through real estate investments and new services and venues for residents to enjoy.
The more flexible land use possibilities that the Specific Plan would allow include commercial, office and limited residential. Currently, the zoning in this area allows for light industrial and limited commercial businesses only.
Project Area Map
2. Will the roadways around the FV Crossings Specific Plan area be impacted by additional traffic if the limited amount of new land uses such as retail and residential are eventually added to the area?
No. The Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan area is currently built out with businesses and storefronts that generate a sizable amount of traffic today. The Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan does allow for a limited amount of resident and additional employment centers to be created in the future. The additional traffic that will be generated by any changes in the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan area will be minimal though compared with the traffic that already exists. The table below demonstrates the existing traffic the surrounding roadways experience today and the additional traffic that will be added if the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan area is ever reused to the maximum amount allowed. For example, this chart shows that Euclid Avenue currently sees 33,000 vehicle trips per day. If the Crossings area was built to the maximum allowed, it would only add 790 new vehicle trips per day.
3. Will the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan introduce "Bella Terra style" housing density to the area?
No. The Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan allows for up to 490 residential units to be added to an area of approximately 60-acres. As shown in the graph below, that equals about 8.3 residential units per acre. The Huntington Beach residential developments that have been constructed average a density of about 59-residential units per acre.
4. Why has the City embarked on the process of creating a proposed FV Crossings Specific Plan?
The proposed Specific Plan Area was a Redevelopment Project Area until 2012 when the State of California abolished redevelopment programs. The Specific Plan area is generally located south of Talbert, north of Ellis, east of Ward and west of the Santa Ana River. This area was designated as a redevelopment area due to a lack of private investment in the properties. In addition to being a Redevelopment project area, the Specific Plan area was designated as a Special Study Area that needed master planning in the City's General Plan adopted in 1995.
Over the years, the Specific Plan area has experienced economic challenges as the demand for light industrial-type businesses declines and demand for commercial-type uses increases. While the City has worked extensively with property owners and managers to help place tenants through the City's economic development efforts, current zoning constraints prevent staff from allowing commercial type businesses to move into the area.
The purpose of the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan will be to provide a policy and zoning framework that will allow for additional land-use flexibility in the project area. The City's goal is to encourage current and future property owners to invest in their property to take advantage of these new development options. This new flexibility will not only allow property owners and businesses to continue to operate as they do today, but will also provide a design framework in which a community activity center district could be created through private investment.
Another purpose of the Specific Plan is to foster the creation of a "Fountain Valley" scale main street experience for residents. This main street environment would provide a gathering place for families and all residents where they can shop and dine.
5. Doesn't the City value the current businesses in the proposed FV Crossings Specific Plan area?
Yes. There are approximately 200 businesses located in the geographic area that encompasses the FV Crossings Specific Plan area. Many of these businesses are successful and create great value for the City and its residents. Adoption of a FV Crossings Specific Plan does not directly push these businesses out of Fountain Valley. However, the additional uses that become available to land owners in the plan area may result in business transition. While business changes due to market forces can mean some businesses transition away, we must also allow choices that enable broader options. The FV Crossings Specific Plan has been drafted with a look to the future. As businesses change, the FV Crossings Specific Plan would allow property owners and managers to lease to a wider array of tenants or to reinvest in their properties so they can be used for even better uses.
6. Is it true there will be 700 residential units allowed in the proposed Specific Plan area?
No. The maximum number of residential units that could be in the current long-range plan is 490. The limited residential land use component of the Specific Plan is intended to help make new commercial businesses and restaurants successful. Having a core of retail demand from residents in the Crossings Specific Plan will help provide customers that new businesses will need to survive.
7. Will 20% of the housing units in the proposed Specific Plan area be required to be low income units?
No. There is no requirement within the draft FV Crossings Specific Plan that calls for 20% of a housing units built to be for low income persons. Further, the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan area is not subject to any outside agency requirements that will mandate any percent of housing units to be for persons of low income.
8. What is the impact of the proposed Specific Plan on the City's budget?
The Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan project planning process is not being funded by the City's General Fund budget. Funding sources for the project planning include former Redevelopment Agency unused bond revenue and a grant from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG).
It is possible that if the Specific Plan is adopted and more retail businesses move into the area and are successful, there will be addition sales tax revenues generated, a portion of which will add to the City General Fund.
9. Has the City performed any financial analysis of the impacts that the zoning changes would have on the City's tax revenue if the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan is approved?
Yes. In December 2010, the City took the first step in assessing the financial viability and potential of the light manufacturing district that makes up the proposed Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan area, by hiring The Concord Group to perform a Strategic Market Analysis. The Strategic Market Analysis that was delivered by The Concord Group provided findings, conclusions and recommendations as to how the Specific Plan area can be re-envisioned to provide greater tax revenue for the City though a master plan that allows for land uses that the market wants. This study was updated and the findings confirmed subsequently in 2014.
In 2015, the City received approximately $2.2 million is sales tax revenue from the businesses within the proposed Specific Plan area. Currently, property owners are limited in the retail businesses that are allowed under the light manufacturing zoning. By allowing more retail businesses to exist in the proposed Specific Plan area the sales tax revenue will be able to increase. Also important to note regarding retail businesses is that the Strategic Market Analysis performed by The Concord Group found that there is demand in the City for an additional 500,000 square feet of retail space. But the retail space is unlikely to be realized if there are not enough customers during all hours of the day and week to patronize the businesses. For this reason, the Strategic Market Analysis found and recommended that a limited amount of residential land uses are also important to include in new vision for the proposed Specific Plan area.
Also in 2015, the City saw approximately $550,000 in property tax revenue. It is important to note that the new Hyundai building, which only makes up 18-acres of the 155-acre Specific Plan area, generates approximately $200,000 in property tax revenue alone. This demonstrates the large difference in the contribution to the City's tax revenue between properties that have received new investment and properties that have not. The Strategic Market Analysis found that in the future there will be about 350,000 square feet of new office space desired in the City.
The proposed Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan generally adds the ability for property owners to lease their property to more types of businesses than they can under the current light manufacturing zoning. The proposed new flexibility in additional businesses that are allowed would increase the value of the property for the property owner. Additionally, retail businesses payer higher rents than light manufacturing businesses do. Therefore property owners would also be able to receive higher rents if they chose to as well.
The City has also considered the costs of providing services if the proposed Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan is adopted and properties eventually start seeing new commercial, office and limited residential land uses. These services include police, fire, water, sewer, road maintenance, etc. In this assessment, it was found that the services would not need to be increased significantly and any increases in costs of services for the proposed Specific Plan area would be minimal.
10. How is the Specific Plan being funded?
The total contract cost for the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan is $621,129. This price includes time and materials for four specialized consultant teams over a 2-year project term. Tasks include conducting community meetings and outreach, gathering extensive background research and data, developing the draft Specific Plan, preparing a Program Environmental Impact Report, presenting at public hearings and finalizing the Specific Plan.
There is no general fund spending involved in this project. Funding sources for the project include former Redevelopment Agency unused bond revenue and a grant from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). The bond revenue is money that can only be spent on projects such as this Specific Plan and cannot be used for general fund spending (i.e. police, fire, and administration operations). The grant obtained from SCAG is funding that is awarded to communities that pursue plans and projects that coordinate land use and transportation actions, demonstrate excellence in planning and design, and improve mobility, livability, and prosperity of the region.
The City of Fountain Valley is not funding any land acquisition or offering construction incentives related to the FV Crossings Specific Plan. The only funds being expended through the City are related to the above noted planning consulting teams.
11. Will parking, water supply and demand, sewer capacity, school district capacity be considered?
Yes. The Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan project includes the preparation of a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires an EIR analysis to identify and focus on the significant environmental effects of a proposed project. Environmental issues that are covered include aesthetics, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, greenhouse gases and climate change, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, noise, population, housing and employment; public services (i.e. fire, police, parks, schools, libraries); transportation and circulation; and utilities (i.e. sewer, water, electricity). Each of the environmental issues will be analyzed to determine if a significant impact will occur and, if so, what mitigations will be required to lessen the impact to an acceptable level.
12. Does the City believe that the Specific Plan will cause changes to occur in the district?
Likely. The Specific Plan is a zoning tool that has a 20-year horizon. Adoption of the Specific Plan will not cause overnight changes to occur in the district, but it will likely foster future changes. The Specific Plan has been drafted to provide a more flexible and pro-business environment that will encourage property and business owners to reinvest in their properties. In addition to having more freedom to develop their property, property owners will also benefit from a shared Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report that has been drafted for the long-term horizon of the Specific Plan and aids property developers in working through this regulatory hurdle with confidence. This Environmental Impact Report will address environment regulatory compliance needs for any project that conforms with the Specific Plan. This is a great incentive to those wishing to reinvest in any of the properties in the Specific Plan area.
13. Can the City use eminent domain?
No. In the past, redevelopment agencies had the power of eminent domain to take private property (with fair market compensation paid to the owner) in order to assemble larger properties to conduct projects. This power was legislatively taken away years ago now and redevelopment agencies were dissolved by the State of California in 2012. The City does not have the powers of eminent domain as redevelopment agencies formerly did. Therefore, the City will not use eminent domain to acquire any property in the FV Crossings Specific Plan area.
14. I understand that there are advantages for property owners if the proposed Specific Plan is adopted, what are the advantages for current residents?
At the core of the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan is the goal of providing a retail district for residents to visit with their families and gather with neighbors. The City has long heard from residents that Fountain Valley lacks a "place to go" in the community to shop and dine. Furthermore, Fountain Valley currently does not have a "Main Street" where events such as a weekly Farmers Market or Saturday morning art street fair could be held. Another amenity that Fountain Valley does not have is a great diversity of housing types. The community is largely comprised of large single-family homes and has little entry-level housing options for young adults that grew up in the community and want to stay. The limited housing allowed in the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan will help provide for a small increase in the diversity of the housing in the community to help address affordability. Lastly, property owners in the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan area will realize higher property values and rents if they reinvest in their properties. Having this incentive will ultimately help improve the aesthetics of the area.
15. Will the Clear Channel Outdoor Electronic Message Center Sign that was proposed on the City's water tank property be approved as part of the proposed FV Crossings Specific Plan?
No. The Clear Channel Outdoor Electronic Message Center Sign is not part of the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan proposal and will not be considered for approval as part of the Specific Plan. The water tank property that the Electronic Message Center Sign has been proposed for is not in the Specific Plan boundary area.
16. Height is a concern for future buildings within the proposed FV Crossings Specific Plan area. How will these concerns be accommodated?
Today, the current manufacturing zoning of the proposed Specific Plan area allows for buildings to be built 60-feet high or 4-stories, twenty feet behind the sidewalk. The Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan was drafted with resident feedback in mind and limits building height more that the current zoning does though. To ensure that impacts to surrounding neighborhoods on Talbert Avenue or Ward Street are avoided, the Specific Plan development standards call for greater height restrictions of only 2-stories for the first 65-feet from the back of the sidewalk on Talbert Avenue and Ward Street. This is the same height as the 2-story homes that are located north and west of these two streets respectively. The tallest any buildings are allowed to be without additional public hearings and Planning Commission approval is 4-stories, which is consistent with the current manufacturing zoning. Along the river and adjacent to the freeway only, a 6-stories or under building may be permitted if they receive approval from the Planning Commission in a public hearing.
17. How will open space be addressed and provided in any new development?
Open space is required for property throughout the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan area. Within the development standards area provisions for both private (in the case of residential) and public (commercial & retail properties) open space. These requirements will provide for public gathering places, paseos, pocket parks, etc.
18. How will the City ensure the quality of future projects that may be constructed or rehabilitated?
The Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan uses form-based codes to regulate building facades and the form and mass of buildings. The regulations and standards in form-based codes are presented in both words and clearly drawn diagrams and other visuals. The regulations are very prescriptive when it comes to architectural features that are viewed by the public. Using the form-based codes tools will ensure that the district is revamped in a consistent and congruent way over time.
19. What are form-based codes?
A form-based code is an alternative to traditional zoning that regulates property development and land use. A form based code concentrates on the outside appearance of a building. The "form" of the building (architectural elements, size, mass, etc.) is the focus. This way of regulating property development allows for several properties to be developed individually, but ultimately look like they were developed together. This creates cohesion in the Specific Plan area as the buildings are all compatible with each other even though they were developed separately.
20. How many other cities have form-based codes in place?
City of Azusa - Development Code (2005)
City of Lancaster - Downtown Specific Plan (2008)
County of Los Angeles - East LA 3rd Street Specific Plan (2014)
City of Pomona - Corridors Specific Plan (2014) - prepared by FTS
City of Santa Ana - Transit Zoning Code (2010)
City of San Diego - Ramona Village Form Based Code (2013)
City of Soledad - Downtown Specific Plan (2012)
City of Tehachapi - General Plan and Zoning Code (2014)
City of Ventura - Downtown Specific Plan (2007) (FTS prepared the preceding version of this Downtown Specific Plan in 1993)
City of Ventura - Midtown Corridors Code (2012)
City of Whittier - Whittier Boulevard Specific Plan (2005) - prepared by FTS as early version of form-based code, updated by others in 2015
City of Whittier - Uptown Specific Plan (2008)
City of Livermore, CA - Downtown Specific Plan (2004) - early version of form-based code
City of Whittier, CA - Whittier Boulevard Specific Plan (2005) - early version of form-based code, updated by others in 2015
City of Bothell, WA - Downtown Subarea Plan & Code Update (2009)
City of Tracy, CA - Downtown Specific Plan (2009)
City of Redwood City, CA - Downtown Precise Plan (2011)
City of Pomona, CA - Corridors Specific Plan (2014)
City of Sunnyvale, CA - Peery Park Specific Plan (in process)
City of Montebello, CA - Whittier Boulevard Corridor Development Code (in process)
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Liberty Steel Group invests for long-term greener steel future
18th Mar 2020, 12:11 • In News
Liberty Steel 180320
Liberty Steel Group is investing in the young engineers of the future with the announcement that its Speciality Steels business in South Yorkshire is hiring a new group of apprentices for the upcoming academic year.
The company is offering 20 Level 3 and Degree apprenticeships in a variety of engineering specialisms, covering electrical, mechanical and materials across its South Yorkshire business. A further 10 apprentices will be hired across Liberty Steel Group's other UK businesses.
Liberty's Speciality Steels' apprenticeship programme, which operates across sites in Stocksbridge and Rotherham, is renowned in the region and was selected as a Centrica Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer in 2018.
Apprentices joining Speciality Steels will have the opportunity to learn and work in a business producing high grades of steel for demanding applications such as the aerospace, oil and gas, automotive and motorsport industries.
They will also have the chance to shape Liberty Steel Group's transition to carbon-neutral status by 2030 as it aims to be the first global largescale steel producer to achieve this ambitious goal.
Related: GFG Alliance merges its Liberty Steel businesses
The Speciality Steels business in Rotherham is already ahead of the curve on reducing emissions as it uses an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) to melt scrap steel and produce new steel products, bypassing the carbon emissions from blast furnace steel production.
Apprenticeships enable students to study locally while earning a salary and experience from hands-on and practical engineering tasks.
The closing deadline for applications is 30th April and information on applying can be found here
Mick Hood, Liberty Steel Group's UK HR director commented: "As someone who joined Speciality Steels as an apprentice over 40 years ago, I can testify to the positive impact the apprenticeship can have on a career in specialist engineering.
"This is a business steeped in rich local heritage but one that also has a global reach. Apprentices at Liberty are part of an operation involved in the production of steel for civil aircraft undercarriages that land somewhere in the world on average every three seconds."
Liberty Steel Group www.libertysteelgroup.com
Liberty Steel Group
uk-steel-industry
Tata Steel finalises deal to save 4,400 British jobs
Tata Steel has completed a deal for the sale of its European long steel business, including the giant Scunthorpe plant, to investment firm Greybull Capital.
6 years ago News
Government commits to long-term plan for UK steel
Steelmakers have pressed the Business Secretary to commit the government to further reduce energy costs and ensure more UK made steel is used in major projects, when the steel council chaired by Sajid Javid met in London recently.
UK Steel publishes its Brexit blueprint for the Government
Industry trade body, UK Steel, has published a Brexit blueprint for the Government explaining what steps it needs to take to secure the future of the crisis-torn sector.
1 hour ago News

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Proraso is the top shaving brand south of the Alps – quality Italian products made in Florence. The company has been supplying its customers with refreshing shaving care products since 1948 and is now in its third generation.
Over all these years, the quality formula based on eucalyptus oil has remained within the family. The closely guarded secret is passed down from generation to generation.


This is it guys, the final FIFA 15 News Roundup is here that will bring you the last news about FIFA 15.
TOTW 52 in-forms will be available in packs from September 9th – September 16th. You can view the team in more details at FUTHead or FUTWiz.
You can also view the final Summer Transfers update in Ultimate Team 15 right here.
Thanks to everyone who followed us through out the season and we hope you'll continue to do that for FIFA 16 as well.
Cheers and see you next week with our 5th FIFA 16 News Roundup!


Wedding Professionals – Meet with wedding professionals such as DJ's, photographers and more.
Marketplace for shopping – Bring some cash to shop onsite. Jewelry, clothes exhibitors and more will be present with items to sell on the spot.
Lounge – Sit in furniture you can rent for your wedding to try it out or just to take a load off for a while.
Cash Bar – Beer, wine and mimosas will be served.
Grand Prize – $500 cash. Only engaged persons are eligible.
Looking to buy tickets for the show? Click here. Tickets are $7 each in advance or $10 at the door and there are special surprises for engaged attendees!
Please call 443.609.4167 for more information or to become a vendor.
Check out our list of exhibitors who are already registered to be at the show!


Communication and innovation are at the heart of every successful company. In this hectic, fast-paced world, employees have greater demands than ever to be faster, better and do more with less time. It can be extremely challenging to stay motivated and inspired every day. We'll help you create a culture of positivity and productivity where people love their work. Give your employees the support and communication skills they need to impact your business.
Uncover issues within the workforce that could be holding you back.
Get a clear understanding of personal challenges employees face.
Improve workflow within the company and teach communication skills that enhance productivity.
Teach sales techniques to leverage interactions with clients that build business.
Empower individuals to take ownership and share innovative ideas.
Teach you about the four personality types and effective ways of dealing with them.
Deliver the most positive client experience to ensure repeat business.
Boost morale by giving coworkers a place to express themselves.
Encourage employees to take initiative and develop their leadership skills.
Maximize employee capabilities and how they want to grow within the company.
Gain understanding about interoffice dynamics. Negativity and positivity are contagious.
Teach mindset techniques to help with the pressures and demands of the daily grind.
Use the power of the YES AND technique to stay positive and keep conversations moving forward.


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13th ZeGeVege Festival
March for Animals 2019
March for the Animals 2018
Campaign "I Love Animals"
Animals: A Parallel History
Ayurvedic Vegan Delicacies
11/17/21 Plant-based proteins more desirable
08/17/21 Vegan Scrambled Eggs
07/15/21 Croatia bans plastic bags!
06/14/21 VegeFair - a place of good decisions
06/09/21 Let's not allow the destruction of Croatia with plastic bags!
05/28/21 Farmers, create the most innovative vegan product!
05/15/21 Italy bans trade of exotic animals!
05/03/21 Vegan sportswoman wins gold medal
04/19/21 We can save the Earth by switching to veganism
01/13/21 The earthquake was salvation for many animals
01/02/21 Firecrackers are prohibited by law from today on!
12/30/20 Stop using firecrackers, help after earthquakes
12/18/20 Firecrackers finally banned!
10/31/20 Green, blue, white - vegan colors
10/29/20 Vegan day celebrated in Zagreb
09/30/20 Be their voice!
08/29/20 World Speciesism Abolition Day
08/26/20 ZeGeVege festival has been canceled
08/06/20 Challenge 22 launched in Croatia!
08/03/20 Exotic animals shouldn't be pets
07/30/20 The lack of government control
07/20/20 Top ten books and films about veganism
07/16/20 Vegan children are starving in schools
06/19/20 9th Vege Fair
06/10/20 VeggieFair brings back to life
05/15/20 Isolation cookbook
05/11/20 Animals suffer in isolation too
05/04/20 Vegan quiz widens perspectives
01/29/20 Throw firecrackers in history!
01/13/20 In order help Koala bears, we need to stop eat meat
10/05/19 Vegan picnic
06/15/19 Love is Not for Sale!
06/01/19 Horses in Zagreb Turned into Walking Trucks
05/14/19 Vegan Meals are Good for Everyone
05/10/19 Find a Solution for Yourself and the Environment
04/26/19 Another Support to the Firecrackers Ban
04/23/19 Let's Ban Lightweight Plastic Bags!
01/29/19 A Delicious and Bountiful Vegan Dinner
12/24/18 Luka Oman Receives a Peace Prize
12/24/18 Second March for the Animals was a Success
12/19/18 Let's Put a Stop to Hurting People and Animals
12/08/18 Second March for the Animals in Zagreb
12/05/18 For the establishment of an Animal protection inspection!
08/16/18 When I Say Kindness, I Mean Veganism
08/03/18 11th ZeGeVege festival - Croatian Veganmania
05/12/18 Firecrackers are dangerous for both kids and animals
01/31/18 Appeal: Ban firecrackers
01/18/18 Allowing Cities to Ban Pyrotechnics
12/29/17 Be Kinder to Animals
12/26/17 Stop the Firecracker Terror!
12/09/17 March - International Animal Rights Day
12/04/17 Coordination working groups in each county
12/01/17 March for Animal Rights!
10/26/17 Enforcement of a New Act
10/04/17 Parliament Ratified the New Act
09/22/17 Animal Protection Act passes 2nd reading in Parliament
09/06/17 Everyone to 10th ZeGeVege festival
08/18/17 Vegan pizza looks good on everyone
08/02/17 Veganism Looks Good on Everyone
07/27/17 The Act On Explosive Substances Has Come Into Force
07/14/17 Invitation to the 10th ZegeVege festival!
10 Years of ZeGeVege Festival
Interview with SPAR
Interview with dm
Interview with bio&bio stores
06/30/17 Act Proposal Receives Approval
05/17/17 Animal Protection Act before the Government
04/20/17 Exhibition on Earth Day
03/30/17 Living in Harmony with Wild Animals
03/17/17 People and Wild Animals Must Coexist
03/09/17 Plastic Bags won't be Free!
12/10/16 The Earthlings Experience
12/03/16 Getting Closer to Plastic Bags Ban
10/16/16 Less Meat for Less Hunger and Poverty
10/04/16 Crvena Jabuka at Veggie Picnic!
09/09/16 Call for participation in public discussion
09/08/16 For the better Animal Protection Act
08/31/16 ZeGeVege 2016 is here!
04/23/16 Food and Ecology
02/25/16 Ayurvedic Vegan Delicacies
01/12/16 Plant-based Diet During Pregnancy
12/10/15 Animal Rights Day
11/03/15 Political Parties and Animals
10/20/15 Political Parties On Animal Welfare
09/02/15 ZeGeVege Veganmania Is Just Around the Corner
08/20/15 For a Positive list
07/15/15 Create the Law for Animals
06/18/15 Tell Them My Story, Friend
05/11/15 None Should Be Free!
04/23/15 New Victories
02/09/15 No to Fireworks and Firearms!
01/28/15 Volunteer for Animals!
01/16/15 Let Firecrackers Become History!
11/26/14 Tortured Horses on Velebit
11/03/14 Croatia is not Protecting Our Environment
09/03/14 ZeGeVege Festival
08/11/14 ZeGeVege 2014
05/27/14 The Rescued Animals Need Help!
05/21/14 People of Gunja: Rescue Our Animals!
05/19/14 Save the Animals in the Floods!
01/22/14 Animal Welfare at the European Elections!
01/03/14 Firecrackers
12/10/13 A Fight for the Rights of the Oppressed Majority
12/05/13 Our Environment is Paying for the Free Bag
10/01/13 Animal Friends Days 2013
09/06/13 Kebab Also At the ZeGeVege Festival!
08/23/13 Hempburghers at the ZeGeVege Festival!
08/14/13 ZeGeVege Festival of Sustainable Living!
06/12/13 Be an Animal Friend!
04/22/13 Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist
03/15/13 The Amendments have Helped Animals!
02/21/13 Animals as Political Questions!
02/15/13 Legislators Betrayed Animals!
02/01/13 Tell My Story, Friend!
01/25/13 Veterinary Inspectors Sue Animal Friends for Mental Distress!
01/08/13 Black Chronicle 2012
01/04/13 New Penal Code
12/20/12 Let's Give Anima as Gift!
11/09/12 Animal Friends Needs Your Help!
10/19/12 How to Help Animals?
10/16/12 More Meat, the Hungrier the World!
10/04/12 Changes Of The Animal Protection Act
09/07/12 Come All to the ZeGeVege!
08/09/12 ZeGeVege Festival 2012
05/23/12 S.O.S. for Captain Paul Watson
05/10/12 Plastic Bags are no Longer Free
04/22/12 Change Habits and Save the Planet
12/29/11 Life Saving New Year's Resolutions!
12/14/11 Youth for Animal Rights
06/30/11 Free the Spanish 12
05/15/11 Share the World
10/27/10 Stop Violating Human Rights In Austria
10/01/10 Animal Friends Days
09/17/10 ZeGeVege Festival of Sustainable Living
08/06/10 Stop Political Repression!
12/16/09 The Continuity of Consciousness
09/24/09 For the Ban of Plastic Bags
09/16/09 Speciesism
06/03/09 Animal Friends YouTube Channel
04/17/09 Cotton Bags Instead of Plastic Ones
04/14/09 Bag Monsters Against Plastic Bags
01/30/09 Shopping without Free Bags
12/19/08 With Plastic Bag Monsters Against Plastic Bags
09/20/08 Invitation to ZeGeVege Festival
09/16/08 Goodbye to Plastic Bags!
09/03/08 From Prison to the Austrian Parliament
07/30/08 Animal Friends Goes on YouTube
07/15/08 Ban Plastic Bags!
06/19/08 Austria Violates Human Rights?
06/13/08 Abolition and Moral Progress
04/22/08 Our Daily Waste
12/12/07 That Equal Creatures
11/09/07 Animal Rights on a Projection Screen
10/22/07 Animals Matter to Me
10/14/07 Salsa and Salsa
09/23/07 Earthlings and 3o/4tet
08/10/07 Death of Sheep on Kornati
07/09/07 Author of the Book "When Elephants Weep" in Croatia!
05/22/07 Protect Nature, Protect the Dolphins
02/04/07 Let's Save Wilbur's Friends
12/15/06 P!nk - Animal Rights Rebel
12/14/06 Animal Protection Act Has Been Passed
11/30/06 Parliament Voice for Animals
10/26/06 Animal Protection on Government's Agenda
07/16/06 Give the Horses a Life, Not New Wounds and Death!
07/03/06 Horses With Open Wounds Pull Wood
06/19/06 Horses in HNK???
05/25/06 The Animal Protection Act in the Parliament
05/04/06 Suffocation for Profit
03/27/06 Animal Protection According to the New Act
11/09/05 Horses in the 21st Century?!?
11/05/05 Performance "T4 - Work in Progress"
09/30/05 Wolves are not Numbers
09/16/05 Frida Becomes a Family Member!
09/14/05 Project Stado
08/24/05 Live Fish as Objects
07/25/05 Inspections are Sham or Non-Existing
05/12/05 Youth Associations Fair
01/08/05 Victims of Tsunami
12/21/04 Pre-Holiday Black Chronicle
10/13/04 Parliamentary Debate on Animal Welfare
09/09/04 Blood Drive
06/17/04 Animal Friends in Front of Parliament
06/03/04 Croatian Animals are Part of Europe Too!
04/22/04 For Clean Environment and Empty Labs
01/30/04 How Do I Understand Animal Protection
01/22/04 Animal Friends Virovitica
08/30/03 Say No to the Massacre of Kangaroos for Football Boots
08/04/03 A Moment in Time
06/26/03 Save the Kangaroos
03/07/03 Animal Welfare Act
02/02/03 Branches in Koprivnica and Osijek
10/14/02 Lecture About Animal Status
10/10/02 Promotion of the Web Site
10/09/02 Compassion is the Fashion
10/04/02 World Animal Protection Day
07/25/02 Tourism
05/29/02 Cruelties of High-Graduates
04/23/02 World Book Day
04/01/02 Six Months of Animal Friends
03/25/02 Hen and Chickens in a Shop Window
03/22/02 Water Protection Day
03/10/02 Statement
03/08/02 Press Conference
01/10/02 GMO
Interview with SPAR - general sponsor of ZeGeVege
We are very pleased to note that over the past year the SPAR Veggie range of vegan products has expanded. Can you tell us something about the new vegan products you've introduced to the Croatian market?
Within our firm, we closely monitor trends and market needs. We are constantly trying to extend our product offering, and we have recently introduced BIO products that meet vegan standards such as Natur*pur rice syrup, Natur*pur coconut oil etc. Our vegan buyers represent a precious source of information. We are also fortunate that they are very communicative and very active on social networks, so the flow of information about new products on the market is very fast.
A year ago, we introduced about 10 finished food products of the new product line Veggie by Neni to our loyal customers.
Of course, the products in our branded line Veggie are the most important in our vegan and vegetarian diet segment, so we have expanded our portfolio with 10 new products: gummy candies, ice cream, various types of soy drinks, rice desserts, and so on.
Which vegan products from your product lines VeggieSpar and NaturPur are most popular among Croatian customers?
Vegan products have their lasting, loyal buyers and we can freely say that everything sells out equally well. The number of vegans in Croatia is steadily increasing, but what is more important than quantity is their loyalty to Veggie products.
It is interesting, for example, that Veggie spreads are bought not only by the vegan population. Indeed, they are selling pretty well, and I think people buy them because they are delicious and many are even unaware that they are actually vegan products.
How much does the vegan offering of products in SPAR stores in Croatia differ from those in neighboring countries, and what would you suggest for travelers to taste abroad?
The vegan population in Croatia is considerably smaller than in Austria. According to some data, more than 160.000 people in Croatia (3.7% of population) have excluded meat and all other animal groceries from their diet. Even 38% of the world's population are vegans and vegetarians, but let's say that neighboring Austria has a vegan population near 9%. Of course, that means their range of products is significantly bigger. To us, the most important information that we get is from our vegan friends who are traveling around the world and discovering new, interesting products.
For the third consecutive year, SPAR is the general sponsor of the ZeGeVege Festival. Can you briefly recall last year's experience?
This festival has double importance for us. First of all, there is no other festival or event, in the region, where you can be in direct contact with buyers to whom these products are intended. This is a great opportunity to promote our products. Visitors ask specific questions, and we can happily answer them.
On the other hand, we receive direct feedback this way, such as which our products are good, what is missing in our assortment, and proposals for the acquisition of certain products.
And finally, we have to emphasize that we have made many important contacts, both private and for business. I personally visit all the booths at the festival and return home every year with a bag full of products.
Do you have any expectations or wishes from the 10th jubilee edition of the ZeGeVege Festival?
We just hope we'll be lucky enough to miss the rain - then everything will be just fine, and even better than last year.
Answers were provided by Helmut Frenzl, the president of the management board of Spar Croatia
12 Reasons for Veganism
Vegan Tourists in Croatia
Ingredients of Vegan Desserts
Vegan offer at SPAR
ZeGeVege Festival 2017 [ Gallery ]
08/16/16 Saved Animals at the ZeGeVege Festival
07/19/16 The 9th ZeGeVege Festival
08/21/15 My strength comes from compassion!
08/31/13 Vegan Lunch with the President


Abby SS, Rocha EPC. 2012. The Non-Flagellar Type III Secretion System Evolved from the Bacterial Flagellum and Diversified into Host-Cell Adapted Systems. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002983. Accessed 16 March 2013.
Albert, John M., M. Ansaruzzaman, Kaisar A. Talukder, Ashok K. Chopra, Inger Kuhn, Motiur Rahman, A. S. G. Faruque, M. Sirajul Islam, R. Bradley Sack and Roland Mollby. (2000). Prevalence of Enterotoxin Genes in Aeromonas spp. Isolated From Children with Diarrhea, Healthy Controls, and the Environment. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 38: 3785–3790.
Borchardt, Mark A., Mary E. Stemper, and Jon H. Standridge. (2003). Aeromonas Isolates from Human Diarrheic Stool and Groundwater Compared by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Emerging Infectious Disease 9(2): 224-228.
Chopra, A. K., X.-J. Xu, D. Ribardo, M. Gonzalez, K. Kuhl, J. W. Peterson and C. W. Houston. 2000. The Cytotoxic Enterotoxin of Aeromonas hydrophila Induces Proinflammatory Cytokine Production and Activates Arachidonic Acid Metabolism in Macrophages. Infection and Immunity 68:2808-2818.
Colwell, R., M. MacDonell, and J. De Ley. 1986. Proposal to Recognize the Family Aeromonadaceae fam. nov. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 36:473-477.
Cornell University Microbiology Department. Binary Fission and Other Forms of Reproduction in Bacteria. http://micro.cornell.edu/cals/micro/research/labs/angert-lab/binary.cfm. Accessed 2 April 2013.
Heckerling, Paul, John C. Pottage, and Alan A. Harris. 1983. Aeromonas hydrophila Myonecrosis and Gas Gangrene in a Nonimmunocompromised Host. Arch Intern Med 143: 2006-2007.
Janda, J. and Sharon Abbott. 2010. The Genus Aeromonas: Taxonomy, Pathogenicity, and Infection. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 23: 35-73.
Kooii, D van der and W.A. Hijnen. 1988. Nutritional versatility and growth kinetics of an Aeromonas hydrophila strain isolated from drinking water. Applied Environmental Microbiology 54(11): 2842-2851.
LaDon, Swann and M. Randy White. 1995. Diagnosis and Treatment of Aeromonas hydrophila Injection of Fish. http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS461.pdf>. Accessed 11 March 2013.
Manresa, M., Villa, A., Giralt, A., & González-Enseñat, M. 2009. Aeromonas hydrophila Folliculitis Associated with an Inflatable Swimming Pool: Mimicking Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection. Pediatric Dermatology 26:601-603.
Rossi, Adriano G, Judith C. McCutcheon, Noémi Roy, Edwin R. Chilvers, Christopher Haslett and Ian Dransfield. 1998. Regulation of Macrophage Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells by cAMP. Journal of Immunology 160:3562-3568.
Sandkvist, Maria. 2001. Type II Secretion and Pathogenesis. Infection and Immunity 69:3523-3535.
Sha, Jian, E. V. Kozlova, and A.K. Chopra. 2002. Role of Various Enterotoxins in Aeromonas hydrophila-Induced Gastroenteritis: Generation of Enterotoxin Gene-Deficient Mutants and Evauluation of Their Enterotoxic Activity. Infection and Immunity 70: 1924-1935.
Sha, Jian, Lakshmi Pillai, Amin A. Fadl, Cristi L. Galindo, Tatiana E. Erova, and Ashok K. Chopra. 2005. The type III secretion system and Cytotoxic Enterotoxin Alter the Virulence of Aeromonas hyrdrophila. Infection and Immunity 73:6446-6457.
Sun, J., Rolf Daniel, Irene Wagner-Döbler and An-Ping Zeng. 2004. Is autoinducer-2 a universal signal for interspecies communication: a comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis of the synthesis and signal transduction pathways. BMC Evolutionary Biology 4: 1-11.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2012. Bad Bug Book: Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook: Aeromonas hydrophila. http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePatogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/ucm070523.htm>. Accessed 13 March 2013.
For more about the author, go to the final page.
If you don't care about the author, return to the home page.


Baby's Claddagh bracelet is cast in sterling silver and it is our best selling piece of Irish baby jewelry!
This Irish baby Claddagh bracelet has been hallmarked sterling silver by the Irish Assay Office at Dublin Castle in Ireland.
This baby size Claddagh bracelet is crafted in engraved sterling silver; it measures 5/16" tall from the top of the crown to the bottom of the heart. The expandable opening on the child's Claddagh bangle ranges from 1 3/4" to 2 1/8" wide.
The child size bracelet is made by Solvar Jewelry in Dublin, Ireland and it is gift boxed with a Claddagh legend card, complements of The Irish Gift House.
Sterling silver Claddagh bracelet is ideal for a baby or small child.
Child's Claddagh bracelet is an adjustable bangle that is crafted in sterling silver.
Sterling silver History of Ireland expandable bangle is a child's size bracelet.


Sport Inspired Directory A directory of local sports clubs that helps highlight the best sporting opportunities in the borough.
LBBD Parents can access information about whats happening in the local borough.
Education City A site used in school to support learning. Your child will be issued their own personal login.


You are a kind and compassionate person. You make friends with people from all walks of life.
You bond easily with people. You highlight what you have in common over where you disagree.
You aren't superficial or status oriented. You love people for who they are - not what they have or how they look.
You believing maintaining and improving relationships. You do your best to be a good friend.


text:
i-THRIVE
Testimonials & Feedback
Professionals Parents & Carers
CAMHS
1 in 10 children suffer with a mental health problem
According to a 2004 study by the ONS, 10% of children and young people (aged 5–16) in Great Britain had a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.
Mental Health is common among people
Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
Famous people and mental health
Demi Lovato (Eating Disorder and Depression) - The singer has never shied away from opening up about her problems, and is determined to de-stigmatise mental illness by sharing her story.
Justin Bieber (Depression) - Justin Bieber spoke about how fame had a negative effect on his mental health: "When you can't go anywhere or do anything alone you get depressed. I would not wish this upon anyone."
Kristen Stewart (Anxiety) "Between ages 15 and 20, it was really intense. I was constantly anxious".
Zayn Malik (Anxiety) Zayn Malik said: "I have been working over the last three months to overcome my extreme anxiety".
David Beckham (OCD) - David Beckham attempted to de-stigmatize Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by speaking out about how he deals with his condition.
Prince Harry (Bereavement and Anxiety) - Prince Harry has disclosed that he sought counselling for bereavement and anxiety after the death of his mother.
Ellie Goulding (Panic Attacks and Anxiety) "It was the weirdest time of my life. I think my body has become quite good at controlling anxiety."
Kesha (Eating Disorder) - I put my career on hold and sought treatment. I had to learn to treat my body with respect."
Will Smith (ADHD) – Will once described himself as "the fun one who had trouble paying attention."
CAMHS submenu
Professional, Parents & Carers


This guide shows how to turn a relay ON take status, then wait 5 seconds, turn it OFF and again take status.
This VI handles relay in current bank which is set with another command.
Relay On Off Poly VI is placed. This polymorphic VI supports 2 types of commands, one is for Current Bank and other is bank directed. Here we will use Current bank command therefore that is selected from Poly selector. It sends the command and also verifies the returned status.
Relay Number control is connected to select relay in current bank.
A true value is passed to On/Off terminal which indicates that Relay On command should be sent.
Read Status Poly VI is placed. This polymorphic VI supports 3 types of commands. Here we will use Current bank command. It sends command to read status of relay and returns it.
Status returned is displayed both as numeric and Boolean in indicators.
Next, 5 seconds delay is introduced by forcing dataflow using sequence structure.
Relay On Off Poly VI is placed which was used in Step 2.
This time a False value is passed to On/Off terminal to send relay Off command.
Read Status Poly VI is placed as done in Step 5 to read new status after Off command.
Status result is passed to indicators.
This guide shows how to turn all relays On or Off in currently selected relay bank.
Current bank can be set with another command.
Relay On Off All Current Bank VI is placed which was used in Step 2. This time a False value is passed to On/Off terminal to send relay Off command.
Since Status is not fetched in this guide, therefore front panel will show no change, however, you can observe relay switching on hardware.
This guide shows how to turn a relay ON take status, then waits 5 seconds, turn it OFF and again take status from selectable bank.
Relay On Off Poly VI is placed. This polymorphic VI supports 2 types of commands, one is for Current Bank and other is bank directed. Here we will use the Bank directed command, selected from Poly selector. It sends the command and also verifies the returned status.
Relay Number and bank number control is connected to select relay in current bank.
Read Status Poly VI is placed. This polymorphic VI supports 3 types of commands. Here we will use Bank directed command. It sends command to read status of relay and returns it.
This guide shows how to turn all relays On or Off with bank selection.
This guide shows how to turn a relay ON, take status, then waits 5 seconds, turn it OFF and again take status by using Relay address. There is no requirement of incorporating bank in these commands.
Relay On Off Relay Addressable VI is placed. It sends the command and also verifies the returned status for the Relay addressed. Relay Number control is connected to select relay. A true value is passed to On/Off terminal which indicates that Relay On command should be sent.
Read Relay Status Relay Addressable VI is placed. It sends command to read status of relay and returns it. Status returned is displayed both as numeric and Boolean in indicators.
Relay On Off Relay Addressable VI is placed which was used in Step 2. This time a False value is passed to On/Off terminal to send relay Off command.
Read Relay Status Relay Addressable VI is placed as done in Step 3 to read new status after Off command. Status result is passed to indicators.


text:
From the Archives: Roll-Player
A Whipping Boy In His Element
by Matthew Gurewitsch
http://www.beyondcriticism.com/15864/from-the-archives-roll-player
Whipping Boy: Of trauma and its aftermath.
Glancing at the contents page of a recent issue of Yes, The New Yorker!, I noticed the title "Whipping Boy," by Allen Kurzweil, a writer I edited with great pleasure years ago at Connoisseur. My little fiefdom at the magazine was "Private Line," a monthly grabbag of unsigned doodads on whatever caught our fancy: typos in a new edition of Ulysses, the derelict condition of I.M. Pei's the one-year-old Fragrant Hill hotel in Beijing, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats on the road, a dinner invitation from William Hogarth, you name it...Apart from Allen, the list of contributors includes such names as Joan Acocella, Patricia Corbett, Thomas Hoving (Connoisseur's editor-in-chief, ex director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art), Julie Iovine, Michael Kimmelman, Corby Kummer, John Mariani--all of whom had much bigger fish to fry. But we had fun. Once Allen broke a story on lawsuit by Disney against a Pinocchio-themed mom-and-pop diner on Cape Cod called Geppetto's, alleging copyright infringement.
But Allen's real métier was fiction of a bookish and demonstratively inventive bent, as he soon proved with his dazzling first novel A Case of Curiosities (1992). In 2001, on the eve of the publication of his second novel, The Grand Complication, Allen offered me a private tour behind the scenes at the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. On the assumption that we had an exclusive, a top national publication assigned the story. As it turned out, the exclusive was in our minds, and we got scooped by what my irate editor regarded as a very minor player. Thus it was that my piece got pulled at 24 hours' notice. I share it now as we await the book-length Whipping Boy, the queasy but hypnotic tale of a victim stalking the bully who tormented him at boarding school decades before, excerpted in the New Yorker. This time, Allen's game is personal history, driven in part by themes that shape his novels, notably one very precious watch.
Allen Kurzweil
A gene or genius for mechanics seems to run in the family. The fact was not lost on Ray Kurzweil when he read "A Case of Curiosities," the first novel by his first cousin Allen Kurzweil, published nine years ago to huzzahs including a front-page rave by Malcolm Bradbury in the New York Times Book Review, and comparisons to "Fielding, Thackeray, Voltaire, Nabokov, and Calvino" from Entertainment Weekly. Ray, of course, is the whiz or wizard responsible for the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind as well as the wondrous K250, the first ROM-based sampling keyboard to merge the richness of acoustic sound with the control and sound modification of electronics.
"Ray focuses on the future of technology," says Allen. "I tend to focus on the past." A few of his literary stars are the historians Robert Darnton, Jonathan Spence, Simon Schama, and Peter Gay—"phenomenal story tellers who know how to use material culture." In fiction, he feels affinities to Marguerite Yourcenar (for her novel of alchemy "The Abyss") and, yes, Calvino (for the graceful fantasy "The Baron in the Trees").
Allen's own ingenuity manifests itself principally in words, as readers of his second novel, out August 8, may discover. Principally but not exclusively. "The Grand Complication" (Theia: An Imprint of Hyperion, 360 pages, $24.95), as the new book is called, borrows its name from a watch created for Marie-Antoinette by that horological nonpareil Abraham-Louis Breguet. The timepiece figures in the plot of both novels, but the phrase also makes oblique reference to Allen's labyrinthine plot. Suffice it to say that in the second book (set in the present), one Henry James Jesson III, a devious gentleman author, is hard at work on "A Case of Curiosities," the novel Allen published nearly a decade ago. To finish it, Jesson needs Allen's alter ego, the reference librarian Alexander Short (Kurzweil, German for "pastime" or "diversion," breaks down literally as "short while"; "Alexander" explains itself). Jesson needs Alexander both for his detective-worthy research skills and as the living, breathing model for his fictional hero, the inventor Claude Page. Identity theft!
Wheels within wheels. Like "A Case of Curiosities," "The Grand Complication" dazzles with a host of mechanical toys and gizmos, one of which—a hand-powered "Roll-Player," made for reading scrolls—is Allen's own invention. (Sales motto: "Volumes of Higher Learning Operated By a Crank.") The copyright page of "The Grand Complication" carries the intriguing notice (perhaps unique of its kind): "'Roll-Player' patent pending."
You may consider that to register the gadgetry from your work of fiction with the Patent Office drives the notion of background research to rather an extreme. But perhaps no less was to be expected of a fabulist whose first novel, in the words of the San Francisco Chronicle, did for the late 18th century "what John Fowles did for the 19th century with 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' and Umberto Eco did for the 14th with 'The Name of the Rose.'" The actual building of the Roll-Player was left to an engineer, Allen readily confessed as he extracted it from its foam-packed aluminum suitcase the other day. Still, the idea was entirely his own. "And actually going through the steps of filing for a patent helped me get into the world of the novel."
We were on our way to the nerve center of the New York Public Library system, at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, where Allen completed "The Grand Complication" as a fellow of the generously endowed Center for Scholars and Writers. According to promotional material from the publisher, "much of the story unfolds in that very library."
Safe past Patience and Fortitude, leonine guardians of the steps, Allen and I rendezvous with Caroline Oyama, the library's manager of public relations, understandably aglow at the forthcoming publication.
"But the book doesn't say anywhere that it's set here!," she sings out in protest.
Well, where else could it be? The principal setting for the action is New York City. The inspiration is obvious—as are the fictional flourishes that make the library of Allen's imagination his own. The superscription above the entrance to the real Reading Room, for instance, is a long-winded bit of right-mindedness from John Milton. Allen substitutes a tag from the ancient Roman Horace: "Habent sua fata libelli" ("All books have their fates," in Allen's translation). The entrance to the stacks, in reality just an unmarked elevator door, in Allen's book bears the portentous legend from Dante, "Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here!"
In the stacks. Detecting skills required.
Suppose we nosed around the scenes that inspired Allen's muse. The pass he carried as a fellow of the Center for Scholars and Writers has lapsed. Never mind. Here we are, directly beneath the grassy carpet of Bryant Park, in deserted precincts, harshly lit, where shelves stretch further than the eye can see. Officially, Ms. Oyama acts as our Virgil today, but in truth, she is as much a stranger down here as I am.
Allen-Alexander is the one knows his way around, riffing on the zip tubes (still in use, more reliable than fax machines), juggling wooden blocks (still lying around from the old days, when space would be held for missing books), spelunking in the creepy "compact shelving"—mammoth lengths of moveable stacks between which the hapless or the unwary might be crushed to death.
"They can't crush you!," Ms. Oyama exclaims. "There's a safety floor, with pressure plates." After sending her back upstairs in the elevator, which she needs Allen to find, we investigate. Yeah, those pressure plates are pretty good. But a craft person could override them. A perfect murder in the stacks? Not, we agree, impossible. (The sheer drop to the ground from spiral staircases in the service area of the Reading Room might give you other homicidal ideas.)
It turns out that Allen had an Alexander, too: a reference librarian by the name of Rob Rucker, who later went on to organize a library somewhere in the Third World for the Peace Corps. "Rob took me down here before I started at the Center," Allen confesses. "In time, I got increasingly bold poking around in areas that are off limits." I observe that no one at any security checkpoint, least of all any guard in uniform, has paid us the least notice. Never have I felt more invisible. Allen grins: "Confidence plays a big part."
Here, Allen discovered the books on shorthand that proved so fertile an inspiration for "The Grand Complication." We finger the spines reverentially, then head for the conservation laboratory, operating theater and intensive-care unit for ailing books and documents. Nearing our destination, we pass a refrigerated vending machine loaded with Klondike Krunch bars and Good Toasted Almond pops—just the sort of viscous refreshment to warm the cockles of a conservator's heart.
Marc D. Reeves, head of the lab, is on the side of the angels, unlike the obstructionist Irving Grote, his demonic counterpart in "The Grand Complication." But like the God and Mephistopheles of Goethe's "Faust" (or God and Satan in the Book of Job), Reeves and Grote speak the same language. Books and documents consume them not only for the information they contain but the secrets that inhere in their very binding, ink, and paper. (They "read" with microscopes.) Not long ago, Mr. Reeves found a bee and an acanthus leaf sewn into the binding a medieval gradual: the models for illustrations in the book.
Ancient Mariner or Sheherazade? What spells our host weaves. But Allen and I had promised faithfully not to intrude on his lunch hour. I cast a discreet eye on my grandly uncomplicated Speedo watch.
"There's something I meant to show you," Allen as we regain the hallway. "It's on our way."
And back we go into the stacks, where he stops and gazes in awe—at what? "The wrought-iron shelving!" he says, eyes aglow. "Look! They're actually the structural support of the whole building. The shelves are the skeleton. The bookcase and the books are what actually keep the building standing. And the people who work here—they're its heart and soul."
The romance of libraries. Matter into metaphor. What makes this Kurzweil tick.
Related Topics: Books, Personalities, Profiles receive the latest by email: subscribe to matthew gurewitsch's free mailing list
In memoriam Jamie James (June 24, 1951-February 9, 2020)
Speak for yourself, Conrad!


Digital Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of data collections that farmers, companies, and government agencies utilize to aid in decision making related to crop production and farm management. Farm data can be used to predict potential yield changes from prescribed inputs and help improve efficiency of farm operations. By using farm data to drive input management and other farm decisions, farmers can identify and quantify which productivity variables are limiting production or profit and make adjustments. As agriculture becomes increasingly digital and mobile via increasing use of consumer devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.), it is important to understand how data is being collected, interpreted, and utilized. This digital agriculture concept can be overwhelming, and the purpose of this publication is to inform farmers about data principles like data ownership.
In order to keep Ag Technology Providers (ATPs), input suppliers, local retailers, and other agribusinesses from abusing the responsibility of using farm data, the American Farm Bureau, along with a broad cross section of agribusinesses and other groups, drafted a set of guiding principles for the agriculture industry. In 2015, a group of 34 organizations (currently up to 37), representing these companies developed 13 principles that address challenges and concerns that farmers have around data ownership and digital agriculture. These farmer-oriented principles provide safety, usability, and transparency guidelines to Ag Technology Providers. Outlined in the policy titled Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data, these principles are explained to allow farmers to make educated choices about how their data is handled.
The first principle outlined by Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data states that: "Grower education is valuable to ensure clarity between all parties and stakeholders." Farmers have a responsibility to be knowledgeable about the data collection processes on their farms. Many resources are available to farmers on this topic; including the Ohio State Precision Ag website (go.osu.edu/precisionag_bigdata), which addresses some current concerns surrounding Big Data usage, along with common terms and definitions used in the industry. Questions are key to understanding how prescriptive agriculture services can bring value to your farm and full advantage should be taken of the ATPs' customer support, extension resources, and other avenues of knowledge about Digital Agriculture. Some degree of self-research is required to understand the aspects of data usage, access, sharing, privacy, and security. An open-line of communication is key to a quality relationship with ATPs. If confusion still exists about how data is shared and analyzed, farmers need to ask for clarification!
When choosing an ATP, farmers should ensure their privacy policies and consent agreements align with the Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data Policy. Education on the topic of Big Data is vital to your farm operation. With the ever-growing integration of digital agriculture into current technology, data sharing and prescriptive agriculture likely will be necessary to stay competitive.
While there is major potential for profit in the management of farm data, problems occur when trying to determine who owns the data and how it can be used for some other benefit. The ownership principle states: "We believe farmers own information generated on their farming operation. However, it is the responsibility of the farmer to agree upon data use and sharing with other stakeholders that have an economic interest." It is left up to the farmer to ensure that only data they own or have permission to use is included in the ATP account.
It is important for farmers to think about how their data can be used and controlled. Between landowners, tenants, and commercial applicators, many scenarios exist where ownership of produced data may be unclear. The companies who agreed to the Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data document realize how these various scenarios affect farming operations across the country. By making sure that contracts, leases and agreements are explicit, farmers can have a clear understanding of who owns which data; ownership designates control.
Ownership implies both control and responsibility. Common aspects of many ag data agreements include sharing and aggregation of data. Most agreements will incorporate aspects of data collection, access, and control into contract language. When reviewing these agreements, farmers must think about the long-term effects entering into these agreements. Fully understanding collection, access, and control requires heavy emphasis on education. It is imperative when farmers are signing contracts (pen and ink or digital), that they clearly understand what they are consenting to. Who, or what entity, has the right to collect, access, and control farm data are all components that should be explicitly stated in contract agreements between farmers and ATPs. If at any point a farmer is unsure of how data will be utilized, they should clarify with the company requiring the contractual agreement.
A key component to any ATP contract agreement is the specifications of how and when data is being collected, and how and for what the data will be used and who has access to it. The notice for the addition of data, or manipulation of existing data should be clearly expressed to farmers in contract agreements. This notice can come in the form of an explicit statement, page, or separate document and should be very clear but specific. Today, many apps utilize a special pop-up window requiring the user to acknowledge how the app can use data. A good practice is providing a similar notice to farmers when signing data contracts with ATPs. The notice should contain clear and transparent verbiage so that no question is left about how data is being used and by whom.
Principle 5 outlines the style and scope of the contracts that the ATPs provide to farmers. This principle requires that contracts are written in a clear, concise, and consistent manner. Within the contract that ATPs provide to farmers, there should be an explicit statement that tells the farmer exactly why their data is being collected, and exactly who has access. Information should be clearly noted, listing contract information should farmers have questions or concerns. Additionally, this principle outlines that an ATP cannot change anything in the farmer's contract without their permission. If there is a dispute, various legal principles can aide in a negotiation process to create a contract that satisfies both parties. Farmers need to remember, they have choices of whether or not to enter contracts with ATPs and those choices should be based on transparency and consistency within the contracts presented to them.
Most data management services offer various levels of service, or "add-in" packages that can be purchased for an additional fee. The choice principle describes the ability to choose which level of service is right for you. According to the Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data, "farmers should be able to choose some, all, or none of the options offered." It is important for farmers to select an ATP who offers explanations regarding a farmer's choice to opt in, opt out, or disable any services that they offer. Occasionally, multiple data processes are offered within individual programs. Trusted ATPs should ensure that all options and processes are disclosed and clearly explained within the contract agreements. Farmers will then be able to make an educated decision about their choice of services, variations enabled, or add-ins.
Data portability is a critical principle that farmers must understand in order to capitalize on farm data profit potential. Today, some farmers are sharing data with up to three trusted advisors and the potential to share with eight or more advisors is coming in the near future. This exchange of data is necessary in order to receive information and recommendations at a field specific level. Ultimately, farmers need to have the flexibility to share data with whomever they please. Therefore, data portability or simply the ability for farmers to reuse their data across interoperable applications is important to maximize options, benefit, and value.
This principle ensures that farmers have the ability to use their data in the way that they best see fit. Data portability is necessary for the farm in order to have maximum opportunity for utilizing your farm data. Without portability, retrieval and sharing of your data can be burdensome, minimizing the ability to obtain information or recommendations, and maximizing per acre profitability from multiple data service providers.
When selecting a data service, understanding "Terms and Definitions" becomes an important component of the decision. To date, terminology has not been developed for much of the digital agriculture industry. However, contracts and privacy statements are required by this principle to be clear and concise in the verbiage used for farmer contracts. In the agriculture industry, terminology can change from one company to the next, leaving the consumer to dissect the true meaning behind these terms. For example, between two companies, the act of a planter NOT dropping a seed into place could be referred to as "skip" or a "miss," but both can be interchangeable as related to planting. Due to the ambiguity surrounding this industry, it is extremely important that all participants within a data contract have a clear understanding of what they are agreeing to in these contracts. Knowing specific terms and their accompanying definitions allows for contracts to be clear, concise, and better understood among all participating parties.
According to the Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data, "An ATP will not share or disclose original farm data with a third party in any manner that is inconsistent with the contract with the farmer." ATPs should make sure farmers understand how any data is shared or possibly sold to a third party. Further, it is important to have legal contracts relating to not only the ATP data relationship but contracts with other entities that provide data services (or access) as well. Farmer surveys show this need of full disclosure and the ability to understand contracts is one of their primary concerns. While some growers are comfortable with their farm data being aggregated and used as a marketing tool, others are not. Farmers should be given the protection and choice about how their data is being used and sold to third party data aggregators.
Data retention policies represent a clear and concise set of guidelines that outline how data will be archived, how long it will be kept, and how it will be removed or returned to the farmer. Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data delegates in this principle that farmers need to understand how long data will remain in an ATP's system. Also, if a farmer requests that their data is removed, will their data be destroyed? The request process to retrieve and remove data from a system should be noted in a contract with an ATP. Farmers, who wish to have access to their data at all times, must understand the exact availability options provided by their ATP. Farmers need to be assured that their personally identifiable information (PII) is protected and that data is being properly destroyed to limit leaks of protected and confidential data. Of note, GPS tagged or georeferenced data could be considered personally identifiable information.
Farmers should take the time to read portions of contracts specific to termination to determine what it means to them as a user, and also what it will mean for the company or agency upon cancellation. By being proactive and asking questions about contract termination, farmers can maintain a good relationship with their ATPs. Contracts between farmers and their ATP's should clearly outline the provisions for cancelling a contract. The ability to opt out of a contract is imperative along with knowing what happens to the data once a contract is terminated. Additionally, the ATP may break the contract for the producer not providing "all" of the data or not actively using a digital tool. If a farmer is unhappy at any time with the services, features, or other components of their contract(s) with an ATP, and assuming all ongoing obligations are being considered, they should be able to terminate the contract.
A common concern for farmers when working with an ATP is that the ATP — to benefit the company — may use their data in the marketplace. Principle 12 of the Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data states: "ATPs should not use the data for unlawful or anti-competitive activities, such as a prohibition on the use of farm data by the ATP to speculate in commodity markets." Within the agreement or in the terms and conditions between a farmer and their ATP(s), there should be an explicit statement regarding the prohibition of anti-competitive activities. If the contract does not specifically mention these unlawful or anti-competitive activities, farmers should be on guard for wording that could disguise these types of actions. By being knowledgeable about what activities constitute unlawful or anti-competitive behavior, farmers can be better prepared when entering into contract agreements with an ATP.
In today's world, most individuals have electronic data stored on multiple devices and in various locations. Most generated farm data is stored by a technology provider in a cloud or an off-site location. While no set of security measures is completely infallible to a breach, security breaches have become a source for concern or doubt among producers who store their data in these off-site venues. In recent years, security breaches of data in multiple industries have occurred at large name companies causing consumers to be on edge even more when it comes to protecting their personal information. This principle holds ATPs to a high standard of security when it comes to storing your data. Additionally, it states that the ATP should notify farmers in the event of a breach. Within the contract, ATPs should be clear and concise when outlining these data protections.
More so than ever, growers need to be aware of how their data is being used by ATPs and other businesses. Producers need to be informed. Understanding digital agriculture is the first step in being a good data steward and making better informed decisions. In 2016 the agriculture technology sector was worth $3.2 billion (courtesy of AgFunder) up from the $2.4 billion value of 2014. While some levels of skepticism and mistrust remain at the grassroots level, the fact is, good farm data management can provide profitability for farmers and others in agriculture.
Ask questions before sharing data or signing up for a service.
Do not ignore the mountain of real-time data being generated that you can collect today. It can provide numerous opportunities.
Commit to learn more about data.
Understand that, as a farmer, you should retain a personal copy of your Precision Ag data and, at minimum, organize by year.
Finally, commit to improvement by using data to be more competitive. Use data as an asset to improve profitability!
While many concerns and issues with data utilization in agriculture may arise, Big Data and prescriptive agriculture is here to stay. Remaining competitive will require farms to fully understand the contracts and relationships.
The authors thank all reviewers and the time they took to provide constructive feedback. This fact sheet was reviewed by Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins, PhD, Assistant Professor and Field Specialist, Ohio State University Extension; Dr. Ajay Shah, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University; Dr. Bruce Erickson, PhD, Agronomy Education Distance and Outreach Director, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University; Rory Lewandowski, Wayne County Extension Educator, Ag and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension; John Barker, Knox County Extension Educator, Ag and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension; Don Bierman, Chief Executive Officer, Crop IMS.
Visit the Precision Agriculture website (ohiostateprecisionag.com) for additional Precision Ag information from The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.


text:
Q: How to populate textboxes-Windows Phone 8.1 What I am trying to do is basically populate textboxes with item names in one xaml (Basket) when selecting item from another xaml(Menu). My code is below :
Menu.xaml
In here when I click a button I want it to automaticallly appear in a textbox in the Basket.xaml.
    public class PassedData
    {
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public int Value { get; set; }
    }
    private void Vanbtn_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {

        Frame.Navigate(typeof(Basket), new PassedData { Name = "Cheese" });
    }

    private void LCbtn_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Frame.Navigate(typeof(Basket), new PassedData { Name = "Crisp" });
    }

Basket.xaml
       protected override void OnNavigatedTo(NavigationEventArgs e)
    {
        Menu.PassedData data = e.Parameter as Menu.PassedData;
    /**    ItemChosentxt.Text = data.Name;
        ItemChosentxt2.Text = data.Name;
        ItemChosentxt3.Text = data.Name;
        ItemChosentxt4.Text = data.Name;**/

    }

The commented out part adds the name of the item selected. instead of just adding to one textboxit adds to all of the textboxes. i.e. If i select the vanilla btn in Menu.xaml the Name appears in all 4 textboxes instead of just one. So I decided to implement code in each textboxes:
private void ItemChosentxt_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        Menu.PassedData data = e.Parameter as Menu.PassedData;
        ItemChosentxt.Text = data.Name;
    }

    private void SecItem_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        Menu.PassedData data = e.Parameter as Menu.PassedData;
        SecItem.Text = data.Name;
    }

This displays an error underneath the e.Parameter the error code is -
Severity    Code    Description Project File    Line    Suppression State
    Error   CS0103  The name 'data' does not exist in the current context

and
    Severity    Code    Description Project File    Line    Suppression State
Error   CS1061  'TextChangedEventArgs' does not contain a definition for 'Parameter' and no extension method 'Parameter' accepting a first argument of type 'TextChangedEventArgs' could be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)

I am developing a shopping app so e.g. if user selects "Vanilla" and "Cake" from menu how can I make the name be displayed in the Basket textboxes? I am new to app development and apologise for the long question.

A: The problem is you aren't supplying TextChangedEventArgs e with PassedData.
The compiler is specifically yelling at you

*

*for saying e.Paramenter (TextChangedEventArgs doesn't have a "Parameter" member)

*for using "data", which is undefined because of 1.

However, I recommend a completely different approach. Just use a listview (and data binding).  Example:
Basket.xaml
<Grid Background="{ThemeResource ApplicationPageBackgroundThemeBrush}">
    <ListView ItemsSource="{Binding PassedData}" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center">
        <ListView.ItemTemplate>
            <DataTemplate>
                <Grid>
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="auto"/>
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="auto"/>
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                        <RowDefinition Height="auto"/>
                    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                    <TextBox Grid.Column="0" Text="{Binding Name}" />
                    <TextBox Grid.Column="1" Text="{Binding Value}" />
                </Grid>
            </DataTemplate>
        </ListView.ItemTemplate>
    </ListView>
</Grid>

Basket.xaml.cs
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using System.ComponentModel;
using Windows.UI.Xaml;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Navigation;

    // namespace ...

public sealed partial class Basket : Page
{
    private static ObservableCollection<Menu.PassedData> passedData = new ObservableCollection<Menu.PassedData>();
    public ObservableCollection<Menu.PassedData> PassedData
    {
        get { return passedData; }
        set { passedData = value; }
    }

    /*Events*/

    public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;

    /*Methods*/

    /// Fires PropertyChangedEventHandler, for bindables
    protected void OnPropertyChanged(string name)
    {
        var ev = PropertyChanged;
        if (ev != null)
        {
            ev(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
        }
    }

    public Basket()
    {
        this.InitializeComponent();
        this.DataContext = this;
    }

    protected override void OnNavigatedTo(NavigationEventArgs e)
    {
        Menu.PassedData data = e.Parameter as Menu.PassedData;
        /**    ItemChosentxt.Text = data.Name;
            ItemChosentxt2.Text = data.Name;
            ItemChosentxt3.Text = data.Name;
            ItemChosentxt4.Text = data.Name;**/
        if (data != null)
        {
            PassedData.Add(data);
        }

    }

    private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Frame.Navigate(typeof(Menu));
    }
}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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