A recent letter to the editor brought up excellent questions about climate change and global warming. The author asserted that "global warming" was renamed to "global climate change" because "when the climate did not heat fast enough ... any change in climate will provide proof we are in imminent danger."
As a science educator, I would like to point out the difference between "global warming" and "climate change." Global warming refers to the long term trend of the earth's increase in average surface temperature (1.9 degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s), while climate change refers to changes in global climate systems as a result of the earth's increased surface temperature. The two terms are related and often used interchangeably, but they refer to two different physical phenomena and use of each term depends on the context. For example, the effects of global warming on the earth's surface is causing the retreat of glaciers world wide, the loss of ice mass in polar regions and the warming of oceans. This, in turn, is changing climate systems by introducing more moisture and energy into the atmosphere and magnifying naturally occurring weather events such as drought, hurricanes and precipitation. Locally, data show global warming is changing Iowa climate with more extreme storms and precipitation events.
If nothing is done to reverse carbon emissions, the earth may not be habitable for human life - perhaps within a generation.
However, I am an optimist and a patriotic believer in American ingenuity, entrepreneurship and democracy.
From changes in our personal lifestyles to the development of more energy efficient buildings, appliances and technologies; to innovations in renewable energy and the harnessing of market forces to incentivize such changes (check out the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act recently introduced to Congress) I believe there is a path forward and exciting times ahead.
Remember, only a half century ago, few imagined we could put a man on the moon.


text:
Study: Weed killer found in oat cereal and granola bars
By Leslie Dyste, KTVU
OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Consumers might not think their breakfast cereal could bring bits of pesticides to the kitchen table, but a new study links oats and oat-based snacks popular with children to a weed-killing poison found in Roundup, according to independent laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit environmental health and advocacy organization.
The EWG study released Wednesday shows 43 of 45 oat cereals and oat products that were tested contained traces of glyphosate. The study found that Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oatmeal had the highest level of more than 1,000 parts per billion of the pesticide.
General Mills' popular Cheerios brand had the next highest with 530 parts per billion.
A government website listing federal regulations shows the minimum glyphosate residue allowed on cereal grains is 30,000 parts per billion, far higher than the EWG recommendations.
The Environmental Working Group says they feel a stricter limit is needed, especially because research often does not focus on long-term effects on children, who have smaller body mass than adults.
Other brands that tested positive for glyphosate included Kellog's Oat Bran, as well as granola and granola bars with oats. Even five of sixteen organic products tested had traces of glyphosate.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weed killer, is a common pesticide in the United States. Last week a San Francisco jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million to a former school groundskeeper dying of cancer, saying the company's popular Roundup weed killer contributed to his disease.
"This is the most widely used pesticide in the country," said Bill Walker, Vice-President of the Environmental Working Group.
"There's been a lot of controversy over whether this chemical actually has the ability to cause cancer. There's a lot of studies that say that it does, including some by California state scientists," said Walker.
Monsanto has denied a link between the active ingredient in Roundup - glyphosate - and cancer, saying hundreds of studies have established that glyphosate is safe.
The EWG research team says there needs to be more attention and research into the risks to children over the long-term, which has not been studied.
"We're certainly not saying put that bowl of Cheerios down now or you're going to get cancer tomorrow. We're saying a pesticide like this which has the ability to increase the risk of cancer has no place in food an particularly not foods that are marketed to children," said Walker.
Dr. Jennifer Lowry, Chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Environmental Health tells KTVU it is not uncommon to find pesticides in our food.
She says it's important to look at exposure levels. "At this point I don't know that we know to what extent or how much anybody would have to eat in order to have harm occur. But because we don't know that, we have to use the precautionary principal here."
Lowry recommends eating - and feeding children - a varied, healthy diet containing plenty of washed fruits and vegetables. "Give your child a varied diet so they, one, learn how to eat different foods because sometimes kids get stuck if they're only fed one thing. But two - it changes what that exposure is to the healthy stuff and unfortunately the unhealthy stuff."
She says since oats are an important part of a diet, people should not avoid eating the products based on the study. Lowry says even organic products can contain pesticides.
"If you look at the study some of the organic cereals also had elevated levels of glyphosates present and it's not because the organic farmers have sprayed the glyphosate. In order to say you're organic you have to jump through many hoops. But unfortunately not all farms around that organic farm are organic. So what happens is that glyphosate being one of the most common pesticides out there is you have what's called drift - where the other farms are spraying their crops with glyphosate. And depending on weather patterns it could drift into their farms and get onto their foods," she said.
General Mills responded Wednesday saying, "Our products are safe and without question they meet regulatory safety levels. The EPA has researched this issue and has set rules that we follow."
Kellogg also responded, saying, "Our food is safe....(EPA) sets strict standards for safe levels of these agricultural residues and the ingredients we purchase from suppliers for our foods fall under these limits."
Quaker Oats released a statement, "We proudly stand by the safety and quality of our Quaker products. Producing healthy, wholesome food is Quaker's number one priority, and we've been doing that for more than 140 years. Quaker does not add glyphosate during any part of the milling process. Glyphosate is commonly used by farmers across the industry who apply it pre-harvest. Once the oats are transported to us, we put them through our rigorous process that thoroughly cleanses them (de-hulled, cleaned, roasted and flaked).
Any levels of glyphosate that may remain are significantly below any regulatory limits and well within compliance of the safety standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as safe for human consumption."
Some consumers say they are concerned. Others say the study won't change their habits now, but hope there will be more research about the health effects in the future.
'We live in such a pollutant-rich, you know, pathogen-rich environment, that I don't think it makes any sense to worry about trace elements of this or that," said Ron Fielder of Oakland. But he added, "If it could be established what a dangerous level amounts to I think that's important."
View the full list of products in the study here.
Police: Suspects rob Famous Footwear in Roseville, spray employee with chemical irritant before fleeing

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Former Top Gear Trio Have Named Their Amazon Show, And... Meh?
Beloved ex-Top Gear trio Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May finally came up with an underwhelming name for their new Amazon Prime show: The Grand Tour. Hopefully this means more big adventures are on the way, because they took so long to come up with that?
Like Top Gear itself, the show will feature both prerecorded films from around the world as well as a studio portion, according to Variety. However, the studio segment will take place in a different location each week.
Well, that took a while… After nine months of deep thought, debate and deliberation, the guys have come up with a name that reflects the global ambition of the new show. The Grand Tour will be one of the most anticipated TV launches ever, and we're excited to be bringing it to Amazon Prime customers around the world this autumn.
Well, at least Clarkson, Hammond and May have something in common with bad Facebook parents everywhere: it took them nine months to come up with a genuinely underwhelming name. Only instead of Cateylynn or Braedenn, it's The Grand Tour.
One upside? Because the show will travel from location to location, you won't have to save up for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to stand around a moist airfield in Britain. The show could come to you. Tickets will be released to Amazon customers in prize draws this summer.
Andy Wilman will also remain as the trio's producer for the new show, so there's hope that the content will be more exciting than the name. Let's be honest, Top Gear was no stunner in the name department, either.


We toss around the word hook when we talk about stories. What's the hook? we ask. Sometimes we're talking about the overall premise: what component to the story idea is unique, compelling, intriguing. Othertimes we're talking about the first few lines of a novel (or first line) that is to be crafted in a way to grab readers and make them want to read more.
The tone or mood you need to set that implies the POV character's state of mind and emotion.
The situation you can insert your character into that is already underway in an interesting manner (in other words, don't start scenes with your character waking up, then brushing his teeth, then getting dressed, for example).
Some element of mystery or microtension that creates curiosity.
Sure, a catchy first line or paragraph is helpful to hook readers, but you can't always be that snappy with every scene opening, nor would it be a good idea.
Let's face it: too many scene openings are boring. They may be functional, moving the plot along, but do they really interest readers, get them turning pages?
It may seem simplistic to say that scenes are basically mini novels, with a beginning, middle, and end. But this is a simple and helpful way to look at scenes. The main difference is that your scene endings aren't the end of your story but a specific way to hook the reader into reading further.
That word hook should tell you something. Yes, your scene ending needs just as strong a hook as the beginning. What you want more than anything is for a reader who is thinking of taking a break from your book ("I'll just read to the end of the chapter and then stop") to be unable to put your book down upon finishing a scene. The last lines of the scene hook her, then as she begins the next scene, she's hooked again. Pulled further into your story, like a fish on a line.
What's the bait on the hook? Your promise to deliver.
Think of each scene opening as a promise. Or many promises. Overall, you're promising your reader you're going to give her a ride. Entertain her. Engage her emotions. After reading the description or back-cover copy of your book, she's anticipating a particular kind of story. That description is the promise you make to readers of the story you will tell them.
Despite even the most fascinating description, for the most part, readers are dubious. They aren't opening your book with heightened excitement. They are usually wary and ready to make a quick negative judgment about the merit of your book. Ready to quit. Why? Because 1) reading a novel is a huge investment of time. A novel needs to feel worthwhile to commit such time to it, and 2) readers have been repeatedly disappointed by books promising them a terrific story but failing to deliver.
Maybe if a reader is a super fan of your novels, he'll start in with that kind of excitement and expectation. I always feel that when I hold a new Elizabeth George mystery or Patricia McKillip fantasy in my hands. I have high expectations. Why? Because I've been promised exciting stories and these authors have consistently delivered.
You may not have thousands of super fans yet. And frankly, even if you do, they are still going to expect you to deliver. Maybe even more than someone who has never read any of your books.
So let's start at the beginning. At the hook.
Overall, your novel needs a hook. That's the killer concept with a kicker that I cover in greater depth in The 12 Key Pillars of Novel Construction. When you tell someone a brief summary of your novel's premise, and they say to you, "That sounds okay, but what's your hook?" they're talking about that unique story concept that adds the twist and interest to an ordinary plot.
Let's take this down a notch to the scene level. One of the items on the scene checklist is the hook. The first item on that list is "My scene has a strong opening line (hook) that grabs the reader." And the second-to-last item is "My scene ends with a bang—with either some insight for the POV character, something important happening, or some surprise that leaves the reader satisfied." Thinking in terms of two hooks—placed at the start and end of each scene—helps you envision how all your scenes are linked (or hooked) together.
What you want to keep in mind here is not so much the mechanics as the effect. You're going for brain engagement, and what researchers have found is what grabs our attention is the unusual, a sniff of danger or trouble, something that seems wrong or out of place, and showing a character that evokes empathy.
Hooks are more than just a promise of a good scene ahead. They can accomplish things like establish a character's mind-set, paint a picture of the setting, or convey a surprising piece of information. This applies to both the opening hook and the ending hook. Many authors spend a lot of time honing those hooks to make them memorable, and some of the great novels in history have their first lines often quoted.
A hook that's created just to grab attention and that doesn't actually set the right tone or smoothly connect to the purpose of the scene can be seen as a gimmick and can create confusion. Don't succumb to gimmicky first lines just because they sound clever. They're going to fall flat and feel cheap. This applies to catchy last lines of scenes.
Whether a few first great lines can carry enough weight to make any novel memorable and acclaimed is debatable. But there's a lot to say for a novel that has strong hooks. The more scenes in your novel that have those strong hooks, the better chance it will have to stand out above the masses of published novels.
Of course not every scene is going to provide a great opportunity for a dynamic hook. But it can't hurt to work on them. Going back through your scenes after you've written, rewritten, and polished them is a great time to ponder your hooks. If you can tie in your opening hook with your closing hook at the end of the scene (conceptually or by repeating a line or word or phrase), you can pack a powerful punch.
Once you've created that great opening scene hook, are you off the hook? No, because now that you've made your promise to deliver a great, intriguing scene, you have to, well, deliver. If you make it your aim to craft every subsequent line with the creativity and punch you did with your hook, you can take your scene to the heights of magnificence. Is that too much to expect? It may be difficult, but it's a worthy goal to strive for.
So don't blow out a breath of relief once you've created that great first line. Yes, that's a terrific accomplishment. But you're not off the hook, and you don't want your readers to slide off either. Way too many scenes I've critique open well, with a strong hook, but quickly lose my interest because that same level of attention was clearly not given to the rest of the scene.
Needless to say, there is so much to scene structure. It takes serious effort to study and master writing scenes. And that's why I'm introducing a new boot camp this year: The Scene Structure Boot Camp. It's three intensive days looking at every aspect of scene structure.
At the boot camp, you'll not only learn all about scenes, you'll be writing and sharing your scenes, as well as giving feedback to other writers on their scenes. The best way to master a technique is to put everything you learn into practice, then run it by other writers to see if you succeeded in evoking the emotion you intended and kept their interest.
In the boot camp, we work together in a small group, an intimate setting, that allows for creativity to flow. Seven hours a day, for three days, we'll be tearing apart scenes, looking at examples of terrific scenes, and challenging ourselves to write the best scenes ever!
If you want to be a scene master, come to the boot camp! There is still one room left at the house, if you want to stay with the core group and enjoy all the perks afforded there. But we also have ten spaces for day attendees (you arrange your own lodging in the area and just come from 9-4 each day, lunch included!).
Scene Structure Boot Camp. (Boot Camp is Sept. 30- Oct 2, Mon-Wed, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., check-in Sunday afternoon, check-out Thursday morning if you're staying in the house, unless you want to stay one additional night to decompress!) Cost of boot camp: $300.
Stay at the house and get gourmet breakfast, hot tub, and a private room with bathroom en suite ($250/night).
South Lake Tahoe is a gorgeous travel destination, and that's why we hold the boot camps there each year. Sign up soon, as spots will fill up! Learn more HERE.
Currently reading your 12 Key Pillars book and finding it helpful – especially the chapters about scene structure.
Some really great ideas here. Would love to take in your boot camp someday!
Everyday scenes can work well if writers avoid restating in every scene the character's feelings or worries for or about someone.
I've just finished reading P G Wodehouse's JILL THE RECKLESS. This man was a master at his craft! His story wasn't completely focused on a two-person relationship or conflict. He wove in enough other personalities and issues to keep the reader's interest up.
He also used humor as a hook, as did Agatha Christie and others of their day. Their skillfully worded wry comments about human nature in general and each character's quirks in particular hold a reader's interest. Jane Austen's opening line of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is a great example of this, revealing in one sentence Mrs Bennet's plans for Charles Binkley. Oh, to have such a way with words!
I've seen writers start a novel with "today" and then flash back. Is this wise? I started a book where the opening scene showed an old, lonely man thinking back, recalling his life and what happened that got him to this place. I didn't read any farther. I already knew he's made bad decisions so his life turned out rotten. Why read more? Do other readers feel this way?


Want to test your mental mettle? Try some of our selected puzzles from GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES.
Merry Chrismas to all of our loyal GAMES fans! Today's "Merry Matchboxes" is our gift to you, so we hope you enjoy.
Today is National Cocoa Day, the perfect day to whip up a nice cup of hot cocoa to keep you warm.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835. He was an accomplished writer, among other things, and is responsible for bringing us classic characters such as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
It's National Game & Puzzle Week! Time to break out your favorite board games, computer games, brain-teasers, or crossword puzzles and have some fun!
O Say, can you sea?


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Q: Usb Ethernet adapter stopped working on Dell xps 15 laptop ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS The dell xps 15 is dual boot Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS (desktop) and windows 10.  The usb-to-ethernet adapter was working fine yesterday.  But it stopped working today.  I tried windows 10 side and it's not working either.
The wired network icon is not even showing on the top right corner of desktop.
The adapter works on another laptop.  The usb port works with usb keyboard/mouse.
What can I do to diagnose it and fix it?
Thanks!
@xps15:~$ sudo ifconfig -a
lo: flags=73<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING>  mtu 65536
        inet 127.0.0.1  netmask 255.0.0.0
        inet6 ::1  prefixlen 128  scopeid 0x10<host>
        loop  txqueuelen 1000  (Local Loopback)
        RX packets 1446  bytes 94704 (94.7 KB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 1446  bytes 94704 (94.7 KB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

wlp59s0: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.100.113  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.100.255
        inet6 fe80::6b4:3ab1:13e6:13e6  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether 9c:b6:d0:c2:04:4f  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 2143  bytes 1175486 (1.1 MB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 1688  bytes 248747 (248.7 KB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

@xps15:~$ sudo dmesg | grep usb
[    0.384063] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
[    0.384065] usbcore: registered new interface driver hub
[    0.384091] usbcore: registered new device driver usb
[    1.206474] usb usb1: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0002
[    1.206476] usb usb1: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.206477] usb usb1: Product: xHCI Host Controller
[    1.206479] usb usb1: Manufacturer: Linux 4.15.0-55-generic xhci-hcd
[    1.206480] usb usb1: SerialNumber: 0000:00:14.0
[    1.208684] usb usb2: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0003
[    1.208686] usb usb2: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.208687] usb usb2: Product: xHCI Host Controller
[    1.208689] usb usb2: Manufacturer: Linux 4.15.0-55-generic xhci-hcd
[    1.208690] usb usb2: SerialNumber: 0000:00:14.0
[    1.209361] usb: port power management may be unreliable
[    1.548083] usb 1-1: new full-speed USB device number 2 using xhci_hcd
[    1.698018] usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=062a, idProduct=4101
[    1.698019] usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[    1.698020] usb 1-1: Product: 2.4G Keyboard Mouse
[    1.698020] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: MOSART Semi.
[    1.824095] usb 1-4: new full-speed USB device number 3 using xhci_hcd
[    1.973507] usb 1-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0cf3, idProduct=e301
[    1.973508] usb 1-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0
[    2.100117] usb 1-7: new full-speed USB device number 4 using xhci_hcd
[    2.252020] usb 1-7: New USB device found, idVendor=27c6, idProduct=5395
[    2.252022] usb 1-7: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[    2.252023] usb 1-7: Product: Goodix Fingerprint Device
[    2.252023] usb 1-7: Manufacturer: HTMicroelectronics
[    2.252024] usb 1-7: SerialNumber: HTK32
[    2.380359] usb 1-12: new high-speed USB device number 5 using xhci_hcd
[    2.546052] usb 1-12: New USB device found, idVendor=0c45, idProduct=671d
[    2.546054] usb 1-12: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
[    2.546055] usb 1-12: Product: Integrated_Webcam_HD
[    2.546055] usb 1-12: Manufacturer: CN0VGCNHLOG008A9ABN1A00
[    2.552447] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbhid
[    2.552448] usbhid: USB HID core driver
[    2.555450] input: MOSART Semi. 2.4G Keyboard Mouse as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-1/1-1:1.0/0003:062A:4101.0001/input/input7
[    2.612233] hid-generic 0003:062A:4101.0001: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [MOSART Semi. 2.4G Keyboard Mouse] on usb-0000:00:14.0-1/input0
[    2.612367] input: MOSART Semi. 2.4G Keyboard Mouse as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-1/1-1:1.1/0003:062A:4101.0002/input/input8
[    2.672527] hid-generic 0003:062A:4101.0002: input,hiddev0,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Mouse [MOSART Semi. 2.4G Keyboard Mouse] on usb-0000:00:14.0-1/input1
[    3.160855] usbcore: registered new interface driver cdc_acm
[    3.181505] input: Integrated_Webcam_HD: Integrate as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-12/1-12:1.0/input/input11
[    3.181549] usbcore: registered new interface driver uvcvideo
[    3.190521] usbcore: registered new interface driver btusb
[    3.691725] Modules linked in: binfmt_misc nls_iso8859_1 dell_laptop(+) dell_wmi dell_smbios intel_wmi_thunderbolt wmi_bmof snd_hda_intel(+) snd_hda_codec intel_rapl snd_hda_core snd_hwdep x86_pkg_temp_thermal intel_powerclamp coretemp snd_pcm kvm_intel dell_wmi_descriptor snd_seq_midi dcdbas kvm snd_seq_midi_event snd_rawmidi irqbypass crct10dif_pclmul i915(+) ath10k_pci crc32_pclmul ghash_clmulni_intel nouveau(+) ath10k_core pcbc ath mac80211 snd_seq btusb aesni_intel mxm_wmi btrtl ttm btbcm btintel snd_seq_device drm_kms_helper aes_x86_64 uvcvideo snd_timer crypto_simd glue_helper videobuf2_vmalloc cryptd videobuf2_memops drm bluetooth videobuf2_v4l2 snd videobuf2_core rtsx_pci_ms i2c_algo_bit videodev mei_me fb_sys_fops intel_cstate processor_thermal_device(+) idma64 syscopyarea sysfillrect intel_rapl_perf
[    3.691759]  joydev input_leds cdc_acm media cfg80211 ecdh_generic serio_raw memstick soundcore virt_dma intel_soc_dts_iosf mei sysimgblt intel_lpss_pci(+) shpchp intel_lpss intel_pch_thermal int3403_thermal int340x_thermal_zone wmi dell_smo8800 intel_hid video int3400_thermal acpi_thermal_rel sparse_keymap acpi_pad mac_hid sch_fq_codel parport_pc ppdev lp parport ip_tables x_tables autofs4 hid_generic usbhid rtsx_pci_sdmmc psmouse nvme nvme_core rtsx_pci ahci libahci i2c_hid hid
[    3.704427] audit: type=1400 audit(1564454671.763:4): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" profile="unconfined" name="/usr/sbin/ippusbxd" pid=772 comm="apparmor_parser"
[   12.339862] usb usb3: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0002
[   12.339864] usb usb3: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[   12.339865] usb usb3: Product: xHCI Host Controller
[   12.339866] usb usb3: Manufacturer: Linux 4.15.0-55-generic xhci-hcd
[   12.339867] usb usb3: SerialNumber: 0000:3a:00.0
[   12.340174] usb usb4: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0003
[   12.340175] usb usb4: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[   12.340176] usb usb4: Product: xHCI Host Controller
[   12.340177] usb usb4: Manufacturer: Linux 4.15.0-55-generic xhci-hcd
[   12.340178] usb usb4: SerialNumber: 0000:3a:00.0
[   33.246559] usb usb4: USB disconnect, device number 1
[   33.246805] usb usb3: USB disconnect, device number 1
[   88.295338] usb usb3: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0002
[   88.295340] usb usb3: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[   88.295341] usb usb3: Product: xHCI Host Controller
[   88.295342] usb usb3: Manufacturer: Linux 4.15.0-55-generic xhci-hcd
[   88.295343] usb usb3: SerialNumber: 0000:3a:00.0
[   88.295591] usb usb4: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0003
[   88.295592] usb usb4: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[   88.295593] usb usb4: Product: xHCI Host Controller
[   88.295594] usb usb4: Manufacturer: Linux 4.15.0-55-generic xhci-hcd
[   88.295595] usb usb4: SerialNumber: 0000:3a:00.0
[  128.920592] usb usb4: USB disconnect, device number 1
[  128.920864] usb usb3: USB disconnect, device number 1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Kim Mulkey
Elmer H. Ripley
It's fitting that player and coach Elmer Ripley was born the same year that basketball was invented – his love affair with the game lasted his entire life. After graduating from Curtis High School in Staten Island, New York, Ripley began a 20-year pro career with various teams, including Brooklyn, Washington, Cleveland, Fort Wayne, and most notably, the Original Celtics. While he was still a player, Elmer began his 26-year college coaching career at Wagner College. He recorded great success at Georgetown, Yale, Columbia, Notre Dame, John Carroll, West Point, and Regis. A tireless leader, Ripley was constantly looking for new ways to promote basketball. Whether it was conducting clinics for players and coaches, touring with the Globetrotters, assisting the Israeli Olympic team, or coaching the Canadian Olympic team, "Rip" effectively communicated his passion and knowledge of basketball to fans across the globe. Ripley's enthusiasm for the game kept him on the bench until he was 82, just eight years before his death.
May 17, 1962 Santa Ana, CA
2x NCAA TOURNAMENT
GEORGETOWN, 1941, 1943
1 EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP
georgetown, 1943
1956 ISRAELI OLYMPIC
1960 CANADIAN OLYMPIC
Sylvia Hatchell Class of 2013
C. Vivian Stringer Class of 2009
Muffet McGraw Class of 2017
Pat Summitt Class of 2000


text:
Target groups ▶
DAtTeL workshop
A Core Vocabulary for Latin Classes
Tenure-Track-Professors
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - CALLIDUS
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Projects | CALLIDUS | Blog 2017-2018 | A Core Vocabulary for Latin Classes
Which words should the learners be able to fall back on when reading Latin original texts, i.e. which basic vocabulary can be assumed to be ideally (!) learned during the first years of language acquisition? Are existing core vocabularies really representative for the following original Latin texts?
The Bamberg Vocabulary (BV)
Most Latin textbooks published after 2005 are based on the so-called Bamberg Vocabulary (BV), which was published in 2001 (publication title: Adeo-Norm (Utz 2008)). This one was created in a project supported by Buchner-Verlag (Bamberg) with the aim of reducing the amount of Latin learning vocabulary to the necessary level (i.e. the 'correct' choice of vocabulary). One of the initiators, Clement Utz (Utz 2000), points out in this context that the didactic considerations regarding the scope and selection of a learning vocabulary for Latin teaching have not been reflected since the 1970s of the last century, although the teaching conditions (amount of hours per week/years, heterogeneity of learners) have changed considerably. In order to create transparency for the didactic decisions in the creation of this basic vocabulary, Utz reports in detail about the project in a "workshop report", so that in the following the selection criteria, the methodological procedure, the data basis, the presentation of the results and any problems of the BV can be briefly presented. This makes sense with regard to the Callidus project, not only because the BV can usually be regarded as the standard for the learning vocabulary of the newer Latin textbooks, and thus forms the vocabulary basis that must be used in the reading phase (adressed users of CALLIDUS). The BV can also be regarded as the 'gold standard' of the vocabulary customers for Latin Classes, since its development has been methodically reflected as well as largely transparently and comprehensibly presented.[1]
Selection of texts
Since " die Originallektüre gehaltvoller lateinischer Texte nach wie vor Hauptziel des Lateinunterrichts überhaupt und somit auch der Wortschatzarbeit ist " (Utz 2000, 151), a new basic vocabulary to be created must take into account the authors and works of the reading phase in Latin class. For this reason, the text corpus was derived on the one hand from the curricula of the eight states with the highest number of 'Latin' students in absolute numbers (Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony), and on the other hand, references of the "einschlägigen Lektüreausgaben" (Utz 2000, 155) were compiled by comparing three text editions of an author or work and using the corresponding text passages for the basic corpus. However, the text passages that were exclusively reserved for basic resp. advanced course instruction in the 12th or 13th grades were omitted because vocabulary learning as a "Lernen auf Vorrat gerade bei fremdsprachlichen Vokabeln, die vom lernenden Schüler trotz aller Vernetzungsmöglichkeiten vorwiegend als speicherbare Einzeldaten aufgefasst" (Utz 2000, 156) was not further supported. For both sources a comparable frequency sequence of authors and works relevant for Latin classes was found (descending)[2]:
Caesar; Cicero speech
Ovid, Metamorphoses; Nepos; Comedy; Phaedrus
Pliny (minor); Catullus
Sallust; Martial
Curtius; Gellius
Virgil, Aeneid [3]
The total volume of the corpus thus assembled contained 140,482 word forms (~ tokens). After deducting the 7156 references for names, 133,326 word forms remained for analysis (see Fig., Utz 2000, 153).
The Query-Corpus as a basis for frequency statistical investigations
The selected text passages were then lemmatized with the help of the scientifically annotated query corpus (Heberlein 1990), in the case of new text passages also desambiguated, and then frequency-statistically evaluated (ranking). [4] From this structured data material (7154 lemmas ~ types), a basic vocabulary of 1248 words was determined, which allows a (statistical) text coverage of 83%.
How does the amount of 1248 lemmas come about?
Each lemma was included in the basic vocabulary if, firstly, it occurred at least 16 times in the text passages and, secondly, if it was found in more than three ancient authors. [5] A calculation of the text coverage for the underlying corpus resulted in the 83% already mentioned, i.e. with the 1248 words of the basic vocabulary (fundamentum), 83% of all words in the referenced Latin texts could be "translated". In order to achieve a higher text coverage, learners would have to 'cram' a disproportionate amount of additional vocabulary - for a text coverage of 100% this would mean an additional 6,000 words (Utz 2000, 158). As a consequence of this reduction of the basic vocabulary, words that were previously part of the so-called "cultural vocabulary" (e.g. mundus, ambitio, medicus, transportare) during language acquisition with textbooks were no longer used as learning vocabulary.
The presentation of the basic vocabulary
At the time of his report, Utz is particularly aware of the many ways in which lemmas could be sorted in a way that is conducive to learning: by subject fields (subcategory: word fields), lexeme fields, morpheme fields, collocation fields, and syntactic fields. However, he also recognizes the problems associated with this allocation, e.g. the meagerness of a field, as there could be only a few examples in the basic vocabulary. [6] De facto, the BV is now offered in alphabetical list form, in which, however, learning-promoting clues have been integrated in the outermost column.
Opportunities of the BWS
To consider from a didactic perspective how to reduce the learning vocabulary in Latin class in a meaningful way, offers the possibility to discuss the work on learning vocabulary in addition to the discussion about a uniform text basis. Furthermore, due to the chosen method, objectively measurable criteria are applied to the selection of words, which allow for a broad acceptance of the selection because they show conclusiveness and impartiality. The pre-sorting of the lemmas according to frequency statistical significance (the 500 most important words, basic vocabulary with 1248 words, author-specific supplements) can be seen as a significant opportunity for Latin classes, because it clarifies the spiral-like process of language acquisition and, through supplements, enables a demand-oriented adjustment of the learning vocabulary for the reading phase. In particular, this 'modular principle' could be further developed to create and use needs-oriented vocabularies (100, 200, 500, 1000 etc. most important words, author vocabulary, genre vocabulary, cultural vocabulary).
And finally, a few problems
As the actual presentation of the BWS in the analogous printed edition already shows, the presentation options of the learning vocabulary are so limited due to the linearity inherent in a book that one has returned to an alphabetical list, although even the initiator of the project knew about the difficulty of this form of presentation. Furthermore, due to space constraints, the learning aids are offered selectively and in a compressed form, so that above all extensive visualizations are missing. The underlying text base, which both ignored curricula of eight German states and only represented a snapshot of existing reading books (end of the 1990's), must also be seen as problematic [7] This means that the BV can only be updated if the entire process of creating the vocabulary is run through again. In addition, from a statistical point of view, the underlying text volume can be considered too small, so that unrepresentative clusters of individual words may not be compensated for sufficiently. In any case, a broader text basis - e.g. through whole corpora of certain authors - suggests that a greater text coverage could be achieved with the same amount of learning vocabulary (Freund and Schröttel 2003, 204).
❮ back forward❯
Freund, S. & Schröttel, W. (2003). Non quot, sed qualia. Wortstatistische Überlegungen zum Ausgangscorpus einer lateinischen Wortkunde. Forum Classicum 46 (4), 200–205.
Heberlein, F. (1990). Computergestützte Textrecherche im Lateinischen. Anregung 36 (2), 83–90.
Utz, C. (2000). Mutter Latein und unsere Schüler - Überlegungen zu Umfang und Aufbau des Wortschatzes. In P. Neukam (Hrsg.), Antike Literatur - Mensch, Sprache, Welt (Dialog - Klassische Sprachen und Literaturen, Bd. 34, S. 146–172). München.
Utz, C. (2008). Adeo. Das lateinische Basisvokabular (Bamberger Wortschatz, 1. Aufl.). Bamberg: Buchner.
[1] With other lexicologies, e.g. Langenscheidt's basic Latin vocabulary, Utz shows by means of quotations that the compilation of the word lists evades review and thus an assessment by the users.
[2] Supplementary proposals, e.g. Vulgate, Cicero letters, Legenda aurea, were not considered. Here, a limitation of the BV becomes apparent: Its vocabulary is not geared to late antique, Christian, medieval or modern texts, so that the text coverage to be achieved is likely to be significantly below the value for works of the classical period.
[3] Although Utz places his project under the heading of transparency, it is not clear in his report which parts of the text are concerned.
[4] The rankings between the BV and the entire Query-Corpus sometimes differ slightly (cf. Freund and Schröttel 2003). This can be attributed to the selection based on the school context.
[5] Words that occurred at least 16 times, but only with fewer than three authors, were assigned author-specific vocabularies.
[6] He weighs up the pros and cons for the common forms of representation - although subject fields do sort, they also cause interference if the conceptual nuances are not clear (scelus - crime; facinus - crime) - and ends aporetically.
[7] It is certainly worth discussing whether it is advisable to omit philosophical or post-classical passages, e.g. in Freund and Schröttel (2003). But if one wants to reduce the learning vocabulary and e.g. philosophical texts are only read in a very late phase of Latin teaching, then the conscious omission of these text passages seems reasonable.


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Elżbieta Streker-Dembińska (* 3. November 1954 in Konin) ist eine polnische Politikerin, Kommunalpolitikerin, Senatorin der V. Wahlperiode und seit 2007 Abgeordnete des Sejm in der VI. Wahlperiode.

Sie machte 1978 das Magisterdiplom eines Ingenieurs der Elektrotechnik an der Fakultät für Elektrotechnik an der Technischen Universität Posen. Später absolvierte sie ein Aufbaustudium am Institut für Rechtswissenschaft der Polska Akademia Nauk (Polnisches Institut der Wissenschaften – PAN) in Warschau (Studium des Kommunalrechts und Europäischen Kommunalrechts). Sie arbeitete in der Firma für Klavierbau "Calisia" in Kalisz und als Büroleiterin der Föderation der Wissenschaftlich-Technischen Vereinigungen in Konin. 1998 wurde sie zur Starost von Konin gewählt, in den Jahren 1999 bis 2005 Landkreiskonvent der Woiwodschaft Großpolen. Im Februar 2005 errang sie in den Nachwahlen das Senatsmandat von Ryszard Sławiński, nachdem dieser in den Landesrat für Radiophonie und Fernsehen ernannt wurde. 2005 bewarb sie sich ohne Erfolg um die Wiederwahl in den Senat.

Sie gehört dem Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej (Bund der Demokratischen Linken – SLD) an und sitzt in verschiedenen Regionalgremien dieser Partei. Sie ist unter anderem im Vorstand des Kinderbundes, der Freiwilligen Feuerwehr des Powiat Koński, im Jahr 2006 wurde sie Vorsitzende der Föderation der Wissenschaftlich-Technischen Vereinigungen in Konin. Im selben Jahr wurde sie Abgeordnete des Sejmik der Woiwodschaft Großpolen und leitete die Revisionskommission des Sejmik.

In den Parlamentswahlen 2007 wurde sie über die Liste der Lewica i Demokraci (Linke und Demokraten – LiD) mit 6070 Stimmen für den Wahlkreis Konin zur Abgeordneten des Sejm gewählt. Sie ist Stellvertretende Vorsitzende der Sejm-Kommission für Gesundheit und Mitglied der Kommission für Wirtschaft.

Seit dem 22. April 2008 ist sie Mitglied der neu gegründeten Fraktion Lewica.

Weblinks
 Elżbieta Streker-Dembińskas Seite als Abgeordnete des Sejm
 Elżbieta Streker-Dembińskas private Homepage

Sejm-Abgeordneter (Dritte Republik)
Person (Konin)
Adliger
Pole
Geboren 1954
Frau

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
>> Local Las Vegas
PHOTO: Making Way for New Rosie's Den
By MARTIN S. FUENTES LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Rose Larsen, 87, the owner of Rosie's Den, is wheeled around by her son, Hitch Larsen, on Saturday during the groundbreaking for her cafe, after it burned down more than a year ago, at 19949 N. U.S. Highway 93 in White Hills, Ariz.
Posted on: Local, Local Las Vegas, News
Officer-involved shooting leaves truck-theft suspect in hospital
By Katelyn Newberg / RJ
July 18, 2019 - 12:51 am July 18, 2019 - 7:56 am
Las Vegas police on Wednesday night shot a man suspected of stealing a truck after he appeared to reach for a gun while officers tried to apprehend him in the east valley.
Cat's Meow aims to hit all the right notes in downtown Las Vegas
By Jason Bracelin / RJ
The 10,000-square-foot-plus entertainment/karaoke club on the second floor of Neonopolis will host its grand opening Thursday.
Kamala Harris' campaign opens Nevada HQ in Las Vegas
By Rory Appleton / RJ
Two senior officials with Sen. Kamala Harris' presidential campaign discussed the importance of Nevada as a diverse early state and shared some insights on the candidate's preparations for the second national debate.
Las Vegas OKs $226K for 25 transitional housing units for homeless
By Briana Erickson / RJ
July 17, 2019 - 6:22 pm July 17, 2019 - 11:15 pm
The units, converted motel rooms and apartments, will be filled on a case-by-case for up to a year by clients who also receive case management and supportive services.
RJ cartoonist at FreedomFest says 1 goal is to draw blood
Review-Journal editorial cartoonist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Ramirez discussed his illustration process and journalism at FreedomFest, a gathering for conservatives and Libertarians at Paris Las Vegas.
Great-aunt takes in children injured in Las Vegas crash
By Rio Lacanlale / RJ
"It's going to be a struggle, but we're all going to get through it," said Lucille McKnight, who was already raising another niece's three children.
Windy afternoons continuing in Las Vegas Valley
By Sabrina Schnur / RJ
July 17, 2019 - 11:37 am July 17, 2019 - 10:29 pm
Windy conditions will continue through Friday, and storms could darken the Las Vegas Valley as early as Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
6 treated in Las Vegas after fumes reported on Spirit flight
Six people received medical attention after fumes on a Spirit Airlines flight were reported as the plane arrived at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas Tuesday.
Man arrested in shooting east of downtown Las Vegas
Ilario Yam, 18, faces charges of battery with the use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial injuries and discharging a gun within a prohibited structure or area.
Nellis airman killed in US 95 rollover crash north of Las Vegas
Four Nellis Air Force airmen were seriously injured and one died after a rollover crash early Wednesday on U.S. Highway 95 near Lee Canyon Road.


text:
About BCI
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Home / Publications / Media / United Way Greater Victoria Recognizes BCI for 20 Years of Giving
United Way Greater Victoria Recognizes BCI for 20 Years of Giving
Employees have raised more than $1.1 million for the local community
Victoria, BC – British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Along with investing on behalf of the province's public sector for the past two decades, BCI's employees have always contributed to the local community. Since 2000, the corporation has run an annual employee giving program that has raised more than $1.1 million for the United Way of Greater Victoria (United Way).
This year, COVID-19 has required BCI to adapt its workplace giving campaign to be virtual, using innovative solutions to engage employees and create awareness. Its kickoff included a podcast with Mark Breslauer, the United Way's CEO, about his organization's response to COVID-19 and the United Way's new areas of action and signature initiatives: Isolated Seniors – More than Meals program; Families in Need – Little Phoenix Daycare; and Mental Health & Addictions – outreach and counselling services.
United Way is proud of its long-standing partnership with BCI and applauds the generosity its employees have shown through the 20 years.
"With COVID-19, more people are living with uncertainty. There has been a toll on our mental health, our relationships, and our financial security," said Mark Breslauer, CEO, United Way Greater Victoria. "We are extremely grateful for BCI's corporate leadership and the generosity its employees have long demonstrated, especially as community needs have never been greater."
What does a million dollars mean for the community? The contributions of BCI employees have helped fund meals and companionship programs for isolated seniors, counselling services for those struggling with mental health concerns, mentorship programs for youth looking for guidance, parenting programs for new mothers, employment and skill training workshops, financial literacy training, and respite care for family caregivers.
"Our values are more than just words, they're a way of life. They are the glue that unites us and the principles that guide our company's actions, and that extends to our local communities," says Shauna Lukaitis, BCI's Chief Operating Officer, who has also served as executive sponsor for the corporation's United Way campaign committee for the past five years. "United Way is dedicated to helping those most vulnerable, especially during this time of uncertainty. BCI staff have truly shown their support over the years by raising over $1.1 million. I can't express enough how proud I am."
With support from organizations like BCI, United Way helped over 90,000 individuals across the Greater Victoria Area last year. For more information about the work United Way does or to make a donation, please visit uwgv.ca.
About United Way Greater Victoria
United Way is a trusted leader, influencer and catalyst for change. In response to COVID-19, we are focusing our efforts on urgent community needs such as mental health outreach services and counselling, meals and companionship for isolated seniors, and essentials for families in need. United, we accelerate change to improve the lives of our neighbours who need it most, making our local community stronger. We believe everyone in Greater Victoria should have the opportunity to reach their potential. Our vision is to build a safe and resilient community where happiness and belonging connect us. Last fiscal year United Way raised $4.7 million thanks to over 7,000 donors and over 250 workplaces running employee giving programs.
About British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI)
With $171.3 billion of managed assets, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) is the leading provider of investment management services for British Columbia's public sector and one of the largest asset managers in Canada.
We invest globally on behalf of British Columbia's public sector. Our clients include 12 public sector pension plans, three insurance funds, and various special purpose funds. BCI's investment activities help our clients secure the pensions of nearly 630,000 plan members in our six largest pension plans alone, while 2.5 million British Columbian workers and more than three million drivers depend on our clients' returns. This year, BCI celebrates the 20th anniversary of investing on behalf of our clients and creating meaningful financial futures for British Columbians.
Heather Skydt
United Way Greater Victoria
Director Marketing and Communications
heather@uwgv.ca
Ben O'Hara-Byrne
Sr. Manager, External Stakeholder Engagement
communication@bci.ca
2019-2020 Corporate Annual Report
2019 ESG Annual Report
Confidential Reporting
© 2021 BCI


The opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the webmaster and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of either the International Alfa Romeo 1900 Register or the 1900 Register website.
I am simply a 1900 enthusiast, not an Alfa 1900 owner, expert or historian.
However, Peter Marshall (UK) and Joost Gompels (USA) are all of those things and more, and they welcome your Alfa 1900-related inquiries. Website inquiries, though, should go to me.
Is it a Series III or a Tipo 4? Roman numerals or Arabic numbers aside, the 1900 Touring Sprint/Super Sprint coupes are commonly designated Series I, Series II and Series III, for the three obvious generations of these coupes.
However, the Series I Touring Sprint came in two varieties, the earlier cars with doors that covered internal rocker panels ("long-door" Sprints), and the later cars with shorter doors that ended above external rocker panels ("short-door" Sprints).
Consequently, Peter Marshall, of the International Alfa Romeo 1900 Register, uses the term "Tipo 1" to describe the long-door Series I Touring Sprints and "Tipo 2" to describe the short-door Series I Touring Sprints.
Continuing along, then, the Series II Touring Super Sprints become, in Peter's scheme, Tipo 3 and Series III Touring Super Sprints are called Tipo 4.
This website uses Peter's designations for the Touring Sprint and Super Sprint coupes.
Longtime 1900 owner Lionel tipped me off about this article on Petrolicious. The car, while not actually an Alfa, is 1900-powered and quite attractive, especially in not-red!
Dan Allen tells us that his Matta, AR51-00370, will be featured in a Donald Osborne segment on an upcoming episode of JLG. Be sure to watch for it!
This Tipo4 cabriolet (*10562*), with an extensive provenance, is now for sale for an undisclosed price. They don't come much more desirable than this!
There were numerous collectible Alfas at Artcurial this year. Here's a collection of Results pages that I have assembled from Artcurial's website.
This unfinished restoration of a right-hand drive 1900 PF Cabriolet (*01336*) appears on several European websites. PF cabs rarely come to market. Thanks, Bosco!
The new book by 1900 owner and SCM contributor Donald Osborne, Stile Transatlantico..., is beautifully done and a great addition to one's library.
Hans-Juergen Doehren's must-have 1900 "bible", Millenove, has been updated, improved and expanded. Pricing is 78 Euros for the book plus 35 Euros for shipping, presumably by air to USA addresses. Contact Juergen directly to order your copy.
With increasing Alfa 1900 values come more cars with questionable provenance. If you think you have found a "lost" Zagato, do your homework and be prepared to prove its authenticity!
I was sent a link to an 18-minute YouTube video of classic Alfas gathered at Laguna Seca in 1985, and featuring Phil Hill and Fangio driving the 159 Alfetta. Kudos to Hans Sipma!
Bernd Kussmaul (*02115*) cautions new 1900 owners that using the proper gear oil is essential for getting the most out of 1900 5-speed gearboxes, perhaps 4-speeds as well.
Paolo Galafassi's Classic Vintage Car company is making reproduction front brake scoops for 1900CSS (Super Sprint coupes) and 1900-TI sedans. Contact them for more information.
Bill Noon at Symbolic International shares his thoughts on why Alfa 1900s, in particular the Tipo3 CSS Super Sprint coupes by Carrozzeria Touring, are so special.
Thinking about restoring your Alfa 1900 or other classic, especially if it's your first go at it? You should read about TJ's experience with *10321* first.
Check out the News Archives for news stories that have disappeared from the home page.
and a link is on the menu bar.


text:
About EBO
AI Advisory Panel
EBO Platform
Exploring AI in Healthcare & Delivering Automation with Empathy
Posted 3rd January 2023
How can AI augment human capability across patient services? How can we digitise patient-facing administrative processes to reduce staff burnout yet maintain empathy in communication with patients? Dr. Gege Gatt, CEO of EBO explores.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has called to embed innovation across public services and has identified artificial intelligence (AI) as the technology which the UK needs to be most ambitious with.
Sunak emphasized the importance of radical innovation, stating that it will 'really improve the quality and speed of care'. This is significantly relevant to the current NHS's waiting list backlog where 36% of patients have been waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment. Never has there been a more pressing need to explore the role AI can play in improving access to treatment.
Dr. Gege Gatt discusses AI in healthcare and how it can augment human capability across patient services.
AI augments human capability, not replaces it
Augmenting human capability through AI can make a major difference in times of staff shortages and an increasing demand for healthcare. This is especially so in administrative support where a large extent of workforce burnout is registered in the NHS.
The idea that AI is here to replace human agency is a common misconception. However, it cannot. I see the future of patient engagement as a combination of both human capability and technology, working interconnectedly. For example, if an AI platform cannot understand the patient's sentiment in an interaction, it is escalated to a human.
In order for AI to support the NHS's challenges, we must go beyond hospital-centric IT solutions (patient portals or native mobile apps) and move towards patient engagement tools that can communicate with empathy and can support a holistic operational response.
This form of adoption relies on the ability to build a patient's trust in AI. At EBO, this is achieved by building an AI-powered Virtual Assistant solution that is based on empathy and natural conversation. This enables healthcare systems to manage most patient requests at scale, in a timely and convenient manner.
Conversational AI in healthcare can automate patient-facing administrative processes that are repetitive and inefficient in nature, enabling staff to re-focus their attention on more complex activities.
The Virtual Assistant's ability to understand 'context' and hold a human-like conversation also reduces complexity and digital literacy requirements from patients, such as form-filling. It enables asynchronous communication, overcomes language barriers and supports effective access to public health.
By understanding natural language, in a multilingual environment, on communication channels that are culturally accepted by the patient, we can better engage patients digitally.
Whilst hospital-centric IT solutions strip away the human-touch from digital pathways, EBO's Virtual Assistant restores empathy and compassion by understanding contextual and environmental data.
Virtual Assistants in action
Currently, 6 NHS Trusts are benefitting from automated patient processes via EBO's Virtual Assistant. One use case which is proving to deliver significant efficiency gains for trusts is the self-management of patients' appointments via a trust's website.
When seeking to cancel an outpatient appointment, patients would typically visit the trust website and find instructions to contact the call centre during opening hours. The patient is often left frustrated, unable to cancel their appointment on the website at a time that suits them and directing yet a higher volume of calls to the contact centre.
Redirecting patients back to non-digital channels not only fails to alleviate administrative workload but in fact creates a bottleneck of requests for admin teams to manage when the patient phones in.
Virtual Assistants act as a digital front door, turning a trust's website into a two-way human-like conversation that can apply appropriate empathy and compassion. This radically improves the patient experience and alleviates administrative workload at the same time.
Virtual Assistants work via a chat function on the trust's website which integrates with the electronic patient record. Patient messages and questions are interpreted with custom responses crafted in real-time whilst tracking patient sentiment.
It provides an automated pathway to satisfy a significant volume of requests emerging from patients which would otherwise have required human intervention. It also satisfies patient expectations with regards to either immediate response or redirection to a staff member who can address their query.
A patient reschedules an appointment via Somerset NHS Foundation Trust's Virtual Assistant, Alex
Accelerating adoption across the NHS
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is applying conversational AI to more complex use cases for patient-led appointments. The Trust's patients can view their appointments, request cancellations and reschedule appointments easily and efficiently using their Virtual Assistant, named Alex.
Kim Hale, the NHS trust's Digital Change Lead says, "Our booking officers absolutely love our Virtual Assistant Alex, since it does the legwork and they can focus on the patient." Kim goes on to say that Alex has saved 24 hours of staff time per week. Automating large volumes of patient administrative requests allows staff to focus on the more complex requests.
"Our callers come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, so we worked with our communication to make sure Alex understands all our patients and the different ways they communicate," she says.
With the Virtual Assistant working in three service areas and with plans to roll it out across outpatient services, Kim says their "goal is to make it easier for patients and improve how we communicate with them".
Co-producing innovation in the NHS
How can we work together to further patient-centricity goals like Somerset's through the use of AI and automation technology?
As part of our EBO Health Skunkworks initiative, EBO is committing £10 million to help the digital transformation of NHS trusts by turning patient forms into automated conversations.
This initiative will support up to 20 new projects that aim to improve patient experience and reduce administrative burden via the use of health AI Virtual Assistants. We warmly invite NHS teams to join us on this exciting journey.
If you are interested in applying for EBO's Skunkworks funding, contact us here or call us on 0800 009 6963.
APPLY FOR EBO SKUNKWORKS FUNDING - CONTACT US
Eboeditor
EBO is now serving six NHS Trusts in UK
AI Virtual Agent company EBO continues to sustain its fast business growth with further success in the UK Healthcare Market as it announced the addition of the sixth NHS Trust in its portfolio. "Penetrating the UK's NHS in 2020 was a major breakthrough for our company and an important step in our journey to become...
EBO Registers Successful AI Project With UK's NHS
EBO, Malta's leading AI Virtual Assistant specialist registered further success in its collaboration with the UK's National Health Service (NHS). A twelve-week pilot project conducted by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that EBO's AI-driven solution met the set targets, leading to a positive patient experience and reduced booking workload at the hospital. Throughout the 12-week...
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The mid December solstice marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21, 2006 at 7:22 PM. EST.
While the beginning of summer marks the longest day of the year, the winter solstice brings the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It also marks the beginning of the season of celebrations for Christmas. Everyone loves this time of the year as it is always filled with such a happy, and loving sentiment.
The Saint Joseph's Church in Abu Dhabi heralded the coming of Christmas by holding the Christmas Bazaar on 8th December, 2006.
This weekend most of the Indian Clubs and Associations are having kids Christmas parties for children and in the air there is a feeling of Christmas.
Christmas time is also a time for keeping in touch with loved ones, a time for renewing old friendships which have been waning due to the hustle and bustle of a busy life, a time for forgiveness and a time for sharing our love and cheer with those less fortunate than us. It is also a good time to reflect on the year gone by and endeavor to have a spiritual cleansing of your mind and body and bring yourself closer to God.
My wish for everyone is that we all continue our Christmas feelings of joy and cheer throughout the year. If every day was like Christmas, what a wonderful world this would be.


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at its first induction ceremony on April 28, 2017.
Application form can be picked up in room 6103 or found and printed form this webside using the link to the left.
Application forms for the 2018-2019 school year are due January 25, 2019.


Discounting reports that she was getting engaged to Ranbir Kapoor this month, actress Katrina Kaif today said "there are no plans as yet".
There were stories in the media that Ranbir and Kaif will get engaged or married this month.
Katrina, 31, who is currently busy with Abhishek Kapoor's "Fitoor" and Anurag Basu's "Jagga Jasoos" with Ranbir, will make her debut at the Cannes red carpet tomorrow.
"There is no truth to these wedding dates, there are no plans as yet," thespokesperson said in a media statement, adding the actress has a packed month.
This comes just a few days after Ranbir, 32, who had been on a denial mode, finally confirmed that they planned to get married next year.


The first-ever head coach of the Georgia Gwinnett College softball program, Kat Ihlenburg has developed the Grizzlies into a championship squad built upon toughness, character and a devotion to its community.
Named head coach at GGC on February 1, 2012, Ihlenburg has already led the Grizzlies to an Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) tournament championship, a trip to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national tournament, and recognition as the NAIA Champions of Character team award winner. Through three full seasons, the Grizzly softball program has totaled a 94-52-1 (.639) record and is coming off back-to-back 30-plus-win seasons entering 2016.
Ihlenburg was named A.I.I. Co-Coach of the Year in 2015, leading the Grizzlies to their first-ever conference title and national tournament bid.
The 2015 GGC squad posted a 37-16 record under Ihlenburg and was marked by a dominating performance at home at the Grizzly Softball Complex. The Grizzlies went 26-2 in Lawrenceville on the season, winning their first 22 consecutive home games to start the year. Senior infielder Cassidy Littlefield cemented herself as one of the top players in the country, earning her second straight NAIA First-Team All-American nod and being named unanimous A.I.I. Player of the Year. Littlefield, who led the nation in triples (8), was third in runs scored (75) and stood sixth in stolen bases (40), was a leader for Ihlenburg's squad that led the NAIA with 35 total triples and stood 10th with 99 doubles. A number of additional Grizzlies stood inside the nation's top 25 in several offensive categories. Junior outfielder Abby Hulsey, who ranked eighth in the country with 20 doubles, was named A.I.I. Newcomer of the Year, while junior pitcher Ashley Beyke, who had a 2.74 ERA in a team-high 117.2 innings, earned A.I.I. Co-Pitcher of the Year honors. Eight total Grizzlies, including four first-teamers, took home all-conference accolades. The Grizzlies rolled to a 32-14 regular season record and the No. 3 seed for the A.I.I. tournament, which was held in Lawrenceville for the second straight year. A perfect four-game run, including an epic 10-inning victory to reach the finals, sealed the first-ever postseason title for Ihlenburg's team. GGC reached a No. 21 national ranking heading into its first NAIA national tournament, as the Grizzlies were sent to a regional hosted by defending national champion Auburn Montgomery (Ala.). While the trip saw the Grizzlies earn a 1-0 victory over Tennessee Wesleyan for the program's first-ever NAIA postseason win, a pair of close defeats to No. 20 Davenport would end GGC's stellar season.
The 2014 season, GGC's first as a fully-eligible NAIA member, saw Ihlenburg lay a championship foundation for her program by guiding Georgia Gwinnett to an outstanding 39-10-1 record. The Grizzlies earned votes for the first time in the Top 25 Coaches' Poll, claimed their first-ever postseason victory, and boasted four all-conference selections, including A.I.I. Co-Player of the Year Cassidy Littlefield.
Littlefield would go on to become the program's first-ever All-American in 2014, earning first-team status after finishing second in the country with 1.80 hits per game, and finishing inside the nation's top 10 in 11 different offensive categories. As a team, the Grizzlies made huge strides from the previous season, raising their year-over-year batting average from .289 to .340 and their total scoring from 226 runs to 351, while lowering the pitching staff's ERA from 4.54 to 2.92. Ihlenburg's squad particularly hit its stride during the final month of the year, going 22-3-1 to end the regular season. That set the Grizzlies up to host postseason action for the first time with the 2014 A.I.I. Softball Championships in Lawrenceville. The Grizzlies came out swinging, tasting victory in their first chance to do so with a 5-2 win over Lindenwood-Belleville on May 1. GGC then pushed the nation's No. 3 team to the edge in an eight-inning slugfest, but eventually fell, 14-13, to top-seeded LSU Alexandria. The Grizzlies would be eliminated from the tournament the following day, but not before setting the tone that big things were in store for Ihlenburg's program.
The most prestigious team award came after 2014 competition had ended. For its outstanding efforts embracing the NAIA's core values, the GGC squad was named the 2014 Buffalo Funds NAIA Champions of Character Softball Team award winner, being selected from the NAIA's 200 softball-playing institutions. The Grizzlies take part in numerous community efforts, including working with Special Olympics Georgia and Relay for Life, plus volunteer at many on-campus events and hold youth clinics in the area. Building leaders of character focused on service to the community have been hallmarks of Ihlenburg's program.
The 2014 year was also the first full season for GGC playing in the sparkling new Grizzly Softball Complex. Opened on April 17, 2013, the final day of GGC's inaugural campaign, the Grizzly Softball Complex is the state-of-the-art, on-campus facility that Ihlenburg's squad calls home. The facility features a top-notch natural grass playing surface and bleacher seating for 500, among its other highlights, and sits just steps away from the Grizzly Softball locker room and Grizzly Athletics Building.
The 2013 season, when GGC was not yet eligible for national rankings, awards or postseason play, saw Ihlenburg build out Georgia Gwinnett's very first roster, coaching staff and competitive schedule. The Grizzlies did not yet have a permanent facility to call home, so the team played much of its season away from home and also utilized another local venue in going 18-26 overall. Ihlenburg steered the Grizzlies to an upset of #9 Reinhardt (Ga.), an eventual 2013 NAIA national championship participant, during the season. The victory was one of 12 games against the NAIA's Top 25 as Ihlenburg's team tackled a challenging first-year schedule.
Ihlenburg brought eight years of previous collegiate softball coaching experience to her position at Georgia Gwinnett College.
She spent seven years as an assistant at the College of Charleston (S.C.) to then-head coach Shelly Hoerner, for whom she played collegiately. During Ihlenburg's time with the Cougars, 26 players were selected as All-Conference members for the Southern Conference. Two athletes were named conference Player of the Year and one Pitcher of the Year, while three players were named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region team.
Prior to her time in Charleston, Ihlenburg spent one season on the staff at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Ga.
As a player, Ihlenburg caught and played outfield for Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla. She helped guide the Buccaneers to the 2002 Division II College World Series and set a new school single-season wins record. She graduated from Barry in 2004 with a bachelor of arts in public relations.
Long around the game of baseball as a player and coach, John Ihlenburg joined the Grizzly softball staff prior to the 2013-14 season.
He assists with day-to-day operations and instruction. Born in New York, Ihlenburg lived in Portland, Oregon before attending high school in Canton, Massachusetts. He started his collegiate career playing football at Wake Forest University before transferring to the University of Connecticut to play baseball.
He is a graduate of UConn where he was an NCAA All-America selection, as well as a two time Academic All-America. A team captain, Ihlenburg was awarded the Eastern Athletic Conference Medallion for Athletic and Academic Prowess and was an All Region, All Conference selection.
He spent three years in the Cape Cod Baseball League and played for the Kansas City Royals organization after graduation.
Ihlenburg went on to coach at Fairfield University and Oglethorpe University before joining the staff at Reinhardt University in 2004. He served as head coach for the Eagles until 2013.
Outside of baseball, Ihlenburg flew the A-7E and A-4 and served as a Commander in the US Navy before retiring after 22 years of service.
He also flew as a Captain for Delta Airlines on the B-727, B-737, B-757 and B-767 aircraft.
Ihlenburg is the father-in-law of GGC head coach Kat Ihlenburg, who is married to John's son Mark, also a former baseball player at UConn.
John and his wife Kathy have another son, Greg, a record-holder at Reinhardt, and currently reside in Canton, Ga.
Tonya Medders enters her first year as the Grizzlies' Assistant Softball Coach.
With the Grizzlies, Medders' responsibilities will include recruiting, coaching and training, and supporting head coach Kat Ihlenburg in the day-to-day operation of the softball program.
Medders joins the Grizzlies after spending the 2016 season as the assistant coach with the University of West Georgia, an NCAA Division II program.
Prior to arriving at West Georgia, Medders served as the head coach at Central Arizona for one season. There, Medders led the Vaqueras to a 22-win season, qualifying for the NJCAA Region I playoffs.
Medders spent three years as the assistant coach at Berry College, an NCAA Division III program located in Rome, Ga. Medders joined the Berry softball program as its graduate assistant coach in June 2011 after a stellar playing career at the NCAA Division II level and a stint as a head coach of an NCAA Division III institution. While at Berry, Medders assisted the Vikings with recruiting, academic affairs, and player development. She served as the pitching coach and also worked with infielders and offense. After spending two years as the graduate assistant, Medders became the first assistant coach at Berry College in the fall of 2013.
She spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as the head coach at Wesleyan College, overseeing all on-field and administrative coaching responsibilities.
Medders also has coaching experience as a pitching, infield, and hitting instructor in the central and northwest Georgia areas as well as South Florida. She has also served as a camp counselor at a number of camps including Berry College, Georgia College, Polk State College, and Middle Georgia Diamond Camp.
As a student-athlete, Medders played for Georgia College, earning All-Peach Belt Conference honors as a first baseman, as well as all NCAA Southeast Regional All-Tournament honors during her senior year with the Bobcats. Medders also earned PBC All-Tournament and Daktronics All-Atlantic Region Second Team honors as a junior for the Bobcats in 2008.
She transferred to Georgia College from Polk State College in Winter Haven, Fla., where she pitched and played the corners as a freshman and sophomore. While at Polk State, Medders was named to the All-Suncoast Conference second team and earned PCC's Female Athlete of the Year award in 2007.
Medders owns an Associate of Arts degree from Polk State and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a minor in health education from Georgia College in 2010. She completed her Master of Education degree at Berry College in 2013.
A native of West Palm Beach, Fla., Medders resides in Grayson.


Subtract some amount from a gauge.
Get the description of what this source exposes.
Get the name of the context in JMX that this source will be exposed through.
Get the name of the metrics that are being exported by this source.
Add some amount to a counter.
Add some amount to a gauge.
Remove a metric and no longer announce it.
Set a gauge to a specific value.
Add some value to a histogram.
delta - the amount to change the gauge by.
key - Name of the gauge to remove.
delta - the amount to change the counter by.
The string context used to register this source to hadoop's metrics2 system.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;

namespace _02_Observer.Weather
{
    public class WeatherData : ISubject
    {
        private List<IObserver> _Observers;
        private decimal _Temperature;
        private decimal _Humidity;
        private decimal _Pressure;

        public WeatherData()
        {
            this._Observers = new List<IObserver>();
        }

        public void RegisterObserver(IObserver o)
        {
            _Observers.Add(o);
        }

        public void RemoveObserver(IObserver o)
        {
            if (_Observers.IndexOf(o) >= 0)
            {
                _Observers.Remove(o);
            }
        }

        public void NotifyObservers()
        {
            foreach (var o in _Observers)
            {
                o.Update(_Temperature, _Humidity, _Pressure);
            }
        }

        public void MeasurementsChanged()
        {
            // The display types here are the thing that changes
            // They are not currently encapsulated
            // currentConditionsDisplay.update(temp, humidity, pressure);
            // statisticsDisplay.update(temp, humidity, pressure);
            // forecastDisplay.update(temp, humidity, pressure);

            // now the change is encapsulated
            this.NotifyObservers();

        }

        public void SetMeasurements(decimal temperature, decimal humidity, decimal pressure)
        {
            this._Temperature = temperature;
            this._Humidity = humidity;
            this._Pressure = pressure;

            this.MeasurementsChanged();
        }

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Elizabeth Dacus Brown, 96, passed away Thursday, Dec.14, 2017, in Hot Springs Village, Ark.
Mrs. Brown was a piano teacher for 27 years and a member of Bartlett Baptist Church and a former member of Georgian Hills Baptist Church.
She was formerly active in the choir, WMU, children's choirs and a member of National Guild of Piano Teachers.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 32 years, Harold Eugene Brown. She is also preceded by her parents, Albert Edward and Mattie Dacus, as well as three brothers and three sisters.
Elizabeth is survived by two sons, Harold E. Brown (Toni), and Robert L. Brown (Elfi) and one daughter, Elizabeth B. Barnhardt (Allen). Mrs. Brown also leaves behind eight grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great grandchildren.
The family gathered with friends, Dec. 18, 2017, with a funeral service at Memphis Funeral Home in Bartlett, Tenn.
The family would like to thank the Good Samaritan staff for the care and compassion given to our mother.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Balboa Baptist Church building fund.


text:
Grace Kelly's Granddaughter Charlotte Casiraghi Debuts Her Stunning Engagement Ring at the Rose Ball
TOPICS:celebrity engagement ringsengagement ringsroyal engagementsroyal weddings
Dimitri Rassam and Charlotte Casiraghi arrive at the Rose Ball 2018 To Benefit The Princess Grace Foundation at Sporting Monte-Carlo on March 24, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
By: Joyce Chen 03/26/2018 at 6:42 PM
A ring fit for royalty! Charlotte Casiraghi, granddaughter of Hollywood royalty Grace Kelly and eighth in line for Monaco's throne, flashed an impressive engagement ring while attending the 2018 Rose Ball this past weekend, leading royal fans to get giddy about another royal wedding this year.
Casiraghi, 31, and her now-fiancé, film producer Dimitri Rassam, reportedly got engaged three weeks ago while on vacation together in Austria, but the fashion muse first debuted her stunning ring on Saturday at the gala in Monte Carlo.
Casiraghi donned a head-turning, feathered black-and-white dress by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello for the event (and wore no jewelry aside from the oversized ring!), while Rassam, 36, wore a simple black suit by the same designer.
Though neither side has yet publicly confirmed the details of the bling, eagle-eyed social media users are surmising that it appears to consist of a diamond solitaire set in yellow gold.
The pair first confirmed their relationship in March of last year after meeting through mutual friends back in 2016, and the royal wedding is reportedly set to take place this coming July, possibly in Sicily, where Rassam's mother, actress Carole Bouquet, owns a 20-acre vineyard.
Both Casiraghi and Rassam will be marrying more than each other, however; the pair are both already parents from previous relationships, and would be joining their families together in holy matrimony. Casiraghi has a 4-year-old son Raphael with her ex Gad Elmaleh, and Rassam has a daughter from a previous marriage.
Casiraghi and Rassam's wedding would mark another major milestone for the royal family this year: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are due to be married at Windsor Castle in May and Princess Eugenie, who announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Jack Brooksbank this past January, will get married in October.


The present study Studies on drought climatology in different districts of Chhattisgarh in the back drop of climate change is carried out to study the drought climatology in different districts. It was found that though the mild drought intensity is less in Mahasamund, Dhamtari and Raigarh districts, the total number of drought years including mild, large, severe and disastrous droughts is more in these districts indicating that these three districts are more drought-prone. On the other hand Bilaspur and Janjgir districts are less drought prone when compared to other districts. The drought pattern in the back drop of climate change due to global warming was examined. It is very clear from the analysis that the number drought years in a 40 years period had drastically increased during post global warming period (1971-2010) as compared to pre global warming period. This a clear evidence of the impact of regional climate changes due to global warming on the rainfall pattern in all the districts of Chhattisgarh state.


Below you will find a list of the motorcycles & motorsports stores in Santa Paula, CA. These 7 motorcycles & motorsports stores are organized by their distance from Santa Paula. The closest businesses to Santa Paula are Kreem Products Inc on Donlon Rd (Somis) and Fox Head Inc on Ventura Blvd (Camarillo) in the category Motorcycles Parts & Accessories, Performance Specialties on Lirio Ave (Ventura) in the category Motorcycles Repairing & Service, Image Motorcycle Products on Calle Suerte (Camarillo) in the category Motorcycle Dealers New and Ventura Harley Davidson-Buell on Del Norte Rd (Camarillo) in the category Motorcycle & Motor Scooter Dealers.


text:
App Developer Fights Pirate With Politeness
May 19, 2011 by Ernesto Van der Sar
Home > All >
Most major music and movie industry outfits go out guns blazing against those who dare to copy their content. They often label these people, who also make up a great portion of their legitimate customers, as thieves and criminals. App developer and owner of the website Word of the Day decided to take another route, and crushed a potential pirate with politeness instead.
Piracy presents content creators with a mind-twisting dilemma. No one wants to see the work they have to live off being copied for free, but in today's age not being pirated is probably even worse. Being overlooked in this way generally means that the public is not interested in what you have to offer.
The situation gets even more complicated when one realizes that 'pirates' are often legitimate customers too. As previously highlighted, music pirates are the ones who spend the most money on legitimate music. In a way, speaking out against pirates is speaking out against one's biggest fans.
So how does a content creator approach such a multi-layered species when he or she spots one in the wild?
If we look at Chris Baker, app developer and owner of the The Fucking Word of the Day website, confrontational politeness might turn out to be a good choice. Yesterday, Chris spotted a potential pirate on the xSellize forums, who posted the following request:
"Can someone please crack The F-ing Word of the Day app. Please."
Although many content creators would have cringed upon reading the message, perhaps tempted to shout the pirate down, Chris opted for a more peaceful reply to the poster "HiDefinition".
"Hello! I'm the creator of the *** Word of the Day website and more particularly the F-ing Word of the Day App. First of all, this is a huge compliment! As a person who pirates content, I've always placed the moment people are pirating MY goods as the exact time of my arrival, as it were."
Chris Baker goes on to explain that, although he has a decent job in New York, he's by no means rich. The app and website are his pet projects and he works on them during his free time in the hope that the public might learn something. Then he continues with giving the prospective pirate his virtual blessing.
"What's my point in all this? Go ahead and pirate the app. It cost me 1500 bucks to have programmed. It's not even a month's rent for me. But if you think the site is cool, and you want to pay for one eighth of a Stella Artois for me, hook me up with 99 cents. The rapture will be here soon, I could use the drink."
The above might not have been the response HiDefinition had been hoping for, but it did make an impact. Suddenly, the prospect of getting a pirated App without paying didn't seem as appealing as it did before.
HiDefinition replied:
"Wow, I wasn't expecting the developer to comment. Sorry, about that. You know I was only looking to get the IPA for free only because I have no credit, credit cards, or any kind of banking services. However, your attitude has seal[ed] the deal for me. It might end up costing me a couple extra dollars in nominal fees to figure out how to pay for it but I'd be glad to contribute towards that Stella fund raiser you've got going on.
"Besides, I really appreciate your response and I fully support your work. I hope no one actually cracks your app [and] for sake of respect, consider my request revoked. Thanks again Chris and have a good one bro!"
It appears that with his polite reply, Chris eliminated at least one potential pirate. But that wasn't the end of the matter. Instead of eagerly waiting for HiDefinition's 99 cents, Chris offered to buy the App for him, asking for a positive rating in return.
Chris then concluded:
"I hope this comment thread goes down as one of the more unexpected things that happens to you online. I like the unexpected. And I like making people happy, even when something stupid like learning vocabulary is involved."
The thread is memorable for sure, and shows that the blazing guns strategy might not always be the best one, especially not for indie content creators. This doesn't necessarily mean that 'pirates' should be cuddled, but it might be a good idea to try a more balanced response every now and then.
TorrentFreak got in touch with Chris, who shared his remarkable encounter on Reddit, and he told us that he expected people to pirate his app and that it's not a problem.
"I knew people would try to pirate my app and I'd rather have people trying to pirate my app than not pirate it. If no one is trying to pirate you, you're irrelevant," Chris said.
In fact, Chris admits that he too has pirated software since he was eight or nine. Whether it is the moral thing to do is not up to the developers he believes, it's something every 'pirate' has to decide for him or herself.
"The morality of pirating an app will be a topic that gets debated forever," Chris told us. "If a starving kid steals a loaf of bread to feed himself, is that wrong? If a starving designer pirates a copy of a 700 dollar version of Photoshop, is that wrong?"
"A creative storyteller could produce narratives that make you see both sides to each story," he concludes.
xSellize


Is a Private Limited Company.
We aim to keep people informed of the machinations of both The Assembly for Wales and the evils The EUropean Union.
To highlight the issues we waited until several months after the sordid and corrupt devolution campaign and the corrupt vote; however knowing the ineptitude and hubris of the Government we realised that they had not even had the commercial wisdom to secure their own name! We registered 'The Welsh Assembly as a company. We did this to raise the profile of the grave issues at stake and understand that the government was forced to shred 20,000 copies of 'The Welsh Assembly Bill' and reprint in a short time with the new name 'The National Assembly for Wales'.
We waited for many more months, since the government was 'banging on' about the importance of the www. and 'e' commerce. Yet again they had failed to secure their position which is why we have registered 'The Welsh Assembly' as an internet domain. Once again we have done this to raise the profile of the damage being done to our Nation - Britain.
We believe that Britain should remain an Independent Sovereign democracy. We do not believe that our elected representatives should effectively treasonously subjugate the people of Britain to government by an un elected committee dictatorship - the European Commissioners.
We believe that our elected representatives have No mandate to destroy Britain's Sovereignty. We believe a majority of the British value their freedom.
We are self funded with the help of private donations, made by organisations and individuals who believe that the propaganda of the European Union should in some way be balanced by the dissemination of fact and interpretation.
We are funded solely by donations.
We would welcome your help to bring the facts to the attention of more and more people: Do make as many copies of this site as you can and distribute them amongst your friends, colleagues & contacts.
You are encouraged to make links from your own Web Site to ours or to load the facts from this Web Site to your own.
We would welcome your help to inform people what is being done to them by the treacherous behaviour of their elected representatives.
For example: A Donation by you of £50 will pay for 700 photo copies, £100 will pay to mail information to 75 extra people & your donation of £500 will fund us for one week.
To save your country from enslavement by the barbed wire circle of yellow stars of the EUropean Union's banner please be as generous as you can afford to be. Without your help Britain will be further dominated by the unelected dictator committee - the European Commissioners, supported by the EUropean police - Europol & the political courts of the EU in the Hague.
The EU plans to destroy Britain's independent Sovereignty and control over its own destiny by introducing Economic & Monetary Union another step towards enslavement which has NO benefit for you or I.
PLEASE help us to fight to regain Britain's freedom, against the evil super state that the Nazis planned.
Your Help Really Really Matters.
It is our intention to add more and more facts and links to other sites on a regular basis.
We do apologise for any errors and the slow delivery of a better presentation with even more facts - this is due to very limited skills, a very small amount of money and almost no available time!
Relative to Tiny Blur, who we are told, has spent £130,000 on his Web Site to date and has two full time skilled individuals working on it full time, unfortunately we do not have the free access to British tax payers money that he enjoys to fund his propaganda. Please bear with us!


what have you learned about yourselves?
Our focus is not only on election hosting, but on our people – both customers and employees, alike.
It's the human element that makes Association Elections different in this technology-driven industry. One of our foremost goals is to ensure the best possible experience for you, our customers. Upon sign-up, we enjoy working with you designing your election, creating your emails, and ultimately pushing the big "publish" button. You can count on us to take care of you every step of the way.
We've mastered our tools- we use them every day. We don't believe that you should have to relearn them every year. We are happy to do the work for you and ensure the highest quality product. We take great pride in knowing that our managed implementation will insure engagement consistent with your association's professionalism and greatest possible participation.
In the end, we recognize you're putting the image and professionalism of your association in our hands. We take that responsibility very seriously and do everything we can, every day, to make sure you look as good as possible.


Anonomous Looks like me and Duane have something else in common. WE HATE NIXON!
Skyponydogboy Well, I've read this before, many years ago, still holds my interest.
KCJimmy Interview was 12/31/70. Was there a Presidential election in 71?
XOSweetPeachOX Wow...that was interesting...I never read it before.
BIGDAVE Tom Dowd Can Cut a Canary Fart And Make It Sound Good ! WOW ! ! !


Donate at least $25 to the Matt Leinart Foundation by November 30, 2012 for a chance to win a meet & greet with Matt Leinart as well as tickets to an Oakland Raiders home game!
The Matt Leinart Foundation is committed to granting resources and opportunities to support disadvantaged youth through learning centers, sports activities, and granting wishes: to build character development, and help each child maximize academic and personal achievement.
Our foundation grants Matt's Magical Moments to disadvantaged children and children with life-threating medical conditions. We grant moments ranging from ice cream delivered to hospitals by Matt, to Our Angel Experience and more.
We are partnered with A Foundation for Kids to raise funds and in-kind support for children's agencies & youth organizations that serve abused and at-risk children in Southern California.
The focus of the organization is to provide support for abused and at risk children who are in out of home care including group homes and foster homes. This includes all of Southern California with a particular focus upon, San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties. Support includes use of product, toys, consultation and training, event production and specific fundraising activities. A Foundation For Kids touches the lives of severely abused and neglected children from Southern California.
Please help us raise funds to keep these programs running! We're giving away a meet & greet with Matt Leinart as well as tickets to an Oakland Raiders home game! Want in? Donate at least $25 to the Matt Leinart Foundation by November 30, 2012 for a chance to win!
Be the first to Donate to MATT LEINART FOUNDATION and Win a Meet & Greet and Tickets to Matt Leinart's Game.


Looking for an international phone card for overseas calling from Ireland to Ghana? Comfi offers the best international calling cards that will make your connection with friends, family or co-workers cost-effective and top-quality.
We provide a wide range of international phone cards to call from Ireland to Ghana.
FastWorld calling card is a secure, comfortable and simple way to get in touch with recipient abroad. The foremost trait is the option to top up it. That means, you can put funds to the account without buying a new calling card.


text:
Mosque-Cathedral
The Soul of Cordoba
Mosque-Cathedral + Bell Tower
Fernandine Churches Route
Night Visit
A unique way to visit the monument
"The Soul of Cordoba" offers us a new and surprising way to rediscover the architectural site. Light, sound and image come together to offer the visitor in-depth information about the monument, from an art-history perspective and in terms of its religious significance.
Heritage and technology combine to create a journey for the senses. This night tour starts at the Orange Tree Courtyard with a film that looks at the history of the building and the city. Visitors then tour the Monumental Site and learn about its most important features.
Opening times and availabilityFull rules
General: €18
Reduced price: €12 over 65 years, disabled, students up to 26 years and children 7 years and older, prior official accreditation.
Free: Children under 7 (without audio guide and accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket)
Tickets can be reserved and purchased before the start of the tour at the ticket office of the Monumental Site, on the Internet or through our online sales system.
Visits available in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic and Russian
The visit takes around 1 hour
The maximum capacity for each visit is 60 people


Skittles will be bred to Malo in the spring of 2019.
We are VERY excited about this pairing. Many thanks to Masako for allowing McQueen Border Collies to use this awesome Male and many thanks to Maureen at Wildfire Border Collies for the recommendation.
Skittles is a firery little red head. She is about 28 pounds, very athletic and happy. She is a very biddable working dog who is always ready for any task. Skittles is working in Search and Rescue Live Area Find.
Malo is a very versatile dog. He is training and titling in Herding, Agility, Conformation and Obedience. He is high drive and very balanced. He currently has his BN and PT titles...with more to come! He was bred by our friends at Wildfire Border Collies (who also owned Steve McQueen's sire, Smasher).
You can see more about Skittles HERE!
Black/White and possibly Red/White expected!
At this time, we are keeping a list of interest. A $500 deposit will be required once pregnancy is confirmed.