The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced FY18 lending numbers showing that it guaranteed over $30 billion to small businesses that otherwise would not have had access to capital.
The SBA's 504 Loan Program had another year of high performance for lending, with 5,874 loans made for a total dollar amount of over $4.75 billion. In FY18, the SBA launched the 25-year debenture, which offers an extra 60 months of financing at a fixed interest rate to help free up cash for small businesses. Since its introduction in April, over 1,000 debentures had been sold by the end of September.
The 504 Loan Program provides expanding and modernizing small businesses with up to 90% financing at below-market fixed interest rates and long amortization terms specifically for the purchase of major fixed assets, such as land and owner-occupied commercial buildings, including green projects, and/or heavy duty machinery and equipment. The program also allows for business debt refinancing both with and without expansion requirements. 504 loans are available through Certified Development Companies (CDCs) like Florida First Capital.
The 7(a) Loan Program had 60,353 7(a) loans made in FY 18 with a total dollar amount of $25.37 billion. The 7(a) Loan Program provides small businesses with broad financial assistance covering the vast majority of small business needs, including working capital, fixed and intangible asset financing, as well as refinance and export support through term and revolving loans. 7(a) loans are available through commercial lending institutions.
The SBA continued to innovate and improve processes by leveraging enhanced technologies. One such technological innovation was the development of the SBA's Franchise Directory, which was launched this year and has resulted in an over 50% increase in eligible franchise brands. There are currently 3,192 brands on the Franchise Directory. When the directory was first published in October 2017, there were only 2,034 brands listed. In FY18, SBA has seen a year over year increase of over 21% in 504 and 7(a) dollars going to franchises.
"SBA's 7(a) and 504 loan programs have never been more dynamic, easy to use and accessible — helping small businesses succeed and thrive. Our loan programs in FY18 continue to show strong performance, and we believe the President's tax cuts and deregulatory actions will help more small businesses grow and prosper in the coming year," SBA Administrator Linda McMahon said.
For more information about SBA 504 loans in Alabama, Florida or South Georgia, contact a Florida First Capital Loan Officer or email us at info@ffcfc.com. Phone: 850.681.3601 or toll-free at 800.504.LOAN.


The Electronic Monitoring Program, and Home Supervision Programs allow the court and Probation Department to use the least restrictive controls necessary to ensure court appearances and encourage pro-social behavior.
Home Supervision/GPS are also alternatives to "traditional" detention utilized by the court and Probation Department. Home Supervision and House Arrest provide enhanced supervision and accountability of minors in the community. While on House Arrest, youth remain at home at all times except to attend school, church, counseling, and/or work, if employed. A youth may also participate in pro-social, extra-curricular school activities or programs deemed appropriate by the Deputy Probation Officer while on Home Supervision.
Home Supervision is the least restrictive response to a probation violation and not considered secure custody time. The youth can only leave home at specific times if accompanied by a parent or guardian They may attend school, counseling and church, as well as extracurricular activities and work, if employed.
The Electronic Monitoring Program is the most restrictive as it is ordered by the Court. The restrictions are the same as HA but the youth must also wear an ankle transmitter that cannot be removed. If the youth leaves the home, the Probation staff will be alerted.
EMP is an alternative to traditional detention in the Juvenile Hall, for those youth who are awaiting Court or serving therapeutic detention time. It is ordered by the Court for those youth who do not pose a serious threat to the community or themselves, are not a flight risk, and are otherwise safe in the community.
An ankle transmitter that cannot be removed is placed on the youth. This device is monitored to make sure that the youth is in the home or where they are supposed to be. Your child will be seen by a Probation Officer regularly.
The Judge must order that the youth be on EMP. The Judge will consider the following; the youth's behavior in Juvenile Hall, a home environment safe that is safe, and the youth must be willing to comply with all release conditions. School placement and counseling are also considered.


The lame-duck session of Congress has introduced Americans to the three-party system of government: the Democratic Party, the Republican Party and the Petulant Party.
Eight founding fathers of the Petulants took the stage Tuesday morning in the Senate TV studio to provide an update on their latest cause: The defeat of the nuclear arms treaty with Russia. The New START treaty has the enthusiastic support of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the rest of the top military brass, not to mention all six living secretaries of state who served in Republican administrations.
But the Petulants do not care about Republican wise men. They do not care about the wishes of the uniformed military. What they care about is preserving the sanctity of . . . Christmas vacation?
"The fact that we're doing this under the cover of Christmas," complained Sen. Jim DeMint (P-S.C.), "is something to be outraged about."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (P-S.C.) was outraged. "Here we are, the week of Christmas, about to pass potentially a treaty," he protested.
And the leader of the group, Sen. Jon Kyl (P-Ariz.), is already on record saying the Democrats' legislative agenda amounts to "disrespecting one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians."
So it has come to this: Members of the Petulant Party want to stop the START treaty (and block a bill that would help Ground Zero first responders pay medical bills) because they wish to get home to their figgy pudding. This might be called playing the Christmas card.
Of course, the Petulants' objections have little to do with yule. You don't defy the national security judgment of the U.S. military and reject the wisdom of generations of GOP elder statesmen simply because you have concerns related to the Advent calendar.
Petulant leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) spelled out the real reason on the Senate floor Monday. McConnell, who said Republicans' "single most important" goal was Obama's defeat, said that in this case he didn't want to facilitate "some politician's desire to declare a political victory and host a press conference before the first of the year."
So powerful has been the Petulants' desire to deny Obama a news conference that they defied the recommendation of Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates (a Bush administration holdover) in their unsuccessful defense on Saturday of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on openly gay service members. And, separately, the Petulants' efforts to prevent the Sept. 11 bill from coming to the floor earned labels such as "disgrace" and "national shame" from the usually friendly hosts at Fox News.
Quizzed about the Sept. 11 bill on Fox News Sunday, Kyl belittled the "emotional appeal" made by the first responders.
But Kyl was the one making an emotional appeal on Tuesday. He started his START press conference with a complaint that Democrats took "a very partisan approach to this treaty."
That must be how they won the support of Colin Powell, Jim Baker and Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Other Petulants complained that Democrats were trying to "rush it through" (John Thune, S.D.) or "jamming the Congress" (Graham).
This "rush" lasted eight months and included extensive hearings before three Senate committees.
Still, Sen. Jeff Sessions (P-Ala.) said the "rush" prevented a discussion of the fact that "the number one threat . . . comes from Iran, South Korea and other places."
The Petulants were clearly less disturbed by the substance than by perceived slights in the legislative procedure. Graham said he objected a "fill up the tree, rule-14 vote" (try turning that into a political slogan) and Orrin Hatch (P-Utah) said the rush meant that "I have to withdraw my support for something that I would like to support."
This time, the petulance could not prevent an outbreak of reason on the Senate floor. "I will vote for the treaty because the last six Republican secretaries of state support its ratification," Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced, adding that ratification "would extend the policies of President Nixon, President Reagan, President George H.W. Bush, President George W. Bush."
A couple of hours later, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) added his support. "If you look at the makeup of our Joint Chiefs," he argued, "every single one of these gentlemen was appointed by a Republican president," and "each of these people have firmly stated their support for this treaty."
"The question," Corker said, "is will we say 'yes' to yes?"
On Tuesday, enough Republicans said "yes" to send the treaty to likely ratification on Wednesday. But the Petulant Party is only getting organized. As McConnell told Politico this week: "If they think it's bad now, wait 'til next year."


Benefit: The magus has mastered one combat maneuver. He selects one maneuver when selecting this arcana. Whenever he is attempting the selected maneuver, he uses his magus level in place of his base attack bonus (in addition to any base attack bonus gained from other classes).
Special: A magus can select this magus arcana more than once. Its effects do not stack. Each time he selects this arcana, he selects another combat maneuver.


Cheeky Chicagoan rap mistress Kid Sister crept onto the end of my Top 10 albums of 2010 last week, pushing out the likes of Kanye West and (somewhat disappointingly) Kelis.
If you haven't come across this feisty femcee yet, imagine Salt-N-Pepa's bouncy, exuberant flow over Detroit Electro-House backing tracks and you'll be some of the way there. It's big, cartoonish party music for the raising of arms, the grinding of hips, the dislocation of joints, the agony of physiotherapy and the limping like an old man.
As a thank-you gesture for that Best Album accolade*, Kid Sister has released Kiss, Kiss, Kiss a mixtape of new songs, old songs and fresh remixes which you can download for free from this website. The highlight is a souped up cover of Debbie Deb's Lookout Weekend, a classic freestyle dance jam from 1984. I've posted the original and the Kid Sister version below. Enjoy!


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SOMETHING FOR KATE'S PAUL DEMPSEY & POWDERFINGER'S DARREN MIDDLETON discuss their new discs
AustralianMusician Dec 01, 2009 Artists, Special Features
Powderfinger, our guest editors have just released their new album 'Golden Rule' and are about to take it to the people at Homebake and Big Day Out. Their mate paul Dempsey has been busy touring his solo album 'Everything is true'. Powderfingers guitarist Darren Middleton called up paul for a bit of a chin wag about recordng their respective discs.
Paul Dempsey: Darren from Australian Musician, I hear?
Darren Middleton: It's my new job mate!
P: So, you guys are guest editing Australian Musician!
D: We were approached by Australian Musician while we were mixing, so maybe a month and a half ago and we put our hands up. There's quite a lot of work involved actually, more than we anticipated at the start. But it's all good and I have a couple of questions for you Paul.
P: Let's jump in.
D: I bought your album a few weeks ago and I really like it but I was going to ask you … being the main song writer for Something for Kate, which I assume is fairly true?
P: Yeah.
D: So what was it that you were unable to do in that group, that you could do with this solo project? Obviously there is a certain freedom involved. Are there shackles that are put in place being in a group over a long period of time or habits that form?
P: That's pretty much what it is. Even though I write the songs in Something For Kate, there is a hell of a lot of time spent in a room with Clint and Steph where we are still nutting things out and kicking ideas around. I might write them, but once I turn up with a song, it becomes really, really collaborative from then on and we can spend months to-ing and fro-ing. By the time the song is actually finished, then the other two have well and truly walked it and had their input and it does become the product of three people in the end. So doing a record by myself was really … I guess, more the way I would do things and playing every instrument myself, means I didn't have to talk to anybody or discuss or collaborate … really selfish (laughs).
D: I guess it's just you and the three or four other personalities that exist inside your head?
P: Exactly. You put your drummer hat on. You put your bass player hat on…
D: I understand, it's your vision rather than group vision, which has some plusses but perhaps you have to give some things away too when you're in a group situation.
P: Totally. The other thing too, from a lyrical point of view … when I am writing lyrics for Something For Kate, I am really aware that I am representing two other people as well. The stuff I am singing about is going to reflect on the three of us, so I wrote more freely lyrically and also in the mix. I pushed my vocals right up in the mix more than ever before. I didn't really want my vocals to dominate Something For Kate records.
D: You know how when you have been in a band for a long time, habits form… writing patterns form. It's easy to slip into what you know. With your solo record, was there any expectations of what it should sound like? In a band situation, you can't really steer off to the left too far. With a solo record you have the chance to almost reinvent yourself. You can almost come out as a new person… as a new sound.
P: That's totally true. It's not just the feeling you get personally from doing something new. It is also very gratifying when people, sort of had their mind made up about you, or had their minds made up about Something For Kate. A lot of the feedback with this record has been that people are surprised and they do think it is different from Something For Kate. People who weren't necessarily into the band are enjoying this record. You know yourself, once you have been in a band that has been around for a while and made a bunch of records, people make up their minds about you. Once people think they know what you are about, what you sound like, it's pretty hard to get them to give you another chance or a fair listen after that.
D: Preconceived ideas form pretty quickly!
P: Yeah and it's very hard to chip away at them. The thing that I have been really happy about with this record is that people have said wow, I was really surprised by this because I had my mind made up about Paul Dempsey. So that is something that I feel is a success.
D: I get the feeling you didn't hold any expectations in that sense. It's almost like you doing your thing for the first time almost. You have no idea how it is going to go, so it must be a really genuine feeling that you have … like wow, thank you very much, I'm glad you like it!
P: Absolutely. A lot of singers step outside their band and do other stuff and it can be very easily become the forgotten side project. I am really happy with the way it has been received. Also I kind of just wanted to prove to myself that I could make a complete record and do it all myself. I have played a lot of instruments since I was young and never created an entire record by myself and I just wanted to give myself that little challenge. It feels good to have done that.
D: That whole thing where band members do other things, and play with other people outside their main project … I think there should be more of it. It's a good thing and you lean stuff from stepping outside your comfort zone. We've done a bit of that. Bernard did his thing and I've done stuff. It presents a whole bunch of other issues not possible inside the main band because there are egos involved, there are insecurities which could come into play. At the end of the day I think it is good though.
P: I totally agree and doing this has opened my eyes to that. Especially touring the record, obviously I couldn't play everything myself on stage. I had to put together a whole other band. I hadn't played with a whole other band in the 15 years Something For Kate has been together. I've jumped up here and there and done some guest spots but to do a whole entire tour with three other guys, and to feel like you're in a brand new band, it's just fun to play with other people. It's great to do other collaborations and I want to do more of it.
D: I think I have told you that one of my most enjoyable moments was jumping up on stage with you guys at The Zoo that time. I love that sort of thing. I love being out of my depth I suppose.
P: You certainly weren't out of your depth, you were all over it but that was excellent. We had a blast too.
D: Have you had a chance to listen to our new album, 'Golden Rule'?
P: Yeah, I have listened to it tons of times. First of all, let me say congratulations, it's a ripper. It sounds absolutely huge. I felt quite gobsmacked by the production. Did Nick DiDia mix it as well?
D: Yeah he did. We tracked it in Byron and then Bern, myself and Ian flew to Sydney and JC and Cogs flew down a week later but yes, Nick mixed it in Sydney.
P: He's done an incredible job, it sounds massive. I mean Powderfinger records are more often than not very rockin' affairs but this just sounds like a whole other step up. Really huge sounding. When I listen to it, I think it's a record that needs to be played live. It's all upbeat as well.
D: It's a pretty different sounding record for us. Production wise it's pretty full. Most of the ideas ended up sticking. As aware as we were of 'if it doesn't need to be there, let's get rid of it', almost everything just stuck.
P: It does sound huge but the space is there as well. You can hear the guitars at either end of the mix and the bass and drums pounding through. JC's bass playing really struck me on this album too. He's a really clever bass player.
D: Yeah the bass playing is a bit of a stand out on this record.
P: The other thing I noticed was the lack of guitar solos!
D: Yeah, there aren't many.
P: There aren't any noticeable guitar breaks aside from the riffs that lead the songs. It's the whole band, the whole time.
D: It was a different process from the get-go with this record. We came out of 'Dream Days' a little bit… I don't know if we lost our way, but we lost the way we work well together. It was a bit of an up and down time for the band that record. So this was a good chance to get together at the start of the year and talk about how the last album went. Not about how the album went or singles went but how we went as people within the band. We said let's keep this next one spontaneous intuitive. If the first idea works, let's not over-think it and keep it pretty raw in a creative sense and it all came together really quickly. We were at dinner one night with Nick and talking about him as a producer and he has really stepped up as well a producer of records, not so much as an engineer-come producer. He said I've been an engineer for a long time, living in other people's shadows doing their songs, so when I step out to do producing I am not going to make it sound like other guys, I want to do it how I want to do it. That was our philosophy for this record, not what other people might do or think or what 'should' we do but what we 'want' to do and I think it comes through in the record.
P: It does come through and Nick has done great work with you guys before but that's why I asked if he mixed it as well. I know in the past you have worked with him and maybe Brendan has mixed it. But man he doesn't need to prove any more to anybody. It sounds massive.
D: We kind of needed a captain of the ship and he stepped into the role seamlessly.
P: Was there a sense that this was kind of a reunion after working with Rob and Doug on 'Dream Days'? I guess what I mean is after stepping away with someone you had worked with a few times. Then 'Dream Days' having maybe a slightly complicated birth with a new producer, was the choice of Nick like something you knew works and comfortable with and excited about?
D: It was a move we felt good about straight away. With the last record working overseas with someone we'd never met, or didn't know at all. It was purposely done that way. Let's put ourselves out of our usual environment, step into work with someone who we don't know how they will interpret the songs. They don't know the band's history. That's great… let's see what happens. That had its results. It is what it is. It made the decision this time to record at home and get Nick back very easy. It felt natural and we all agreed straight away.
P: And working in Byron as well…
D: Yeah it's a pretty tough place to work Byron, looking at the sea in the morning.
P: Pretty different to LA that's for sure.
D: Did you mix at Sunset Sound?
P: No, we mixed at a place called Senora Recorders. I love that place, one of the coolest studios I've ever been in. Not a big place but they have the sweetest collection of gear. They have a beautiful old API console, the same as they have in Sunset Studio where we have recorded before but it's a custom old cream coloured API.
D: Stop it, you're getting me excited! I was going to ask .. why track with Wayne (Connolly) and mix with Doug (Boehm)? Was that a conscious decision?
P: I wanted to track the record really simply and I also didn't want to do it in a studio. I wanted to do it in a house or garage somewhere, a bit more ramshackled and hands on. I needed someone who was a solid engineer and could handle the challenges of recording in a bungalow. Wayne is such an awesome engineer and audiophile. Look, I wrote the whole thing myself. It was always a solitary thing. It was just me in a room and I wanted that to continue through the recording. I didn't want to be in a studio with people running around. I wanted to continue the atmosphere of me writing the songs with a bunch of crap lying around. So that's what we did. We found a bungalow on the central coast and it was just another room with a bunch of crap lying around. Wayne and I just cobbled the record together in there. This is a really long winded answer but the other thing about the recording was that I just piled the ideas on there, I kept recording ideas. So the mix was a really crucial stage in pulling things out and whittling things down. So I wanted to do that with someone who wasn't involved in the recording process.
D: Someone who was detached?
P: Exactly. Someone who wasn't afraid to say, I don't know why that guitar is there. I don't think you need that keyboard part, blah, blah, blah. Doug was great for that. You know him yourself, he's a total straight shooter. So what's happening with you guys now, are you in rehearsals?
D: We are rehearsing a couple of days a week just to keep things alive, so we don't lose our chops. We have the second video coming up. We're doing Homebake and I'm glad to hear you'll be on Homebake too this year. Last time we spoke you weren't sure or you wouldn't tell me. One of the two!
P: One of the two (laughs).
D: Next year we'll get busy. I am looking forward to playing this new record. We've already said, when we do our set list for next year, let's try to do as much of this new record as we can. We've started rehearsing some of the old songs and giving them a little bit of a reinterpretation, along the vibe of this new album with synths, keyboards. We always try to keep it fresh for us as well the people who have seen us a few times.
P: Are you bringing along a sixth member?
D: We will, probably Lachlan Doley who played keys on the Silverchair tour.
P: So it's Homebake, Big Day Out?
D: We have a Q150 gig here in Brisbane, then Homebake, Big Day Out. We'll probably head overseas in April, over to the UK then back here. We're heading to South Africa for the World Cup Soccer.
P: Wow, that's awesome!
D: How much more touring do you have for this album?
P: I want to tour right through next year. Something For Kate has been jamming for the last week and writing new stuff but we don't intend going into the studio until the end of next year. So basically I intend to tour this record next year and go overseas as well.
D: One thing I did want to talk about with your record, there's something different sonically with your voice. Not so much in volume, that's up there in the mix but the way it is treated. I don't know if there's a lot of slap delay or double tracked in spots?
P: That was something I decided fairly early on . I have never double tracked a vocal, never liked the sound of it. When I was demoing the songs I tried it a couple of times and I was into it so that is what you are hearing. I pretty much double tracked every song, then in the mixing brought it in and out in places where we thought it was a nice touch, otherwise we left it out. So yes, double tracking and I've never done it before and it gives everything a new sound.
D: It doesn't work for everyone. Some peoples voices it really suits, Elliot Smith it worked great for and obviously John Lennon when he started slap delaying and double tracking. I really liked what it did for the sound of the record for you.
P: I'm into it, a bit addicted to it now. A lot of people when they heard the first single thought oh my god what have they done to his voice. They panicked a bit. When you hear the whole album… it gives the album a feel.
D: It ties a lot of it together, like a common thread. You go from more rockin' stuff and acoustic stuff but it remains as a thread. Sonically, it influences how you feel about a record, the sonics of the recording.
P: The reason I hadn't double tracked before is because I always thought if you have the lead vocal and added another to it that it would somehow reduce the intimacy or honesty of the lead vocal but now I think the opposite. You're right it doesn't work for everyone, but when it does work, I think it makes it feel more intimate. There are tiny differences between the two vocal performances which create this fragility. Is it something Bernard has ever done? I mean you can't really hear it. You hear different reverbs and delays stuff but his voice just sounds fantastic on this record.
D: Yeah he's a strong singer, and you're a strong singer too as in volume and character of voice. Bern has done a little bit of it. We did a Portishead song for a cover album and I had him double track that because it was a really gentle thing. His voice does sound great double tracked in a more gentle environment. The fragility of Bern's voice really becomes accentuated when you double it when he sings in that softer register but generally he is a powerhouse singer who doesn't need too much support in that sense. It's different for different singers.
P: I love the opening of your record. Straight away there's the weird synthy stuff and weird guitar sounds then Bern comes in really deep in his Bowie register and you think, this sounds different already.
D: I did have one last question. Tam and I were wondering when you think you might be able to come to our house and give us a private concert?
P: (Laughs) Anytime I am in Brisbane. I don't know if it would be me giving you a performance but I like the idea of sitting around with a couple of guitars and a bottle of wine.
D: We'll lock it in for next year.
Tagged darren middleton, paul dempsey, powderfinger
THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS: HAVE JAZZMASTER WILL TOUR
SIX QUIX WITH DESMOND CHEESE
HARTS IS ULTRA EXCITED
NICK LOWE: AUSTRALIAN TOUR INTERVIEW
SIX QUIX WITH PORT ROYAL
About Australian Musician
Melbourne Guitar Show

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Magsaysay, officially the Municipality of Magsaysay (; ), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Misamis Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 36,803 people.

Magsaysay was formerly known as Linugos. It acquired its current name in 1957.

Geography

Barangays
Magsaysay is politically subdivided into 25 barangays.

Climate

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental, was 36,803 people, with a density of .

Economy

Tourism
The Divine Mercy Monument was built December 2018 at the top of the hill in the barangay of Kibungsod and was inaugurated and blessed. It is the second monument of the province 10 years after the inauguration of Divine Mercy Shrine in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental since 2008.

See also
List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines

References

External links
 [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
Philippine Census Information
Local Governance Performance Management System

Municipalities of Misamis Oriental

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


« Who doesn't love Flutterbys aka Butterflies?
OMG what can I say! These pics just crack me up everytime I see them, thought it was about time I put them on a page. This is my lovely little Ellen when she was 2 yo, man o man, the girl was a cack this day running feral through the vege garden, most determined to catch that chicken!
I'm surprised the chooks were still laying after this, it was truly hilarious to watch.
This entry was posted on February 21, 2009 at 4:15 am and is filed under Uncategorized.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
Q: Do you get different powers by being good or evil? I'm new to the game and am not sure which way to align myself.  What happens differently in the game if I'm evil than if I'm good?  Any information will be helpful.

A: There are quite a few differences in your available powers depending on how you play. You can find them listed in this FAQ, section [bc03].
Most of your core powers  will be more or less the same, but the upgrades you can unlock for them have different karmatic requirements. From the FAQ:

Buying upgrades for powers requires you have the necessary XP, as well
  as the karmic rank for it. For example, Shockwave Upgrade 2 asks for
  1800 XP, but you also need to be Champion (Good) or Outlaw (Evil) rank
  in your Karma to get it.

There are two powers unique to each playstyle, which you unlock by completing good or evil side-missions. Look for [Overload Burst] and [Arc Lightning] in the FAQ.
Generally speaking, being evil makes you more of a damage dealer (mainly due to increased splash damage with many of your powers), while being good allows you more precise control of what it is that you damage.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The U.S. government, including the White House, Congress, and relevant federal agencies, should engage in global health assistance in the domains of family planning, maternal and child health, and HIV and AIDS in ways that promote sexual and reproductive health and rights around the world. Data and documentation supporting these actions should be reasonably accessible to the public.
This is an average of the actor scores.
The U.S. Government received an 86.8 B for HIV and AIDS, which reflects some negative impact from the Global Gag Rule, and low transparency in some agencies across policy and funding data. However, in spite of these negative actions, funding for HIV and AIDS-related government work remained higher than in other domains.
The U.S. Government received a 78 (C+) for Maternal and Child Health because it has relatively low transparency on policy and funding data related to maternal and child health and relatively lower FY18 budget requests by the White House and Congress this year.
The U.S. Government received a 65.1 (D) for Family Planning primarily because of the negative impact of the Global Gag Rule and the White House defunding of UNFPA. Harmful legislation like the Helms Amendment is also still in effect.
The U.S. Government received a 76.7 (C) overall this year for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, primarily due to the negative impact of the Global Gag Rule, the White House defunding of UNFPA, and low transparency of data across agencies in some key SRHR domains.


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Author Interview for Dead Money Run
I'm hosting an interview today for "Dead Money Run" by J. Frank James. Welcome to my blog!
1) How long have you been writing?
In college I was a reporter and photographer for the Gainesville Sun while a student at the University of Florida. That was in 1964 thru 1966. Several of my stories were picked up by the AP.
In law school I was a member of the law review and I was published there as well.
As a published writer of fiction, I began in 2003 and published my first book in August of 2013. Since then I have written 10 books and I have published 6 books.
2) What is your favorite genre to write? Action-Adventure, Crime Thrillers. This that can race a reader's heart.
3) Which genre have you never tried before, but would you like to try out? My plan is to work in four genres. One being crime thrillers with Lou Malloy. Number two is more in the crime detective area with a new character that I have coming out named Indigo Marsh. Number three is westerns and number four is more in the mystery and suspense format. I have four western books in the planning stage and four mystery and suspense.
4) Please tell us about your book.
My second book, Dead Money Run, is a follow up sequel to a novella that introduced Lou Malloy. That first book was titled Lou Malloy: The Run Begins. This was a lead in to Lou's life of crime solving. Actually, Lou Malloy uses his criminal propensities to turn the tables on criminals. Dead Money Run (DMR) picks up after Malloy maxes out on a 15 year federal prison sentence for stealing $15 million dollars from a Indian Casino. DMR follows Lou as he looks for his sister's killer who was killed while he was in prison and tracks his effort to prevent other criminals from stealing his money. This book also introduces Hilary Kelly and Crusher Barnes who form part of Lou's inner group of trusted associates.
5) Which character was your favorite, and why?
I like them all or the character wouldn't be in one of my books. I like Lou because he is a man of action. Has a strict eye for an eye code that he doesn't waiver on. Prison taught him a lot, but most of all it taught him things to do to survive. I like Hilary because she takes the rough edges off of Lou. She loves Lou and is totally committed to the plan. However, she is her own person and not afraid to speak her mind. Crusher is an ex-con and a friend of Lou's who served his sentence next to Lou's cell at the Atlanta Penitentiary. A former all-pro wrestler, Crusher brings a refreshing view point to things when needed.
Which character was your least favorite, and why? There are none. I like them all, good and bad.
6) What was the hardest part about writing your book?
I am a self-published author. I am also a sold artist. Hence, I do all my own book covers. Getting the mechanics of publishing a book in order can be a taxing experience. The writing part of a book is easy for me. As you can see, I have written a lot of books since I published my first one.
7) What is your writing routine?
One of my failures as a writer is that I tend not to be too disciplined. In addition to being a writer, I am still a consultant in a previous business that is ongoing. That takes a lot of my time. Generally I write when I can at all hours of the day and night. So I really don't have a routine. Probably never will either.
Are there things you absolutely need to start writing? No, just write another book.
8) How long did it take you to write your book from start to finish? Two months.
9) Can you tell us about your editing process? I don't have one. I just let my editor do that. I write and she edits.
10) Is this book part of a series? Yes.
If so, how many installments do you have planned? 20
11) Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
This is always a difficult question to answer. A lot of writers I am sure read how other successful writers ply their trade. Often they find that one size does not fit all. I start with a set of ideas and then I build my main characters around that idea and, like building a block wall, I fill in with other characters develop the plot. Most if not all my books are character driven. I write fiction. That said, my advice is to write and keep writing. Don't worry about what it looks like or what someone will think. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was letting someone read one of my first books and they killed it and my sense pf enthusiasm. Someone criticizes your book, thank them and keep on trucking. Remember, the more no's you get the closer you get to a yes.
12) Why should everyone read your book?
Dead Money Run is an easy read and one that will amuse a reader. It is not going to make a social statement. I leave those to the reviewers. My book will relax a reader and project the reader into the story.
13) If you could meet three authors, dead or alive, which authors would you choose?
Ernest Hemmingway
14) What inspired you to write your book?
I have no idea. I suppose I was out of a desire to express myself.
15) Are you working on something at the moment?
i. If so, can you tell us more about it? I am in the process of finishing a book that will introduce a new character named Indigo Marsh. Indigo is more of a Philip Marlowe or an Elmore Leonard character. He can be vicious and he can be a pushover.
There are currently 4 books in the Lou Malloy Crime Series by J. Frank James: The Run Begins, Dead Money Run, Only Two Cats, and Blue Cat In Paradise.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Frank-James/e/B00EJLQRI0
The Run Begins is the prequel to the Lou Malloy Crime Series:
Lou Malloy is 18 years old and ready for the world… but is the world ready for him? His brother Sam has left and his sister wants to move to Florida with the family. Malloy is having none of it and on a wild moment decides to hop on a rail car, unsure of where he is going. The important thing is that he will no longer be in Kansas, but the problem is that he doesn't have any money. Henry Lowe, who is in the same rail car, offers Malloy the deal of a lifetime… All he has to do is help Lowe rob a casino in Georgia. With the promise of a big payday, Malloy throws in with the scheme and seals his fate forever.
What starts off as a quick way for Malloy to get a share of $15 million turns into a run for his life. Malloy learns the hard way that nothing comes easy when you're alone and your life is about change forever…
Read how Malloy survives against all odds in J. Frank James's next Lou Malloy novel Dead Money Run.
Dead Money Run is the first book in the Lou Malloy Crime Series.
Reviewed by BestThrillers.com:
On the day Lou Malloy is to be released from prison, the warden calls him for a private meeting. "Ten percent of fifteen million is a lot of money," the warden tells him. He's probing Lou for the whereabouts of the $15M that was stolen from a casino 15 years earlier. Lou, however, doesn't bite. He's got big plans, which include finding the person who killed his sister while he was in the joint.
Enter Hilary Kelly, a 20-something beauty who gives Lou a motorcycle ride from the bus station. She claims to be a student, but Lou is far too wise to fall for it. After crashing in Hilary's trailer, Lou soon finds her .38 Smith and Wesson and discovers she's a private investigator who knows something about his sister.
Hilary a great character, and loaded with memorable lines: "Lou, sometimes you can be the nicest killer I have ever known." Alas, she and Lou were made for each other – he likes to think of himself as a "compassionate killer."
Fans of James Ellroy and Elmore Leonard are going to love James' ingenious capers, devious characters and wry humor. The entire book goes down like a strong yet smooth shot of bourbon.
Will Lou reclaim his money, or will he be lured into one last big score? And who killed his sister, anyhow? To James' credit, the answers will surprise you. This is one crime novel well-worth finishing.
J. Frank James is the author of crime thriller novels. His crime fiction books are gripping and suspenseful with readers being unable to put them down once they get into them. Jim has a passion for writing, and he certainly has the knowledge and experience to write realistic crime thriller novels, thanks to his extensive background in law. Jim attended law school, where he was a member of the law review. He even went on to pass the state bar and started his own law practice that specialized in complex litigation.
Jim's experience in law helps lend credibility to his crime fiction books. Not only that, Jim has traveled extensively and gains inspiration for his crime thriller novels from his travels. Some of the countries that Jim has visited include Peru, Brazil, Italy, Greece and countless others. From observing other cultures and gaining new experiences, Jim is able to infuse new life into his books and develop believable characters that readers can identify with.
At present, Jim has published four crime thriller novels in the Lou Malloy Crime Series: The Run Begins, Dead Money Run, Only Two Cats, and Blue Cat In Paradise. They offer the readers just enough information to keep them guessing and trying to solve the crimes until the end of the books when they are actually revealed. Jim's books are also fresh and unique takes on crime as well, though. They are not the same whodunit type books that have been done over and over again. By infusing his personal travels into his books, Jim creates characters and atmospheres based on just enough truth to be relatable.
Jim's books have everything in them from robbery to prison to family. They have hard and soft elements simultaneously to really capture the life of a hardened criminal who is still very human and struggles with the same emotions as the rest of society. At the same time, Jim gives the reader perspectives from private investigators to balance out the story.
Jim's books even have a hit of romance when his characters come to care for each other as more than just friends. Then, crime and love mixes to create a dynamic atmosphere that is even more complicated than ever before since characters care not only for each other but for their other family members as well. Jim has an amazing way of incorporating various elements into his latest crime novels to create thrillers that readers cannot get enough of, which is perhaps why all four of his books so far carry on one from the other to continue the same story concerning the hardened criminal who did 15 years in prison, Lou Malloy and who comes to be his partner, private investigator, Hilary Kelly. The two of them go it together to create gripping stories that keep readers coming back for more.
To learn more, go to http://www.jfrankjamesbooks.com/
Connect with J. Frank James on Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.
Filed Under: Author Interviews


CHELMSFORD, Ont. – The Rayside-Balfour Canadians picked up a second straight solid playoff start from goaltender David Bowen as his 35-save shutout backstopped his club to a 1-0 victory over the Soo Eagles Sunday in Game 2 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League West Division semifinal at Chelmsford Arena.
With the outcome, Rayside-Balfour now leads the best-of-seven affair 2-0 heading into Game 3 Thursday at 7 p.m. at Pullar Stadium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Like Game 1 on Saturday, Sunday's match-up was another netminder's duel between Bowen and Shane Brancato of the Eagles.
Neither team would convert offensively after 40 minutes as the game was scoreless through two periods of play.
Picking up an early power play in the third, the Canadians capitalized at the 42-second mark with Benjamin Hatanaka notching the night's only tally, which was also the game-winner.
Bowen did the rest as he has now saved 66 of the first 67 shots he has seen so far in the series.
Brancato has also been sharp for Sault Ste. Marie having allowed only three against on 72 attempts through two postseason outings.


text:
Towed video footage of the seafloor at Kilcunda to McLoughlins
Rattray, Alex 2011, Towed video footage of the seafloor at Kilcunda to McLoughlins [data collection], doi: 10.26187/5e9fd20c70cc2.
lidar-kilcunda-mcloughlins-t124-opt.mp4 lidar-kilcunda-mcloughlins-t124-opt.mp4 video/mp4 36.68MB 0
lidar-kilcunda-mcloughlins-t130-opt.mp4 lidar-kilcunda-mcloughlins-t130-opt.mp4 video/mp4 130.82MB 0
lidar-kilcunda-mcloughlins-t132-138-opt.mp4 lidar-kilcunda-mcloughlins-t132-138-opt.mp4 video/mp4 56.10MB 0
050202 Conservation and Biodiversity
040699 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience not elsewhere classified
060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology)
960503 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Coastal and Estuarine Environments
Type of research activity
Name of data collection
Rattray, Alex orcid.org/0000-0002-8591-6688
Ierodiaconou, Daniel orcid.org/0000-0002-7832-4801
Related institution(s)
Date completed
ANDS collection type
Collection start date
Collection end date
Description of resource
14 x MP4 files digitised from miniDV tapes
Marine habitats
MBES
BRUVs
Towed Video
Benthic habitat mapping - Kilcunda, Vic.
Marine Protected areas - Kilcunda, Vic.
Seafloor morphology - Kilcunda, Vic.
Underwater surveys - Kilcunda, Vic.
Field surveys - Kilcunda, Vic.
Benthic habitat mapping - McLoughlins Beach, Vic.
Marine Protected areas - McLoughlins Beach, Vic.
Seafloor morphology - McLoughlins Beach, Vic.
Underwater surveys - McLoughlins Beach, Vic.
Field surveys - McLoughlins Beach, Vic.
Benthic habitat mapping - Port Phillip Bay, Vic.
Marine Protected areas - Port Phillip Bay, Vic.
Seafloor morphology - Port Phillip Bay, Vic.
Underwater surveys - Port Phillip Bay, Vic.
Field surveys - Port Phillip Bay, Vic.
Geographic area (subject)
Kilcunda, Vic.
McLoughlins Beach, Vic.
Gippsland, Vic.
Observation data (towed video, BRUVs) collected in Victorian state waters at Kilcunda to McLoughlins.
This footage was collected by researchers from Deakin University, Victorian Department of Primary Industries - Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute (MAFRI) and Parks Victoria.
The original footage has been converted from various formats including VHS and MiniDV to digital format, with funds supplied by Deakin University Library. Please note that the metadata used to describe each video is gradually being improved so that it includes additional information about each expedition.
Underwater footage gathered from other geographical locations around Victoria from the Victorian Marine Habitat Mapping Program can be accessed via the links featured at the bottom of this record.
File notes:
lidar-kilcunda-mcloughlins-t136-139.mp4: Label on spine of tape reads: "Lidar Mapping Kilcunda to McLoughlins KMcLT16,13,14 7/4/11". These numbers have been crossed out on paper sleeve inside case and substituted for numbers in title.
Contact details (email)
daniel.ierodiaconou@deakin.edu.au
Contact details (physical)
Daniel Ierodiaconou, Deakin University
©2011, Alex Rattray
Use rights
DU:30096924
10.26187/5e9fd20c70cc2
Link to Related Work
Victorian marine habitat collection Data Collection (deposited 11-11-2016)
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text:
Interview: ORIGINALS… John Acquaviva
Few individuals have played as significant a role in the development of the modern DJ as John Acquaviva.
As well as establishing seminal labels such as Plus 8 Recordings and Definitive in the 1990s (alongside Richie Hawtin, his long-term business partner), the Italian-Canadian went on to play a crucial role in the development of Final Scratch – a technology since developed further by Rane Serato and Native Instruments' Traktor – as well as being a founding member of Beatport.
More recently, Acquaviva has headed up Plus 8 Equity Partners, a venture capital firm to support emerging music technology firms. Somehow, he's also found the time to be a jobbing DJ as well (at least until the pandemic struck), with a seven-hour back to back with Mute Records' Daniel Miller back in 2016 at the top of our wishlist should time travel be invented anytime soon.
As part of our ORIGINALS series of interviews, we caught up with him.
Hi John, thanks for talking to us. Let's begin at the beginning – you were born in Italy, and then your family moved to Canada?
My upbringing was bleak by today's standards and very frugal, as the lives of many immigrants tend to be.
We came from the South of Italy, and there was and still is very little room for opportunity for parents and normal families. When I was four years old, I moved to Thunder Bay in Northern Ontario, and then a year later to London, Ontario, where I grew up.
When I was young, I wasn't sure what I wanted to be, but it turned out that I was good in school, so I vacillated around whatever an education could provide for me – most likely in maths. Although I loved history, I had already realised that it would be a challenge to make a living from it, perhaps.
How did you first fall in love with music?
Buying records in the 70s – each one was a boost of energy and inspiration.
One of the first and only jobs I had was as a porter at the Ramada Inn Hotel. They had a disco that would have live bands play when they were coming through from Detroit to Toronto and Montreal.
One of the highlights was when Kool and the Gang came, and when I finally saw and experienced the energy of disco and these bands, I was hooked.
I was also able to have access to Technics 1200, which really allowed what was a lifelong hobby of DJing at school parties to blossom.
So you got into DJing at quite an early stage, then? What was the club scene like back then?
DJing was always a love of mine. I would bring the records I owned to all my school parties and then just kept playing music at any events I could – school, and then house parties.
The club scene was incredible and I was able to experience it as a teenager at the end of the 70s thanks to my job at the hotel. Then, being friends with the DJs, I was able to sneak into the other discos… even though I was underage.
With my DJ success, I bought a studio and started working on music.
You ran a short-lived label called Flavor Records in the late 80s, which put out music by local hip hop artists?
In the mid 80s, I was still playing a lot of soul and funk, which then started to become hip hop. So I worked a lot in this area.
Before going to Detroit, I was hanging in Buffalo and met lots of artists and recorded lots of them, including Scott Down.
What were the circumstances that led you to meet Richie Hawtin?
Back in 1989 I was playing a lot of techno, and one day I decided to drive to Buffalo. It was the same distance as Detroit, so I just drove the other way and went shopping for the records I loved. I hoped to meet people along the way.
Do you remember the conversation that led to the creation of Plus 8 Recordings in 1990?
I was already using the name 'J'Acquaviva+8' in my hip-hop focused days. We were also playing our records fast – I was playing at +8, much to my pleasure when i finally heard the 'Wizard' – Jeff Mills – play. So, what better way to push the parameters of techno and electronic music than to name the label Plus 8, which was the way to push the Technics 1200 to its limit.
The intention was to be part of the techno wave coming out of Detroit. Eventually we took a more global perspective when we added artists like Speedy J from Rotterdam and Ken Ishii from Japan.
With the LP 'From Our Minds to Yours', which we released in 1991, we really wanted to make a statement.
You followed up Plus 8 with the launch of the Probe and Definitive soon afterwards? Why did you decide to launch these additional labels? Do you think you took too much on?
At the core, it was to show we were more than one dimensional. Music is like food… you need a well balanced diet.
I'm proud to say we dropped none of the balls we juggled.
You're closely associated with the development of Final Scratch, which kick started a revolution in how DJs perform even to this day. When did you discover that?
There was a buzz about this idea in the late 90s, so I tracked it down. Once i touched the initial prototype, I was sold on the future – even though I owned a pressing plant for vinyl.
What role did you play in the creation of Beatport?
I was a founder and brought together the international parts as well, such as inviting Native Instruments and of course Richie Hawtin to the table.
Why did you decide to launch Plus 8 Equity Partners – what was the thinking behind that project, and how has it evolved?
It's the natural evolution of all that we have done and also the times we live in. Music has a thriving ecosystem and we are here to invest and continue to grow it.
What sort of dance/electronic music industry will emerge once the pandemic has subsided, do you think?
It's hard to predict or elaborate as we are so deep into so many things… many of which are top secret! 🙂
[Thanks to John for talking to us. More information on his current projects can be found at john-acquaviva.com, while information about Plus 8 Equity Partners can be found at plus8equity.com. Photos by Sven Marquardt]
Tags: John Acquaviva, Plus 8, Richie Hawtin
Previous 909originals chats to Harry Sword about his new book on the history of drone, Monolithic Undertow
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Ihave brought from the land of ancient sages to the modern man of this new world," he said, "a simple technique of living in peace and happines... My life truly began 19 years ago at the feet of my Master when I learned the secret of swift and deep meditation, a secret I now impart to the world."
The secret of how to enter this state of bliss was Transcendental Meditation (TM), a technique to still the mind by repeating a single-syllable mantra to oneself two times each day for 20 minutes. His "Three Year Plan," as he called it, for the world's spiritual regeneration would require the training of 25,000 TM teachers and the opening of a like number of meditation centers. This was not pie in the sky. He had done his calculations. He had considered the size of the world's population, and how many people would be needed to meditate per day, per month and per year; and how many would need to be empowered to initiate others; and how many candidates the new initiators would need to handle per week, per month and per year; and what percentage of these must in turn be made initiators—and three years was all it would take. It was perfectly logical.
The next day, however, when Maharishi opened the local paper's report on his press conference he received a brutal shock—"Cruel...!" he exclaimed. "I feel like running away, back home. This seems to be a strange country. Values are different here." A reporter had called TM a "non-medicinal tranquilizer."
Nevertheless, always looking forward, always moving into the future, Maharishi persevered. In the ensuing months, though he gave countless talks and mantra initiations, it was to little effect as far as numbers were concerned—1959 was several years too early. That December Maharishi left America to continue his world tour. Arriving in England, he took up residence at No. 2 Prince Albert Road, London. Like their American cousins, the English, educated in the intellectual tradition of Locke and Hume, didn't know quite what to make of this small Hindu ardently proclaiming he had the secret to human life on earth, that the practice of TM would create a virtual heaven on earth.
We belong to the realistic age of science. Let us be sure that all we strive for and achieve remains realistic. Our age of scientific unfoldment does not give credence to anything shrouded in the garb of mysticism. Let us realize the Absolute Being through a scientific and systematic method of achievement whose every achievement will be supplemented by the personal experience.
Origin of The Fourth Way?
In speaking of mantra as a practical technique, not part of a religious practice or tradition, he had finally positioned it in the right context. In particular, what he said spoke directly to two men who were to be of inestimable help. Both were Fourth Way people of the Ouspensky line. One, Leonardo McLaren, was founder and president of the School of Economic Science. The other, Dr. Francis Roles, a noted lung specialist, had been a pupil of Ouspensky's since 1924. Following his teacher's death in 1947, Roles had taken over the English groups, now known as the Society for the Study of Normal Man.
Roles, normally a cautious and careful man, apparently believing TM and The Fourth Way might originate from the same sources, thought the two teachings might be combined, the one for being, the other for knowledge. And so at a large meeting at Colet House, where Ouspensky had taught, Roles, amid flowers, incense and Sanskrit invocations, introduced his students to the diminutive bright-eyed monk. Almost immediately students broke into two camps, those interested in Maharishi and those who believed that the teaching should be kept pure.
For his part, Maharishi was not so much impressed with Roles—who felt himself on the same level as Maharishi—as with his students. Businesslike, disciplined and efficient, many obviously with money and therefore valuable contacts—these were people who could get things done in the world. Keeping private his assessment of Roles, Maharishi flattered the doctor and gave him the power to initiate others in TM.
Roles wasted no time in taking charge at No. 2 Prince Albert Road, telling the flower children—"There are a good many people here whom we don't want to see any longer." The oriental style booklets and leaflets were trashed and replaced with modern, up-to-date literature. Legal help was arranged for, accountants employed, a bank account opened and a name created, The Spiritual Regeneration Movement of Great Britain.
While his movement was getting a makeover, Maharishi continued his world tour. When he returned to London, he told Roles and McLaren he wanted to bring together all the world's TMers by convening the First World Assembly of the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. And so in March 1961, with Roles' and McLaren's manpower providing the necessary oversight and organization, Maharishi spoke to a capacity crowd of 5,000 at the Royal Albert Hall. His basic themes remained the same but only more modern sounding. Namely, that it was unnecessary for a householder to practice renunciation for realization, as that practice "is unnatural for him, antagonistic to his nature and opposed to his way of life"; that in order to experience a state of nonattachment, the householder must first be able to transcend thought, and TM offered this direct and easy technique. Declared Maharishi, "TM is no promise of Heaven after death. Here is the positive experience of 'Heavenly Bliss' during lifetime."
I saw at once that he was what our first teacher, Mr. Ouspensky, had described to me and shown me: a man who remembered himself. On the shore of the Ganges, to my astonishment, I heard him saying what I'd never known anybody else in the world to say, except Mr. Ouspensky : "Our whole trouble is that we do not remember ourselves."
On his return to London Roles announced to his students he had made a link with "the greater master." Letters of spiritual instruction would be regularly coming from his new master. All contact therefore between Roles' students and the Spiritual Regeneration Movement was forbidden.
[Maharishi] made a vigorous attempt to turn the powerful Englishman with all the resources and money back his way. For all his skill, his undoubted hypnotic and telepathic power, he could not do so. Those who were there reported seeing an expression of naked anger on the face of Maharishi when he finally realized he had failed to impose his will on a man whom he clearly regarded as being in all ways his inferior. "He looked frighteningly human, not like a Holy Man at all," someone told me.
Yes, the technique [we use] is exactly the same as TM, for my friends and I were taught it by Maharishi himself in 1960.... The difference lies only in the fact that we have been encouraged to make it a very private individual affair; our own 'love affair' with our Creator.
Maharishi gave me the impression of being a man who knows. People such as Francis Roles were only men who had been taught something and believed it—a very different thing.... There seemed absolute honesty of intent. But there was something very unrealistic in the aim [the spiritual regeneration of the world] and his complete belief in it as a real possibility was strange. It seemed inevitable that the world would sully him.
The Vedas' concern is with the three gunas. Be without the three gunas, O Arjuna, freed from duality, ever firm in purity, independent of possessions, possessed of the Self.
Arjuna's main problem was to reconcile love of kinsmen with the necessity to root out evil.... The Lord makes clear to Arjuna that all influences of the outside world and their consequences as well, will cling to him and affect him so long as he is out of himself, so long as he allows himself to remain in the sphere of relativity and under its influence. Once out of that sphere, he will find fulfillment in his own Self. When the Lord says: "Be without the three gunas" he means that Arjuna should bring his attention from the gross planes of experience, through the subtle planes and thus to the subtlest plane of experience; transcending even that subtlest plane, he will be completely out of the relative field of life, out of the three gunas. So the Lord's words: "Be without the three gunas," reveal the secret of arriving at the state of pure consciousness.
Working so closely with Maharishi, Collin-Smith soon discovered "He had a highly intelligent mind, a retentive memory, and that he held a dozen projects in his mind at once and was continually mentally on the move. He was gregarious, talkative, unpunctual and with a smiling charm and a happy laugh that won forgiveness again and again for work done, and put aside and redone by someone else, and then thrown away all together after hours and days of effort."


Thankfully there is an easy fix without hacking individual activities. Put the parent Work Item (Change or Service Request) On Hold, then wait for all child activities to also take the On Hold status, then change the parent Work Item status to In Progress.
This can be achieved manually through the console, or via PowerShell.


Monday – Thursday, 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. and Friday – Sunday, 11 p.m. – 8 a.m.
Monday – Thursday, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and Friday – Sunday, 11 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Drivers are asked to be alert and use caution as they navigate the work zone. Work zone signs and barrels will guide motorists through the work zone.
Periodic single lane closures may be needed at this location and will vary at times. Crews will monitor traffic conditions and will avoid peak travel times to minimize traffic impacts.
Work is underway to build three additional lanes of I-95 southbound in the existing median. The new general purpose lanes will begin just north of Route 17 and end just south of Route 3 in Spotsylvania County. The three new lanes will be for through traffic or drivers traveling to points south of Fredericksburg.
The existing three southbound lanes will be dedicated to local traffic traveling from Exit 133/Route 17 to Exit 130/Route 3. Signs will help drivers distinguish the difference between the local lanes and the through traffic lanes.
Construction will begin on a new bridge over the Rappahannock River later this month. The new bridge will be parallel to the existing southbound I-95 bridge and carry the new general purpose lanes. As part of the $132 million project, crews will be modifying several of the I-95 on- and off-ramps at Exit 133 and replace the I-95 overpasses of Route 17.
Workers began construction in August 2018 and expect to be complete by May 2022.
For additional information on the project, please visit www.Improve95.org .


Our weather forecast for Plymouth in Devon is split into two widgets. The first shows a timeline containing temperature, wind, sunrise/sunset and chance of rain, whilst the second shows the forecast for the week ahead including severe weather alerts when available.
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery was built in 1907-10 by Thornely and Rooke in Edwardian Baroque style. The Museum has collections of fine and decorative arts, natural history and human history.
The commemorative plaque on the north wall reads: Charles Church Built 1641, Consecrated 1665, Completed 1708. Named in honour of King Charles I. Ruined by enemy action, 21 March 1941. Partially restored 1952, by the City, in co-operation with the Ministry of Work. The idea of restoration having been sponsored by the Old Plymouth society, as a memorial to those citizens of Plymouth who were killed in air-raids on the city in the 1939–45 War.
The Gog and Magog is a Wetherspoon pub in Plymouth, Devon. Our pub offers a range of real ales, craft beers and freshly ground Lavazza coffee. Breakfast is served until noon, with our full food menu available until 11 pm.
The Union Rooms is a Wetherspoon pub in Plymouth, Devon. Our pub offers a range of real ales, craft beers and freshly ground Lavazza coffee. Breakfast is served until noon, with our full food menu available until 11 pm.
The Plymouth National Maritime Aquarium is the UK's largest aquarium and be amazed at our fascinating underwater world and how we all play a part in conserving it. Your journey will take you across the world's oceans from the shores of Plymouth to the coral reefs of the tropics. Our hosts deliver an action packed talk schedule, including the not to be missed our interactive dive daily show.
The Mayflower Steps are from which the Pilgrim Fathers are believed to have finally left England aboard the Mayflower on 6 September 1620. The traditional site of their disembarkation in North America is Plymouth Rock.
The Royal Citadel in Plymouth, was built in the late 1660s to the design of Sir Bernard de Gomme. It is at the eastern end of Plymouth Hoe overlooking Plymouth Sound, and encompasses the site of the earlier fort that had been built in the time of Sir Francis Drake.
Smeaton's Tower is the third and most notable Eddystone Lighthouse built in 1759. It marked a major step forward in the design of lighthouses. The lighthouse was in use until 1877, whern it was dismantled and rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe in the city of Plymouth, where it now stands as a memorial to its designer, John Smeaton, the celebrated civil engineer.
Plymouth Hoe (East) beach has a small pebble section with rocks below Plymouth Hoe low limestone cliffs. The Hoe is a large south facing open public space including a statue of Sir Francis Drake with magnificent views of Plymouth Sound, Drake's Island, and across the Hamoaze to Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon word Hoe, a sloping ridge shaped like an inverted foot and heel. Parking, toilets, food We have no dog information for Plymouth Hoe East beach.
Tinside Pool is a great example of an Art Deco lido. Built in 1935 it looks out over Plymouth Sound and is overlooked by Plymouth Hoe and Smeaton's Tower. The lido is a semicircle of 55 metres diameter (180 feet). There is a central fountain and two smaller side fountains. The lido is floodlit at night. Sun loungers and deckchairs are available for hire. The lido is open in the summer months.


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Watch Dr. Maryam Zamani on how to use and benefits of Replenish & Restore.


WITHOUT THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE, GIG ECONOMY WORKERS RISK EXPLOITATION. BUT ORGANIZING 21ST CENTURY WORKERS IS NO EASY FEAT.
At first glance, the idea of a gig economy labor movement seems like a contradiction in terms. Uber drivers aren't legally employees, so they don't have the right to organize with the protections and bargaining privileges that most labor unions have.
That hasn't stopped them from organizing.
Drivers who work on Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar have started "App-Based Drivers Associations" in at least two states. The California branch teamed up with local Teamsters in August for "organizational and lobbying assistance," and in September, after Uber drivers in New York created a Facebook Page called Uber Drivers Network NYC, some of them went on strike over Uber fare cuts.
All of these efforts, however, get dragged down by a simple reality of the gig economy: tactics used by trade unions to win better working conditions in decades past are hard to implement when your work is doled out through an app.
Uber worker organizers also called for a "global day of protest" in October, during which it urged drivers to turn their phones off for a three-hour period. But when that day came around, the app, according to Mashable, still showed plenty of available vehicles in New York and San Francisco.
Like it or not, employment in the United States looks different than it did 50 years ago—at least 30% of the workforce are independent contractors, the ratio of part-time workers to full-time workers is still higher than before the recession, and there are 2.87 million temporary workers, a record number. Some argue that the gig economy—comprised of companies like Uber, TaskRabbit, Postmates, and Handy, who coordinate independent contractors on a task-by-task basis instead of hiring employees—is a promising development in this conundrum. It offers flexible supplemental income the regular economy is not supplying. Others argue it's a return to the piecework system that exploited workers before the modern concept of "employee" came on the scene.
But either way, it's clear there's a lot of potential for exploitation in the set-up. Examples of unhappy workers abound, like people who work full-time at cleaning service Homejoy and still can't pay their rent, horrific treatment of temp workers, or even, on a less upsetting scale, Uber drivers who say that the app takes away their tips.
The things that are usually on the table for preventing worker exploitation, The Fair Labor Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and The National Labor Relations Act, don't apply to independent contractors of the gig economy.
But workers and activists are creating new tools.
Milland took her gripes to a new platform called Dynamo, which was created by Stanford PhD candidate Niloufar Salehi as part of her research into collective action online. In the process of building the platform, in collaboration with other researchers and Mechanical Turk workers, she realized it was more than just an issue of making an online petition. Despite Mechanical Turk's reputation as a place where people go to complete simple jobs—usually for just cents per task—in their spare time, many of them actually relied on the income to pay their bills. And they were afraid of retribution by Amazon. More than that, they didn't always agree on what needed to be changed.
There was a bit of a media blitz around the project—The Guardian, The Verge, and The Daily Beast all picked it up—and Milland says it was a good proof of concept for Dynamo campaigns. But only about 20 people submitted letters publicly. In the end, Amazon didn't change its platform. Nothing has been added to the discussion for about a month.
Her answer was, a platform where workers can, like on Change.org, organize petitions, but with one major difference: The communities build not just around specific issues, but around virtual and analog workplaces. Once someone self-identifies as an employee of a company, Coworker keeps them updated about new campaigns within that company. Miller says, for instance, the site has signed up more than 17,000 Starbucks employees through various campaigns.
So far, most of the campaigns are among non-gig economy laborers. Those Starbucks employees used it, for instance, to campaign for the coffee company to change its policy banning visible tattoos (it eventually did so). It has promise to be useful to gig economy workers, as well. The California App-based Drivers Association (CADA) has used the platform to create a campaign that asks Uber to add an automatic tip calculation to all of its fares.
Of course, independent contractors are not protected under the National Labor Relations Act. Without traditional union protections, there's no law stopping Uber from just firing anyone who participates.


Unlike some I have read it, well I did skip a few chapters, but that is beauty of a book like this. Can't say I agreed with it all. However, there are some really good ideas here, as well as some quality analysis.
I am minded towards voting for indy, but I don't think that will be the outcome. Even if it was we still need some thinking about what happens next. A lot of what passes for debate so far is written from a right wing or far left fringe perspective. A bit of sensible left thinking very welcome.
Haven't yet purchased as I am put off by the obviously biased cover.
I am interested though in the notion that it is only in relation to the independence referendum that nation is posed against class.
The UK is a multinational construct that asks all of us to sign up to a dominant British identity, more successfully in some parts of the UK than others.
Much of the debate advanced by left unionists is that sticking with this Britishness is somehow more inclusive and internationalist than 'going off' to make our own decisions in our parochial Scottish Parliament.
However, it is in defence of this Britishness that arguments about the retention of nuclear weapons, projection of military power, and defence of neoliberal values are clustered. Deconstructing Britishness undermines the justification for these positions.
It will be the biggest wake up call to voters in England in a generation if Scotland votes Yes. It would certainly see the return of a Labour Government in Westminster - without the need for its Scottish MPs - if the Conservative Party was to 'lose Scotland'.
For us to validate British 'pooling and sharing' controlled from Westminster is simply a recipe for continued growth of inequality across the UK. So, why would anyone with the interest of Scottish (or English, Welsh, or Northern Irish) workers at heart be asking for a No vote in September 2014.


Visiting the city just to buy medicine when you live in a remote location turns out to be the most confusing as well as tiring task.With the arrival of online pharmacies, even a single drug is delivered with a span of two or three day as they source for their drugs from all over the country or throughout the world. Almost all the online pharmacies are not limited by distance between their premises and their customers. In comparison to visiting the conventional pharmacy it is much easier to place an order with the online store within few clicks.
The best feature of the online pharmacy is the economical price it offers to the buyers. People often find it difficult to deal with the expensive medical bills. With the discovery of the online pharmacies one can get better and adjustable price. Unlike conventional stores, the online pharmacy owner doesn't need to own a physical store and therefore can save a lot on the over-head expenses. With the online purchase one can save a good amount as no third-party is involved. Moreover, to make a better place and customer base, most of the online stores provide some very attractive promotional discounts and offers making the purchase much cost efficient.
People often forget to restock their medicine on time and end up skipping on them. Skipping the medicine can have bad effect on the health condition. Therefore, the online pharmacy stores ensure to have a well-organized automated database, which intimates the buyer about refilling the medicine. The continuous reminder from the online pharmacies helps one to make the purchase on time ensuring people don't miss on the health regime.
Traditional stores have limited space and storage and therefore they mostly store the basic and popular medicines. But in case of online pharmacies they can store number of medicines in their warehouse. While dealing with the online stores there are high chances one easily avail all the provided medicine without having to physically move to search for the prescribed medicine.
Before placing the order look for the Canadian pharmacy online who owns the license and certificate to deal in the local area and also have good reviews from the past consumers. The thorough research can help with the best purchase of medicines.


It's not news that being an entrepreneur is challenging. Nor is the fact that it's stressful, and those inherent stresses can be a trigger for depression. For the better, depression is a topic being more discussed in the tech community. Brad Feld 's personal insight and commentary has provided invaluable leadership on this topic. But this is a significant social issue, not just a tech issue.
For instance, farmers and tech entrepreneurs have more in common than you realize. Both blur the lines between professional and personal lives. Both work long hours and may struggle with mental health issues at some point in their lives. There are plenty of sleepless nights staring at the ceiling, wondering how you'll deliver a product or make payroll.
In North America around this time of year, farmers' stress levels begin increasing as they plant the seeds that signal the start of growing season. There's sizeable risk for potential loss due to uncontrollable factors such as weather and disease. There's pricing volatility. There's market volatility. These are all extracting a toll on farmers' well-being. Adding to the challenge is the fact that while resources for dealing with stress and depression that are often available to entrepreneurs, they are not as accessible to farmers who live in the rural areas.
Vancouver startup Farm At Hand, has decided it can no longer quietly stand idle. The company is running an Indiegogo t-shirt campaign, called #HereForFarmers, to raise funds for farmers' mental health. The proceeds from #HereForFarmers campaign will be donated to Farm Stress Line a non-profit agency providing crisis intervention services since 1974.
"We have farmers who are working day and night and are quite possibly going through some of the worst times in their lives for whatever reason," says Farm At Hand Co-founder Kim Keller. "Then there are some consumers turning around and kicking them while they are down, with often misguided 'facts' from a select few food 'activists'. When you're already feeling alone and hopeless, reading that you're also a greedy, profit driven murderer, it certainly isn't going to bring you any amount of hope." Keller herself is also a third generation farmer. She's experienced first hand and witnessed the devastating effect of mental health issues in the industry.
Vancouver's tech community has come together to support the #HereForFarmers campaign.
Recognizing a deep connection with their rural counterparts, Vancouver's tech community has come together to support the #HereForFarmers campaign. To date, the campaign has raised over $12,000. Donations and contributions have come from individuals at Wavefront, HIGHLINE VC, Spring Activator, Unbounce, Kashoo Accounting System, BlueBat Games, Adobe Systems, and more. But more can be done, and more tech communities from across Canada need to be heard from.
The agriculture industry itself is taking important steps in helping remove the stigma of depression by supporting #HereForFarmers initiative. The likes of FBC, FarmLink Marketing Solutions , Redhead Equipment, and the Barley Council of Canada have agreed to become corporate sponsors, injecting a sizeable donation into the campaign. FBC is going a step further, acting as a matching contributor for the campaign: the company is donating $2 for every t-shirt purchase up to $1,000. The support from both tech and Ag communities are contributing to the campaign's ongoing success.
– In the U.S., the rate of farmers suicides is just under two times that of the general population.
– In the U.K., one farmer a week commits suicide.
– In China, farmers are killing themselves daily to protest the government take-over of prime agricultural lands.
– In France, a farmer dies by suicide every two days.
– Australia reports one farmer suicide every four days.
– India reports more than 17,627 farmer suicides annually.
Much like entrepreneurs, farmers face the dilemma of maintaining a strong front and not being able to share their struggles. Entrepreneurs are often afraid they'll lose the respect of their peers and perhaps control over their companies. For farmers, admitting depression can alienate fellow farmers or family members, which is why many farmers refuse to deal with the issue. The #HereForFarmers campaign has already started an online conversation about mental health, and many farmers have come forward to share their personal stories in hope to help others who are going through a tough time.
Mental wellness needs to be a conversation that's open and ongoing every day in every walk of life. This subject is bigger than this one very admirable and ambitious campaign; it's a societal issue that we can longer afford nor allow to be a social stigma.
Thank you so much for sharing this initiative and bringing light to a serious problem that affects the farmers who are growing and raising our food!
Great job by the team at Farm at Hand to bring attention to such an important issue!
We are sometimes so far removed from agriculture to understand what it takes to produce food for our growing population. Thanks for sharing this story, John. Access to resources to cope with and overcome stress should never be considered a luxury for anyone.
Wow – great article John, I never before considered the serious problem mental health has on our farmers. Thank you for spreading awareness and sharing this with us.
This is awesome, FAH! Mental health and farming could seem like unrelated topics, but clearly they are not. I think that's the point though. What could seem non-issue to most, can actually be huge with the right angle. It's great to see a start-up focusing on giving back from the beginning, not just when they are successful!
Absolutely love this initiative by the Farm At Hand team — thank you for bringing this issue up with the startup community, and giving a voice to the farmers that need the love and support that they deserve.
Wow. This is awful to hear, but thanks for spreading the word.
Great initiative Farm-At-Hand! Proper access to mental health services is something everyone should have access to.


New appraisal thresholds could leave borrowers in an untenable, risky position.
The reason is that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. are considering raising the appraisal threshold for residential mortgages to $400,000 from $250,000.
For commercial mortgages, the threshold has already been raised to $500,00, from $250,000, and the National Credit Union Administration, the credit union regulator, is considering raising it to $1million. These thresholds are on the loan transaction value, not the housing value.
Many industry analysts predict a contraction in 2020 or 2021.
Offering an alternative perspective in his blog, Steve Hurlburt, chief appraiser at Liberty Bank, thinks that raising thresholds will reduce the overall amount of exposure from appraisals.
Resources are expected to become more scarce as there has been a 2.6 percent average annual decline in appraisers since 2014. While regulatory changes might be under way, technology and big data are also changing the valuations side of the business, like it has throughout the mortgage process. For instance, drones allow appraisers to view hard to reach areas, and digital devices let appraiser complete floor plans. Blockchain will allow appraisers to share their timestamped data securely with all parties involved in the transaction, and the availability of big data means more accurate appraisal valuation models.
Wagner thinks the more data appraisers have available, the better job they will be able to do. One offshoot he now sees is that the government service organizations and the banks are looking for bifurcated appraisals in which the appraiser sits in the office and evaluates things while someone else does the actual site visit.
Making it easier for appraisers to handle more files would help relieve capacity issues. And, just as there is a nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry to assist originators, there could be one for appraisers.


text:
  Rouécourt est
       un village
       géographiquement positionné dans le département de Haute-Marne en Champagne-Ardenne. Elle comptait 55 habitants en 2008.

Si vous pensez emmenager à Rouécourt, vous pourrez facilement trouver une maison à vendre.

À proximité de Rouécourt sont situées les communes de
Ambonville à 4 km, 72 habitants,
Flammerécourt située à 4 km, 72 habitants,
Gudmont-Villiers localisée à 5 km, 353 habitants,
Vignory située à 5 km, 298 habitants,
Cerisières localisée à 2 km, 98 habitants,
Mirbel située à 4 km, 53 habitants,
 entre autres. De plus, Rouécourt est située à seulement 24 km de Chaumont.

Le nombre de logements, à Rouécourt, se décomposait en 2011 en deux appartements et 26 maisons soit
 un marché relativement équilibré.

La commune compte quelques  équipements sportifs, elle dispose, entre autres, de une boucle de randonnée.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub