text:
The Smartest Dude In Town
Will artificial intelligence (AI) solve many of our problems or create new ones that are even worse? These questions are being asked more frequently because literally every day, the technology is improving and its use is becoming more widespread. Scientists warn that these questions need to be resolved soon and, if they are not, preventing the dangers AI poses may become impossible.
AI enables machines, computers, and other devices to do things that typically require human intelligence. The technology can analyze a great deal of data in real time and use the conclusions to make fast and accurate decisions. AI is used to study complex issues in math, medicine, psychology, to predict stock and commodity prices, and by military strategists, among applications.
Founded in 1955, the technology has developed steadily. But more recently advances and breakthroughs are coming at breakneck speed. Following are just a few examples of how AI is being used to save labor, lower costs, and increase safety.
*Pepper is billed as the world's first robot that can recognize faces and understand human emotions. This helps explain why Pepper is very popular with people who meet it and why it is being used by more than 2,000 companies in finance, retail and other industries. In retail, for example, Pepper draws more shoppers, makes their shopping experience more enjoyable, and promotes additional purchases. It also gathers very useful information about customers' shopping habits and preferences.
*Atlas is a humanoid robot that can jump, do somersaults, and even backflips without falling. It can carry a heavy backpack while walking over rocky terrain and even withstand a swinging 20-pound metal ball that's slammed into it. These features make it ideal for search and rescue operations in extreme conditions.
*HRP-5P doesn't have the catchiest name in town, but it does get the job done – particularly when it's one that requires moving heavy objects. It can easily lift sheetrock off a pile, fit it onto the desired location, and use a hand drill to secure it there. HRP-5P was developed by a Japanese firm to help offset problems arising from labor shortages caused by that country's aging population and low birth rate.
A Word To The Wise
Despite AI's obvious benefits, people very knowledgeable about this technology are warning that it could introduce serious hazards.
One of these people is AI expert Janelle Shayne. "The danger of AI is not that it's going to rebel against us but that it's going to do exactly what we ask it to do," she said in a TED Talk. "AI can be destructive and not know it. This happens all the time."
One explanation is that it can easily misunderstand what it's told. For example, it might understand the sentence "Mary had a little lamb," as meaning that Mary gave birth to a little lamb, once owned a little lamb, or ate a little lamb.
According to the Future of Life Organization, "there is no reason to think that AI could become intentionally benevolent or malevolent." The danger, however, is that it could be programmed to do something devastating. Alternatively, it could be programmed to do something beneficial but develop a destructive method of achieving this goal.
Critics of AI have said the technology will make people lazier and eliminate jobs; also, it's impossible for anyone in the workplace to "bond" with a machine.
What, Me Worry!
But there are other drawbacks that are much worse. In fact, some of the most famous people in science and business have warned about AI, including Stephen Hawking, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, and most vocally, Elon Musk. Many leading AI researchers agree with them. Recent developments in the technology explain why.
AI has been used to produce modern art, and experts who have seen those paintings describe them as "coming from hell," "terrifying," and that they "should serve as a warning." "This is the soul of AI and tells us we are staring into an abyss."
Some Wall Street banks have started calling traders and other employees back to work in their offices. When they get back there, Pepper, the social humanoid robot, may be waiting to greet them. Pepper will be patrolling offices, trading floors, and various departments to make sure the employees there are practicing social distancing. And it also will recognize which employees are not wearing masks and tell them, "they have to wear one properly." Employees who repeatedly violate these regulations may be reported to management.
Elon Musk, in particular, has become very outspoken about the risks the world could be facing in the foreseeable future. "We're headed toward a situation where AI is vastly smarter than humans and the existential threat it poses is less than five years from now," he told Swishe. "I do think we need to be very careful about the advancement of AI." In a different interview he warned that "With AI we are summoning the devil."
Years ago, AI-powered computers were advanced enough to defeat the world chess champion as well as the world champion GO, a game described as even more complicated than chess.
Meanwhile, breakthroughs in the technology are unfolding with incredible rapidity. Nautilus, a supercomputer that was used in the search for Osama Bin Laden, is now trying to predict future events.
Google has created AI that evolves on its own. The technology can "automatically discover" unknown algorithms and develop other AI programs without any human intervention." Last year, Google announced a breakthrough that enabled its quantum computer to do a calculation in 200 seconds that previously would have taken the highest-end supercomputer in the world 10,000 years to complete.
Researchers at George Washington University have achieved a breakthrough in the development of AI that enables machines to learn unsupervised at the speed of light, reports The Independent. Microsoft announced a new supercomputer it describes as having human-like artificial intelligence. And Open AI's new computer composed a very well-written essay geared to convince readers that they have nothing to fear from AI.
Google, IBM, and Facebook are just a few of the major companies pouring human and financial resources into this technology. China is reportedly spending many billions on it.
At least so far, judging by what has been documented, AI has not been become a major threat to society. How long do you think it will be before our luck runs out, chas v'shalom?
Source: www.brookings.edu; www.builtin.com; www.cnbc.com; www.futureoflife.org; www.independent.co.uk; www.techrepublic.com; www.towardsdatascience.com; www.vox.com; YouTube videos: 9 Most Advanced AI Robots – Humanoid and Industrial; Google claims quantum computing breakthrough NBC News
Gerald Harris is a financial and feature writer. Gerald can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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MTA Seniors Visit Beth Din Of America
Crime But No Punishment


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Twentieth Century Paris - 1900-1950: A Literary Guide for Travellers
Marie-José Gransard
Publisher: Tauris Parke
Paris at the turn of the twentieth century had become the cultural capital of the world. Artists and writers came to contribute to flourishing avant-garde movements, as the Left Bank became a new centre of creativity. It drew tourists and travellers, but also many exiled from their home countries or escaping political persecution, and those seeking freedom from social constraints.
The romantic myth of Paris persists, but Marie-José Gransard explores the darker side of the City of Light. She brings her subjects to life by describing where and how they lived, what they wrote and what was written about them, through a wide-ranging literary legacy of diaries, memoirs, letters, poetry, theatre, cinema and fiction. In Twentieth-Century Paris: a Literary Guide for Travellers (1900-1950) both the visitor and the armchair traveller alike will find familiar names, from Ernest Hemingway and George Orwell to Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield, and they will encounter unfairly forgotten or neglected writers, artists and musicians; famous and less well-known Russians, and thinkers from as far as the Caribbean and Latin America.
Born in Northern France, Marie-José Gransard studied English at the Sorbonne in Paris and her career has been in language and culture. She has worked with Hilary Spurling on her biography of...
Yankee Come Home - On the Road...
William Craig
Yankee Come Home explores one family's history in Cuba, and through it, the intense, complex, smoldering relationship between the island nation and its leviathan neighbor.
In Cuba's most entrancing, storied landscape, William Craig is searching for a history that his family has lost-and now needs to recover. He's looking for the truth about his mysterious great-grandfather, Thomas O'Brien, a self-proclaimed hero of the "splendid little war" who left a legacy of glorious, painful lies. Living a dream that haunts American hearts-the dream of escaping the past, of becoming who we say we are-"Papa" died leaving his own children wondering who he'd really been.
Along the way, Craig searches for the place where Gilded Age America abandoned republican ideals in favor of imperial ambition-and where his own generation of Americans now preside over arbitrary imprisonment and systematized torture. "I needed to see Guantánamo the way some Americans needed to drive through the night to kneel at JFK's coffin, and others are drawn to Ground Zero," he writes. "Sometimes, we don't know what we've lost until we trace the scars." Traveling with Craig, readers will join in present-day adventures: spirit-possession rituals, black market odysseys, roots-music epiphanies, and discovering the continuing impact of the war in 1898 on both Cuba and America.
The story of the United States in Cuba is fascinating, but none too flattering. Like the reality of "Papa" O'Brien's identity, it reflects more hubris than heroism, more avarice than sacrifice. In the end, however, Craig's journey in Yankee Come Home is a transformation from disillusionment to redemption.
Italian Days
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
A "contagiously exuberant" celebration of Italian food, culture, and history that "will be the companion of visitors for years to come" (The Washington Post Book World).   In an absorbing journey down the Italian peninsula, essayist, journalist, and fiction writer Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, offers a fascinating mixture of history, politics, folklore, food, architecture, arts, and literature, studded with local anecdotes and personal reflections. From fashionable Milan to historic Rome and primitive, brooding Calabria, Harrison reveals her country of origin in all its beauty, peculiarity, and glory.  Italian Days is the story of a return home; of friends, family, and faith; and of the search for the good life that propels all of us on our journeys wherever we are.   "Harrison's wonderful journal will make you update your passport and dream of subletting your job, home, etc. . . . With Harrison, you never know with whom you'll be lunching, or climbing down a ruin. You just know you want to be there." —Glamour
Summit Fever
Andrew Greig
A "wonderful" memoir about mountain climbing—and the risk, joy, and adventure of being alive (Chris Bonington).  Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature   When poet Andrew Greig was asked by Scottish mountaineer Mal Duff to join his ascent of the Mustagh Tower in the Karakoram Himalayas, he had a poor head for heights and no climbing experience whatsoever. The result is this unique book. Known for its candor and wit, and the beauty of its writing, Summit Fever is the story of a newcomer to mountain climbing facing a challenge beyond his expectations—"an excellent read, one of the best expedition books so far" (Climber).
Turkish in 40 Minutes - Learn to...
This Audiobook provides the opportunity to hear and practise the language. The phrases are kept short and simple so that by listening two or three times, you can pick up the essentials of the Turkish language.
Pharos and Pharillon
The author of A Passage to India offers personal and historical reflections on the Egyptian city of Alexandria in these essays, articles, and poems. As a noncombatant during the First World War, E. M. Forster was stationed with the British Red Cross in Alexandria, Egypt. He fell in love with the place, which had once been a cultural crossroads of the world, and with a young Egyptian man named Mohammed el Adl. Pharos and Pharillon collects Forster's many reflections about the city, its history, and his experiences there.   Organized in two parts, the book begins with Pharos, the great Lighthouse of Alexandria, and seven stories that paint a poetic picture of the ancient city. The second half, Pharillon, consists of four stories set during the British-occupied Alexandria of the twentieth century. It includes Forster's moving introduction of the Greek poet C. P. Cavafy to the English-speaking world. The division in the book is signaled by Cavafy's now famous poem, "The God Abandons Antony."   First published by Virginia and Leonard Woolf in 1923, Pharos and Pharillon remains an enlightening portrait both of the city and the author. Forster's "spiritual unity with Alexandria is, perhaps, the most important aspect of the book. . . . E. M. Forster found himself in Alexandria and Alexandria is to be found in E. M. Forster" (The New York Times).  This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Backpacking Guide to Hostels...
Grizzly Publishing
Over the last few years, the quality of hostel accommodation has risen through the roof – so much so that they are now frequently considered to be one of the best options when it comes to comfortable, affordable, and social accommodation.Hostels not only provide a place to stay on the cheap, but also offer fun activities, new friendships, and new experiences that you will never forget.
They offer a unique chance to get to know people from all over the world, from various cultures and different ethnic backgrounds.
A way to interact with people in a manner that traditional accommodation simply does not allow.
Hostels are no longer strictly for students and money poor backpackers. They are for young couples on a romantic and fun vacation; they are for the older crowd who want to enjoy a positive atmosphere, and they are for the family looking for an affordable holiday.
In this book, you will discover:
What a hostel truly is
How to find the best hostels
Tips for staying in a hostel
How you can maximize the hostel lifestyle
So, what are you waiting for? Unlock an entire world of fun, comfortable, and affordable accommodation, and take your travel to the next level.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<?php

namespace Yosymfony\Spress\Core\ContentManager\SiteAttribute;

use Yosymfony\Spress\Core\DataSource\ItemInterface;

/**
 * Interface for site attribute.
 *
 * The site atributes is the array structure of attriutes used
 * by your site.
 *
 * @author Victor Puertas <vpgugr@gmail.com>
 */
interface SiteAttributeInterface
{
    /**
     * Adds an attribute using "dot" notation if doesn't exists.
     * You can to escape a dot in a key surrendering with brackets: "[.]".
     *
     * e.g: $a->addAttribute('site.name', 'Spress site');
     *      $a->addAttribute('site.pages.index[.]html', 'The content');
     *
     * @param string $name  The name of the attribute.
     * @param mixed  $value The value of the attribute.
     */
    public function addAttribute($name, $value);

    /**
     * Get a value using "dot" notation.
     * You can to escape a dot in a key surrendering with brackets: "[.]".
     *
     * @param string $name
     *
     * @return mixed
     */
    public function getAttribute($name);

    /**
     * Gets the site attributes.
     *
     * @return array The attributes.
     */
    public function getAttributes();

    /**
     * Check if an attribute exists in using "dot" notation.
     * You can to escape a dot in a key surrendering with brackets: "[.]".
     *
     * @param string $name The name of the attribute.
     *
     * @return bool
     */
    public function hasAttribute($name);

    /**
     * Set an attribute using "dot" notation.
     *
     * @param string $name  The name of the attribute.
     * @param mixed  $value The value of the attribute.
     */
    public function setAttribute($name, $value);

    /**
     * Sets an item.
     *
     * @param \Yosymfony\Spress\Core\DataSource\ItemInterface $item
     */
    public function setItem(ItemInterface $item);

    /**
     * Initializes the site attributes structure.
     *
     * @param array $attributes Initial attributes.
     */
    public function initialize(array $attributes = []);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The mass media are a relatively recent phenomenon. With the invention of the telegram, a first step was taken towards informing the masses (groups without distinction of their position or social class) on events that happen in the world. We should qualify the term "world": it is a question of the world in which we live and move. It is the space that we know and that culturally is close to us.
More than half of the population of the Earth still live in a small world, formed by their family and community. But a growing mass – since the mid XIX century – live in a world in permanent expansion: the province, the nation, the international market and, finally, the world market. This mass is the consumer of the mass media. They are billions of people on all continents, crossing borders, who receive daily information of the most diverse nature.
It is information processed, diagnosed and directed in a few minutes, by highly trained communication professionals, which is sent to every corner of the planet thanks to virtual, electronic computing networks. The information can be seen live from any point of the planet. We can also expect it to appear in the nightly star newscast. A great part of the information is predictable since those concerned announce it in advance: the press conference of some personality, a decisive sporting event or a political election that may determine who will govern a country.
When something unexpected occurs – an earthquake, a high profile assassination or a fire – there are protocols to give it the corresponding treatment. For example, in the case of fatal attacks that have as an object to create insecurity and terrorism, they receive greater coverage if the victims are from a determined region or country. In the contrary case, they hardly appear on the screens or in the newspapers (this is the case, among others, of the massacres of Palestinians, dispossession of the Sahrawi or of the indigenous peoples of all of America, whether the North, Centre or South).
The distinction between what is news and what is not has seen a certain increase in the major mass media since the election of President Trump in the US. There is talk of "fake news" as a supposedly new phenomenon. In reality, it has always existed: in Antiquity, in the colony and in more recent years. An emblematic case – that changed the course of history in Central America –was the postage stamp that circulated in the North American Congress in 1902 that showed the eruption of the Momotombo volcano in Nicaragua, where the US hoped to build an interoceanic canal. The Senators thought again and chose to finance the route that crossed the isthmus of Panama. An organic intellectual of Wall Street, Walter Lipmann, wrote a book in the 1920s entitled Public Opinion where he presented the art of "fake news" as a political tool to dominate the emerging middle and working classes. It is said that the book Public Opinion occupied an important place on the bedside table of German ideologue Joseph Goebbels.
With the appearance of virtual networks, fake news has become generalized. Neighborhood "gossip" has become massified through electronic media, with mobiles in the hands of five-year-old children to people aged 90. But it is still the major mass media – principally the television channels and newspaper chains – that control fake news. For example, the face-off of the US with Venezuela, Syria, or Beijing in the South China sea – among others – are news to the extent that the media controlled by the monopolies concentrated in New York want them to be. They shape information according to the interests of the big corporations and circulate them massively through the national, local and even virtual media.
With the arrival of Trump to the White House, a division was produced in the heart of the big monopolies. The media that support "nationalist" positions support the unconventional president and those who support globalization attack him. The former count on the support of Fox News, while the supporters of globalization have CNN (as well as the New York Times and the news agencies that feed the media in Europe, Latin America and other regions).
The division is very clear in reference to internal politics. Daily fake news is invented on both sides about the border wall between the US and Mexico, about climate change, the collapse of industrial and agro-industrial employment and many other issues. On foreign policy, fake news tend to divide the US monopolies on two fronts. On the one hand, the Middle East war and on the other, Russia and China. As for the places that the monopolies consider their "back yard", in other words, Latin America, there are no great differences. The daily ration of fake news extols the regimes of the extreme right and demonizes the democratic governments of the left. Through fake news, they all promote coups d'états, political persecutions and even military invasions.
There will always be fake news. In our times, it is the product of the interests of the big monopolies that seek to dominate world markets and consumers on a global scale. We should learn how to read and discriminate among the news. Everything indicates that we will have fake news for a long time to come.


Top-of-the-range paragliding pod harness from Sup'Air, incorporating the latest innovations. The Vampair 2 comes with an under-seat reserve pocket, Bump'Air back protection and integrated leg fairing with carbon foot stirrup. There was one main objective with this new model - top performance!
Top-of-the-range paragliding pod harness from Sup'Air, incorporating the latest innovations.
The Vampair 2 comes with an under-seat reserve pocket, Bump'Air back protection and integrated leg fairing with carbon foot stirrup.
There was one main objective with this new model - top performance!
Light 30mm buckles for shoulder adjustment.
Chest strap/weight shift and seat angle adjustments with steel trim buckles.


Every once in awhile we get inspired to make a change. On occasion it's just something in the air. In other cases it can be a few words we heard that encourage us to take the step. Regardless of the reason, we develop the desire to go out and do better. We search for new ways to be innovative and make a difference, which can be hard when supposedly there's no such thing as an original idea. Nonetheless we still find ways to make ourselves stand out by being unique. Maddy Corbin is a professional when it comes to creating unique content that is appreciated by thousands. She constantly pushes the envelope forward with her social media presence which inspires others to go and do the same.
Maddy is an influencer and blogger who focuses on developing content based purely off her interests. Topics can range from date night ideas to easy hairstyles for the fall. It's all about what matters to her. Often we forget to create for ourselves. We cater to what's popular and hyped, but that which truly attracts is what comes off as sincere. People can't help but be drawn to what excites you as an individual. That being said, what better way to build a following than by creating something that genuinely showcases the aspects of your life.
It isn't easy. Maddy puts at least 10 hours a week into building out various blog posts, pictures and videos. However, it's worth it. There's so much that gets produced on a daily basis that she's gotten used to being in front of the camera. Her advice on how you can do the same is to constantly be in front of it. Find a way to snap pictures of yourself all the time and eventually it won't bother you anymore.
Maddy has quite a few projects on the rise, but she can't spill the beans on too much just yet. The best way to see what she's up to is to follow her page at @maddy.corbin It's not often we see an account that sets us ablaze with the desire to take our craft to the next level. That's what makes Maddy's page all the more special. We can't help but be inspired by her ability to produce material based solely around what gives her joy in life.


text:
Gouyave RC Church Steeple — Our Disappearing Heritage
in Commentary
St Peter's Roman Catholic Church
The former St Peter's Roman Catholic Church at the corner of St Francis and St Dominique's streets in Gouyave was built around 1810, on the site of an older church, and its Tower or Steeple as it is called by Gouyavarians, has been a local landmark ever since, as it dominates the Gouyave skyline, as seen from Palmiste as one approaches Gouyave from the south and presents a postcard vista of the town.
Somewhere during the late 19th or early 20th century, a new and larger church was built further north on St Dominique's Street, and the former church was converted to the Senior RC School up to about 1990, when it became too small to house the growing school population and was transferred to the Presbytery complex until 2002, when a new modern primary school was built at Middle River, Gouyave.
For a short period after 2002, the building was used for storing nutmeg for the GCNA, but for sometime after Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 there was no longer any nutmeg to store. Hurricane Ivan, however, left its mark on the steeple, rendering it unsafe for public use, as pieces of metal from the leaning cupola or metal dome over the tower dangle precariously in mid-air.
As most Grenadians would know, the weekly Fish Friday event occupies both St Francis and part of St Dominique's streets which are in the shadow of the steeple, and therefore prohibits the use of the St Peter's Church yard for Fish Friday "expansion," as the Sentinel was given to understand.
Just like Melrose House which the Sentinel recently brought to the attention of the citizens of Gouyave and to those who are concerned with our disappearing heritage, the Sentinel is also bringing to the attention of the public at large, the dire need for the repairs and restoration of the steeple. Although the entire historic building needs restoration, it is the steeple however, which requires immediate financial assistance to avert its collapse and the attendant collateral damage which could occur, including loss of lives.
In this regard, there is a local organization in which Dr George Vincent is spearheading a fundraising drive, to undertake the necessary repair works. Should this be accomplished in 2016, it could be the catalyst to initiate a "heritage conservation area" from St Dominique and St Francis Streets extending to the sea, including the old Lodge/ Hotel/ Funeral Home and more recently used as the New Jewel Party headquarters in the early days of the revolution; together with the old Library building, and of course Melrose House and the adjoining Court House on the sea side of Depradine Street.
Nothing will happen without funding. Gouyavarians and the Grenadian Heritage community both at home and in the diaspora are kindly requested to assist to make the repairs to the steeple a reality which could be the beginning of a heritage renaissance with its economic spin-off, in the town that never sleeps. Contributions could be made to Dr Vincent at George.Vincent@live.com or via our DONATE BUTTON @ www.willieredheadfoundation.org or by ringing telephone (473) 405-4012.
Tags: architecturechurchgouyaveheritagerepairrestorationsentinelst peter's roman catholic churchsteepletwrfwillie redhead foundation


text:
Our Best Supporting Actress Oscars Predictions
Who Will Win Best Supporting Actress At The Oscars?
Anne Cohen
Designed by Seung Wong Chun.
Mad Max: Fury Road's Furiosa. West Side Story's Anita. My Cousin Vinny's Mona Lisa Vito. Chicago's Velma Kelly. Almost Famous' Penny Lane. Dreamgirls' Effie White.
Some of our most memorable film performances have been supporting ones. And yet, it took almost 10 years for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to introduce the awards in supporting acting categories for both men and women.
The first award for Best Actress in A Supporting Role was given out to Gale Sondergaard in 1937, during the ninth Academy Awards, for her role in 1936's Anthony Adverse. Since then, 79 more women have climbed onstage to receive the prestigious prize — including some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
It's a category that has often been groundbreaking. In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first black woman to win an Oscar in any acting category, for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone With The Wind. It would take 51 years for Whoopi Goldberg to repeat the experience. She took home the Oscar in 1991 for her role as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost. To this day, only seven black women have ever won — a track record that's still better than that of the Best Actress category, which counts only one black woman (Halle Berry) among its recipients.
There's a good chance that may change this year, with Regina King as the frontrunner in a Best Supporting Actress race that is as tight as ever.
Nominees Amy Adams (Vice), King (If Beale Street Could Talk), Marina de Tavera (Roma), Emma Stone (The Favourite), and Rachel Weisz (The Favourite) all gave career best performances that will be remembered long after the final winner is decided on 24th February.
Click through for a breakdown of each nominees' odds of bringing that coveted golden man home, and make sure to check out our overall predictions for the 91st Academy Awards.
Regina King On The Pressure Of Speaking Out
Emma Stone On Her First Nude Scene
Who Needs An Oscars Host?
Oscars Best Supporting Actress Winner Predictions 2019
Entertainment • Movies
written by Anne Cohen
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text:
ECC Response to COVID-19
The Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean prepares the region to face the COVID-19 epidemic. ECC also publishes situation updates on COVID-19 response in the Caribbean countries.
News Articles on ECC response to the COVID-19
Variant of Concern (VOC) Delta to Omicron, Transmissibility, Severity, Impact of Social Mobility - What will drive future trends and Optimizing our response
On Wednesday 15 December 2021, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries hosted a webinar on the Variant of Concern (VOC) Delta to Omicron, Transmissibility, Severity, Impact of Social Mobility - What will drive future trends and Optimizing our response. The objectives were to:…
Video message in support of Health Care Workers
2021 has been designated as the International Year of Health and Care Workers in appreciation and gratitude for their dedication during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, health care workers have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect us. Sadly, we have lost some of our health care workers and many have contracted…
Antigua and Barbuda receive 19,200 of vaccines donated by Spain through COVAX
Saint John's, Antigua, 18 November 2021 [PAHO] — Antigua & Barbuda today received 19,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccine donated by Spain via the COVAX Mechanism, a global initiative that aims to ensure equitable access to vaccines against the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Including this delivery…
Boosting partnership as PAHO donates US$ 400,000 of essential supplies and medical equipment to Barbados
Bridgetown, Barbados, November 09, 2021 (PAHO/WHO) - A show of continued partnership was demonstrated today when the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) handed over several essential supplies and equipment to the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Barbados. In addition to providing Covid-19 countermeasure tools,…
Hospitals and isolation facilities in the Eastern Caribbean Countries are overwhelmed with the increase of Covid-19 cases combined by shortage of health workforce and clinical supplies
Bridgetown, Barbados, 25 September 2021 (PAHO) - Nearly eight thousand (8000) confirmed new Covid-19 cases have been reported over the last three weeks of September 2021 with a 52% increase from 4231 cases in the month of August 2021 from Barbados and 6 Eastern Caribbean countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts…
Barbados receives its third batch of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility
Bridgetown, Barbados, 24 August 2021 (PAHO / WHO) - Today, Barbados received 33,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility, a global effort between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World…
An increase in Covid-19 cases and hospitalization in the Eastern Caribbean Countries and circulation of Variant of Concern (VOC) Delta
Bridgetown, Barbados - August 9, 2021 (PAHO) -The Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) Office for Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Countries is advising the public and health authorities to continue to take appropriate and urgent public health and social measures (PHSM) to safeguard lives due to an increase in…
Germany donates 924,000 medical masks to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries
Bridgetown, Barbados June 23, 2021 (PAHO) - On June 22, 2021, two containers with a shipment of 924,000 medical masks, a donation from the Federal Republic of Germany arrived at the PAHO / WHO Barbados Office for distribution to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries to support covid-19 efforts. The delivery is part of Germany's donation of…
Webinar held on COVID-19 Vaccination and International Travel
Bridgetown, Barbados, June 10, 2021 (PAHO) - On Wednesday 09 June 2021, approximately two hundred and twenty (220) persons tuned in to the webinar on COVID-19 vaccination and International travel: the role of the vaccination passport and immunity certificate to revive the tourism economy in the Eastern Caribbean. Hosted by the PAHO/WHO…


24th October 2018, University of Sheffield, 13:00-16:00 - this is an opportunity for the students at Nottingham Trent University, University of Nottingham, University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, De Montford University and University of Leicester to present a snapshot of their thesis to students at University of York, University of Leeds and University of Sheffield. Depending on numbers, students will have the choice of either a 10-minute presentation or a 5-minute flash presentation.
21st November 2018, University of Leicester, 13:00-16:00 - this is an opportunity for the students at University of York, University of Leeds and University of Sheffield to present a snapshot of their thesis to students at Nottingham Trent University, University of Nottingham, University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, De Montford University and University of Leicester. Depending on numbers, students will have the choice of either a 10-minute presentation or a 5-minute flash presentation.
W/C 10th June 2019, University of Leeds, 10:00-18:00 - a one-day symposium will conclude the series of events. The symposium is entitled New Voices in Postcolonial Studies: Interdisciplinary Imaginations, Critical Confrontations and is scheduled for week beginning 10th June 2019. More information to follow.
The first event of the year is at the end of this month and we're really looking forward to meeting you all in person. Please sign up to the event using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRGdWNWYnIsECcrf64IPdw3tISgDpebFsVw2ic8MWu-UtPrg/viewform. Thanks to the funding, travel subsidiaries will be available. To be eligible for these you need to register at least a week in advance and have purchased advance tickets.


Just for fun - here are some things you might not know about Bay Shore!
Some stats are approximate. Average values are weighted averages of average or median value by zip codes in Bay Shore.
Check out some of the Pros outside Bay Shore that have joined ZipBooks to manage and grow their businesses. You can join, too — it's free!
Always very helpful and responsive.
Brilliant work from Andrew. Always a pleasure to deal with and he knows what he's doing.


text:
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
EXTENDING THE GLOBAL REACH OF THE CROSS AND CROWN
From the October 2008 issue of The Christian Science Journal
In 2007, the Christian Science Board of Directors announced in the Journal the introduction of a new program allowing licensing of the Cross and Crown seal. This program is directed toward Christian Science branch churches and societies, Christian Science Reading Rooms, Committees on Publication, and Christian Science organizations at colleges and universities so all of these entities may represent genuine Christian Science services, publications, and products in their local jurisdictions. Through this licensing arrangement, official affiliates of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, have the opportunity to unite with one another in presenting the Cross and Crown as an identifying emblem of the worldwide activities of this Church and to extend the global reach of its mission to "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons."
The Cross and Crown symbolizes the united focus on healing that branches and church members have with The Mother Church and with each other. This unity is a result of members and branches commiting to practice Jesus' statements that appear in the circular band in the trademark symbol.
While more than 200 branch churches and Reading Rooms have enthusiastically embraced the licensing program, we hope to hear from many more in the months ahead. So far, requests have come from North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Australia. With the granting of these licenses, the Cross and Crown now appears on church and Reading Room building signs, websites, stationery, brochures, and advertising—a presence that not only helps protect the emblem as a legal trademark, but also shows connection between individuals and communities around the world to The Mother Church. Following are two examples:
• ". . . my husband just came back from the Mayor's Interfaith Council meeting [w]here he gave out some material on our branch church letterhead [with the Cross and Crown]. The Chair was so impressed by the letterhead that he asked to have lunch the Committee on Publication to talk about our theology."
• "Yesterday I was in the Reading Room, and I had a man come in who was a physician. He wanted to know what the 'sign' meant—Heal the sick, etc. We had a good visit about Mrs. Eddy, her book Science and Health, and The Christian Science Monitor. It was the seal that prompted him to come into our Reading Room."
If you have not yet joined this global network, would you consider so soon—and giving the Cross and Crown a greater presence in your community? Generally, licenses are granted for the uses listed below. Licenses for the Cross and Crown seal cannot be granted for use on the promotional material of Journal-advertising practitioners or nurses, or organizations such as Christian Science schools and camps that are not legally affiliated with The Mother Church.
Currently, the Cross and Crown with English text is the most widely available version of the trademark, having registrations in many countries. The Board of Directors also plans to offer the German, Spanish, French, and Portuguese translations of the seal for license as soon as a broader range of supporting trademark registrations is in place under local laws.
For more information on the permissions process, visit www.churchofchristscientist.org and click on the Cross and Crown trademark information link. Please note that the licensing fees charged by the Board of
Directors help to cover only the administrative costs of the Cross and Crown licensing program. The actual cost to register and periodically renew the Cross and Crown trademarks around the world is absorbed by The Mother Church. The fee schedule below is also posted online and applies to all requests with the exception of a few cases where fees may need adjustment to meet a country's particular requirements in trademark and licensing law.
Please contact the Trademark Administrator at trademark@csps.com with any questions. Copies of the Cross and Crown guidelines may be obtained by writing to The First Church of Christ, Scientist, 210 Massachusetts Avenue, P03-25, Boston, Massachusetts, US, 02115, Attn: Sally Ulrich.
We welcome your applications to use the Cross and Crown seal. We will respond as quickly as possible, but please allow four to six weeks for processing. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this special opportunity to extend the presence of the Cross and Crown in your communities and around the world.
To help defray costs associated with this permission process, the fees are as follows:
USD $250 per use for the following:
• Exterior branch church, society, or Reading Room signage
• Long-term large format advertisements (one year in duration or longer), e.g., billboards, airport kiosks
• Reading Room interior signage or walls
• Branch church or society membership applications, brochures, stationery, newsletters, business cards, usher or Reading Room staff name tags, or websites
• Broadcasts provided by The Mother Church, e.g., video Bible Lesson
•Short-term large format advertisements(less than one year in duration), e.g., lecture banners, buses
USD $50 per use for the following:
• Advertisements for branch or college organization services, meetings or lectures, e.g., newspaper, flyers. Licenses for these uses will be valid for one year. A new lecture ad requires a new request. However, republication of an identical advertisement for church services does not require an additional permission unless there are changes in the ad design.
Fees for uses not listed may vary.
More in this issue / October 2008
By Marilyn Jones | October 2008
with contributions from SUSAN S. COLLINS, JOYCE WRINCH-SCHULZ, HENRY G. RUTLEDGE, ANNETTE KREUTZIGER-HERR, C.C. BARNES, HAROLD GEORGE WHITE COOKE, SERENE MULLAN | October 2008
By DONALD WALLINGFORD, DIANE DAILEY, LORENZO RODRIGUEZ | October 2008
Paul—Prolific Writer
BY MICHAEL WILLIAM HAMILTON | October 2008
Series Intro
Branch Church News
What Works?
Questions often arise regarding the reading of hymns prior to singing them in church services
'Keep steadfast to this prayer'
BY SHERRY DARLING | October 2008
THE GREAT RHYTHMS OF LIFE
BY JEFFREY HILDNER | October 2008
EQUAL AND WORTHY IN GOD'S EYES
BY GABRIEL TSHIALA LUMBADILA | October 2008
WHY CHURCH?
BY DEVON LAMASTER | October 2008
SOME THOUGHTS ON MENTORING
BY BARBARA M. VINING | October 2008
Care of Pupils. Sect. 2. Christian Scientists who are teachers shall carefully...
CLINICAL DEPRESSION—HEALED
By NICOLE LALLANDE | October 2008
DIAGNOSED INTERNAL OBSTRUCTION—HEALED
By MARYANN WINTERMUTE BARR | October 2008
INJURIES FROM FALL—HEALED
By LOIS EILEEN BIGGS | October 2008
PAINFUL GROWTHS—HEALED
By NATE MOZZER | October 2008
Eternal Mind the Potter is,...
The Comforter—Eternal and Unconfined
BY WARREN BOLON | October 2008


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Home Videos Tribute to Duane (with a twist)
Rugby Stream Team Feb 15, 2021 comments off
Positions in Rugby
There are 15 players on a rugby team, and although each of the players has a number, they each have a position name as well. These can get confusing if you are new to the game.
Show Team Spirit by Attending the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand
Instead of staying home and gluing yourself to the television, attend the 2011 Rugby World Cup and see everything live. This way, you get to show your team spirit along with throngs of fans and experience your favorite sport at its best.
The Game of Rugby
Rugby is one of the most popular games in the world, with over 40 countries having professional teams. The Rugby World Cup 2011 is on this year, and is a perfect time to learn more about the game.
Who Will Win the 2011 Rugby World Cup?
The 2011 Rugby World Cup will take place in New Zealand on the 9th of September and will see the top rugby nations in the world compete for this prestigious prize! The question everyone is asking at the moment is who will win the Rugby World Cup? Hosts New Zealand face the tournament as short favourites with most betting companies seemingly giving them a huge bonus due to home advantage.
Main New Zealand Cities the 2011 Rugby World Cup Matches Will Be Held
In case you have not yet noticed, the 2011 Rugby World Cup is only seven weeks away. Due to this, and to the fact that most do not know much about the host cities, here we will cover some basic information about each of them.
Blues Brumbies Bulls Chiefs Crusaders Highlanders Hurricanes Jaguares Lions Rebels Reds Rugby Sharks Springboks Stormers Sunwolves Super Rugby Tries Waratahs
Boks are worthy world leaders
Semi Finals | Hawke's Bay v Tasman (Bunnings NPC 2021)
Nche: Massive honour to fill Beast's big shoes
HIGHLIGHTS | All Blacks vs Ireland – 2021
IKITAU DOUBLE
Six Nations Rd 2: Bet ons France to beat Ireland
FULL GAME: Manu Samoa v Tonga First Test (2021)
Super Rugby Trans Tasman | Rebels v Crusaders – Rd 5 Highlights


@APompliano where would you recommend to buy bitcoin for a first time buyer?
@ZeusZissou The thing is he really says nothing! Bitcoin at the very least at this point is worth a little dollar cost averaging!
@cryptecon I take it that's a thing ref Bitcoin?
How long until Faketoshi's $BCHSV is out of the top 10 on coinmarketcap?
@simonahac Blockchain is excellent. Lots of boom mongers related to bitcoin. But its a lot more than that.
@jlingomusic The OTC market has now matured. Relationships are in place. Exchange trading volume isn't proportional.


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Kenya Railways reduces cargo tariff by 50 pct
[The Africa news - Africa] - 11/01/2022
Kenya Railways has reduced over 50 percent tariff charged on cargo destined from the coastal city of Mombasa to Malaba that borders with Uganda, which will see the time taken to ferry goods from the two cities reduced from four days to 28 hours. NAIROBI, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Railways has (...)
... Article published by "The Africa news" (Africa), read the rest of the news
Machete-Wielding Jilted Lover Hacks Girlfriend
Kanungu | RedPepper Digital – A 40 years old man has been arrested by Police...
[Redpepper] - 5/01/2022
The return of Roast and Rhyme
President Yoweri Museveni in his just concluded address on covid-19 TO the nation said that the entertainment (...)
[Sqoop] - 4/01/2022
Forced off TV, have the Golden Globes lost their luster?
By AFP No stars, no red carpet, no televised broadcast: this year's Golden Globe winners will be announced at a (...)
[Kampala Sun] - 7/01/2022
Time Up for Balaalo in Northern Uganda
The 60-day deadline given to the Balaalo in Northern Uganda to vacate has expired, with only 40% adhering to the (...)
[NBS Tv] - 10/01/2022
MSPORT MAGIC: How to Get Paid Even If One Or More Games Cut Your Ticket!
Have you suffered some painful losses during your sports betting journey? So painful that (...)


text:
Mokra Gora campus
Belgrade campus
Menagement team
Founding Assembly
Basic Level (BMP)
Advanced Level (GMP)
Professional Level (PMBA)
Academic Level (EMBA)
Executive MBA students
Study trip to Shanghai
IN HOUSE PROGRAMS
VIVALDI FORUMS
CAREER DEVELOPEMENT
Početna \ About us
House of Vuk's Foundation in Belgrade (KraljaMilana 2) was the house of the former merchant Demetrius Mite Golubovic, built in the years 1870/71. The building was built by architect Alexander Bulgarski, one of the greatest Serbian architects of the nineteenth century. Architect Branko Tanazević built a wing with an inner courtyard in 1912, and on this occasion he made the facade, which has retained its appearance to this day. Dragutin Inkiostri Medenjak, painter and professor at the Arts and Crafts school in Belgrade, decorated the murals at the entrance from 1906 to 1907 with ornaments and motifs of Serbian folk art.
The four allegorical figures – Religion, Art, History and Education -were very carefully and successfully restored in 1997.
The building is one of the oldest and most valuable historical monuments of Belgrade after the Terazijska fountain. Built in 1860, it is the oldest building on the Terazije plateau. The Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments declared this building a cultural monument in 1966.
The building, along with the activities which took place in it, for more than 100 years, are woven into the educational and cultural history of the Serbian people. The building was originally located to the Department of Education, then the Church, Endowment and Art Departments. From 1878 to 1952 the building was placed under the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs: first, the Principality and Kingdom of Serbia;then from 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and later in 1944 the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of Serbia.
In the occupied Belgrade from 1915 to 1918, the building was used as the main office of the directorship of the Austro-Hungarian army, in which the main postal administration was housed. After the capitulation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1941, the Ministry of Education had briefly stopped working, but the Department for Education in the German language was soon established, which remained until the liberation of Belgrade in October 1944. In November 1944, the Commissariat of Education People Republic of Serbia was established, which at the beginning of April 1945 was turned into the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education remained there until 1952, when federal institutions moved into the building as well: the Federal Patent Office; Federal Bureau of labor productivity and Editorial office of Youth.
Since 1988 the building has been assigned to Vuk's Foundation. General reconstruction of the building was carried out from 1997 to 1998, with the assistance of the Government of Serbia. On this occasion, the ceiling of the hall, stairs and railings were successfully reconstructed, and the lighting of the main hall was solved by a modern chandelier.
In 2006, as part of the 'Beautiful Serbia' project, revitalization of the external facade of the House of Vuk's Foundation was conducted, which was funded by the City of Belgrade and the Greek government. After a month of intensive work, this beautiful building – shined brightly.
Vuk's Foundation, together with the Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments, published a monograph on the House of Vuk's Foundation (1996), under the name 'The Building of the Ministry of Education, the author being Milojko Gordić.
MSM Campus Belgrade
The offices at the Mokra Gora School of Management in Belgrade are designed and tailored to the needs of school employees, teachers and the needs of business partners and our students.
Tweets by @msmedurs
Mokra Gora School of Management
Ethno village Mećavnik, Ingmar Bergman street 1
31243 Mokra Gora, Užice, Serbia
Phone: + 381 11 362 15 77
E-mail: office@msm.edu.rs
King Milan street 2
Tel: + 381 11 362 362 8
Fax: + 381 11 362 15 77
Photos from programs
We'r achieving our mission, in cooperation with
Mećavnik hotel
Endowment Vuk Karadžić
Faculty of Organizational science
Serbian Association of Managers
Assessment Systems Adria
NESKWEBART
Mokra Gora School of Management, Copyright 2008-2017 All rights reserved


text:
(function() {
  var Kis, argv, connect, cs, exec, fpath, fs, jade, opti, stylus, util;

  jade = require('jade');

  cs = require('coffee-script');

  util = require('util');

  fs = require('fs');

  fpath = require('path');

  connect = require('connect');

  opti = require('optimist');

  stylus = require('stylus');

  exec = require('child_process').exec;

  argv = opti.usage('Examples: \n  kis new\n  kis build\n  kis build -d path/to/project\n  kis serve -p 8080\n\nCommands:\n  new     Create new base project\n  build   Build your project\n  watch   Wacth and rebuild your project\n  serve   Start a simple HTTP server on port 3000, watch and build your project')["default"]({
    p: 3000,
    d: '.'
  }).describe('p', 'Port to start simple webserver on').describe('d', 'Directory to run commands against').describe('force', 'Force an action, regardless of warnings').argv;

  Kis = (function() {

    function Kis() {
      var action;
      action = this['_' + argv._[0]];
      if (action) {
        action.call(this);
      } else {
        this._help();
      }
    }

    Kis.prototype._new = function() {
      var path;
      if (this.isDirClean(argv.d) || argv.force) {
        console.log('Starting project');
        path = fpath.normalize("" + __dirname + "/../example");
        return exec("cp -R " + path + "/ ./", this.stdLog);
      } else {
        return console.log('Directory is not clean, removed files and try again or use --force');
      }
    };

    Kis.prototype._build = function() {
      return this.walk(argv.d, function(file) {
        return this[this.ext(file)](file);
      });
    };

    Kis.prototype._watch = function() {
      this._build();
      return this.walk(argv.d, this.watchFile);
    };

    Kis.prototype._serve = function() {
      var app;
      this._watch();
      return app = connect().use(connect.logger('dev')).use(connect["static"](fpath.resolve(argv.d))).listen(argv.p);
    };

    Kis.prototype._help = function() {
      return opti.showHelp();
    };

    Kis.prototype.jade = function(fin) {
      var fout, tmpl;
      try {
        if (fpath.basename(fin).charAt(0) !== '_') {
          tmpl = jade.compile(fs.readFileSync(fin), {
            filename: fin
          });
          fout = this.changeExt(fin, '.html');
          fs.writeFileSync(fout, tmpl());
          return util.log("BUILD (Jade) - " + fin + " -> " + fout);
        }
      } catch (e) {
        return util.log(e);
      }
    };

    Kis.prototype.coffee = function(fin) {
      var fout, script;
      try {
        script = cs.compile(fs.readFileSync(fin, 'utf8'));
        fout = this.changeExt(fin, '.js');
        fs.writeFileSync(fout, script);
        return util.log("BUILD (Coffee) - " + fin + " -> " + fout);
      } catch (e) {
        return util.log(e);
      }
    };

    Kis.prototype.styl = function(fin) {
      var _this = this;
      try {
        if (fpath.basename(fin).charAt(0) !== '_') {
          return stylus(fs.readFileSync(fin, 'utf8')).set('filename', fin).set('paths', [argv.d]).render(function(err, css) {
            var fout;
            if (err) {
              return util.log(err);
            } else {
              fout = _this.changeExt(fin, '.css');
              fs.writeFile(fout, css);
              return util.log("BUILD (Stylus) - " + fin + " -> " + fout);
            }
          });
        }
      } catch (e) {
        return util.log(e);
      }
    };

    Kis.prototype.readFileSync = function(file) {
      if (fs.fileExistsSync(file)) {
        return fs.readFileSync(file);
      }
      return false;
    };

    Kis.prototype.ext = function(file) {
      return fpath.extname(file).substr(1);
    };

    Kis.prototype.changeExt = function(file, ext) {
      return fpath.join(fpath.dirname(file), fpath.basename(file, fpath.extname(file)) + ext);
    };

    Kis.prototype.stdLog = function(err, stdout, stderr) {
      if (stdout) {
        console.log('stdout: ' + stdout);
      }
      if (stderr) {
        console.log('stderr: ' + stderr);
      }
      if (err !== null) {
        return console.log('exec error: ' + err);
      }
    };

    Kis.prototype.isDirClean = function(path) {
      var f, _i, _len, _ref;
      _ref = fs.readdirSync(path);
      for (_i = 0, _len = _ref.length; _i < _len; _i++) {
        f = _ref[_i];
        return false;
      }
      return true;
    };

    Kis.prototype.walk = function(path, callback) {
      var f, stats, _i, _len, _ref, _results;
      stats = fs.statSync(path);
      if (stats.isFile()) {
        if (this.isWatchable(path)) {
          return callback.call(this, path);
        }
      } else {
        _ref = fs.readdirSync(path);
        _results = [];
        for (_i = 0, _len = _ref.length; _i < _len; _i++) {
          f = _ref[_i];
          f = fpath.join(path, f);
          stats = fs.statSync(f);
          if (stats.isDirectory()) {
            _results.push(this.walk(f, callback));
          } else {
            if (this.isWatchable(f)) {
              _results.push(callback.call(this, f));
            } else {
              _results.push(void 0);
            }
          }
        }
        return _results;
      }
    };

    Kis.prototype.isWatchable = function(file) {
      switch (fpath.extname(file)) {
        case '.coffee':
        case '.styl':
        case '.jade':
          return true;
      }
      return false;
    };

    Kis.prototype.watchFile = function(file) {
      var _this = this;
      return fs.watchFile(file, function(curr, prev) {
        if (curr && (curr.nlink === 0 || +curr.mtime !== +prev.mtime)) {
          return _this[_this.ext(file)](file);
        }
      });
    };

    return Kis;

  })();

  new Kis();

}).call(this);


A potentially important development in digital curation is the creation of a new International Society for Biocuration.
2. Propose a discussion forum for interested biocurators, developers, scientists and students.
3. Organize a regular meeting where biocurators will be able to present their work and discuss their projects.
6. Organize a regular workshop where new biocurators, or interested students can be trained in the use of the common tools needed for their work.
7. Provide documentation on the use of common database and bioinformatics tools.
9. Share documentation on standards and annotation procedures with the aim of developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
11. Maintain a biocurator job market forum.
The new Society will have its official launch at the 3rd International Biocuration Conference 16-19 April 2009 in Berlin.


Definition - What does Neo FreeRunner mean?
The Neo FreeRunner is a highly customizable smartphone device developed through the Openmoko project - a community dedicated to the development of mobile devices with open source software. Descended from the Neo 1973, the Neo FreeRunner features an elliptical form factor with a 2.84-inch high-resolution touch screen.
The Neo FreeRunner design is geared toward users with a high technical acumen and users that enjoy tinkering with phones and gadgets.
The Neo FreeRunner software, including the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) chip's bootloader and software, may be easily updated. Because the Neo FreeRunner ships with a default OS, updates are not usually required prior to device startup.
An Internet connection is required for the installation of downloadable applications through online repositories. Although risky, new repositories may be added to allow for applications not included in the original OS.
Touch screen interaction with a finger or stylus.
Built to run on a Linux-based platform, the Neo FreeRunner has been tested with a number of Linux-based operating systems (OS), including Openmoko Linux, Debian, Gentoo Linux and Android, as well as Inferno, which is a distributed OS.


text:
Chad Finn
Readers Say
Cocktail Club
The B-Side
Mass. Lottery
Search Boston.com
View Boston Events
Meet the Somerville man on a mission to expose sneaky price increases
Edgar Dworsky has become the go-to expert on "shrinkflation," when products or packaging are manipulated so people get less for their money.
Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate, at his home in Somerville, Mass., Nov. 7, 2022. Dworsky has become the go-to expert on "shrinkflation," when products or packaging are manipulated so people get less for their money. Simon Simard/The New York Times
By Clare Toeniskoetter, New York Times Service
SOMERVILLE, Mass. — A few weeks ago, Edgar Dworsky got a promising tip by email. "Diluted cough syrup," read the message, accompanied by a photo of two packages of syrup with a curious difference: The new one appeared to be half the strength of the old one.
Dworsky gets emails like this frequently, alerting him to things like a bag of dog food that discreetly shrank from 50 pounds to 44 pounds. A cereal box that switched from "giant" to "family" size and grew about an inch taller — but a few ounces lighter. Bottles of detergent that look the same, but the newer ones come with less detergent.
The cough syrup message looked intriguing. Dworsky made plans to investigate.
He has dedicated much of his life to exposing what is one of the sneakier tricks in the modern consumer economy: "shrinkflation," when products or packaging are subtly manipulated so that a person pays the same price, or even slightly more, for something but gets less of it.
Consumer product companies have been using this strategy for decades. And their nemesis, Dworsky, has been following it for decades. He writes up his discoveries on his website, mouseprint.org, a reference to the fine print often found on product packaging. Print so tiny "only a mouse could read," he says.
He writes about shrinkflation in everything — tuna, mayonnaise, ice cream, deodorant, dish soap — alongside other consumer advocacy work on topics like misleading advertising, class-action lawsuits and exaggerated sale claims.
One recent Mouse Print report explored toilet paper shrinkflation. "Virtually every brand of toilet paper has been downsized over the years," Dworsky wrote, documenting more than a decade of toilet paper shrinkage.
Dworsky, 71, is a semiretired lawyer whose career began as a market researcher before he briefly became an on-air consumer reporter for local television alongside a young Bill O'Reilly, the former Fox News personality. Dworsky was "one of the most sincere broadcasters I've ever seen," O'Reilly said recently, adding that Dworsky "wasn't one of those slick broadcasters trying to sell something."
At the height of his career, he worked with the Massachusetts attorney general's office, on his way to becoming a self-employed consumer advocate and possibly the world's foremost expert on shrinkflation.
Lately, Dworsky has had his work cut out for him. With inflation at a 40-year high, business owners have been increasingly shrinkflating their products in an attempt to hide price increases.
Companies are doing it out of necessity, said Krishnakumar Davey, president of consumer product goods at IRI, a market research company. "Manufacturers are facing huge costs," he said, referring to the price of raw ingredients, labor and shipping. "They're trying to figure out how to balance that."
Dworsky works seven days a week from his modest, three-bedroom condo in Somerville, where he lives alone. But for him, thrift is more than a job, it's a lifestyle. He made less than $7,000 last year, mostly from donations and ad revenue. He gets by on Social Security, his state pension and savings.
He's quick with one-line zingers about his own frugality: I preach what I practice. Splurge isn't a word in my vocabulary. People go duck hunting or deer hunting. I'm bargain hunting!
One recent Thursday, Dworsky started his day at 4:45 a.m. with breakfast of a store-bought coffee cake muffin and a glass of apple juice before checking his email and scanning the web for consumer news to include in his newsletter and his other website, Consumer World.
Then he turned his attention to shrinkflation. Already that day, he had two television interviews lined up to discuss the downsizing of Halloween candy.
In interviews, he's the same person he is off-camera: simultaneously goofy and serious, affable yet awkward. Dworsky ran through the details of his candy investigations, pointing out that some manufacturers have defended smaller products by saying they have fewer calories. But on Halloween, kids don't care, he said. "They just want some good candy."
With inflation rattling the nation, shrinkflation recently drew the attention of television host John Oliver, who noted Dworsky's quirky TV presence. "News outlets love to cover this, usually with the help of what seems to be the one go-to expert on the topic," Oliver said, rolling clips of Dworsky emphatically listing examples of downsized products like toothpaste and sports drinks.
"Yeah! You tell 'em, Ed!" Oliver says. "I love everything about that man."
Dworsky's work has received notice in academic circles as well. Joseph Balagtas, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University who has studied shrinkflation, said Dworsky was the only person he was aware of who is documenting the phenomenon. Hitendra Chaturvedi, a supply chain management professor at Arizona State University, said he had turned to Dworsky's examples to build the data sets for his own research.
Before setting out to investigate the cough syrup tip, Dworsky made himself lunch, a seafood wrap from his bargain-hunted pantry. He can rattle off the prices of virtually everything in it. The imitation crab meat had gone up recently to $5.99 for a 2.5-pound package but was still "a great deal." The celery set him back $1.50, the most he ever spent on celery, he said.
Then he hit the road. First stop, a Walgreens.
It's difficult to catch shrinkflation, Dworsky said. But if he's lucky, he can find examples in stores when new inventory arrives, putting newer and older packages on the same shelf side-by-side.
Dworsky also looks out for clues like "New and improved" on packaging. But most importantly, he examines the weight.
"Look at the products you buy all the time, note what the net weight is," he said. "When you go back to the store, double check that it's still the same as your last bag, box or bottle."
But the case of the cough syrup would be even trickier to investigate, he said, because it's a possible case of what he calls skimpflation. He would need to examine whether the contents were, in effect, watered down — changing the formulation so that people were paying the same for fewer doses of cough syrup. The tipster had sent in images from a supermarket-brand, similar to Robitussin DM, showing that the adult dose had doubled to 20 milliliters for the new bottle, from 10 milliliters for the old.
Dworsky wondered if other stores' versions had done the same. He spent nearly two hours visiting five different drugstore chains. He was hoping to find both new and old products at the same pharmacies, to catch them red-handed.
Dworsky is accustomed to being a bit of an outsider. He said he had inherited what he called the "cheap gene" from his father and recalled a childhood spending weekends at his dad's, playing with his favorite toy, a cardboard supermarket. He'd sit inside and bag up mini boxes of cereal and oatmeal.
He spent much of his career in consumer education for the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and as an assistant attorney general in consumer protection.
His boss at the time, Robert Sherman, remembered Dworsky walking into his office in the early 1990s with two packages of deodorant. "What do you see?" he recalled Dworsky asking.
Sherman thought the two packages were exactly the same. But no. "This one has more than the other one, the difference is the size of the cap," Dworsky said.
Of course, manufacturers are free to change their product sizes at will. But Dworsky put together an office news release, wanting to spread the word to shoppers that they should look out for sneaky price increases.
It was the birth of his professional focus on shrinkflation.
In interviews with nearly a dozen people who have worked with Dworsky over the years, it's clear that consumer advocacy is his life's work. He has never been married, has no children, and at one point, in jest, referred to his shrinkflation discoveries as his family. "All my children are my favorites," he said. "It's hard to single out one as the best."
Recently, Dworsky has been thinking about his legacy. He believes his biggest impact was writing the Massachusetts food store item pricing law in 1987, which set up rules around price transparency. Currently, he's fighting against "digital discount" coupons, which he thinks are harder for seniors to access because they require technical skill to use.
His interest in cough syrup continued into November with more research. He plans to reveal his findings on Mouse Print, but in an interview he said he believed it was a case where Robitussin had changed its formula several years ago and its store-brand competitors had just recently followed.
A spokeswoman for Haleon, the manufacturer of Robitussin, said "While we continually innovate our formulations to meet the evolving needs of consumers, the quality and integrity of our products is always paramount."
Dworsky worries that consumer advocacy is a dying profession, and gets frustrated at how hard it is to uncover these examples. "There's kind of almost a resignation that these are so difficult to find," he said. "It takes someone with an eagle eye."
But he's celebrating his cough-syrup findings. "It's an absolute high," he said. "I hit gold!"
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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Assault Weapons, Community Schools, Facial Recognition and More
Community Services Ombudsman Act: At the city, county and state levels, nonprofit organizations provide a great deal of the social services that residents need. The Community Service Ombudsman Act creates an office of ombudsman whose job is to help those nonprofits in their interactions with government, allowing them to provide even more and better services.
It is time to ban assault weapons, again: Semiautomatic assault weapons were banned by federal law for ten years, from 1994 to 2004, and no court ever struck down that law. Instead, it was allowed to expire by a cowardly Congress in debt to the NRA. There is absolutely no reason to allow the sale of assault weapons, as we explain in the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.
Webinar on Deeper Learning in Community Schools: Tuesday, August 20 @ 2pm Eastern, 1pm Central, Noon Mountain, 11am Pacific. The Coalition for Community schools is sponsoring a webinar discussing how Community Schools provide students with the tools to succeed by connecting their academic learning to their jobs and communities. To hear experts explain the ins and outs of deeper learning in community schools, register here.
Muslims Overrepresented in State Prisons: Muslims comprise about nine percent of state prisoners even though they make up only about one percent of the U.S. population, according to a report by Muslim Advocates and reported by National Public Radio.
Facial Recognition Software Prompts Privacy, Racism Concerns in Cities and States: Amid privacy concerns and recent research showing racial disparities in the accuracy of facial recognition technology, some city and state officials are proposing to limit its use according to a report by the Pew Center.
New edition of Voicing Our Values: Just six weeks ago, we published the Fourth Edition of Voicing Our Values: a message guide for policymakers and advocates. Download a PDF copy here!


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3 The Meaning of a Word Specimens of Sense1. 1. What-is-the-meaning-of (the word) 'rat'?1. 11. What-is-the-meaning-of (the word) 'word'?1. 21. What is a 'rat'?1. 211. What is a 'word'?1. 22. What is the 'muzzle' of a rat?2. 1. What-is-the-meaning-of (the phrase) 'What-is-the-meaning-of'?2. 11. What-is-the-meaning-of (the sentence) 'What-is-the-meaning-of (the word) " x "?'?Specimens of Nonsense1. 1. What-is-the-meaning-of a word? 1. 11. What-is-the-meaning-of any word?1. 12. What-is-the-meaning-of a word in general?1. 21. What is the-meaning-of-a-word?1. 211. What is the-meaning-of-(the-word)-'rat'?1. 22. What is the 'meaning' of a word?1. 221. What is the 'meaning' of (the word) 'rat'?2. 1. What-is-the-meaning-of (the phrase) 'the-meaning-of-a word'?2. 11. What-is-the-meaning-of (the sentence) 'What is the-meaning-of-(the-word)-" x "?'?2. 12. What-is-the-meaning-of (the sentence) 'What is the "meaning" of "the word" " x "?'?


A Chicago police officer shot his friend in the head after a night of heavy drinking, a jury concluded Thursday.
The shooting happened in January 2010 when off-duty Chicago Police Department officer Patrick Kelly shot Michael LaPorta, now 37, in his skull. Kelly's attorneys had contended that LaPorta grabbed Kelly's service weapon and shot himself in a suicide attempt. He cannot remember anything else, he said, and following the gunshot wound, he can no longer walk or read. LaPorta testified that Kelly began hitting his dog, and LaPorta began to leave when he heard a clicking sound.
Jurors say Chicago police took his word for it, and never investigated the case properly.
He added that Mabilog did not declare properly his properties in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) in 2014.
Kelly settled a lawsuit with the family three years ago for $300,000, but the family had also sued the city for $90 million as LaPorta is completely dependent on them for round-the-clock care.
The jury decided that the record-breaking award was to be paid by the city to send a message that the current police culture enabled Kelly to act as he did and that the "code of silence" could have ever prevented any justice for LaPorta. At the same time, the city settled a separate police brutality claim against Kelly for $500,000.


Okay. So last week our often-quoted guru and security expert and crypto person whose books I have behind me on my shelf, Bruce Schneier, was asked to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on his feelings about the Equifax hack. There is on his site - his current blog is www.schneier.com, S-C-H-N-E-I-E-R dot com - there's a link to the video of his testimony, if you want to watch it. But I want to share some of the points he made because they were good.
And he starts out a little bit with his CV: "Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today concerning the security of credit data. My name is Bruce Schneier, and I am a security technologist. For over 30 years I have studied the technologies of security and privacy. I have authored 13 books on these subjects, including 'Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World,' published in 2015 by Norton."
He says: "My popular newsletter Crypto-Gram and my blog Schneier on Security are read by over a quarter million people. Additionally," he says, "I am a Fellow and Lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where I teach Internet security policy, and a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law. I am a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Access Now, and the Tor Project; and an advisory board member of Electronic Privacy Information Center and VerifiedVoting.org. I am also a special advisor to IBM Security and the Chief Technology Officer of IBM Resilient."
So obviously he's got a beautiful CV that demonstrates to these guys who have no clue which end is up that this is a guy whose opinion is informed. He says: "I am here representing none of those organizations and speak only for myself based on my own expertise and experience. I have eleven main points." And I'm going to skip them toward the end, but I want to share the main salient ones.
He says: "One, the Equifax breach was a serious security breach that puts millions of Americans at risk." We all know that, but he wants to establish some ground. "Equifax reported that 145.5 million U.S. customers, about 44% of the population, were impacted by the breach. That's the original 143 million plus the additional 2.5 million disclosed a month later. The attackers got access to full names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and driver's license numbers.
"This is exactly the sort of information," Bruce says, "criminals can use to impersonate victims to banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, cell phone companies, and other businesses vulnerable to fraud. As a result, all 143 million US victims are at greater risk of identity theft, and will remain at risk for years to come. And those who suffer identify theft will have problems for months, if not years, as they work to clean up their name and credit rating.
"Two, Equifax was solely at fault." He says: "This was not a sophisticated attack. The security breach was a result of a vulnerability in the software for their websites, a program called Apache Struts. The particular vulnerability was fixed by Apache in a security patch that was made available on March 6, 2017 and was not a minor vulnerability. The computer press at the time called it 'critical.' Within days it was being used by attackers to break into servers. Equifax was notified by Apache, US-CERT, and the Department of Homeland Security about the vulnerability and was provided instructions to make the fix.
"Two months later, Equifax had still failed to patch its systems. It eventually got around to it on July 29. The attackers used the vulnerability to access the company's databases and steal consumer information on May 13, over two months after Equifax should have patched the vulnerability. The company's incident response after the breach was similarly damaging. It waited nearly six weeks before informing victims that their personal information had been stolen, and that they were at increased risk of identity theft. Equifax opened a website to help aid customers, but the poor security around that - the site was a domain separate from the Equifax domain - invited fraudulent imitators and even more damage to victims. At one point, the official Equifax communications even directed people to that fraudulent site."
He says, finishing point two: "This is not the first time Equifax failed to take computer security seriously. It confessed to another data leak in January 2017. In May 2016, one of its websites was hacked, resulting in 430,000 people having their personal information stolen. Also in 2016, a security researcher found and reported a basic security vulnerability in its main website. And in 2014, the company reported yet another security breach of consumer information. There are more.
"Three," he says, "there are thousands of data brokers with similarly intimate information, similarly at risk. Equifax," he says, "is more than a credit reporting agency. It's a data broker. It collects information about all of us, analyzes it all, and then sells those insights. It might be one of the biggest, but there are 2,500 to 4,000 other data brokers that are collecting, storing, and selling information about us, almost all of them companies you've never heard of and have no business relationship with.
"The breadth and depth of the information the data brokers have is astonishing. Data brokers collect and store billions of data elements covering nearly every U.S. consumer. Just one of the data brokers studied holds information on more than 1.4 billion consumer transactions and 700 billion data elements, and another adds more than 3 billion new data points to its database each month. These brokers collect demographic information: names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, gender, age, marital status, presence and ages of children in household, education level, profession, income level, political affiliation, cars driven, and information about homes and other property. They collect lists of things we've purchased, when we purchased them, and how we paid for them. They keep track of deaths, divorces, and diseases in our families. They collect everything about what we do on the Internet."
He says: "Number four, these data brokers deliberately hide their actions and make it difficult for consumers to learn about or control their data." He writes: "If there were a dozen people who stood behind us and took notes of everything we purchased, everything we read, searched for, or said, we would be alarmed at the privacy invasion. But because these companies operate in secret, inside our browsers and financial transactions, we don't see them, and we don't know they're there.
"Regarding Equifax, few consumers have any idea what the company knows about them, who they sell personal data to, or why. If anyone knows about them at all, it's about their business as a credit bureau, not their business as a data broker. Their website lists 57 different offerings for business - products for industries like automotive, education, healthcare, insurance, and restaurants. In general, options to 'opt-out' don't work with data brokers. It's a confusing process and doesn't result in your data being deleted. Data brokers will still collect data about consumers who opt out. We will still be in those companies' databases and will still be vulnerable. It just won't be included individually when they sell data to their customers.
"Five," he says. "The existing regulatory structure is inadequate. Right now there is no way for consumers to protect themselves. Their data has been harvested and analyzed by these companies without their knowledge or consent. They cannot improve the security of their personal data and have no control over how vulnerable it is. They only learn about data breaches when the companies announce them, which can be months after the breaches occur, and at that point the onus is on them to obtain credit monitoring services or credit freezes. And even those only protect consumers from some of the harm, and only those suffered after Equifax admitted to the breach.
"Right now, the press is reporting dozens of lawsuits against Equifax from shareholders, consumers, and banks. Massachusetts has sued Equifax for violating state consumer protection and privacy laws. Other states may follow suit. If any of these plaintiffs win in the court, it will be a rare victory for victims of privacy breaches against the companies that have our personal information. Current law is too narrowly focused on people who have suffered financial losses directly traceable to a specific breach. Proving this is difficult. If you are the victim of identity theft in the next month, is it because of Equifax, or does the blame belong to another of the thousands of companies who have our personal data? As long as one can't prove it one way or the other, data brokers remain blameless and liability free.
"Additionally, much of this market in our consumer data falls outside the protections of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. And in order for the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to levy a fine against Equifax, it needs to have a consent order and then a subsequent violation. Any fines will be limited to credit information, which is a small portion of the enormous amount of information these companies know about us. In reality, this is not an effective enforcement regime. Although the FTC is investigating Equifax, it's unclear if it has a viable case."
And so anyway, I won't go on. "Number six," he says, "the market cannot fix this because we are not the customers of the data brokers." As we know, we are the products which the data brokers sell. So this has perverse incentives. The data brokers are selling to companies that want the information. So this doesn't, in this system, traditional market forces don't work to apply pressure. The customers want the information, want it to be easy to get, don't want us to be able to block it from their access. So as a consequence, it has been made hard for us to do this. And in fact he makes the point that financial markets reward bad security.
He writes: "Given the choice between increasing their cybersecurity budget by 5% or saving that money and taking the chance, a rational CEO chooses to save the money. Wall Street rewards those whose balance sheets look good, not those who are secure. And if senior management gets unlucky and a public breach happens, they end up okay. Equifax's CEO did not get his $5.2 million severance pay, but he did keep his $18.4 million pension. Any company that spends more on security than absolutely necessary is immediately penalized by shareholders when its profits decrease."
And he finishes: "Even the negative PR that Equifax is currently suffering will fade. Unless we expect data brokers to put public interest ahead of profits, the security of this industry will never improve without government regulation." Anyway, so "Number seven, we need effective regulation of data brokers. Number eight, resist the complaints from the industry that this is too hard." He notes that credit bureaus and data brokers and their lobbyists and their trade association representatives will claim that these measures are too hard.
He says: "They are not telling you the truth." He says: "Take one example, credit freezes. This is an effective security measure that protects consumers. But the process of getting one and of temporarily unfreezing credit is made deliberately onerous by the credit bureaus. Why isn't there a smartphone app that alerts me when someone wants to access my credit rating and lets me freeze and unfreeze my credit at the touch of the screen? Too hard? Hardly. Today you can have an app on your phone that does something similar if you try to log into a computer network, or if someone tries to use your credit card at a physical location different from where you are."
He says: "Moreover, any credit bureau or data broker operating in Europe is already obligated to follow the much more rigorous EU privacy laws. The EU General Data Protection Regulation will come into force, requiring even more security and privacy controls for companies collecting and storing the personal data of EU citizens. Those companies have already demonstrated that they can comply with those more stringent regulations."
Anyway, so really, really good testimony from Bruce. He finishes with number 11, saying: "We need to do something about it. Yes, this breach is a huge black eye and a temporary stock dip for Equifax - this month. Soon, another company will have suffered a massive data breach, and few will remember Equifax's problem. Does anyone remember last year when Yahoo admitted that it exposed personal information of a billion users in 2013 and another half billion in 2014?" He says: "Unless Congress acts to protect consumer information in the digital age, these breaches will continue."
Finally: "Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I will be pleased to answer your questions." And Bruce then did that. So bravo for having someone who understands the problem, who understands security, and who understands that we could easily, if they chose to, give us the technology, at least in these cases, to manage the availability of our credit far more usefully than we have today.


text:
Rugby 10.1.2019 02:59 pm
Kolisi: I get along with everyone, and I'm black
Sport Staff
Siya Kolisi (captain) of South Africa during the South African national rugby team captains media conference at Hilton Hotel Cardiff on November 23, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)
The Springbok captain continues to preach a more measured view on racial integration.
Despite widespread criticism for his thoughts on transformation and quotas, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi continues to project himself as a measured, conciliatory figure.
In an interview with CNN World Rugby, the 27-year-old flanker admits that he's "very shy" and "(doesn't) like the spotlight, but believes one of his biggest strengths as a leader is his ability to bring cultures within the squad together.
ALSO READ: Kolisi must shut up about race, says parliamentary chairperson
"The best way is to get to know people. Get to know who they are," Kolisi told the American broadcaster.
"That's what makes me a bit different, because I get along with every single guy on the team, and I'm black. Normally there are groups, but I can go to every single group. you understand each other a bit more, and they understand me a bit more."
The national skipper also again talks frankly about the emotions he felt after becoming South Africa's first black Test leader as well as the harsh and low expectations of most budding black rugby players.
"For me, things that we dreamed about were being a taxi driver or doing things that I'm not supposed to be doing," said Kolisi.
"When I was a kid, there's no way I would've dreamed of being Springbok captain."
The huge burden of responsibility did, however, initially affect his personal game.
"My game went a little bit down, and it was tough. You can see with the stats and stuff. Even the coach would tell you that my game wasn't up to standard."
Once he grew into his leadership role, Kolisi's form flourished again and he was considered the Boks' best player in the Rugby Championship by the All Blacks' coaching staff.
For more news your way, download The Citizen's app for iOS and Android.
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Place the lazy susan swivel on one of the pieces of wood. Make sure the holes line up with the markings and secure with screws. You will need to turn the top part of the lazy susan to reach them. When the screws are attached, and the swivel is rotated, mark one of the holes that does not have a screw in it. It will be the top part of the swivel. You will need a longer point on the pencil.
And end clamp joint that is fitted with a plastic sleeve, which allows the joint to rotate. Use to build gates, doors, rotating arms, etc. Available in electroplated chrome or powder-coated black finish.
Folks in the "pro-swivel" camp say that a swivel will help a trailer tow smoother because it pivots easier and further than the ball-and-socket joint that couples the bike and trailer. "Anti-swivel" folks cite that it doesn't make the trailer feel that much different and is just a waste of money.