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Showing http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/biography.aspx?name=2006_FOI_Bios captured on Aug 22, 2008
HOME > Biography
Biographies of 2006 National FOI Day conference
Editor's note: Not all of the speakers' bios appear on this page. For links to other speaker bios, see the agenda.
Rick Blum coordinates OpenTheGovernment.org, a broad coalition of journalists, labor, free-speech and environmental advocates formed to fight the expansion of government secrecy. As a policy analyst at OMB Watch from 1997 to 2001, he worked with librarians, environmental groups, freedom-of-information advocates, and others in the 1999 fight to maintain public access to chemical-accident risk-management plans. Blum has testified before Congress on EPA's science program. Before returning to OMB Watch to coordinate efforts to fight government secrecy, he conducted research on the effects of the commercialization of science on environmental and public health protections.
Leslie Burger is the incoming president of the American Library Association and the director of the Princeton Public Library. She planned and funded the new 62,000 square-foot Princeton Public Library, which opened in April 2004. In 1991, she founded Library Development Solutions, a consulting firm that guided more than 100 libraries and cooperatives across the U.S. in strategic planning, space-needs assessments, evaluation and program implementation. Before joining the Princeton Public Library, Burger served as a development consultant at the New Jersey State Library, where she worked on leadership and marketing initiatives on behalf of the state's libraries.
Charles N. Davis is executive director of the Freedom of Information Center at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and an associate professor and chair of the News-Editorial Department. Davis conducts scholarly research on access to government information and new media law, including jurisdictional issues, intellectual property and online libel. His first edited book, Access Denied: Freedom of Information in the Information Age, was published in 2001 by Iowa State University Press. Davis has earned a Sunshine Award from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Provost's Award for Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching in 2001 from the University of Missouri.
Louis Fisher is a specialist in the law library of the Library of Congress. Previously he was an expert on separation of powers in the Library's Congressional Research Service. Fisher has testified before Congress 38 times and is cited as an authority in a number of Supreme Court briefs. He is the author of several books, including Nazi Saboteurs on Trial: A Military Tribunal, American Law: Constitutional Conflicts Between Congress and the President, and Religious Liberty in America. His most recent CRS Report for Congress is "National Security Whistleblowers" (Dec. 30, 2005).
Mike German served 16 years as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he specialized in domestic terrorism and covert operations. German twice infiltrated right-wing extremist groups, and his work produced important criminal convictions in anti-terrorism cases. In 2004 he left the FBI, testifying before Congress in February of this year that he had been retaliated against for reporting the intentional falsification of records in a counterterrorism investigation. He is currently a senior fellow at GlobalSecurity.org and an adjunct professor at the National Defense University. A philosophy graduate of Wake Forest University, he has a law degree from Northwestern University Law School.
Daniel J. Metcalfe is the director of the Department of Justice's Office of Information and Privacy, which manages the department's responsibilities related to the Freedom of Information and Privacy acts. Since 1981, he has advised federal agencies on all aspects of FOIA administration and has supervised the defense of more than 500 FOIA lawsuits. Metcalfe also served as a principal adviser to the Department of Homeland Security on post-9/11 information policy, as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Prior to 1981, he was a Justice Department trial attorney and worked there during both college and law school in the early 1970s. He has been a career member of the Senior Executive Service since 1984.
Pete Weitzel is the coordinator for the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, an alliance of journalism organizations working to limit government secrecy and fight for citizens' rights of access to government records and meetings. Weitzel is a former managing editor of The Miami Herald who became involved in freedom-of-information issues with the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. He chaired that organization's Freedom of Information Committee for 15 years and in 1984 helped found the Florida First Amendment Foundation, serving as president for its first 11 years. He also helped launch the National FOI Coalition and served as its second president.


LeBron James is back in Cleveland's court, and the city is on fire as its chosen one has decided to come home. His highly publicized, and equally highly emotional, return to Cleveland reveals his penultimate goal: to bring a championship back to northeast Ohio where he grew up.
Although pro basketball is an international juggernaut in terms of dollars, this story revolves more around hometown pride and character than money or celebrity.


I first heard about the Bird-a-Day Challenge from Nate at The Drinking Bird. Behind in my blog reading as usual, I didn't read about the challenge until about a week into 2010 — too late to take the challenge that year. So here I am in 2011 taking the Bird-a-Day Challenge. According to the Bird-a-Day site, "Every day you add a new bird that you see or hear […] to your list of birds for that date. You may not repeat the same bird or skip a day. Any non-caged, non-captive, free flying bird is allowed […]!" I probably won't make it out of January, but it'll be fun to try!


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NYS Budget: Flavored vape products out as of June 1
by Vaughn Golden April 20, 2020 April 21, 2020
ITHACA, N.Y. — Effective June 1, all sales of flavored vaporizer products in New York state will be banned after legislation in this year's budget put the final say on a months' long battle between vaping enthusiasts and health advocates.
Advocates for the legislation claim it as a victory in curbing the growing amount of youth addicted to nicotine products. Ted Schiele, Director of Tobacco Free Tompkins, an initiative of the county health department, told the Ithaca Voice he thinks the ban will have a noticeable positive effect.
"Marketers would not have built brands on flavors with pet names if there was not evidence that they attracted youth," Schiele said in a statement.
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The legislation also increases penalties for selling tobacco products to minors, prohibits the sale of cigarettes in stores with pharmacies and a number of other measures.
The changes were vehemently opposed by organizations like the New York State Vapor Association and other industry-connected groups. Their chief claims are that vaping products are safer alternatives to cigarettes and are helpful in helping individuals who are already addicted to quit.
State senator Tom O'Mara (R-Big Flats) wasn't a fan of including the legislative proposal in the budget and didn't refute the claim of the vaping lobby.
"This is one of many policy issues the Governor forced into the new budget that should have been debated on its own merits. Vaping products should under no circumstances be marketed or available to minors. I don't believe vaping is healthy, but it may provide some assistance to quitting smoking tobacco."
"I do not believe that is valid," Schiele said to that point. "Nicotine is intensely difficult to quit, and the idea that having free will and availability of nicotine is going to help you mitigate your addiction, I just don't think is valid."
Last year, Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered a halt on sales of all flavored e-cigarette products after several cases of deaths associated with vaping spurred action by states and the federal government. The Governor's ban was supposed to stay in effect until early 2020, but was halted by state supreme court in October and was later shot down entirely.
Last year the state raised the minimum age for tobacco purchases, including vaping products, to 21 and instituted a 20% tax, which the NYSVA has called a "sin tax."
Featured photo courtesy of Mike Mozart
Tagged: e-liquids, new york state budget, tobacco, vape, vaporizers
Vaughn Golden
Vaughn Golden is a freelance radio and print reporter covering politics around the southern tier and central New York. He authors the weekly "Capitol Watch" watchdog report on Ithaca's representatives...	More by Vaughn Golden

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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FeaturedLife
Chinese Takeout: "Ordinary" Rice Noodles in the Middle of Nowhere
In the limestone karst mountains of Yangshuo, Mo Chuandi operates one of many modest businesses selling Guilin rice noodles
By Adan Kohnhorst March 12, 2020
Home > Life > Chinese Takeout: "Ordinary" Rice Noodles in the Middle of Nowhere
Chinese Takeout is a bite-sized, biweekly RADII feature that examines Chinese food from the inside out, by disentangling the (hi)stories behind a single dish or restaurant. Write to us if you have a suggestion or submission.
Mo Chuandi's rice noodles are not special.
Here in the middle of nowhere, all rice noodles are pretty much equal. They're the same Guilin-style mifen (米粉) rice noodles that are served all over the region that surrounds the city of Guilin, especially in the smaller county of Yangshuo.
But don't confuse "ordinary" for "forgettable." The first time you taste the dish is an experience: savory and sweet, tangy and spicy, soft and crunchy. Diverse ingredients blend together into a meal that never tastes the same twice — an everyday occurrence for the people of Yangshuo.
Our Chinese Takeout series often focuses on institutions that have contributed something special to the changing story of Chinese cuisine. But this time, we're shining the spotlight on Ms. Mo, whose modest rice noodle operation speaks volumes for millions of unsung eateries across China.
If you've spent more than an hour in Yangshuo, an area in southern China renowned for its spectacular scenery of karst formations, you'll have noticed a trend: rice noodles, beer fish, rice noodles, beer fish, read large-print signs on restaurants in the swanky downtown (swanky because Yangshuo is a major center of international tourism, and a Mecca for rock climbers — there's a distinct aprés-ski vibe).
"We're On Our Way Up": China's King of Rock Climbing on the Journey to Olympic Gold
You'll find as many as five restaurants offering the same regional specialty, all clustered together on the same street corner, locked in battle.
It seems redundant. One cook boils her rice noodles and cuts her pickled vegetables, while next door, another washes her pickled vegetables and finishes boiling her rice noodles. But the over-reliance on two or three dishes makes more sense in the context of Yangshuo's history — a sleepy town in the countryside, known across China for its landscape and a few key dishes, starts to gain traction as an international tourist destination in the '80s.
Tourists want to sample the regional cuisine, and the locals have it in spades. Next thing you know, rice noodles and beer fish propagate unchecked, sprawling out in succession like a homegrown invasive species.
That disappears abruptly as you move away from downtown. Gift shops give way to towering limestone karsts — which is how we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere, our motorbike having died on a mountain's winding dirt road, watching Mo Chuandi draw noodles out of a steaming pot.
"I've been serving rice noodles here for over 20 years. Some people come here every day — they like these noodles, they won't go anywhere else!"
Guilin's rice noodles are known across China. Versions differ — sometimes a simple bowl of noodles, other times a soup with broth, or a wok-fried affair –but you can generally expect something tangy, sour, salty, and with multiple textures to keep your palette guessing.
The simple dish acts as a creative canvas for both chef and customer. The house will determine the cooking style, and most importantly, the gravy.
Each cook has their own unique gravy recipe, slow-boiling for hours with ingredients such as ginger, cinnamon, or tangerine peel, looking for a special edge over hundreds of competing rice noodle establishments.
After that, the customer adds their own toppings from a table of offerings. Sour bamboo shoots, pickled cowpea, and hot peppers are all standard fare.
"What goes into this mifen? Some braised vegetables, different cuts of pork, plus bamboo, radish, and pickled cabbage. I pickle it myself, and I grow the bamboo and radish in my garden — that's why the flavor is so good."
Our meal is, of course, delicious. We slurp down two bowls of noodles, and Ms. Mo offers us a pile of boiled peanuts to snack on as we wait for our motorbike to groan back to life.
The question is raised: in a town with rice noodles on every corner and the spaces between, is the market not saturated?
One gets the impression that for locals, rice noodles need no improvement. You don't need more than a room and some ingredients to get started in the business. It's the food Guilin is known for, it's a way to make an honest living, and there will always be a steady supply of customers.
Besides, if the people of Guilin don't make Guilin rice noodles, who will?
Chinese Takeout
mifen


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Phragmoplast
The phragmoplast is a plant cell specific structure that forms during late cytokinesis. It serves as a scaffold for cell plate assembly and subsequent formation of a new cell wall separating the two daughter cells. The phragmoplast can only be observed in Phragmoplastophyta, a clade that includes the Coleochaetophyceae, Zygnematophyceae, Mesotaeniaceae, and Embryophyta (land plants). Some algae use another type of microtubule array, a phycoplast, during cytokinesis.[1][2]
The phragmoplast is a complex assembly of microtubules (MTs), microfilaments (MFs), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) elements, that assemble in two opposing sets perpendicular to the plane of the future cell plate during anaphase and telophase. It is initially barrel-shaped and forms from the mitotic spindle between the two daughter nuclei while nuclear envelopes reassemble around them. The cell plate initially forms as a disc between the two halves of the phragmoplast structure. While new cell plate material is added to the edges of the growing plate, the phragmoplast microtubules disappear in the center and regenerate at the edges of the growing cell plate. The two structures grow outwards until they reach the outer wall of the dividing cell. If a phragmosome was present in the cell, the phragmoplast and cell plate will grow through the space occupied by the phragmosome. They will reach the parent cell wall exactly at the position formerly occupied by the preprophase band.
The microtubules and actin filaments within the phragmoplast serve to guide vesicles with cell wall material to the growing cell plate. Actin filaments are also possibly involved in guiding the phragmoplast to the site of the former preprophase band location at the parent cell wall. While the cell plate is growing, segments of smooth endoplasmic reticulum are trapped within it, later forming the plasmodesmata connecting the two daughter cells.
The phragmoplast can be differentiated topographically into two areas, the midline that includes the central plane where some of the plus-ends of both anti-parallel sets of microtubules (MTs) interdigitate (as in the midbody matrix), and the distal regions at both sides of the midline.[3]
Role in the Plant Cell Cycle
After anaphase, the phragmoplast emerges from the remnant spindle MTs in between the daughter nuclei. MT plus ends overlap the equator of phragmoplast at the site where the cell plate will form. The formation of the cell plate depends on localized secretory vesicle fusion to deliver membrane and cell-wall components.[4] Excess membrane lipid and cell-wall components are recycled by clathrin/dynamin-dependent retrograde membrane traffic.[5] Once the initial cell plate forms at its center, the phragmoplast begins to expand outward to reach the cell edges. Actin filaments also localize to phragmoplast and accumulate greatly at late telophase. Evidence suggests that actin filaments serve phragmoplast expansion more than initial organization, given that disorganization of actin filaments via drug treatments lead to the delay of cell-plate expansion.[6]
Many microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) have been localized to the phragmoplast, including both constitutively expressed ones (such as MOR1,[7] katanin, CLASP, SPR2, and γ-tubulin complex proteins) and those expressed specifically during M-phase, such as EB1c,[8] TANGLED1[9] and augmin complex proteins.[10] The functions of these proteins in the phragmoplast are presumably similar to their functions elsewhere in the cell.[4] Most research into phragmoplast MAPs have been focused on the midline because it is, first, where most of the membrane fusion takes place and, second, where the two sets of anti-parallel MTs are held together. The discovery of an important variety of molecules that localize to the phragmoplast midline is shedding light on the complex processes operating in this phragmoplast region.[3]
Two proteins that have critical functions for antiparallel MT bundling at the phragmoplast midline are MAP65-3 and kinesin-5.[11][12] The kinesin-7 family proteins, HINKEL/AtNACK1 and AtNACK2/TES, recruit a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade to the midline and induce MAP65 phosphorylation.[13][14][15][16] Phosphorylated MAP65-1 also accumulates at the midline and reduces MT-bundling activities for cell-plate expansion.[17] The essential mechanism of MAPK cascade for phragmoplast expansion is suppressed by cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) activity before telophase.[18]
Certain phragmoplast midline-accumulating MAPs are essential proteins for cytokinesis. The kinesin-12 members, PAKRP1 and PAKRP1L, accumulate at the midline[19] and double loss-of-function mutants have defective cytokinesis during male gametogenesis.[20] PAKRP2 accumulates at midline and also in puncta throughout the phragmoplast, which implies that PAKRP2 participates in Golgi-derived vesicle transport.[21] Moss homologs of PAKRP2, KINID1a, and KINID1b localize to the phragmoplast midline and are essential for phragmoplast organization.[22] RUNKEL, which is a HEAT repeat-containing MAP, also accumulates at the midline and cytokinesis is aberrant in lines with the loss-of-function mutations in this protein.[23][24] Another midline-localized protein, "two-in-on" (TIO), is a putative kinase and is also required for cytokinesis as shown by defects in a mutant.[25] TIO interacts with PAKRP1, PAKRP1L (kinesin-12), and NACK2/TES (kinesin-7) according to the yeast two hybrid assays.[26][27] Finally, TPLATE, an adaptin-like protein, accumulates at the cell plate and is essential for cytokinesis[28][29]
P.H. Raven, R.F. Evert, S.E. Eichhorn (2005): Biology of Plants, 7th Edition, W.H. Freeman and Company Publishers, New York, ISBN 0-7167-1007-2
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Higaki, Takumi; Kutsuna, Natsumaro; Sano, Toshio; Hasezawa, Seiichiro (2008-07-17). "Quantitative analysis of changes in actin microfilament contribution to cell plate development in plant cytokinesis". BMC Plant Biology. 8: 80. doi:10.1186/1471-2229-8-80. ISSN 1471-2229. PMC 2490694. PMID 18637163.
Whittington, Angela T.; Vugrek, Oliver; Wei, Ke Jun; Hasenbein, Nortrud G.; Sugimoto, Keiko; Rashbrooke, Madeleine C.; Wasteneys, Geoffrey O. (May 2001). "MOR1 is essential for organizing cortical microtubules in plants". Nature. 411 (6837): 610–613. doi:10.1038/35079128. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 11385579.
Komaki, Shinichiro; Abe, Tatsuya; Coutuer, Silvie; Inzé, Dirk; Russinova, Eugenia; Hashimoto, Takashi (2010-02-01). "Nuclear-localized subtype of end-binding 1 protein regulates spindle organization in Arabidopsis". J Cell Sci. 123 (3): 451–459. doi:10.1242/jcs.062703. hdl:1854/LU-878798. ISSN 0021-9533. PMID 20067996.
Martinez, Pablo; Luo, Anding; Sylvester, Anne; Rasmussen, Carolyn G. (2017-03-07). "Proper division plane orientation and mitotic progression together allow normal growth of maize". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 114 (10): 2759–2764. doi:10.1073/pnas.1619252114. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 5347619. PMID 28202734.
Ho, Chin-Min Kimmy; Hotta, Takashi; Kong, Zhaosheng; Zeng, Cui Jing Tracy; Sun, Jie; Lee, Yuh-Ru Julie; Liu, Bo (2011-07-01). "Augmin Plays a Critical Role in Organizing the Spindle and Phragmoplast Microtubule Arrays in Arabidopsis". The Plant Cell. 23 (7): 2606–2618. doi:10.1105/tpc.111.086892. ISSN 1040-4651. PMC 3226208. PMID 21750235.
Ho, Chin-Min Kimmy; Hotta, Takashi; Guo, Fengli; Roberson, Robert W.; Lee, Yuh-Ru Julie; Liu, Bo (2011-08-01). "Interaction of Antiparallel Microtubules in the Phragmoplast Is Mediated by the Microtubule-Associated Protein MAP65-3 in Arabidopsis". The Plant Cell. 23 (8): 2909–2923. doi:10.1105/tpc.110.078204. ISSN 1040-4651. PMC 3180800. PMID 21873565.
Bannigan, Alex; Scheible, Wolf-Rüdiger; Lukowitz, Wolfgang; Fagerstrom, Carey; Wadsworth, Patricia; Somerville, Chris; Baskin, Tobias I. (2007-08-15). "A conserved role for kinesin-5 in plant mitosis". Journal of Cell Science. 120 (16): 2819–2827. doi:10.1242/jcs.009506. ISSN 0021-9533. PMID 17652157.
Calderini, O.; Bögre, L.; Vicente, O.; Binarova, P.; Heberle-Bors, E.; Wilson, C. (October 1998). "A cell cycle regulated MAP kinase with a possible role in cytokinesis in tobacco cells". Journal of Cell Science. 111 (20): 3091–3100. ISSN 0021-9533. PMID 9739082.
Kosetsu, Ken; Matsunaga, Sachihiro; Nakagami, Hirofumi; Colcombet, Jean; Sasabe, Michiko; Soyano, Takashi; Takahashi, Yuji; Hirt, Heribert; Machida, Yasunori (2010-11-01). "The MAP Kinase MPK4 Is Required for Cytokinesis in Arabidopsis thaliana". The Plant Cell. 22 (11): 3778–3790. doi:10.1105/tpc.110.077164. ISSN 1040-4651. PMC 3015120. PMID 21098735.
Nishihama, Ryuichi; Soyano, Takashi; Ishikawa, Masaki; Araki, Satoshi; Tanaka, Hirokazu; Asada, Tetsuhiro; Irie, Kenji; Ito, Mayumi; Terada, Mizuya (2002-04-05). "Expansion of the cell plate in plant cytokinesis requires a kinesin-like protein/MAPKKK complex". Cell. 109 (1): 87–99. doi:10.1016/s0092-8674(02)00691-8. ISSN 0092-8674. PMID 11955449.
Takahashi, Yuji; Soyano, Takashi; Kosetsu, Ken; Sasabe, Michiko; Machida, Yasunori (October 2010). "HINKEL kinesin, ANP MAPKKKs and MKK6/ANQ MAPKK, which phosphorylates and activates MPK4 MAPK, constitute a pathway that is required for cytokinesis in Arabidopsis thaliana". Plant & Cell Physiology. 51 (10): 1766–1776. doi:10.1093/pcp/pcq135. ISSN 1471-9053. PMC 2951530. PMID 20802223.
Sasabe, Michiko; Soyano, Takashi; Takahashi, Yuji; Sonobe, Seiji; Igarashi, Hisako; Itoh, Tomohiko J.; Hidaka, Mikiko; Machida, Yasunori (2006-04-15). "Phosphorylation of NtMAP65-1 by a MAP kinase down-regulates its activity of microtubule bundling and stimulates progression of cytokinesis of tobacco cells". Genes & Development. 20 (8): 1004–1014. doi:10.1101/gad.1408106. ISSN 0890-9369. PMC 1472297. PMID 16598040.
Sasabe, Michiko; Boudolf, Véronique; Veylder, Lieven De; Inzé, Dirk; Genschik, Pascal; Machida, Yasunori (2011-10-25). "Phosphorylation of a mitotic kinesin-like protein and a MAPKKK by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) is involved in the transition to cytokinesis in plants". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 108 (43): 17844–17849. doi:10.1073/pnas.1110174108. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 3203811. PMID 22006334.
Pan, Ruiqin; Lee, Y.-R. Julie; Liu, Bo (2004). "Localization of two homologous Arabidopsis kinesin-related proteins in the phragmoplast". Planta. 220 (1): 156–164. doi:10.1007/s00425-004-1324-4. JSTOR 23388676. PMID 15258761.
Lee, Yuh-Ru Julie; Li, Yan; Liu, Bo (2007-08-01). "Two Arabidopsis Phragmoplast-Associated Kinesins Play a Critical Role in Cytokinesis during Male Gametogenesis". The Plant Cell. 19 (8): 2595–2605. doi:10.1105/tpc.107.050716. ISSN 1040-4651. PMC 2002617. PMID 17720869.
Lee, Y. R.; Giang, H. M.; Liu, B. (November 2001). "A novel plant kinesin-related protein specifically associates with the phragmoplast organelles". The Plant Cell. 13 (11): 2427–2439. doi:10.1105/tpc.13.11.2427. ISSN 1040-4651. PMC 139462. PMID 11701879.
Hiwatashi, Yuji; Obara, Mari; Sato, Yoshikatsu; Fujita, Tomomichi; Murata, Takashi; Hasebe, Mitsuyasu (November 2008). "Kinesins Are Indispensable for Interdigitation of Phragmoplast Microtubules in the Moss Physcomitrella patens". The Plant Cell. 20 (11): 3094–3106. doi:10.1105/tpc.108.061705. ISSN 1040-4651. PMC 2613662. PMID 19028965.
Krupnova, Tamara; Sasabe, Michiko; Ghebreghiorghis, Luam; Gruber, Christian W.; Hamada, Takahiro; Dehmel, Verena; Strompen, Georg; Stierhof, York-Dieter; Lukowitz, Wolfgang; Kemmerling, Birgit; Machida, Yasunori; Hashimoto, Takashi; Mayer, Ulrike; Jürgens, Gerd (2009-03-24). "Microtubule-Associated Kinase-like Protein RUNKEL Needed for Cell Plate Expansion in Arabidopsis Cytokinesis". Current Biology. 19 (6): 518–523. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.02.021. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 19268593.
Krupnova, Tamara; Stierhof, York-Dieter; Hiller, Ulrike; Strompen, Georg; Müller, Sabine (2013-06-01). "The microtubule-associated kinase-like protein RUNKEL functions in somatic and syncytial cytokinesis". The Plant Journal. 74 (5): 781–791. doi:10.1111/tpj.12160. ISSN 1365-313X. PMID 23451828.
Aeong Oh, Sung; Johnson, Andrew; Smertenko, Andrei; Rahman, Daisy; Ki Park, Soon; Hussey, Patrick J.; Twell, David (2005-12-06). "A Divergent Cellular Role for the FUSED Kinase Family in the Plant-Specific Cytokinetic Phragmoplast". Current Biology. 15 (23): 2107–2111. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.10.044. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 16332535.
Oh, Sung Aeong; Bourdon, Valérie; Dickinson, Hugh G.; Twell, David; Park, Soon Ki (2014-03-01). "Arabidopsis Fused kinase TWO-IN-ONE dominantly inhibits male meiotic cytokinesis". Plant Reproduction. 27 (1): 7–17. doi:10.1007/s00497-013-0235-6. ISSN 2194-7953. PMID 24146312.
Oh, Sung Aeong; Allen, Trudie; Kim, Gyun Jang; Sidorova, Anna; Borg, Michael; Park, Soon Ki; Twell, David (October 2012). "Arabidopsis Fused kinase and the Kinesin-12 subfamily constitute a signalling module required for phragmoplast expansion". The Plant Journal. 72 (2): 308–319. doi:10.1111/j.1365-313X.2012.05077.x. ISSN 1365-313X. PMID 22709276.
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Damme, Daniël Van; Rybel, Bert De; Gudesblat, Gustavo; Demidov, Dmitri; Grunewald, Wim; Smet, Ive De; Houben, Andreas; Beeckman, Tom; Russinova, Eugenia (2011-11-01). "Arabidopsis α Aurora Kinases Function in Formative Cell Division Plane Orientation". The Plant Cell. 23 (11): 4013–4024. doi:10.1105/tpc.111.089565. ISSN 1040-4651. PMC 3246319. PMID 22045917.
Microbiology: Protistology: Protists
Mastigophora/Flagellates
Sarcodina/Amoeboids
Heliozoa
Infusoria/Ciliates
Sporozoa
Cryptogams
Thallophytes
Fungus-like organisms
Ambiregnal protists
Chloroplastida
"green algae": Phycoplast
Flagellar apparatus
Glaucophytes:
Cyanelles
Phycobilisomes
Red algae:
Pit connection
Hacrobia
Cryptophyta:
Mastigonemes
Periplast
Haptophyte:
Coccolith
Haptonema
Stramenopiles
Diatoms:
Frustule
Brown algae:
Pneumatocyst
Alveoli
Trichocyst
Dinoflagellates:
Dinokaryon
Dinocyst
Ciliates:
Macronucleus
Apicomplexans:
Rhoptry
Apicoplast
Microneme
Rhizaria
Phytomyxea
Cruciform division
Kinetoplastids:
Glycosome
Euglenoidea:
Periplast/pellicle
Dictyostelids:
Macrocyst
Sorocarp
Opisthokonta
Choanoflagellates:
Collar of microvilli
Levels of
Monadoid
Amoeboid
Coccoid
Colonial s.s.
Colonial flagellated
Tetrasporal/capsal/palmelloid
Sarcinoid
Coenobial
Filamentous/trichal/hyphal
Parenchymatous
Pseudoparenchymatous/plektenchymatic
Membranous/thalloid/foliaceous
Multinucleated
Syncytial
Coenocytic
Siphonous
Siphonocladous
Multicellular s.s./tissular/histonal
Cell surface
Simple cell membrane
Mucilage
Cell wall
Flagellum
Gliding motility
Hydrogenosome
Mitosome
Nucleomorph
Multinucleate cells
Plasmodium
Dikaryon
Heterokaryon
Mitosis in protists
Orthomitosis
Pleuromitosis
Meiosis in protists
Gametic
Zygotic
Sporic
Cytostome
Fimbriae
Extrusome
Contractile vacuole
Eyespot apparatus
Pyrenoid
Axostyle
Mastigont system
Ecology and
Microbial biogeography
Baas-Becking hypothesis
Development/Reproduction
Nutrition: Autotrophy
Phototrophy
Heterotrophy
Phagotrophy
Osmotrophy
Saprotrophy
Biotrophy
Necrotrophy
Mixotrophy
Auxotrophy


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Current Affairs Quiz : March 30 2017 Question And Answers
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Current Affairs Quiz March 30 2017
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Current Affairs Quiz March 2017 (Date wise)
1. Recently Third G-20 framework working group meet held in which state?
A. Uttar Pradesh
C. Bihar
D. Rajasthan
Answer: A – Uttar Pradesh – Explanation – The 3rd G-20 Framework Working Group (FWG) Meeting under the G-20 German Presidency is being co-hosted by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Varanasi on 28th and 29th of March, 2017. The first two G 20 FWG meetings under the G-20 German Presidency have already been held at Berlin in Dec 16 and at Riyadh in Feb 17.
2. Recently parliament has passes the Mental Health Care Bill __________________.
Answer: B – 2016 – Explanation – The Mental Healthcare Bill 2016, that decriminalises suicide and provides for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday. "Notwithstanding anything contained in section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, any person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have severe stress and shall not be tried and punished under the said Code," the bill said. The Mental Healthcare Bill' also has a provision to protect and restore the property right of the mentally ill people, Health Minister J P Nadda said in the Lok Sabha, just before it was passed by the House by a voice vote.
3. Recently which state government presented the Rs. 1437.84 crore deficit budgets for FY – 2017-18?
A. Manipur
B. Assam
C. Nagaland
D. Tripura
Answer: – C – Nagaland – Explanation – Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu today presented a Rs 1,437.84 crore deficit budget for the 2017-18 fiscal in the state Assembly. Liezietsu, who also holds the Finance portfolio, proposed the gross receipt for the fiscal at Rs 16,657.26 crore and expenditure at Rs 16,365.17 crore.
4. Recently following Uttar Pradesh which state government too announced to impose ban on illegal Slaughterhouses?
A. Uttarakhand
B. Jharkhand
D. Gujarat
Answer: B – Jharkhand – Explanation – Moving on the footprints of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Aditya Nath Yogi, BJP ruled state of Jharkhand too announced to impose ban on illegal slaughterhouses in the state on March 27, 2017. The state government under the Chief Minister Raghubar Das, has given 72 hours to slaughterhouses to shut their illegal businesses in case they failed to obtain licence from the relevant authorites.
5. Which are the states that recently joined the scheme UDAY?
A. Kerala
B. Arunachal Pradesh
C. Tripura
D. All the above
Answer: D – All the above – Explanation – The power Minister has informed that a total of 26 states have now become the part of the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) with the recent entry of Kerala Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura for the revival of debt stressed Discoms.
6. In which city Smart India Hackathon 2017 Grand Finale to be held?
A. Nagpur
B. Jalgaon
C. Solapur
D. Ahmadnagar
Answer: A – Nagpur – Explanation – The Ministry of Road transport and Highways will host the Grand Finale of the Smart India Hackathon 2017 at Nagpur on 1st and 2nd April, 2017. Nagpur is one among 26 cities where the event will be held simultaneously, with the support and coordination of 29 Government departments. The Smart India Hackathon 2017 was launched on Nov 9, 2016 in New Delhi by the Ministry of Human Resources Development.
7. In which country World Environment Education Congress 2017 will be held?
A. Canada
B. Grenada
C. Bermuda
D. Puerto Rico
Answer: A – Canada – Explanation – The 9th edition of the World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) is scheduled to be held in Vancouver, Canada from September 9-15, 2017.
8. Recently which country becomes Net Exporter of Electricity for the first Time?
A. Nepal
B. India
C. China
D. Pakistan
Answer: B – India – Explanation – As per Central Electricity Authority, the Designated Authority of Government of India for Cross Border Trade of Electricity, 1st time India has turned around from a net importer of electricity to Net Exporter of electricity. During the current year 2016-17 (April to February 2017), India has exported around 5,798 Million Units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar which is 213 Million units more than the import of around 5,585 Million units from Bhutan.
9. Name the country that approves medicinal use of marijuana.
A. Sint Eustatius
B. Clipperton Island
C. Argentine
D. Martinique
Answer: C – Argentine – Explanation – The Argentine Senate on 29 March 2017 gave final legislative approval to a bill that permits the medicinal use of marijuana. The measure was accepted unanimously by the senators with 58 votes in favour. The legislation had already obtained the green light from the Chamber of Deputies in November 2016.
10. Recently which state wins the Deodhar Trophy?
A. Tamil Nadu
B. India 'B'
C. West Bengal
D. Maharashtra
Answer: A – Tamil Nadu – Explanation – Dinesh Karthik cracked 126 as Tamil Nadu defeated India B by 42 runs in the final to clinch the Deodhar Trophy 50-overs cricket tournament at the ACA-VDCA stadium in Visakhapatnam.
11. Recently Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Irfan has imposed banned for how many years?
A. Two year
B. One year
C. Three year
Answer: B – One year – Explanation – Pakistan pacer Mohammad Irfan was today slapped with a one-year ban and fined $ 1,000 after he admitted to have failed in reporting a spot-fixing approach by bookmakers during the Pakistan Super League.
12. Recently who has conferred with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award?
A. Priti Patel
B. Ganga Rani
C. Deepa Karmakar
D. Raj Rani
Answer: A – Priti Patel – Explanation – Priti Patel, the UK Government's Secretary of State for International Development and first ever UK-India diaspora Champion, has been awarded India's highest honour for members of the Indian diaspora. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award was granted to Patel by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, for her exceptional contribution to national and international politics, her role in strengthening UK-India relations, and for supporting the Indian diaspora in the UK. The award was presented to Patel by the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Mr Y K Sinha, at a special ceremony at India House in London.
13. Recently Army Chief Bipin Rawat conferred with Honorary Military rank by _________________.
A. Bangladesh
B. Nepal
C. Bhutan
D. Kenya
Answer: B – Nepal – Explanation – Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is in Kathmandu on a four-day official visit to Nepal during which he was conferred with the honorary rank of general of the Nepal Army.
14. Who has appointed as Vice Chancellor of Nalanda University recently?
A. Sunaina Singh
B. Vijay P Bhatkar
C. Dr. R. K. Shevgaonkar
D. Dr. Sanjay Chahande
Answer: A – Sunaina Singh – Explanation – President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Sunaina Singh, currently head of the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad, as the new vice chancellor of Nalanda University.
15. Recently which social media has adds the feature like Snapchat and Camera in its app?
A. Facebook
B. Twitter
C. WhatsApp
D. Skype
Answer: A – Facebook – Explanation – Social media giant Facebook on 28 March 2017 added Snapchat-like features and Facebook Camera on its app. It introduced filters, masks, frames, animation and other interactive elements to visually decorate images and video as that of Snapchat. Its new camera will give users more options to share and enhance photos and videos. It will also be rolling out the new feature on iOS and Android over the coming weeks.
Video Current Affairs Quiz: March 30 2017
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Full of elegant Georgian terraces, charming green spaces and the meandering River Avon, Bath is one of the most handsome places in England and, as such, can at times feel more like a museum, then a living, breathing city – but after dark, once the street is free of day trippers, things change.
Bath: City of bars, brews and beauty
Bath is a city that really needs no introduction. It is full of sophistication and classic British quintessence. When you wander the streets of Bath, take in the white stone buildings, cobbled streets, boutique shops and bars, and you'll feel like a character straight out of a Jane Austen novel. This city oozes class, which slides seamlessly from day to night. But once night settles in, you'll notice its many quirky cocktail bars, traditional pubs, and buzzing live music venues. Bath really has it all.
Just a stone's throw from the Pulteney Bridge, you can order a delicious, personalised cocktail while seated amongst the quirky and antique furniture in the Opium bar. Then there's the Bath Brewhouse which brews its beer on site at the heart of the city centre. Bath has everything from master mixology at The Dark Horse, Circo Bar and Sub 13, to west-country cider and karaoke at The Cork. Perfect for every kind of evening, it is also the home of some of the UK's best up and coming comedians. So, for a slightly different night out in Bath, head to Komedia and laugh the night away.
See all bars in Bath


"The first step in the act of worship is to relax and to become aware of that upon which we are dependent, that which sustains us in every breath we breathe, that which shapes the cells of our bodies and the impulses of our hearts according as we adjust to life in this way or that. One can think of this all-encompassing reality as atoms, if he wishes, or electric tension, or use some other such imagery. The imagery adapted to one mind will not be adapted to another. To talk about all our lives being sustained and shaped by atoms or electric tension is, of course, pure mythology. But some minds may be of such a twists to find such a myth helpful. The point is that we are sustained; and in so far as we rise to higher levels of living we do so by adaptation to that which lifts us. In this first act of worship we fill and suffice or minds with the sense of this encompassing presence that sustains and lifts and works toward the organic community of each with all.
"The second step in worship is to call to mind the vast and unimaginable possibilities for good which are inherent in this integrating process called God. These possibilities are actualized in us and in others and in all the world round about us in so far as we and others find and establish the required adjustment between ourselves and this cosmic process which is God. In the meantime, however, these possibilities are genuine constituents of our world by virtues of the pervasive working of that which we call God.
"No matter how we may doubt the possibilities of personal improvement and social transformation and reconstruction of physical conditions, there is that noblest kind of personality, that highest degree of health, the\at clearness of mind and largeness of purpose, that measure of equality of opportunity, of cooperation and mutual understanding and deep organic community of heart and mind between all beings which may be attained by the best possible adaptation of means to ends. It is this possibility which we now bring to mind.
"The third step is to face the chief problem with which we are struggling. If we are living earnestly we are always struggling with a problem which taxes our powers. We shall frequently have the sense of being baffled because we do not see the way to its solution. But most of the time, unless we take opportunity for the kind of worship we are here describing, we shall not face the problem in its entirety and get it in its true perspective. We are too busy dealing with some pressing detail to face it in all its fullness.
"The fourth step is self-analysis to find what change must be made in our own mental attitudes and personal habits. No problem was ever solved, no desired results ever attained, by worship or in any other way, which did not require some personal readjustment on the part of the person through whom it was attained. Worship has practical value and is a way of doing things only because it enables us (1) to discover what personal readjustment is required of use and (2) to establish that readjustment in ourselves.
Persistent God, help us to grow in prayer with You. Make us persist in our efforts, even if, at the beginning, they appear fruitless. As we struggle to reach You, reach out and lift us up—into Your Glory. Amen.
Come, thou most tender Love!


Have you seen it yet? Inside Out? Such a great little movie about all those emotions we have running around inside our heads. And how important they all are. The 'good' and the 'bad'. Turns out the 'bad' aren't so bad after all and if you don't know what I'm talking about you'll just have to go see it for yourself.
With Disney in on the importance of emotional intelligence, kids around the world now have a chance to learn something better than the stiff upper lip of previous generations. And that's a great thing. Because as Jill Bolte Taylor puts it we are feeling beings that think. Not the other way round as most of the world wants us to believe.
We are feeling beings – that think.
So we really need to learn to manage our emotions if we want to succeed in life.
The thing is when we stick our heads in the sand or up the proverbial trying to pretend we don't feel something it doesn't work. Because the basis of our biology is emotional. Which means incoming information that enters your body every second of every day is processed by your emotional brain first. Only then does it hit our conscious awareness so you can think about it. So trying to pretend we don't have emotions is no different to pretending we don't have legs. And unless you're a double amputee, we all have them. And we all have emotions. So it makes sense to learn how to manage them. How to master them.
It will be a great day when our kids report cards measure EQ as well as IQ. Maybe Disney has taken us one step closer. Our emotions, the 'good' and the 'bad' are there to protect us. They need to be felt. Not rationalised. Not ignored. Not suppressed. Emotions need to be felt.
I spoke with someone struggling last week with an unjust situation. It's been going on for a while now and was coming to a head. Not surprisingly feelings of powerlessness and being out of control were letting resentment in. And while that's just another feeling and needs to be validated, in my experience it's not one we want to hold on to for very long either, because it can cause us massive damage internally.
My words to her – let the universe take care of him.
Not always easy I know. And I don't mean do nothing. Do what you need to do to protect yourself and those you love. But know that the other person in the situation is here learning their life lessons too.
When we trust the universe to take care of things it takes a whole lot of load off our own shoulders, doesn't it.
In trusting the universe to take care of them we can also protect ourselves from the damage that comes with resentment and anger. Not to mention the fact that the other person is already getting their just deserts… they have to live with themselves. And while the consequences of that may not be apparent at first, when you treat another human being with anything less than respect and love in the end it takes its toll.
I remember reading about a man in an horrific situation. One of the worst you could ever imagine. It was war and he watched helplessly as his family was shot dead while he was left alive. But he refused to hate the people that took his family from him. Instead, he practised love. Just how he did that remains to be told. But somehow he did it through all the years that followed while he was kept prisoner. At the end of the war the people that liberated him thought he must have only been there a short time because he was so much healthier than the others. But he'd actually been there for quite some time. The difference… those who felt anger and hatred, a very natural human response in those circumstances, aged more quickly than the man who despite everything, somehow found it within him to practise love.
Where can you let the universe take care of things?
Where can you practise more love?
I was talking with my good friend Nicholas de Castella the other day. And we were discussing overwhelm. You know, that feeling when it's all too much and you're just about to explode. Or perhaps you'd rather run away. I guess your response all depends on your default coping strategy.
But the thing about overwhelm, and stress in general, is it's only a reflection of our feelings of being unable to cope. So it's not really about the overwhelm. Or the things happening outside of us. It's really all about our reserves within and how we perceive them. It's all about our mindset.
Most people don't realise it's exactly the same for worry.
Because we only worry about things if we don't think we've got the reserves to cope with them. Otherwise they wouldn't bother us, would they?
The human species is quite amazing in its ability to conjure up worry out of nothing. The monkey mind they call it. Always busy. Makes stuff up just for the hell of it really. And we can create the end of the world right here in our minds, a thousand times a day.
Not really living is it.
And that's why taking time out to be quiet is so important. Because it helps us to pull back. And gives us the headspace to see what's really going on. To get things in perspective. And to realize that if we've made it this far, then we really do have some reserves in there, don't we! I'm amazed how often people forget this.
And another thing… have you ever noticed how much easier it is to cope with what life dishes up when you're feeling happier? Much easier, isn't it.
So if we focus on creating happiness for ourselves and those around us, even our real worries are that much easier to handle. Makes sense then doesn't it, to focus on what's going right in your life, rather than what's going wrong.
If you knew you had the reserves to cope with it, could you look at it differently?
And if you took the emotion out of it, what would your next step be?
As the man said… Don't worry, be happy. It's a great philosophy.
Learning to move forward one step at a time with emotional intelligence, helps to move us through the worry and back to a state of happiness.
There was an interview some years back on Enough Rope. And it was the kind of interview that just stays with you. Andrew Denton interviewing a former leader of the Klu Klux Klan. And he tells the story of how one old black preacher man defeated them all.
The Klan were out to get him, but he never missed a beat. When they set fire to a cross, he asked them if they'd like marshmallows. When they turned up in white robes outside his house, he just laughed and told them Halloween was still months away.
But the piece de resistance… the old preacher in a restaurant about to eat a plate of chicken when he was surrounded by 30 Klan members. Threatening to do him whatever he did next to the chicken.
And so he took a moment to think… before picking up the chicken and kissing it.
As MasterCard would say…. priceless.
The Klan leader didn't know what to do as the rest of the members fell about laughing. And they never harassed him again.
One old preacher man who used his mind – and his heart – to defeat the KKK.
Where can you kiss the chicken?
So we know that emotions are contagious. But did you know our emotions directly affect what we see in the world? And our actual experience of it.
Take two people. One happy, one sad. Show them 50 slides of mixed emotional content. And then ask them to remember what they saw. The happy person remembers more of the happy slides. And of course the sad person… you fill it in.
Both potentials are there but the emotion is like wearing a pair of glasses that let's you only see half the view.
And it's because of this thing called emotional congruence. Which means we pay selective attention to our world dependent on how we feel. In plain English, we focus on the stuff around us that mirrors how we're feeling on the inside. So if we're feeling crappy we see more of the crappy dark side of life. Things look blacker so to speak. But if we're feeling more positive, we see more beauty. And our creative self comes out to play. It's quite something to think that we all live in the same world but our emotions determine what we see and how we experience it.
And instead of realising the world is just reflecting what's inside, the temptation is to play the blame game. Gathering evidence to justify why we feel the way we do. Creating a story. Giving away our power. Rather than seeing that it's because we feel lousy we are necessarily experiencing more of the negatives in life. And it can become a downward spiral.
Because these moods affect the way we think too. In a study out of UNSW, they talked to people who'd just been to the movies. Some people saw happy movies, some people saw sad or more aggressive movies. And then they asked them questions about things like the future, about their quality of life. Needless to say those who saw the happier movie were more optimistic than those who saw the sad or more aggressive movies.
So if you want the opportunities that come with a positive mindset, it's important to get yourself around happier people and be aware of the mood you're in when you're making those important decisions. Because creating happiness is a choice that we make minute to minute and day to day.
So where can you bring greater happiness into your life?


We love pancakes in our house so this week we had great fun celebrating Shrove Tuesday!
We went for a pretend play tuff tray with all the different ingredients needed to make pancakes. Bobcat has just started getting into pretend play properly so this worked really well for him. I showed him how to 'make' a pancake and we talked about what ingredients we needed and then he had great fun making and eating lots of imaginary treats!
The pancakes were mainly paper circles, but I also made two beanbag pancakes like the ones on Activity village. I filled them with rice which has leaked through some of the gaps a little but not too badly. They are too heavy to flip, but are good for stacking, and for balancing on your head!
The dolls and bears also joined in with the pancake fun.
Little monkey especially enjoyed giving the toys cuddles, and even joined in with a bit of pretend play, pouring the milk into the pan.
Our frying pans were made of paper plates and card handles like the ones on Rhythm of the home (the paper pancakes were a bit light to flip, but I did the same activity later this week in a kids group and we used foam which was a bit better). As an extra activity we decorated our pancake pans.
Bobcat also decided that he wanted to make his own paper pancakes. This was a great opportunity to practice his cutting skills. Up to now he has just snipped at paper so I decided to try drawing a circle pancake and see if he could cut round it. He loved doing this and did pretty well for a first attempt. He enjoyed it so much he started drawing his own pancakes to cut out!
Then we ate many many pancakes! We had pancakes for lunch, and then went to see our friends and had pancakes for tea with them too! I discovered that it is possible to make different shaped pancakes if you put the mix in a squeezy bottle!
We enjoyed pancake day and are now exploring lent with our lent tree and the Jesus storybook bible.
I am looking forward to the rest of lent as we begin to prepare for Easter – I think it is my favourite time of the year! How do you like to celebrate lent?


With the cold and frigid temperatures upon us, please make sure your child has weather appropriate clothing. For the days the students go out to recess, please send a note in with your chid's teacher, if you wish for them to stay in from recess due to not feeling well.
January 23rd-APC Meeting @ 5:15pm. We always welcome and encourage parents to come to our APC meetings. The APC agendas posted and the agenda was emailed out last Friday.
January 26/27-Time TBD: Our 4/5/6 basketball teams will be playing at Gladys Jung this weekend and Gladys Jung will be hosting.
February 2nd/February 3rd-Time TBD This will be our next home game host weekend. Please come out and support our 4/5/6 boys and girls teams! We are looking for volunteers to make fry bread for our concessions on these dates. Volunteers are needed to help run gate, referee, and bake/sell baked goods for concessions. Please email John Chakuchin if you are interested. It's a great way to earn volunteer hours. Thank you for your help with this!
February 9th-Our next all school bake sale/assembly. Parent and community volunteers will also be recognized during this assembly.
*Battle of the Books Practice Schedule. Please remember to pick up your child at 4:30pm when practice ends.
All practices will be at school unless otherwise notified.


HILDALE — Christmas came early for hundreds of children in Hildale Wednesday afternoon; not only did it come early — it came for the first time for many of them.
Children and families from Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale — twin cities familiarly known as Short Creek — were treated to a holiday celebration called "The First Christmas," so named because it was a first for many who are are former members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Event host Leona Bateman and The Girlfriend Club in collaboration with Christine Marie Katas, known as "Mrs. Gingerbread," organized the event with support from four sponsors, specifically: Church for the Nations out of Phoenix, Sound Choices Coalition out of Utah, MoviesMakingADifference, out of Phoenix, and Voices for Dignity out of Las Vegas.
The families in attendance have separated from the FLDS church, Katas said. They have never had a Christmas tree, have never heard Christmas carols or even heard of Santa. Most have never wrapped or given presents and have no idea what a nativity scene is, she said, let alone what one looks like.
One reason for this lack of exposure is that the FLDS favor a more isolated community than most, so any exposure to outside influences is controlled and holiday celebrations are rare, Katas said.
"The First Christmas" was complete with all the trappings of the holidays. Clinton Barlow as Santa handed each child a stocking full of goodies as they sat on his lap – stockings filled by Sound Choices Coalition.
More than 1,000 toys and gifts for children and their mothers were provided by the four sponsors.
Thirty-two Christmas trees were donated by MoviesMakingADifference, a nonprofit organization out of Phoenix that makes socially conscious films with proceeds of the films going to help and benefit survivors of difficult situations like those leaving or forced out of a polygamous sect.
Thousands of craft projects were also provided by Sound Choices Coalition for the children and their mothers. Sound Choices, according to its website, is a nonprofit organization founded by former polygamist Kristyn Decker who aims to lobby lawmakers about the abuses of polygamy and benefit victims of polygamy, particularly children.
Katas, herself, is a former member of a polygamist sect distinct from the FLDS. When she separated from her sect, she said, she was left with nothing. But in that first year apart, she and her family were the recipients of a charity Christmas.
When she learned that many FLDS members have separated from the church, Katas said, she wanted to help them.
Toys had been banned from the community in 2011 by now-incarcerated FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, she said, which motivated her all the more. No toys were allowed in the town, she said, or the disobedient member could be banished from the church.
The polygamist settlement of fundamentalist Mormons known as Short Creek split into two municipalities on the Utah-Arizona border following what is known as the Short Creek Raid, a government crackdown on the community's practice of polygamy in the 1950s. The FLDS sect emerged and, Katas said, somewhere along the line Christmas was lost.
But with many families in the area now separated from the FLDS church, Bateman and Katas took the opportunity to bring Christmas to those who have never experienced it.
Everyone came together and made something beautiful, Bateman said.


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1965-07-23 - Godly Affection
Summary: Thor confesses affections for Diana, and leaving her a bit out of her element in how to approach it.
Insanely busy as usual was Times Square in New York City. Though thankfully, it was in the later evening. Thor had asked Diana to join him for a night on the town, actually leaving Stormbreaker in a place where nobody could find it. Thus is Thor dressed rather casually today with the warmest smile present for Diana if or when she arrived. "You look beautiful, as always Diana." he'll actually reach to hold her hand, if he was allowed…since she allowed him to when they walked through that garden at the Asgardian Embassy…
For once Diana herself is dressed rather casually, a pair of blue capri pants with a matching blouse. Seems like someone had finally shown her how to better blend in, than just simply wrapping herself in a cloak. "I appreciate the kind words, Thor, you look rather dashing yourself." She doesn't seem to have issue holding hands with Thor, likely because she doesn't make much of a significance to it as most would on Man's World. "How are things in the Embassy? Busy work as usual?"
Thor is simply wearing a jacket with a black T-shirt and blue jeans. Bootso n his feet as he smiles to her. "Thank you." he smiles warmly, happily entwining his fingers with hers, though as she asks about the Embassy, he shrugs. "Same as usual, I suppose. Nothing much has occured. Same work as usual. But…there was something I kinda wished to speak with you about." and he turns to face her.
"Something you would consult an Amazon about?" Diana wonders, smiling warmly at Thor, rather appreciating he finds her something worthy of confiding in. It's always the unspoken compliment that is the most flattering.
Thor nods. "Well…yes, see…I..um." he seems to ponder what he'd like to say before he looks into her eyes, taking her other hand in his own. "I have feelings, Diana. For you. Of a romantic sort." he lets that thought sink in for a moment. "I am not certain if I'm worthy of any affection you might have, if there's anything in mutuality at all for you as well, but…I would like to ask you out on a date." he asks her then, looking into her eyes with a hope then. It's not often at all that Thor actually speaks from the heart.
"What…?" Diana seems a bit taken back for a moment, not quite expecting something like this from the Asgardian, "are you certain?" She queries, looking deeper into Thor's eyes. Not quite an acceptance, nor a rejection, so much as bewilderment. She arches a curious brow, as she recites, "us, Amazons, are beings of warfare. We fight to perserve, to protect, to better…we do not walk in Aphrodite's path." She looks at a loss for a moment, before noting, "but we do not shy away from adventure and experiences. What do you expect us to do on a date?"
Thor remains close, as much as Diana would allow him to be as he looks into those beautiful eyes of hers. "I am. Nothing else explains the way my heart beats faster in your presence, how your name is on my every thought." he puts her hand on his chest, so she can feel that heart beat. He was right. Though as she seems to possibly refuse him at first, despite her bewilderment, he seems to brighten with hope when she asks him what he expects them to do on a date. "umm…well, perhaps we could get something to eat or even go and see one of those films that Midguardians speak so highly about." he nods lightly and he blushes. "We could even…share physical touch. A subtle thing, like a kiss or…whatever you would like." he looks at her then, hope still glittering in his perfect blue eyes.
"It is flattering, Thor, Asgardian God of Thunder," Diana speaks as her hand is guided to touch against his heart. "A kiss…?" Diana seems amused, "I would sooner share in a sparring session. Physical touch, and good practice too." She does seem to ponder the possibility of a film, "I had not seen a film. I am told by my guards that it is much like an oracle's vision come to life. Do you find it so?"
Thor seems to smile warmly at Diana as she tells him how flattering his words are. "Perhaps we can spar, and the winner will choose a reward, which can be anything they ask." he smiles to her then, though at the possiblity of a film? it seems to bring another smile to the Thunder God's face. "It is like so, or so I hear from my midguardian friends. I have been advised to see one many times…so..perhaps my first will be with you?" he chuckles a bit.
"Well, if it is a first for the both of us, it can certainly be a bold new adventure…" Diana offers, though truth be told, she might not feel the same after having the experience. Surely it will be remarkable, but not at all like what she's seen from the Oracle of Themyscira in the past.
"Then, shall we be off?" he smiles softly to her, his hand still resting and holding her own as they stand now side by side. "I will try to make it an experience you will love." he chuckles a little bit to her, before starting to walk with her to the theater, which was only down the street.
"Right now? That's little warning…" Diana notes, a mirthful tone to her voice, after all, it is no great battle they march towards. Preparation doesn't quite matter here. "Is there any dress code for this film? We dress regally for the Oracle."
"Of course." Thor says with a bit of a laughter. "Suddenness is what adds to an adventure, does it not?" he walks her through the front doors, though when dress code is asked about, Thor simply smiles as he buys tickets to see the original 'Maginificent Seven' western, he looks to her. "Not that I am aware of. Though unlike the Orcale, where I believe fortunes and wisdom and secrets of the future are revealed for one's wel lbeing, these 'films' are for entertainment."
"I will grant you that much, Odinson," Diana says with a smile, before following Thor to this magical hall of film. It does seem more like a temple than other structures in Man's World, but doesn't quite carry the mystique of a visit to the Oracle. "So these are idle fleeting visions?" Diana tries to translate it to something more familiar.
Eventually reaching their seats, which appear to be reclining, he takes his seat after letting Diana sit first like a gentleman. Now seated right next to each other, the film starts to play. "In a manner of speaking, I guess they are. I do not have knowledge of suc hthings to tell you with certainty." he says with a small frown on his face, before he tries to wrap his arm around her shoulders as the movie begins. a bold move, Odinson.
Diana peers at Thor from the corner of her eye once they are sat and he wraps his arm around her shoulder, "I do not need protecting, I will not break, particularly not when sitting for a vision…" she makes her remark rather cuttingly. Apparently not fully comprehending the gesture to begin with.
Thor looks at Diana with a raised brow as she seems to tell him that she can protect herself. "I know. But it's always good to have a helping hand no?" he whispers into her ear as to not disturb others who watch it. Though Diana might notice that Thor has been looking at her for periods of time. "…do you have any idea how beautiful you are, Diana? Not just of appearance, but of heart and soul?
"Tis but the gifts of the gods," Diana down plays any qualities that may or may not be her own. Her smile, nevertheless is quite charming as she speaks the words, "let us observe this vision as it unfolds," she motions Thor at the screen when the picture comes to life, a grin spreading wider on Diana's lips, "it is quite lovely, is it not?"
_importeddianasocialthor


*On June 8th and 9th, 2010, MicroSave and FAI sponsored a virtual conference – Reimagining Microfinance around the World: Implementing Lessons from Portfolios of the Poor – to share findings from yearlong financial diaries kept by villagers and slum dwellers in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa.
• Portfolios of the Poor suggests that the four key principles to designing financial services are reliability, convenience, flexibility and structure; the importance of each of these was discussed by Stuart Rutherford. Reliability refers to attributes which make the service on time, transparent and dependable. Convenience refers to characteristics that increase the usability of the service. Flexibility is the ability of the service to accommodate the changing needs of the poor. Structure refers to features which set up a routine and nudge the client to stick to it.
• Krishna stressed that reliability for a client in the service comes primarily from being able to trust the service provider to deliver on what it promises. Stuart agreed with Krishna that trust indeed was the key and it is essentially generated by repeatedly keeping to promises. Anup Singh quoted from his experience in the Philippines and pointed out that many a time physical appearance of the institution and other physical evidence which promotes transparency is a key factor in building trust. Madhavi discussed this in terms of client concerns about safety and security of savings.
• Anup equated convenience with the ease of performing transactions. For him, another aspect that contributed to convenience, especially in case of savings products, was liquidity.
• Larry Reed wondered what an ideal balance of structure and flexibility would look like. Stuart suggested that one way of getting this right was by offering separate products. It may also be balanced in the same product as done in the p9 trials in Bangladesh. Another way to do this might be the SafeSave model where a visit from the deposit collector creates a frequent opportunity rather than a regular obligation to pay.
• Ursula pointed out the cost aspect in deciding on the pricing and the product design and mentioned a need to manage flexibility with cost effectiveness so as to be competitive. Another aspect highlighted was the need to match flexibility of savings with tenure of credit so as to ensure an effective asset liability match.
Guy Stuart contributed further thoughts on gender, building on his previous postings.
• Responding to financial needs of clients entails ensuring reliable delivery of services, access to services to clients that help them deal with day to day needs, providing mechanisms to help them deal with crisis and providing structured products to build big balances.
• Iyinoluwa Aboyeji from the University of Waterloo enquired on the investment habits of the poor. As evidenced in our study, around 60% of lump sums obtained were used for some sort of 'opportunity.' Moreover, many of the lifecycle expenses like education also could be classified as long-term investments.
• Ruth Dueck Mbeba of MEDA stressed the importance of being client centric and in moving from financial product based thinking to financial services based thinking encompassing fostering and developing value chains, entering into partnerships and providing a wider range of services.
• This subject also kicked off some nice discussions of various forms of informal services and how they can be built on. Jeffrey Ashe's post showed how to think about group-based finance. Peter van Djik joined in with observations on how informal groups work in practice.
• Interest rates were observed to have mattered in the course of the study. But not necessarily in the way generally perceived. The clients are often willing to pay for quality services; even savings, primarily because there are very few reliable services available. Chris mentioned that even though price is important for the clients, it normally is not a differentiator in competitive markets and that the focus should be more on providing a value proposition to the clients than competing on price. The MFIs have taken a cue from this and instead of competing on the price front, they have focussed on providing more value for money by way of better customer service.
• Sachin Bansal shared his field experience and mentioned that interest rates were climbing the charts in the priority lists of clients in more mature markets where competitive pressures exist.
• The client need, on whether it was short term or for building lump sums was indeed relevant with regard to the importance of interest. The evidence from the diaries suggests that for short term requirements interest did not matter as much as it does in longer-term contracts.
• Interest rates also cannot be compared across informal and formal means, since often the effective interest rates of money lenders is much lower than what appears on the face of it due to flexible repayment amounts and tenures, moreover many informal sources do not carry interest. Another interesting observation is that informal loans are often so short term in nature that interest is seen as a fee for availing the service.
• Jonathan Morduch noted that market research can be deductive, where controlled trials of products are conducted to ascertain their appeal. But in the financial diaries, a more inductive and complementary approach is suggested wherein the salient requirements are ascertained by way of understanding the informal mechanisms they use and the strategies they use to patch up different services to meet their needs, and product design follows suit.
• Calum Scott then had the first post of the day, raising interesting questions (which haven't yet been answered) about the implications of the financial diary methodology for work in, for example, gathering national statistics, or in assessment methodology.
• Mukul raised a point that market research in itself is not sufficient unless it gets translated into product design. He queried on whether such innovative market led product development is indeed happening in microfinance. Sandhya Suresh of ESAF also opined that market research needs to translate into product development.
• Sandhya also pointed out that though qualitative tools are important, they need to be supported with quantitative research for the purpose of product design.


Interested in learning how to do the Leg Circles Onto the Head exercise on the Spine Corrector? Sandy Shimoda gives a series of exercises and cues to build your skills that will prepare and help you to feel what you need for this advanced movement. Visit Sandy at Vintage Pilates.
Such lovely Swans, all of you! Feels great to build it, too.
Hi Sue, I would love to see yours! Send me a photo!
Didn't the gals look gorgeous when they incorporated the Swan into their exercise? I was delighted to watch it happen.
Love the idea of finding/feeling the swan exercise upside down. Brilliant as usual Sandy.


The famous Colonel, Harland Sanders, opened a roadside chicken restaurant in Kentucky in 1930. After growing in popularity, KFC franchises were opened around the US starting in 1952. Restaurants soon opened around the world and are now in over 120 countries. The KFC menu still features the original secret recipe of spices in the fried chicken.
KFC delivery online is so simple with foodpanda, simply add your address and choose your food. You can order food for delivery from work or home and have your delicious KFC chicken brought straight to your door.


CLEARANCE Universal XL V Berth Sheets – See available options below.
CLEARANCE Universal XL V Berth Sheets – See available options below. If there are no options, please check back soon.
Almost all Clearance Sheets are NOT complete sets. If you require a complete sheet set please see our regular listings.
Universal XL V Berth Fitted Sheet fits V Berth up to 102″ Head, 82″ Length, 30″ Foot.


Musician, Producer, Songwriter, Entertainer, Photographer, Videographer, Developer, Aviator.
Music Production & Composing, Entertainment, Photography & Videography, Outlet Management & Event Coordination.
I have played guitar and many other musical instruments since I was 7 years old. I am completely self taught and have an excellent musical ear. I began recording music aged 13 and have worked professionally on stage since the age of 16. As a guitarist, singer-songwriter, presenter, host, DJ, MC – You name it.
I write songs and lyrics, music for film, TV and adverts, organise events, develop and test software and keep as active as possible in the field of IT. Including Blogging, Tweeting and web design. I also develop software. I am an expert in the field of software automation and QA testing.
I love travelling and I love learning. I have lived and worked in Dubai, UAE since 1988. Dubai is a great hub to other parts of the middle and far east and enabled me to visit many distant parts of the world. Something I still like to do when time permits.
I fly light aircraft. An interesting and taxing hobby.
My software Multi Export Audio Pro (MEAP) is a windows application, for use with Steinberg audio software products, that enables you to export tracks (stems) one at a time, unattended.
I hope you enjoy having a little browse around my area of the web.


text:
Q: JQuery REST Get XML Payload I am calling an internal REST service that returns an XML payload as below. Nothing seems to be rendered on the front end though the server log is returning a 200 and XML payload. Below is the jQuery. The Firefox debug console indicates 200 also doesn't thinks CORS is involved here. I have tried changing dataType to XML and then trying to serialize doesn't work also. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
var rootURL = "http://mydomain:8999/";
function findByName(searchKey) {
    console.log('findByName: ' + searchKey);
    $.ajax({
        type: "GET",
        url: rootURL + searchKey,
        //contentType: "text/xml",
        dataType: "text",
        processData: false,
        //contentType: "text/xml; charset=\"utf-8\"",
        success: renderList,
        failure: function(errMsg) {
            console.log('errMsg: ' + errMsg);
            alert(errMsg);
        }
    });
}

function renderList(data) {
    console.log("Hello There: ");
    $('#data').append(data);

}

From Firefox debug console:
 GET http://mydomain:8999/4 [HTTP/1.1 200 OK 571ms]
09:15:07.393 "findByName: 4"

XML Payload returned by server
<CUSTOMER xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
<ID>3</ID>
<FIRSTNAME>Michael</FIRSTNAME>
<LASTNAME>Clancy</LASTNAME>
<STREET>542 Upland Pl.</STREET>
<CITY>San Francisco</CITY>
</CUSTOMER>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
5 factors to drive business differentiation and competitiveness in Vietnam
On December 7, PwC Vietnam launched "Asia Pacific's Time: Responding to the new reality," a report that sets out five success factors to help businesses develop in today's landscape.
Businesses in Vietnam must embrace the challenges and opportunities of ESG and the new flexible world of work
The report highlights the lingering effects of the pandemic, heightened geopolitical tensions, rampant inflation, supply chain fragility and new workforce challenges, and the accelerating pressure for action on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, which have created a state of disequilibrium in the Asia Pacific region.
A permanent shift in consumer and business behaviour has dramatically changed the trajectory of economies and societies. PwC experts have commented on the impact of five trends on the Vietnamese economy and recommendations to drive growth, competitiveness and resilience in difficult times.
"The world is enduring an unprecedented level of disruption. Businesses in Vietnam must embrace the challenges and opportunities of ESG and the new flexible world of work," said Dinh Thi Quynh Van, general director, PwC Vietnam.
"The key to advancing these agendas in the new reality is a revamped approach to collaboration across the region based on building trust and delivering sustained outcomes. One that must begin now.
The region can no longer hope growth and gradual change will be sufficient to steer it through these turbulent times. Stakeholders must adjust their stance to become more proactive and self-determined. They must adopt new and more nuanced strategies, positioning them for success in a more dynamic and interconnected Asia Pacific.
"Based on PwC discussions with business leaders and experts in the region, we believe five aligned and mutually reinforcing success factors will drive differentiation and competitiveness for businesses and governments to prosper. They are interconnected and interdependent - each one mutually reinforcing but the actions in one have an impact on the others."
These five success factors are:
Disruption has prompted businesses to reevaluate their sourcing strategies. Leaders in Asia Pacific must shift their focus from cost and efficiency to resilience and trust when transforming their regional supply chain.
Regional Enterprise Growth
Opportunities for value creation are abundant in the Asia Pacific. To scale in the region, dealmakers must take a strategic 'capabilities-driven' approach that combines processes, tools, technologies, skills and purpose.
Digitalisation is increasingly crucial to respond to the new reality. Businesses must embrace digitalisation to drive insights, reduce cybersecurity and data privacy risks and stay relevant in an increasingly complex environment.
Employees in Asia Pacific value meaning and authenticity and 90 per cent of the workforce prefer to work remotely or in hybrid fashion. To build trust and respond to the changing dynamics of their workforce, business leaders must rethink upskilling, embrace flexibility and deliver on purpose-driven work.
ESG is no longer a 'nice-to-have' for businesses in Asia Pacific. According to PwC research, momentum is not declining - with 88 per cent of Asia Pacific CEOs remaining committed to their net-zero or carbon-neutral targets. In Vietnam, PwC ESG Readiness Report 2022 revealed that 80 per cent of survey attendants said their companies have made ESG commitments or plan to do so in the next two to four years. Businesses must move from good intention to value creation - accelerating the progression of ESG priorities to differentiate in the market for capital and talent.
"The world, including the Asia Pacific, has changed and will continue to do so. As leaders, we must act quickly to build trust with our stakeholders, create value, enhance competitiveness and deliver sustained outcomes," said Raymund Chao, PwC Asia Pacific and China chairman.
"This requires a transformative and multinodal mindset grounded in collaboration. It's imperative that we must all come together and act now for the new reality in the region."
The full report can be downloaded here.
ESG promises must be backed up by genuine progress
The importance of environmental, social, and governance criteria (ESG) factors to businesses has been extensively acknowledged. Andrew Chan, Sustainability Strategy & Transformation leader at PwC Asia-Pacific's Sustainability Centre of Excellence, explained to VIR's Celine Luu how to address ESG concerns across a broad spectrum of industries.
Stepping up ESG for socioeconomic gains
Both businesses and financial institutions in Vietnam are stepping up their journey in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, and reinforcing commitments to foster sustainability. A fresh PwC ESG Readiness Report for 2022 shows significantly upbeat figures about how businesses in Vietnam are approaching these matters.
Asia-Pacific outperforms global decarbonisation in 2021
The Asia-Pacific region outperformed its global counterparts in 2021 with a decarbonisation rate of 1.2 per cent versus 0.5 per cent elsewhere, as stated in a newly-released PwC report that highlights the efforts to decouple greenhouse gas emissions from economic growth despite the global headwinds.
By Linh Dan
PwC Vietnam ESG supply chain workforce digital economy
Report scrutinises pathway for ESG agenda in financial sector
Crafting fresh sustainable initiatives
How real estate developers can benefit from ESG considerations
Indonesia stepping up its funding priorities
Vietnam emerges as an attractive alternative location for supply chain diversification
Dealmaking potential ripe in Vietnam for ESG-minded groups
Latest News ⁄ Your Consultant
Review of Vietnam's economy 2022: Global & local headwinds have just begun
The implications of global uncertainty
Vietnam's economy steadfast amid the headwinds
Expectations on the horizon
Data localisation regulations in need of further guidance
Experts call for extension of tax support (January 18, 2023 | 20:48)
Adhering to the law in termination of labour contracts in Vietnam (January 18, 2023 | 10:04)
Managing working capital within a complex environment (January 16, 2023 | 10:32)
Urgency required to build an economy that is self-reliant (January 10, 2023 | 11:24)
Prospects of sustained growth and success (January 05, 2023 | 13:00)
Vietnam in 2023: Facing a recession or a rebound? (January 05, 2023 | 09:00)
Dealmaking potential ripe in Vietnam for ESG-minded groups (January 04, 2023 | 15:58)
What might the Vietnamese economy look like in 2023? (January 02, 2023 | 21:37)
Producing policy to protect growth (January 02, 2023 | 15:42)
Worker protection required after spate of lay-offs persists (December 30, 2022 | 16:29)


IC System, one of the largest receivables management companies in the United States, adopted a machine-learning powered approach to increasing recovery rates by creating a comprehensive contact strategy for each consumer. The strategy was centered around an Artificially Intelligent Collections (AIC) product developed by NLP Logix, a Jacksonville, Florida-based AI solutions company, and leveraged the decades of consumer behavior embedded in the IC System databases.
The approach used by IC System and NLP Logix is based upon training a machine learning algorithm developed by NLP Logix specifically for the accounts receivable market. The algorithm identifies patterns in consumers historical payment behaviors and applies a probability-to-pay score to similar or like consumers with outstanding accounts. This was further refined down to specific industries of IC System's customers, such as healthcare and telecommunications, to capture the different ways consumers approach their doctor bills vs. phone bills.
An additional significant advantage to using this unique approach is that credit bureau scores were not used to score the consumer's probability to pay. Not only is there a significant cost to IC System to obtain the credit bureau scores but there is a potential negative impact on the individual consumer. In addition, The Federal Trade Commission found that 1 in 5 consumers had a confirmed material error in their credit score.
IC System is one of the largest receivables management companies in the United States. Celebrating its 80th year, IC System is a family-owned, privately held accounts receivable management firm in its third generation of family ownership. IC System provides customized, tailor-made debt recovery solutions for healthcare, dental, financial services, small business, government, utilities, and telecommunications industries on a nationwide scale. With their Core Values (People, Pride, Integrity, Performance, Innovation) driving every business decision, the nationally licensed IC System maintains a 16-year average client tenure, has more than twelve million debts for $6 billion placed annually in their inventory, and is endorsed by over 450 professional healthcare and trade associations/societies. IC System is home to over 550 employees and has been named a Top 150 Workplace by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Follow IC System at http://www.icsystem.com, on Twitter at @icsystem or Linkedin.
NLP Logix is an artificial intelligence/machine learning product and automation solutions provider, which has grown from a vision in 2011 to one of the fastest growing teams of deep learning practitioners. NLP Logix delivers its solutions through LogixStudio, the company's proprietary automation platform that gives a customer the ability to quickly leverage the growing library of algorithms and deploy them into their workflow. NLP Logix is delivering automation and machine learning solutions to customers across a wide swath of industries, including financial services, energy, healthcare, government, human resources, and others. NLP Logix was recently recognized as one of the top 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in United States by Inc. Magazine. For more information, please visit http://www.nlplogix.com.
Follow NLP Logix at http://www.nlplogix.com, on Twitter at @nlplogix or LinkedIn.
Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/nlp_logix_and_ic_system_publish_results_of_machine_learning_enabled_accounts_receivable_management_outcomes/prweb15897237.htm.


Your home appliances are at the heart of your home. They are needed to keep food fresh, cook, wash and dry clothes and much more. What would you do if one of them malfunctioned or broke down all together? Who do you call? Who do you trust?
Go Assist are a leading home appliance repair specialist in Middleton, offering home visits, affordable prices and experienced, dedicated experts engineers. You can always trust in Go Assist to get your appliances up and running as quickly as possible.
We pride ourselves on our service quality, the speed of call-outs and on the expertise of our local Middleton engineers. Go Assist are approved by many well-known, big name appliance manufacturers and insurance providers so you can rest easy knowing that you will not be let down.
Our fixed price promise means that when you request a quote by entering the required information, the price you get is the price you pay. With Go Assist there is no unexpected charges and no hidden costs.
Booking your appliance repair couldn't be easier, just let us know which appliance needs fixing and where in Middleton you are. If you accept our affordable fixed cost quote, we'll take care of everything from and send you a reliable, experienced local Middleton engineer just as soon as we can.
Once your engineer gets to you, they will use all of their training and experience to effectively diagnose and repair your home appliance in Middleton. All work carried out by our expert Middleton engineers is guaranteed under our 1 year guarantee. So, if the appliance breaks down at a later date we'll send an engineer straight back to fix it for free.
Book your appliance repair in Middleton online now, get a quote, or give us a call if you have any questions.


Plot: Sixteen-year-old Bobby tells his story in an unconventional way. Sections are titled either "then" or "now," to show how he simultaneously copes with his challenging reality and reflects on the events that led him to his current situation. And Bobby's situation is a tough one indeed: he is raising his infant daughter alone. Bobby's memories of learning that his girlfriend Nia was pregnant, being advised by everyone to put the baby up for adoption, and trying to wrap his head around the idea of a baby are interspersed with his new reality of caring for baby Feather. His parents, loving but disgusted with his choices, have made it clear that it is up to him to take care of the baby, and he struggles to finish high school while coordinating her care. A twist near the end reveals why Nia is no longer a part of his life (we won't give it away), and the book ends as Bobby finally gains a sense of clarity about his new role.
Adult Themes: Surprisingly few, given that this is a book about teen pregnancy and parenthood. Occasionally there is language that some may find objectionable, however.
Our Take: Few novels for young people explore the realities of teen parenthood, and fewer still do so from the perspective of a teen father. This theme coupled with The First Part Last's unconventional layout makes this novel an unforgettable book. Johnson's writing style is simple and poetic. Most characters are well developed, and she is able to convey a visceral sense of Bobby's fatigue and confusion, but also of his wonder at his daughter and the aching love he feels for her. And don't worry – Bobby is in awe of little Feather alright, but The First Part Last in no way glorifies teen parenting. Bobby's confusion, heartache, isolation, and exhaustion ring loud and clear from virtually every page of this book.
While we think The First Part Last would be a great book for any adolescent, it's a particularly good choice for at-risk readers for several reasons. For one, the story itself is compelling and the characters are relatable. Also, the text is arranged in short paragraphs and even individual sentences that form their own paragraphs, so the pages are appealingly sparse; there are no intimidating dense blocks of text here. While the reading feels accessible, some readers may need a bit of support while they get used to the interspersed plot lines. We highly recommend this book. Its simplicity allows even struggling students to get through it, and its complexity ensures that the story will stick with them long after they finish it.


Conduct the work in the fall and winter, after the tourist season in Gloucester, and in accordance with the "fish window" established by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries to protect local fish species.
Place haybales and silt fences around the upland work areas to limit erosion, siltation, and runoff to the harbor and adjoining properties.
Place booms and sediment barriers around the marine work areas.
Monitor air quality at the perimeter of the work area, and implement measures to reduce odor (e.g., limiting the size of the area disturbed, or using foam and other engineered controls).
Work with the Coast Guard, local agencies, and property owners to limit the impact of in-water operations on harbor activities, particularly commercial fishing and other marine industry.
Transport as much material as possible by barge (i.e., over the water, rather than by land). This will limit the amount of project-related traffic on Harbor Loop.
When transport by truck is required, have sufficient trucks available throughout the day so that traffic does not back up near the Site.
Coordinate with local authorities, agencies, and the surrounding community on transportation safety issues.
Consult with the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Gloucester Historical Commission to ensure that historic and archaeological properties in the work areas that relate to Gloucester's maritime heritage are preserved or documented throughout the project.


I'm a Profesor Ayudante Doctor at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and a member of the ICMAT.
I received my degree in mathematics at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Then I moved to Barcelona and in July 2010, I finished my PhD in mathematics at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. After obtained my PhD, I was a post-doctoral researcher for two years at the University of Southampon, for six months at the University of Neuchâtel and then NTT assistant professor at Vanderbilt University.
We will be running a seminar in the UAM/ICMAT, please contact me if you want to give a talk. Here is a tentative list of talks.
We are organizing the 2-day workshop "Groups in Madrid" on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 Nov 2018.
We organized a thematic program on L^2-invariants at the ICMAT from February to June 2018.
My research area in mathematics is geometric and combinatorial group theory. I study countable groups with some sort of non-positively curved behavior, like acylindrically hyperbolic groups, one-relator groups or graph products. Some of my recent research concern the connection between formal languages and group theory.


There's no popping of the corks over in the west just yet but Perth Glory can start putting the champagne in the ice bucket after an incredible Round 22 of the Hyundai A-League.
Glory's professional 2-0 win over Adelaide United on Friday night coupled with Sydney FC's shock 2-0 loss to Melbourne City on Sunday has Tony Popovic's men nine points clear at the top of the ladder.
While both the Sky Blues and Melbourne Victory – who are a further one point behind the 2017/18 Premiers – won't give up the chase, it seems a case of when, and not if, Glory gets their hands on the Premiers' Plate.
Elsewhere, Wellington has continued their quest for a top-four berth while Newcastle Jets missed a great chance to close in on the top six.
We look at what the weekend's round of fixtures has done for the race to the finals series.
Perth has come through a tricky run of three games on the road with their healthy nine-point gap intact heading into the international break.
With just 15 points up for grabs between now and the end of the regular season, it would take a monumental form reversal for Glory to throw away the Premiership.
Especially when you consider they have lost just one match all season while the win over the Reds meant they set a club record (15) for wins in a single campaign.
Their next clash won't be easy though with champions Melbourne Victory heading to HBF Park in Round 23.
If Glory overcomes that hurdle with another three points on March 30, they would expect to do similar when they head to Central Coast the following week.
Two wins would all-but-mathematically hand Glory the Premiers' Plate after Round 24, depending on Sydney FC's results over the next couple of games.
Otherwise, they would officially get their hands on the silverware in Round 25 when they host Newcastle Jets on Sunday, April 14.
Will Sydney FC be overhauled for second spot?
Before Sunday's upset loss to Melbourne City, the Sky Blues were looking up rather than back on the Hyundai A-League ladder.
With a four point gap to third placed Melbourne Victory, Steve Corica's men were plotting ways they could keep the heat on Perth while also locking-up a crucial top-two spot.
But with Victory snapping their four-game winless run in the Hyundai A-League by scraping past Brisbane Roar 2-1, there's now just one point separating the Big Blue rivals.
Both sides face testing away games in Round 23 in a fortnight (Sydney FC in Brisbane and Victory against Glory) before a potentially season-defining clash the following week.
The final Big Blue of the regular season takes place in Round 24 on Saturday, April 6 at the SCG, with the winner sure to take a psychological edge in the race for second spot and into the finals series.
The fight for second spot is tight, as is the battle for the final spot in the top four.
Wellington Phoenix continued to press their claims for a home final in the opening week of the finals after a superb first half display in the 3-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday.
Mark Rudan's men currently hold the all-important fourth spot with destiny in their own hands.
In fact, in their next four matches the Kiwi club play the three sides below them on the ladder, in the Newcastle Jets (at home in Round 23), Adelaide United (away in Round 24) and Melbourne City (at home in Round 26).
While they are just a solitary point ahead of City – who bounced back to form against the Sky Blues – Wellington look to be approaching ominous form, having scored 11 goals in their last two outings against the Wanderers and the Mariners.
The Jets, meanwhile, blew their chance to close within two points of the top six with their surprise 3-2 home loss against Central Coast on Sunday.
They will stew on that result for the next fortnight ahead of a must win clash in Wellington on March 30.
With games against both the Glory and Sydney FC also in the last five rounds, Ernie Merrick's men may come to rue the dropped points against their F3 rivals.
Don't take your eyes off what's happening around the top six because there's plenty still to unfold before the finals series!