text:
Alcohol Byproduct Contributes to Brain Chemistry Changes in Reward Learning and Memory Centers
21-Oct-2019 3:50 PM EDT
Mount Sinai Health System
P01AG031862, R01AA027202
Addiction, Alcohol and Alcoholism, All Journal News, Behavioral Science, Neuro, Psychology and Psychiatry, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Embargoed Feed - hidden
Acetate, brain reward center, Epigenetics, Alcoholism, alcohol abuse disorder, Alcohol Addiction, Alcohol Abuse, histone acetylation, Alcohol Metabolism, epigenetic regulation, ACSS2, Acetyl Co A, isotope labeling, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders , Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL
Wednesday, October 23 at 1:00 PM (EST)
Contact: Elizabeth Dowling
Mount Sinai Press Office
NewsMedia@mssm.edu
Study of mouse models provides clear implications for new targets to treat alcohol use disorder and fetal alcohol syndrome
Newswise — (New York – October 21, 2019) Triggers in everyday life, such as running into a former drinking buddy, walking by a once-familiar bar, or attending a holiday gathering can cause people recovering from alcohol use disorder to relapse. A common chemical called acetate that is produced when the liver breaks down alcohol may contribute to this phenomenon, a team including Mount Sinai researchers has now found.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing disease and estimates that between 40 to 60 percent of people who have gone through treatment for alcohol addiction will experience relapse. Researchers have sought to understand what drives the biology behind these incessant cravings and how medical science can help people overcome triggers paired to their addictions.
The team, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, showed, in a mouse model, how acetate travels to the brain's memory system to govern how neuronal genes are expressed and, ultimately, how the mice behave when they are presented environmental cues to consume alcohol. This study, which appears this week in Nature, was led by Shelley Berger, PhD, Daniel S. Och University Professor and Director of the Penn Epigenetics Program, and first authors Philipp Mews, PhD, a former graduate student in the Berger lab who is now a postdoctoral fellow at The Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and Gabor Egervari, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Berger lab.
"It was a huge surprise to us that metabolized alcohol is directly used by the body to add chemicals called acetyl groups to the proteins that package DNA, called histones," said Dr. Berger, senior author of the study. "To our knowledge, this data provides the first empirical evidence indicating that a portion of acetate derived from alcohol metabolism directly influences epigenetic regulation in the brain."
In the nucleus of brain cells, genetic material is tightly wrapped around histone proteins to form a complex called chromatin. Histone proteins can be modified by acetyl groups (a process called histone acetylation), leading to the opening of the chromatin structure at specific spots of the genome in neurons and thus, making genes involved in memory formation available to be "read" and eventually, for their encoded proteins to be made.
"Our team in the Berger lab had previously discovered that ACSS2 'fuels' a whole new machinery of gene expression 'on-site' in the nucleus of brain cells to turn on key memory genes after learning," said Dr. Mews of the work that was published in a 2017 Nature paper. "We learned then that the metabolic factor ACSS2 is needed to lay down new memories."
In the current study, the research team used isotopically labeled alcohol and advanced mass spectrometry to track where the alcohol and its breakdown products go in the body and brain, and found that alcohol metabolism rapidly impacts histone acetylation in the hippocampus—the learning and memory center of the brain—by directly depositing alcohol-derived acetyl groups onto histones via an enzyme called acetyl-CoA sythetase 2 (ACSS2). This represents an entirely new route by which alcohol affects the brain and contributes to histone acetylation in neurons via the ACSS2 enzyme, which plays an important role not only for gene expression but also in alcohol-related learning.
To better understand how the alcohol-induced changes in gene expression ultimately affect behavior, mice were exposed to neutral and alcohol rewards in distinct compartments of their living environment, distinguished by environmental cues. After this "conditioning" period, the researchers measured their preference by allowing the mice free access to either compartment, then recording the time spent in the chamber that offered alcohol. They found that mice with normal ACSS2 activity in their brains spent more time in the alcohol compartment. When they reduced the protein level of ACSS2 in the brain, preference for the alcohol compartment was not favored over the neutral compartment.
"The data indicates to us that that alcohol-related memory formation requires ACSS2," said Dr. Egervari.
"This is significant because in alcohol use disorders, memory of alcohol-associated cues is a primary driver of craving and relapse, even after prolonged periods of abstinence," said Dr. Mews. "Our findings establish a direct link between alcohol metabolism and histone acetylation in the hippocampus, indicating that translational treatment strategies that target this metabolic-epigenetic nexus may pave the way for novel therapeutic interventions for alcohol use and other neuropsychiatric disorders."
In another arm of the study, the team found that in pregnant mice, the alcohol-labeled acetyl groups were incorporated into the brain cells of developing mice in utero. The fetal brains showed that "binge drinking-like" exposure—parallel to maternal labeling of neuronal histone acetylation—resulted in alcohol-derived acetate being deposited onto histones in fetal fore- and mid-brain areas during early neuronal development in the mice. This showed an unanticipated potential mechanism for how fetal alcohol spectrum disorders work and could have implications for combating fetal alcohol syndrome.
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (P01AG031862, NIH R01AA027202; PI: Berger).
The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,480 primary and specialty care physicians; 11 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools", aligned with a U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" Hospital, No. 12 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics in the 2019-2020 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked nationally in five out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai St. Lukes and Mount Sinai West are ranked 23rd nationally for Nephrology and 25th for Diabetes/Endocrinology, and Mount Sinai South Nassau is ranked 35th nationally for Urology. Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's, Mount Sinai West, and Mount Sinai South Nassau are ranked regionally.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.


text:
Cooking How-Tos & Techniques
Watch Martha Teach Jennifer Garner and Dr. Oz the Right Way to Separate an Egg
Plus, learn how our founder and the actress first became friends.
By Zee Krstic April 26, 2019
Martha Stewart on Dr. Oz Show
Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment
Actress Jennifer Garner-who recently turned her lifelong passion for gardening and farming into an organic baby food line called Once Upon a Farm-just might be Martha Stewart's biggest fan. While appearing on an episode of the Dr. Oz Show this week, Garner told Oz how she first became a fan of Martha's.
"I grew up in a house where my mom made everything that we ate… and you can't help but do what your mom did," Garner told the audience. "When I was a young actress and just starting out, I would have auditions in the morning, but I would come back [home] and make myself lunch. I would watch [Martha's] first cooking show-back before she had a talk show or anything like that...I was dying to be on that show with her, even though I was nobody to be on there."
Martha and Garner eventually connected over-what else!-a shared love of pets and animals. In 2018, the duo cooked together on one of Martha's Facebook Live episodes, where they created the ultimate BLT sandwich as well as a stunning peach pie. She also taught the actress how to make what is arguably the most important meal of the year: "[Martha] taught me how to make Thanksgiving," Garner said. "We did Thanksgiving together and it has been the Thanksgiving that I've made for my family every year-and it's been 20 years."
But Garner wasn't ready for Dr. Oz's surprise: In the middle of a making one of Garner's signature smoothies, Martha appeared with some flaxseeds and a handful of steel, reusable straws to help the pair finish off the recipe. The two immediately started chatting about their love for animals-and how Martha inspired Garner to house a few chickens of her own, including Ameraucana chickens, Blue Copper Maran chickens, and another variety colloquially known as "Easter Egger" chickens.
RELATED: MARTHA GIVES A TOUR OF HER CHICKEN COOP
"You know, I have chickens because of you," Garner says, before Martha added, "I know, you caught my attention...I see that you have the blue, brown, green eggs that I also have. It showed up somewhere on my Instagram, so I have started to look at some of your stuff," Martha says.
Garner shared that she sings to her chickens, which Martha admittedly does as well: "I talk different 'talk' to every animal I have," our founder told Dr. Oz. "My dogs have one language, my cats have another, they all come to me and they all love me-just like Jennifer."
Despite admitting to being one of her biggest fans, Garner had the chance to learn one of Martha's signature tips on the show: How to separate an egg. Martha demonstrated how to separate egg yolks from the whites by hand, which is easily achieved by transferring the yolk from one eggshell to another over a mixing bowl. But Dr. Oz definitely needed a little more help-and Garner proved she's been paying attention to Martha's tips all along. "Mines pretty good, don't you think?" Oz asks Martha. "No, you broke it-look at that!" Martha exclaims. "[Jennifer] didn't break hers."
RELATED: MARTHA'S TIPS FOR RAISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
Finally, Martha says separating yolks is much easier if you keep a nearby washcloth on your kitchen counter, which comes in handy when doing a whole lot more than just cracking eggs. "Here's another little hint-I keep these little cloths on my counter," Martha says. "Do you, Jennifer?"
"I know you do, because I've cooked with you," Garner answers. "And yes, I do, because I want to be like you." Don't we all? To see more of Martha's visit on the Dr. Oz Show, visit the show's website here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Synopsys and ARM Announce Synopsys IC Compiler Incorporated in Latest ARM-Synopsys Reference Methodology
Enhanced Reference Methodology delivers 10 percent higher performance
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, England
Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS), a world leader in semiconductor design software, and ARM [(LSE: ARM); (NASDAQ: ARMHY)], today announced the availability of the latest ARM-Synopsys Galaxy™ Reference Methodology (RM) for streamlining high-performance implementations of synthesizable ARM® processors. This enhanced RM incorporates IC Compiler, Synopsys' next- generation physical design system, to more easily achieve higher clock frequencies compared to earlier versions of the RM.
"Our customers are under competitive pressure to deliver bigger designs with higher performance in less time," said Antun Domic, senior vice president and general manager, Synopsys. "ARM and Synopsys have included IC Compiler in this latest ARM-Synopsys Reference Methodology to enable our mutual customers to achieve higher performance by using the latest concurrent optimization technology."
Building on the production-proven ARM-Synopsys Galaxy RM, the latest flow with IC Compiler provides a complete RTL-to-GDSII solution that delivers higher performance and designer productivity for ARM technology-based designs. The RM co-developed by ARM and Synopsys Professional Services offers optimized scripts that leverage IC Compiler's next-generation Extended Physical Synthesis (XPS) technology, together with an enhanced implementation guide citing best practices. The RM can be used 'out-of-the-box'; enabling ARM Partners to easily and quickly implement and verify synthesizable ARM processors to their chosen process technologies. With the RM, ARM Partners can produce highly accurate processor models for SoC integration. Designers can use the RM with their own silicon process technology libraries, or take advantage of the extensive choice of ARM Artisan® physical IP available on a broad range of leading foundries' processes.
Synopsys and ARM have collaborated extensively to deliver many industry firsts, including: the ARM-Synopsys Galaxy RM for fast implementation and high performance, the extension of the RM to support ARM Intelligent Energy Manager (IEM) technology-enabled processors, validated with the first ARM Artisan Metro™ low-power standard cell library, and verification IP and methodology.
"ARM Partners are continuously pushing the boundaries for higher performance and functionality, while at the same time seeking increased designer productivity at a lower cost," said Keith Clarke, vice president of Technical Marketing, ARM. "The initial gains in performance and productivity are impressive, enabling us to integrate IC Compiler in the ARM-Synopsys Reference Methodology at an early stage. The IC Compiler ARM-Synopsys RM will help our Partners meet their next-generation product design challenges."
The new ARM-Synopsys Galaxy RM with IC Compiler will be highlighted at the ARM Developers' Conference 2005 at Synopsys Booth (#202), on October 4-6, Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, California.
The new ARM-Synopsys Galaxy RM with IC Compiler is available immediately for the ARM926EJ-S™ and ARM1136JF-S™ processors to all authorized ARM Partners, with additional processors coming by the end of the year. In addition, Synopsys provides ARM partners with complementary IP, including AMBA® 2 IP and Verification IP (VIP) and AMBA 3 AXI VIP, through its DesignWare® Library tools. Synopsys Professional Services also provides design and consulting services for hardening and integrating of ARM processor cores. Synopsys Professional Services is a global member of the ARM Design Center Program (ADC).
About ARM
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM's comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, 3D processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company's broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com/.
Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in electronic design automation (EDA) software for semiconductor design. The company delivers technology-leading semiconductor design and verification platforms and IC manufacturing software products to the global electronics market, enabling the development and production of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides intellectual property and design services to simplify the design process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in more than 60 locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com/.
Synopsys, and DesignWare are registered trademarks of Synopsys, Inc., Galaxy is a trademark of Synopsys.
ARM and AMBA are registered trademarks of ARM Limited. ARM926EJ-S, ARM1136JF-S and Metro are trademarks of ARM Limited. Artisan is a registered trademark of ARM Physical IP, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ARM. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. "ARM" is used to represent ARM Holdings plc; its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM INC.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan; ARM France SAS; ARM Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.; ARM Belgium N.V.; AXYS Design Automation Inc.; AXYS GmbH; ARM Embedded Technologies Pvt. Ltd.; and ARM Physical IP, Inc.
Editorial Contacts:
Nancy Renzullo                         Michelle Spencer
Synopsys, Inc.                         ARM, Ltd.
(650) 584-1669                         +44 1628 427780
renzullo@synopsys.com                  Michelle.Spencer@arm.com
Melissa Chanslor
melissa.chanslor@edelman.com
SOURCE: Synopsys, Inc.
CONTACT: Nancy Renzullo of Synopsys, Inc., +1-650-584-1669,
renzullo@synopsys.com; Melissa Chanslor of Edelman, +1-650-968-4033,
melissa.chanslor@edelman.com, for Synopsys, Inc.; Michelle Spencer of ARM,
Ltd., +44-1628-427780, Michelle.Spencer@arm.com
Web site: http://www.synopsys.com/
http://www.arm.com/


text:
Boat & Yacht Design
New 9-Person NEXUS Submersible by U-Boat Worx
The Netherlands-based aquatic company U-Boat Worx has not only made exploring 200-meter depths more mainstream since it began in 2005, but also more leisurely.
With over 20 models to choose from, the company's latest, the NEXUS, is its most innovative and high-end yet. With an amazing field of view, the submersible can traverse depths up to 200m, features a seamless elliptical window made up of three parts, and can hold 7 to 9 passengers. Where the pilot has a fixed seat in the middle, the seats on either side revolve so that every passenger can experience the clarity of the ocean from different vantage points and in extremely comfortable seats. Much like the brand's Cruise Sub 7, the NEXUS allows for between 900L and 914L of space per person with plenty of legroom.
Distortion through the curved window is minimized due to the thickness transition between the different sections of the view port. The NEXUS is also optimized for safety with maximum depth protection that prevents the pilot from exceeding the threshold and a deadman's switch that automatically resurfaces the pod if unacknowledged for 10 minutes. Additionally, all ages and abilities can get in and out with ease thanks to the largest hatch in the industry and the optional inclusion of a lift elevator.
The NEXUS is also the fastest multi-passenger submersible on the market with speeds up to 3 knots and is powered by a 62kWh battery that lasts up to 18 hours. For more information on this model, visit U-Boat Worx's website.
The World's Deepest-Diving Personal Submarine for $5.5 Million
The latest must-have for billionaire yacht owners – the Triton 6600/2 – allows them to explore shipwrecks or other spots at new depths thanks to a revolutionary new passenger compartment…
U-Boat Worx UWEP Entertainment Submarine
Dutch submersible company U-Boat Worx has announced the latest addition to their lineup of subs – the UWEP, or Underwater Entertainment Platform. Measuring 115 feet in length, the UWEP lives…
Manta Ray Inspired Armored Submarine Kronos
Highland Systems is adding to its fearsome vehicle lineup in extraordinary style, with an 11-seat armored speed demon it calls the Kronos. Clearly inspired by the manta ray, this hybrid…


text:
Q: Python3 Convert list of HEX values to Bytes I have a list of bytes that are represented in string format, for example, when I print the list in Python3.3 I get the following output:
DATA =  ['FF', 'FF', 'FF', 'FF']

I would like to convert these into bytes, for example 0xFF,0xFF,0xFF,0xFF. I have tried the bytearray() function but this returns an error.
I'm guessing that I am missing something simple here, but I have looked around SO and Google and have so far had no luck
Thanks!

A: Use binascii.unhexlify() on the joined 'bytes':
import binascii

bytestring = binascii.unhexlify(''.join(DATA))

Demo:
>>> import binascii
>>> DATA =  ['FF', 'FF', 'FF', 'FF']
>>> binascii.unhexlify(''.join(DATA))
b'\xff\xff\xff\xff'

Note that this is way faster than using manual conversion to integers:
>>> import timeit
>>> timeit.timeit("bytes(int(x, 16) for x in DATA)", 'from __main__ import DATA')
1.7035537050105631
>>> timeit.timeit("unhexlify(''.join(DATA))", 'from __main__ import DATA; from binascii import unhexlify')
0.2515432750224136

That's a 7x speed difference.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Description: Single Line Diagram Synoptic Elecworks Software Wiring Wiring Pictures Of Wiring Diagram Electrical Wire Software For Drawing House That Good Single Line Diagram In Electrical #3057 from the above 1024x788 resolutions which is part of the "DIY Needed" directory. Download this image for free in HD resolution the choice "Save full resolution" below. If you do not find the exact resolution you are looking for, then go for a native or higher resolution.
Among by far the most popular electrical wiring concerns is on how to wire a switch. Whilst utilizing switches at home is sort of straightforward, wiring 1 may not be that straightforward for everyone. An ON-OFF switch is in fact quite simple to wire. There are actually several types of switches, but for this example, let us say you might be putting in a single-pole toggle switch, a really frequent swap (as well as the most basic).
You'll find a few colors of wires in the regular single-pole toggle switch: black, white, and eco-friendly. Splice the black wire in two and link them about the terminal screws - a single on top plus the other around the bottom screw of your swap. The white wire serves like a supply of uninterrupted electric power and is also generally connected to a mild coloured terminal screw (e.g., silver). Connect the environmentally friendly wire on the ground screw within your change.
These methods would usually be enough to create a standard swap work without a challenge. Then again, should you usually are not self-confident that you can accomplish the undertaking correctly and securely you far better enable the professionals get it done as an alternative. Right after all, there is certainly a rationale why this endeavor is amongst the most commonly encountered electrical wiring issues questioned by many people.
For many purpose, the way to wire a ceiling fan can also be one of by far the most frequent electrical wiring inquiries. To simplify this task, you need to use a single change for a single ceiling fan. To wire the admirer, it truly is merely a make a difference of connecting the black wire of your ceiling fan on the black wire in the swap. When there is a light-weight, the blue wire should be linked for the black wire from the switch at the same time.
There are causes why these are one of the most usually asked electrical wiring queries. One particular, numerous assume it really is simple to complete, and two, they are the common electrical jobs at home. But then you shouldn't put your security at risk as part of your intention to save money. The stakes could even be significantly bigger should you seek to cut costs and do an electrical wiring work without the need of sufficient knowledge or knowledge.


text:
Browse > Home / Featured Articles / The declining credibility of Palestinian objections to the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism
The declining credibility of Palestinian objections to the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism
December 5, 2020 by Ben Cohen - JNS.org
A group of Palestinian and Arab intellectuals, 122 in all, endorsed a statement last week published by The Guardian newspaper that attacked the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism.
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 26, 2019. Credit: UN Photo/Cia Pak
These intellectuals were concerned because the definition continues to be adopted by hundreds of governments, local authorities and civic associations in the United States and across the world as an effective instrument for countering the hatred of Jews.
As is often the case such statements such as these, what wasn't said was as telling to the critical reader as what did make the text.
It's not that these Arab intellectuals endorse anti-Semitism. They declare early on that "no expression of hatred for Jews as Jews should be tolerated anywhere in the world." They recognize, too, that anti-Semitism "manifests itself in sweeping generalizations and stereotypes about Jews, regarding power and money in particular, along with conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial."
Yet despite featuring the names of some of the Arab world's most respected academics, writers and filmmakers (arch-foes of Israel all), the statement on the IHRA definition at no point acknowledges that anti-Semitism as a social and religious phenomenon is deeply embedded within the Arab civilizations that these intellectuals represent. Instead, anti-Semitism is depicted as someone else's problem, primarily Europe's.
It is hard to take seriously the expressed commitment to fighting anti-Semitism in this statement in the face of such blatant airbrushing of Middle Eastern history. For millennia, Jews occupied a precarious place in Arab and Islamic societies, occasionally experiencing more benign rulers, but frequently serving as the targets of official discrimination and popular violence. That history, importantly, includes the Holocaust, as witnessed through the destruction of Jewish communities in German-occupied North Africa; the anti-Jewish riots in Baghdad, Cairo and other cities; and the broader ideological affinities between the Nazis and Arab nationalists, many of whom would come to power and expel their Jewish populations in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and other countries in the coming decades.
None of this is apparently relevant to these intellectuals, who see their role as nourishing the national mythologies of the Arab world—specifically, that anti-Semitism is not an Arab problem and, relatedly, that the problem of anti-Semitism has been imposed upon the Arabs as a result of European and American backing for Zionism, and the consequent "ethnic cleansing" of the Palestinians during Israel's War of Independence in 1948.
Ben Cohen/JNS
It is this last claim that gets to heart of the objection these intellectuals have towards the IHRA definition. Recognizing that anti-Semitism is a dynamic phenomenon, the definition includes as examples both classic tropes about Jews and more modern ones that revolve around Israel and Zionism. Asserting that Jews as a nation have no right to self-determination and depicting the State of Israel as a racist original sin against the Palestinians are, under the terms of the definition, indubitably anti-Semitic.
Not surprisingly, this grouping of intellectuals is infuriated that the very positions they promote—that Israel is a racist undertaking, that Jews are an invented nation, that Israeli policies towards the Palestinians are a reincarnation of the Nazi persecution of the Jews—are defined as anti-Semitic, and therefore as morally and politically tainted, by a growing segment of international opinion. But instead of honestly reviewing these positions in the light of historical changes—something that intellectuals are supposed to do—they have simply doubled down on the discredited anti-Zionist campaign that was waged by Arab regimes and the Arab League before Israel even came into existence.
Centrally, they want to establish as an uncontested fact—in exactly the way that the Holocaust or the Cambodian genocide or the Transatlantic slave trade are uncontested facts—the Palestinian claim that Israel's creation was a nakba ("catastrophe"). "As it currently exists, (my emphasis) the state of Israel is based on uprooting the vast majority of the natives—what Palestinians and Arabs refer to as the nakba—and on subjugating those natives who still live on the territory of historical Palestine as either second-class citizens or people under occupation, denying them their right to self-determination," the statement reads.
Those states and bodies that have endorsed the IHRA definition understand this argument very differently. They do not see it as an objective statement of fact, but as a highly politicized account of the origins, nature and policies of the Jewish state. They do not accept as uncontested the claim that Israel, in the process of establishing its independence, deliberately expelled 750,000 Palestinian Arabs, or that Israel is solely responsible for the perpetuation of the refugee question almost 80 years on. Indeed, partly because of the IHRA definition's spread, a growing number of opinion-shapers are beginning to understand that the anti-Zionist explanation for the plight of the Palestinians is itself built upon an anti-Semitic caricature of the Zionist undertaking.
Coincidentally, a dramatic sense of how this process is unfolding was on display at the United Nations—the citadel of global anti-Zionism—in the same week that the IHRA statement was published. The General Assembly passed five routine anti-Israel resolutions that essentially renewed the operations of the Division for Palestinian Rights—a dedicated department of U.N. employees who service the various anti-Israel committees, conferences and propaganda campaigns that operate under the General Assembly's aegis.
Up until very recently, such resolutions would pass by a predictably large majority, as the governments of democracies and autocracies alike colluded in perpetuating a massive anti-Zionist propaganda apparatus that has existed within the United Nations for more than 40 years. But in the last decade, the number of member states abstaining on or opposing these very same resolutions has increased dramatically. In 2011, a total of 114 states voted in favor of the resolutions. In 2020, that number sank to 82, with 78 U.N. member states openly opposing, abstaining on or not reporting for the vote on the resolutions.
As the strategic significance of the Palestinian issue has receded over the last few years, the use of the nakba as a narrative to undermine both the Jewish claim to national self-determination and the fight against anti-Semitism in its anti-Zionist guise is becoming less and less effective. In time, perhaps, some Arab intellectuals will realize that this development was, above all, a stroke of good fortune for the Palestinians, helping to liberate them from their damaging shibboleths towards a life of peace and looking forward.
Ben Cohen is a New York City-based journalist and author who writes a weekly column on Jewish and international affairs for JNS.


Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU) and monitored according to AD 2000 - W0 by TÜV Nord Systems GmbH & Co. KG waived of counter-signature. Therefore we can issue certificates acc. to EN 10204/3.1 right after production.
Our company is an approved manufacturer by Lloyd`s Register and is authorized for stamping in the manufacturing process. Our quality management is monitored frequently by external audits acc. to ISO 9001.


text:
Q: Datagrid not updating when query is fired So I have a DataGrid in my UserControl. It is databound to an observable collection in My ViewModel. The ViewModel implements the INotifyPropertyChanged interface and has been appropriately wired up in the view.
In my view:
<DataGrid AutoGenerateColumns="False"
          EnableRowVirtualization="True"
          ItemsSource="{Binding ContributionCollection, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}">

<!-- DataGrid rows -->

/>

And in The ViewModel:
    private ObservableCollection<contribution> _contributionCollection;
    public ObservableCollection<contribution> ContributionCollection
    {
        get
        {
            return _contributionCollection;
        }
        set
        {
            _contributionCollection= value;
            OnPropertyChanged("ContributionCollection");
        }
    }

What is meant to happen, is that; At a click of a specific button, a query fires against the database and brings back some results. Those results are meant to be shown in the Datagrid.
    // Fired by an ICommand Property
    public object Contributions_CommandExecute(object param)
    {
        var queryContributions = context.contributions.Where(c => c.member == Member);
        return _contributionCollection = new ObservableCollection<contribution>(queryContributions);
    }

But the datagrid always comes up empty. The Application freezes for a bit, suggesting something is happening in the background, but nothing is actually conveyed on the view. In fact, the only time it works properly, is if the ViewModel constructor fires the query upon initialization. But then after that, It won't fire again.
Any idea where I'm going wrong?

A: this line
return _contributionCollection = new ObservableCollection<contribution>(queryContributions);

updates only value of field. Since it doesn't use property setter, OnPropertyChanged("ContributionCollection"); is not called
the solution is to work with property (by the way, why method is not void?)
// Fired by an ICommand Property
public void Contributions_CommandExecute(object param)
{
    var queryContributions = context.contributions.Where(c => c.member == Member);
    ContributionCollection = new ObservableCollection<contribution>(queryContributions);
}

A: View
<DataGrid AutoGenerateColumns="False"
          EnableRowVirtualization="True"
          ItemsSource="{Binding ContributionCollection}">

<!-- DataGrid rows -->

/>

ViewModel
public void Contributions_CommandExecute(object param)
    {
        ContributionCollection = new ObservableCollection<contribution>(context.contributions.Where(c => c.member == Member));
    }

A: you have to update the list with a Dispatcher so that you don´t interupt the GUI like this:
Dispatcher.BeginInvoke(new Action(() => _contributionCollection = new ObservableCollection<contribution>(queryContributions)));

I had an similar Problem:
Update Observable Collection


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BabGame
Discord banned more than 4 million accounts this year, mostly for spam
Discord has released a new transparency report that details the complaints regarding and action taken against spammers, harassers, servers that break community guidelines and criminal activity over the first six months of 2020. Not surprisingly, this year has seen a spike thanks to so many people stuck at home, leading to the company receiving double the number of reports that it got in the second half of 2019.
Around 235,000 reports were sent to Discord's Trust & Safety team, ranging from cybercrime to harassment. The latter is the largest category, making up 86,048 of the reports, but according to Discord it's also the hardest one to take action against.
"We get some reports of malicious ban evading and flooding of friend requests, which generally are actionable," Discord says, "but a lot more of someone calling someone else names, or even filing a report under harassment and simply stating that they don't like the other person or what they say, which is not actionable by Trust & Safety and is more appropriately addressed by the complainant blocking a user they don't like."
Spam, meanwhile, appears to be the most actionable issue, with 65.72 percent of reports leading to some kind of action, compared to 13.26 percent of harassment reports. Spammers have also been banned more than anyone else, with 4,083,444 spam account banned between January and June—so most of them have been given the boot without users sending reports.
Exploitative content is the next highest reason for bans, despite making up only up eight percent of complaints. Discord says that's because it goes out and looks for exploitative content to remove, which includes servers involved in child exploitation and non-consensual pornography. It's also been deleting servers that are being used to disrupt peaceful protests.
"We're very proud to have shut down some of the worst-of-the-worst organizing groups before they could cause harm," Discord says. "In terms of hard numbers, as the first half of 2020 got underway, the ratio of proactive to reactive extremist servers removed climbed as high as 5:1."
Discord was something of a haven for white supremacists and alt-right troublemakers in the past, and they still use it now, but as it's grown into this massive, mainstream platform it's faced more scrutiny and started to clean up its act.
"We have a responsibility to ensure that Discord is not used for hate, violence, or harm," Discord said in June in a blog post on racial equality. "Our goal is that Discord is used to build meaningful relationships and strong affirming communities."
It wasn't until the violence in Charlottesville that Discord really started cracking down, however, after the murder of Heather Heyer. Before that, white supremacists had used the platform to organise and recruit in preparation for the Unite the Right rally.
Discord says it's working on a number of projects that will "make Discord safer," including stuff that should reduce spam, making reporting easier and assist moderators. They'll be announced over the next few months. It's also planning to publish a transparency report every six months, with the next one appearing in January.
Credit: Discord banned more than 4 million accounts this year, mostly for spam
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Do you see your wall as a blank canvas?
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Effects Picture Framing is your one stop shop for your printing and framing needs.
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I have been using effects picture framing for over 5 years now for framing as well as prints of my original art work, and in those years I have built up a good relationship with Chris the owner. When it comes to framing both Chris and I will work together on choosing the right frame which I think is very important for any artwork, I tend to sway towards Chris's opinion and the end result is always impressive. I also use Chris for my prints of original work both on paper and canvas. The quality of the prints are great and I always get comments both from other artists and clients about the quality of the prints. Effects is a family owned business with a warm and welcoming vibe, they have a passion for art and creativity and take pride in their work which is why I continue to use them to this day. Thank you!
If you want your artwork, photographs, footy jumper, treasured objects or certificates framed to the highest possible standards, then Chris Appelbee of Effects Framing is the man for you. I met Chris about 15 years ago when he worked at a framers in Scarborough and was immediately impressed with his natural sense of presentation and framing for my artwork. He has an instinctive grasp of the right colours for matboards and the types of frames that will enhance and complement each individual piece of work. It was only natural that I would continue to take my work to him when he set up his own business, Effects Framers, in Redcliffe about 8 years ago. I frequently exhibit at art exhibitions throughout Perth and many viewers and buyers express their admiration of the professional framing and overall appearance of my work. Chris has incredible energy and enthusiasm and a work ethic second to none. He executes each commission in the shortest time possible, and always with a smile and friendly chat. He has such a cheerful and positive personality that I always look forward to my visits to his shop. Chris will always have my business as long as I am painting. I recommend him to all my fellow artists, family and friends.


Here are the last pictures of the car shooting. A couple of years ago I toured through Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. When I was in Memphis I visited Graceland of course. There's a little car museum showing Elvis' cars. That was the inspiration for these pictures.
Here are some more pics from last weekends car shooting. This time it's a 1:12 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. Again many rear projection images.
Here are the next pictures from the 1:12 car shooting.
Here are the next pics for the car magazines. This is the Morris Minor 1000 produced by Sun Star. The scale is 1:12. For most of the pictures I used my monitor for a rear projection.
Last weekend I took several pictures of my 1:12 scale cars for the next Kiosk editions.
Here they are. I start today with the Volkswagen T1.
Actually this was a mispurchase. When I saw it on ebay, I thought it was 1:6 scale. But it turned out to be 1:8. I should have done some better research first. Well, it still measures 70 cm. In 1:6 it has to be 90 cm.
But anyway, it was a cheap item and it will work well somewhere in the background. And of course it can be used for the upcoming car magazines.
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Will Weather Strike a Blow to Mac Jones in Patriots-Bills?
By Tom E. Curran	• Published December 6, 2021 • Updated on December 6, 2021 at 2:52 pm
Curran: Will weather strike a blow to Mac Jones in Patriots-Bills? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Download our local news and weather app for iOS or Android — and the choose the alerts you want.
The Patriots and Bills have the stage all to themselves for the biggest game of Week 13. And it's gonna blow.
Winds out of the WSW will be between 25 and 35 MPH with gusts into the 40s. How much will this affect the passing attacks for the two teams? A lot.
Is this a concern? Yeah. Somewhat.
Monday Night: Early gusts to 55 mph, areas of rain ending as flurries then clearing after midnight. Lows in the 30s. Tuesday: Noticeably cooler. Sun and clouds. Highs near 40, wind chill 30. Wednesday: Overcast with pockets of snow showers developing, becoming steadier by evening & night. Highs in the middle 30s.
We all realize by now that Mac Jones' throwing gifts are touch, ball placement and the fact he throws the league's most "catchable" ball. He's so damn accurate, ER's were filled with fans complaining of chest pains last week when Jones overthrew Hunter Henry in a blowout of the Titans. Simply put, Jones rarely misses.
But he's never played a game on the shores of Lake Erie either. This is new.
Patriots Talk Podcast: Has Buffalo's window of AFC East dominance already closed? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
But it doesn't mean an automatic advantage for the Bills just because they have Uzi-armed Josh Allen while the Patriots have the football equivalent of Greg Maddux.
Allen's 410 attempts in 11 games means he's averaging 37.7 throws per game. He's thrown it more than 40 times in three of Buffalo's five home games. Jones is throwing 31.75 times per game. But he's only thrown it more than 30 times once in the Patriots past four games (32 against the Titans). Even in the Patriots' shootout loss with Dallas, he only threw it 21 times.
More Weather News
Weather Dec 6, 2021
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New England Patriots Dec 6, 2021
Patriots Take Top Seed in AFC Ahead of Bills Face Off
Allen may be more able than Jones to throw with wind-cutting velocity, but the Patriots' offense – and team – isn't built around Jones' arm like the Bills offense is with Allen's. The Patriots are a team that's built for all seasons. Their adaptability and consistency – even in Year 1 of an extreme roster overhaul – is what makes them the most reliable team in the AFC.
They aren't given to wild, WTF fluctuations. The Bills have been, at least recently. Twice in their past four games they've either been upset (9-6 loss to Jacksonville) or curb-stomped (41-15 loss to the Colts).
The Bills aren't an "unbalanced" offense. They are 11th in the league in rushing YPG (118.3) and seventh in YPC (4.56). The Patriots are 13th and 19th in those categories. And they aren't an unbalanced team either. They are second in the league in scoring – 29.6 PPG to the Patriots' 28 – and second in the league in points allowed per game (16.5 to the Patriots' 15.8).
Bills good on both sides
Points scored per game
29.6 (2nd)
Points allowed per game
The upshot of all this is that while Allen throws a ball that's less susceptible to being blown off course than Jones, Allen is a less accurate thrower in general and he throws it more. So whatever arm-strength advantage there is at the quarterback position is offset.
You may be wondering whether Mac and the zephyrs of Buffalo are even worth discussion. Wind happens. It's not like the kid's been playing in a greenhouse all his life. Fair.
Curran: Why Jones excelling on rookie deal is disaster for Bills, rest of NFL
But the Patriots have been involved before in famous wind games. Like the night they kicked off to noodle-armed Peyton Manning in overtime back in 2013. Or the day in late November, 2008 that the goalposts in Buffalo got blown off-kilter.
It will impact the outcome of tonight's game somehow. Just like the Patriots being on the road for a prime-time game in front of a noisy crowd will have an impact.
And even though Mac Jones has answered every round of pearl-clutching from all us Chicken Littles over his arm, his build, his physical durability, his assertiveness, his general readiness, etc. the sentiment remains: Show me.
So we'll see.
Copyright RSN
windNew England PatriotsMAC JonesBuffalo Bills


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Week In Perspective: Market Maintains Upward Track [13-Aug-21]
August 13, 2021 - by Mike Minter
August 13, 2021 Mike Minter
The past week saw more new records in the stock market with the Dow and S&P 500 inching to fresh highs. The two indices gained a respective 0.9% and 0.7% for the week while the Nasdaq underperformed, shedding 0.1%. Small caps also struggled to keep pace, as the Russell 2000 gave up 1.1%.
There was some focus on news from Washington during the first half of the week, as the Senate approved a $1.2 trln infrastructure bill and authorized $3.5 trln in additional spending. The bills will now be considered by the House, but reports from Friday pointed to some fresh uncertainty as nine House Democrats said they won't vote for the $3.5 trillion budget resolution until the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is signed into law.
The renewed misgivings did not stop the major averages from ending the week on a positive note. Ten sectors recorded gains for the week with materials (+2.7%), consumer staples (+2.1%), and financials (+1.9%) leading the way while energy (-0.8%) finished in the red.
Consumer staples received significant support from Tyson Foods (TSN), as the stock jumped nearly 14.0% for the week after reporting better than expected results on Monday morning. Sysco (SYY) gained nearly 7.5% after it too beat quarterly expectations on Tuesday morning.
In other earnings of note, Disney (DIS) touched a three-month high after beating earnings and revenue expectations on Thursday evening.
On the downside, chipmakers underperformed through Thursday with the PHLX Semiconductor Index narrowing its loss for the week to 2.3% during a Friday rebound. The underperformance followed a report from DRAMeXchange about market expectations for memory prices to drop up to 5.0% in Q4.
The bulk of last week's economic reports were close to estimates while the preliminary reading of the University of Michigan Sentiment Survey for August produced a big downside surprise. The index fell to 70.2 from 81.2, reaching its lowest level since late 2011 due to deteriorating sentiment about all aspects of the economy.
Treasuries faced some selling pressure during the first half of the week but recovered the bulk of their losses during a Friday rebound that left the 10-yr yield (1.30%) up just one basis point for the week.


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WSO2 has introduced a new identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) solution designed to improve customer identity and access management (CIAM) across online portals.
Organisations understand the value of providing secure, online interactions, however many application developers cannot integrate CIAM into their existing client-facing applications.
WSO2 Australia and New Zealand's vice president and regional general manager, Tass Melissinos, says, "With the shift to digital accelerated by the pandemic, Australian organisations of all sizes feel they need to balance the verification of the identity of those using their services with delivering an easy experience for their customers. Following CIAM best practices, Asgardeo allows organisations to experience both security and frictionless access without sacrificing either".
WSO2 CTO Eric Newcomer adds that some organisations that evolve their digital initiatives also face challenges when it comes to meeting their security policies.
With these challenges in mind, WSO2 developed its IDaaS, called Asgardeo, to provide developers with the ability to easily embed CIAM features into their apps within minutes. Furthermore, Asgardeo improves overall CIAM security by enabling developers to encode security policies and standards, thereby reducing development time and simplifying security reviews.
Whether developers are working on access management, productivity improvements or security, they can easily integrate security code through a software development kit (SDK) and script. Developers can also debug login flows from the integrated development environment.
Developers can orchestrate authentication and authorisation at the application level, allowing for broader use of templates for common login and access use cases, such as adding a second authentication step when a customer accesses the application from a new device.
Asgardeo's capabilities simplify account management and enforce account security through methods such as self-registration, account enable/disable and deregistration, active and inactive status, bot detection, and account recovery.
"Asgardeo provides the tools to assure organisations that they can govern access and provide a consistently smooth interaction across all their applications," adds Melissinos.
It also builds on the capabilities of WSO2's Identity Server, which brings more CIAM options to customers.
Asgardeo enables developers to:
Quickly deliver safe, secure and robust cloud-native digital applications that give customers confidence their data will be protected.
Simplify customers' experiences by letting them use the same log-in credentials no matter what part of the system they are connected to.
Streamline security reviews and approvals by codifying policies and standards, freeing developers to concentrate on building out their core applications.
Focus valuable team resources on delivering superior customer experiences instead of managing the underlying infrastructure.
Protect sensitive APIs and integrations in the cloud
Newcomer concludes, "Using Asgardeo, it's easier than ever for development teams to foster customer loyalty by giving them a great enrollment experience and building these users confidence in the protection of their personal information."
The early adopter release of Asgardeo by WSO2 is available now. The free entry-level edition contains robust capabilities including single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), social login support, adaptive authentication, a user self-care portal, and more. Additional subscription options are also available.
WSO2 has been recognised by analyst firms including KuppingerCole and Forrester Research.
To learn more and try out Asgardeo, visit WSO2's website here.


I wear several different hats on this blog, so it can come across as a bit of a jumble.
As far as work goes, until recently I worked in market research, where I specialised in social media research for Ipsos MORI, also dabbling a little in online communities and mobile research. I'm in the process of a big career change at the moment - I'll be working to keep Lambeth safe and secure. We're discouraged from talking about work too much online - which has always seemed a little odd to me, I'd never say anything I wouldn't be afraid to say in public - but there you go, so I probably won't write too often about work any more.
I'm a big fan of theatre - especially immersive, one-on-one and experimental theatre, particularly very visual, or physical theatre: Frantic Assembly, Ontroerend Goed, Biuro Podrozy, that sort of thing.
Maybe you're here because you stumbled across something I wrote about my local area: until 2015 I lived in Willesden Green but have just moved to Tooting.


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Who Pays Income Taxes in America and Who Doesn't and Interest Rates Rising? – By Gary Halbert
Who Pays Income Taxes in…
April 15 came and went and most of Americans who owed taxes dutifully paid them. Today, I thought we would look at the latest data showing who pays income taxes and who doesn't. The numbers from 2014 may surprise you.
According to the Tax Policy Center, the top 1% of earners – who had so much hate directed at them when the Occupy Wall Street movement captured the media's fancy a few years ago – pays 45.7% (almost half) of all income taxes while making only 17.1% of national income.
The top 20% of earners pay 83.9% of all federal income taxes. At the same time, they make only 51.3% of total U.S. income. The middle 20% of earners pays only 5.9% of federal income taxes, while earning 14.8% of national income.
Meanwhile, the bottom 20%, which earns only 4.5% of all U.S. income, pays -2.2% (yes, negative 2.2%) of federal income taxes. In other words, those in this quintile, instead of paying an income tax, actually get paid money from Uncle Sam after Washington has taken it from everybody else.
Income and Federal Taxes
Anyone who thinks this distribution is fair should think again. The system is so steeply progressive that Karl Marx would likely approve if he were alive today!
This, of course, isn't what we hear from redistributionists who go on and on about how "the rich don't pay their fair share." A Pew poll in mid-February found that 72% of Americans think many wealthy people don't pay their fair share of federal income taxes.
An Investor's Business Daily poll in March found that 90% of Democrats favor "raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans to pay for programs that will benefit the lower and middle classes." So Democrats are now embracing a more full-throated kind of populism, releasing a new tax plan that takes from the richest Americans and Wall Street. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the Maryland Democrat, is behind the proposal. You will be hearing more about it just ahead.
How Government Disguises the Real Level of Taxes
In various polls, most Americans say they believe they pay too much in federal taxes. Yet those views would be even more negative if people felt the full pain of funding the $4 trillion a year federal government. But the citizenry hasn't resorted to pitchforks yet because politicians use "fiscal illusion" techniques to hide a lot of the costs. Here are some of the techniques (hat tip to The Daily Caller):
Debt. The government finances half a trillion dollars a year of its spending by borrowing. So people see the benefits of the spending, but the costs are pushed forward by deficits and debt. The government has run deficits in 85% of the years since 1930, so this is not a transitory problem but a deliberate strategy of hiding costs.
Withholding. The federal government requires employers to withhold income and payroll taxes from paychecks, and that makes earnings disappear before workers get their hands on the cash. Withholding was introduced during World War II to make income taxes feel less painful, and thus to reduce taxpayer resistance.
Refunds. The IRS has rigged the withholding system so that more than three quarters of tax filers get refunds every April. As a result, the government appears to be Santa Claus rather than a fiscal oppressor.
Business Taxes. The government collects hundreds of billions of dollars a year from taxes on businesses, including the corporate income tax and the employer half of the federal payroll tax. The burden of these taxes ultimately falls on individuals, but the collection is invisible to them.
Real Bracket Creep. Federal income taxes are indexed for inflation, but not for real economic growth. Because tax rates rise as one earns more, the system results in the government automatically and invisibly gaining a larger share of incomes over time.
Complexity. Congress has spread out the federal tax burden across multiple different tax bases. It has also made the largest tax – the income tax – hugely complex. These features of tax design have reduced the ability of voters to understand the overall cost of government.
Regulations. When Congress wants to confer benefits on voters, an alternative to a tax-funded program is a regulation. For example, regulations require most businesses to provide workers with health insurance and a range of other benefits. The costs of such mandates ultimately fall – in a hidden manner – on individuals in the form of lower wages and higher prices. [AOA: Another example is Tenant Welfare that property owners are forced to "pay"!]
Smoke and Mirrors. The government uses accounting tricks to hide costs. One is the "salami strategy," which is used by the Pentagon and other agencies on large projects. With this technique, the full costs of projects – such as weapon systems – are only revealed one slice at a time, so that by the time the full costs are evident, the project is too far along to be canceled.
All these techniques make the "price" of government seem artificially low, such that Americans keep electing politicians who promise to give us even more of it. At the same time, fiscal illusions embolden politicians to spend money on activities that make no economic sense.
But fiscal illusion is fiscal dishonesty. Whether people believe in small government or big government, they should want lawmakers to trade-off the costs and benefits of programs in a transparent way. So … one goal of federal tax and spending reforms should be to repeal as many of these illusionary techniques as possible.
I could go on (and on), but I'll leave it there for now.
IMF Urges Fed Not to Raise Interest Rates Until Next Year
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its forecast for US economic growth in 2015 last Thursday and simultaneously called on the Federal Reserve to delay its much expected Fed Funds rate hike until sometime next year. In all my years of Fed watching, I don't recall the IMF ever openly attempting to influence Fed monetary policy.
For those not familiar with the IMF, the International Monetary Fund is a global organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. representing 188 countries. The IMF works to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty around the world.
Formed in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference, the IMF came into formal existence in 1945 with 29 member countries with the goal of reconstructing the international payment system. Member countries contribute funds (dues) to a pool through a quota system, from which countries with payment imbalances can borrow.
Through this pool of funds, and other activities such as statistics keeping and analysis, surveillance of its members' economies and the demand for self-correcting policies, the IMF works to improve the economies of its member countries. The IMF is considered by many (including your editor) to be a liberal-leaning organization – it is a big proponent of global warming, now better known as "climate change."
Getting back to an earlier report, the IMF reduced its forecast for U.S. economic growth in 2015 from 3.1% as recently as April to 2.5%. It cited several negative developments including the severe winter weather, the strong US dollar, the West Coast port dispute and collapsing oil prices as reasons for the growth downgrade.
As a result of these negative developments, the IMF said it believes that risks are rising in the U.S. financial system, most notably in the insurance industry and in riskier assets such as stocks. The IMF obviously is concerned that higher short-term interest rates would pose even greater risks for the financial system in general. Thus, the call on the Fed to delay interest rate liftoff until sometime next year.
The IMF warned that regardless of when the Fed raises rates, the increase could trigger "significant and abrupt rebalancing of international portfolios with market volatility and financial stability." Inflation also could rise faster than expected, potentially provoking a sudden shift upward in borrowing costs, the IMF added.
"In either case, asset price volatility could last more than just a few days and have larger-than-anticipated negative effects on financial conditions, growth, labor markets, and inflation outcomes around the world," the IMF said. "Spillovers to economies with close trade and financial linkages could be substantial."
Last week's IMF report also noted that a Fed rate hike this year could lead to a sharp appreciation of the dollar, which would badly hit emerging countries with large amounts of dollar-denominated debt. If the Fed raises rates this year, some analysts fear a wave of defaults which, in the most exposed countries, could lead to another serious global financial crisis.
But is Fed Chair Janet Yellen Listening? Maybe, Maybe Not
The IMF's Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters last week: "We believe that a rate hike would be better off in early 2016." Yet she declined to say whether she had discussed the IMF's effort to influence U.S. monetary policy with Janet Yellen. But she insisted the IMF's view was not at odds with that of Ms. Yellen, who has said that the Fed would raise rates only when economic data was right.
However, the conclusions of an earlier IMF report seem to go against what Fed Chair Yellen said just last month in a speech she gave in Rhode Island. Yellen sees signs of a recovery in the economy and believes the Fed will be able to raise rates sometime later this year. Most experts believe the Fed will raise rates in September, but the IMF recommendation to hold off will likely re-open the debate.
A recent IMF report is another worrisome sign that the U.S. economy is stalling. Although the IMF still expects America's economy to grow this year at a rate of 2.5%, that is little improved over last year's growth of 2.4%. The hope was that America would have a breakout year in 2015. As noted above, the IMF projected 3.1% growth for the U.S. in April, but now the global agency sees too many factors holding the economy back.
The Fed hasn't raised rates in almost a decade and the FOMC would clearly like to begin the process of "normalization" to get rates higher in advance of the next recession. In Yellen's mind, a rate hike would show that the Fed is confident enough about the economy's health to take off the training wheels (zero interest rates) that have been in place since the financial crisis began in 2008.
A spokesperson for the Federal Reserve declined to comment on the IMF's report, but it may be safe to assume that Janet Yellen didn't appreciate the IMF sticking its nose in the Fed's business.
Gary D. Halbert is the president and chairman of Halbert Wealth Management, Inc. His Forecasts & Trends Weekly E-Letter may be obtained free of charge by subscribing at www.halbertwealth.com


Al B. Sure opens up about his son's deadbeat-dad accusations exclusively to ESSENCE.com. Find out what the 80's R&B sensation says about family business.
Living in the spotlight is never easy, especially when your private family matters become fodder for the blogosphere. For 80's R&B sensation turned radio personality Albert "Al B Sure" Brown, enduring public criticism from his son, Quincy "IQ" Brown (whom he fathered with former model Kim Porter, the mother of three of Diddy's children), is pretty hard to swallow.
Al B. Sure is set to drop his new album, "Honey, I'm Home," (Hidden Beach Recordings) on Tuesday, June 23.


The name 'widow's peak', meaning the downward V in the middle of a person's hairline, originally came about because it was believed a woman who had one would outlive her husband owing to its similarity to the veil worn during mourning. Dark. These days, though, they're sported by some of Hollywood's most famous faces and can be a blessing – they lend structure to the face shape, add an element of symmetry (whether you're blessed with perfectly proportioned features or not), and signify a strong and healthy mane.
The actual cause of a widow's peak is thought to be genetic, so if you don't have one, there's no use trying to tease down some strands in the middle to get that DiCaprio look. If, however, you were blessed with this most vampiric of hairlines, we've compiled 20 of the best ways to maximise its potential.


Zeb the Duck Visits a Fishing Village then Lunch at Ngala Beach Resort.
Ripple Africa is working with the local tribal chiefs and the local fisherman on Lake Malawi. People were given mosquito nets to reduce mosquito bites which can prevent malaria. The nets were given with good intentions, but now there is a problem. The fisherman, trying to support their families, need to catch as many fish as possible. Unfortunately they have been using mosquito nets as fish nets. This results in very small fish being caught. If the small fish are taken from the lake, there will be a shortage of fish very soon. Ripple Africa is trying to persuade the chiefs and fisherman to not use mosquito nets for fishing. This will cause a reduction in income now and for a few years, but then an increase in fish, and an increase in income. Many people understand and agree with this, but there are still a few that are worried about a reduction in current income. We were invited to a meeting with the tribal chiefs about this problem. The meeting was held near this school.
The children are so curious about the volunteer women. I love the bright colored uniforms. After the meeting, we visited a fishing village. These are the fishing boats used on Lake Malawi.
You will notice the nets in the boats on the right and on the left. There was no decision that day; this will take time for all to agree. After the fishing village, the volunteer women, and I, Zeb the Duck,had a wonderful lunch here, at Ngala Beach Lodge on Lake Malawi.
Chris and Sandi, the owners of the Ngala Beach Lodge really made us feel welcome.
Well humans, let's go inside.
Lake Malawi from the deck the lodge is gorgeous. These bright flowers are so tropical.
I could stay here and feel like I was in paradise. An extra bonus.
We always appreciate a great swimming pool. This is a wonderful place for me.
This hippo is my new friend. And look.
Giraffe with long neck. I am sitting on a turtle table. His shell is comfortable.
Everyone loves a giraffe. These wooden carvings are fantastic.
With all these animal statues, we must be in Africa. For more information about this resort, visit http://www.NgalaBeach.com This is a really great day in Malawi.
This entry was posted in Africa, Malawi, Uncategorized and tagged Africa, Colorado Traveling Ducks, fisherman, Lake Malawi, Malawi, mosquito nets, Ngala Beach Resort. Bookmark the permalink.


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Q: PayPal Adaptive Payments - retrieving sender's billing address via IPN / API? I'm using the Adaptive Payments API to redirect the user from my web-site to a PayPal page to finish the payment. I've hooked this up with a 3rd party Invoicing service which listens via IPN.
For some reason, the Billing Address does not appear in the IPN data, and so does not appear on the invoice. Is there any flag I need to pass to the Adaptive Payments API to tell it to pass along the Billing Address?
Here's how I'm currently using the API:
    var receiverList = new ReceiverList
    {
        receiver = new List<Receiver>
                {
                    new Receiver(purchase.TotalPrice)
                        {
                            email = _configurationReader.GetStringValue("PayPalEmail")
                        }
                },

    };

    var envelope = new RequestEnvelope("en_US");
    var payRequest = new PayRequest(envelope, ActionType.Pay.GetApiString(), cancelUrl, CurrencyCode.USDollar.GetApiString(), receiverList, returnUrl);

    var service = new AdaptivePaymentsService();
    var response = service.Pay(payRequest);
    purchase.PayPalPaymentId = response.payKey;

    return CreatePayPalRedirectUrl(response);

A: PayPal does not send billing addresses to sellers.  That's one of the advantages for buyers using the system...they don't have to share any billing info with all the different sellers they buy from.
The only address you would ever get from PayPal (in an API response, IPN notification, etc.) would be a shipping address, and that would only be provided if included in the original transaction.


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Michael Kinsley Checks In From Another Planet
By Charles P. Pierce
Here's Michael Kinsley who, unaccountably, is still considered smart in many places,losing the Internetsfor the next month.
At the very least, he has no gift for speechwriting.
He should speak to the nation and say, "I cannot in good conscience put you and this country through the traumatic consequences of a default. The Republicans apparently don't feel that way. They don't care whether veterans and seniors get the benefits they have earned. They don't care whether they destroy the full faith and credit of the United States, which has never before defaulted on its debts and made the dollar the world's safest currency. They don't care if their irresponsibility drives us into a new recession or worse. They don't even seem to care if the families of soldiers dying in defense of our freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq get a proper opportunity to grieve and honor them...The sad truth is that if you don't care about any of that, it gives you tremendous power over those who do. Perhaps unfortunately, I do care. And I believe the stakes are too high to let this become a testosterone contest. So I have sent a letter to Speaker Bohner, saying that I will agree to a year's postponement of the Affordable Care Act, if he will agree to a rise in the debt limit that is at least big enough to spare us another episode like this for a year. "I can't pretend that this is not a defeat for common sense, good government, and democracy. And if people wish to see it as a defeat for me, so be it. I have more important things to worry about."
There is no evidence that this was written by anyone in the United States of America. There is no evidence that this was written by anyone on planet Earth.
Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.
More From Politics With Charles P. Pierce
There Were Barbs Beneath Biden's Message of Unity
Trump's Departure Was a Vision of His Entire Life
Oh, Holy God, He Gave a Farewell Address
Yellen Made Clear That Deficit Hawkery Is Out
Trump's History Lesson Is a Blizzard of Bullsh*t
The President*'s Pettiness Knows No Bounds
Honor Dr. King By Being Grim and Purposeful
MyPillow Guy Has Advice for Trump on Martial Law
Joe Biden Sounds Like Bernie Sanders at Right Time
This Entire Country Is Out of Its Freaking Mind
Politics With Charles P. Pierce
Another RPG From RBG
Planet Killers
Another Opening, Another Show
Another Day, Another Rake
Another Fine Idea From The Janesville Whiz Kid
Fact Checking The Fact Checkers


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How DAD happened
From a vision to reality, the secret is simply 'team work'. Anyone can dream, but how many dreams come true, and how many realities exceed your dreams? Dave Thompson explains how DAD started as a foggy dream and became a vibrant reality.
One morning in February 1992 I lay thinking about the question Nick White (Head Ranger at Walton Hall Gardens) had asked the day before, namely, what could we do with a couple of thousand pounds he had left in his budget. Nick said that he would like to use it for a disability scheme, but I'm sure he was thinking about an information brochure on accessible paths. My colleagues and I from the Warrington Information Group for the Disabled were thinking about something a little bit different.
Being frustrated by the professionally focused Independent Living Exhibitions and the exclusive atmosphere that surrounded Disability Sports festivals our small team of service users (Eric James, Allan Shaw, Annette Clemo, Ethlyn Whitaker and myself Dave Thompson) wanted an event that had as its main focus "Information", promoting what was available to enable disabled people to live more independently. We wanted an event that highlighted support groups, services, equipment, holidays, benefits, concessions, and much more. The event also had to offer disabled people a chance to try out sports activities, catering for all levels of interest and ability, including competitors, and those with recreational and social interests.
From our very small office in the Social Services run Dallam Day Centre we put together the foundations of what has become the World's largest voluntary led, pan disability event which has encouraged and empowered other like-minded people to establish similar events in places as far away as Cornwall, Rotherham, Wigan, Rhyl, Knowsley, Crewe, Gibraltar, Demark, Sweden, India and Cameroon. During 2006 we received an international enquiry from the USA and in 2007 we established a working relationship as far afield as Osaka in Japan which led to Scott Barron and the International Arts Collaborative exhibiting at DAD 2008. During 2008 and 2009 we had ongoing communications with Hilden in Germany and Nachod in the Czech Republic. In 2010 we received enquiries from South Africa and Australia, and in 2011 we received enquiries from New Zealand and three days after our event we received confirmation that the MESSAGE Institute in India had successfully ran their first Disability Awareness Day and in 2013 the Closing the Gap organisation ran their first event in Cameroon.
Our continuing success has only been possible through sheer hard work, determination and a willingness to work in partnership with hundreds of organisations and individuals who have shared in the vision. What's more interesting is that we were told:
It will never work
Businesses won't take their products to a country park with a few marquees
Professionals from health and social services won't give up their Sundays,
Disabled people are too ill or sick to trample round in the open air
and finally what do you people know about organising anything more than a simple meeting?
Walton Hall Gardens owned by Warrington Borough Council has been the home for all 27 of our events. I would like to acknowledge the continuing support we receive from the management and staff at Walton Hall and Gardens, and the fantastic support from our sponsors, and exhibitors, but the most praise must go to the management and support team, aptly named 'Dads Army', who together continues to make our vision become a reality.
DAD has become an annual event, and for everyone concerned it has become part of our lives and that of our families and friends. During this journey I have witnessed the development of small family-run charities and an ever increasing willingness of statutory service providers to be more proactive in promoting their services, and I can see and feel a greater acceptance for people to use equipment that can aid and enhance their independence.
I feel that society is becoming more aware of the needs of disabled people, but most importantly disabled people are becoming more accepted for what we can do and not what we can't do. I know that we have a long way to go, but events like DAD can help to break down the barriers, dispel the myths and misconceptions, especially the stigma of using aides and equipment, and the fear of being seen with people who might look or act differently. DAD is a great leveller, it provides the platform to promote information and provide opportunities to see, or have a go at new ideas.
As a by-product DAD has been the vehicle to raise over £950,000 to support the work of local and regional organisations. DAD has been featured on TV (BBC and ITV), and covered by radio and newspapers at home and abroad. Being involved in the event has provided everyone with a sense of pride that we have been a part of making a difference, especially when in 2006 we were presented the Queens Award for Voluntary Services. Most of all it has provided something for every one of our 550,000 visitors who have attended DAD events during the past twenty four years.
In 2011 we welcomed Her Royal Highness, the Countess of Wessex and in 1998, 2001, 2006 and 2013 we were joined by the Minister for Disabled People. Cheshire's Lord Lieutenant David Briggs MBE represented the Royal Family at our 25th Anniversary event in 2016. Other special guests include Thailand's Minister for Health and Social Care, RAF Red Arrows, RAF WW2 Dakota and over a dozen European delegates.
Well as you can see, our dream has certainly become a reality, in fact; DAD has and continues to exceed our wildest expectations. We will continue to run DAD events as long as the need is there and as long as we can financially afford to deliver a safe and effective event. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in DAD over the years, and finally I would like to thank you for taking an interest in reading about our journey so far.
Dave Thompson MBE DL
DAD Co-ordinator
Photos used on this page:
When we started out we had two large tents and four guys to put them up.
The packed and popular Arts Marquee had to start somewhere!


To create four animations exploring different emotions/personality with consideration to the '12 Principles of Animation'.
To plan and record research notes/links, I used the table below. Also including brief action breakdowns to remind me where I want my character rig to begin and end, and the actions inbetween. I highlighted what would turn out to be the key and extreme poses. Proved useful for the pose-to-pose method.
Unfortunately, I encountered some issues with the 'Ultimate Walker Rig' (it worked for some).
I found two rigs by the same person that created the Walker; 'Ultimate Beefy' (LINK) and 'Ultimate Bony' (LINK). Comparatively, they are more complex rigs than the Walker, but it worked out to an extent – I enjoyed the availability of acting nuances from the arms, hands and head to boost the personalities.
Before delving in, I made note of 'The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation' by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, and the 12 basic principles to achieve an appealing result when bringing your animation to life.
The hang time was something I struggled capturing whilst not 'floating' the character. The animation could have been quicker. A straight-ahead method helped me maintain appropriate squash and stretch but may have caused some unnecessary hand movements.
There were positives in the athletic silhouettes but timing needs tweaked.
['Survival Kit'] Williams discusses the values of animation methods (straight-ahead and pose-to-pose), noting straight-ahead is where the magic movements happens but can easily become lost in the animation. I preferred to attempt this style with the jump instead of the walk cycles as the cycles normally have a formulaic set of poses to follow. The straight-ahead method offers a natural unpredictability I believed would reflect in an aggressive ape-like movement.
To produce a sad silhouette I moved the power centre out in front of the character in the shoulders and head, creating a heartbroken heaviness.
During feedback I was told to begin from the inside out (hips) and animate the feet last. Makes sense, I can see where the trouble with the legs stemmed from.
This was my favourite walk to animate, with an ability to exaggerate and bounce within the steps. This was something I could not apply to the sad walk without lessening the gloomy emotion.
I believe the opposite silhouettes and power centres were acceptable, but could have spent more time on the smooth transition between flexing poses.
[The Bar Scene] All the characters in the town have low and heavy silhouettes whilst Gaston's power centre is up in his chest. This scene highlights Gaston's strength and arrogance through a sequence of held poses of flaunting and flexing. The use of this juxtaposition of strength and weakness in silhouettes invites the audience to begin viewing him as the worthy (and only) opponent of the beast in the story compared to the other characters.
Overall, I am content with the animations – however, this task is encouraging me to work on my animation over summer. While I would have preferred to refine them further, I am glad I can recognize most of the mistakes when reviewing the clips. Inspired by the impressive reels I watched, I am attempting to practice my own sequence of animations over summer and further improve my knowledge in the problem areas.
Tarzan, 1999. [DVD] Chris Buck, United States: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Berg, W. Exaggerated Sneak Walk Cycle Animation in Maya 2016 by Wayne Berg – YouTube. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThTZFLfQXVM.
Heath, M. Animation Reel – 2015 – YouTube. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7vqNLkckrM#t=0m18s.
Pink Panther Show, T. The Pink Panther in "Slink Pink" – YouTube. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObV6-zeFlE4&t=199s.
Becker, A. ALAN BECKER – Animating Walk Cycles – YouTube. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y6aVz0Acx0.
Blaise, A. Aaron Blaise Live Stream – "Basic Physics & Timing of an Animated jump" (3/2/17) – YouTube. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb4oiCfinsQ#t=23m.
Anon. The Making Of Tarzan – Part 1 of 3 – YouTube. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drOxNNGwop4.


This is my attempt at building a really good obstacle avoidance robot. The robot is built to drive around a normal indoor environment without getting stuck on stuff. The robot uses an Arduino Maga 2560 and several sonar sensors to detect obstacles.
This robot also has a Raspberry Pi and camera module, that will be used for computer vision experiments in the future.
This entry was posted in Arduino, Electronics, Robots on October 12, 2017 by Axel.


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Shower Fixings
Wallmount 12
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Installer Bristmas 2021 Terms and Conditions
1. These terms and conditions ("the Terms") are the terms and conditions that apply to the "Bristan Bristmas 2021 Installer Competition" prize draw between the Opening Date and the Closing Date ("the Prize Draw") as promoted by Bristan Group Limited (company number 1318148) whose registered office is at 1 Park Row, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5AB. A Masco Company ("the Promoter").
2. Participation in the Prize Draw constitutes acceptance of the Terms. By entering the Prize Draw all entrants will be deemed to be bound by the Terms.
3. In the event of any dispute regarding the conduct of the Prize Draw and all matters relating to the Prize Draw, the decision of the Promoter is final and binding and no correspondence or discussions will be entered into.
4. The Prize Draw is only open to installers who are residents in GB, who are aged 18 or over.
5. Employees of the Promoter and their immediate families, their affiliated brands and companies or any other persons professionally connected with the Prize Draw or their immediate families are excluded from entering the Prize Draw.
6. The opening date of the Prize Draw is 12am on 25/11/2021 (the "Opening Date") and the Closing Date is 11.59pm on 12/12/2021 ("the Closing Date"). Entries received after the Closing Date shall not be included in the Prize Draw.
7. No entries from agents, third parties, organised groups or entries automatically generated by computer will be accepted. The promoter reserves the right to discount any entries they believe to be in contravention of the promotion rules and regulations detailed in these Terms and Conditions, including entries from competing organisations.
8. Multiple entries are not permitted and only one entry per person/email address is permitted. Any person reasonably suspected of having created multiple email accounts for the purpose of entering the Prize Draw shall be disqualified.
9. Installers wishing to enter the prize draw can go to https://www.bristan.com/installers-home/bristmas, fill in the online form with a valid email address and contact fields and accept the terms and conditions; all between the Opening Date and the Closing Date. No purchase necessary.
10. The Prize Draw contains the following prizes ("the Prize"):
Win 1 of 3 Bristan Frenzy Product Packages Frenzy Basin Mixer (FRZ BAS C)
Frenzy Bath Filler (FRZ BF C)
Frenzy Thermostatic Bar Shower (FZ SHXMMCTFF C)
Win 1 of 2 £50 H.Samuel Gift Cards
Digital e-gift cards worth £50 each
1 of 3 Draper Impact Screwdriver Bit Set 26 Piece
Expert Quality 1/4 inch hex impact screwdriver bit set. Contents: 60mm Magnetic Bit Holder, 65mm 1/4 inch hex x 1/4 inch Sq. Dr. adaptor, 7 x 25mm screwdriver bits, Plain Slot 5, 6mm, Cross Slot - No.1, No.2, TX Star - T20, T25, Square - S1, 11 x50 mm Screwdriver bits, Plain Slot - 6mm, Cross Slot - No.1, No.2, PZ Type - No.1, No.2, No.3, TX Star - T20, T25, Square - 2 x S2, S3, 75mm screwdriver bits, Cross Slot - 3 x No.2, PZ Type - 2 x No.2, 3 x Magnetic nut drivers; 6, 8, 10mm.
Win a One Night Escape with Dinner for Two
Choose from a wide selection of UK locations (full list will be sent to the winner after the Closing Date). This is a one-night stay for two people, including dinner. Restrictions may apply to certain properties, on specific days of the week and months of the year. The minimum age for this break is 18 years old. This break is available on selected dates, throughout the year.
Win 1 of 5 Artisan Easyfit Sink Mixer Taps
Artisan Easyfit Kitchen Sink Mixer Tap (AR SNK EF C)
Win Afternoon Tea for Two - UK Wide
Choose from a wide selection of UK locations (full list will be sent to the winner after the Closing Date). This experience is for two people, there will be other people there on the day. If you have any dietary requirements, please notify the venue on booking. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. Some locations have a minimum age of 18 years old. This experience is available on selected dates, throughout the year. Restrictions may apply to certain venues.
1 of 3 £25 Amazon Gift Cards
Win 1 of 2 Tassimo Vivy 2 Coffee Machines
Bosch Tassimo Vivy 2 Coffee Machine in black. No coffee pods included.
Win a Dremel 8220-5/65 12v Lithium-Ion Multi-Tool Kit
This platinum edition 8220 kit includes a comprehensive selection of accessories and attachments, along with a robust metal carry case.
Win 1 of 3 Christmas Hampers
The Cartwright and Butler Festive Favourites Wicker Hamper. Comes with:
- C&B Boxing Day Chutney
- C&B Spiced Orange & Cranberry Shortbread in Tin
- C&B Winter Blend Loose Leaf Tea
- C&B Christmas Loaf Cake in Tin
- C&B Cheese Flat Bread
- C&B Cheese Wafers with Honey Mustard
- C&B Rum & Raisin Fudge in Tin
- C&B Peanut & Popcorn Brittle in Carton
- C&B Mulled Wine Spice Bags
- C&B Cranberry & Rolled Oat Crumbles in Carton
- C&B Cranberry & Orange Mini Mince Pies in Carton
- Cielo Del Sur Merlot
Win a Bristan Claret Product Package
Claret Thermostatic Bar Shower (CLR SHXDIVFF C)
Claret Basin Mixer (CLR BASNW C)
Claret Bath Filler (CLR 1HBF C)
Win Him and Her Fossil Watches
Fossil Gents Neutra Chrono Brown Leather Watch
Fossil Ladies Virginia Rose Tone SS Watch
There will be one prize per winner, with 26 prizes to be won. The winners of the Prize will be the first 26 entries drawn at random from all valid entries within the promotional period, submitted in accordance with the Terms. Winners cannot specify what prize they would like to receive. The Prize is non-transferable, unless agreed by the Promoter in writing and no cash alternative is available. The Prize will only be awarded directly to the stated number of winners.
11. The Prize is provided by Bristan Group (the "Promoter").
12. The winners of the Prize Draw will be notified that they have won by email within 28 days after the Closing Date or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter, using the email address provided by the entrants. Entrants will not be contacted if they have not won.
13. All reasonable effort will be made by the Promoter to contact the winners. Upon receipt of notification that they have won, the winners will be required to contact the Promoter to claim their Prize and make the necessary arrangements to claim their Prize. The winners must respond to the Promoter, claiming their Prize within 72 hours of first being contacted by the Promoter. If any winner does not respond to the Promoter within the time specified, they shall forfeit their right to receive the Prize and the Promoter may carry out a further draw to select an alternative winner. The alternative winner will be the first entry drawn at random from all other valid entries. This process will be repeated until all of the Prizes have been arranged and confirmed.
14. No liability will be accepted by the Promoter or the Promoter if any Prize is lost or delayed in the post.
15. Late, incomplete or corrupted entries or those not made in accordance with the Terms will be automatically disqualified. No responsibility will be accepted by the Promoter for entries delayed for any reason whatsoever. No responsibility will be accepted by the Promoter for ineligible or incomplete entries.
16. Winning claims are subject to a full verification process and the Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any winner if the Promoter is aware or has reasonable grounds to believe that the winner is not eligible or if the Promoter has grounds to believe that any winner has breached any of the Terms. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any winner if there is suspicion of fraud or if the Promoter has any reason to believe that the winner has acted improperly.
17. In the event of any winner being disqualified for any reason whatsoever, the Promoter may select an alternative winner by carrying out a further draw at random from all other valid entries submitted.
18. The Promoter reserves the right to amend, extend or terminate the Prize Draw and the Closing Date without notice for circumstances which are beyond its reasonable control. The Promoter also reserves the right to amend the Terms at any time. In the event of circumstances beyond its reasonable control the Promoter reserves the right to substitute the Prize for an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
19. Personal data provided by entrants will only be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR 2018 ("the Act"). For the purposes of the Act, the Data Controller is Bristan Group. Information provided by entrants will be used for the administration and management of the Prize Draw, including (without limitation) for making arrangements with third parties for the delivery of the Prize to the Winner. After the Winners have been chosen, all entrants' data will be kept for 30 days in case the Winner does not claim their prize. Our full Privacy Policy can be found at: www.bristan.com/privacy-policy.
20. By entering, the winners agree to any publicity related to their win and gives permission to Bristan Group for distribution within the trade press.
21. The name and home county of the winners may be obtained up to 30 days after the Closing Date by sending a request in writing along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: "Bristmas 2021 Installer Competition", Marketing Team, Bristan Group, Birch Coppice Business Park, Dordon, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 1SG.
22. Subject to clause 24, if the Promoter fails to comply with the Terms, the Promoter shall only be liable to the entrant for any losses that she or he suffers as a result of the Promoter's failure to comply (whether arising in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise) which are a foreseeable consequence of such failure.
23. Subject to clause 24, the Promoter will not be liable for losses that result from the Promoter's failure to comply with the Terms that fall into the following categories:
(a) loss of income or revenue;
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(c) loss of profits;
(d) loss of anticipated savings;
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(f) waste of management or office time.
24. Nothing in the Terms excludes or limits in any way the Promoter's liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence or the Promoter's liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
25. By entering the Prize Draw the entrant hereby warrants that all information submitted by them is true, current and complete and that they are of the appropriate age to enter the Competition. The Promoter reserves the right to request proof as to the eligibility of entrants.
26. The Terms will be governed by the laws of England and Wales and any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Promoter: Bristan Group Ltd, Birch Coppice Business Park, Dordon, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 1SG
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