text:
Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea
Sang Mi Yuk, Kyu Tae Han, Sun Jung Kim, Woorim Kim, Tae Yong Sohn, Byungyool Jeon, Young Man Kim, Euncheol Park
Background: In the year 2000, the South Korean government introduced a program for separation of drug prescribing and dispensing. The goals of the program are to reduce misuse of drugs and to contain drug expenditures. The government also designated exception regions for the program to reduce the inconvenience for people who reside in areas with a shortage of health care resources. However, according to government reports, many adverse events related to drug misuse occurred in these exception regions after the program reforms were introduced. Therefore, it is worth investigating the factors that relate to drug consumption so that misuse in exception regions can be reduced. Methods: Data from medical institutions, detailed drug supply data, and community health survey data were included in the analysis. Multilevel linear regression analysis using mixed models that included pharmacy-and regional-level variables were used to examine the associations regarding the percentages of drug types consumed (i.e., antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, psychotropic drugs, adrenal cortical hormones, and antibiotics). Results: The data used in this analysis were from a total of 16,455 pharmacies. There were 1.9 % pharmacies from program exception regions and 98.1 % pharmacies from program application regions. Compared with the pharmacies in the program application regions, the exception region pharmacies had higher values for percent consumption of the antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs category, and of the adrenal cortical hormones category (antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs = β: 3.19, Standard Error (SE): 0.82, t: 3.88, p-value < 0.05; adrenal cortical hormones = β: 0.72, SE: 0.07, t: 9.92, p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggested that pharmacies in exception regions supplied more antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, and more adrenal cortical hormones compared with the pharmacies where separation of drug prescribing and dispensing had been implemented. Health care professionals and health policy makers should consider management of health care expenditure by the category of drugs consumed, especially in program exception regions.
Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
Drug Prescriptions
Antipyretics
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Yuk, S. M., Han, K. T., Kim, S. J., Kim, W., Sohn, T. Y., Jeon, B., ... Park, E. (2015). Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea. Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 10(1), [36]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-015-0032-3
Yuk, Sang Mi ; Han, Kyu Tae ; Kim, Sun Jung ; Kim, Woorim ; Sohn, Tae Yong ; Jeon, Byungyool ; Kim, Young Man ; Park, Euncheol. / Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea. In: Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 2015 ; Vol. 10, No. 1.
@article{110a155ad3eb4041a593d24100790a5c,
title = "Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea",
abstract = "Background: In the year 2000, the South Korean government introduced a program for separation of drug prescribing and dispensing. The goals of the program are to reduce misuse of drugs and to contain drug expenditures. The government also designated exception regions for the program to reduce the inconvenience for people who reside in areas with a shortage of health care resources. However, according to government reports, many adverse events related to drug misuse occurred in these exception regions after the program reforms were introduced. Therefore, it is worth investigating the factors that relate to drug consumption so that misuse in exception regions can be reduced. Methods: Data from medical institutions, detailed drug supply data, and community health survey data were included in the analysis. Multilevel linear regression analysis using mixed models that included pharmacy-and regional-level variables were used to examine the associations regarding the percentages of drug types consumed (i.e., antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, psychotropic drugs, adrenal cortical hormones, and antibiotics). Results: The data used in this analysis were from a total of 16,455 pharmacies. There were 1.9 {\%} pharmacies from program exception regions and 98.1 {\%} pharmacies from program application regions. Compared with the pharmacies in the program application regions, the exception region pharmacies had higher values for percent consumption of the antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs category, and of the adrenal cortical hormones category (antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs = β: 3.19, Standard Error (SE): 0.82, t: 3.88, p-value < 0.05; adrenal cortical hormones = β: 0.72, SE: 0.07, t: 9.92, p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggested that pharmacies in exception regions supplied more antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, and more adrenal cortical hormones compared with the pharmacies where separation of drug prescribing and dispensing had been implemented. Health care professionals and health policy makers should consider management of health care expenditure by the category of drugs consumed, especially in program exception regions.",
author = "Yuk, {Sang Mi} and Han, {Kyu Tae} and Kim, {Sun Jung} and Woorim Kim and Sohn, {Tae Yong} and Byungyool Jeon and Kim, {Young Man} and Euncheol Park",
journal = "Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy",
Yuk, SM, Han, KT, Kim, SJ, Kim, W, Sohn, TY, Jeon, B, Kim, YM & Park, E 2015, 'Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea', Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, vol. 10, no. 1, 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-015-0032-3
Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea. / Yuk, Sang Mi; Han, Kyu Tae; Kim, Sun Jung; Kim, Woorim; Sohn, Tae Yong; Jeon, Byungyool; Kim, Young Man; Park, Euncheol.
In: Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, Vol. 10, No. 1, 36, 16.09.2015.
T1 - Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea
AU - Yuk, Sang Mi
AU - Han, Kyu Tae
AU - Kim, Sun Jung
AU - Kim, Woorim
AU - Sohn, Tae Yong
AU - Jeon, Byungyool
AU - Kim, Young Man
AU - Park, Euncheol
N2 - Background: In the year 2000, the South Korean government introduced a program for separation of drug prescribing and dispensing. The goals of the program are to reduce misuse of drugs and to contain drug expenditures. The government also designated exception regions for the program to reduce the inconvenience for people who reside in areas with a shortage of health care resources. However, according to government reports, many adverse events related to drug misuse occurred in these exception regions after the program reforms were introduced. Therefore, it is worth investigating the factors that relate to drug consumption so that misuse in exception regions can be reduced. Methods: Data from medical institutions, detailed drug supply data, and community health survey data were included in the analysis. Multilevel linear regression analysis using mixed models that included pharmacy-and regional-level variables were used to examine the associations regarding the percentages of drug types consumed (i.e., antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, psychotropic drugs, adrenal cortical hormones, and antibiotics). Results: The data used in this analysis were from a total of 16,455 pharmacies. There were 1.9 % pharmacies from program exception regions and 98.1 % pharmacies from program application regions. Compared with the pharmacies in the program application regions, the exception region pharmacies had higher values for percent consumption of the antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs category, and of the adrenal cortical hormones category (antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs = β: 3.19, Standard Error (SE): 0.82, t: 3.88, p-value < 0.05; adrenal cortical hormones = β: 0.72, SE: 0.07, t: 9.92, p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggested that pharmacies in exception regions supplied more antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, and more adrenal cortical hormones compared with the pharmacies where separation of drug prescribing and dispensing had been implemented. Health care professionals and health policy makers should consider management of health care expenditure by the category of drugs consumed, especially in program exception regions.
AB - Background: In the year 2000, the South Korean government introduced a program for separation of drug prescribing and dispensing. The goals of the program are to reduce misuse of drugs and to contain drug expenditures. The government also designated exception regions for the program to reduce the inconvenience for people who reside in areas with a shortage of health care resources. However, according to government reports, many adverse events related to drug misuse occurred in these exception regions after the program reforms were introduced. Therefore, it is worth investigating the factors that relate to drug consumption so that misuse in exception regions can be reduced. Methods: Data from medical institutions, detailed drug supply data, and community health survey data were included in the analysis. Multilevel linear regression analysis using mixed models that included pharmacy-and regional-level variables were used to examine the associations regarding the percentages of drug types consumed (i.e., antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, psychotropic drugs, adrenal cortical hormones, and antibiotics). Results: The data used in this analysis were from a total of 16,455 pharmacies. There were 1.9 % pharmacies from program exception regions and 98.1 % pharmacies from program application regions. Compared with the pharmacies in the program application regions, the exception region pharmacies had higher values for percent consumption of the antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs category, and of the adrenal cortical hormones category (antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs = β: 3.19, Standard Error (SE): 0.82, t: 3.88, p-value < 0.05; adrenal cortical hormones = β: 0.72, SE: 0.07, t: 9.92, p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggested that pharmacies in exception regions supplied more antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, and more adrenal cortical hormones compared with the pharmacies where separation of drug prescribing and dispensing had been implemented. Health care professionals and health policy makers should consider management of health care expenditure by the category of drugs consumed, especially in program exception regions.
JO - Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
JF - Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
Yuk SM, Han KT, Kim SJ, Kim W, Sohn TY, Jeon B et al. Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea. Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 2015 Sep 16;10(1). 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-015-0032-3


December 2018 was a comparatively quiet month. Only seven items of information from five contributors were received, so the Archive now contains 7869 items of information from 2341 informants.
Use of the website continued to fall with only 4924 searches being made during the month, but the associated Facebook page, Plant lore and Traditions, was reactivated.
Visits were paid to Glastonbury, for the cutting of the Holy Thorn ceremony, and Hastings, for the International Spronkers Competition.
Ubiquitous groundsel, The Bedside Edition (Wandsworth Society), 2018: 54.
Image: plaque listing winners of the Annual International Spronkers Competition, The Jenny Lind, Hastings, East Sussex, December 2018.


text:
Q: Fedora 15 :Twitter on Google Chrome It's been almost 15 days since I installed Fedora 15 on my laptop. And since day 1, Twitter seems to be having some issue opening up. Whenever I try to load twitter.com, it loads an "Aw Snap" page.
From the answers here, I did sudo setenforce 0 and Twitter started working fine. But turning off SELinux doesn't seem to be a good thing to me. I tried disabling all extensions and removing all the apps from Google Chrome. Still the problem persists.
Can someone please provide some solution to this irritating problem?

A: There is a better way to fix your problem.
The bug is that chrome's configuration files are created with the wrong label on it.
To fix that, just run :
$ restorecon -R ~/.config

And you are done.

A: There are better options to simply disabling SELinux. You can set SELinux to use permissive mode so that it complains instead of blocking the execution of google chrome. Better yet, you can create a new local policy that allows google-chrome to run under SELinux, Here are some links to get you started:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SELinux
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/13/html/SELinux_FAQ/index.html
http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/SELinux#head-faa96b3fdd922004cdb988c1989e56191c257c01
Read the last link for the procedure, but do document yourself before jumping in, a fair understanding og what you are doing will reduce unnecessary frustration.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Have you been dreaming of Peru?
The intention of this immersion is to support you in identifying and "releasing" all that you "learned" from past generations so that you can attract everything you need and step into your purpose on a deeper level with effortless flow.
We learn 80% of everything we know by the time we are 5 years old, yet we don't develop our logical mind until 7. So if you aren't learning logically, how are you learning? Experientially and subconsciously. And since there is no link between logic and the subconscious, you will continue to sabotage your own efforts until you clear the subconscious patterning.
The goal of this work is to release and let go of all that doesn't serve you, the delusions that you have learned from childhood. We get to the root so you can get rid of all that is in the way of fulfilling your highest purpose in this lifetime.
This Retreat takes the curriculum from The School for the New Generation Leader and combines it with sacred plant medicine ceremonies to create the most powerful healing experience of your life.
Our last retreat to Peru in February 2014 was for women only. This time, we have opened it up to be a co-ed experience.
Work through resistances that come up … the closer you get to the root of the "untruth," the harder it gets to release it. We will support you in finding the strength and courage to break through.
Learn four subconscious release techniques to let go at the deepest root level, including physical, subtle, and emotional methods.
Learn both new Life Skills (intimacy, vulnerability, spirituality, and more) + Leadership Skills to fulfill your highest purpose.
Uncover what's in the way of you stepping into the world empowered and competent in your next level of leadership.
Know yourself (in every cell of your body) as an embodied leader with a clear plan of action to move forward.
For the first 3 days, we will dive deep into what you learned from the Mother Archetype and specifically how to get your NEEDS met so you do not burn yourself out while serving others. Mother is related to the gut – trusting your intuition, digesting ideas, and processing emotions.
We will complete the section with an Ayahuasca ceremony.
After a short break where you can go hiking, horse back riding or just chilling, we will begin to explore the learnings from the Father Archetype. This includes your relationship to self, others, career, purpose, and money. Father is related to the heart – trusting yourself, God and putting your heart into what you do.
We will complete the section with a San Pedro ceremony.
After intense clearing, we come to a blank slate, an empty canvas. Now what do you want to create? For the final two days, we will design our lives to be congruent with the truth of who we are. You will leave with a clear plan to implement new ways of being and new actions to take in your life and career.
Fly into Cuzco, Peru on Friday Sept 19, 2014. The retreat will end on the evening of Sunday Sept 28. Fly back home on Monday Sept 29.
* As of August 15, flights from LAX were under $900.
Registration includes double occupancy accommodation, two plant ceremonies and all meals on site from Friday evening til Sunday evening. Meals are healthy with fresh, local produce prepared daily by our chef. We accommodate all dietary restrictions.
You are responsible for your flight, transportation to and from the retreat center, any meals purchased outside of the retreat center, and any extracurricular activities.
** We will be organizing an optional overnight trip to Machu Picchu via the train.
Space is limited to 10 people (this is a co-ed retreat). Please apply so we can explore the possibility of you joining us!
Feeling a YES but afraid to leap?
If your gut and heart are saying "yes" but your mind has resistance, concerns, doubts and fears, you are in the right place!!!
What we most want and need will always bring up fear. What if it's too expensive? What if it doesn't work for me? What if I have a bad experience? What if my partner doesn't want me to go?
Just for a moment, tell your mind to be quiet so that I can speak to that part of you that knows that you called this retreat in for a reason. There is no coincidence that you are reading this page right now; the universe is always giving us exactly what we need.
This retreat will uplevel your life. There is no way around it. I am known as an activator. Barry is known as a wise sage. If you spend time with us, you will see something in yourself that you never saw before — perhaps you were avoiding it or perhaps it was completely hidden from your view. We will activate your vision. We will activate your power. We are committed to standing for your greatness and holding space for you to claim it.
Here is our intention for the retreat: we are each holding onto something from our past … what would be possible if you fully let that go and surrendered to be the truth of who you are? What would open up in your life? What would your life look like?
This retreat is designed to shift and alter your way of being. You will have an opportunity to fully own your power and breakthrough all your old patterns of how you relate to yourself, your tribe and the world. This retreat is designed to have you embody being a new generation leader so you shift from forcing, controlling, and efforting to receiving, allowing, and being.
The new generation leader taps into the infinite source of wisdom and strength to be the light for the next 7 generations.
Society has not taught us how to be our authentic selves. Nor can you read a book on it and get it. It's only through experience that you will embody the truth of who you are. This is an invitation to step fully into who you are as a leader — no shame, no apologies, no holding back — and surrender so you become a conduit for the divine. You are a powerful co-creator with spirit. It's time to let go and trust.
Your subconscious has been programmed with a lot of fear, doubt and worry. That's not who you are, that's what you learned. It is not truth, it is delusion. And it will continue to run your life, sabotaging your efforts until you go to the root and clear it.
How do you clear it? We clear the subconscious through a process that Barry has been guiding people through for over 30+ years. It has been scientifically proven. It has worked for thousands of other people, and will work for you too if you do the work.
The simple act of saying YES to your heart's desire to join the tribe in Peru is the first step. Trust.
There is nothing for you to figure out. Trust.
You are already supported. Everything will show up to support you in claiming your YES — the money, the childcare, the agreement from your partner. Once you say yes, providence moves. Anything is possible. Do this one for YOU, my love. And we'll see you in Peru.
I'm so grateful that I trusted the calling to come to Peru. Because I trusted myself, and Tanya's gentle leadership I have expanded beyond what I ever thought was possible. Before Peru, I was feeling stuck. Stuck in an energy of restlessness that couldn't break free. I was in the process of creating my website, discovering what it really means to honor my needs and integrate the feeling of abundance between both. Peru has helped me integrate through Tanya's beautiful, powerful activities and the grace of this land, I am healing the feminine. I have a softer strength now. The plant medicine of Peru has brought me closer to myself. They have opened up my power. I feel alive and ready to live my truth because of Tanya, the experience and the magic of Peru.
I said yes to this retreat at a time when I was amidst deep personal changes, and beginning a new life. Although practically it stretched me, I felt a YES in every cell of my body and I listened to that. Tanya's fluid intuitive leadership was such a refreshing change from all the other experiences I've had. I felt received unconditionally and she created a container where I could safely go deeper than I have ever gone. I am a purist and initially resisted the idea of a medicine ceremony but now, having this experience behind me, I am so grateful to have experienced this powerful medicine. I surrendered completely and my experience was both exquisite and exactly what I needed to move forward. This was a trip of a lifetime and something I will never ever forget. I came to heal the wounds of the womb and voice and I did that and so much more. I feel connected and filled up by all of life. I have come home at peace with myself, my journey and have many tools to assist me moving forward with joy, elegance and creativity.
I came here with a knowing of where I was headed, and a desire to ground into and fully embody certain qualities that I thought would get me to where I was going in life. But Peru cracked me wide open. It validated and clarified where those desires were true for me, and where they were simply part of a defensiveness that was no longer needed. It led me to deep insight into the parts of myself I had been clinging onto out of safety and ego, and the parts of me that are my deepest and most beautiful embodiment of me. I have gained healing where I didn't know I needed it, joy where I didn't know it was possible, gratitude for every aspect of my journeys, and an aliveness and embrace of life in a bigger and deeper way than I could have ever fathomed.
Spending valuable time in the heart of the sacred valley in Peru has been an empowering and awakening experience. I have reconnected with nature by hiking to the top of Waynu Picchu and exploring new lands. This one of a kind adventure is the opportunity of a lifetime and has enabled me to fully step into my divine feminine essence. The humble, yet comfortable accommodations are a delight to the senses complete with fireplace, kitchen, nutritious and delicious foods, and a friendly welcoming staff. Tanya is an experienced traveler and leader who facilitates powerful workshops which will help you to transform from what feels like a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly by the end of the retreat. After 11 days of transformation and discovery, I am leaving the Sacred Valley feeling more in touch with who I am, more balanced and centered, and more in love with life!
Tanya Paluso is an internationally renowned leader in the women's empowerment movement. She is the CEO of Tribal Truth, an organization that has impacted thousands of people's lives and businesses around the world through live and virtual events since 2010.
In her own lifelong search for truth and freedom from China to New York City, Tanya has learned how to walk her talk and teaches the power of vulnerability and authenticity. She is known for being a community builder and empowering leadership in others. In her best-selling book Open Your Heart: How to be a New Generation Feminine Leader, she gives people permission to be real and rise up to their full potential.
Tanya has been facilitating, coaching and leading groups of people since 2006. In addition to co-facilitating The School for the New Generation Leader with Barry Green, she trains women in facilitating Sistership Circles for Tribal Truth. She also brings women on pilgrimages to sacred places around the world such as Peru and Sedona, Arizona.


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text:
Mantidactylus mocquardi est une espèce d'amphibiens de la famille des Mantellidae.

Taxinomie
Selon Franco Andreone, ce taxon et Mantidactylus femoralis, dont il est très proche, pourraient former un complexe de plusieurs espèces.

Répartition

Cette espèce est endémique de Madagascar. Elle se rencontre du niveau de la mer jusqu'à  d'altitude dans un large territoire dans l'est de l'île.

Étymologie
Cette espèce est nommée en l'honneur de François Mocquard.

Publication originale
 Angel, 1929 : Matériaux de la Mission G. Petit à Madagascar. Description de trois batraciens nouveaux appartenant aux genres Mantidactylus et Gephyromantis. Bulletin du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, , , .

Liens externes

Notes et références

Anoure (nom scientifique)
Mantellinae
Faune endémique de Madagascar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Irish naval vessel LÉ James Joyce rescued 423 migrants from 18 separate vessels on Saturday during a search and rescue operation 40 nautical miles northwest of Tripoli, Libya.
The Irish Naval Service described the operation as complex. The rescue operation lasted over five hours. The rescued migrants were given water and medical treatment.
LÉ James Joyce participated in the rescue mission on foot of a request from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre.
In addition to the migrants brought onboard the LÉ James Joyce, the ship acted as on scene coordinator for 5 NGO vessels who rescued an additional 1500 migrants from the 18 vessels.
LÉ James Joyce has rescued 1,882 people to date (excluding the current rescue).


text:
Xbox 360 slim sells 15,000 at Japanese launch
Hardware sales jump for Microsoft, helped by cheaper Elite and Monster Hunter release
News by Matt Martin Contributor
Microsoft's new Xbox 360 model has sold 15,000 units in Japan during its first week on sale, pushing total sales of the console to 17,370 in the region.
That's a massive surge compared to last week's paltry 2060 units, with the console also helped by the release of Capcom's Monster Hunter Frontier Online which took the number one spot for the week ended June 27.
The console went on sale June 24, meaning sales figures reported by Andriasang only account for four days on the market. The slim model sells for ¥29,800 with the Elite SKU dropped in price to ¥24,800.
However, Nintendo's DSi LL was the big seller for the week, shifting over 40,000 units, significantly ahead of sales of the PSP, PlayStation 3 and Wii.
The full hardware chart follows:
DSi LL: 41,676
PSP: 23,257
PS3: 19,578
Wii: 19,115
Xbox 360: 17,370
DSi: 17,306
DS Lite: 5209
PS2: 1530
PSPgo: 845
Matt Martin
Matt Martin joined GamesIndustry in 2006 and was made editor of the site in 2008. With over ten years experience in journalism, he has written for multiple trade, consumer, contract and business-to-business publications in the games, retail and technology sectors.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Check out the Most CREEPY Items That Are EXTREMELY Expensive! From mysterious things to some of the weirdest items ever sold at auction, this top 10 list of strangest expensive items is unbelievable!
In 2007, a truly creepy book went on sale at auction- one that was bound with human skin. It was titled ' A true and perfect relation of the whole proceedings against the late most barbarous traitors, Garnet a Jesuit and his confederats', and written by Father Henry Garnet, the accused… the book details the author's accusation for his complicity in the gunpowder plot of 1605, where conspirators attempted to up the houses of Parliament.
is the collection of artifacts related to famous, and there's perhaps no more notorious one than Charles Manson. Collectors search far and wide for objects that he's owned, but the most curious of collectibles is his hair- more so because of the fact that most of it is fake!
Maurizio Cattelan is a Italian artist, who's earned a reputation for his creepy pieces- most of which involve taxidermy pigeons. He first put on a display in 1997, when he covered the air conditioning pipes in the Venice Biennale with 2000 of them, as well as simulated excrement on the floor and artworks by other artists. This piece was called 'turisti', which means 'tourists' and was designed to highlight the impact that visitors were having on the city.
As one of the members of the Beatles, John Lennon was revered around the world. Despite rumors of his questionable behavior, his in 1980 has meant that anything that he owned is now highly sought after by collectors- even discarded parts of his body.
Have you ever reached into a bag of chips and thought it looked just like something else, or maybe you've seen an image in a piece of toast? Well, one resident of San Dimas, California, realized that one of his Cheeto's looked just like something quite rude- but I'll let you figure that out for yourself.
You may have seen a real human skull in the biology lab at school, a lot of those model skeletons actually have real bones in them!! But what if you wanted to own one of your own?
The Silence of the Lambs was a psychological horror movie released in 1991 and starring Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a cannibalistic serial killer. It was a critical success but haunted the dreams of the millions who watched it thanks to the commitment to the role of Hopkins, and the visceral way he portrayed the doctor.
The Black Orlov diamond, also known as the Eye of Brahma diamond, is a 67.5 carat stone that traces its roots back to 19th century India. Legend says that it was once a part of a larger stone that was one of the eyes in a statue of Brahma, the Hindu of creation and that it was stolen by a traveling monk- an act that caused it to become cursed.
Despite behaviors and beliefs being banned in most parts of the world, there's still a burgeoning trade in memorabilia- with collectors seeking everything ranging from badges and flags to books and weaponry. Whether it's the creepiness of these objects or excitement about them, that appeal is different from person to person, but there's one object in particular that has generated extreme interest- personal Mercedes Benz.


Scotland's capital is the best location in the UK for establishing a technology company, according to the Tech Nation 2018 Report.
Boasting successes such as Skyscanner and Fanduel, and with the backing of the £1.3bn Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, Edinburgh's tech eco-system continues to thrive as it aspires to become The Data Capital of Europe.
What is Engage Invest Exploit?
Engage Invest Exploit (EIE) is the premier technology investor showcase powered by Informatics Ventures. Our annual EIE conference features the most promising innovative, data-driven high growth companies, seeking funding from seed to series A and later stage funding.
EIE2019 is a chance for companies to meet with and start to build relationships with investors.
What are the key highlights of this year's event?
Our keynote speakers include Professor Sue Black OBE. Recently named in the list of top 50 women in tech in Europe, Sue is one of the leading tech personalities in the UK today. An award-winning computer scientist, radical thinker, and social entrepreneur Sue is well known for founding the high profile campaign to save Bletchley Park, capitalising upon social media as a fitting continuation of Bletchley's technological legacy.
Nagraj Kashyap, Corporate Vice President and Global Head of M12, will share the experience he's gained in 20+ years of venture capital, business development, software engineering, and management. Previously, he was a senior vice president and head of Qualcomm Ventures and led business development for Qualcomm Research.
This year's cohort of companies range from very early stage to 5+ years, and each of them will use the opportunity to pitch to the panel of 12 global investors. The majority of this year's extended pitch slots have gone to companies who are at the post-revenue stage, so they are seeking funding to scale their business and manage growth.
At the conference gala dinner, we'll hear from Derek MacKay MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work. In May 2016, Derek Mackay MSP was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Constitution so will have interesting insights to bring to our event.
Our final speaker, entrepreneur Seonaidh MacDonald will entertain the audience post dinner. Seonaidh was until late 2016, the CEO of mLED Ltd, a world leader in micro-displays for Augmented & Virtual Reality products. In 2016 he led mLED through a hugely successful trade sale to a U.S household name, delivering a significant exit multiple.
Not forgetting the chance to hear from up to 50 exciting data-driven technology companies who are pitching live for investment!
What's your track record in helping companies so far?
Since inception, the number of companies supported by the IV programme is in excess of 350. EIE2018 hosted 985 delegates, including in excess of 250 investors, company executives, founders and guests and showcased high potential Data Driven Innovation companies.
The 2018 company cohort have since raised funding in excess of £4.8m to date: Novo-sound £1.5k, Good Loop £320k, Codeplay £2.1m, Cyan Forensics £900k.
EIE2019 will see 50 high growth, data-driven tech companies pitching for seed to 'series A' funding.
What do you want the programme to achieve?
The day is a chance for companies to meet with and start to build relationships with investors.
It's also for investors to meet with potential co-investment partners – and for the tech entrepreneurial ecosystem to come together, network together and showcase its outstanding capabilities to a global audience.
EIE2019 will take place on 24 April 2019 at the McEwan Hall in Edinburgh. To discover more about the event or to buy tickets, visit www.eie-invest.com.


Lots that have a daily fee. Note: most do not allow re-entry.
Is it legal to charge people to park on private property? Some home owners near the beach and pier charge $10 or $15 to park in their yard. Does Cocoa Beach have statutes governing this?
Since that falls under the local zoning you would need to contact city hall with the specific address.


While staying at the Holiday Inn Express® Hotel & Suites Pine Bluff - Pines Mall, you'll enjoy easy access to area businesses and attractions, since we are located just off I-530 and AR 65 North.
Business travelers are pleased to know that we are close to Strong Co., Tyson Foods and Evergreen Packaging in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Our hotel's business amenities include a business center with copy and print services, as well as computer access. We also boast a 2,000-square-foot event room, so you can host any type of meeting while in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Our hotel's conveniently located near the area's most popular attractions, including Regional Park, which features camping, hiking and golfing. And, since we are attached to the Pines Mall, it's easy to go shopping, too. Be sure to explore the downtown area and view Murals on Main, or make time to enjoy an afternoon at the Arkansas Railroad Museum. We are also in close proximity to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
We are proud to offer free Internet access throughout the hotel, so you can stay connected to friends and family while away from home. After a long day of meetings or sightseeing, you can relax and unwind by the outdoor pool or keep up with your workout routine at the on-site fitness center. Before heading out to explore the area, take advantage of our complimentary, hot breakfast each morning.
Looking for a place to stay in Pine Bluff, Arkansas? Our hotel's amenities include cozy, triple-sheeted beds and free Internet access. You can make and store snacks with the convenience of a microwave and refrigerator. The work desk with an ergonomic chair makes finishing business-related work easy.
June 2009 new True PS900 Elliptical Self Powered total body trainer and True900 Bike; and 2 treadmills are located in our fitness center and are available at no charge.
Pets are allowed up to 25 pounds, with a 25.00 dollars non refundable cleaning fee. owner must have shot records; pet agreement must be signed; active leash law that requires all pets to be on a leash when out of guest room.


I just upgraded to RC2 tonight and I am having a few issues after the install. The Site Wide Activity widget is not registering posts made in the Groups widget forums. Also, all Groups wire posts are gone from the Group wire but are still displaying in the Site Wide Activity widget.
I backed up my WPMU 2.7 and BuddyPress RC 1.0 install before upgrading both components.
FYI: The upgrade from 2.7 to 2.7.1 will replace the "default" theme directory with a fresh copy of Kubrick. If you are using the "default" folder for a custom default theme, the upgrade will eliminate it.
For me it got solved. I used a cutsom theme, and I didn't update the theme correctly. Now it works.
99.9% of the time it's going to be because you haven't upgraded your theme properly. If you are seeing problems like this, try the default theme first, and if it works with that then it's your theme.
I just reinstalled BuddyPress and switched everything to the BuddyPress supplied themes. I am seeing the group wire posts in the groups but anything posted to the groups is still not showing up in the Site Wide Activity widget.
I have deactivated all plugins minus BuddyPress.
Where did you go wrong on your first attempt at upgrading? Maybe I made a similar mistake?
I deleted everything related to BuddyPress (plugins/themes) and reinstalled from the "add plugin" admin.
A few things I have noticed. When activating the BuddyPress home theme, no preview is given when after selecting the theme and before clicking the "activate theme" button.
Also, nothing is being written to the sitewide activity table from the groups plugin.
@Dbascent94: I've got the same problem, no preview is given just "activate".
Although the themes -are- activated, because I see the standard buddypress theme is activated.
If I could only get rid of all those 404 errors on the normal buddypress functions ..
I downgraded to RC1. I am going to wait for 1.0 and then try again.
Check the new sticky regarding the theme preview.
I'm going to integrate bbPress on my test install and give it a go myself this evening.
@Dbascent94 & @mesgains: Do you use this on a production server or purely on a test install?
@FW i am workin with a live site. I am gong to ask my computer genius buddy to help me set up a test platform before attempting to upgrade again.
Our site is small enough (as is our budget) that having a completely different test install may not be feasible. I am going to see if it is possible to set one up on the same host.
I tried using the default themes and the same problem persists. I could really use a pointer on where to even begin looking for a fix for this.
@Dbascent94: Do you got qtranslate installed by any hand ? If so ; try to disable and test again ….
Does your problem exist when using the public release version 1.0?
Sorry for my absence, it has been a busy few weeks. Susequent to my last post I have installed and reinstalled bbPress several times. Everytime I am able to get integration working fine. Login in both BuddyPress and bbPress is synchronized, posts made in groups show up in bbPress. Posts made in bbPress show up in BuddyPress groups. All copacetic.
The problem is that none of that activity is recorded in the site wide activity widget. Bummer. I have deactivated the forums system for the time being.
I am running WPMu 2.7.1 and BuddyPress 1.0 with bbPress 1.0 alpha 6.
The topic 'RC2 Upgrade issues' is closed to new replies.


A unique blend of herbs for destroying worms, parasites, etc.
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**This product is also available in 500mL size - please check our catalog.
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Home > News > Property Developers and Investors: need to be aware of new regulations relating to the administration of their companies.
From October 2016, all directors will have to be natural persons.
Property companies will be prohibited from appointing new corporate directors and by October any existing corporate directors must be removed.
Corporate directors may need to be replaced with natural persons.
Pitfalls which could be overlooked include minimum director requirements in articles of association.
Practical Advice: Plan ahead. Check your property company's articles of association and compile lists of any corporate directors. Consider replacing these corporate directors with individuals.
From June 2016 companies will no longer have to submit an annual return to Companies House.
In its place, companies need to deliver a confirmation statement at least annually, stating that the company has delivered all the required information in the last 12 months.
Practical Advice: Don't get caught out. The new confirmation can be submitted at any time in the 12 month review period and a new review period of 12 months will be set from the date of the last confirmation statement. So, stay ahead of the game, ensuring all information is kept up to date at Companies House including, for example, changes to registered offices and registration of any charges.
From April 2016 companies must maintain a register of people with significant control ("PSC"s) over the company and from June 2016 must make it public.
The information on the PSC register has to be given to Companies House, updated annually and will be publicly available and searchable by individual name and by a company name.
If it is a legal entity rather than a person who meets the conditions, they are known as a relevant legal entity or "RLE".
Once on the register, the PSC/RLE has an obligation to provide certain information to the company.
Anyone who wishes to inspect or obtain a copy of a PSC register has to give to the company their name, address and the purpose for which the information will be used. Within five days of the request the company must either comply with it or apply to the court.
This requirement will also apply to LLPs, with a different set of 5 conditions to be met for an individual to be recognised as having significant control.
This is likely to add to the administrative burden for many involved in the development industry, particularly where developers enter into corporate joint ventures with landowners, funders or other developers to promote and secure the development of land.
Practical Advice: Take steps to identify PSC's as soon as practicable. Take note of the key dates, and don't fall foul of deadlines. Companies that fail to take the necessary steps to identify relevant shareholders and officers in default may be guilty of criminal offence.
For more detailed advice please contact Robert Rice, Partner on [email protected].


my name is Dustin Favinger, the 7-12 principal.
My teaching career started in fall of 2001 in western Nebraska teaching science before I became the 9-112 school counselor in Cozad where I served the students from 2006 to 2016.
I am honored to serve as the principal of Bridgeport High School and look forward to connecting with all of our stakeholders.


With strings of paparazzi photos, tabloids desperately try to convince us that celebrities are "just like us." They walk their dogs! They have babies! They eat! Somehow, by reminding us that these high-earning, influential people in the public eye also perform quotidian tasks, we'll feel a bit better about ourselves.
Thanks to events like the 2014 Sony hack, which revealed just how drastic the wage gap is, the ramparts of this previously taboo subject have burst open. More and more women celebrities have spoken out against this all-too-prevalent practice. And, encouragingly, changes seem to be happening. The male stars of the forthcoming film Battle of the Sexes took pay cuts so their co-star, Emma Stone, could achieve parity with them.
From Emma Stone to Charlize Theron, here are the female celebrities who are causing change by speaking up.


text:
Q: VSTS : dotnet with Docker fail to publish tests I try to publish my unit tests on VSTS during the continuous integration, I use docker, and at the time the Publish task is played, I still get the following error, thus the xml file resulting from the dotnet test command can"t be found.
No test result files matching **\test-results.xml were found.

If I run the command docker-compose run web-tests locally, a tests-results folder is created containing the expected test-results.xml file.
What I am doing wrong on VSTS ?
The code repo : Github
My folder architecture:
web/
├── web/
│   └── web.csproj
│   └── Dockerfile
│
├── web.test/
│  └── web.test.csproj
│
└── web.sln
└── docker-compose.yml
└── docker-compose.override.yml

Dockerfile (EDIT remove extra dotnet test command) :
FROM microsoft/aspnetcore:2.0 AS base
WORKDIR /app
EXPOSE 80

FROM microsoft/aspnetcore-build:2.0 AS build
WORKDIR /src
COPY web.sln ./
COPY web/web.csproj web/
COPY web.test/web.test.csproj web.test/
RUN dotnet restore -nowarn:msb3202,nu1503
COPY . .
WORKDIR /src/web
RUN dotnet build -c Release -o /app

FROM build as test
WORKDIR /src/web.test
#RUN dotnet test

FROM build AS publish
WORKDIR /src/web
RUN dotnet publish -c Release -o /app
FROM base AS final
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=publish /app .
ENTRYPOINT ["dotnet", "web.dll"]

docker-compose.yml:
version: '3.4'
services:
  web:
    image: web
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: web/Dockerfile
  web-tests:
    image: web-tests
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: web/Dockerfile
      target: test
    volumes:
      - ${BUILD_ARTIFACTSTAGINGDIRECTORY:-./tests-results/}:/tests

docker-compose.override.yml:
version: '3.4'
services:
  web:
    environment:
      - ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Development
    ports:
      - "80"
  web-tests:
    environment:
      - ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Development
    ports:
      - "80"
    entrypoint:
      - dotnet
      - test
      - --logger
      - trx;LogFileName=/tests/test-results.xml

And my both VSTS Tasks

A: You should remove the RUN dotnet test in the Dockerfile as you are running the tests using the entrypoint option in compose file.
If you have the RUN dotnet test and any test fails, the whole build will fail without generating any test result file.
If all your tests pass, then the "publish test results" tasks should succeed (but note that you run the tests twice).
Did you tried with a successful test suite?

A: You need to uncheck Run In Background option of Docker Compose task.


text:
Political inaction on climate change is hurting our most vulnerable, worsening poverty and inequality
12 December 2019 4 August 2020
In the midst of unprecedented bushfires and international climate talks in Madrid, the Councils of Social Service are calling for urgent government action on climate change to support those hardest hit by its impacts – people on low incomes or experiencing disadvantage. In a joint statement released today, the Councils of Social Service argue the climate crisis is not only a threat to our environment, it is a threat to people's lives and livelihoods, and to ending poverty and inequality.
Australian Council of Social Service CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie said: "The costs of political inaction are being felt now, today by millions of people, especially those people on low incomes or experiencing disadvantage who are hit hardest because they are less likely to have the means to cope, adapt and recover.
"Unprecedented bushfires fuelled by the climate crisis, burning across parts of Australia have destroyed homes, livelihoods and tragically taken lives. The costs are immeasurable.
"Thousands of people continue to live on the edge with a suitcase of valuables at their front door, sleepless nights, waiting, not knowing if their home is next.
"We are calling on Minister Taylor to use the international climate talks underway in Spain to announce Australia is willing to do more and foreshadow an increase to 2030 emissions reduction targets.
"As a wealthy developed nation with cheap renewable energy resources, we have a responsibility and the ability to respond more rapidly, while looking after workers, communities and people on low-incomes."
New South Wales Council of Social Service CEO, Joanna Quilty, said: "Everyone in New South Wales is feeling the effects of either drought or bushfires that have been made worse because of the climate crisis. As Sydney lies blanketed in a thick haze, people are looking to governments to take effective action.
"Hundreds of people have lost homes and possessions and the majority will struggle to recover financially and emotionally. The climate crisis is making more people vulnerable to hardship.We have only just started summer and the experts are warning worse is to come. Urgent collective action is needed."
Victorian Council of Social Service CEO, Emma King, said:
"Poor and vulnerable communities are being hit the first and the worst by climate change. It's morally reprehensible to stand by and let this happen. All levels of government must work together to act on climate change. We urgently need a response that is bold and comprehensive, but also fair and equitable—so that nobody is left behind."
Queensland Council of Social Service CEO Mark Henley said: "We need governments to take effective action on climate change and support people, communities and organisations to become more resilient to extreme weather and natural disasters. We have seen droughts, floods and bushfires having significant impact on people in communities across the state. Politicians need to listen to communities. Queenslanders are fed up with elected representatives ignoring crystal clear evidence showing we have walked headfirst into a climate crisis."
Northern Territory Council of Social Service CEO, Deborah Di Natale, said: "It's clear climate change is already occurring with devastating effects, and more change is already locked in. We must support people to adapt, build community resilience, and ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the transition to a clean energy future."
Western Australian Council of Social Service CEO, Louise Giolitto said "Governments also need to do more to support community sector organisations who are on the front line providing services to vulnerable Australians during and after extreme weather events. Community sector organisations play a critical role in disaster preparedness, management and recovery, especially for vulnerable people."
Tasmanian Council of Social Service CEO Kym Goodes said: "Based on the available evidence a slow transition now will require faster, more expensive and more disruptive change in the future, while heightening risks of more dangerous climate change. If our Governments don't start acting with more urgency we will be leaving our children with an unimaginable burden and cost."
South Australian Council of Social Service CEO, Ross Womersley said: "Governments need to be doing much more right now to help people on low-incomes who are struggling to cope, adapt and recover from extreme weather events. People living in poverty will always struggle to afford the energy they need to cool their homes to cope with extreme heat or even to buy face masks to manage in bushfire smoke. There is an urgent need to raise Newstart, improve our energy concessions and invest in energy efficiency upgrades for homes of people struggling on the lowest incomes."
ACT Council of Social Service Policy Manager Craig Wallace, concluded: "Our city experiences extremes of both heat and cold so the climate crisis is a social justice issue. Federal, State and local Government must do more to protect low income and disadvantaged people from the impacts of climate change and prevent more people being trapped into poverty."
Read the Council of Social Service Network climate statement here.
Dangerous and outrageous – Councils of Social Service condemn proposed funding cut to national voice for First Nations women on domestic violence
PM called on to protect equal pay funding for feminised caring sector


Depending on the size of the greenhouse, watering all those plants can take an excessive period of time. The easiest way and maybe best way is to use drip irrigation. Drip irrigation puts water straight to the root of the plants where they need it most. Most growers put their drip irrigation on a timer to accurately deliver water to sections of plants depending on their watering and growth needs. This is an extremely reliable way to water your plants and it saves more water. The floor stays drier, reducing slip hazards to employees, and the plants are dry so there is little chance of diseases and mold due to water on the leaves.
Boom sprayers may wash out top soil and splashes plants which could lead to fungus, mold, and foliar diseases. Wet leaves can also sunburn.
With hand watering, even with careful application by experienced workers, as much as 50 percent of the water that exits a hose ends up on the floor. Efficiency and uniformity can be greatly improved by using water-saver saucers or trays that catch much of the water that would otherwise miss the pot. These trays retain water so it can be absorbed from the bottom up.
Automation in a greenhouse can be beneficial, depending on your operations, but there are three important things to remember. The first and most common misconception is that buying a machine does not replace the laborers that did that job before. It will help deploy labor in other areas where it is needed. Do not expect immediate satisfaction. All good things take time. This leads me to point three, install during the off season. You will need to take time and figure it out and maybe even *gasp* read the manual.
Toss around the idea of a control system regulating the temperature in your greenhouse. The idea that temperature control is now the touch of a button instead of employees walking around opening vents, rolling down curtains, turning on the wet wall, checking fans, and double checking the temperature. You will still need a visual inspection but the savings per year, based on a three acre block, is around $2,500.
Reducing labor costs is a great option to add to your profits after your ROI kicks in. This does take time but stick with it and see the dollars add up!


text:
Tag Archives: Philadelphia
Originals: Signature Strike OST
Hey guys! Been really busy with a lot of things lately, including this. Yep, it's my very first commissioned game soundtrack! Check it out here!
The soundtrack contains 10 different tracks created in Famitracker that utilize the Ricoh 2a03 and the Konami VRC6. I really tried to keep the music absolutely authentic to the console. It is unfortunate that many great game composers did NOT have the opportunity to use the VRC6, due the its cost and late release in the life of the Famicom. I spent a lot of time trying to think how some of the great shooters would have sounded IF they had the extra pulses and sawtooth. Hopefully, I was able to create something that is not only nostalgic but also brand new!
The album here is mixed so you'll hear some unauthentic reverb that is not characteristic of the console. I do I think it adds more depth to the music, though. I figured it would be nice to use some patches when mixing to give it a bit more polish.
Don't like that mixed sound? If you download the soundtrack, you will get copies of the NSF files. If you go get an NSF player, you can listen to the unmixed, raw Famicom sound. It's kind of perfect. Of course, since I wanted to maintain authenticity for the game, the game itself features the tracks from the NSF files.
I'm going to do further write up for the music later. For now though, go check it out and download it. It's free and I promise it's awesome.
Leave a comment	| tags: Ap0c, Famicom, famitracker, game music, NES, nintendo, original soundtrack, OST, Philadelphia, retro game music, signature strike, video game music, video games	| posted in Originals
Originals: "A Promise"
This track premiered at 8static 36's Open Mic on June 8th at PhilaMOCA in Philadelphia, PA. It was written in Famitracker v. 0.4.2 using 2a03+VRC6 and numerous drum samples programmed through the DPCM channel. Please enjoy!
Some background on the piece while you listen:
The title for this track was decided long after it was finished. The track was written specifically for June's 8static with the intent of showing off all the new techniques I learned while working on my Chiptunes = WIN submission (which was accepted, by the way) without playing my ChipWIN submission live. At first, I wanted to call it something like "My Promise" or "Promises" or "It Will Continue"- something that showed that the work done here was not the end of my own personal growth. I figured that "My Promise" was too pretentious. There's not really a pretentious vibe to the song. I eventually settled on "A Promise". "A Promise" can be from me to you, from you to me, from anyone and anything, as long as it's kept. I figured I'll leave that interpretation up to you, the listener.
My original goal was find a way to create "heavy metal" using NES audio. I spent a lot of time developing sounds and tweaking instruments to get a nasty, almost grungy sound. I was pretty happy with it.
From there, I constructed the beat. 8static IS a dance party, I know people play chip music and stuff there, but it's fundamentally a dance party. I spend time messing with various ideas until I settled on the beat your hear above.
I overlayed the original bass line (which was far less busy) and then wrote a simple melody. I usually start with a very "quarter note-y" version of everything just to hear the harmonies and the direction. I adjusted the shapes of the melodies to be more interesting, cut some "holes" for silence, and then spliced the original part to the grunge part. I then cloned the beginning, changed the bassline and feel, and tweaked everything so that it flowed.
Things I'd do differently:
After almost getting rejected from the ChipWIN comp for bad volume levels on my instruments, I think I've finally learned that I cannot crank every instrument up to the highest volume setting. I LOVE the sound it creates. It's like… garbage noise. It distorts and spreads. It's a useful tool but I don't think I can use it all the time. I definitely could go back and change the volume levels on this guy too. It would probably sound even better.
I need to follow my instincts a bit more when composing. My ChipWIN submission took about 15-16 hours to write and this took 25+. At the last minute, I found myself reverting parts of the piece back to the originals ideas. Lesson here is:
Hope you enjoyed the track! More to come as usual. Thanks again!
3 Comments	| tags: 2a03, 8static, A Promise, Ap0c, chip, chiptune, chiptunes, famitracker, NES, nintendo, original, Philadelphia, VRC6	| posted in Originals
Covering a Tune: "What Happens When You Take The Wrong Bus" Remix 1
It's been exactly 3 months since I first performed at 8static. Wow. Time flies. Since then, I've been working diligently on new chiptune works and trying my best to continue to explore the limitations of NES audio.
One of the cool things about working with Famitracker and actually composing music IN the original 2a03 is that it gives me MUCH greater insight into how the original composers used the chip. My perspectives on old soundtracks have changed greatly since I've begun composing as Ap0c. I believe the difficulties I encountered working with the chip and the limitations of the output of sound really steel my original opinions on retro game audio and bgm. But more on that later!
Since Ap0c is fundamentally a performance experiment, I'm still not sure what Ap0c's voice is. Is it gothic-classical-Castlevania inspired dance music? Happy chiptune ska? Mega serious and brooding classical works? I guess so far it's been all of the above. There's really no sense in labeling what I do… still, it would be nice to have a cohesive idea behind all the tracks, especially if I'm planning on releasing an EP.
In the stuggle to find the voice for this project, I've decided to remix some of my older tracks. I believe the answer to my question lies really in my own interpretation of my own work. For this ongoing experiment, I've chosen "What Happens When You Take The Wrong Bus". I will make a new cover of this song every 3 months and use the recordings to measure my progress. The key thing I'll be looking at is style. Why did I write it the way I did in the first place? Does that work? Does it fit in with what Ap0c's become? All of these questions will need to be answered as I go.
This piece was first performed (IE Famitracker'd off a laptop… lame!) on February 8th, 2013 for 8static 32. Here's my write-up on that performance in case you're wondering.
Okay, so here's the original work. I'm not reposting this to soundcloud so listen from Chipmusic.org.
The original work accomplishes much of what it set out to do. My goal was to write a traditional RPG town theme and then basically go crazy with noises and sound effects to create perhaps FEAR or something along those lines. I believe the original is effective AS IS in many ways.
Still, there's a lot that can change. One of the things that I'm not terribly proud about is the beat. A certain chiptune musician who I often send my unfinished works to for review would say that it lacks "treble" in the drums. I would agree. I changed the drums a LOT in the new version.
The way I programmed this was completely stupid. I created ONLY 2 instruments. Yes. There's only a generic VRC6 instrument and a 2a03 instrument, assigned to play indefinitely. I programmed EVERYTHING outside the instrument editor. Since I've actually learned how to make instruments that are varied and interesting, I decided to add my regular slew of instruments to the new version.
Lastly, I was really unhappy with the original solo I wrote around 2:14. It's effective but it could be so much more. A lot of my newer pieces have rockin' guitar-esque solos. Why not this piece as well?
The finished product is on my SoundCloud right now and can be viewed below. I hope you guys enjoy it and I'll see you back in 3 months to see how much my style has changed. Rock on!
What Happens When You Take The Wrong Bus [May Mix]
Also, I'm down for ANY feedback you guys can provide between the two mixes. So please let me know what you think! Thanks again!
Leave a comment	| tags: 2a03, 8static, Ap0c, chiptune, nes audio, original, Philadelphia, remix, VRC6	| posted in Covering a Tune, Originals
Originals: Close to Good X Ap0c – "Solstice"
I'm delighted to announce the release of the first track from Close to Good X Ap0c: "Solstice".
To hear it, go to the: Close to Good X Ap0c – "Solstice" Official Page
The brainchild behind this project is Close to Good's drummer, Kevin Ragone. He thought it was be really cool for me to cover one of Close to Good's tracks via chiptune with the idea that both their track and my track would be released together. The listener would be allowed to listen back and forth between the tracks and enjoy two different interpretations of the same melodic material. He sent me a track that C2G had been working on and I instantly agreed. Thus, the Close to Good X Ap0c project began. Enjoy!
Close to Good's version of "Solstice" is damn catchy. The track is based off one clean, live take (here's the original video). Geez. I know a lot of classical musicians who would need a ton of takes to get a solid recording. Talented dudes.
Kev had informed me that the theme was done in such a way that it should invoke the feeling of a video game title screen, perhaps even for a game named "Solstice" or something along those lines. The track certainly invokes a video game element- perhaps a title theme or even a world map theme remix of the title theme, etc. I spent a lot of time listening to the nuances of the piece. I wanted to figure out exactly how to interpret the lines in such a way that didn't completely change the meaning of the work.
The version by me is done in Famitracker with 2a03+VRC6 sound. This presented many challenges to me, the biggest being the genre of chiptune itself. There's different standards for rock bands and chiptunes, of course, and I had to find a way to navigate creating a chiptune remix without it… well…. becoming an "untz untz untz" dance version of the original.
I started out by transcribing the whole piece from start to finish. I labeled the "A" section, "B" section, intro, and outro accordingly and then began to arrange.
My first version included an expanded intro that covered and realized each of the chords in an almost a latin feel. I wasn't too happy with it. I realized that I had fallen directly into the dance hell of chiptune remix by accident. It's so easy to do that somehow. I scrapped this version completely and started all over again. I ended up starting over about 5-6 times. There's a lot of other smaller and varied versions with weirder changes and stuff. Going from Solstice v 1.1 to 1.2 to 1.3 etc, I had to go all the way to "Solstice v 2.0" before I was happy with the product.
The final version is technically "Solstice 2a." There was a "Solstice 2b", which included a fade out similar to Close to Good's track (and an extra "C" section that contained some new melodic material) but after consulting with the Close to Good themselves, they really liked my "2a" version.
I think my favorite part of my own piece is from :17-:44. This is 2a03 alone. I tried to see how much I could squeeze out of the limitation, as both an exercise and for the aesthetic principle. It's amazing how much sound you can get from the 2a03- it makes me feel like I'm wasting the extra 3 VRC6 channels sometimes.
We're working on exchanging some more tunes in the future and the next entry appears to be a cover of one of my tunes, realized by Close to Good. I'm pretty psyched about that!
Close to Good and I hope you really enjoy "Solstice"!
Leave a comment	| tags: 2a03, Ap0c, chiptune, Close to Good, Close to Good X Ap0c, Philadelphia, remix, Solstice, video game music, VRC6	| posted in Originals
Originals: "Last Minute Research Paper" on Soundcloud and Ap0c Facebook Group
Hi guys! Not really an informative post, but I'd say a necessary one. I set up a Soundcloud presence for my chiptune originals which you can find right here: https://soundcloud.com/ap0c/ I'm trying to move in the direction of Soundcloud for a lot of the work I'll be doing in the next couple months. I'll set up a Bandcamp once I finish my EP. Yep, I'm working on an EP. Like, an actual collection of music and stuff. And not some kind of pretend EP. Serious stuff, folks. ZOUNDS!
Also, I created a Facebook group for my Ap0c stuff just in case you roll the Facebook way. You can find that here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ap0c/149780225198685 Hopefully I get some more "likes" so I can actually customize my name and not be known as a string of random numbers. That isn't going to look good on my cards…
Thanks again for reading this blog. I just reached 100 likes today (total). Here's hoping for 200 soon! I'm glad you guys are still out there, reading and caring about game music!
1 Comment	| tags: 8bit, Ap0c, chiptune, entertainment, facebook, famitracker, music, NES, Originals, Philadelphia, soundcloud, VRC6	| posted in Originals
Covering a Tune: Arranging Music for Groundhog's Day with Beta Test Music – Part 5
On February 2nd, my band, Beta Test Music (betatestmusic.com), will be performing another big concert of video game music and other nerdy favorites at First Unitarian Church in downtown Philadelphia (see here for information and tickets). This series of posts will highlight the music that I arranged for the concert, explaining the choices in musical selection, instrumentation, and overall presentation.
Man, I love Amano's artwork.
In Part 1 and Part 2, I discussed my musical selection process/performance considerations for my medley of music from Akumajou Densetsu (Castlevania III) for Beta Test Music and 2a03+VRC6. In Part 3, I discussed my arrangement of music from Earthbound/Mother 2. In Part 4, I talked about my arrangement of tunes from Nintendo's Pokemon – 1st Generation (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow). AND TODAY – in the FIFTH AND FINAL INSTALLMENT of my posts – we'll talk about my arrangement of music from Squaresoft's (it was still Squaresoft back then, I believe) Final Fantasy III/VI.
3 Comments	| tags: beta test music, Final Fantasy, game music, gaming, groundhog's day with beta test music, Philadelphia, remix, Super Nintendo, video game music, video games	| posted in Covering a Tune
RT @tanam1972: カワサキ新年会 #Z80 https://t.co/DGDrxZJbPo 10 hours ago
RT @applesorce: ( ⌯᷄௰⌯᷅ ) https://t.co/qrmazXTfMQ 1 day ago
RT @FBXGargoyle: I have to say this is quite accurate: https://t.co/pWknbSiBdz 1 day ago


text:
Q: Break A Large File Into Many Smaller Files With PHP I have a 209MB .txt file with about 95,000 lines that is automatically pushed to my server once a week to update some content on my website. The problem is I cannot allocate enough memory to process such a large file, so I want to break the large file into smaller files with 5,000 lines each.
I cannot use file() at all until the file is broken into smaller pieces, so I have been working with SplFileObject. But I have gotten nowhere with it. Here's some pseudocode of what I want to accomplish:
read the file contents

while there are still lines left to be read in the file
    create a new file
    write the next 5000 lines to this file
    close this file

for each file created
    run mysql update queries with the new content

delete all of the files that were created

The file is in csv format.
EDIT: Here is the solution for reading the file by line given the answers below:
function getLine($number) {
    global $handle, $index;
    $offset = $index[$number];
    fseek($handle, $offset);
    return explode("|",fgets($handle));
}

$handle = @fopen("content.txt", "r");

while (false !== ($line = fgets($handle))) {
    $index[] = ftell($handle);
}

print_r(getLine(18437));

fclose($handle);

A: //MySQL Connection Stuff goes here

$handle = fopen('/path/to/bigfile.txt','r');  //open big file with fopen
$f = 1; //new file number

while(!feof($handle))
{
    $newfile = fopen('/path/to/newfile' . $f . '.txt','w'); //create new file to write to with file number
    for($i = 1; $i <= 5000; $i++) //for 5000 lines
    {
        $import = fgets($handle);
        fwrite($newfile,$import);
        if(feof($handle))
        {break;} //If file ends, break loop
    }
    fclose($newfile);
    //MySQL newfile insertion stuff goes here
    $f++; //Increment newfile number
}
fclose($handle);

This should work, the big file should go through 5000 lines per file, and output files like newfile1.txt, newfile2.txt, etc., can be adjusted by the $i <= 5000 bit in the for loop.
Oh, I see, you want to do insertion on the data from the big file, not store the info about the files.  Then just use fopen/fgets and insert until feof.

A: If your big file is in CSV format, I guess that you need to process it line by line and don't actually need to break it into smaller files.  There should be no need to hold 5.000 or more lines in memory at once!  To do that, simply use PHP's "low-level" file functions:
$fp = fopen("path/to/file", "r");

while (false !== ($line = fgets($fp))) {
    // Process $line, e.g split it into values since it is CSV.
    $values = explode(",", $line);

    // Do stuff: Run MySQL updates, ...
}

fclose($fp);

If you need random-access, e.g. read a line by line number, you could create a "line index" for your file:
$fp = fopen("path/to/file", "r");

$index = array(0);

while (false !== ($line = fgets($fp))) {
    $index[] = ftell($fp);  // get the current byte offset
}

Now $index maps line numbers to byte offsets and you can navigate to a line by using fseek():
function get_line($number)
{
    global $fp, $index;
    $offset = $index[$number];
    fseek($fp, $offset);
    return fgets($fp);
}

$line10 = get_line(10);

// ... Once you are done:
fclose($fp);

Note that I started line counting at 0, unlike text editors.

A: This should do the trick for you, I don't have a very large text file, but I tested with a file that is 1300 lines long and it split the file into 3 files:
    // Store the line no:
    $i = 0;
    // Store the output file no:
    $file_count = 1;
    // Create a handle for the input file:
    $input_handle = fopen('test.txt', "r") or die("Can't open output file.");
    // Create an output file:
    $output_handle = fopen('test-'.$file_count.'.txt', "w") or die("Can't open output file.");

    // Loop through the file until you get to the end:
    while (!feof($input_handle))
    {
        // Read from the file:
        $buffer = fgets($input_handle);
        // Write the read data from the input file to the output file:
        fwrite($output_handle, $buffer);
        // Increment the line no:
        $i++;
        // If on the 5000th line:
        if ($i==5000)
        {
            // Reset the line no:
            $i=0;
            // Close the output file:
            fclose($output_handle);
            // Increment the output file count:
            $file_count++;
            // Create the next output file:
            $output_handle = fopen('test-'.$file_count.'.txt', "w") or die("Can't open output file.");
        }
    }
    // Close the input file:
    fclose($input_handle);
    // Close the output file:
    fclose($output_handle);

The problem you may now find is the execution time is too long for the script when you are talking about a 200+mb file.

A: You can use fgets to read line by line.
You'll need to create a function to put the read contents to a new file. Example:
function load(startLine) {
    read the original file from a point startline
    puts the content into new file
}

After this, you can call this function recursively to pass startline on the function in each cicle of reading.

A: If this is running on a linux server simply have php make the command line execute the following:
split -l 5000 -a 4 test.txt out
Then glob the results for file names which you can fopen on.

I think your algo is awkward, it looks like you're breaking up files for no reason.
If you simply fopen the initial data file and read it line-by-line you can still preform the mysql insertion, then just remove the file.


text:
Q: SmtpClient "Unable to read data from transport connection" only happens after x amount of emails are sent Edit: Things I have tried

*

*On the server running smtp in smpt virtual server I have set IP
address to specific IP and to "all unassigned", in the Access tab of
SMTP Virtual Service, under relay tab, I have added all the IPs to
grant list along with 127.0.0.1

*client.ServicePoint.MaxIdleTime = 100;

*moved the using (creating of client) to inside of the for loop
Still same problem, 300 seems to be the magic number before it craps out

I have a very extremely weird problem that I have been trying to solve for past week.  My task is simple, "send bulk mail", so I created a very simple exe that will send bunch of emails to a gmail account.
After about sending 280, the sending fails with the following error: I have tried both port 587 and 25 and the problem happens on both ports
System.Net.Mail.SmtpException: Failure sending mail. --->
System.IO.IOException: Unable to read data from the transport connection:
net_io_connectionclosed.
at System.Net.Mail.SmtpReplyReaderFactory.ProcessRead(Byte[] buffer, Int32
offset, Int32 read, Boolean readLine)
at System.Net.Mail.SmtpReplyReaderFactory.ReadLines(SmtpReplyReader caller,
Boolean oneLine)
at System.Net.Mail.SmtpReplyReaderFactory.ReadLine(SmtpReplyReader caller)
at System.Net.Mail.SmtpConnection.GetConnection(ServicePoint servicePoint)
at System.Net.Mail.SmtpTransport.GetConnection(ServicePoint servicePoint)
at System.Net.Mail.SmtpClient.GetConnection()
at System.Net.Mail.SmtpClient.Send(MailMessage message)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Net.Mail.SmtpClient.Send(MailMessage message)

Now I will note that if i run the exe again RIGHT after it fails and i try to send ONE email, i get the same error so the issue does not seem to be a coding issue.  This is being sent on VPS running windows 2016 and SmarterMail 16 smtp server.
If i wait about an hour and try to send again, i can successfully send another 280. It seems there is some sort of throttling happening somewhere (I already turned off all the throttlings in SmarterMail).
What is weird is, right after it fails, if i use a service like https://www.smtper.net/ and use the same exact settings as i am using in my exe, then the email goes through with out any errors.  I am not sure if this is a smtp error, some setting on windows 2016 that wont allow more than x an hour etc.
Below is my actual exe code, as you can see its extremely simple example
static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("How many emails do you want to send?");
        var emailCount = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());

        Console.WriteLine("How many seconds do you want to delay between each send");
        var delay = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());

        Console.WriteLine("What email address do you want to send to");
        var toEmailAddress = Console.ReadLine();

        Console.WriteLine($"Sending out {emailCount} with {delay} second delay to  {toEmailAddress}");

        using (var client = new SmtpClient(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["SmtpServer"]))
        {
            for (int i = 1; i <= emailCount; i++)
            {
                try
                {
                    var body = "this is a test message";
                    var userName = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Username"];
                    var password = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Password"];
                    client.UseDefaultCredentials = false;
                    client.Credentials = new NetworkCredential(userName, password);
                    client.Port = Convert.ToInt32(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Port"]);
                    //client.EnableSsl = true;

                    MailMessage mailMessage = new MailMessage();
                    mailMessage.From = new MailAddress(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["FromEmail"]);

                    mailMessage.To.Add(toEmailAddress);
                    mailMessage.Body = body;
                    mailMessage.IsBodyHtml = true;

                    mailMessage.Subject = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Subject"];

                    client.Send(mailMessage);
                    if (delay > 0)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("Sleeping...");

                        Thread.Sleep(delay * 1000);
                    }

                    Console.WriteLine($"Email number {i} was sent successfully.");

                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {

                    Console.WriteLine($"Failed to send {i} of {emailCount}");
                    Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());

                }

            }
        }
        Console.WriteLine("Done...press any key to exit");
        Console.ReadKey();

    }


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Recently, I received some kind words from a reader regarding my favorite fast food chicken dish, Taco Cabana's #4 combo (stewed chicken burrito, with chips and queso).
"Kevin, for the love of God, please find another subject to write about. You clearly know absolutely nothing about food. That burrito was the most disgusting piece of crap I have ever tried. HP editors, are you really this hard-up? Save us from this garbage, and Kevin, go learn something about decent food."
Don't get me wrong, I love my #4. I've been a loyal follower for quite some time. But maybe, just maybe, jacobG was right.
Well, at least a little right. I still disagree that Taco Cabana's stewed chicken burrito is disgusting. But he is right that I need to find another subject to write about. And I did. Introducing Taco Cabana's new Taco400 bowl -- with stewed chicken!
Would it measure up? Let's first take a look at the cold, hard facts. The caloric intake of my #4 combo was a whopping 1040 calories. My God! The Taco400 bowl with stewed chicken -- try 330 calories. These new bowls come with a variety of ingredients, but all total under 400 calories. My bowl of choice included black beans, lettuce, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, salsa roja and chicken.
I was initially concerned about the product being dry. This was not the case. The juices from the black beans, salsa, and chicken provided all the moisture and flavor this salad needed. For $5, this was a perfect lunch. It was delicious, healthy and inexpensive.
Sorry, #4, your days are numbered.


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text:
You are at:Home»News»Sony News»How is the future looking for the Japanese behemoth of consumer electronics?
How is the future looking for the Japanese behemoth of consumer electronics?
By claudio on	 June 1, 2014 Sony News
Since its earlier days back in the mid 1940s, Sony has always been driven by a spirit of innovation, eventually getting out of their homeland of Japan and expanding their product lines throughout the world. If you have been alive sometimes throughout the past 2 or 3 decades, it is highly unlikely that you have never had the chance to experience, own or use a product from this brand. From iconic cassette take players to sound systems, televisions, dvd players, smartphones, radios and digital cameras, Sony's products are literally everywhere.
The company sports relatively humble beginning, from the ideas of Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka, who worked in a small electronics shop. With only a little more than 500 dollars in capital and 8 employees, the company set out to grow on and make their first significant earnings off a clever licensing deal with the technology of transistors.
This stemmed Sony's first transistor radios and Japan's first tape recorder, which became really big products within a niche that was, however, nowhere near as we know it today.
Arguably, dealing with customers in the United States has been a significant part of the growth of the business over the past 3 decades, but as of late, the focus of the giant from the rising sun seems to be quite elsewhere. The company is now betting on new markets such as China and India, whose citizen are becoming wealthier and therefore, more keen on spending money in products such as consumer electronics. These particular Asian markets are becoming wider and wider "by the minute" and they represent a relatively new avenue for many giant companies.
This twist of events led to a lot of speculation: is Sony going to become a less relevant or less prominent name within the "western world"? Already now, we can see that Sony is not really interested in racing the same way as companies such as Apple and Samsung do. It feels like Sony is a ship sailing at an even pace in these market…the wind is not too tough, but the sailors aren't even pushing so hard after all! Will the brand become more prominent within the new Asian markets?
One of the worst security breaches for Sony ever


text:
An overlooked reason why Middlesbrough has been so badly hit by the coronavirus
The town's rate of infection from the virus has been rapidly rising for weeks, and it has one of the country's worst death rates
Mike BrownSenior Reporter/Content Editor
The unavailability of home working could be a major factor behind Middlesbrough's battle with covid-19, a new study suggests.
The town's rate of infection from the virus has been rapidly rising for weeks.
When the size of each area's population is factored in, Middlesbrough now has the fourth highest infection rate in the country.
With 566 confirmed cases by May 3, it means its infection rate is 402 for every 100,000 people and rising.
And on Friday, the Office for National Statistics revealed that the town had one of the worst covid-19 death rates in the country - twice the national average.
As revealed by Teesside Live last week, a variety of reasons have been identified as to why Middlesbrough is at the top of the wrong league tables - including pre-existing health problems, deprivation and poor housing, while some have blamed a significant minority of residents for not properly following social distancing guidelines.
The Centre for Progressive Policy think tank compares confirmed cases of covid-19 with healthy life expectancy, the size of the older population, the usual rate of death from treatable conditions, and the quality of care available to predict which areas are most at risk from the disease.
It's latest report has highlighted the town's fragile labour market as another reason behind its struggles.
The Great Big Lockdown Survey: Let us know how you've been affected
Map shows how many deaths have involved covid-19 in every area of Teesside
Only one in five can work from home
Providing commentary on its latest figures, Ben Franklin, head of research, said: "While the 'lockdown' came into force just over a month ago, some areas have seen case numbers rise much faster than others during April and we have documented particularly acute rises across parts of the North of England.
"Given that the public health restrictions on social distancing are nationwide, this has been a puzzling feature of the last few weeks.
"While data on case numbers is far from perfect and likely to be subject to the effectiveness of local testing, our analysis suggests that those places with a higher proportion of people able to work from home, have seen lower increases in case numbers.
"This finding is robust to the inclusion of other factors such as the number of cases at the beginning of April and local authority population size. "
How Middlesbrough went viral: The inside story of why we became a national covid-19 hotspot
New life in lockdown: Mums' tales of bringing their babies into the world in midst of global crisis
He added: "In Middlesbrough, which has consistently been one of the riskiest local authorities in (our) index, our calculations suggest that only around 20% of the workforce are in jobs that can be done at home (which is amongst the lowest proportion in England).
"This helps to explain why social distancing has been more effective in some places than others.
"The analysis underlines how the nature of local labour markets and job roles will mean different places and groups of people experience the crisis very differently.
"Whereas this is often seen through an economic lens in terms of the varying abilities of people to continue contributing towards economic activity during the lockdown, this research shows that home working (or lack of it) may also be linked to the rate of spread in the disease itself."
'People at risk have little choice'
Middlesbrough's Labour MP Andy McDonald said the town had a high proportion of key workers, and those in roles where home working is impossible.
MP Andy McDonald has raised concerns about the deaths (Image: Ian Cooper / Teesside Live)
He said: "If you enjoy a career that allows you the ability to work from home, it's self evident you will be at a much lower risk from the virus.
"But there are many in Middlesbrough that must go out to work to sustain their income and keep a roof over their heads.
"Often, much of this work is insecure. When you also factor in poorer health profiles in the town, you have the situation where people already at risk have little choice."
Mr McDonald said that when we emerge from the pandemic, there must be a renewed focus on transforming conditions for those in insecure and low paid work.
"I think this crisis has proven a genuine and widespread consensus that those in care work, those who work in supermarkets, in other lower paid roles, are absolutely vital to our economy and there needs to be a recalibration of how they're regarded," he continued.
"If that doesn't happen now it never will. They should be cherished."
How Middlesbrough is responding to the crisis
Middlesbrough Council's Director of Public Health Mark Adams said his team was working to develop a better understanding of every contributing factor behind the town's covid-19 struggles.
Middlesbrough Council's Director of Public Health Mark Adams said: "The area's existing health inequalities will be one consideration, as will the rate of testing carried out here compared to other areas.
"Initial analysis of data from James Cook University Hospital suggests those aged 70 and above make up the majority of inpatient cases and deaths. Ethnicity appears to play less of a part, with the number of cases and deaths slightly below the BME proportion of the population.
"Analysis of inpatients' postcodes at the hospital has taken place – with consideration given to the number of care home cases in each postcode area. We are developing a local team to increase support to care homes, building on our existing relationships.
"This team will work across social care, public health and the NHS to improve the advice, guidance and support available to care homes to deliver the best infection prevention and control in that setting. We will also work with partners to coordinate increased testing of care home staff and residents to reduce the risk of infection and transmission."
But what about the NHS?
Despite the town's high rates of infection and mortality, the NHS heroes working at the town's James Cook University Hospital are coping with the crisis.
It's understood that some facilities at the hospital converted to look after covid-19 patients have already been returned to their previous use.
As of last week, a new Nightingale Hospital opened in Harrogate had yet to receive one patient. Another is yet to open in Sunderland.
Tory MP Tobias Ellwood told Robert Peston on his ITV show last week that he would like to eventually see every covid-19 patient treated in Nightingale Hospitals, to free up other hospitals to get back to normal.
James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough (Image: Ian Cooper / Teesside Live)
Adrian Clements, medical director and consultant in emergency medicine for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told Teesside Live that changes made last year had empowered its clinicians to make more of the decisions about how covid-19 care.
"So in addition to our incident management team, groups of experienced consultants and clinicians were formed in the early phase of the pandemic to provide advice and support on a range of issues as our services adapted to meet the demands of covid-19," he said.
"As part of this approach, the James Cook University Hospital has effectively been divided into two units – a covid unit and a non-covid unit.
"This clinically-led change was made at the beginning of April to offer enhanced protection to our patients and staff, and enable our expert clinicians to prioritise cancer treatment and other clinically urgent care at the same time as ramping up our ability to treat patients with covid -related conditions.
"This effective separation of our hospital, and the extensive testing programme which our clinicians have also introduced, is important as our doctors and nurses continue to safely increase the treatment of non-covid-related conditions as cases of coronavirus begin to slow down.
"Over the coming days and weeks, we will continue to increase non-covid-related procedures and treatments while maintaining our ability to safely flex our response according to the number of covid cases and clinical need.
"Our message to patients is if you need medical help, the NHS is still here for you. If you are told to go to hospital it is important that you go to hospital."
Andy McDonald MP
James Cook University Hospital


Karen Chance has posted a new short story set in her Cassie Palmer series. The House at Cobb End answers the question of exactly how old Pritkin's house is and while it is set prior to the beginning of the Cassie series, it does contain spoilers for the books. So read at your own risk if you haven't read the series.
So I may have been a little late posting about the GoodReads Choice Awards yesterday, but I can say for a fact that the Final Round is up and a ton of our favorite authors have made the list. A couple of the categories were really hard.
Sad news in the publishing world today. Anne McCaffrey has passed away at the age of 85. Anne was the first woman to win a Hugo and a Nebula as well as became the first SF/F writer to land on the NY Times list. She was definitely a force to reckon with when it comes to Fantasy and she's going to be missed.
Wicked Scribes has a bunch of random updates which include the release date for a new Angie Fox novel. Immortally Yours will be released next August.
It looks like I missed a couple of Misadventures in Stock Photography by Stumbling Over Chaos. In fact, there are three of them. There is this one, which features Torso Guy; then we have this one, which features Shoulder Guy; and finally this one, which features Neck Crick Guy.
Tez Says has found a bunch of new publication deals. Some include Erica Hayes' new dark paranormal romance, Darynda Jones' next 2 Charley Davidson novels and Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races will be getting the film treatment thanks to Warner Brothers.
I haven't read the Hunger Games yet, but the trailer for the upcoming movie definitely has my interest. Just not sure if it's enough to get me to pull out the books before going.
Michelle's Book Blog, All Things Urban Fantasy and Rex Robot Reviews are giving away a complete set of MLN Hanover's Black Sun's Daughter series – ends 11/25, 11/24 and 11/24 respectively.
Rachel Vincent is giving away two sets of My Soul To Keep, My Soul To Steal, and If I Die – ends December 4th.
Dark Faerie Tales is giving away a cop of Julianna Baggott's Pure – ends December 3rd.
Maria Snyder is giving away 5 copies of her upcoming novel, Touch of Power – ends November 25th.
Dark Faerie Tales is giving away a copy of Deborah Cooke's Winging It – ends December 1st.
Marta Acosta is giving away a cover flat of her upcoming novel, Dark Companion – ends November 30th.
Dark Faerie Tales is giving away a copy of Jennifer Estep's Kiss of Frost – ends November 29th.
Dark Faerie Tales is giving away a copy of Ellie James' Shattered Dreams – ends November 28th.
Dark Faerie Tales is giving away a copy of Julie Kagawa's The Iron Knight – ends November 27th.
Sad news about Anne McCaffrey – I always forget how groundbreaking she was.


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