Lake views. Large tree shaded sites, children and pets are always welcome. Laundromat on premises, phone and cable service available. Convenience store and restaurants nearby, on-site management. Monthly rates.


For years I made New Year's resolutions: lose weight, give up chocolate, start an exercise program, have better health and myriad other impossible proclamations. While my husband recovered from his stem-cell transplant, I spent all of my spare time in bed—grumpy and depressed and fifty pounds overweight. All of my resolutions clustered around me, tying me to my perpetual inaction.
Buy whole-wheat flour and substitute it for half of the white flour in all of your recipes (as you accustom yourself to the taste, keep adding more whole wheat flour and taking out more of the white).
Make a salad in the morning and eat it for lunch and supper before you dig into the other food.
Buy a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day. Walking just 75 minutes a week adds 1.8 years to your life (http://tiny.cc/q0vzpw).
Give away your office chair and replace it with an exercise ball (you'll burn calories as you balance).
Go outside and breath deeply—if you live some place beautiful, keep your eyes open. If you live in the city, close your eyes and imagine some place beautiful. Repeat throughout the day.
Pray. Spend time in the morning (getting up earlier if you need to) talking to God. Place your list of worries and goals and cares at his feet and let him worry about them.
Lace up your shoes and go for a walk.
Schedule a haircut, a manicure, a massage, an outing with a friend or time to work on a project.
Recognize that ONE piece of chocolate, eaten slowly and savored, satisfies you just as much as an entire chocolate bar (probably more, since ONE piece of chocolate doesn't make you feel guilty!).
What solutions have YOU started on?


text:
var passport = require('passport');
var LocalStrategy = require('passport-local').Strategy;
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var User = mongoose.model('User');

passport.use(new LocalStrategy({
  usernameField: 'email',
  passwordField: 'password'
  },
  function(email, password, done) {
    User.findOne({ email: email }, function (err, user) {
      if (err) { return done(err); }
      if (!user) {
        return done(null, false, { message: 'Incorrect email.' });
      }
      if (!user.validPassword(password)) {
        return done(null, false, { message: 'Incorrect password.' });
      }
      return done(null, user);
    });
  }
));

passport.serializeUser(function(user, done) {
  done(null, user.id);
});

passport.deserializeUser(function(id, done) {
  User.findById(id, function(err,user){
    err
      ? done(err)
      : done(null,user);
  });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: NodeJS and Sharp, BMP to PNG Error: Input file contains unsupported image format I am using sharp server-side to prepare pictures to be served in a webapp.
The current objective is to load a picture (BMP format), to load it in nodejs with sharp, to convert it in PNG, to resize it (scale down) and save it back to disk. The code is the following :
  if(resize_pictures){

      (...)

      console.log('Reducing image size ... ');
      fs.readdirSync(input_folder).forEach(file => {
            tmp_input_path = path.join(input_folder, file)
            tmp_output_path = path.join(tmp_folder_reduced, file)

            //Resize
            sharp(tmp_input_path)
                .png() // Convert to png
                .resize(target_width,null)
                .flatten()
                .toFile(tmp_output_path,
                function(err){
                    if(err){
                    console.log("Error at reducing size / converting picture : ")
                    console.log(err)
                    console.log(tmp_input_path);
                    console.log(tmp_output_path);
                    return;
                    }
                })
    })
    console.log('Image reduction completed.');

I'm getting this error :
Reducing image size ...
Image reduction completed.
Error at reducing size / converting picture :
[Error: Input file contains unsupported image format]
/home/user/<folder>/16c93ac9f297376b1b44eeeecff141b1f59a239d.bmp
/home/user/<folder>/TMP/16c93ac9f297376b1b44eeeecff141b1f59a239d.bmp

Output folder stays empty.
I don't really get why : the paths are correct, and so can be accessed. Pictures are stored on disk, paths are directly computed server-side (so no encoding problems, as I could have seen somewhere else concerning this problem).
Would someone have an idea or a solution ?

A: It seems that sharp can't handle BMP pictures. (See : https://github.com/lovell/sharp/issues/1255 )
So I switch to Jimp (See : https://www.npmjs.com/package/jimp) :
  console.log('Reducing image size ... ');
  fs.readdirSync(input_folder).forEach(file => {
        let tmp_input_path = path.join(input_folder, file)
        let tmp_file = file.substr(0, file.lastIndexOf(".")) + ".png";
        let tmp_output_path = path.join(tmp_folder_reduced, tmp_file)

        if(fs.existsSync(tmp_input_path)){
            console.log("File exist ! ")
        }

        //Resize
        Jimp.read(tmp_input_path)
            .then(image => {
                image
                .resize(target_width, Jimp.AUTO)
                .write(tmp_output_path)
            })
            .catch(err => {
                console.log("Error at reducing size / converting picture : ")
                console.log(err)
                console.log(tmp_input_path);
                console.log(tmp_output_path);
            });

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Find average Ohio car insurance rates by ZIP code and get tips on how to buy the most affordable policy. If you're financing your car, your car is less than one year old and you've put less than 20 percent down on it, you should buy gap insurance.
Little League® International has assembled an online resource page dedicated to baseball bat information, that includes the latest bat information At the Senior League Baseball Division, all bats must be meet the BBCOR standard. Little League-approved baseball bats that were approved for.
You must be a member of our website to receive emails from the league! Signing up is quick and easy. Go to the top of the home page and click on "Create an Account". It should take less than 1 minute to complete. Why do I need an account? This is best way to receive all communications from the League.
Little League Baseball and Softball International President and CEO Stephen D. Keener on Travel Ball. 2015 EPAA Little League Safety Plan. Little League Coach Resource Center. Little League State Finalist Way. Concession Stand. Woman's Auxillary.
List of approved Baseball bats for 2018. Please see if your bat is approved. Umpires will be looking for the stamp.No other bats will be allowed. What Division will your child play in? See the charts below and compare it to the ages listed on the flyer above: 2018 League Age chart for Softball.
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States.
littleleague.org streamable.com. This cookie is set to count the number of times a specific visitor is shown a specific ad – the cookie enables the advertisers to differentiate the specific ads shown and thereby making the advertising more efficient.
Little League Baseball Bat Information. Click the Link to learn more about the new Baseball Bat Standards effective January 1, 2018. 2018 Complete list of bats approved through the USABat Standard. Unsure if your bat is approved for 2018?
Baseball | Santa Teresa Little League – Safety Code. Little League Insurance Info. Parent Code of Conduct. Approved Bats. Rain Cancellation Policy.
Chartering & Insurance Enrollment. Approved Bat List. (March 5, 2013) – Little League International has been advised that Louisville Slugger is recalling the entire current line of the OneX fastpitch softball bat (all lengths and Watch Little League Videos at: Videos.LittleLeague.org.
2018 Approved Bats now for sale!!! Effective January 1, 2018, USA Baseball will implement their new method for measuring bat performance in the testing of youth bats. Little League 2017 Bat Poli. Please note that as of January 1, 2018, the new USA Baseb.Read More.
The bat must be a softball bat which meets Little League specifications and standards as noted in this rule. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick and Bats that have cracks or sharp edges, or that cannot pass through the approved Little League bat ring for the appropriate division must be removed from.
Little League, South Williamsport, PA. 429,242 likes · 4,635 talking about this. Founded in 1939, Little League is the largest youth sports organization.
Little League-approved bats can be used through December 31, 2017, and our current bat regulations will be in effect until then. Visit LittleLeague.org for detailed information. Little League looks forward to working with USA Baseball, and will begin educating our local leagues, and the.
Little League-approved baseball bats that are approved for use for the 2017 season will no longer be acceptable for use in any Little League game or activity starting on January 1, 2018. For more information on the USABat standard and a complete list of bats approved through the USABat.
2018 Approved bb Bats. Store. Rowan Little League Field Location. Fall 2018 rowan little league baseball and softball. Home. Contact. View Scores.
Carlisle Area Little League is committed to ensuring that the players in our league play and practice in the safest environment we can provide. We want nothing more than for your children to enjoy their experience while learning the game that we all love. We offer baseball from ages 4 to 5 (tee-ball) all.


text:
Hariri inquiry in 'critical stage'
Serge Brammertz cites progress in gathering crime scene evidence in interim report.
The UN inquiry says al-Hariri's assassination may have had links with the other political killings in Lebanon
The Belgian prosecutor noted that his panel's objective was "to collect evidence that will be admissible before a future [international] tribunal" that is to try suspects in the al-Hariri murder.
He said that he could not say when his probe would be completed, noting that "an investigation of this complexity takes time".
Suspected bomber
The UN report, the sixth to look into the February 14, 2005, bombing that killed al-Hariri and 22 others in the commercial heart of Beirut, sought to establish the geographic origin of the suspected bomber, an unidentified male whose "complete tooth and other biological parts found on the crime scene" are being analysed by experts.
The first phase of analysis showed that "the individual did not spend his youth in Lebanon, but was situated there in the last two to three months before his death, the report said.
"The report discusses the type of area in which the individual lived during the last 10 years or so of his life, although at this stage no specific region can as yet be derived from the analysis," the panel said.
The inquiry commission said it "will continue to request Syria's full co-operation, which remains crucial to the swift and successful completion of its work".
Mehlis inquiry
Brammertz's German predecessor Detlev Mehlis had implicated in al-Hariri's slaying senior officials from Syria, which for decades was the power broker in its smaller neighbour.
Damascus strongly denies any connection with al-Hariri's slaying. Syria's UN envoy Bashar al-Assad on Monday noted that the Brammertz report "clearly shows that Syria's co-operation has been satisfactory and has come in a timely way".
While pledging continued Syrian co-operation, he warned: "The greatest risk facing this investigation is that some parties in our region and beyond ... are exploiting this investigation in order to reach politicised conclusions which have no relationship whatsoever with the requirement of an investigation and which are not based on any proof."
Formal requests
Brammertz said that since last September 15, 10 new formal requests for help had been sent to five states other than Syria, bringing the total number of such requests to roughly 60 since March.
He said that while most states had responded positively, "the lack of responsiveness by certain [unnamed states] has impeded or slowed down the work of the commission on several fronts".
The Belgian prosecutor meanwhile said that a final report by outside experts endorsed his panel's assumptions that the attack consisted of only one blast of an RDX-based high explosive used in military and industrial application.
Brammertz also pointed to a "considerable number of links between the Hariri case and six of 15 other attacks against anti-Syrian Lebanese personalities or entities".
Among the 15 cases, which Lebanese authorities are investigating with UN assistance, is the assassination of Lebanese industry minister Pierre Gemayel on November 21.
Last June, the Security Council extended the mandate of the Brammertz-led inquiry panel until June 15, 2007, at the request of the Lebanese government.
Opposition demand
Meanwhile, on the ground, Lebanese opposition forces on Monday called for a new election law and early general elections to resolve the ongoing political crisis.
In a statement, the opposition said it was demanding "first of all a new law for parliamentary elections and, second, early parliamentary elections".
Moussa is expected to resume his mediation
efforts in Lebanon on Tuesday
The various opposition factions held a meeting on Monday at the house of Omar Karami, a former prime minister, and decided to give priority to the demand for early legislative elections.
Karami said the opposition groups will co-operate with Amr Mussa, the Arab League secretary-general who has been trying to broker a political settlement.
"The opposition will study an escalation of the campaign after due consideration if the government continues its manoeuvres," Karami said.
Moussa is due in Beirut on Tuesday to meet rival Lebanese politicians.
He held talks on Sunday with King Abdullah and other top leaders in Saudi Arabia, which supports the government of Fouad Siniora, the prime minister.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Loyola Chicago has advanced to the Elite Eight after three upsets in a row, each capped off by a game-winner in the closing seconds of the game. NCAA.com went inside the Ramblers' latest buzzer beater against Nevada in the Sweet 16, but here we have compiled every game-winner with analysis of which player hit the shot, who made the key pass, what could've gone wrong and what didn't.
What could have gone wrong: Well, almost everything. Miami's Lonnie Walker IV, a 75 percent free throw shooter on the season, stepped to the free throw line for a one-and-one with 9.3 seconds left. Miami led 62-61. If he had made both free throws, the best case for Loyola Chicago likely would've been forcing overtime. Instead, he missed the first free throw attempt. It was actually a solid free throw attempt that somehow rimmed out after six or seven bounces on the rim.
Ironically, Ingram was positioned on the lower block for the free throw, where the ball fell. He actually jumped a little too early and was unable to grab the rebound. The ball was deflected as he and Miami's Sam Waardenburg fought for the rebound and Ben Richardson came down with the rebound. Richardson passed to Townes, who pushed the ball across halfcourt. He ran into a double team from Miami's Ja'Quan Newton and Walker. Had he continued dribbling, he could have gotten trapped, possibly resulting in a turnover or a forcing a bad shot.
Townes passed the ball back to Ingram, who caught it while standing on the March Madness logo at halfcourt. He immediately fired a 3-pointer from about 26 feet away from the rim, which is never a high-percentage shot at the college level, especially in a pressure-packed end-of-game situation.
What didn't go wrong: Most simply, Ingram's 3-pointer went in. But just as importantly, Walker's trip to the free throw line ended with zero points for Miami and a rebound for Loyola Chicago. It actually helped that Walker's free throw attempt bounced multiple times on the rim and that Townes was forced to pass the ball because it took more time off the clock. If Loyola Chicago had scored with more time left on the clock, there's a chance Miami could have had enough time to setup up its own game-winner.
What Sister Jean said: "We knew we would do it and when we were in the locker room ahead of the game and we just knew that we would do this. Our team is so great and they don't care who makes the points as long as we win the game. I said, "We want to get the big W up there,' and we did."
What they said: Donte Ingram: "It was a great feeling. I thank Marques for making that pass. Any one of us could have hit that shot, but I was just fortunate enough to be in the position. And when I seen the shot and I had space, I was confident, and it went in, luckily."
Who set the key screen: Cameron Krutwig ran to set a screen for Custer but instead slipped and ran to the rim.
What could have gone wrong: Almost any other bounce on Custer's jumper could have ended the Ramblers' season. Similar to how Loyola Chicago got a friendly bounce, or five, on Lonnie Walker IV's free throw attempt in the first round, the Ramblers benefited from a shooter's touch to knock off Tennessee. Custer's shot was far from a great look – it was an off-balance jumper against solid defense and he was never truly squared towards the basket.
Perhaps the most dangerous part of Custer's game-winner was that it left 3.6 seconds on the clock for Tennessee, which was more than enough time for the Volunteers to get down the floor and get off a decent look. Tennessee's Jordan Bone was able to catch the ball near midcourt, take three dribbles and attempt a 3-pointer before the final buzzer sounded. Townes and Richardson were both in the area to put pressure on Bone but all in all, it was about as good of a look as Tennessee could have imagined. Bone, a 38 percent 3-point shooter, missed off the back of the rim.
Clayton Custer gets the shooter's roll.
What didn't go wrong: Custer's improbable jumper fell and despite Loyola Chicago not defending Tennessee's inbounds pass or Bone, the Ramblers were able to put enough pressure on Bone that his final 3-oint attempt wasn't a clean look.
What Sister Jean said to Loyola Chicago before the game: "Don't let those Tennessee team members scare you with their height. Height doesn't mean that much. You're good jumpers, you're good rebounders, you're good at everything, and just keep that in mind."
What they said: Clayton Custer: "The ball bounced up on the rim, and I got a good bounce like that. But the only thing I could think about after the game is that that's all the hard work that I put -- like that you put in to get in a situation like this, and all those hours, those waking up early in the morning and working out. For all that hard work to come up to that lucky bounce is worth it, and I think all the hard work, the basketball gods helped that one go in, and I'm just super blessed to be in this situation right now."
Who set the key screen: Aundre Jackson, or at least that was the plan. Assistant coach Bryan Mullins said Loyola Chicago coach Porter Moser drew up a high ball screen for Custer but he refused it. Instead, Custer crossed over, got downhill, drew a second defender and found Marques Townes open in the corner.
What could have gone wrong: If Custer had tried to take another game-winning shot, electing to drive to the rim instead of passing to Townes, he would have been trapped between Cody and Caleb Martin, who are both much bigger than him – listed at 6-7, 205 pounds. Or, if Townes hadn't shot faked and instead rushed a 3-pointer with Caleb Martin flying at him, he could have missed.
The game wasn't over when Townes made the 3-pointer. There were still 6.2 seconds left and Caleb Martin hit a 3-pointer to cut Loyola Chicago's lead to one. The Ramblers could have choked in the final seconds and committed a costly turnover, allowing Nevada to attempt a game-winner of their own.
What didn't go wrong: Even though Custer didn't use the screen and Moser had drawn up, he was still able to get downhill, get the defense to collapse around him and find the open man. Townes didn't rush his shot, instead choosing to utilize a shot fake to create space for a wide-open look. Then, Loyola Chicago was able to inbound the ball, avoiding a five-second call, and draw fouls on Nevada to run out the clock.
What Sister Jean said after the game: "Well I already told them as they came off the court, great game and Clayton said, 'We broke your bracket, Sister Jean.' I said, 'I don't care that you broke my bracket. I'm ready for the next one,' and so I believe they are. This is a great feat for us."
What they said: Marques Townes: "I'll probably remember it for the rest of my life. I mean, it doesn't really get any better than that. Clay made a great play, got downhill, kicked me to the corner. The guy came flying at me, I just gave him a little shot fake, and I shot it, and it went in. It was just – that's something you dream about. You're in the Sweet 16 and you hit a big shot like that. It's just amazing. I'm just blessed to be in that position."


text:
CHS - Chico's FAS, Inc.
Bid 4.1900 x 2200
Ask 4.1800 x 2900
52 Week Range 2.3300 - 6.3700
EPS (TTM) -0.2120
Earnings Date Mar 03, 2020 - Mar 08, 2020
Ex-Dividend Date Dec 04, 2019
1y Target Est 4.13
LifeMinute.TV Videos
Laurence & Chico Deliver a Sex and the City Inspired Spring 2020 Collection
Billy Gilman, Veronica Vega and Yandy Smith came out to see Laurence & Chico's Sex and the City inspired Spring 2020 collection at Pier 59.
Top Ranked Income Stocks to Buy for January 17th
Fastenal (FAST) Set to Report Q4 Earnings: What to Expect
Growth in core product offerings is likely to aid Fastenal's (FAST) Q4 results. However, weak industrial demand, unfavorable product and customer mix, as well as inflation may have been concerns.
Abercrombie Registers Record Sales in Black Friday Week
Abercrombie's (ANF) flagship brand experiences momentum and generates strongest top line in the Black Friday Week. Moreover, it is committed to execute its transformation initiatives.
Bear Of The Day: Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY)
Party City Announces Appointment of Todd Vogensen as Chief Financial Officer
Party City Holdco Inc. (PRTY) today announced that Todd Vogensen has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Party City Holdco Inc. ("PCHI"), effective February 3, 2020. Mr. Vogensen brings nearly three decades of financial management expertise to the executive team, having played a pivotal role in strategically growing multiple U.S. public consumer companies. In his new role at Party City Holdco Inc., Mr. Vogensen will report directly to James M. Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of PCHI, and will oversee all aspects of finance, business development and investor relations while helping to develop and execute the Company's multi-channel growth strategy.
Chico's Lifts Fourth-Quarter Outlook as Same-Store Sales Improve
Chico's FAS surges after the women's clothing retailer raised its fourth-quarter outlook in light of improved same-store sales.
Chico's stock up 22% after retailer raises Q4 outlook
Chico's Fas Inc. shares rallied 22% in the extended session Wednesday after the retailer raised its outlook for the fourth quarter, saying its same-store sales have improved for the first time in "several years." The quarter's total sales and same-store sales are seen flat, compared with a previous outlook of a low single-digit decline. In the same statement, Chico's said Chief Financial Officer Todd E. Vogensen resigned effective Jan. 17, and Jennifer Ellis, senior vice president of finance, has been appointed interim CFO effective Feb. 3. Shares of Chico's ended the regular trading day down 4.8%.
Chico's FAS, Inc. Raises Fiscal 2019 Fourth Quarter Outlook to Reflect Continued Improvement in Business
Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) (the "Company" or Chico's FAS) today announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Todd E. Vogensen has resigned, effective January 17, 2020, to accept a CFO position with another company. Jennifer Ellis, Senior Vice President, Finance, has been appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective February 3, 2020.
Is Chico's FAS, Inc. (CHS) A Good Stock To Buy?
Many investors, including Paul Tudor Jones or Stan Druckenmiller, have been saying before last year's Q4 market crash that the stock market is overvalued due to a low interest rate environment that leads to companies swapping their equity for debt and focusing mostly on short-term performance such as beating the quarterly earnings estimates. In the […]
Edited Transcript of CHS earnings conference call or presentation 26-Nov-19 1:00pm GMT
Q3 2019 Chico's FAS Inc Earnings Call
Newsweek's 2020 list of America's Best Customer Service Companies Honors Chico's and Soma
Chico's FAS (NYSE: CHS) is pleased to announce that three of its brands - Chico's, White House Black Market and Soma - have ranked highly in two of Newsweek's recent independent surveys.
Chico's FAS, Inc. Reports Third Quarter Results
Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) (the "Company") today announced its financial results for the fiscal 2019 third quarter ended November 2, 2019.
Chico's FAS, Inc. Declares Cash Dividend of $0.0875 Per Share
Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.0875 per share of its common stock, a 3.0% increase over the dividend rate from December 2018. The dividend is payable on December 20, 2019 to Chico's FAS shareholders of record at the close of business on December 9, 2019.
Chico's FAS, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Sales and Earnings Conference Call
FORT MYERS, Fla. , Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --Women's specialty retailer Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) (the "Company") will host a conference call with security analysts on Tuesday, November ...
InvestorPlace
5 Retail Stocks Getting Nothing but Coal This Holiday Season
It's already here. The sights. The sounds. The red cups. The holiday spending frenzy is once upon us -- whether we are ready for it or not. For many retail stocks, this is the most critical period all year. The don't call it Black Friday for nothing. However, the consumer spending environment continues to get even more cutthroat and hard to navigate.Thanks to online and omni-channel shopping, mobile commerce, one- and two-day shipping and a host of other reasons, many retail stocks are already suffering. The sector is quickly becoming a bifurcated industry -- with haves and have-nots fighting for survival. And the holiday season has only exacerbated this fight. Extra discounting, sales and "door-busters" make a tough environment even tougher.That means there are several retail stocks that aren't going to fair too well over the next few months. And in a few cases, they may not be around much longer.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsFor investors, knowing which companies to avoid can be just as important as knowing which stocks to buy. * 7 Large-Cap Stocks to Give a Wide Berth And with that, here are five retail stocks that should get a big lump of coal this holiday season. J. C. Penney (JCP)Source: Supannee_Hickman / Shutterstock.com After Sear's bit the dust, it's easy to dunk on J. C. Penney (NYSE:JCP) as being the next major retail stock to meet its maker. Like Sear's, JCP is an old-fashioned department store in a world that no longer supports that style of retail concept. Big discounters like Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and e-commerce giants like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) simply do it better. And in that, J. C. Penney has been suffering for years.The problem is, the suffering may finally be hitting a critical level.Debt at JCP remains an issue. As of last quarter, the retailer had roughly $3.6 billion in long-term debt on its balance sheet and about $1 billion in operating lease obligations. The problem is that JCP only has about $175 million in the bank and short-term investments. That's not exactly a great ratio of debt to cash. Nor is that great when sales continue to slide as e-commerce eats its lunch.Even worse is that sort of debt makes it harder for JCP to expand and update in a meaningful way. Sure, the firm has a new store concept, but it simply lacks the funds to roll it out to a variety of locations. Target (NYSE:TGT) spent more than $7 billion remodeling its stores to make them "hipper" and omni-channel friendly. JCP simply doesn't have that kind of cash or time.With JCP already talking to creditors about restructuring its debts, sales continuing to sleep and other rivals getting strong, it's only a matter of time until the firm has to pack up. For investors, JCP is easily a retail stock to avoid this holiday season. Wayfair (W)Source: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com It's not that Wayfair (NYSE:W) is a bad choice among retail stocks, it's just that a few issues may be hitting its torrid pace of growth. In this case, we're talking about costs across a variety of fronts.While its revenues have continued to climb, W stock has started to see its margins erode and various costs start to increase. As with JCP above, playing in the e-commerce world is an expensive game. Unfortunately for Wayfair, it's now being forced to shell out more to keep those revenues climbing.Last quarter, Wayfair was forced to spend 58.7% more on technology, infrastructure and other expenses related to gathering sales and getting them to consumers fast. Advertising spending jumped more than 12%. Meanwhile, the actual costs of its goods managed to jump as the trade war continues to slog on. All in all, the issues with costs have made U.S. margins a fat negative 3% for W.That doesn't instill much confidence heading into a slowing consumer environment. Add in the fact that other rivals continue to spend more in order to boost shipping, fulfillment and ordering ease, and you start to see a worrisome picture for Wayfair. No wonder why shares cratered the day it announced its results and poor outlook. * 7 Beverage Stocks to Stock Up On W stock isn't a bad retailer overall. It's just that the firm is dealing with some things outside its control. And because of that, it could be rocky for the firm going forward. Shares may still have more room to drop. Gap (GPS)Source: Alex Millauer / Shutterstock.com The middle isn't exactly a great place to be these days. Consumers either want high-end products or deep bargains. For retail stocks offering clothing like the Gap (NYSE:GPS), this is a tough pill to swallow.Sales continue to decline at Banana Republic and Gap as these brands struggle to find an audience.The bright spot for GPS stock has continued to be its bargain-brand Old Navy. These days, Old Navy accounts for roughly 50% of Gap's total sales -- with the other brands bringing in the rest -- around $7.9 billion from Old Navy against $8.7 billion for the other brands. But the pace of revenue growth at Old Navy has been brisk.To that end, GPS has decided to spin out Old Navy as a separate company. And that might seem like a good idea at first. The problem is, Gap really needs those assets to keep the ship moving. GPS is profitable at its other brands, but their slow decline is a spot for concern. Secondly, the hallmark of Gap's online operations has been the one-bag integration of all its brands. Picking up incremental sales and cross-selling has worked in its favor.What's worst is that even execs at Gap aren't sure of the spinoff plans. CEO Art Peck abruptly resigned from the company.With reduced guidance, slowing traffic and no real plans to get out of its funk, GPS is one retails stock that will continue to face some big issues. Those issues will take center stage during this holiday season. Chico's (CHS)Source: Kristi Blokhin / Shutterstock.com "OK Boomer" maybe be a rallying cry among America's youth, but it's also being directed towards a bunch of retail stocks. Take Chico's (NYSE:CHS) for example.Chico's runs a variety of stores -- including its namesake, Soma and White House Black Market. Generally, these brands fall under the higher-end and casual work clothing umbrellas. The problem for CHS is that this sort of style really isn't in focus anymore with millennial and Generation Z shoppers. With joggers now an office staple and bralettes replacing traditional intimate apparel, Chico's is facing a real problem. It doesn't have a core audience anymore. The Boomers are gone and the younger generations aren't buying.Last quarter alone, sales declined by 6.1%. This follows the trend of continued lower quarterly sales figures.Like many of the retailers on this list, CHS is realizing these lower sales at a time when debts and costs have risen. Thanks to its high-end nature, most of its store frontage is in upper-scale malls. Thanks to this, rent expenses are higher and produces more drag on its bottom line. No wonder why Chico's has started closing stores -- 53 have closed over the last three months. * These 7 Stocks to Buy Were Big Winners This Earnings Season In the end, Chico's is a brand without any buyers. With no real plans to turn the ship around, CHS stock could be a real drag this holiday season. Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PEI)Source: jayk67 / Shutterstock.com If many retail stocks are suffering, then the owners of malls and shopping plazas must be really feeling the heat. Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE:PEI), also known as PREIT, is a prime example of the carnage being felt by the mall owners.PEI started out as a sprawling regional mall operator and as the recession hit, it took great steps to improve its portfolio of properties. That worked in raising its average sales per square foot and boosting quality of tenants. This worked great and the stock rebounded.And then the bottom dropped out for PREIT.This year, we've seen a variety of retailers such as Payless, Gymboree, Things Remembered and now Forever 21 file for bankruptcy. All of which are fodder for PREIT's style of malls. These closes are starting to once again hurt PEI's bottom line.For the third quarter, PREIT saw its same-store net operating income decline by 5.8% year over year. That decline doesn't exclude lease terminations. And with that, decline, funds from operations -- or the cash that the REIT has to deliver to investors as dividends -- dropped by 34% year-over-year. This follows a 44% year-over-year decline in FFO for the second quarter.PEI stock and its juicy 14% dividend is in trouble. This proves that the carnage in retail stocks is wide reaching.At the time of writing, Aaron Levitt had a long position in AMZN. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Large-Cap Stocks to Give a Wide Berth * 7 Potential New Stocks That Should Not Go Public * 5 Chinese Stocks to Buy Surging Higher The post 5 Retail Stocks Getting Nothing but Coal This Holiday Season appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Soma® Uncovers What Women Want in New Sleep Survey
FORT MYERS, Fla., Nov. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chico's FAS' (CHS) intimates brand, Soma®, puts to rest misconceptions preventing women from a good night's rest despite craving longer and deeper sleep – nearly one-half of women in the U.S. say they have difficulty falling asleep or trouble staying asleep. The new survey examined the sleeping habits and sleep-wear preferences of adult women ages 18+ living in the U.S. Responses from more than 1,000 women across the country revealed that most women, over 70 percent of respondents, say they look forward to going to bed; however, 45 percent worry about being able to fall asleep once under the covers. When asked to describe their ideal sleep situation, the women cited falling asleep faster, having less stress and anxiety, and feeling cool and not sweaty at the top of their sleep wishlists.
Did Hedge Funds Drop The Ball On Chico's FAS, Inc. (CHS) ?
The Insider Monkey team has completed processing the quarterly 13F filings for the June quarter submitted by the hedge funds and other money managers included in our extensive database. Most hedge fund investors experienced strong gains on the back of a strong market performance, which certainly propelled them to adjust their equity holdings so as […]
Bear Of The Day: Chico's (CHS)
Edited Transcript of CHS earnings conference call or presentation 28-Aug-19 12:00pm GMT
Chico's FAS, Inc. Announces 15th Annual Partnership with Living Beyond Breast Cancer
In-Store and Online Fundraising Campaign to Support Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer FORT MYERS, Fla. , Sept. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chico's FAS (NYSE: CHS) kicked off its 15 th consecutive fundraising ...
Why Tallgrass Energy, Chico's FAS, and Dycom Industries Jumped Today
Merger and acquisition activity continued to drive big moves in the stock market.
Why Chico's FAS Stock Jumped Wednesday
Even though the company missed revenue estimates, investors are impressed.
Chico's Fas Inc (CHS) Q2 2019 Earnings Call Transcript
CHS earnings call for the period ending August 3, 2019.


There are a number of peppers in cultivation that are known as chili peppers (Capsicum frutescens), but the term usually refers to the cayenne pepper, Capsicum annuum (see also our Cayenne article). Cayenne is a fairly hot pepper. This is due to its high levels of capsaicin, the substance that provides the spiciness and is also responsible for most of the pepper's health benefits. Chilies are graded on the Scoville Scale, which measures the amount of heat producing chemicals they contain. Capsaicin is the main heat producing chemical in chilies. Other herbs contain different heat producing chemicals that can also be measured on the Scoville Scale, such as Gingerol which is found in Ginger Root.
Chili peppers are often associated with Mexican and Spanish cuisine, but they have been cultivated for culinary purposes virtually worldwide. However, it's not just their uses in food that have made them so popular. Chilli peppers have also been used medicinally for thousands of years, particularly throughout Asia.
One of the most impressive properties of chili peppers is in their antihemorrhagic abilities. When taken in large doses, around one to two teaspoons powdered, they're capable of bringing even significant bleeding to a screeching halt within a few minutes. In fact, chili peppers work so well for this purpose that, in some parts of the world, they are used in emergency situations.
Chili peppers are an excellent supplement for cardiovascular support. Although they are able to halt bleeding, they also cause dramatic improvements in blood circulation and blood pressure. Although the topic is, unfortunately, controversial, these amazing peppers are also capable of stopping a heart attack within seconds. Besides its ability to improve circulation, it also increases the heart's activity, seemingly lending it strength, power and energy. Scientists aren't certain precisely how it does this, but one theory is that it improves the distribution of nutrients, hormones and other factors throughout the body.
Another surprising fact of chili peppers is their ability to help control pain. They do this by boosting blood circulation, which helps to deliver healing nutrients to any injuries. In addition, these peppers also fight inflammation. Because swelling is a major factor in many types of pain, particularly that of the joints, this is a valuable asset. A steady supplementation of chili peppers helps you avoid reliance on the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are infamous for causing stomach ulcers, damage to the liver and kidneys and even some types of cancer. Furthermore, taking chilli peppers for pain can even help you avoid potentially dangerous and addictive opiate painkillers.
Chili peppers are an excellent digestive aid, helping your stomach to process food more efficiently and thoroughly and decreasing the incidence of acid reflux. They do this by stimulating the secretion of stomach acid and other digestive fluids. Furthermore, while it seems counterintuitive, chili peppers have been found to be effective for preventing and healing peptic ulcers.
Current statistics from the American Heart Association indicate that nearly 150 million American adults are either overweight or obese, along with roughly a third of all children. While simple diet changes and the introduction of moderate exercise can offer some benefit, numerous studies have confirmed that chili peppers can offer significant assistance. In many poorer areas of the world, hot peppers have been widely used in the traditional cuisine because they cause you to feel full faster.
This is invaluable when you can't afford to eat a lot of food. It's also very helpful when you want to control your appetite for weight loss purposes, since overeating is the main cause of obesity. However, chili peppers aid weight loss in another way. They're thermogenic, meaning that they ramp up your body temperature slightly, but still enough to cause it to burn a lot of extra calories. This process occurs even when you're at rest, helping you to lose weight without putting in the extra effort. This is great news for overweight people who love spicy food.
Modern Western medicine is only now catching up to what traditional Eastern medicine has known for millennia: chili peppers are a powerful treatment and preventative for cancer. One way they do this is by inhibiting inflammation, which is suspected to be a major cause of cancer. Numerous experiments have also found that capsaicin, the active constituent in these peppers, suppresses the growth of tumors and even causes malignant cells to commit suicide. It has been shown to be particularly effective against androgen-dependent tumors of the prostate and testicles, as well as many other forms of hormone-dependent cancers.
Chili peppers are most often consumed raw, or cooked, as a food source. They can also be dried into a powdered form. This powder can be added to food as a spice or taken as a supplement in capsule form. Cayenne can also be found as a liquid tincture supplement.


text:
A Hero and a Hoot
Lars Vilks, 1946-2021
https://www.steynonline.com/11733/a-hero-and-a-hoot
Lars Vilks with Steyn, Shabana Rehman and Farshad Kholghi on stage in Copenhagen in 2010
That's me on the right with three comrades from the free-speech wars, gathered to mark the fifth anniversary of the Danish Mohammed cartoons in Copenhagen in 2010. The gentleman on the left was something of an optimist about it all, at least by comparison with me. By the time I flew in for the tenth anniversary, things were far more fraught on freedom of expression in the western world, and said gentleman could no longer join us (even under protection of the PET - the Danish Secret Service) because he had been forced out of public life. The fifteenth anniversary observances were canceled by Covid. We shall see if there's a twentieth.
But here's the score card from that 2010 event: Lars Hedegaard, of the Danish Free Press Society, had invited five of us that day - a Dane, a Swede, a Norwegian, a Dutchman and yours truly:
~The Norwegian comedienne Shabana Rehman had already had her family's restaurant firebombed; she now lives under 24/7 police protection, which is not the easiest way to practice observational standup;
~The Dutch cartoonist Nekschot was obliged, for security reasons, to appear on stage with his face obscured and unidentifiable. So he chose to wear a burqa. Funny, but not quite secure enough. Nekschot had already been arrested for "hate speech" with the authorities openly taunting him about the impending loss of his anonymity. He now lives in hiding, and is no longer a cartoonist;
~Our host Lars Hedegaard was subsequently shot at point-blank range, but fortunately by an incompetent, so he survived. Mr Hedegaard also lives in hiding; the would-be assassin lives free in Turkey, where Sultan Erdogan refuses to extradite;
~and now Lars Vilks is dead.
Yesterday, Sunday afternoon, he was being driven in a bulletproof car by two of his protection officers when there occurred what Swedish police regard as a freak collision with a truck. An almighty fire ensued and neither Lars nor the policemen survived; the driver of the other vehicle is seriously wounded and in hospital. This all happened near Markaryd, about an hour north-east of Helsingborg, where Lars was born. Helsingborg, like many Swedish cities, is utterly transformed, which is why Lars Vilks ended his life in an unmarked car being driven home under police protection from a guarded lunch with an old friend.
The BBC reported his demise thus:
Muhammad cartoonist killed in traffic collision
He was not, in fact, a cartoonist. He was an artist, primarily a sculptor - of limited technical skills (as he conceded) but of whimsical imagination. Yet, as the gates clank shut on free speech across Europe, it's easier for lazy Beeb hacks to lump every dissenter under the category of "Muhammad cartoonist". In 2006 a Swedish joke went viral, as nobody said back then: someone placed a model of a dog on a roundabout, and then someone else put another dog at another roundabout, and for a while the rondellhund was a genuine grassroots phenomenon. I appreciate that Americans don't find roundabouts funny in the least, so the joke in the "roundabout dog" craze might get a little lost in translation.
At any rate, the jest came juddering to a halt when Lars drew Mohammed as a roundabout dog in three works for an exhibition at an art gallery in Tällerud. The gallery got cold feet, but one of the drawings was published in the newspaper Nerikes Allehanda, as part of an editorial on free speech. Just as Jyllands Posten forbore to republish the Mohammed cartoons on their tenth anniversary, so Nerikes Allehanda would not republish Lars' drawing today. All those "robust debates on freedom of expression" have been indefinitely postponed and very non-robustly. For the record, here is the picture that changed Lars Vilks' life:
That's all it took. Lars was very funny about his newfound celebrity: He carried with him a picture of a Pakistani mob that had been whipped into a frenzy by somewhat inaccurate intelligence, so they were all jumping up and down in the streets demanding "DEATH TO LARISH". And for a while that day in Copenhagen we all called him Larish: "Hey, Larish, another beer?", etc.
Larish was likewise a hoot about two of the first jihadists sent to dispatch him. He came home one night to find that a couple of Kosovars had set his kitchen alight. As they escaped across the snowy field heady with the warm glow of their glorious victory over the infidel, they chanced to glance down and noticed that that warm glow was because they'd accidentally set their trousers on fire. After some effort to extinguish the blaze, they were forced to abandon their flaming pantaloons and scamper off into the chill night in their jihadist BVDs. Alas, the best-laid plans and all that: in addition to being trouserless in a Nordic winter, they had neglected to remove from their smouldering pants the charred driving licenses and other identifying documentation. Police were able to track them down rather easily, not least because they were the only two men in Scandinavia taking a late-night stroll in their Y-fronts.
When Lars told this story in Copenhagen, the whole room was roaring with laughter. Afterwards we all went to dinner. And news came to us somewhere between the soup and digestifs that a one-legged Chechen from Belgium, seething with resentment at Lars and the rest of us infidels, had prematurely self-detonated in his Copenhagen hotel room while assembling his package and preparing to hop into Paradise. And we all had a grand laugh about that, too. As I put it that day, Islamic terrorists are like Yosemite Sam, forever shoving the stick of dynamite in their own pants – until one day Yosemite Ahmed manages to get it right. After the bombing of the Conservative Party conference in 1984, the IRA taunted Mrs Thatcher: "You have to be lucky every day, we only have to be lucky once."
Those jihad incompetents with the smoking trousers would modify the line: We only have to be competent once. Al-Qa'eda had put a six-figure bounty on Lars' head, and there was no shortage of takers. In Ireland, the gardai arrested four men and three women from Waterford and Cork for a well-advanced plot to fly to Stockholm and kill him. At the height of the so-called "Troubles" you'd have been hard put to find five men in Waterford willing to travel to London to kill Mrs Thatcher or Willie Whitelaw. But an obscure artist in southern Sweden? Pas de problème!
On Valentine Day's 2015 Lars Vilks was appearing at the Krudttønden café in Copenhagen for a discussion on "Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression". President Obama had recently told the UN General Assembly that "the future must not belong to those who slander the Prophet of Islam", and the fanatics of Islam were inclined to take him at his word and act accordingly. So at the Krudttønden that Valentine's afternoon they came in shooting and yelling "Allahu akbar!" - which is Arabic for "Can't we all just get along?" Three policemen were wounded and a Danish film director Finn Nørgaard was killed.
Lars was the target that day, and he felt the victims of the attack were dead and wounded because of his presence. So, after one highly guarded event the following month at which he was awarded the Sappho prize I'd received when we first met in 2010, Lars Vilks withdrew from public life - and, in a small hitherto peaceable Scandinavian kingdom, another little bit of European cultural life and artistic spirit shriveled and died.
Lars Vilks didn't get all hifalutin about freedom of speech. He took his stand on the simplest of propositions: "I am free to choose what I laugh at." That freedom is all but extinguished fifteen years on, which is why the bouffed crapmeisters of American telly and their bloated committees of Approved Comedy majors are reduced to leaden, witless propaganda. Lars was an old-school Euro-leftie, and couldn't quite figure where all his friends had gone. At that 2010 appearance he jousted with me about right-wing Yank bogeymen I could barely recall: "But Jesse Helms never firebombed your kitchen, did he?" I pointed out. Lars was that rare fellow straight out of the standard taunt to left-wing provocateurs who flaunt their cobwebbed "transgressiveness" by exhibiting a crucifix floating in the artist's urine or mounting a play in which a gay Jesus gets sodomized by Judas: "Yeah, whatever. Lemme know when you do one about Mohammed..." Lars Vilks was the guy who said: "Sure. Hold my Stormakstporter."
It was an unusual traffic accident. On a divided carriageway with a sturdily fenced median, the police vehicle somehow managed to cross into the oncoming lane to find itself just in front of a large truck. As Robert Spencer puts it:
The names of his police guards need to be released. As does the name of the truck driver. Note that 'the rescue service and the police said it would take a lot for a vehicle to be able to pass into the other lane, given that it is separated by a wire fence.'
The Swedish police continue to investigate. Whatever the circumstances of the fatal crash, Douglas Murray is correct as to the broader cause of death:
Lars Vilks was a man, and an artist, of enormous courage. He should never have been in this situation, and if other artists and others across Europe had not been such cowards then he never would have been.
I ponder the grim arithmetic of that 2010 event. Six of us on stage that day: One firebombed, one forced into hiding and out of his job, one shot, and now one dead. It's like Agatha Christie for jihadists: And Then There Were None. Maybe someone would like to produce a film or a play on the theme. Ah, but no: As Douglas says quite correctly, Lars Vilks was only in that van because of the miserable cowardice of our so-called artists, a "community" that spends the whole year giving each other awards back and forth for their "courage" and "heroism".
The principal change this last decade is that the western left has junked that apocryphal bit of Voltaire and cheerily put itself on the same continuum as Islam's enforcers: They're not (yet) firebombing your kitchen but, like the fellows who do, they agree that apostasy (misgendering et al) must be punished, severely.
And so a truly heroic man - on the great central question before Sweden and Europe - dies alone and in hiding.
Rest in peace, Larish.


Want to learn more about our work? You've come to the right place.
Last month, we hosted 150 aspiring campaign staffers in Iowa for our first-ever Arena Academy.
Arena Academy is coming to Charleston, South Carolina this April.
Next week, one hundred and fifty aspiring political staffers will arrive in Des Moines, Iowa for the inaugural Arena Academy.
Have a question about our first Arena Academy in Iowa this February? Start here.
Will you support Arena by helping us fund more scholarships?
Once the results of your race are final, all campaigns are created equal regardless of the outcome: they're all finished.
GOTV emergencies can be planned for and practiced so the unpredictable is made manageable.
Here are six recommendations for making your digital program run seamlessly in the final stretch.
Get Out The Vote (GOTV) programs are one of the best opportunities for impact in the final days before an election.
Last night, all five of our candidates on the ballot in New York won a historic victory.
In our Arizona plan, we noted it is "perhaps the most flippable state in the country." Last night's results confirm this.
To date, of our 33 candidates who've faced a primary election, 31 have advanced to the general election.
One year ago, we announced a merger with Chorus Agency.
So far, 16 of 17 of our Fellows who faced a primary election won.
The Arena Toolbox is a collection of tutorials, toolkits, and resources for campaign professionals to run a best-in-class campaign.
Last night, three of our Fellows -- Jessica Morse, Josh Harder, and Andy Kim -- faced a decisive primary election. And all three won.
Tonight, four Arena Fellows were on the ballot in Texas and Georgia -- and all four won.
We're fired up to welcome three new staff members: Santiago Martinez, Julia Leitner, and Christopher Marte.
Lauren Underwood, an Arena candidate, has won her primary and is now the Democratic nominee for US Congress in the Illinois 14th District.
Women are running for office in record numbers. Yet women - especially women of color - continue to face enormous challenges.
Gina Ortiz Jones garnered more than double the votes of any of her four opponents in her primary election.
In Virginia, we invested in eleven races — all seats currently held by Republicans — and most of which were considered unlikely Democratic pickups.
On December 8th and 9th, 2017 — the one-year anniversary of that first gathering — we will hold our fourth Arena Summit.
We are excited to announce that we are merging with the Chorus Agency and welcoming its founder, Kate Catherall, to our team as a Partner.
Since the 2016 election, hundreds of members of The Arena community have pledged to run for office.


text:
X- And Gamma-ray Telescopes And Instrumentation
Status of the All-Sky Monitor on RXTE
August 2007. 2007AIPC..924..481B.
Inproceedings
Bradt, H. and Levine, A.M. and Morgan, E.H. and Remillard, R.
First results from Position-Sensitive quantum calorimeters using Mo/Au Transition-Edge Sensors
Low Temperature Detectors February 2002. 2002AIPC..605..239F.
Figueroa-Feliciano, E. and Chervenak, J. and Finkbeiner, F.M. and Li, M. and Lindeman, M.A. and Stahle, C.K. and Stahle, C.M.
and gamma-ray detectors, Superconducting optical, X- and gamma-ray telescopes and instrumentation, X-ray
Detailed characterization of Mo/Au TES microcalorimeters
Low Temperature Detectors February 2002. 2002AIPC..605..219L.
Lindeman, M.A. and Brekosky, R.P. and Figueroa-Feliciano, E. and Finkbeiner, F.M. and Li, M. and Stahle, C.K. and Stahle, C.M. and Tralshawala, N.
Performance of Mo/Au TES microcalorimeters
Optimizing Transition Edge Sensors for High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy
September 2006. 2006AIPC..850.1605S.
Saab, T. and Bandler, S.R. and Boyce, K. and Chervenak, J.A. and Figueroa-Feliciano, E. and Iyomoto, N. and Kelley, R.L. and Kilbourne, C.A. and Porter, F.S. and Sadleir, J.E.
Fluctuations, X- and gamma-ray telescopes and instrumentation, X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers
Thermonuclear burst physics with RXTE
July 2004. 2004AIPC..714..266G.
Galloway, D.K. and Chakrabarty, D. and Cumming, A. and Kuulkers, E. and Bildsten, L. and Rothschild, R.
and components, apparatus, Spaceborne and space research instruments, X- and gamma-ray telescopes and instrumentation, X-ray, X-ray sources; X-ray bursts
Searches for optical counterparts of BATSE gamma-ray bursts with the Explosive Transient Camera
August 1996. 1996AIPC..384..661K.
Krimm, H.A. and Vanderspek, R.K. and Ricker, G.R.
gamma-ray, gamma-ray sources; gamma-ray bursts, X- and gamma-ray telescopes and instrumentation
High-energy transient explorer-2
June 2000. 2000AIPC..522..265L.
Lamb, D.Q. and Ricker, G.R. and Crew, G. and Doty, J.P. and Levine, A. and Venderspek, R. and Villasenor, J. and Fenimore, E.E. and Galassi, M. and Matsuoka, M. and Kawai, N. and Yoshida, A. and Atteia, J.-L. and Vedrenne, G. and Olive, J.-F. and Boer, M. and Issler, J.-L. and Pizzichini, G. and Hurley, K. and Jernigan, J.G. and Graziani, C. and Woosley, S.E.
Super-LOTIS/LOTIS/LITE: Prompt GRB followup experiments
October 2001. 2001AIPC..587..181P.
Park, H.S. and Ables, E. and Barthelmy, S. and Bradshaw, M. and Cline, T. and Gehrels, N. and Hartmann, D. and Hurley, K. and Nemiroff, R. and Pereira, W. and Perez-Ramirez, D. and Williams, G.G. and Ziock, K.
gamma-ray sources; gamma-ray bursts, X- and gamma-ray telescopes and instrumentation
Super-LOTIS and LOTIS for HETE2 GRB Triggers
April 2003. 2003AIPC..662..366P.
Park, H.S. and Williams, G.G. and Ables, E. and Barthelmy, S.D. and Cline, T. and Gehrels, N. and Hartmann, D. and Hurley, K. and Lindsay, K. and Nemiroff, R. and Pereira, W. and Perez-Ramirez, D.
and components, apparatus, gamma-ray sources; gamma-ray bursts, Spaceborne and space research instruments, X- and gamma-ray telescopes and instrumentation


Welcome to Pacifica Senior Living McMinnville, our beautiful, safe and friendly community of quality caregivers, well-trained professionals, and most importantly, satisfied residents. Our full service memory care community provides a warm, inviting and familiar environment for residents with Alzheiners Disease and other forms of dementia. At Pacifica Senior Living McMinnville we focus on programs that help individuals with memory loss thrive while managing the issues of dementia.
Our residential care community offers an atmosphere of home and comfort, reducing the feeling of loneliness and confusion. We understand how important this is to our residents and their loved ones.
While providing the best in customized care for own residents, we also provide support and education for families helping the entire family enhance their understanding of the disease process. Own homelike accommodations are custom built to help ease what can be an overwhelming time in life.
Our residents have many choices when it comes to filling their days—which is attractive to seniors seeking a comfortable, stylish, intimate senior care community. Our community graciously offers well-appointed private and companion suit accommodations. We offer dementia-specific activity programs, nutritious and delicious meals and snacks, scheduled transportation, extensive social activities, and the convenience of weekly housekeeping.
You've taken care of others and worried about their welfare—now it's time to relax and let someone else start looking out for you. We invite you to contact our Pacifica Senior Living McMinnville community to learn how you can experience the best in memory care services.
"I have been on both sides of Pacifica Senior Living as an employee and as a friend of residents. I have found that there are no staff members here...everyone is family! I can't think of a better place for my loved ones to live."


It's been close to a year since I last posted a Legal Update back on August 8th, 2015. That was prior to the actual trial which began on October 26th, 2015 and concluded fourteen days later on November 12th, 2015.
Immediately following the trial a date was set for December 7th, 2015 in order to fix a date for theCharter application hearing to be heard. The Charter issue had already began back in the spring of 2015 but was postponed pending the outcome of the trial. Had I been victorious and found Not Guilty on both counts there would not have been grounds to file the challenge to the legislation. That date came and went and Crown and Defence were unable to agree upon a date for the hearing. It was put over to January 25th, 2016. On the January date issues came up about Defence calling Expert Witnesses and so it was rescheduled to March 29th, 2016 to fix a date. March 29th came and went and more delays required the setting a new date of April 4th. The 4th of April came and went and another date of May 2nd was chosen. On May 2nd the computers in the courtroom malfunctioned causing further delays and a new date of June 6th was set. On June 6th Defence counsel's computer went down and a new date of July 11th, 2016 was set. After eight months and seven attempts to fix a date the deed was finally accomplished on the 11th of July!
As it now stands the Charter application will be heard in Quesnel Supreme Court beginningOctober 3rd, 2016 and run (possibly) for the full week to October 7th, 2016.
• Section 319(2) of the Criminal Code constitutes an infringement of Section 2(b) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• The Crown bears the onus of justifying the infringement of Charter rights on a case-by-case basis.
• The present case is distinguishable from Keegstra on its facts.
• The infringement of Section 2(b) of the Charter is not reasonably justified by Section 1 in the circumstances of this case, and specifically: The "pressing and substantial objective" of legislation must be defined narrowly for the purpose of a Section 1 analysis.
• The use of Section 319(2) in this case is not rationally connected to the pressing and substantial objective of preventing harms associated with hate propaganda.
• Criminal prosecution by indictment is not a minimal impairment of the Applicant's Charter rights.
• The infringement of the Applicant's Charter rights is disproportionate to any possible salutary effect that Section 319(2) could have in the circumstances of this case.
• The appropriate remedy is to read into the law a constitutional exemption, to the effect that Section 319(2) is not a reasonable limit on Section 2(b) in circumstances where the allegedly hateful material is legal to possess and lawfully available from other sources.
A declaration that Section 319(2) of the Criminal Code constitutes an infringement of Section 2(b) of the Charter, as already established in R. v. Keegstra.
A declaration, pursuant to Section 52(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982, that Section 319(2) of the Criminal Code is not reasonably justified by Section 1 of the Charter in circumstances where the allegedly hateful material is legal to possess and lawfully available from other sources.
Crown of course will be arguing that the applicant's (my) argument is entirely without merit.
Now that the date has been set there is still the responsibility on my part to cover a number of financial costs related to the hiring of Expert Witnesses and also travel expenses and accommodations for legal assistants who I will be bringing to Quesnel for the week of the Charterhearing. These and many other miscellaneous costs that are part of this ongoing process must be raised over the next two months in order accomplish our goals. Any help that people can offer will be gratefully accepted and put to good use.
Thank You All for your ongoing help throughout this long process!
My last update of November 20th, 2013 focused mainly on the Rowbotham application that I had applied for in order to have Regina pay for a lawyer to defend me against her spurious sec. 319(2) "hate crime" charge that resulted in my arrest and incarceration back on May 16th, 2012. That application was refused by Judge Morgan after a hearing held in the Quesnel court house on November 18th.
Since that date I've been back in court a few more times on related matters the most recent being Tuesday, January 14th.
During the November 18th, 2013 Rowbotham hearing Judge Morgan brought up the matter of the particularization of the disclosure (the massive amount of purported "evidence" which the Crown intends to rely upon to justify their having charged and arrested me and stole all of my computers and firearms back in May of 2012). I had made an application to the court back on April 10th of 2013 asking for further particulars and that the Crown to be more specific as to just what articles, posts, etc. were the ones on the website which Regina felt were willfully promoting hatred against "people of the Jewish religion or ethnic group." After the Rowbotham application was refused I refiled the original April 10th, 2013 application asking the Judge to order Crown to further particularize the case.
That hearing took place on December 16th, 2013. Judge Morgan reserved his decision until I appeared again January 3rd, 2014 on another related matter. It was then that he handed down his Judgment in which he dismissed my application on the grounds that I was "seeking" "particulars relating to the Crown's theory." In the Judge's estimation, "An order – as set out in his application – for the Crown to particularize the date and time and the exact statement or statements by which the alleged hatred was promoted would have the effect of limiting the Crown's theory of the case; something that Krindle J. in Pangman (above) at paragraph 3, found there was no authority for and would amount to an extension of the existing law." It all sounds good in "theory" doesn't it?
Following the November 18th, 2013 Rowbotham hearing I contacted Crown Counsel Johnston regarding the matter of witnesses that the Crown was planning to call for the Preliminary Inquiry set for January 22nd, 2014. Counsel informed me that she would only be calling one witness, Barry Salt, a forensic computer technician. More taxpayer money to be spent bringing someone up to Quesnel in order to "prove" that I was the Publisher and Editor of RadicalPress.com a fact which I have never denied.
As I'm sure you are well aware the preliminary inquiry is an important opportunity for me to cross-examine witnesses and gather relevant evidence for pre-trial Charter applications in Supreme Court. Much of the necessary evidence for the Charter applications will be put on the record at that time and therefore I feel it behooves the Crown, in the interest of justice, to call those persons specified above for cross-examination by myself, or, in the event I am able to procure counsel in advance of the January 22nd date, my legal representative.
As a result a hearing date was set for January 3rd, 2014. During the hearing Crown argued that they didn't have to produce any witnesses that they chose not to and downplayed the whole notion of the importance of the Preliminary Hearing process. I was given a fourteen page document indexed as: United States of America v. Shephard  2 S.C.R. 1067. This document, according to both Judge Morgan and Crown Counsel Johnston, clearing showed that the threshold to be met in order to justify ordering a trial to be held was so low as to be practically impossible to refute.
Prior to the January 3rd date the Judge had set another date of January 7th, 2014 for what is called a "focus hearing" which, translated into English, means a time to go over the ins and outs of what would be transpiring during the upcoming Preliminary Hearing on Jan. 22nd. He then decided to deal with that matter too on the 3rd and skip the Jan. 7th date. It was during this hearing that Judge Morgan addressed the issue of the thousands of emails which were still on my stolen computers and had not been returned to me. I told the judge that they were relevant to my defence and that they should be returned as part of the disclosure package which had already been returned some months ago. The judge concurred with my argument and after some discussion with Crown directed CC Johnston to contact Det. Cst. Wilson and have him return all of my email correspondence to me. He gave the Crown until January 14th to prepare a response to his recommendation and it was on that date that I was to return to court to find out the results. When I appeared on January 14th I learned that the emails had been downloaded to a file that was supposedly being sent up to the Crown's office and that I would be notified as soon as it arrived. Judge Morgan told me to contact Crown Counsel's office if I didn't hear anything after a couple of days.
Having made this announcement to Judge Morgan and myself CC Johnston then added that nothing more would be forthcoming as a result of it until after the upcoming Preliminary Inquiry when an application would then be made to the court in order that Crown might attempt to impose new restrictions on me to prevent me from publishing any more truthful articles and opinions on RadicalPress.com.
"Please take notice that I have subpoenaed and will be calling two witnesses for the Preliminary Inquiry to be held on January 22nd, 2014.
Mr. Frank Frost will be appearing to testify on the urgency to maintain an alternative news media here in British Columbia in order to ensure that criminal activities on the part of the RCMP, the Judiciary and the Attorney General's office (Crown) are exposed to the general public. Mr. Frost is a strong, knowledgable advocate and expert witness in the areas of children and family advocacy and pedophelia within B.C.'s judiciary.
The next few days will be spent preparing for the Preliminary Inquiry. I will send out another update sometime after the 22nd and let readers know what transpired on that day.


This is complete magic. Her stunning dress. Golden hair. Their giggles and contagious smiles. Arizona sun. Blooming desert. Their pure and heart melting love for each other... Seriously, I am jumping for joy and can look at these photos all day long! I am so blessed I got to go on an adventure with these two this week! After rescheduling their shoot twice because of the rain, we finally got to make it happen and I am thrilled! AHH just take a look and see for yourself!! I absolutely love these two!


Monitor all of your key elements such as your product page, your contact form or your home page. Be directly alerted (email, SMS, push notifications, ...) when your website is down! Increase your sales and provide the best shopping experience to your customers with a fast and reliable ecommerce site! Start your 30-day FREE trial account today (no credit card).
Have you ever encountered an issue while confirming your purchase? There is nothing more frustrating, right?
Even the most important e-commerce websites such as Amazon, Ebay or Groupon have already faced major issues in terms of reliability and unavailability, their sites can be "Down". Those issues can come from a network error, a database issue or even a hardware breakdown.
There is a simple solution to ensure e-commerce sites' reliability: internetVista's monitoring.
Indeed, internetVista is a website monitoring infrastructure which will check your website availability 24/7 and will detect all the anomalies within IP's addresses.
We operate on a SaaS mode, which means that there is nothing to install in order to ensure your e-commerce website reliability. All you have to is, subscribing to a trial account.
Note that every year, internetVista provides valuable insights through surveys regarding the e-commerce websites, which can be found on our website.


text:
SKYbrary Wiki
Enhancing safety
Accidents and incidents
About SKYbrary
If you wish to contribute or participate in the discussions about articles you are invited to join SKYbrary as a registered user
Normalisation of Deviance
From SKYbrary Wiki
Category: Human Factors
Content source: SKYbrary
Content control: SKYbrary
2 Intentional noncompliance
3 Accidents & Incidents
Adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) is considered is considered critical to aviation safety. But deviating from SOPs is not unusual. When deviations occur without significant operational or safety consequences, the deviant behaviour can be reinforced. Over time, the deviance becomes normalised.
Sociologist Diane Vaughan, Ph.D., is credited with coining the phrase "normalisation of deviance" in her study of the 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster. She said, "Social normalization of deviance means that people within the organization become so much accustomed to a deviation that they don't consider it as deviant, despite the fact that they far exceed their own rules for the elementary safety."
Normalisation of deviance also has been described as the gradual process by which the unacceptable becomes acceptable in the absence of adverse consequences.
In a 2007 speech, Robert Sumwalt a former airline pilot and then-member of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said, "One danger of routinely deviating from standards is that we "normalize" the deviation. This "normalization of deviance," is problematic because crewmembers can view this new way of doing business as the norm. We get so used to it that the crew can eventually fail to see their actions as being deviations."
Intentional noncompliance
Data gathered during thousands of line operations safety audit (LOSA) observations shows that flight crews that are intentionally noncompliant with cockpit SOPs are two to three times more like to commit other, unintentional errors to mismanage threats to flight safety. According to the LOSA Collaborative, those observations show that as the number of intentional noncompliance errors increase on a flight, the number of mismanaged threats and errors and the number of instances of undesired aircraft state also increase.
Procedural drift refers to the continuum between strict compliance with a procedure and how that procedure is being performed in the real world or actual operations.
Reasons for procedures not being followed are varied, but can include operational or time pressures, a procedure not being available, or a procedure being judged inadequate.
As mentioned, the Challenger explosion is often cited in discussions about normalisation of deviance or intentional noncompliance. Another example is the January 2012 capsizing of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia in which 32 people died. As the ship approached the coast of Giglio Island, it deviated from its standard course and moved closer to the island to perform a maritime salute, which had been performed several times previously. The ship struck a reef, tearing a hole in the port side. The passengers and crew eventually abandoned the ship.
A more recent aviation accident illustrating normalisation of deviance was the 31 May 2014 runway overrun during rejected takeoff of a Gulfstream GIV at New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. (GLF4, Bedford MA USA, 2014) During the engine start process before takeoff the flight crew neglected to disengage the airplane's gust lock system, which locks the locks the elevator, ailerons, and rudder while the airplane is parked to protect them against wind gust loads. The pilots also neglected to perform a flight control check that would have alerted them to the locked flight controls, NTSB said in its investigative report.
A review of data from the airplane's quick access recorder revealed that the pilots had neglected to perform complete flight control checks before 98% of their previous 175 takeoffs in the airplane, indicating that this oversight was habitual and not an anomaly.
In the final report, NTSB said: "[T]he probable cause of this accident was the flight crewmembers' failure to perform the flight control check before takeoff, their attempt to take off with the gust lock system engaged, and their delayed execution of a rejected takeoff after they became aware that the controls were locked." One of the contributing factors was "the flight crew's habitual noncompliance with checklists."
Rosenkrans, Wayne. "Normalization of Deviance," Flight Safety Foundation, AeroSafety World, June 2015.
Werfelman, Linda. "Intentionally Noncompliant," Flight Safety Foundation, AeroSafety World, December 2013.
Baron, Robert I. "Procedural Drift: Causes and Consequences," Flight Safety Foundation, AeroSafety World, March 2018.
Rapp, Ron. "The Normalization of Deviance," AOPA website, 7 Dec. 2015.
Deviation from Established Procedures
The Human Factors "Dirty Dozen"
National Business Aviation Association. "Procedural Non-Compliance: Learning the Markers and Mitigating the Risks." NBAA Safety Resource.
Retrieved from "https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php?title=Normalisation_of_Deviance&oldid=140831"
Licence agreement and Code of conduct


Christopher Tappin's first mistake is, of course, that he is an English businessman and not a foreign criminal.
If he were, for example, an Iranian convicted of murder in an English court, he would stand a good chance of avoiding extradition on the grounds that if he were sent home he could face imprisonment and torture. How good a chance? The Mail's news report today says one foreign criminal a day is winning the right to stay in Britain. Foreign murderers and rapists are using the EU-inspired Human Rights Act to claim the right to go on living in the United Kingdom despite their crimes.
Yet according to another news report today, in two weeks' time, Tappin, a 63-year old county golf captain and retired businessman, faces an extradition hearing which may end in him being bundled onto a an aeroplane and sent to prison in the United States even before he has been convicted of any crime.
This, despite the fact that the American 'justice system' is now capable of cruelty and injustice that must, by any British standard, be a violation of Tappin's rights.
I'll get to that in a moment. But first, what has happened is that the Kent grandfather was caught up in a sting set up by US customs officials. The sting was meant to trap criminals shipping arms to Iran. Yet all Tappin appears to have been doing is trying to make a deal to ship batteries to the Netherlands.
The US authorities need produce no evidence of any alleged crime by Tappin at the extradition hearing. Because of the unbalanced deal done between Britain and America on extradition, the hearing is likely to be nothing but a rubber-stamping exercise. Only the Home Secretary, Teresa May, can block the extradition. Yet given the roll-over attitude of the Tories in this coalition Government, one can reckon she is unlikely to do so.
So here is what awaits the Kent grandfather in America: a justice system which no longer seeks truth, and prosecutors who are untroubled by wrongful convictions.
Those are not my words, those are from Paul Craig Roberts, former assistant secretary of the US Treasury under President Reagan and a former senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution of the prestigious Stanford University in California, and now a noted conservative writer and commentator.
Roberts has made a detailed study of how federal prosecutions work in America.
His conclusion is that due process is dead. America has become an unjust country, and that's why white-collar convictions are so numerous and so quick. Roberts points out that 90 to 95 percent of federal criminal cases now end in plea bargains, something the British system of law will not tolerate.
However, American prosecutors love plea bargains. If they can get the accused to agree to plead guilty to two or three charges in exchange for five or six other charges being dropped, then none of the prosecution evidence need ever be tested in court.
The poisonous side-effect of that is this: if evidence is unlikely ever to be tested in court, police work can be careless.
A prosecutor can get a conviction without ever having to convince a jury that the evidence makes the charges stand up. And a prosecutor's career depends on conviction rate.
But how do federal prosecutors convince an accused man to plead guilty without a trial? By horrific coercion, by mental torture: by freezing the accused man's personal and business assets, by piling up ill-defined accusations of conspiracy, by criminalising what ought to be mere civil infractions.
Finally, federal prosecutors can force even an innocent man to plead guilty by adding so many charges that any attempt at a defence would leave the accused bankrupted by legal fees. Some innocent men would rather do jail than fight a torrent of ill-defined charges in court and leave their wives and children homeless.
Yet the Home Secretary is willing to make any British subject submit to this unjust system. Meanwhile foreign killers, rapists and armed robbers are safe in this country because they can shelter under the EU-inspired Human Rights Law.


text:
Daily Deduction
Renu Zaretsky
A Budget, Some SALT, Homelessness, and Farmers
The President released his election-year budget. President Trump released his $4.8 trillion budget plan yesterday. It assumes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's individual income tax provisions will be extended through 2035, instead of expiring as scheduled in 2025. The budget estimates the cost of extending the provisions would be $1.4 trillion but TPC has estimated it would top $3 trillion over 10 years. The new budget projects this year's $1 trillion deficit will fall to $261 billion in 2030 and reach balance by 2035. There is no chance Congress will enact this combination of deep spending cuts and tax increases.
The return of Rosy Scenario. The forecast assumes the economy will grow at an average of 2.9 percent over the next decade, 50 percent faster than the consensus of 2.0 percent and assumes that interest rates will remain historically low. The White House budget proposes $4.4 trillion in spending reductions over the next decade, about half coming from changes to social safety net programs. It includes non-defense spending of $590 billion and defense spending of $740.5 billion. The budget includes $3.5 trillion in spending on Social Security, Medicare and other entitlements.
A budget bump for the IRS. Trump is proposing a 4.3 percent budget increase for the IRS, to about $12 billion. Most of the extra $500 million would go to information technology
Too SALTy or not? Despite recent published reports, TPC's Lucy Dadayan and Noah Zwiefel say it is not possible to know whether the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's $10,000 cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction caused a migration from high-tax states to low-tax states. About half of all states suffered a net loss of tax filers in recent years. But this trend was occurring well before the TCJA and it's too soon to tell if the SALT cap is driving people to other states. We do know that a combination of factors such as job opportunities, retirement, and lifestyle drive migration.
San Jose, California, voters favor a property transfer tax to fight homelessness. A new public opinion survey shows that 55 percent of San Jose voters back a real estate transfer tax on properties worth more than $2 million. The initiative will be on a March ballot. It would affect fewer than five percent of properties, most of which would be commercial or industrial.
In Wisconsin: Republican state lawmakers propose farmers' tax relief. Given the state's current tax surplus, GOP lawmakers want give each farmer a $7,500 tax credit. They do not know, however, how much their plans would cost. Democratic Governor Tony Evers has already called on lawmakers to take up his $8.5 million plan to increase agriculture exports.
For the latest tax news, subscribe to the Tax Policy Center's Daily Deduction. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekdays at 8:00 am (Mondays only when Congress is in recess). We welcome tips on new research or other news. Email Renu Zaretsky at [email protected].
Posts and comments are solely the opinion of the author and not that of the Tax Policy Center, Urban Institute, or Brookings Institution.
https://tpc.io/2SxCPhYShare


CORPORATE LAW | Val Mandel, P.C.
A business involves a lot of factors: partners, investors, employees, competitors, vendors, banks, customers, landlords, licenses, bills of lading, contracts, invoices, etc. Operating that business is a whole universe of interconnected papers and agreements, with obligations running from and to. At a minimum, it is complex; at times, it could be overwhelming.


A vendor provides a product or service for a property management company. Then they get paid, the sooner the better.
That's the theory, at least. In practice the traditional process can be laborious for both sides of the ledger—vendors and property managers. Submitting paper invoices, securing approvals, cutting checks, stuffing and mailing envelopes, and taking payments to the bank breed opportunities for errors and delay.
Yardi's online vendor management solution, VENDORCafé®, speeds up the invoicing process for vendors while reducing printing, mailing and storage costs for property managers.
"We've noticed a significant improvement in expediting our invoices through the system. It's user friendly, and provides an easy transition from one task to the next. Thanks VENDORCafé!" says Shamrock Press and Graphics.
This infographic takes a look at the step-by-step VENDORCafé process.
For property managers, VENDORCafé is a single vendor management system of record that cuts risk in vendor onboarding, eliminates lost and duplicate invoices and integrates fully with their Yardi Voyager® property management and accounting platform.
"VENDORCafé eliminated the frustration that our vendors and internal staff previously experienced. Before, vendors would reach out to our staff to get updates on invoices. Now that vendors can follow their invoice online through the payment process, we have seen a visible increase in efficiency," says Iris Esguerra, Yardi project manager and information technology business analyst for Grubb Properties, a developer in Charlotte, N.C. with commercial and residential holdings.
Learn more about VENDORCafé here.


High performance VGA water block for the Radeon HD 3870 X2 series graphic cards.
High performance VGA water block for the Radeon HD 3870 X2 series graphic cards. Base is made of electrolytic copper. Top is made of quality acrylic glass. Back ram heat sinks are made of black anodized aluminium. The sealing is preformed by quality rubber washer. Block is mounted with enclosed M3 screws.
Mounting mechanism and fittings are included in price!
Fittings can be used on both side of the block (up and down), the 2 plugs are enclosed!
More links for "Full Cover 3870 X2 VGA Block"


text:
Crimson Cup Shares the Wealth with Farmers and Communities in 2018
Crimson Cup Coffee and Tea thrived in 2018 by helping small coffee farmers and independent coffee shop owners succeed. The roaster increased year over year sales while winning national awards for coffee quality, helping entrepreneurs open independent coffee shops, boosting revenue for small coffee farmers and donating to charities at home and abroad.
Golden Bean North America Medals won by Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
We began by helping entrepreneurs become successful coffee shop owners through our 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program. Over the past decade, we've also focused on helping coffee farmers earn more for their coffee and improve their communities through our Friend2Farmer program.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB) March 11, 2019
Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea thrived in 2018 by upholding its "Coffee + Community" business model. The company increased year over year sales while winning national awards for coffee quality. It boosted revenue for coffee farmers in its relationship chain, helped 19 new entrepreneurs open independent coffee shops and gave $89,000 to charitable organizations at home and abroad. The company also expanded its training mission with certification of the Crimson Cup Innovation Lab as a Premier Training Campus by the Specialty Coffee Association.
Founder and President Greg Ubert said he was pleased with the company's progress in 2018 and looks forward to further growth in 2019. "Since 1991, my vision has been to succeed by roasting awesome coffee and helping others prosper," he said. "I look on business connections as more of a relationship chain than a supply chain.
"In the 90s, we began by helping entrepreneurs become successful coffee shop owners through our 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program," he added. "Over the past decade, we've also focused on helping coffee farmers earn more for their coffee and improve their communities through our Friend2Farmer program."
On the coffee front, Crimson Cup added a Good Food Award Finalist trophy and six Golden Bean North America medals to its growing list of awards for roasting excellence. The company also launched a new line of limited release craft coffees under the Project Coffee label.
Ubert noted that roasting excellence starts at origin. In 2018, Crimson Cup coffee buyers traveled more than 84,000 miles to source coffee and to establish relationships with coffee growers in remote regions of Africa and Central and South America. They visited farms and cupped coffee or tea in Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Peru, Papa New Guinea and Uganda.
As a result, the roaster added grower relationships in Colombia and Uganda to its Friend2Farmer program and expanded relationships with farmers in Siguatepeque, Honduras. It increased Friend2Farmer purchases by 18 percent.
"We set up Friend2Farmer in 2012 to ensure that farmers receive a fair share of proceeds from coffee sales," Ubert said. "We pay an above-market premium on coffee we buy, which gives coffee farmers added funds to invest in their farms and communities. We also donate funds for education and community improvements in Friend2Farmer communities."
Honoring Crimson Cup's core value of giving back to the community, the small business donated more than $89,000 to community organizations at home and abroad. Locally, Crimson Cup supported Cancer Support Community Central Ohio, See Kids Dream and other non-profits. Internationally, the roaster funded clean water, housing and education programs in partnership with smallholder farmer communities in Guatemala and Honduras. The company also provided coffee to the U.S. Military through its annual Military Coffee drive and by sending coffee overseas upon request to active duty personnel.
With SCA certification of the Crimson Cup Innovation Lab at 700 Alum Creek Drive in Columbus, the company looks to expand its training mission in 2019. "As the only Premier Training Campus in Ohio, the Innovation Lab offers a calibrated teaching environment to teach within SCA standards and protocols," Ubert said. "We trained more than 100 baristas and coffee shop managers in the Innovation Lab and on-location in 2018 through our 7 Steps program, and we look forward to offering an increased range of SCA courses in 2019."
About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is Roast magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced craft coffee in small batches, sold directly to consumers and as wholesale coffee beans. Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program, the company also teaches entrepreneurs to run successful coffee houses. By developing a coffee shop business plan, prospective entrepreneurs gain insight into how much it costs to open a coffee shop. Crimson Cup coffee is available through more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 37 states, Guam and Bangladesh, as well as the company's own Crimson Cup Coffee Houses. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com.
Cheryl Claypoole
Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
@crimsoncup
Crimson Cup Coffee


Download the Ramadan Calendar 2019 for Qatar as a perfect guide to your imsak, suhoor, fasting, iftar and prayer timings and don't forget to share it with your friends and family.
*Qatar Ramadan dates and timings may vary as it depends on the local sighting of the moon.
Ramadan always falls on the same day every year on the Hijri or Islamic calendar. The Hijri calendar is purely a lunar calendar, the date change happens in the Gregorian calendar. So every year Ramadan moves approximately 11 days in the Gregorian calendar.


text:
Hank Williams Jr: Obama is Muslim "who hates the U.S."
By Lauren Moraski
August 21, 2012 / 12:52 PM / CBS News
Hank Williams Jr. performs during Music Builds: the CMT Disaster Relief Concert on May 12, 2011, in Nashville. Getty
(CBS News) Hank Williams Jr. just made it pretty clear which presidential candidate he'll be voting for come November.
The country singer took a political swing at President Barack Obama while performing for a crowd of 8,500 at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand Friday night.
After finishing the song, "We Don't Apologize For America," the audience started chanting "USA, USA..." According to the Des Moines Register, Williams then told the crowd, "We've got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the U.S. and we hate him!"
Music More
Saturday Sessions: Son Little performs "Hey Rose"
Steve Miller opens up about how "Fly Like An Eagle" became a hit
Demi Lovato to sing national anthem at Super Bowl
According to the concert review, Williams' comments brought on cheers and applause.
This isn't the first time Williams has spoken out against Mr. Obama. In July, Williams told Rolling Stone that the president "hates America in the first place, forget about the flag."
His latest album, "Old School, New Rules," is riddled with political jabs against Mr. Obama, too. In the song, "Take Back Our Country," Williams sings, "Hey Barack, pack your bags, head to Chicago, take your teleprompter with you so you'll know where to go."
He also gets political in a new image posted Monday on his website that reads: "Taking Back the Country 2012," which can be found here. The caption notes: "Are y'all ready to help take back this great country?"
First published on August 21, 2012 / 12:52 PM


Add a little blurb about becoming part of the team here!
Please note that it is compulsory for members of a Queensland Affiliated Triathlon Club to be a member of Triathlon Australia (TA) | Triathlon Queensland (TQ).
20% Discount included for 2 adults and immediate family members who are 5 – 19years old.
Receive support and training for the whole family from experienced professionals.
Belong to a great team.
Receive support and training from experienced professionals.
Enjoy the social aspects of the club without the training or competition.


The L House which is short for Lee's House is a modern single family residence situated in Pangyo, a village near Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It was designed by Korean studio aandd (Architecture and Design Lab). The interesting thing about this project is that it comprises of a series of 11 independent levels where each differentiates from the rest while connecting the different lifestyles of each member of the family. Each level is accessed through a centrally located winding staircase which is an identifying element that serves as the most important feature of the home because it allows the inhabitants to move freely between all of the interior areas.
From the architects: "The project plan made up of 7 different layers—to be more accurate, the whole plan is composed of 11 levels— connect different lifestyles. These layers often overlap each other while creating a bridge between the gaps of family individuals. They are sometimes divided, withdrawing the individuals within their inner space.
"The detached housing area in Pangyo—a new town near the Seoul—is allocated into similar rectangular sites. The most well-known efficient way of planning these kinds of sites is placing a rectangular mass at one side while leaving the open space on the other side. However, our plan was using the void spaces as the exterior space that appeared by the misalignment between two masses. Although the exterior space physically became smaller, the psychological space experience was able to expand by the interaction of the void spaces between the rough brick solids and interior space.


text:
Two dead and one wounded in landmine explosion in Hodeidah
by Emad AlmarshahiDecember 15, 2021Add comment
At least two civilians were killed and another was injured on Tuesday when a landmine exploded in Hodeidah province, a security source said.
The source confirmed that two citizens were killed and one wounded as a result of the explosion of a mine …
The source confirmed that two citizens were killed and one wounded as a result of the explosion of a mine left by the Saudi-led coalition east of Al-Tuhayata district.
The operations room to monitor ceasefire violations recorded 225 breaches of the Stockholm ceasefire agreement having been committed by the Saudi-led coalition forces in the same province.
Among the violations were two attempts to advance in Hays district, a raid by warplanes on al-Jabaliya area and three others by spy aircraft on Hays.
The violations also included the flight of warplanes and spy aircraft in the airspace of Hays, Al-Jabaliya and Al-Jarahi areas, 80 violations with artillery shelling and 111 violations with various types of gunshots.