text:
Bishop Uzoukwu appealed to political office holders to help alleviate Poverty in Nigeria
White House : Trump scored "exceedingly well" on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
U.S. to relocate embassy to Jerusalem within a year
Umeh declared winner of Anambra Central re-run
Nigeria@48: Nigeria's Voice of Clarion Call (1)
African Cup
Big Brother Africa
Nollywood Gossips
Power back in Michigan, Maine; more snow set for Maine
Posted on December 30, 2013 Author Larry Copeland	Comment(0)
Just as power had been restored to most of the nearly 800,000 customers who lost it in the ice storm days before Christmas in Michigan and Maine, Maine was bracing for another snowstorm.
It could bring additional snow-related power outages Sunday night and Monday to parts of New England. "That is a concern," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. "We are expecting 6 to 12 inches of snow across parts of Maine and New Hampshire, Sunday night into Monday morning. It looks like at least part of the snow is going to be packed and clinging, not super dry and powdery like they often see. There is a risk of the added weight causing more tree limbs and power lines to come down."
Sosnowski said that system will also bring snow to portions of New Brunswick, Canada. "There's also going to be some wind," he said. "It's not going to be a powerful Nor'easter, but it will strengthen as it moves up the coast Sunday night. It could add stress to weakened trees and power lines."
Across Maine, about 2,660 customers were without power Sunday afternoon, down from about 127,000 at the peak of the ice storm that hit parts of northern New England.
Susan Faloon, spokeswoman for Bangor Hydro Electric, said the utility is "gearing up" for another storm.
"What we're doing, in addition to continuing with restorations, is we've brought in more out of state crews who were working with Central Maine Power, and we've brought crews down from New Brunswick. In addition, we're not releasing any of our existing crews. There is so much damage, even if we were able to get everybody back on by the end of today, which is unlikely, there's so much damage that we're certain to see new outages," she said. "I don't think we'll see the number of outages we saw earlier this week, but it's hard to say. We need to be prepared for the worst."
About 1,800 Bangor Hydro Electric customers were still without power Sunday afternoon, down from a peak of about 40,000. Central Maine Power said it had about 860 customers without power Sunday afternoon, down from 87,000.
In Michigan, power had been restored to all but about 4,000 customers of the 666,000 who lost it when an ice storm hit the state more than a week ago. Michigan authorities blamed at least five deaths on the storm, three killed in crashes and two killed by carbon monoxide fumes from emergency generators.
About 3,300 Lansing Board of Water & Light customers were still without power Sunday, down from 40,000. Some of those customers held a rally Saturday outside Glencairn Elementary School in East Lansing to protest delays in restoring power.
About 600 DTE Energy customers were without power Sunday, down from 210,000, a spokeswoman said. CMS Energy said that "essentially all" of its 416,000 affected customers were back online.
Sosnowski says residents of Michigan and most of the upper Midwest to the Northern Plains can expect "bitterly cold air" Sunday night into Monday.
Further west, from the Northern Rockies to parts of the Midwest, a series of weak storms sometimes called Alberta Clippers will bring a swath of light snow from the Dakotas to lower Michigan, northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania just in time for New Year's Eve Tuesday into New Year's Day. "It will stick to roads and make for slippery travel," Sosnowski said. "There could be de-icing delays at airports within the swath."
By Thursday, another weak Alberta Clipper is expected to merge with a weak storm from the Gulf of Mexico. Depending on when those two systems come together, they could produce either a fairly insignificant snowfall or a major snowstorm reaching from the Interstate 95 area of the Mid-Atlantic region up through New England, covering New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., Sosnowski said.
Contributing: Associated Press, Lindsay VanHulle and John Bacon
Outages Sunday:
Michigan: 4,000 Maine: 2,660
Outages at peak:
Michigan: 666,000 Maine: 127,000
Codewit Correspondent
Housing, health care fuel record costs to raise a kid
Posted on August 15, 2013 Author Nanci Hellmich
If you think the cost of rearing a child is getting more expensive, you're right. A new government report says child-rearing has increased 23% since 1960 even adjusted for inflation. A lot of the reason has to do with more expensive housing as well as higher costs for health care and child care. […]
Britney Spears' ex-manager takes stand
Posted on October 24, 2012 Author Naomi Claret
THE man who presided over Britney Spears' life during her well-publicised meltdown is portraying himself in court as a benevolent personal manager who saved her from ruin. Sam Lutfi was to finish his direct testimony on Wednesday and face cross-examination by a battery of lawyers for the singer's parents and conservators. They are fighting a […]
Hillary Clinton dodges shoe during Las Vegas speech
Posted on April 11, 2014 Author Dan Whitcomb
A woman threw a shoe at Hillary Clinton on Thursday as the former secretary of state was delivering a speech at a Las Vegas hotel, but Clinton dodged it and continued with her remarks, a U.S. Secret Service spokesman said. Secret Service spokesman George Ogilvie said the shoe-thrower was not a ticketed guest for Clinton's […]
Suspect in Colorado triple slaying arrested in Oklahoma
Suspected drunk driver kills man lying in bed
Anthony-Claret Onwutalobi (Founder) of Codewit – Codewit World News on Codewism Philosophy
An Open Letter to The President Alhaji Umar Yar'Adua – Codewit World News on Lepa Shandy opens up on Nollywood sex
Bianca Ojukwu, gives 7 days ultimatum to Femi Fani Kayode to retract and apologize publicly to her – Codewit World News on Femi Fani-Kayode Created The Fake Bianca Ojukwu Twitter Account And Pretending To be Bianca.
Nigeria's anger at the BBC's Welcome to Lagos film – Codewit World News on Do We Need Aliens to Achieve World Unity?
Q+A-What is at stake in Nigeria's Niger Delta? – Codewit World News on Nollywood: Music Meets Runway: "Update"
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 Contemporary Lighting You Have to See (And Get!) at Equip Hotel 2018!
Have a sneak peek of what Equip Hotel 2018 has to offer!
Equip Hotel, known as the leading trade show for contract projects, has already started on Sunday, and we collected a wide selection of contemporary lighting with a mid-century modern twist that we're sure that will capture your attention!
Equip Hotel, the French Trade Show that has the best offer to all interior designers, and architects to complete their contract projects.
DelightFULL and Essential Home didn't loose the opportunity to book a 'room' with their finest pieces to show all its visitors what mid-century style is all about. Today, you'll take a sneak peek of what the booth has to offer, and our favorite contemporary lighting pieces!
Like we said before, this edition is all about contract pieces to add to your contract project. So, if you have some in hands, this stand can be the solution for your dilemas. There, you'll see a wide rang of wall contract lighting pieces with peculiar designs.
Welcome to the most mid-century stand you'll see! Essential Home, and DelightFULL, once again, decided to join forces and provide us the best of curate design pieces.
The team will kindly receive you at the booth to explain all the technical issues regarding the pieces, and also the inspirations.
Galliano Wall Lamp is one of the lighting designs you're able to see. This minimalistic design is one of the best sellers of the brand, and it pairs very well with other design pieces with different style décor. The piece is handmade, and it can be customized: choose a different color, finish, size, and number of pipes!
Please, have a seat on one of Essential Home's bar chairs, and be amazed bu the marvelous Miles Wall Lamp!
Miles Wall Lamp is an exquisite lighting design, inspired by the one and only Miles Davis. Inspired by the shape of the instrument he used to play, Miles has a movable arm so you can adjust the lighting.
A suspension lamp is always one of the most important feature of a living room décor. This one definitely captures our attention, and better than one Madeleine Suspension Lamp is two of them, displayed next to each other!
Madeleine is a vintage pendant lamp with a modern twist that will suit every design project you have. Due to its versatility, you can place it in your living room, kitchen or lobby of a hotel!
Sinatra Floor Lamp is an amazing floor lighting fixture, that was the first creation of the mid-century lighting brand.
Sinatra has three shades, however you can customize the piece and choose as many shades as you want, and besides that, you can also choose the color of the shades, finish of the body and height!
If you want to know more about the pieces and special discounts for professionals and contract projects, please head over to pav 2.2. | Stand A 110 and get ready to do a journey in time, with a contemporary twist!
GET INSPIRED: WHAT IS HOT ON PINTEREST: GOLD SUSPENSION LAMPS AND WHERE TO GET THEM!
Mid Century Floor And Suspension Lamps You'll See At Equip Hotel!


text:
Q: merge value of json data i have an reactjs application and i need filter data with a json, according the timestamp, i've had filtered the date by years and then by month, now i need to sum its values into the months. i tried with lodash some functions but with success
this is my json file now
'2016':{
  'jan':{
    '0':{
        'measures':{
        'step':{
          'text': 'step',
          'unit': 123
        },
        'calories':{
          'text': 'cal',
          'unit': 321
        }
      }
    },
    '1':{
      'measures':{
        'step':{
          'text': 'step',
          'unit': 45
        },
        'calories':{
          'text': 'cal',
          'unit': 65
        }
      }
    }
  },
  'feb':{
    '0':{
        'measures':{
        'step':{
          'text': 'step',
          'unit': 98
        },
        'calories':{
          'text': 'cal',
          'unit': 78
        }
      }
    },
    '1':{
      'measures':{
        'step':{
          'text': 'step',
          'unit': 21
        },
        'calories':{
          'text': 'cal',
          'unit': 41
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

and i want this
'2016':{
  'jan':{
    'measures':{
      'step':{
        'text': 'step',
        'unit': 168 // sum value of measures
      },
      'calories':{
        'text': 'cal',
        'unit': 386
      }
     }
  },
  'feb':{
    'measures':{
      'step':{
        'text': 'step',
        'unit': 119
      },
      'calories':{
        'text': 'cal',
        'unit': 139
      }
    }
  }
}

any idea?
is there are any plugin or component on reactjs that will be usefull as well
thanks for you help

A: You can make use of mapValues() for the traversing all years and months. Use map() to obtain all measures from maps, reduce() to set the sum for each measure types and then thru() to return the measures object signature.
var result = _.mapValues(years, months => {
  return _.mapValues(months, month => {
    return _.chain(month)
      .map()
      .map('measures')
      .reduce((measures, measureTypes) => {
        return _.reduce(measureTypes, (result, measureType, type) => {
          if (result[type]) {
            result[type].unit += measureType.unit;
          } else {
            result[type] = measureType;
          }
          return result;
        }, measures);
      }, {})
      .thru(measures => ({ measures }))
      .value();
  });
});

var years = {
  '2016': {
    'jan': {
      '0': {
        'measures': {
          'step': {
            'text': 'step',
            'unit': 123
          },
          'calories': {
            'text': 'cal',
            'unit': 321
          }
        }
      },
      '1': {
        'measures': {
          'step': {
            'text': 'step',
            'unit': 45
          },
          'calories': {
            'text': 'cal',
            'unit': 65
          }
        }
      }
    },
    'feb': {
      '0': {
        'measures': {
          'step': {
            'text': 'step',
            'unit': 98
          },
          'calories': {
            'text': 'cal',
            'unit': 78
          }
        }
      },
      '1': {
        'measures': {
          'step': {
            'text': 'step',
            'unit': 21
          },
          'calories': {
            'text': 'cal',
            'unit': 41
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
};

var result = _.mapValues(years, months => {
  return _.mapValues(months, month => {
    return _.chain(month)
      .map()
      .map('measures')
      .reduce((measures, measureTypes) => {
        return _.reduce(measureTypes, (result, measureType, type) => {
          if (result[type]) {
            result[type].unit += measureType.unit;
          } else {
            result[type] = measureType;
          }
          return result;
        }, measures);
      }, {})
      .thru(measures => ({ measures }))
      .value();
  });
});

document.write('<pre>' + JSON.stringify(result, 0, 4) + '</pre>');
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/lodash.js/4.12.0/lodash.js"></script>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Open Finance: The Missing Piece of the Open Banking Puzzle?
31st August, 2021
Open Banking: A Success Story?
More than three years on from the UK launch of Open Banking, the service has seen considerable growth. In 2018 there were 67 million API calls; by 2020 this had risen to nearly 6 billion. More than 2.5 million consumers and businesses now use Open Banking services.1 2.5 million users is impressive; but it still represents a relatively small proportion of the 50 million people who have a UK bank account.2
The CMA9 were mandated to implement Open Banking, but a large proportion of consumers – especially those of a younger demographic – are multi-banked and hold products and services with institutions that don't fall under the current Open Banking regime.
Today, you can add current accounts, savings accounts and credit cards to financial management dashboards which are powered by Open Banking. However, without your mortgage, stocks and shares ISA, loans and pensions, you don't have a complete view of your financial position. You're missing pieces of the puzzle. Step forward Open Finance.
Open Finance: Filling The Gaps
Open Finance looks to build on the UK's world-leading Open Banking implementation and seeks to extend data sharing and third-party access to a wider range of products and sectors. From a consumer's perspective, the fact that Open Banking does not cover all the products and services they hold can lead to frustration – and may mean customers have an incomplete view of their financial situation. Open Finance could help to fill these gaps.
(e.g. gas and electricity). By expanding the number of products covered, additional companies are brought into scope – and it is hoped that Open Finance could help consumers to:
Automate the comparison and switching of providers – and that the increased competition will drive innovation, with firms offering more bespoke and tailored products.
Better understand and optimise their overall financial position (cash flow, savings, investments, goal setting, etc).
Obtain those products and services best suited to their circumstances, as third-party creditworthiness assessments have a more complete view of their financials and so become more accurate.
Scope vs. Speed
In the early days of Open Banking, a major source of customer frustration was that not all accounts were included – and it took time to broaden the scope to include the basics such as savings accounts and credit cards. It's possible that early adopters would have looked at Open Banking, decided it wasn't particularly useful given its limitations, and then not revisited it further down the line. Even with this phased roll-out, many of the CMA9 found the Open Banking implementation timelines extremely challenging. Analysing complex new requirements, designing a robust technical solution and integrating core infrastructure with cloud-service providers – all whilst maintaining the highest levels of security and fraud prevention – was a challenge. Moreover, the people element cannot not be overlooked – it's not possible to upskill everybody overnight and it takes any organisation time to build a knowledge-base and the requisite SME expertise.
Open Finance therefore needs to strike a balance between scope and time-to-market. Delivering everything together as a 'big bang' isn't feasible in a cost-constrained, agile world. It therefore makes sense to phase the delivery of Open Finance – starting with the use-cases that deliver the greatest customer value and have the lowest costs of implementation.
Mandating banks to include additional accounts – such as loans and mortgages – is one logical starting point. Banks' Open Banking infrastructure already exists, and so the uplift required is less than for those firms starting from scratch.
However, some of the most interesting Open Finance use-cases relate to investments, utilities and insurance. Imagine not having to waste a Saturday inputting your details into a price-comparison site, just to find the best deal for car insurance or electricity and gas. Imagine not having to phone up your existing provider and getting passed from pillar-to-post before being allowed to cancel. Imagine your stocks and shares ISA automatically transferring to the provider with the best performance or lowest fees for your risk appetite. The potential is massive – but that potential needs to be balanced against implementation cost and complexity.
Following its call for input, the FCA has published a feedback statement3 outlining respondents' key considerations for Open Finance delivery. In summary:
The majority agreed that a regulatory framework would be required for Open Finance to deliver successfully and for consumers to have redress where required.
Even with a regulatory framework, the right commercial incentives must exist in order for Open Finance to gain traction.
For a number of institutions, Open Banking was more costly to deliver than expected. This is a significant concern for Open Finance, as smaller firms will be brought into scope.
Many smaller firms will have numerous legacy systems – and so developing and maintaining an API infrastructure is a significant undertaking.
Care is needed to ensure the burden on smaller firms is not such that they lose significant market share or revenue.
The Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) has been critical in establishing Open Banking – and it's highly likely that a similar entity will be required to oversee Open Finance.
The FCA plan to work closely with Treasury to establish the work required to inform the legislative framework – but irrespective of any legislation, the right commercial incentives will have to exist for Open Finance to flourish and deliver maximum value to consumers.
Open Finance is still in its early stages, but the potential is clear. Bringing new products and firms into scope opens up exciting new use-cases which can deliver real value to consumers. However, the complexity of delivery should not be underestimated, and regulators must ensure that smaller firms are protected from excessive costs or loss of market share. Given the challenges of implementing Open Banking, regulators must work collaboratively with the industry to set an Open Finance roadmap that is realistic, and which is mutually beneficial for both firms and consumers. Just like Open Banking, Open Finance isn't going to reach its full potential overnight.
BCS Consulting has extensive experience implementing Open Banking for the CMA9, and understands the challenges associated with delivering API solutions against a backdrop of complex regulation and legacy infrastructure. If you would like to know more about Open Finance, please contact me at mark.smith@bcsconsulting.com
Three years since PSD2 marked the start of Open Banking, the UK has built a world-leading ecosystem – Open Banking
Number of retail bank accounts 2017 | Statista
FS21/7: Open finance – feedback statement (fca.org.uk)
Open Banking – How to Partner for Success
The U and I in inclusion: Advancing payment services for charities post pandemic

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Canadian National Ski TeamNewsRacingUS Ski TeamWorld CupNorway's Women Win Again in La Clusaz Relay: U.S. 7th
Jason AlbertDecember 18, 2016
Norway won the women's World Cup 4 x 4 k relay on Sunday in La Clusaz, France, with (from right to left) Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, Marit Bjoergen, Ragnhild Haga, and Heidi Weng. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
Sunday's 4 x 4-kilometer relay in La Clusaz, France, was a 39:23.3 minute macro-statement by the Norwegian women's team of Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, Marit Bjørgen, Ragnhild Haga, and Heidi Weng.
That statement was dominance. Norway won the relay in time-trial-like fashion: each Norwegian leg a solo affair. Finland's team of Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Anne Kyllönen, Riita-Liisa Roponen, and Laura Mononen placed second (+50.2). Sweden's team of Emma Wiken, Stina Nilsson, Maria Rydqvist, and Anna Dyvik was third (+1:08.9).
As with lopsided races, the 10,000 foot view on the first classic leg showed Østberg stretching a fatigued rubber band back to the pack. At 2 k, 11.5 seconds was Østberg's initial gap.
Then snap. The band broke. At 4 k when Østberg handed off to Bjørgen, it was a 28-second cushion on Russia, 33.3 to Switzerland, 34.9 to Finland.
Why belabor the point in words when the numbers tell the micro-story which lead to the dominance?
Østberg fastest leg at 10:04.
Bjørgen fastest leg at 10:11.8.
Haga seventh-fastest leg at 9:43.2.
Weng fastest leg at 9:27.9.
Some problems are good to have. That's the case with Norway and Haga. Here's the context. Although she skied the seventh-fastest leg split, it was a tight leg and she kept Norway's lead comfortable.
For example, the U.S. Ski Team's Liz Stephen skied the 10th-fastest third leg, only 13.4 seconds off the fastest time skied by Sweden's Rydqvist. Compare that to the fourth leg, the 10th fastest time was skied by Kazakhstan's Irina Bykova — she was 57.2 seconds off Weng's pace.
There's the number crunching and analysis, but it can be rendered down to this: Weng had plenty of time to high-five the crowd before crossing the line.
With her teammate Therese Johaug serving a provisional sentence for doping, Weng is the new relay team anchor.
"It wasn't that scary when the girls performed so well," Weng told Norwegian broadcaster NRK after the race about her anchor role. "I didn't have to sprint at the end. The last time I had a final leg I was too afraid to do anything. Now I was high-fiving the spectators and had some fun."
Østberg told NRK in the same article that she was experiencing pre-race butterflies. "I was extremely nervous before the start, but it went well," Østberg said. "I didn't want to disappoint the other. You're competing for a team in a relay and not yourself. I didn't want to let the others down … I had to go fast today so Marit could go home to her son Marius. She's missed him all week."
Relay Socks and Rebounding from Illness
Here's the straight talk. The two powerhouses of the deep U.S. women's team, Jessie Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen, were scratched from the roster due to illness. But the relay socks made a feisty appearance.
The U.S. lineup that finished seventh overall (+2:26.0) consisted of Sophie Caldwell, Rosie Brennan, Liz Stephen, and Kikkan Randall.
"You know clearly we were not at full strength today and it showed I think," U.S. head coach Chris Grover told FasterSkier on the phone. "My guess is that Sophie might be fighting a little bit of something, we have seen that before where an athlete maybe is on the edge of getting sick and goes out and skis fine for a while and then kind of blows up and it turns out maybe they are coming down with something."
Caldwell is primarily known as a sprinter on the World Cup. Sunday's relay legs were 4 k, a relative no-women's land when it comes to sprint or distance race length. One kilometer into the race and Caldwell was third (+1.0). By the first tag to a resurgent Brennan, Caldwell had lost over a minute to Norway.
On Saturday, Brennan skied from last to 22nd place in the 10 k freestyle mass start. During the relay Brennan again proved she's in play too when it comes to a classic relay leg. During FasterSkier's conversation with Grover, the internet was down in La Clusaz.
"I haven't really seen any times yet, there is no internet up here today, so it seemed like a pretty solid leg out of Rosie," Grover posited.
In fact, Brennan skied the fourth-fastest split of any second-leg skier (+38.2) — Bjørgen set the benchmark.
"The legs were incredibly short, especially for people like Liz and I who like a little longer," Brennan said of the 4 k distance, as opposed to 5 k, on the phone. "I think it was a solid effort and especially considering the illness that has destroyed our team the last week."
Brennan began the season out of the points and took last weekend's races in Davos off.
"I definitely had a less-than-stellar start to the season, I don't really know why," Brennan said. "I guess in my past it hasn't been uncommon for me to start a little slow, but I was trying, I was actually focusing on doing the opposite just knowing it is so important to come over here and have some good races and build some confidence right away, that obviously that didn't work out quite as planned."
Brennan will remain in France for the holiday break and begin resting and preparing for the Tour de Ski beginning on Dec. 31. She'll begin the Tour with a boost of confidence. "It was great to turn that around yesterday and I am feeling much better to hear that I had the fourth-fastest leg, or time on my leg, it is really encouraging especially for such short race," Brennan said. "I wasn't quite sure about my speed just yet, that is definitely a step in the right direction for me."
Like Brennan, Stephen came into the day heartened by a solid effort and result on Saturday. But 4 k is a k short of 5 k.
"Even a 5 k is like a sprint for me. Rosie and I were actually talking about that in our cooldown," Stephen said after the race. "When I go out, it's like a sprint, because when I'm done with a sprint, I'm like 'it's already over?' and it's kind of like that in a relay. Don't blow up, but it's pretty hard for me to completely blow up in such a short race. I attacked from the beginning knowing that this is a nine-minute race today, and I do intervals longer than that often times."
Grover reiterated that point. "It was a 4 k course for the relay and you know Liz just needed more real estate out there. It was almost like, some of our athletes, it takes them one or two k to get into the race and you are already half way through the race at that point."
Stephen kept the margin to Norway just under two minutes and showed improving form before her favorite stretch of racing in the Tour. "I'm always looking forward to [the Tour]. But also I feel like this last weekend that I've been able to feel like I want to. Physiologically I feel like racing has really helped get me into the shape I want to be in. I have some work to do over the break, but I feel like I'm in a good place to do what I'm normally able to do at the Tour."
Team and relay vet Kikkan Randall skied the anchor leg. Her's was the seventh-fastest anchor leg (+27.1).
"I got the tag from Liz a ways back from Germany ahead and a gap to Italy behind," Randall wrote in an email to several media outlets. "I focused on holding a good rhythm on the first lap but Italy was able to almost close the gap. I was getting ready for a good battle on the last two climbs but I guess the Italian anchor crashed behind me. So I skied the rest of my lap alone."
Randall secured seventh place for the U.S. (+2:26).
Grover didn't spend any time lamenting what could have been. "I really expect by the time we do our next relay in Sweden that we are going to be very competitive for the podium," he said. "Norway, of course, on paper was far gone, but in terms for the hunt, the usual hunt for Seed 3, we will be back there."
Last season's U.S. women's 4 x 5 k relay team after placing third in the first relay of the 2015/2016 season in Lillehammer, Norway: (from l to r) Sadie Bjornsen, Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins, and Liz Stephen. They matched a team best in third in December 2015, and went on to place second in January 2016 (with Sophie Caldwell in place of Brennan) in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. (Photo: USSA Nordic/Twitter)
Expectations are what they are for the U.S. women's relay team: high.
Grover explained that the relay is a target event for a podium at both 2017 World Championships and the 2018 Olympics. "We also have a women's team right now that is the strongest women's team we've had in the history of U.S. skiing. So the time to win is now, and we've got the athletes to do it," Grover added.
In mainstream professional sports, cybermetrics is understandbly the rage. Essentially it's data-based decision making when it comes to sports. Coaches like Grover and U.S. women's coach Matt Whitcomb play their version of ski-cybermetrics when picking a relay team.
"It's a matter of putting together on a certain day the right athletes, with the right fitness in the right technique, in the right legs, and also taking into account the course profiles in terms of strengths of the athletes, and what are the attributes of the course," Grover said of picking the most viable relay squad. "Is the course long for 5 k, it it short for 5 k? Is it flat for classic? Is it hilly for classic? Is it technical or is it more of just a grinding course?"
The U.S. team's strategy is to have at least three skiers in each discipline, skate or classic, to choose from on relay day.
"If we can do that, then we can put the women who are the fittest at the time and for whom the technical elements of the course suit their strength the most, and we can put together a super competitive team, so that is kind of the puzzle that we are always putting together with relays," Grover said.
The next opportunities to contest the relay will be the 4 x 5 k in Ulricehamn, Sweden, on Jan. 22, and March 2 at World Championships in Lahti, Finland.
Canada's team of Emily Nishikawa, Cendrine Browne, Dahria Beatty, and Sophie Carrier-Laforte finished 12th (+4:07.9). But the biggest victory of the day for the team was fielding a women's relay.
"We were so happy to have a women's relay team today," Nishikawa wrote in an email. "I didn't feel great today, but my teammates all skied really well and I'm very proud of them. It makes having a tough day so much better when you can be pumped to see amazing races from the rest of your team! The atmosphere in La Clusaz is just amazing! So many fans out cheering and the organizers did an incredible job of getting the course ready. It was a lot of fun racing here."
Beatty was also excited about Canada fielding a legitimate women's World Cup relay team.
"It is wonderful for us to be able to start a relay," Beatty wrote in an email. "Having a group of women on the world cup this first period has been really great for all of us. Today's race was a great building point for our team and I am really proud to be able to races with this group and grow together."
The Canadian appears to be coming into good form; Beatty skied the second-fastest third leg (+2.8).
"I was really happy with how my leg went," Beatty added. "I was able to build off my good feeling from yesterday and ski a really strong race. I was just focusing on trying to catch as many people as possible. When I found out that I had skied the 2nd fastest leg time I was a bit shocked and really excited. It feels great to have a great feeling race correlate to a strong result."
Aino Kaisa Saarinen
anne kyllonen
cendrine browne
Dahria Beatty
Emily Nishikawa
Emma Wiken
Heidi Weng
Invild Flugstad Østberg
Kikkan Randall
Laura Mononen
Liz Stephen
Maria Rydqvist
Marit Bjørgen
Matt Whitcomb
Riita-Liisa Roponen
Rosie Brennan
Sophie Caldwell
Sophie Carrier-Laforte
Stina Nilsson
Therese Johaug
Jason Albert
Jason lives in Bend, Ore., and can often be seen chasing his two boys around town. He's a self-proclaimed audio geek. That all started back in the early 1990s when he convinced a naive public radio editor he should report a story from Alaska's, Ruth Gorge. Now, Jason's common companion is his field-recording gear.
After 8 Years, France Finds Relay Podium Again; Norway Wins La Clusaz Men's Relay
Sunday Rundown: La Clusaz, Nove Mesto, Ramsau, Klingenthal, Obertilliach, & Rossland (Updated x4)
Steady as She Goes this Season: Clare Egan on the IBU World Cup
Bolshunov Nails the Door Shut for Tour Win: Schumacher 18th Overall (Updated)
Crossing Over at the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center: Barry Wicks


By using appropriate 3D image analysis algorithms on tomographic data, it is possible to simulate diverse physical and mechanical mechanisms. Some models are presented below.
Snow, from its fall until its full melting, undergoes a structural metamorphism governed by local temperature and humidity fields. Among them, the isothermal metamorphism seems the most accessible to modeling. In this work, we tried to simulate the microstructural transformations of a dry snow sample, placed in isothermal conditions, near 0 degree C. In these conditions, the vapor pressure of water is high : the metamorphism can be considered, in first approximation, as fully curvature-driven. A simple numerical model was implemented on this basis and applied to simulated data and 3D images from X-ray microtomography.
This simple physical model, which is based on Kelvin and Langmuir-Knudsen equations, takes into account the variation of the saturating vapor pressure with temperature by using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. It can determine locally whether the ice is condensing or sublimating, just depending on both the temperatures in the snow matrix and the local mean curvatures of the ice/pore interface. This model can also explain the formation of facets that occurs during the metamorphism. Thanks to X-ray microtomographic images of snow samples obtained under different temperature gradient conditions, the validity of this model can be verified.
Snow, when placed in isothermal conditions and at negative temperature, transforms into a brittle material consisting of small rounded shapes that are typical from microstructures commonly obtained during the sintering of ceramics.
This metamorphism is classically considered as limited by the water vapor diffusion that occurs in the pore space of the snow structure. In order to validate this hypothesis, the water vapor field in small snow samples has been modeled from tri-dimensional images obtained by X-ray microtomography.
Thanks to previously developed algorithms, the curvature field is first estimated at the air-ice interface. By using the Kelvin's equation, one cane define the vapor pressure conditions very close to the interface. Then, the diffusion equation is numerically solved with an iterative method, which provides, after convergence, the water vapor field in the pore space. The local vapor gradient, which is estimated close to the interface, yields the growth rate in each point of the interface.
The obtained results allow to assess the water vapor diffusion as a possible limiting mechanism for the isothermal metamorphism. However, it does not invalidate other mechanisms that could happen in snow, such as surface reaction phenomena or growth at grain boundaries.
This model, which could be used to simulate the time evolution of small snow structures, consists in a first step toward precise comparisons between different mechanisms.
A simple physical model describing the temperature-gradient metamorphism of snow is presented. This model, based on Kelvin's equation and Fick's law, takes into account the local variation of the saturating vapour pressure with temperature. It can determine locally whether the ice is condensing or subliming, depending on both the pressure and temperature fields in the snow structure. This model can also explain the formation of facets that occurs during the metamorphism. Using X-ray microtomographic images of snow samples obtained under low to moderate temperature-gradient conditions, this model has been tested and compared to the reaction-limited model proposed in a previous work.
Snow is a complex material that continuously transforms with time. Its metamorphism strongly impacts its physical and mechanical properties. Thermodynamics is the main cause of the metamorphism but mechanical solicitations also modify the geometry of the ice matrix, and thus influences its thermodynamics. As a consequence, modeling the metamorphism of snow at micro-scale often require to account for internal mechanical effects in the snow sample.
As a first attempt in this direction, we addressed the settling of dry snow samples submitted to isothermal conditions. A previously developed model showed that just accounting for the internal vapor exchanges using the Kelvin's law leads to numerous neck disconnections at the beginning of the metamorphism. We propose a new 3D numerical model that accounts for basic mechanical laws to reorganize the disconnected grains into the snow structure.
The modeled results are compared to images series obtained from experiments of isothermal metamorphism by X-ray absorption tomography. Our numerical model gives realistic explanations about the commonly observed rapid densification of snow under isothermal conditions. It is also a promising tool to study snow metamorphism as it provides a means to simulate the first steps of the snow densification process under isothermal conditions.


From May 11, the Vienna Festival will show five weeks of international stage art: 30 productions from the areas of music, theater, performance and dance. There's also a club culture aspect again.
Artistic director Tomas Zierhofer-Kin brings lots of different genres and artists to Vienna again for his second run of the Vienna Festival. The opening is a feast for everyone: the Vienna Festival gets under way at Vienna's City Hall Square on May 11. The free open-air concert has delighted thousands of people year after year and is broadcast around the world.
No fewer than 40,000 tickets will be issued for the festival. Among the 30 items on the program, 21 are dedicated to musical theater, dramatic theater and performances. Lots of productions are set to grab people's attention.
F23, a former coffin factory, is the stage for "Hyperreality", a sub-festival for club culture. Experimental electronic music at the interface of performance, pop and visual art will be performed here for three whole nights. The club is intended to serve as a space of possibilities, beyond the bounds of reality. Music is a means of expression and liberation.
Guests at Hyperreality include the Venezuelan musician, singer and producer Arca (May 24), the eloquent pop diva Kelela from the USA as well as the Detroit electro-legend DJ Assault (May 25) and the Berlin rapper Taktloss aka Real Geizt (May 26).


Kilmarnock have paid tribute to the "truly devoted" supporter who died after collapsing during their abandoned game against Hibernian.
James Haswell, 48, died in hospital after falling ill with a suspected heart attack while watching the second half of his team's Clydesdale Bank Premier League game at Rugby Park on Sunday.
A statement from the club read: "Everyone at Kilmarnock Football Club extends their sincere condolences to the family and friends of the late James Haswell, who tragically passed away on Sunday 5th May after taking ill at Rugby Park during our match against Hibernian FC."
The statement added: "In particular, our thoughts and prayers are with his widow Aileen and daughters Nicola and Stephanie.
"Aged 48, Jim had been a life long supporter of Killie and a season ticket holder for many years. His love of Kilmarnock FC was deep rooted and it is a tragedy for all who share his passion for the club that we have lost a truly devoted supporter."
Mrs Haswell said: "Jim lived for Killie and his family. He only missed one game in 17 years. He was the biggest Killie fan you could know."
The club added that arrangements to mark Haswell's passing would be announced following discussions with his close family. The supporter was treated by paramedics and medical staff from both clubs before an ambulance drove pitchside to transfer him to nearby Crosshouse hospital.
The match was stopped by referee Kevin Clancy with the teams drawing 1-1 and both managers agreed the match should be abandoned out of respect.
It is the third such tragedy to hit Kilmarnock games in the past two seasons. In March 2012 the Ayrshire team's League Cup-winning celebrations were cut short by the death of midfielder Liam Kelly's father, Jack, who collapsed at Hampden immediately after the match.


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Home » About Us » Meet the Team
David Mika
Nathaniel Ward brings a diverse array of experience to client matters. With skill in public accounting, real estate investment & development, hospitality, and operations management Nate approaches problems from multiple angles and perspectives to accomplish the best result for his clients. He has assisted in multiple due diligence engagements concerning bank examinations, mergers & acquisitions, and refinancing as well as fraud examinations. He has worked with many industries ranging from small non-profits to mid-cap manufacturers to regional retailers in audit and performance enhancement capacities. Nate also excels in training employees in finance and accounting departments to better serve their organizations and thus imbue lasting value on clients after engagements have closed.
Nate received his bachelor's degree in Accounting from Salve Regina University where he graduated cum laude. He is an active member of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA).
Jacen Dinoff
As Principal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KCP, Jacen Dinoff oversees all company operations and case assignments. Mr. Dinoff is highly-regarded as a corporate restructuring and turnaround management advisor with over 16 years of hands-on accounting, finance, management and operations experience that complements his technical expertise in bankruptcy case administration and financial advisory. Mr. Dinoff's career has included engagements in financial and operational restructurings, asset divestitures through sale and liquidation, and senior debtor/creditor advisor roles for many well-known companies, both publicly and privately held.
Prior to founding KCP, Mr. Dinoff was responsible for the successful growth and development of the Boston office of a well-established, national turnaround and restructuring practice. While there, he developed a line of transaction advisory services for investors and lenders that provided a more thorough analysis of operations, infrastructure, assets and liabilities, and overall strengths and weaknesses of a potential transaction. Mr. Dinoff has also spent many years as an independent turnaround consultant, providing management advisory services to privately and publicly held companies across many industry sectors, and has been engaged on projects for a multitude of well-known turnaround firms.
In addition to his work as an independent consultant, Mr. Dinoff held a number of positions at Paragon Capital LLC, a partnership between The Ozer Group LLC (now Gordon Brothers), a leading boutique asset valuation and reallocation firm, and Foothill Capital, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank. Paragon provided secured debt financing to small and mid-size retail and consumer product companies; specializing in expansion working capital for early stage and emerging growth companies before being acquired and becoming Wells Fargo Retail Finance.
Before joining Paragon, Mr. Dinoff was a Senior Financial and Business Analyst for Strategic Management Services, a Boston-area provider of strategic and tactical advisory services for financial and operational improvement, corporate growth and development, and the management of employee resources. His case activities included identifying sources of working capital and negotiating terms; integration of a new division to an established company; CFO-support duties including financial forecasting and budgeting; research and development of business plans for emerging companies and due diligence analysis for mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Dinoff holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire, and an M.B.A in Finance from Bentley College. He is an active member of the Turnaround Management Association and American Bankruptcy Institute and serves on the Boards of The DailyDAC and MESH Interactive Agency and is a frequent speaker and contributor at industry events and media outlets.
Mike Goldman
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Michael Goldman specializes in matters relating to insolvency, valuation, and forensic accounting. He has had numerous engagements representing creditors, debtors, and equity and uses his experience with each of those perspectives to optimize the results in his cases. He has been qualified in both state and federal court as an expert witness and has served as a consulting expert numerous times in cases involving solvency, allegations of fraud, fairness, commercial damages, valuation issues, professional malpractice, and bankruptcy issues. His over fifteen years of consulting experience combined with fourteen years of in-company experience as a senior executive give him a unique perspective in his client assignments.
Mr. Goldman's industry experience includes a number of executive positions: Chief Financial Officer for a $100 million retail company; Controller for a $550 million retail company; V. P. of Finance and Controller for a $550 million retail company; and Controller for a $50 million wholesale distributor. This in-company experience developed his expertise in productivity enhancement, systems improvement, expense control and reduction, cash management, and crisis management. He has extensive experience in modeling operational changes; developing accurate forecasts and budgets; and improving both the timing and accuracy of internal reporting.
Mr. Goldman is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, a Certified Valuation Analyst, and is certified in Financial Forensics. He is an adjunct professor at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management teaching a course on Entrepreneurship. His academic degrees include a Master of Management in Finance and Accounting from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Managerial Studies from Rice University in Houston, Texas. He maintains professional affiliations with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; the Illinois Certified Public Accountant Society; the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts; the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners; the Turnaround Management Association; and the American Bankruptcy Institute.
Paul Valentine specializes in the management, development and operation of high-quality, fast-growth, small-to-mid-size organizations. Mr. Valentine brings a diverse industry background to KCP, including roles in healthcare services, medical devices, retail products and manufacturing. His formal education in accounting and finance is further enhanced by his corporate roles in sales, operations and product development, as well as a number of officer roles including the chief executive position. Mr. Valentine focuses his case matters on Performance Improvement and Corporate Renewal, providing his clients with strategic and marketing advice, while maintaining a solid focus on financial structure and operational efficiencies.
Prior to joining KCP, Mr. Valentine held a number of executive positions, including: CEO of Sleep HealthCenters, a multi-center provider of sleep testing and sleep therapy equipment; COO, CFO and President, Children's Medical Ventures, a developer of products and educational services for neonatal intensive care units across the U.S. and in other countries; CFO of Cape Cod Potato Chips; and CFO of Boston Popcorn.
Mr. Valentine has published many articles and papers. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship, both from Babson College, Wellesley, MA. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association.
Frank Musso
Frank Musso is a seasoned financial executive with over 30 years of experience in finance, accounting and management consulting. Mr. Musso has significant expertise in the analysis and preparation of financial statements, audits, due diligence, bankruptcy planning and administration, as well as providing litigation support including leading special committee investigations of earnings management and purchase price arbitrations. He also serves on the board and chairs the audit committee of a publicly held company.
Prior to KCP, Mr. Musso worked as an independent turnaround consultant, providing management advisory services to privately and publicly held companies across many industry sectors for well known turnaround firms. He has worked as a financial advisor for several, major New York-area banks, where he was tasked with the monitoring of companies under forbearance agreements. He performed due diligence on a $6 billion food co-op acquisition of its largest member out of bankruptcy. He has assisted diverse companies in preparing financial statements, IPO's and other SEC filings and has worked on several high profile bankruptcies cases as a financial advisor and expert, including a food service business, hardware store, supermarket chain, and a sub-prime auto lender.
Frank received his degrees in Accounting and Public Administration from Georgetown University and is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
Robert W. Armstrong, III has over 30 years of experience managing and growing the financial health of organizations of all sizes. As an experienced Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Armstrong has been a key partner and advisor to senior management and operational personnel assisting them in aligning goals, creating business plans, and managing personnel and resource allocation. He has worked with closely-held and family owned businesses as well as large, multi-national businesses with multiple locations and legal entities. Adaptable and resourceful, he is known for his attention to detail as well as his ability to evaluate and address the legal and organizational issues that accompany complex financial decisions.
Prior to joining KCP, Mr. Armstrong enjoyed a long and successful career as a corporate CFO for companies in the retail, food distribution, medical device, electronics and manufacturing industries. Notable achievements include his active participation in over 200 acquisitions and divestitures for a $3B healthcare company where he oversaw their analysis, planning, due diligence, and integration into existing operations; and the institution of financial controls and operating procedures at a $28MM manufacturing company that resulted in profits growing from a loss to over $3MM EBITDA.
Mr. Armstrong is Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of Bowdoin College. He also received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jenny Armstrong
Jenny Armstrong specializes in operations and process improvement. During the course of her career, she has worked in a variety of industries and sectors from non-profits to manufacturing to professional services. Since joining KCP, Ms. Armstrong has worked closely with our clients to support business operations during restructuring and evaluating current business processes. She also manages a variety of operational and administrative tasks for KCP's corporate offices such as event planning, IT, and data retention. With a background in Chemistry, her attention to detail and keen analytical skill is well suited for KCP's case matters. She often travels with the KCP team to assist with keeping projects on track, on time, and on budget.
Prior to her career at KCP, Ms. Armstrong worked as an Account Manager for a boutique marketing firm in the Boston area where she managed more than 40 client relationships and projects concurrently. She has also worked in Development and Fundraising for a large non-profit, where she helped successfully manage an $11M capital campaign.
Ms. Armstrong is a graduate of Illinois State University and is currently pursuing her MBA at Southern NH University. She is a member of the Turnaround Management Association.
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Bastian: Delta will not pay any tariff on Bombardier deal
Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian has stated the American carrier will not pay "any" tariff on the purchase of C Series aircraft from Bombardier.
Following a complaint from rival manufacturer Boeing, the United States secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, has announced plans for a potential tariff of 220 per cent on the import of 100- to 150-seat civil aircraft from Canada.
The US argues the price of the planes has been artificially lowered by an illegal subsidy from the Canadian government.
However, addressing an industry audience in Atlanta today, Bastian said: "We will not pay any tariff on the Bombardier order."
Questioned on Boeing's motive in the dispute, Bastian added he was "mystified".
"It is hard to see how Boeing is being harmed when they do not have a product in this market.
"I do not understand it, this is a platform they decided not to make any more ten years ago."
However, the Delta chief was keen to frame the dispute in the wider picture, stating it would not damage the relationship between the Atlanta-based airline and the manufacturer.
"Delta is the second largest Boeing operator in the world, so we have every interest in maintaining a strong relationship," he explained.
"Through our network of partners, we have a much broader relationship with Boeing than perhaps any other company."
Bastian also argued around half of the C Series aircraft was manufactured in the United States, further querying the motivation of Boeing in the dispute.
As many as 20,000 US jobs have been created by the programme, he added.
Delta currently has as many as 75 of the Bombardier planes on order.
The deal is widely seen as critical to the continuation of the C Series programme, which has struggled financially.
Bastian added, when delivered, the new aircraft would allow Delta to expand its operations in smaller hubs, including Seattle, New York and Houston.
European manufacturer Airbus has been quick to exploit the impasse between the United States and Canada, this week taking a majority stake in the C Series programme.
Commenting on the deal, Bastian said: "I was aware of the discussions, although not in the middle of them.
"Airbus saw the platform as an opportunity; there is a niche there that is not being served.
"We are excited to bring this product to market."
Flybe issues new profit warning as costs rise
Delta Air Lines takes Airbus A350 to Amsterdam
delta air lines boeing airbus bombardier
Boeing loses plane maker crown to Airbus
Delta Air Lines reports best ever financial results
BelugaXL enters service for Airbus
Airbus hits new commercial aircraft delivery record
Spirit Airlines finalises huge Airbus A320neo order
Luttig latest executive to leave Boeing


You won't want to miss The Source, a first-of-its-kind tradeshow, taking place at Gen Blue 2019.
The Coldwell Banker area will be sure to impress alongside thousands of real estate's leading products & services. It will be an experience unlike any other and the largest the industry has ever seen.
Register today before the next price increase on Feb. 1! Click here for details.
More exiting news from Vegas!


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China fund may cut US debt holdings: Report
http://str.sg/Zxaj
SHANGHAI (AFP) - China's sovereign wealth fund, which has more than US$480 billion (S$588 billion) in assets, could cut holdings of US Treasury Bonds as they are becoming a less attractive investment, state media said on Tuesday.
The Shanghai Securities News quoted Mr Lou Jiwei, chairman of sovereign wealth fund manager China Investment Corp (CIC), as telling a conference in Hong Kong on Monday that the US economic recovery had made other investments appealing.
China has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves and according to US government figures is the largest foreign holder of US Treasuries with US$1.16 trillion at the end of October last year, the latest available statistic.
"In line with the future US economic recovery, the appeal of US debt is weakening," Mr Lou said. "From a long-term perspective, it is not a good investment target."
However, he added that completely stopping buying of US Treasuries could hurt the fund's ability to manage risk.
"For this reason, CIC's method is to buy relatively less US debt with hopes of allocating more to stocks and other assets," Mr Lou said, without specifying whether he was specifically referring to US-dollar assets.
Last year, the fund was overweight in investments in the United States and developing countries but underweight in Europe given the continent's sovereign debt crisis, the report said.
CIC saw the manufacturing and property sectors as attractive for future investments, it said.
CIC could not be reached for comment on the report on Tuesday.
It was established in 2007 to invest some of China's massive foreign exchange reserves, which stood at US$3.31 trillion at the end of last year.
China's sovereign wealth fund suffered a 4.3 per cent loss on its overseas investments in 2011 due to the weak global economy. It was the first loss since 2008, when CIC was hit by the global financial crisis.
China on Monday announced it had set up a new office under the foreign exchange regulator to funnel some of the reserves to domestic companies, in the form of commercial loans to support their overseas expansion.


Pattern Fill Step-by-Step Lesson- Complete the patterns.
Guided Lesson - Fill in the missing arrow, number, letter what ever. Then break into using math table rules.
Guided Lesson Explanation - I know I'm a little weak on the directions for the first one. I'll get it right on the rebound.
Practice Worksheet - 10 math patterns all with missing pieces that you need to fill.
Matching Worksheet - Match the pattern to the next piece of the pattern.
Each is drastically different in premise. Fill in the missing numbers to the pattern. Fill in the missing shapes. You will finish off with operations based patterns.
We give you set functions and ask you to complete them. Use the equation based rules to solve the patterns.
We cover each skill in each quiz. Missing or incomplete patterns, using functions, and missing shapes patterns.


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Het Document van Ali-Ben Doerak (Spaans: ) is een stripalbum uit de reeks Paling en Ko van tekenaar Francisco Ibáñez. De oorspronkelijke versie werd in 1975 uitgebracht als #32 in de Ases del Humor-reeks na voorpublicatie in het stripblad Mortadelo (zoals de lange kale helft van het tweetal in het Spaans heet) van oktober tot december 1974. In 1981 werd het album in het Nederlands uitgebracht als #28.

Naamsverwarring
Als gevolg van een jarenlange naamsverwarring wordt de kale meestervermommer hier Ko genoemd en de korte met de twee haren (door zijn collega steevast met chef en u aangesproken) Paling.

Verhaal
De Arabische koopman Ali-Ben Doerak verzamelde een paar jaar geleden tien zogenoemde neven om zich heen aan wie hij voor een miljoenenprijs een droge woestijnvlakte verkocht en hen elk een deel van de overdracht - het document - gaf. Nu blijkt er een uraniummijn in de grond te zitten en maken de eigenaren alsnog kans om multimiljardair te worden met alle stukjes document bij elkaar. Paling en Ko lijken niet te luisteren wanneer hun baas, de Superintendant, dit verhaal vertelt, maar de boodschap is wel degelijk overgekomen; ze moeten de 'neven' zien op te sporen en hen vragen hun stuk document af te staan ter bewaring voordat een vijandelijke organisatie de kans krijgt om hen voorgoed het zwijgen op te leggen. Het gaat om de volgende personen;

De alpinist Frits Brekebeen
De jager Peter Hondenmepper
De matroos Rinus Zoetzuur
De metselaar Kees Puinruimer
De speleoloog Maarten Mol
De boer Helmuth Kool
De dierenbeschermer Leo de Leeuw
De vuurwerkkunstenaar Piet Pyromaan
De egyptoloog Sylvester Mummie

Ondanks hun voorzorgsmaatregelen worden Paling en Ko in elk van deze hoofdstukken afgeluisterd door de O.A.S.I.O. Als de agenten van deze organisatie (die in het Spaans A.B.U.E.L.A. heet, oftewel O.M.A. of O.P.O.E.) ontdekken dat de chef ook tot de neven behoort lopen zij de deur plat om het beslissende stukje document te bemachtigen. Een van hen weet het te ontfutselen door zich voor te doen als de chef, maar de kale schakelt hem uit door hem een elektrische schok toe te dienen. Probleem is echter dat ook het stukje met de handtekening van Ali-Ben Doerak wordt verbrand, waardoor de rest van het document niets waard is. De kale ontvlucht de wraak van de chef en diens medegedupeerden door zich op een andere planeet te verstoppen.

Invloed
Het verhaal is mogelijk geïnspireerd door De twaalf werken van Steven Sterk van Smurfen-tekenaar Peyo. Ibáñez heeft zich overigens vaker laten beïnvloeden door de Franco-Belgische strip.

Stripverhaal van Paling en Ko
Stripverhaal van Francisco Ibáñez
Stripverhaal uit 1981

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Just in time for the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, I have put together a new statistical model to assess team strength and make predictions about the NCAA Tournament. Two years ago I used a well known model to make predictions about the NCAA Tournament, with limited success. The upcoming tournament is the first time new model has been used so this year is essentially a live test case.
For more information, please visit my predictions main page at http://jonathantemplin.com/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-predictions/.


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Americas FX
Asia FX
EU FX
Confused by currencies? Buy a Big Mac
John W. Schoen	| @johnwschoen
Published 1:43 PM ET Wed, 28 Jan 2015 Updated 2:48 PM ET Wed, 28 Jan 2015 CNBC.com
Andrey Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A Big Mac hamburger at a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow, Russia.
The euro is sliding, the ruble has crashed and a surging Swiss franc recently sank the fortunes of more than a few currency traders on the wrong side of their bet.
It's a volatile time in foreign exchange, a notoriously difficult market to bet on. To do so, you have to decide whether one currency is over or undervalued in relation to another. For that, you'll need econometric models made up of hundreds of algorithms built by rocket scientists.
Or you could just go buy a lot of Big Macs.
That's the basic methodology underlying a simpler currency valuation model set up by the editors at The Economist magazine. Once a year, they dispatch staffers around the world to head to the nearest McDonald's and order a Big Mac. And expense it.
According to the latest reading of the Big Mac Index, the value of the dollar continues to fatten in much of the fast-food eating world.
Read MoreEven mightier dollar? Have no fear, analyst says
Among the 57 countries tracked in the latest run, Switzerland topped the chart. A burger purchased under the golden arches in Zurich will set you back $7.54 in dollar terms, on average, while the average price in the U.S. this month was $4.79.
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The Swiss franc became hotter than a batch of freshly cooked fries after Switzerland's central bank earlier this month triggered a stampede in the foreign exchange when it stunned investors by scrapping its cap on the exchange rate against the euro.
At the bottom of the Big Mac list, the Ukrainian hryvnia is undervalued by 75 percent, which means you can buy a Big Mac—in dollar terms—for just $1.20.
Aside from central bank moves and local turmoil, the editors note that two broad trends have been roiling the currency markets since the last time they went burger shopping six months ago. Currencies of big oil exporter—like Russia—have been hit hard. Meanwhile, the end of the Federal Reserve's easy-month interest rate policy has pushed the value of the dollar higher.
Read MoreEurope on sale: What the euro's slide means for you
As the editors point out, the index isn't perfect.
"Burgernomics was never intended as a precise gauge of currency misalignment, merely a tool to make exchange-rate theory more digestible," they note.
The index is based on the idea that the rate of exchange between currencies should reflect the price people pay for the same goods and services from one country to the next. Economists call this the theory of purchasing power parity.
So The Economist looks at just one item, a Big Mac, in more than 50 countries around the world as a standard measure of value. The index isn't perfect; in India, they don't serve Big Macs, so the editors had to substitute a Maharaja Mac, which is a chicken sandwich.
By converting the local prices into dollars, the index provides an indication of whether a currency is over or undervalued in a given country.
The theory is that the local price of a product with a consistent value around the world is a good proxy for the purchasing power of that local currency.
Too much bang for buck? 10:54 AM ET Wed, 28 Jan 2015 | 03:02
The keepers of the index concede the methodology has limitations. Local prices, for example, can also be skewed by the relative demand for burgers in a given country, where local cuisine and tastes vary widely.
Still, in the nearly three decades they've been munching their way through the ups and downs of exchange rates, the index has been cited in economic textbooks and studied by academics.
As a result, the index has been refined over the years to address some of its critics. The average price of a burger, for example, should be lower in poor countries because labor costs are lower—so the adjusted index takes per capita GDP into account.
John W. SchoenCNBC.com Economics Reporter


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IRW was thrilled to team up again with author/illustrator/musician Stephen Costanza! In November, we brought him to Beals and Jonesport Elementary Schools, where he offered a full-school presentation and workshops with students in Grades PreK – 2. Students in all grades at both schools fully immersed themselves in Stephen's book, Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra, prior to his visit to the school.
For example, students at Beals listened to Vivaldi's music, wrote poems, made masks, created Powerpoint presentations on the book's setting in Venice, and also constructed mobiles based on Vivaldi's Four Seasons, among other projects and activities.
When Steve visited, art and writing projects covered the hallway walls. Students performed a skit where each grade cluster represented a season; each cluster read poems they had written while other students decorated a tree with seasonally appropriate items. It all concluded with a hilarious scene starring Beals Elementary staff!
The next day Stephen hopped on over to Jonesport Elementary School. Students had already learned about instruments, the vocabulary in Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra, the parts of an orchestra, music and the emotions, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and more, based on their grade level.
This student wasn't the only one "jazzed" after a great day! Stephen said that he loved visiting these two amazing schools and such visits keep him inspired.
Next up at Jonesport and Beals – Mary Cerullo in Spring 2017!


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