text:
NASCAR – Kevin Harvick dominates Indianapolis – The Brickyard
on September 8, 2019 September 8, 2019
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – It was a dominating victory for Kevin Harvick and a statement of superiority for his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads toward its 10-race Playoff.
It was an ignominious end to Jimmie Johnson's unique and unprecedented streak of qualifying for every Cup Series postseason.
And it was heartbreak for Daniel Suarez, as he chased Ryan Newman over the final nine laps of the Big Machine Vodka 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the final Playoff berth in the balance.
Newman came home eighth, as he and fifth-place finisher Clint Bowyer locked up the final two Playoff spots. Suarez ran 11th after getting trapped in traffic on the final restart on Lap 152 of 160 and finished four points behind Newman in the final regular-season standings.
But the story of the race was Harvick, who was in a class by himself. The 2014 series champion won the second stage and during the final nine laps of the race sped to a 6.118-second advantage over runner-up Joey Logano.
Harvick started from the pole, led five times for 119 laps and controlled the event, except for one 19-lap stretch when eventual seventh-place finisher Ryan Blaney grabbed the top spot after a restart on Lap 112.
"I can't tell you how much coming to Indianapolis means to me," Harvick said. "As a kid, I watched Rick Mears win the Indy 500 and got to be around him as a kid. He was my hero.
"My team built a great race car. I can't say enough about everyone on (this team). They built a heck of a race car. It's the same stuff that we took to Michigan and had a real good weekend there, obviously, and went to Victory Lane.
"I know how much this means to (crew chief) Rodney (Childers) and all the guys who work on this car. We've been so close at winning here before."
True, this was Harvick's first Brickyard victory with his current SHR contingent, but it was his second overall, the first coming with Richard Childress Racing 16 years ago. Harvick won for the third time this season and the 48th time in his career, tying Herb Thomas for 15th on the all-time list and moving to one win behind his car owner, Tony Stewart.
"I don't know if we had the best car, but we had the fastest car," Harvick said. "We gave up the lead there (to Blaney) on one of those restarts, and then we came and pitted, and the caution came out (for Kyle Larson's crash on Lap 129), and it worked our way.
"We've given so many away just because of circumstances here, and the way that the caution flag fell today actually worked in our favor. It gave us control of the race, and we were able to keep control of the race and not make any mistakes, and here we are in Victory Lane at one of the greatest places on earth to race."
A four-time winner at the Brickyard, Johnson hoped to find magic at the 2.5-mile track. Instead, he found misery. Moments after a restart on Lap 105, his No. 48 Chevrolet broke loose underneath the Camaro of Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, slid sideways and collided with the No. 1 Chevrolet of Kurt Busch.
An eight-car wreck ensued, and Johnson's car was too heavily damaged to continue. The seven-time champion finished 35th his streak of 15 straight NASCAR postseasons came to an end.
"Yeah, it's really disappointing," Johnson said. "Unfortunately, we had a bad 25 races that led to the position we're in here today (18 points out of the Playoffs) and we needed a stellar day. I think we were having a strong day. I'm really proud of my team with what's been going on.
"The No. 1 car (Kurt Busch) had a little trouble on the restart. I'm on the inside going into the corner and it was just super tight. It's unfortunate that happened. Certainly, it's not what we needed on that restart. I couldn't go below the white line and kind of got snipped there and turned around—and around and round we go."
Similarly, bad luck caught up with Suarez, who pitted because of a vibration on Lap 126 and got caught a lap down when Larson's wreck caused the seventh caution three circuits later. Suarez got the lap back under the yellow, but he had to restart from the rear and never recovered.
Bubba Wallace ran third in the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet, posting the second top-three result of his career, the first having come in a runner-up run in the 2018 Daytona 500. Byron was fourth, followed by Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Blaney, Newman, Chase Elliott and Paul Menard.
Previous Article Watch: Denny Hamlin Cuts Tire, Car Catches Fire in Final Practice
Next Article 2019 NASCAR Cup Series – The Brickyard at Indianapolis


text:
Q: ANTLR position specific Tokens We want to ANTLR grammar where "0" in first position treated differently compared with other position.
Sample Input
0 Test
World 0

Is there anyway to identify position or context specific Token?
Currently we are writing code to change the Token type.
Grammar
// Define a grammar called Hello
grammar Hello;

r : (r2 | r1)+ ;

r2 : 'World' Num ;
r1 : keyZero 'Test';

keyZero : {_input.LT(1).getCharPositionInLine() == 0}? Num ;
Num : [0-9]+ ;

Ws : [ ] -> skip;
Eol : [\r\n]->skip;

A: It could be handled in the lexer:
grammar Hello;

r  : (r2 | r1)+ EOF;
r2 : 'World' NUM ;
r1 : KEY_ZERO 'Test';

KEY_ZERO : {getCharPositionInLine() == 0}? [0-9]+;
NUM      : [0-9]+;
SPACE    : [ \r\n] -> skip;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


YOUNG Women Christian Association (YWCA) executive director Patricia Ndhlovu has advised couples to learn to communicate effectively with each other if the country is to address the increasing number of divorce cases.
Mrs Ndhlovu attributed the high rate of divorce cases in Zambia to lack of communication between couples.
Over 28,000 divorce cases were recorded countrywide last year mainly because of infidelity between spouses.
According to latest statistics from the local court office, Zambia recorded 28,101 divorces across the country's 10 provinces.
Mrs Ndhlovu said in an interview yesterday that the lack of trust among couples is also a contributing factor to the high number of divorce cases in the country.
"Where there is no trust in a relationship, it becomes unbearable for couples to have a good and peaceful relationship, and those who cannot bear this opt to leave their marriages," she said.
Mrs Ndhlovu said real or perceived infidelity between spouses is also a contributing factor to people divorcing.
She said it is unfortunate that some couples rush into marriage without getting to know each other.
Mrs Ndhlovu said some couples have certain expectations of their marriages and once these are not met, they choose to opt out of the marriage.
"Our advice to couples is that they should learn to communicate with each other, discuss their problems, and find solutions, and were they need help, they can seek assistance from community structures such as churches, elders, family members, and organisations such as YWCA, to help them identify the root cause, and were possible deal with the problem," she said.
Mrs Ndhlovu said it is important for couples to take time to know each other as opposed to rushing into marriage.
She said it is also important that married people remain faithful to each other as per the vows that they took when they married.


Reserve your spot at the tournaments!
In order for the tournament director to have enough supplies for your students to compete, a coach must preregister their team for each tournament.
What type of tournament would you like to register for?


text:
Alliance Condemns the Violence in Our Nation's Capital on January 6
In this statement released to its national network, the Alliance for Early Success denounced the terrorist acts of January 6, 2021, and the racism evident in the entire crisis.
Webinar: Data and Racial Equity in Early Childhood Policy Advocacy
Experts from Child Trends offer a critical look at data and racial equity in early childhood policy, as well as a dive into how to incorporate racial equity principles into early childhood policy advocacy work.
Early Childhood Advocates and Funders Learn to Say Yes to Lobbying
Lori McClung of Advocacy & Communication Solutions and Jason Sabo of Frontera Strategy provided clear and actionable advocacy and lobbying guidance that will help advocates achieve policy change and—more important—help dispel the reluctance and discomfort that many c3s (and many of their funders) have around policy advocacy.
Dr. Ibram Kendi Tells Early Childhood Advocates It's All About Outcomes
"Racial inequity is a problem of bad policy, not bad people," says best-selling author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. On the heels of the election, we'll hear about racist and antiracist policy, and will get answers to questions posed by state early childhood advocates about state policy.
When Is the Right Time to Increase Early Childhood Spending? Now.
EDITORIAL Olivia Allen, Assistant Director of Strategy at Children's Funding Project and Co-Founder and Director at Children's Funding Accelerator says an economic downtown is a fine time to ask for expanded funding for early childhood programs.
Creating a Bigger Pie: Allies Share State Revenue-Generating Strategies for Early Childhood Programs
Alliance allies were joined by the Children's Funding Project for an important conversation about funding streams and discussed ways to advocate for both a bigger slice—and a bigger pie.
The National Center for Children in Poverty Uses Alliance Support to Develop Crucial State-by-State Early Childhood Policy Profiles
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) has released an updated set of Early Childhood State Policy Profiles that provides a two-generation view of current policies affecting children birth through age eight. The profiles give crucial visibility into each state's progress in early care and education, health, and parenting and family economic supports.
Alliance for Early Success Releases New Policy Roadmap for Transforming Post-Pandemic Child Care
A national workgroup of early childhood advocacy organizations convened by the Alliance for Early Success has released the Build Stronger Child Care Policy Roadmap, a comprehensive guide to help child care advocates across the country focus and align their priorities as state governments and federal agencies work to rebuild the nation's child care system.
A Champion for Gumby Philanthropy: Lisa Klein Leaves a Legacy of Growth and Success Fueled by Vision and Flexibility
Lisa Klein, stepping down after more than a decade as Executive Director of the Alliance for Early Success, leaves an indelible mark on the organization — and early childhood policy advocacy.
The Alliance for Early Success and National Allies Brief State Advocates on the State of Federal Child Care Relief
In response to a growing concern among state advocates about the state of federal child care relief, the Alliance convened some of the issue's leading national advocacy organizations for a federal child care update and guidance on what site advocates can do next.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Nord Stream 2 is put on hold as West rebukes Putin over Ukraine
Nord Stream 2 is a priority project for Putin
by Bloomberg News
in Natural Gas
(Bloomberg) — The U.S. and Europe unveiled a limited range of sanctions in response to Russia's latest escalation over Ukraine, with Germany going the furthest by opting to halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline's certification process following President Vladimir Putin's decision to send troops to two self-proclaimed separatist republics.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who held a call with Putin late on Monday, said that the Russian leader's recognition of the breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine had materially changed the situation so that "no certification of the pipeline can happen right now." Without it, he told reporters in Berlin, the gas pipeline from Russia to Germany "cannot go into operation."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki welcomed the decision, saying that the U.S. would follow up with its own measures later on Tuesday. Still, halting the pipeline looks like the most significant response of an initial wave of penalties that stopped short of more painful measures.
Nord Stream 2 is a priority project for Putin that he has personally pushed from its inception. The decision to put it into limbo demonstrates Germany's determination to shoulder the economic cost of holding Putin to account for his actions, which effectively tear up years of diplomatic efforts spearheaded by Berlin to bring peace to eastern Ukraine.
European natural gas prices resumed their advance and benchmark Brent crude oil was up about 2% after Scholz spoke. Markets were more sanguine about the other measures, with Russia's benchmark MOEX index paring a steep decline to trade about 1.9% lower and the ruble up 0.7% as of about 2:30 p.m. in Berlin.
Russia gave no details on how many "peacekeeping" troops might go into the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The U.S. and its allies continue to warn Moscow could soon start a full-scale invasion, something that Russia denies. Treaties Putin signed with separatist leaders Monday allow Russia to deploy forces and build military bases on their territory.
The Kremlin move raised the stakes with the West but so far falls short of the massive invasion of large areas of Ukrainian territory that U.S. and other officials have said is possible.
At the same time, more than 150,000 Russian troops remain massed near Ukraine's borders, according to Western estimates. A senior U.S. official said Russia is continuing to prepare for military action that could occur in the coming hours or days. A key unknown is whether Russian "peacekeepers" would stop at the line of contact between separatists and the Ukrainian military.
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, maintained ambiguity, saying that Russia recognizes the separatists' "declared" borders. The breakaway areas control only 30% of the territory that used to be part of the Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts in Ukraine. The Kremlin wants to continue talks with Western countries, Peskov told reporters on a conference call Tuesday.
"Russia won't calm down," said Alexei Chesnakov, a former senior Kremlin official and adviser on Ukrainian policy. "It wants iron-clad guarantees that Ukraine won't join NATO and as long as it doesn't get these guarantees, the possibility of escalation will remain permanently on the table."
President Joe Biden issued an executive order prohibiting U.S. investment, trade, and financing to separatist regions of Ukraine. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the U.K. would target five banks — all of them already subject to U.S. sanctions — and freeze the assets of three individuals.
The European Union is looking at more sweeping measures that include restrictions on Russian government access to EU capital and financial markets and services, although the process will need to be confirmed by member states.
For the moment, western officials indicated that Russia's recognition wasn't a dramatic enough step to prompt the severe economic sanctions threatened in case of a full-scale invasion.
"It's not yet the invasion our partners have been talking about," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters in Paris. "But it's a very steep escalation of the situation."
Russian legislators voted on Tuesday to ratify the treaties with the separatists, opening the way for more open support for the enclaves Russia's backed since their foundation. Putin's decision to recognize them effectively torpedoes years of diplomatic efforts to implement a peace accord to resolve a conflict that has killed 14,000 since Russia-backed separatists seized control of the two areas in 2014.
Russia's latest move generated condemnation from the U.S., EU and nearly all representatives of the United Nations Security Council who spoke on Monday night. China's ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, called on all sides to exercise restraint.
The U.S. said the White House was still open to a meeting between Biden and Putin — predicated on Russia not proceeding with an attack. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva Thursday to discuss the crisis.
Russia doesn't currently plan any military deployment beyond the existing borders of Ukrainian breakaway areas it's recognized, according to a political expert close to the Kremlin.
"The crisis can still be resolved," said Alexei Mukhin, head of the Moscow-based Center for Political Information, which provides consultancy services for the presidential administration. Russia's demands for a halt to NATO expansion and a pullback of the alliance from eastern and central Europe are just a starting-point for negotiations on security guarantees in the region, he said.
Tags: 3385Bidennatural gasNord StreamPutinUkraine
NextEra rethinks Mountain Valley Pipeline, takes $800 million charge
Supreme Court denies Dakota pipeline appeal


text:
Yahoo Canada Style
'I couldn't breathe': Jessica Simpson says she was hospitalized during her third pregnancy
Ellie Spina
7 January 2022, 3:17 pm ·2 min read
Looking for more celebrity and entertainment news? Sign up for Yahoo Lifestyle Canada's newsletter!
Jessica Simpson was hospitalized for bronchitis while pregnant with her third child. (Image via Instagram/JessicaSimspon)
Jessica Simpson is opening up about the health struggles she faced during her third pregnancy.
In a new interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, the 41-year-old recalled suffering from severe bronchitis while she was pregnant with her daughter, Birdie, in March 2019.
The "With You" singer said she experienced difficulty breathing during her 34th week of pregnancy. The illness put such stress on the baby that doctors opted to deliver Birdie by C-section.
"Her oxygen levels were dropping," Simpson explained, noting that the extra pregnancy weight did not help. "I couldn't breathe. I was 260 pounds. She was a very big baby. We were like, 'Just take her out.'"
A post shared by Jessica Simpson (@jessicasimpson)
In Simpson's memoir, "Open Book," which was released in 2020, the star described her pregnancy with Birdie as one "from hell."
"When I wasn't being hospitalized for bronchitis … I was breaking a toilet seat leaning back," she penned.
Simpson, who shares three children, Birdie, 2, Ace, 8, and Maxwell, 9, with her husband, Eric Johnson, has always been transparent about the struggles of pregnancy. Back in 2019, she spoke candidly about gaining more weight than she expected with each of her pregnancies.
Click here to sign up for Yahoo Canada's lifestyle newsletter.
"When you're pregnant, I gain a lot, I mean, a lot. I didn't expect to gain as much with my third," she told HSN. "I thought I'd learned my lesson, but apparently, that's just the way God made me, very hungry and pregnant."
Simpson revealed that after giving birth to three children, there were permanent changes to her body that she's come to accept.
"I don't think I'll ever get back to [my skinny jeans]. I save them and say, 'One day,'" she continued. "But after having kids, I don't think that your hips really ever go completely back. Your body changes!"
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter.
What if Disney's 'Encanto' were a Filipino telenovela?
Heidi Montag gets candid about pregnancy struggles: 'I never thought it would be so hard trying to have another'
Yahoo Life·1 min read
Eva Longoria's 3-year-old son adorably crashes photo: 'When you're trying to have a photo shoot and your kid won't let you!'
Cardi B Says Her 4-Month-Old Son Has Already Said His First Words: 'I'm Not Exaggerating'
People·3 min read
The Manila Zoo has been turned into a vax site so families can get jabbed
Come for the vaccine, stay for the animals
Poll watchdog concerned with imminent COMELEC appointees
Election watchdog organization Kontra Daya (Against Fraud) expressed concern on the composition of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) once the terms of three of its officials end this February.
Video of collapsing footbridge was taken in the Philippines in 2018, not in Indonesia
Footage has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times across different social media platforms after it was shared with a claim that it shows a footbridge collapsing in Indonesia's Samarinda city. The claim is false; the video has circulated in media reports about a wooden footbridge that collapsed in Zamboanga City, the Philippines, in 2018, causing visiting government officials to fall into the water. This 19-second clip was shared on Facebook on January 14, 2022, where it has been viewed more


Rest and Restore | Work Well. Play More!
Everyone knows burnout is real – but it feels tough to avoid in the good ol' go-faster business environment. Good news is, shifts in your sleep cycle, work habits, and mental up-time can virtually eliminate it and enable you to progress further, faster, now. Without feeling like a zombie or relegating much-needed R&R time to that too-far-off vacation.


Looking for work anywhere in Australia within a Unity 3D development field. Happy to relocate and can fly for face-to-face interviews.
I am a games designer/developer with a focus on mobile, currently iOS and Android. I have also developed for Amazon, Mac App Store, Online and Standalone. I predominantly use the Unity development environment which I have over four years experience with and have produced three commercially successful games both as an individual and whilst working within a company. On top of this I have developed native apps for iOS and Android as well as many smaller personal projects to learn new skills, features and software. I thrive on learning and particularly enjoy working in a collaborative environment.
I love making games as it allows me to bring creativity, logic, freedom and of course, fun to a medium of which I love to spend my own time. I am an avid gamer who enjoys RTS, FPS and platformers. I especially like free roaming games and being able to explore virtual worlds and make my mark in them. However you could never beat the endless freedom and control provided by creating your own games.


2 gang extension box electrical receptacle box extender 1 2 double gang extender.
2 gang extension box 2 gang extension ring.
2 gang extension box electrical box extension ring 4 square extension ring drawn 2 in deep with 1 in.
2 gang extension box 2 gang receptacle wiring diagram block and schematic diagrams switch 2 gang receptacle box wiring diagram.
2 gang extension box 1 gang extension boxes and rings.
2 gang extension box 2 gang extension box.
2 gang extension box steel 1 1.
2 gang extension box 1 1 2 deep 4 square extension ring with 6.
2 gang extension box 2 gang box extension shallow electrical old work.
2 gang extension box 2 gang non metallic box extender end connector.
2 gang extension box weatherproof 2 gang box extension adapter ring gray.
2 gang extension box main image.
2 gang extension box electrical box extension ring.
2 gang extension box why electrical box extenders are important.
2 gang extension box china 2 gang extension rings 1 3 weatherproof box.
2 gang extension box holes 2 gang box extension with 6 3 4 in.
2 gang extension box 1 gang weatherproof electrical outlet box extension ring extender 2.
2 gang extension box 1 1 gang extension box 1 9 deep 4 outlet holes 1 2 hole size gray.
2 gang extension box 2 gang electrical box extender.
2 gang extension box 2 flush type two gang electrical box extension adapter.
2 gang extension box 2 gang weatherproof extension ring die cast metal.
2 gang extension box enlarge.
2 gang extension box extension for electrical in source code search engine.


Spun Sugar Quilts: you get the picture.
I was fortune to stop by all the Moda booths this market. This year they had lil 2.5" charm packs.
Aren't they lovely on a cake plate?
I am not exactly sure what it will end up.
And sample spree was good to me too.
I snagged the main Moda bundles that I have been drooling over.
I have already started a quilt with one of the bundles.
I feel rejuvenated about quilting.
I have to say though, that today is planting day.
I just finished weeding, planting my vegetable boxes (there are 4!) and am off to buy some flowers to plant.
It's a beautiful day here and I am going to use every minute of it!
Love those little cuts, great idea for mini quilts too.
I can't wait to see what wonderful quilts you make with them.
I love those small cuts and have used a lot of them to make one big quilt with white from the stash.
Score! Love everything you snatched up. Enjoy your planting. I'm headed outside soon to do some weeding. FUN FUN. NOT!
Oh my goodess! You have fq bundles of Ruby and Terrain! I am just dying for both of those! Do you have big plans for them? Which one did you break open? I'm so eager to see! Have fun with your beautiful fabrics, and those darling little bits of cotton loveliness!
Love your loot Vickie! Enjoy your planting...it's pouring buckets here!
SOOOOOOOOOOO jealous at that gorgeous stack of Terrain! I'm excited to get my own hands on some of that. Glad you were lucky enough to go to Market and grab such great stuff.
Rejuvination is a good thing!
Love the inspiration all the new fabric brings...thanks or sharing!
I am SO jealous about the Ruby bundle!
I love all the fabric! Looks like you're gonna have lots of fun! I loved your tiara(or did she call it a crown?) from Sharon!
Love those 2.5 blocks, wish I had nabbed more. Fun to meet you at market and pal around.


text:
Q: Prometheus & Grafana- To monitor or scrape the metrics from the azure app services without using azure monitoring tools Is there way to integrate azure app services with the Prometheus directly. We need to scrape the metrics of applications/devices hosted in the azure app service.
We can enable the app insight or azure monitoring tool and integrate them with the Grafana directly but here we want to by pass the azure monitoring tools.
Azure app service is paas and there is no way we can install any Prometheus agents directly. I wonder, if there are some ways to collect the metrics from those devices/box to monitor the health  of the system.
Any suggestions/solutions would be great to know.


as well as on the relation Europe - Asia.
We are convinced that Romania, through its geographical position, the European Union membership status and its traditional links with the Eastern European and Asian countries, can and should have an important role, acting as a turntable in developing economic cooperation and integration of EU markets with those of countries from South-Eastern Europe, the Black Sea region and Central Asia.
We do believe that the orientation of Romanian and Western European businessmen towards establishing and diversifying trade relationships with partners from Moldova, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Central Asian Republics and China represents a highly effective way to overcome together the current economic situation and find the most appropriate responses to the challenges and issues facing the global business world in the recent years.
We aim to provide you with information from bilateral chambers of commerce, employers' associations, representative bodies of the business communities in Romania and neighboring countries, with perspectives offered by international economic cooperation specialists and with actual business opportunities announcements issued by foreign companies from various industries. Read them in the News section.
Should you have a business proposal for partners from other countries, we can PROMOTE it for FREE within our online project. We look forward to receive all such proposals, your suggestions concerning our site content and any topics of further interest for you, at the coordinates on our Contact page.
We also offer you integrated logistics services to organize business meetings in Romania and the neighboring countries. For more details, please visit the Events section.


text:
2012 Year-End Movie Review: Jason Zingale
Posted by Jason Zingale (12/28/2012 @ 12:44 am)
2012 wasn't exactly an unforgettable year at the movies – I know that, you know that – but it can hardly be described as a disappointment, because while there weren't many films that will be remembered 20 years from now, there was still plenty of quality to be found if you looked hard enough. As is usually the case with these year-end features, my Top 10 deviates a little from the typical crop of movies that you'd expect to find on most critics' lists (some that I didn't love as much as others, and some that I never had the chance to see), but it's nothing that will surprise anyone who's read my past work.
Best Movies of 2012
1. "THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER"
It's not every day that the author of a critically acclaimed novel gets the chance to adapt their book for the big screen, let alone direct it, but after watching Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," it's hard to imagine anyone else doing a better job. After all, Chbosky knows the material inside and out, and it definitely shows in this modest but heartwarming tale about finding your place in the world. It's your typical coming-of-age story, but one that's handled with a certain level of maturity rarely found in high school films, and though the comparisons to "The Breakfast Club" may not be completely warranted, it's one of the few movies about high school that actually gets it right. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller all deliver excellent performances in their respective roles (especially Miller as the openly gay senior that takes Lerman's freshman under his wing), and Chbosky's deft script earns every emotional moment. It's just a shame that "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" will probably get lost in the shuffle come awards time, because it has everything you could possibly want in a film.
2. "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK"
Leave it to David O. Russell to create a romantic comedy as quirky, dark, funny and surprisingly touching as "Silver Linings Playbook," because the movie is almost as crazy as its two leads. One minute a fiercely honest character study about a man coping with bipolar disorder, and the next minute a charming rom-com revolving around an amateur dancing competition, the film performs such an amazing tightrope act that it's really to Russell's credit that it doesn't come crashing down like a house of cards. Of course, the movie wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable if it weren't for the risks that it takes thematically, but none of that would matter without its outstanding cast. Bradley Cooper finally gets the chance to show what he's fully capable of in the best role of his career, and Robert De Niro has some great moments as Cooper's superstitious father, but it's Jennifer Lawrence (already so good at such a young age) who steals the show with a phenomenal performance that all but guarantees she'll win the Oscar for Best Actress.
3. "ARGO"
Ben Affleck may have proved that he was more than just a one-hit wonder with "The Town," but for his next project, the Boston-born multihyphenate moved away from the comforts of his hometown to a much larger stage, delivering arguably his best film in the process. A politically charged thriller that felt eerily timely in the wake of the U.S. embassy attacks in Libya, "Argo" is unique in that it also juggles a lighter Hollywood insider subplot in addition to its main story. By all accounts, it shouldn't work, but Affleck makes the blending of the contrasting tones appear almost effortless. The comedy provided by Alan Arkin's veteran producer and John Goodman's makeup artist never undercuts the seriousness of the action in Tehran, and yet the strategically placed laughs help break up the tension that mounts over the course of the film. It's been a while since a movie literally had me on the edge of my seat, but "Argo" is extremely taut and suspenseful, topped off by a fantastic nail-biter ending and one of the year's best ensembles. The fact that it's also based on a true story is simply the icing on the cake.
Posted in: Entertainment, Movies
Tags: Argo, best movies of 2012, Jennifer Lawrence, Safety Not Guaranteed, Silver Linings Playbook, Sleepwalk with Me, The Avengers, The Impossible, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Raid: Redemption, The Sessions, Year End Movies 2012, Zero Dark Thirty
Blu Tuesday: Supersized Holiday Edition
Posted by Jason Zingale (12/18/2012 @ 8:00 am)
With the holidays just around the corner, many studios are making one final push to earn your Christmas dollars with the release of several new Blu-rays over the course of the next four days. Though I'm not really sure what the strategy is behind releasing some titles today and others on the 21st (especially since most people have already finished a lot of their holiday shopping), there are so many great movies to choose from that I've decided to expand this week's column into a special supersized edition.
Most stand-up comics probably only dream about being involved in a movie as funny and refreshingly honest as Mike Birbiglia's "Sleepwalk with Me," let alone one that marks their directorial debut. Based on his one-man show of the same name (which was in turn inspired by actual events from his life), the film is a witty human comedy about the fear of commitment and finding one's place in the world, and it's hands-down one of my favorite movies of the year. Much like Birbiglia's stand-up in the film, the story is entertaining because it's so incredibly personal (something that's missing from most Hollywood productions), and he makes it even more so by narrating the movie via segments where he speaks directly to the audience a la Ferris Bueller. "Sleepwalk with Me" actually fared pretty well in theaters during its platform release this past fall, but if you didn't get a chance to catch it then, be sure to add it to your must-see list for the new year, because the film is so good that if you weren't a fan of Birbiglia beforehand, you almost certainly will be afterwards.
Blu-ray Highlight: There are some good extras on the disc, but the audio commentary with star/co-writer/co-director Mike Birbiglia and producer/co-writer Ira Glass is the best of the bunch, with the duo discussing the making of the movie in detail, including some behind-the-scenes anecdotes and things they learned on set as first-time filmmakers.
William Friedkin hasn't made a great film in a very long time, and while "Killer Joe" doesn't exactly remedy that, it's the best movie that he's made in a while. Adapted by Tracy Letts from his stage play of the same name, the self-described "totally twisted, deep-fried, Texas redneck trailer park murder story" is one of the most intense and polarizing moviegoing experiences in recent memory. Although the strange series of events that transpire during the course of the movie has already divided audiences (particularly a tension-packed final act that gets pretty weird and perverse), it's as oddly fascinating to watch unravel as it is repulsive. Every single performance is great – from Gina Gerson's devious stepmom, to Emile Hirsch's pathetic bottom-feeder, to Thomas Hayden Church's clueless father, to Juno Temple's trailer park princess – but it's star Matthew McConaughey who truly commands the screen with his best role in ages. It's about time the actor finally showed off his full potential, and this white trash "Blood Simple" does that and more.
Blu-ray Highlight: The making-of featurette "Southern Fried Hospitality: From Stage to Screen" is definitely worth checking out for the interviews with the various cast and crew, but it's director William Friedkin's audio commentary that is the real highlight. Friedkin is one of those filmmakers that's just a lot of fun to listen to speak, and his commentary track for "Killer Joe" is an excellent discussion about making the movie and, in talking about the infamous NC-17 rating, the politics of the business as well.
It was only inevitable that "Pitch Perfect" would draw some comparisons to "Glee," but while the show's success certainly helped pave the way for making organized singing groups cool again, that would be like comparing Adele to Katy Perry. The film actually feels more like the a cappella cousin of the "Step Up" movies, and although that may not inspire a whole lot of confidence, it's a really charming comedy filled with great performances (both acting and musical) that's only slightly hindered by its conventional formula. In fact, one of movie's biggest draws is the musical performances, and while there's no denying that they're fun to watch, "Pitch Perfect" would be just as shallow as the "Step Up" series without such a great cast, including the always reliable Anna Kendrick and Australian up-and-comer Rebel Wilson in a breakout role. Written by Kay Cannon, whose experience as a writer for "30 Rock" tells you all you need to know about the movie's offbeat sense of humor, "Pitch Perfect" is the kind of film that many people would normally overlook based on its premise, but that would be a mistake.
Blu-ray Highlight: Though Universal hasn't exactly skimped on bonus material – which includes a pair of audio commentaries, alternate takes and deleted scenes – there's nothing here that really stands out. At least there's always the movie to watch again.
Tags: Blu Tuesday, Killer Joe, new Blu-rays, Pitch Perfect, Sleepwalk with Me, Total Recall, Trouble with the Curve
Coming Soon: A Moviegoer's Guide to August
Posted by Jason Zingale (07/29/2012 @ 1:51 pm)
August has never been the most exciting part of the summer movie season, but the studios have treated it like a warm-down of sorts in recent years, taking the opportunity to discard their misfit films with seemingly no interest in how they perform. That may change this year, however, as there are a number of high-profile movies (including several targeted at action fans) that could end up doing some pretty big business. In fact, with the somewhat disappointing summer that we've had so far, it's not entirely unreasonable to suggest that August might end up being the highlight of the season.
Who: Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston and Bill Nighy
What: Factory worker Douglas Quaid begins to suspect that he's a spy after visiting Rekall, a company that provides its clients with implanted fake memories.
When: August 3rd
Why: While not exactly a remake in the conventional sense, director Len Wiseman's adaptation of the Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" has nonetheless caused diehard fans of Paul Verhoeven's 1990 original to scream blasphemy. But just like that movie was forced to get creative and expand upon Dick's story, so too has Wiseman's version, seemingly sticking closer to its source material by keeping the action on Earth. Colin Farrell is definitely an inspired choice to play Quaid (and just like Adrian Brody in "Predators," it should help to limit the comparisons to Arnold Schwarzenegger), while Bryan Cranston is on such a hot streak right now that it's hard to imagine anyone else as Cohaagen. Whether Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale or the special effects provide the film's best eye candy, however, is still up for debate.
Who: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts and Ari Graynor
What: A divorcing couple tries to maintain their friendship while pursuing other people.
Why: In addition to being a smart piece of counterprogramming to "Total Recall," the indie dramedy has been riding a wave of strong buzz since its premiere at Sundance earlier this year, where most critics praised the excellent chemistry between its two stars. Though I'm not entirely sold on the idea of Andy Samberg as a romantic lead (or a serious actor, for that matter), I'll see just about anything that Rashida Jones does these days, especially if it leads to more high-profile roles for the "Parks and Rec" actress. Jones also co-wrote the screenplay, which boasts an interesting premise that practically guarantees it won't be anything like the typical Hollywood rom-com, with a more dramatic streak reminiscent of movies like "Annie Hall" and "(500) Days of Summer." And if it's even half as good as those films, we're in for a pleasant surprise.
Who: Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell and Jean Smart
What: After 30 years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense, week-long counseling session to work on their relationship.
When: August 8th
Why: There are usually a few movies every summer targeted explicitly towards adult audiences, and more often than not, one of them stars Meryl Streep. That's the case once again with this geriatric twist on the traditional rom-com, which reunites Streep with her "The Devil Wears Prada" director David Frankel. Unfortunately, "Hope Springs" doesn't look nearly as good, instead hewing closer to the vibe of "It's Complicated," at least where Streep's overly giggly character is concerned. The actress appears to be trying too hard to get a laugh, while Steve Carell doesn't seem to have that much to do. The wild card is Tommy Lee Jones, who isn't the first person you'd think of for this kind of role, but that's exactly why it's such a brilliant piece of casting. And if the three actors work as well together as you'd expect, "Hope Springs" might not be that bad after all.
Tags: August movies, Celeste and Jesse Forever, Coming Soon, Hope Springs, Lawless, ParaNorman, Premium Rush, Sleepwalk with Me, The Bourne Legacy, The Campaign, The Expendables, Total Recall
2012 SXSW Film Festival Recap
If you've never been down to Austin, Texas for South by Southwest (whether it's for the music and film festivals or the interactive conference), it's something that you need to experience at least once, because the city exudes a vibrant and welcoming energy that makes it very hard not to have a good time. This year marked my third consecutive trip to the SXSW film festival, and though my virgin voyage was a bit of a baptism by fire, I was practically oozing the confidence of a grizzled veteran this time around. I knew exactly what to pack, how to plan and what to expect when I got there.
At least, that's what I thought, but Mother Nature has a funny way of messing up your plans. From airline-wide delays that had me sprinting across Dallas-Fort Worth airport to catch connecting flights, to the miserable weather that I was greeted with when I arrived, it wasn't exactly the greatest start to my trip. Apart from the almost non-stop rainstorms that put a damper on the opening weekend festivities, the only thing that could have made it any worse was if the movies I had chosen to see weren't very good. And sure as the rain continued to fall (from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, with hardly a break in between), there were more duds than normal at this year's event.
It's not that I expected to love every movie that I saw at the festival (you'd have better luck winning the lottery), but some of them – including star-studded comedies like "Nature Calls," "Frankie Goes Boom" and "Small Apartments" – were so terrible that even a direct-to-DVD release would be more than they deserve. "Nature Calls," in particular, is so egregious that I almost left before the first act was even over, and I've never walked out of a movie in my life.
Fortunately, I was able to catch a number of really good films as well. In addition to the long-delayed horror comedy "The Cabin in the Woods" and director William Friedkin's controversial crime thriller "Killer Joe," there were three movies that I enjoyed so much that they'll likely end up on my Top 10 list by year's end. Below are highlights from my reviews of those films:
1. "Sleepwalk with Me"
Most stand-up comics probably only dream about making a movie as funny and honest as Mike Birbiglia's "Sleepwalk with Me," let alone one that marks their directorial debut. Reminiscent of Woody Allen's films in a lot of ways… if you weren't a fan of Birbiglia beforehand, you will be afterwards.
2. "Safety Not Guaranteed"
A character-driven dramedy with equal parts humor and heart, "Safety Not Guaranteed" is a beautiful film about the human spirit that is impossible to ignore. [It's] original, humorous, heartfelt and, perhaps most importantly, filled with immense hope.
3. "The Raid: Redemption"
"The Raid" is an unrelenting, action-packed can of whoop-ass that delivers one of the most crowd-pleasing moviegoing experiences of the past decade. This is about as close to non-stop, wall-to-wall action that I've ever seen… including what is easily some of the best close-quarters combat ever committed to film.
The week got better as the weather improved, and although I didn't carve out nearly as much free time to explore the city as I had originally planned, I did happen to stumble upon a cool sports park operated by Nike in support of their new FuelBand, a USB fitness bracelet that tracks your activity throughout the day. Taking up nearly an entire block, the park featured a basketball court, a miniature skate park, and a turf soccer field that allowed me to blow off a little steam in between screenings. I even spoke with one of Nike's on-hand representatives about the new FuelBand, and was so impressed by the short demonstration that I contacted the company about getting one of the in-demand devices to review for Bullz-Eye.
It was nice to get out and kick the soccer ball around for a while, but it was one of just many small thrills during my trip. I also had the pleasures of meeting director Bobcat Goldthwait (who was at the festival with his new film "God Bless America") during a random encounter at local hangout The Highball; I had the chance to interview Matthew McConaughey, Gina Gershon and Jamie Chung, among others; and I enjoyed the many delicacies that Austin has to offer, including personal favorites like Freebirds (think Chipotle but better), sandwich chain Schlotzsky's, and of course, the delicious $5 milkshakes at the Alamo Drafthouse. My trip may have had some hiccups along the way, but as has always been the case with SXSW, the one-two punch of some great movies and that inescapable Austin charm made it yet another festival to remember.
Posted in: Entertainment, Movies, On Location
Tags: Alamo Drafthouse, Austin Texas, Bobcat Goldthwait, Gina Gershon, Jamie Chung, Matthew McConaughey, Nike FuelBand, Safety Not Guaranteed, Sleepwalk with Me, SXSW, SXSW 2012, SXSW film, The Raid: Redemption
SXSW Film Fest 2012: Day Five
This is my third year down in Austin for the South by Southwest film festival, and I think that I've finally figured out the science to covering the event all on my lonesome. Instead of past years, where I've done a mix of both full-length and shorter movie reviews, this time around, I'm going to be doing daily blogs with even shorter, capsule-style reviews of the films that I saw the previous day. I'm hoping this will make me more productive than usual, but as my schedule is constantly in flux, please bear with me. And if you can't wait for my daily posts, be sure to follow me on Twitter @JasonZingale for more.
"Casa de mi Padre"
Will Ferrell's Spanish-language comedy "Casa de mi Padre" is exactly what you'd expect from the "Saturday Night Live" alum; although it's good for a few laughs, the one-joke concept results in more misses than hits. Ferrell plays Armando Alvarez, the eldest son of a Mexican rancher in danger of losing his land. When Armando's brother Raul (Diego Luna) returns home with his new fiancée (Genesis Rodriguez) pledging to save the ranch, he inadvertently thrusts the family into a war with a local drug lord (Gael Garcia Bernal). Essentially a telenovela done in the style of a grindhouse film, "Casa de mi Padre" is amusing at times, but it never amounts to more than a few chuckles. This is one very odd movie – even more than the typical Will Ferrell comedy – complete with musical numbers ("You No Se" is not only funny, but catchy as well), painted set backgrounds and talking animal puppets. Ferrell handles the challenge of acting entirely in Spanish remarkably well, but it's a gimmick that loses its charm pretty fast. Fans of the actor will enjoy his latest in a series of bizarre career moves, but for everyone else, the film's quirkiness only goes so far.
Most stand-up comics probably only dream about making a movie as funny and honest as Mike Birbiglia's "Sleepwalk with Me," let alone one that marks their directorial debut. Based on his one-man show (which was in turn inspired by actual events from his life), Birbiglia stars as a fictional version of himself, an aspiring comedian who hasn't had a whole lot of luck in life apart from his amazing girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose). When their eight-year relationship hits a standstill after Mike expresses his objection to marriage, he hits the road to improve his act, all the while growing farther apart from Abby and dealing with a dangerous sleep behavior disorder. Reminiscent of Woody Allen's films in a lot of ways, "Sleepwalk with Me" is a witty and consistently funny human comedy about the fear of commitment. Much like his character's stand-up in the film, the story is entertaining because it's so personal, and he makes it even more so by narrating the movie with brief snippets of POV segments littered throughout. It'll be interesting to see how the general public receives "Sleepwalk with Me" when it's finally released in theaters, because the movie is so good that if you weren't a fan of Mike Birbiglia beforehand, you will be afterwards.
There wasn't a lot of horror on tap at SXSW this year, which is probably why Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's "Intruders" feels like such a big letdown. More than anything else, it's just not very scary, with Clive Owen starring as the father of a young girl who believes she's being stalked by a faceless bogeyman named Hollowface. Though he writes it off as a nightmare at first, he soon becomes a believer after witnessing the menacing figure try to abduct his daughter. Meanwhile, in Spain, a young boy is having the same terrifying visions, prompting his mother to seek help from the local priest. While the first act does a pretty good job of setting up the two stories and building tension, however, it never really goes anywhere. Instead, the audience is forced to sit through a number of supposedly frightening situations without so much as a scare, and it quickly becomes repetitive to the point that you lose interest. But where "Intruders" really drops the ball is in the final ten minutes, dragged down by a flimsy twist ending that is not only predictable, but requires Fresanadillo's to cheat a little to get there. I admire the attempt at creating something original, but when a horror film can't even play by the rules, there's no point in watching.
Tags: Casa de mi Padre, Clive Owen, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Intruders, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Lauren Ambrose, Mike Birbiglia, Sleepwalk with Me, South By Southwest, SXSW, SXSW 2012, SXSW film, Will Ferrell


text:
Eagle Bucks Slot
Games Played: 8k
Eagle Bucks Slot - Theme and storyline
The theme of this slot is America, a country with amazing nature, where powerful bison roam the land and proud eagles soar high in the sky. The coniferous forests of the Rocky Mountains are depicted in the background, and deer, cougars, eagles, and wolves act as symbols. Despite the fact that the name hints at the idea of hunting these animals, which is becoming increasingly unpopular, there are no other references to the relics of the past in the slot.
Instead of hunting, the creators of this slot machine suggest you take a walk along a mountain path, admiring the wildlife, and try your luck in the hope of getting a big win.
Eagle Bucks Slot - Graphics, sounds, and animations
The slot has high-quality graphics. The resolution is higher than other similar-style slots, and the characters do not look tasteless at the same time. Despite this, from a visual point of view, the slot is not original, and the animations are completely boring. In general, he has a rather primitive style. The sound consists of music fragments and with several wins for one spin, it resembles a fast switching of radio stations, since sound effects and musical inserts are completely incompatible with each other.
Eagle Bucks Slot Gameplay
The slot has unremarkable gameplay, and by and large, players simply need to press a button. There are no additional functions that could change the pace of the game, and there is no gambling function. The only thing that is in this slot is a simple bonus function (more about it below). Eagle Bucks has five reels, twenty paylines, and low volatility.
Eagle Bucks Slot - Wilds, bonuses and free spins
The wild eagle is depicted in the wild, and it can act as any character except for Scatter. If you manage to collect a winning line from wilds, then you will receive the maximum payout. Scatter payouts are awarded when three or more of these symbols appear anywhere on the reels. For three or more Scatter symbols, the player also receives ten free spins. Sometimes free spins fall out with wilds fixed throughout the fifth reel.
Eagle Bucks Slot - Bet Size, RTP and Variance
During free spins, symbols with an eagle do not appear on the first reel, however, on all others, each such dropped symbol expands to the entire reel. If during free spins you get three or more Scatter symbols, then you will get five more free spins. On the site where we tested the slot, you can bet from £ / $ / € 0.01 per spin when playing on the same line, and the maximum bet was £ / $ / € 200.00 per spin when for each of the twenty winning lines set the maximum amount.
The range of rates is quite wide, but, unfortunately, the percentage of return to the player is only 94.09%, which is almost 2% below the average of 96%. The volatility of this game is also low. As a rule, we prefer games with high volatility, as they are more suitable for our strategies.
Eagle Bucks is an unremarkable slot with a boring theme and without a single innovation that could support the interest of players. And given its low RTP and volatility, you can safely skip this slot and find something better.


text:
Policing domestic abuse in Scotland
: a social constructionist approach
Katarzyna Prusak
Student thesis: Masters Thesis › Masters by Research
This paper tries to examine the origin and consequences of a specific crime control strategy in Scotland, namely the use of pro-arrest policies with relation to domestic abuse incidents. The researcher conducted interviews with 10 police officers and the narrative evidence seems to support findings of other studies on mandatory and presumptive arrest policies that suggest that those policies may be more harmful than beneficial. Of particular concern is the use of detention and arrest in cases where there is not enough evidence that a crime has been committed or in cases that may involve false allegations, as well as the potential for those policies to disempower victims and have the unintended effect of reducing reporting. The interviews also appear to substantiate the criticism that the application of a broad definition of domestic abuse leads to an intrusive policing of the private lives of an increasing number of individuals, even minors. Importantly, the net-widening effect of a broad definition of domestic abuse as well as an indiscriminate arrest policy result in system overload and, consequently, in the limited resources being directed away from the real victims of domestic abuse. Indeed, it is argued here that it is the retributive and symbolic element of those policies that makes them appealing to policy makers who see the punitive approach to crime control as necessary in order to reassure the public that they increasingly see as vulnerable. Importantly, this paper aims to provide an alternative explanation of the prominence of Domestic Abuse on political agenda in Scotland by placing it in its wider social, political and historical context and by examining it from a subjectivist stance as opposed to the objectivist perspective which means looking at it critically as a social rather than a purely natural phenomenon.
Stuart Waiton (Supervisor) & Donncha Marron (Supervisor)
Mandatory and presumptive arrest policies
Social constructionism
Claimsmaking.
Policing domestic abuse in Scotland: a social constructionist approach
Prusak, K. (Author). 18 Oct 2016
Prusak_PolicingDomesticAbuseinScotland_MbR_2016_Redacted
File: application/pdf, 1 MB
Abertay University contact form


text:
West Hempstead resident advocates for people with Alzheimer's
Posted Thursday, March 21, 2019 12:00 pm
Greg Karris, far left, with his mother, Margaret Karris, his brother, Peter, and his sister, Cassandra Ottaviano.
Courtesy Peter Karris
Illustration by Christina Daly/Herald
By Nakeem Grant
Several Alzheimer's and dementia care advocates visited Albany with the Alzheimer's Association on March 5 to lobby for more support in treating the disease. The trip, on what the organization called Alzheimer's Advocacy Day, coincided with the release of the group's 2019 Facts and Figures Report, revealing that an estimated 5.8 million Americans have the disease, including 400,000 in New York.
Peter Karris, of West Hempstead, was among the volunteer advocates who boarded a 6 a.m. bus in Lake Success to share his personal Alzheimer's story with elected officials. Karris's mother, Margaret Karris, 68, was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer's disease in 2013. When he visited her at the Parker Jewish Institute last fall, Karris said, he noticed that her condition had dramatically declined.
"She stopped walking, she stopped being able to communicate and she wasn't able to feed herself," he said. "All of the symptoms kind of happened at the same time very rapidly due to the early-onset Alzheimer's."
Karris, who was living in San Diego at the time, said that once he saw his mother's condition, he decided to move to back to New York. Now, he visits his mother almost daily.
When Karris was growing up, his mother was active at their church, Grace Baptist Church in Lake Grove. As a single mother, she raised three children while working as a dietary aide at a nursing home in United Presbyterian Residence in Woodbury. She lived in Kings Park and Ronkonkoma, in Suffolk County, before she relocated to New Hyde Park last year.
"Church was always extremely important to her," her son said. "She always helped out on Thanksgiving with gift baskets, she always helped out [the] food pantry, and it's something that she's been involved with her whole life. She was just a very caring and selfless woman."
Karris said that his sister, Cassandra Ottaviano, and his brother, Greg, helped to relocate their mother to Parker Jewish Institute.
"Things were planned pretty well from that point forward, and my sister did a lot of work to make sure that our mother was taken care of," Peter said. "But if she was diagnosed sooner, we may have been able to plan a little bit better."
During his trip to Albany, Karris met with Joseph Erdman, legislative director for State Sen. Anna Kaplan, who shared his own mother's struggle with Alzheimer's. The two exchanged stories and discussed ways that legislators could support the mission of the Alzheimer's Association.
"It was empowering just to know that people were there to listen and for them to know that we're doing our part to help others," Karris said.
Ottaviano started a fundraising drive, for which she collects dolls for Alzheimer's patients at Parker Jewish Institute. She shared the drive on Facebook groups in her community, and has collected dozens. Ottaviano, a physician's assistant at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Garden City, said dolls can be therapeutic for Alzheimer's patients.
"For the patients, the dolls kind of mimic a loved one," Ottaviano, of Bellmore, said. "When you're brought back to a time in your life where you were caring for something or somebody, it makes them feel like they have purpose again. Our mother was always one to give back, so I think for us, we sort of want to honor her in that way."
As the U.S. population grows, the number of people with the disease will also increase, according to the Alzheimer's Association. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's may grow to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or cure it, according to the organization.
"The numbers are staggering," Ann Healey, communications manager of the Alzheimer's Association's Long Island Chapter, said in a news release. "Alzheimer's continues to be the most expensive disease in the country and will cost $290 billion this year. In addition, death rates due to Alzheimer's have risen 145 percent since 2000, while deaths for most other major diseases have decreased."
Karris said the organization has the right infrastructure to combat the disease, but that funding is needed. "It's important to raise awareness of the resources that the Alzheimer's Association has so that they can continue to help people plan properly," he said. "The more people that are aware, the more funding can be allocated to the real solution, which is a cure."
He added that providing health care for someone with Alzheimer's is expensive, which makes it more important to diagnose the disease early. That way, families can plan financially years in advance. Karris said that he and his family hope to continue spreading awareness to ensure that people can identify Alzheimer's and be better prepared when it happens.
"By doing that, I feel like more people might become aware of the situation, and it can help to works towards a solution," Karris said.
Merrick woman convicted for stealing nearly $1M from nonprofit she headed in Lynbrook
East Rockaway resident who teaches in Merrick charged with making purchases with stolen debit card
UPDATE: NCPD arrests Massapequa man in connection with murder of Merokean Evan Grabelsky


Swing-arm wall sconces contain an adjustable arm which allows you to change the distance between the light and the wall. These versatile wall sconces can be used for a variety of tasks. Swing-arm wall sconces come in numerous styles and finishes, including: transitional, modern, bronze, brass, nickel, and many more.
In stock items ship within approximately 1-3 business days.


text:
Q: how to show combine Array in Datatable I am new to Laravel and trying to show combinearray in the datatable but now able to get the output.
Code for Merged Array
$expdataforyear= array();
$expdataforyear = array_combine($getmonths, $expdata);

Array Output
"Apr-2021" => 0
"May-2021" => 0
"Jun-2021" => 0
"Jul-2021" => 0
"Aug-2021" => 0
"Sep-2021" => 0
"Oct-2021" => "285"
"Nov-2021" => "300"
"Dec-2021" => "250"
"Jan-2022" => "180"
"Feb-2022" => "315"
"Mar-2022" => "300"

Datatable

                                          Months
                                          Amount (Rs.)

                                        @foreach ($expdataforyearas $item )

                                            {{$item->???}}
                                            {{$item->???}}

                                        @endforeach

Thanks in Advance

A: You can loop an array in your blade by using the Blade directive @foreach
Inside this directive you can prinbt out. The problem in your code comes from the syntax in the foreach function. @foreach($arr as $item) ... @endforeach
@foreach ($expdataforyearas as $itemKey => $itemValue )

    {{ $itemKey }}
    {{ $itemValue }}

@endforeach


text:
Infinix Note 5: Unboxing & First Impressions of Infinix Mobility's latest Android One device
Sydney Mugerwa 04/07/2018 17/07/2018
In the words of Marlon Brando in the Godfather franchise, Infinix just made you an offer you can't refuse. The Infinix Note 5, which made its global debut in Dubai, is yet again of the proud beneficiaries of Google's Android One project. Android purists must be giddy with excitement at this announcement.
If I lost there for a moment, here's a bit of a backstory. The Android One project was started in 2014 with the sole purpose of shipping pure, unadulterated and unmodified Android devices. The hardware and software stringent standards followed are those laid down by the mighty Google. The reasoning behind this is to provide a consistent user experience across the board. The Infinix Hot 2 became the first Android One smartphone in Africa at the time.
The Infinix Note 5 promises a nitrous boost in performance and overall system optimisation. What's more, there's barely any bloatware to speak of, other than a few essential Google apps we just can't do without. We found this very intriguing, given the time and effort Infinix put into developing their XOS custom skin alongside other X-apps such as X-Hide, X-Theme, X-Club and others.
So we did some poking around and we have to admit, it's an interesting device from the get-go. Have a look at our hands-on first impressions of the Infinix Note 5 and what we think about it.
Infinix Note 5 Unboxing
The first thing that catches your eye with the Infinix Note 5 is the 'Android One' label on the device box. There's perhaps no better anointing than a validation from none other than Android itself. In one fell swoop, Infinix gets street credibility and a chip on its shoulder, which is no mean feat. For this reason, congratulations are in order for a job well done.
Before we even open the box, we get to know a thing or two about the device within from the information kindly printed outside:
32GB ROM and 3GB RAM (another variant has 64GB ROM and 4GB RAM)
18:9 aspect ratio on a 6 inch Full HD Infinity Display
12MP Rear Camera and a 16MP Front Camera for Low-light Selfies
A 4500mAh battery for 3-Day battery life
An Octa-Core CPU with 2.0 GHz clock rate
X-Charge
Free one-time upgrade to the latest Android version
Micro-USB cable
Related: Infinix Note 5 Review: Experience a purely Android device running a Helio P23 processor with a massive 4500mAh 3-day battery
Infinix Note 5 Hands-on First Impressions
At first blush, the Infinix Note 5 brings to mind the flagship Samsung Galaxy ensemble in look and feel. But no, it does also look like a quintessential Infinix handset as any we have ever held and reviewed. The device is slick and ergonomic in all the ways its predecessors, the Note 4 and Note 3 were not. You have the round edges, an 18:9 aspect ratio and a 2.5D screen to thank for that.
We were struck by how much screen Infinix managed to fit into the frame to render the Note 5 almost bezel-less. By our rough estimations, you get about 90% screen to body ratio. We know this has become the norm with newer releases, but the thing is, we just can't yet enough of it. The rounded edges add to the premium finish and they are just as gorgeous. From what we saw, split screen works wonderfully, as does watching movies, playing games and overall phone usage.
Let's move onto other areas on the device. As expected, the placement of the individual features is pretty much a textbook affair. The fingerprint is centred at the upper extremes at the back. As for the camera and LED flash, they call the top right corner home. On the right edge, you will find the SIM and SD card rack, volume and power buttons.
Topside, you will find a well-positioned earpiece straddling the front camera and a flash to the other side. And LED indicator resides there somewhere too but is only visible when you get a notification message. The bottom of the devices houses the speaker, Micro-USB slot, microphone and 3.5 Audio jack. Like we said, pretty much textbook.
The back of the device sports a gorgeous glossy polycarbonate sheen which Infinix calls Metal print. Marketing buzzwords aside, the Note 5 gives off some serious premium vibes. I wouldn't be surprised if anybody mistook this for a Galaxy Note. And yeah, it's that good-looking. The Infinix blood is strong.
We will have a more in-depth look at all the Infinix Note 5 has to offer in later posts. From the little we have seen, the front and rear cameras look promising and there's talk they use AI to do some fancy stuff. For this and more, stay tuned. Let's leave you with the specifications and where you can buy the Note 5.
Infinix Note 5 Specs
Announced: 2018, July
Available: 2018, July
Model: Infinix X604
Colors: Blush Gold/Bordeaux Red/Sandstone Black/Sapphire Blue
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM)
OS: Android One™ 8.1.0 Oreo (64-bit)
Network: GSM, WCDMA, GPRS, EDGE, HSPA, 4G LTE
Dimensions: 158 x 75 x 7.4 mm
Weight: g
Display: 6.0″ FHD+ 1080 x 2160px 18:9 Infinity Display @480dpi
CPU: MediaTek Helio P23 (MT6763) Octa-Core 2.0 GHz, 64bit, ARM Cortex-A53 Mali-G71 MP2 700MHz Processor
Memory: 32/64GB ROM, 3/4GB RAM, dedicated microSD slot, upgradeable to 128 GB
Camera: 12MP (4032 x 3024) AF Dual LED rear flash, 16MP (4608 x 3456) FF Front Camera with Dual LED Flash
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, OTG, WiFi Direct.
Sensors: Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Orientation, Ambient Light, Proximity, Compass, Fingerprint
Battery: Non-Removable Li-ion 4500 mAh battery
Infinix Note 5 Price & Where to Buy
So now for the offer you can't refuse. The Infinix Note 5 retails at only UGX 769,000 (About $200) at Infinix-branded stores and other smartphone dealerships countrywide. Online stores such as Jumia and Kilimall might offer a good deal if you know where to look. From what we heard, comedian and socialite Martha Kay already got her own Note 5 and she's gushing at how good the camera is.


Is there an option to add the latest TAC result with the date and time to the workplace summary page?
Would be great to include the Land title screen and TAC with finalised WS file too.
The intent of the new WS Summary was to answer the question: why isn't my workspace ready/ready. We do show a big warning on the WS Summary page if a positive TAC is received on day of settlement.
Do you think having a permanent panel to show the result of the latest TAC, which will most likely be 'negative', be useful? Or is there a chance it will just add more information to an already busy screen?
Would be interested to get other parties' thoughts on this one, so we can determine if there is a demand for this in the market. I will do some sounding out, but if you have anyone who is keen on this, feel free to get them to comment on this thread or email me directly.
Traffic light system (of RED, AMBER, GREEN) would be a smaller footprint and be a quicker indication of where each WS sat.


Teacher Dude's Grill and BBQ: Greece wakes up to a different world.
Greece wakes up to a different world.
By all rights the world, at least that corner of the world that is forever Greece should be in tatters, the the entire nation in ruins, or at last teetering on the edge of the abyss. Sorry for the hyperbole but that's what happens when you follow too much of the media coverage of Syriza's unprecedented election victory on Sunday. For those unfamiliar with modern Greek politics for the first time since the mid 70's neither the conservative New Democracy or the nominally centre-left Pasok party will be in government. It is as if USA had just elected a president who was neither Republican or Democrat or that the UK was now governed by the Green Party.
The electoral self-immolation of Pasok along with growing disenchantment with its right wing coalition government partner New Democracy drove away voters who in other eras would never have countenanced voting for a party as avowedly left-wing as Syriza. In doing so they have changed the political landscape more radically than at an other time since the fall of the military junta what ruled Greece till it was toppled in 1974.
Voters, sick of austerity and the endless succession of promises of recovery being just around the corner made by a political elite widely seen as out of touch abandoned the dominant parties to vote for Alexis Tsipras's Radical Left Alliance. Even the weeks of scare mongering by the government and its allies in the media proved insufficient to convince voters to give prime minister Antonis Samaras the mandate he needed to stay in power.The daily predictions by Greek and EU officials of a Grexit, bank runs and even the possibility of a collapse in the economy so dire that ordinary people would not be able to buy even basics such as toilet paper failed to win back lost ground.
However, this switch in allegiances had less to do with a general surge in sympathy for radical leftist ideas than with a groundswell of disgust with the politics of business as usual which have left many Greeks jobless, poorer and without hope for the future. The siren call of stability which the PM promoted so hard during the short but divisive campaign cut little ice with those who desperately need to see real change and not just endless talk of improvement in the the nation's 10 year bond yield or its standing with credit rating agencies such as Standard and Poors.
Since the the announcement of Syriza's victory on Sunday evening, the political developments have been coming thick and fast. Lacking the 151 seats needed to form a government on its own Greece's new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras brokered a deal with the right-wing Independent Greeks party to form a coalition. The announcement, which was made at midday Monday suggests that neither side was surprised by the offer and that the groundwork had been laid in advance, so catching off guard the other opposition parties who had assumed that the search for a partner would be a long and convoluted process, or even the prelude to another round of elections.
Others may have considered a partnership with PASOK (well, the S does stand for Socialist) would have been a better fit, but once again the party's role in imposing austerity plus its identification with the country's corrupt political elite would have proven unacceptable to Syriza rank and file, not to mention the fact that it would have instantly damned Tsipras in the eyes of voters seeking change.
The other likely partner for many analysts would have been the recently formed Potami (River) party headed by ex -TV presenter Stavros Theodorakis who's attempt to carve out a centre - left niche for themselves in the Greek political landscape made them a good match for Syriza, at least on paper. However, this was never really on the cards for a number of reasons. Theodorakis, whose party's funding and basic policies still remain a mystery is widely seen by the Left as a stalking horse for Greece's oligarchs, a front for the vested interests that have been forced to abandon the traditional parties of power. To give Theodorakis the political equivalent of a "kill switch" would have not been acceptable.
So, in the end Independent Greeks who are often painted as a collection of right wing conspiracy theorists and borderline racists (imagine UKIP a la Grecque) made the cut, a decision that has already been condemned by many on the Left, both inside and outside Greece (for an account of why this is so, I recommend this blog post). However, the party led by Panos Kammenos repeatedly made clear its opposition to Troika imposed austerity measures and its participation will perhaps assuage more conservative Greeks that issues such as defence and policing will not be solely decided by a bunch of "wild radicals". It's also an admission that much of Syriza's support is not from those who traditionally identify themselves as left wing, let alone radical socialists.
Above all, such an alliance allows Syriza to implement policies which will be popular with voters and build up a more solid base ahead of any confrontation with Greece's creditors who seem unwilling to back down on the issue of debt renegotiation.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;

namespace Serenity
{

    /// <summary>
    /// Helper for slick grid columns
    /// </summary>
    public static class SlickHelper
    {
        [IncludeGenericArguments(false)]
        public static T SetDefaults<T>(this T columns, string localTextPrefix = null) where T : IEnumerable<SlickColumn>
        {
            foreach (var col in columns)
            {
                col.Sortable = Script.IsValue(col.Sortable) ? col.Sortable : true;
                col.Identifier = col.Identifier ?? col.Field;

                if (localTextPrefix != null &&
                    col.Identifier != null &&
                    (col.Title == null ||
                     col.Title.StartsWith("~")))
                {
                    var key = col.Title != null ? col.Title.Substr(1) : col.Identifier;
                    col.Title = Q.Text(localTextPrefix + key);
                }

                if (col.Formatter == null && col.Format != null)
                    col.Formatter = ConvertToFormatter(col.Format);
                else if (col.Formatter == null)
                    col.Formatter = delegate(int row, int cell, object value, SlickColumn column, dynamic item)
                    {
                        return Q.HtmlEncode(value);
                    };
            }

            return columns;
        }

        public static SlickColumnFormatter ConvertToFormatter(SlickFormatter format)
        {
            if (format == null)
                return null;
            else
                return (row, cell, value, column, item) =>
                {
                    return format(new SlickFormatterContext
                    {
                        Row = row,
                        Cell = cell,
                        Value = value,
                        Column = column,
                        Item = item
                    });
                };
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Japanese researchers say they have successfully treated monkeys with Parkinson's disease through a stem cell transplant, potentially paving the way for an ideal cure for the disease.
It was the first time such transplants have worked on primates suffering from the degenerative nerve disorder, said Nobuo Hashimoto, a doctor at the Department of Neurosurgery at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.
"First, we have to confirm the effectiveness will last long," said Hashimoto on Tuesday, the chief researcher of the study.
"Once we can confirm the safety of the therapy, we want the method to be applied to humans," Hashimoto said. "We hope clinical applications on humans will be available in about five years."
"There are many approaches to curing the disease, such as strong drugs or destruction of troubled cells in the brain, but use of embryonic stem cells is seen as an ideal and fundamental therapy for the disease," he said.
The researchers extracted embryonic stem cells capable of releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter, from fertilised eggs of cynomolgus monkeys.
It is a decline in production of dopamine that is believed to trigger Parkinson's disease, in which patients shake uncontrollably.
"Once we can confirm the safety of the therapy, we want the method to be applied to humans"
The embryonic stem cells were then transplanted into six cynomolgus monkeys, which had drug-induced symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease in humans.
Three months later, the monkeys' symptoms, such as trembling hands, had lessened, Hashimoto said.
Details of the experiment were published on the website of the Journal of Clinical Investigation on Tuesday.


text:
BPF sets up online platform for members to report on waste crimes
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) has launched an online form where members can anonymously report any suspect waste-related illegal misconduct to the Environment Agency Intelligence Team.
Waste crime costs the UK £604 million per year. Credit: BPF
The BPF, which has over 400 members and 1200 affiliates, has set up a form on its website where members are able to report waste crimes, such as the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) fraud to the Environment Agency.
People who are not members of the trade association will also be able to file their reports via the British charity Crime Stoppers.
The information received from members' reports will be processed anonymously and passed to the Environment Agency for investigation.
Chairman of the BPF Recycling Group Roger Baynham said: "One of our key objectives is to promote resource efficiency and the environmentally responsible management of plastic waste. Helping to tackle unscrupulous practices through an anonymous reporting system is a clear step in the right direction and we hope this initiative will significantly reduce waste crime in the UK."
A recent report by the Environmental Services Association Education Trust (ESAET) and the Environmental Services Associates revealed that waste crime costs about £604 million every year.
The Environment Agency also uncovered over 850 illegal dumping grounds during the past year while councils dealt with more than one million incidents of fly-tipping in England alone between 2016 and 2017.
This has an inevitable impact both on tax payers and the industry, as local authorities have now started imposing on-the-spot fines for fly tipping, which are thought to be estimated at £750,000 per year, and pursuing prosecutions for 'waste owners' who dump their waste illegally.
As a result, the British government is coming up with new measures to fight fly-tippers and is planning to give Councils the power to directly fine those caught using unlicensed waste carriers.
Fluid-Bag
Container Systems for Handling and Transporting Bulk Liquids
MPS Systems
Dutch manufacturer of flexo, offset and hybrid printing presses
We cover the entire spectrum of the Packaging value system, from suppliers, manufacturers and distribution channels, all the way through to insights and trends across the globe.
Princes to use recycled content in over 50% of its plastic bottles
Design Bridge gives Cornetto's packaging new visual identity
Canada passes plain tobacco packaging law and vaping regulations


The HEP5 series two stage electric driven hydraulic pump range offers the highest flow rate combination in the Hi-Force range. Offering a low pressure flow rate of 17 litres/min with automatic changeover to a superb high pressure flow rate of 2 litres/min. The HEP5 offers all the features of the HEP2 and HEP3 series with the addition of a 2.2 kW high speed, heavy duty motor, making it the ideal pump unit for all heavy duty applications, requiring a high flow and intensive usage over longer time periods.


text:
Combustion Safari
by jess · August 7, 2014
S: I used to be an Education Lead Instructor for Space Center Houston next to Houston's NASA. It was a year of space education immersion, and fun. I remember when I first decided to move to Houston from Missoula. It was like my head exploded with the weight, and release, of the decision. The epiphany opened my mind to think of new opportunities, and Space Center was the first call I made. That was exactly five years ago.
A: I taught all of the programs there, and worked with students from around the world as they were budding scientists and engineers in the heart of Houston's NASA. We launched rockets next to Saturn V. Conducted distance learning events with students in Australia. Gave tours of the space travel artifacts like America 7 and Gemini 5. Went to the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. Saw both the historic Mission Control and current Mission Control, lots of buildings at Johnson Space Center. Met astronauts.
F: Among my favorites were the Combustion Shows. I loved blowing stuff up.
A: At times, I couldn't breathe I was so overwhelmed with the suddenness of my life change; but I was on fire. I had a new found love of life and teaching, especially the history of space travel. I made new incredibly loyal and patient friends. To this day, I get overwhelmed and humble by their loyalty. Friends are fuel.
R: A friend once told me that there is a reason and a season for friends that arrive and leave our lives. I never totally bought that, but it got me thinking. I have all of my friends from Montana still, and Washington before that, and Texas before that… To me, friendship is the most important thing in the universe and just as timeless as the one we occupy. What if, like the adventures of blowing stuff up at Space Center Houston, all good things come to an end?
I: I have no good answer for this. If it's false and everything good always continues, then everything is as it should be. If it's true and all good things come to an end, then at least I had a hell of a run. Kaboom.
Absent Safari
by jess · Published February 6, 2014 · Last modified November 1, 2022
Saturn Safari
by jess · Published December 5, 2013 · Last modified November 1, 2022
PBL Safari
by jess · Published March 24, 2014 · Last modified November 1, 2022
Next story Compassion Safari
Previous story Ground Effect Safari


IMT Enugu ND Full Time Admission List Out Online for 2018/2019 Academic Session.
The Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu (IMT Enugu) has released the National Diploma Admission List for 2018/2019 Academic Session.
IMT admission list for the 2018/2019 academic session has been uploaded on the institution's admission status checking portal. Participants can now check their admission status by following the processes outlined below.
NB: You can use the same pin you used to check your result to access your admission status.
Step 1 – Go tohttp://portal.imt.edu.ng/SLMS.AdmissionManagement/AdmissionResultChecker/AdmissionResultCheckerVeiw.
Step 2 – Select your preferred payment option.
Step 4 – Proceed to any bank and make payment.
Accept this offer by prompt payment of the Acceptance, fee of Twenty-Five thousand (N25,000.00) for the 2018/2019 academic session within two weeks of the offer after which the admission may lapse.
Report to their Head of Department for registration on acceptance of this offer.
If it is discovered at any time that you do not possess any of the qualification's, you will be expelled from the institute unconditionally.
Information relating to schedule of fees, accommodation facilities and medical examination should be obtained from the Bursar and Director of Student's Affairs of the Institute.
Hostel accommodation is available at the rate of Forty Thousand Naira (N40,000.00) only per bed space per academic session.
The post IMT Enugu 2018/19 [ND] Full-Time Admission List Out Online appeared first on School News, Scholarship News And Job Opportunities.


The firm was established in 1878 and since this time is one of the leading IP law firms in Switzerland. Today the staff of E. Blum & Co. AG encompasses approximately 55 employees, making us one of the largest specialized IP law firms in Switzerland.
With our attorneys and staff providing expertise in all fields of technology and intellectual property, focused on the needs and requirements of our clients, we are proud to reaffirm, on a daily basis, the high standard set by our reputation.


It is usually a mistake to judge past events using current day standards. To gain an appreciation of what happened back in 1889 when the Lake Conemaugh dam broke read some of the statements of witnesses under the Collections Heading. The Stories section has accounts by Pennsylvania Railroad employees. In the Places section learn about the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club and the history of the old dam that preceded the club. Members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club are discussed in the People section.
For people doing genealogical searches, try looking through the Burial Records posted here, or Morgue Book records described here.


text:
Breakfast meeting with Mr. James M. Fluker, Commercial Consul & Principal Commercial Officer – South India, U.S. Consulate General, Chennai
AMCHAM's Karnataka Chapter hosted a breakfast meeting with Mr. James M. Fluker, Commercial Consul & Principal Commercial Officer – South India, U.S. Consulate General, Chennai, at the J.W. Marriott on August 30th, 2017. Present at the meeting were heads of major U.S. companies operating in Bangalore, including Ms. Debarati Sen, 3M, Mr. Ravi Gautham, Northern Trust, Mr. Ravi Krishnan, Goldman Sachs, Mr. Krishantha Rajapaksha, Walmart Global Sourcing, Mr. Kiron Shah, Velankani Software, Mr. Samson David, DXC Technology, Mr. Sreedhar Prasad, KPMG, Mr. R. Sridhar, Allergan, Mr. Sunil Pai, Anixter, and Mr. Venkat Shastry, Heidrick & Struggles.
Mr. Paresh Shah, Vice Chairman – Karnataka Chapter, AMCHAM and General Manager, Syniverse Technologies, welcomed Mr. Fluker and gave him a brief about AMCHAM Karnataka's long association with the U.S. Commercial Services. Mr. Fluker then spoke about his career in the Commercial Services and his plans for South India. There was an insightful discussion about the business environment in Karnataka and challenges American companies face operating in Bangalore, especially related to infrastructure and pricing issues in the pharma sector. Mr. Fluker said the consulate would like to work closely with AMCHAM to resolve some of these issues.