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DailyClout Opinion
Update Three: The War on Small Business Escalates Via the CARES Act
April 22, 2020 • by Charlotte J. Walker
In the my past two blog posts[1] on the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act"), which was signed into law on Friday, March 27th, I focused largely on the Paycheck Protection Program (the "PPP" program) and the greatly expanded Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (the "EIDL" Program). These provisions are in place to support small businesses, defined as companies with 500 or fewer employees.
My chief concern has been the outsized support in these provisions for big corporations – twice as much – versus the undersized support for small businesses, not to mention the diminutive support for health care, which is another topic all together. This disparity is important, because small business accounts for 50% of our workforce employment and two-thirds of net new job gains; this sector also drives innovation in the U.S. Its health and well-being are important to a rapid recovery and to long term Gross Domestic Product growth prospects. Furthermore, while large corporations have access to private equity, public markets, bank loan facilities and more to secure additional money to keep up and running, small businesses do not. Finally, the Treasury guidelines for these loans remained a moving target and ultimately allowed not-so- small businesses to also apply for earmarked loans.
The funding in programs, which kicked off on Friday April 3rd, a full week after the passage of the CARES Act, completely dried up less than two weeks after launch. The Small Business Administration ("SBA") reported on Thursday, April 16th, that more than 1,637,000 loan applications, valued at "over $339 billion" had been approved. But this number covers just 5.5% of the 30 million small businesses currently in the U.S.
Forecasting this shortfall, earlier during the week of April 13th, the Treasury was already requesting an additional $250 billion authorization for small business programs. However, what went under-reported in non-financial news networks was the Federal Reserve's April 9, 2020 announcement that it had launched its own unprecedented $2.3 trillion relief package.
What raised my eyebrows was not only the vastness of the Central Bank's (Federal Reserve's) stimulus, but also the addition to it of whole new and expanded programs. What I did expect in the announcement was the $600 billion allocated to purchase loans from banks to small and midsize businesses and the $500 billion to buy state and municipal bonds.
But what I did not expect to see was the participation in the "Main Street Lending Program" of businesses with up to 10,000 employees and with under $2.5 billion in revenue. Is that really "Main Street"?
The most eye-popping number was the $1.2 trillion to bolster the Central Bank's own ongoing purchases of treasuries, corporate, consumer and municipal securities[2]. Within this announcement, The Fed expanded another facility so that it could begin to buy highly rated new issues of collateralized loan obligations and commercial mortgage-backed securities.
What did this achieve? The Central Bank's facility for buying corporate bonds can now buy debt from sub-investment-grade issuers, or "junk"-rated companies[3], as long as they were rated as "investment-grade" a day before the Fed's programs were first announced on March 23rd. Another facility could also buy exchange-traded funds (i.e. ETF's) holding such debt.
YIKES! Could small business be made to feel even smaller?
Without doubt, the Fed's actions are allowing our credit and bond markets to remain stable and liquid, relatively speaking. But the unprecedented involvement in immense amounts of financial aid to below-investment-grade markets does drastically interfere in the natural, and typically robust, process of competitive market actions. It props up bad investments, something we have seen before.
This involvement by the Fed unnaturally helps alleviate concerns that large companies that are downgraded due to unfavorable economic conditions, would not receive support from the Fed. Hence, it artificially supports, if not boosts, market pricing.
The net effect of all of this is that large corporations—even unhealthy ones – will win again – at the expense of everyone else. Let's add it up.
CARES Act #Phase I & II Acts Central Bank Stimulus Total
Big Corporations $500 billion $350 billion est. $850 billion
Small Business Loans $377 billion $250 billion est. $627 billion
Sick Leave and Unemployment Benefits $260 billion $104 billion $364 billion
Direct Payments to Individuals and Families $250 billion $250 billion
Assistance for States and Localities $150 billion $500 billion $650 billion
Research and Equipment and Infrastructure for Hospitals $150 billion $8.4 billion $158.4 billion
Market Liquidity and Bond Purchases Benefiting Market Prices for "Big" Corporations $1.2 trillion
# Phase I was an $8.3 billion bill for coronavirus vaccine research and development, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020), which was signed into law on March 6, 2020. The second phase was the $104 billion package for paid sick leave and unemployment benefits for workers and families, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was enacted March 18, 2020.
Adding up funds from Congress and the Federal Reserve, $1.45 trillion in allocations is going to support big business. Indeed, large corporations are by far the biggest beneficiaries of aid – by a factor of more than two hundred per cent.
But wait! There's more. Did I tell you about the tax credits?
Don't get me wrong, the CARES Act does many good things. And it's clear our lawmakers have not been sitting on their hands. However, so many things have sneaked into the law that look like, literally, Congress throwing money away. Where these giveaways show up are in provisions within Title 2, Subsection C of the Act[4]. Namely:
2303. Modifications for Net Operating Losses,
2304. Modification of Limitation on Losses for Taxpayers Other Than Corporations; and
2307. Technical amendments regarding Qualified Improvement Property (QIP)
It is within these sections that the Joint Committee on Taxation[5] calculated approximately $275 billion in tax cuts over the next 10 years[6], although some experts are expecting the actual cost to tax revenues to be much higher. These tucked-away sections bring total benefits to large corporations and wealthy individuals to upwards of $1.725 trillion!
In a nutshell, these provisions, among others, allow:
Cost recovery for investments in Qualified Improvement Properties (QIP), which will allow businesses that made these investments in 2018 and 2019 to receive tax refunds now. What is most significant about this is that tax recovery is at a 35% rate versus the 21% that resulted from the 2017 tax law change[7]. Note that a QIP is any improvement to the interior of a non-residential building that is placed in service after the building is first placed in service.
A corporation's losses from 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back for five years, and would allow corporate Net Operating Losses ("NOLs") to fully reduce taxable income (rather than only 80% of taxable income under current law).
Temporary increases in the amount of interest expense businesses are allowed to deduct on their tax returns by increasing the 30% limitation to 50% taxable income (with adjustments) for 2019 and 2020.
Businesses (particularly retail establishments, restaurants, and hotels) to write off immediately costs associated with improving facilities instead of having to depreciate those improvements over the 39-year life of the building. This provision corrects an error in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
In the meantime, small business owners have no illusions. In a survey released April 14, 2020 by the Small Business Majority[8], small business owners reported devastating impacts of COVID-19[9]. Nearly half say they have closed their business or are planning to do so in the next two months. 69% say that the CARES Act favors large corporations over small businesses. 84% say that increased funding is needed for community development financial institutions among many other suggestions. Legislators take note. 38%, 24% and 32% of respondents identified themselves as Republican, Independent and Democrat respectively. The hurt goes across the political spectrum.
As of this date, Congressional negotiators are trying to reach a deal to expand the provisions for small business. Treasury initially asked for another $250 billion. However, it appears that the amended bill could include as much as an additional $370 billion. Accommodations that the Democrats have been fighting for include $75 billion for hospitals, $25 billion for testing, and additional funding for state and local governments.
Will they prevail against the interests of big business that the CARES bill and the Federal Reserve's actions, together, foreground? Your guess is as good as mine.
Watch Naomi's interview/discussion with Charlotte: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo9wFEKKC-w
[1] April 16, 2020 Daily Clout and March 25, 2020 Daily Clout.
[2] Federal Reserve takes additional actions to provide up to $2.3 trillion in loans to support the economy.
[3] The U.S. Central Bank's Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility.
[4] Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the ''CARES Act".
[5] https://www.jct.gov/about-us/overview.html
[6] https://www.jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=5252
[7] 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
[8] Small Business Majority.
[9] Small Business Opinion Poll.
Charlotte Walker is an advisor and board member to numerous early to mid-stage technology companies, including DailyClout, Inc. As an entrepreneur and former start-up/early stage venture capitalist her passion is innovation and the business and capital formation process.
This DailyClout article is the writer's opinion.
One of our country's most important freedoms is that of free speech.
Agree with this essay? Disagree? Join the debate by writing to DailyClout HERE.
CARES Act Central Bank Congress COVID-19 Federal Reserve SBA Small Business
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The Crewe Arms Hotel is a leisure facility in Nantwich Road, Crewe, Cheshire, next to Crewe railway station. It was for nearly 70 years the meeting place of Cheshire County Council.

History
The hotel was originally built as the station hotel for the Grand Junction Railway in 1837 and passed into the ownership of the London and North Western Railway on its formation in 1846. After Prince Albert acquired an interest in Balmoral Castle in 1848, Queen Victoria became a regular visitor to the Crewe Arms Hotel when she stayed overnight on her journey to her summer holidays in Scotland. An underground tunnel was built to enable her to move freely and in privacy to and from the station which was to the immediate west of the hotel.

The hotel was substantially rebuilt in 1880 to a design which involved a symmetrical main frontage with eight bays facing onto Nantwich Road; the central section of two bays, which slightly projected forward, featured an entrance on the ground floor, two windows on each of the first floor and second floor and a large and distinctive entablature supporting the coat of arms of the Barons Crewe at roof level.

Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, the hotel became a convenient meeting place for Cheshire County Council and it continued to host council meetings until County Hall on Castle Drive in Chester was completed in 1957.

The hotel then came into the ownership of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1922. Following nationalisation of the railways it became part of the portfolio of the British Transport Hotels in January 1948. It was acquired by Embassy Hotels in 1969 and, after a period of ownership by Jarvis Hotels, it was bought by Grant Moon, a catering entrepreneur. It changed hands again, passing into the ownership of Harpreet Singh in 2008 and of Silverton Global in 2013: Silverton Global subsequently re-branded it as a Best Western Hotel.

References

Buildings and structures in Crewe
Hotels in Cheshire
Buildings and structures completed in 1837

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The Orations of Pericles
The two lives of EC security guard Pericles Almanzar.
By Michelle Cheripka
If you've stumbled into and out of EC late on a Saturday night, chances are that you've met Pericles Almanzar, one of the security guards. Perhaps he's told you you should be a doctor when you graduate and proceeded to refer to you as "The Doctor" during every encounter thereafter. Five days of every week, he wakes up at 8 a.m., prays for two hours, and then rests again before taking the subway to Columbia. On one of the other two days, he gets off at Times Square to preach to commuters.
His two professions seem unrelated at first, but as we talk a bit about his past, their affinities become apparent. When he was young, Pericles had difficulties with his parents, which made him shy and insecure. He felt unimportant, but he remained adamant that God would heal his soul. In retrospect, he is sure that God had put certain people in his path—his wife, for instance—to develop the love that had been missing during his childhood, a type of love that made him bold enough to begin preaching in the first place.
"You can't give what you don't have," he says. Without love and without a healthy relationship with his family and with God, he would be unable to promote those things in his preaching. He goes on to talk about how important it is for him to spend time with his wife in the hours that he doesn't work. "You want to do what you can with the time you have. Balance is the key."
Despite his old doubts about himself and the people closest to him, Pericles has never once had any doubts about his faith. He says that he used to be a rude and angry person, but God helped him mature through preaching and through giving him the opportunity to work at Columbia. This self-characterization is a bit surprising, because it's difficult to imagine Pericles being mean to anyone; on the job, he tells couples how happy he is that they're together and talks with ease to residents and administrators alike. But he reminds me, more than once: "I'm always improving."
He wants others to do the same too. At one point during our conversation, Pericles stops a resident as he swipes into the building. "Listen, whenever you want to quit smoking, just ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Believe me."
"The who?"
"The Holy Spirit of God … this body was created for God to breathe into it, not smoke. That's man's idea and Satan's idea to destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit." The student listens politely, if impatiently, to the unwanted moral judgment, thanking Pericles before walking away the first chance he gets. Whether or not this is overbearing or preachy, Pericles means well. He only aims to help the people around him.
"The reason why I love to do this job is because of the students and the people. I love interacting with people and I love to make their life easier and to give them good service and to make it simple for them without breaking the rules," he says. "I try not to preach here because that's not the goal. I give words of encouragement to people."
The impact of his words is instantaneous: the smile that comes to one person's face as he calls her dynamite; the gratitude a somewhat dishevelled student shows when he stops her to ask how she's doing.
Another security guard tells me, "He thinks I'm a special guy and I don't understand-"
Pericles cuts him off. "No he's special," he says, before launching into a list of the different characteristics that make this man different from any other man he's met.
On a Monday, I find him on the ramp connecting the 1/2/3 to the A/C/E. Pericles has been preaching in subways for fourteen years now. He had his start in Jackson Heights, near his church, where he would preach two days a week with a couple from his church. Now, he preaches at Times Square. There are eleven train connections here, multitudes of people to whom it would be possible to relay God's message.
He greets me with a broad smile, sweating profusely. "Five people have come to Jesus today."
If this is true, it's easy to see why: trading his security badge for a stack of pamphlets titled "Life's Greatest Decision," and his navy blue suit for a black polo and slacks, the man behind the desk becomes magnified in the tunnel. His words, rapidly undulating between Spanish and English, seem to cascade from his mouth to the end of every limb, animating his whole figure. Pericles tells me, "I feel like a giant when I preach. I get full of the presence of God."
After a few moments watching him, I realize that I've passed by Pericles before. On a different Monday, during a different rush hour, I was one of the people who give him a wide berth, refusing the pamphlets he hands out. I can see myself brushing past him, doing anything I could to get out of Port Authority (a place I consider to be Hell on Earth), drowning out his words with the endless to-do list I was probably reviewing in my mind.
The thought embarrasses me. As crowds of people shuffle with their heads down towards their next connection, Pericles tries to actually speak with them, to get them to listen. They glance at their watches and the signs counting down the minutes until they miss the next uptown train, perhaps not even fully noticing the preacher. But Pericles stands here every Monday for four hours because he truly believes that people will listen to his message.
As if on cue, it's at this moment that Pericles singles a man out and asks, "What is your excuse?"
It's an exchange that could have been overheard at the EC security desk. Pericles follows the man down the ramp a ways, speaking to him about the path of life that will wake him up. If I hadn't met Pericles, I might have thought that this approach was aggressive, but knowing him, you can tell these are words of encouragement.
Pericles is realistic about his jobs. He probably won't meet every resident who passes through the EC gates. He will not convert every person who passes through Times Square. But he believes in the value of trying to do so. He says it's easy: "You fall in love with people. There are a lot of beautiful people."
#October2014

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


During protests after the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, marchers hold a banner listing the names of people killed by law enforcement since 1990.
Trump has made white racial resentment more visible than it was before, but at the same time, white liberals have become much more attuned to racism — seeing more of it not necessarily because the world has changed but because their own attitudes toward longstanding features of it have changed.
Students at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, protest to draw attention to police abuse on December 1, 2014.
The exact implications of this for short-term electoral politics are dicey — older, more rural, less educated whites who are relatively untouched by the Awokening exert disproportionate influence in the political system. But the fundamental reality is that the Awokening has inspired a large minority of white Americans to begin regarding systemic racial discrimination as a fundamental problem in American life — opening up the prospects of sweeping policy change when the newly invigorated anti-racist coalition does come to power.
The change, however, appears to predate Trump and, in fact, to have relatively little to do with the calendar of presidential politics. Instead, polling from the Pew Center shows that as late as 2014, most Americans believed there was no longer any need for the country to make changes to address black-white inequality. Consequently, few people believed discrimination was the main barrier to black upward mobility. These numbers then started to change rapidly, with the shift driven overwhelmingly by a change in the views of self-identified Democrats.
The extent to which that model has become mainstream among Democratic Party leaders is now evident. Just this March, Beto O'Rourke told an overwhelmingly white audience in Iowa that American capitalism is "racist." The previous summer, Elizabeth Warren called the criminal justice system "racist." Even Joe Biden — who in the mid-1970s was a leading political opponent of aggressive school integration measures — in a January 2019 speech called on white America "to admit there's still a systemic racism" in American life. Mainstream Democratic Party politicians, in other words, are beginning to take for granted that their constituents will embrace the more institutional understanding of racism.
At the same time, between 2001 and 2018, the share of Democrats who describe themselves as liberal in Gallup polls has risen from 30 percent to 50 percent. The upshot is that white liberals — a group whose views on race are generally to the left of nonwhites — are now about 40 percent of the overall Democratic Party, making them the largest bloc in the party and the critical driver of Democratic politicians' leftward shift on race and identity issues.
Back in 1996, the Democratic Party platform read like something out of a Trump campaign ad. "In 1992, our borders might as well not have existed," the document states. "Drugs flowed freely. Illegal immigration was rampant. Criminal immigrants, deported after committing crimes in America, returned the very next day to commit crimes again." Bill Clinton went on to run for reelection boasting about his crackdown at the border.
President Bill Clinton attends a campaign rally in Santa Barbara, California, during his reelection bid on November 1, 1996.
Demonstrators from three separate immigrants' rights marches converge near City Hall on May 1, 2008, in Los Angeles.
Perhaps the clearest sign of the shift, however, is the completely upturned politics of reparations. Ten years ago, reparations were a total nonstarter in Democratic Party circles. Instead, someone like Rush Limbaugh would try to secure political advantage by characterizing Obama administration economic policies as a form of reparations. Ta-Nehisi Coates's 2014 article making the case for reparations was obviously enormously influential on the specifics of that question, but also more broadly in the larger Awokening — such that references to redlining and other discriminatory aspects of the post-World War II real estate market are now commonplace throughout progressive circles.
Coates said that "initially I was very surprised" by the size of the white audience for his work — an audience whose existence is both a cause and a consequence of the Awokening — but he's palpably changed the conversation. Now it's Democrats themselves who embrace the term even when their actual policy proposal is race-blind. Kamala Harris, for example, mentioned her LIFT Act, which would boost incomes throughout the bottom 60 percent of the income distribution, as a form of "reparations" even though most of the beneficiaries would not be black.
The leftward shifts on immigration, criminal justice, and reparations are often described as reflecting the electoral clout of nonwhite voters. But while that is surely part of the story, the underlying demographics simply haven't changed rapidly enough to account for the pace of the change. The key difference is that white liberals have changed their minds very rapidly, thus altering the political space in which Democratic Party politicians operate.
After all, say the racial resentment skeptics, the Obama-to-Trump flippers were, by definition, willing to vote for Barack Obama — so how racist could they possibly be? A key point to understanding this is that "racial resentment," as used by political scientists, is a term of art that largely measures political views rather than any kind of interpersonal animosity.
This is, in fact, a very revealing query in terms of your understanding of the history of race and ethnicity in the United States. About a third of African Americans disagree with it, which is more than the share of the overall white public but substantially less than the 45 percent of white liberals who say they disagree.
One of the signature consequences of the Great Awokening is the sense that Trump is a uniquely loathsome figure in American politics.
To the extent that white liberals now see racism as an enormous looming challenge for the country in a way they did not in the relatively recent past, Trump is very much the personification of that challenge. And thus, given the perfect enemy, it's perhaps not surprising that much of the newly woke attitude is, in crucial respects, a bit vague in its precise policy implications. Everyone is talking about reparations and "institutional racism," but nobody has a precise policy program for tackling either of those things. Congress passed the prison reform bill, the First Step Act, but there's little consensus on what the next step is.
But it's clear that getting rid of Trump is a key part of the story, and a key argument in the 2020 primary is over who is best suited to do that — a flashback candidate like Biden, someone like Harris or O'Rourke who's more evocative of the future, or a leftist like Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren.
And yet to the extent that one believes — as, in fact, the evidence seems to say — that racial polarization of the electorate was a boon to Trump's fortunes, it seems plausible that Democrats' new post-Awokening political style will only help him win. But since anti-racism really is a central motivating force for the anti-Trump coalition, it hardly seems realistic or reasonable to expect it to hide that fact.
Social upheavals simply do not abide by the dictates of partisan politics. The increased moral fervor unleashed by the Great Awakening of the 1840s and 1850s broke the Whig Party and temporarily entrenched the South's hold on political power. But abolitionist sentiment carried the day in the end. And by the same token, while the Great Awokening might drive some Democrats into Trump's arms now, the sustained phenomenon is forcing the Democratic Party to confront the legacy of America's racial caste system squarely. The next Democratic president will have to do the same.
People in Union Square rally on April 29, 2015, in solidarity with demonstrators in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray.


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five Things We Love About …
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Godzilla and A Trip to the Moon
January 25, 2022 CelebritiesA Trip to the Moon, Godzilla, MoPop, Nichelle Nichols, Science Fiction, Sigourney Weaver, Star Trek
MoPOP, Seattle's Museum of Popular Culture, has a brand new batch of inductees into its Science Fiction + Fantasy Hall of Fame.
Travelers and film enthusiasts can be thrilled to look that A Trip to the Moon, the 1902 science fiction movie by way of George Méliès, is on the list this yr.
The film takes proposal from Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon. And it offers an early, fantastical, and fairly wacky examine what a visit to the moon might be like.
Godzilla: World's Worst Tourist
Godzilla, the "King of the Monsters," and an example of what no longer to do whilst traveling a brand new town, additionally gets the MoPOP nod this yr.
"Since this creature first waded ashore in 1954, it has captivated audiences across the world with its considerable length, devastating power, and iconic layout," says MoPop. And with 35 movies and TV indicates, Godzilla is likewise represented in masses of souvenirs, along with toys, collectibles, comics, games, novels, meals, apparel, and lots of greater.
Nichelle Nichols and Sigourney Weaver are winners too
Another international visitor many of the new inductees to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame at MoPOP is Nichelle Nichols. She is first-rate known for her groundbreaking function as Lt. Uhura on Star Trek.
Joining Nichols is Sigourney Weaver, whose roles in science fiction and myth movies encompass the Alien franchise, Ghostbusters, Galaxy Quest, WALL-E, and the Avatar franchise.
KLM's most up-to-date Delftware miniature house
Flying this week? Look for this airport art []).push();


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Biden calls on Congress to pass LGBT inclusive workplace discrimination bill
LOS ANGELES — Vice President Joe Biden called on Congress Saturday to pass a measure to outlaw workplace discrimination against gays, saying it's outrageous that the country is even debating the subject.
By Associated Press Sunday, March 23, 2014
LOS ANGELES — Vice President Joe Biden called on Congress Saturday to pass a measure to outlaw workplace discrimination against gays, saying it's outrageous that the country is even debating the subject.
Speaking to supporters of the gay advocacy group Human Rights Campaign on Saturday, Biden said it's "close to barbaric" that in some states, employees can be fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
"Imagine 20 years from now as America looked back and say 'How in the hell can that ever been allowed?' The country's moved on, the American people have moved on," he said.
He said it was time for Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act — known as ENDA — which would bar employers with 15 or more workers from using a person's sexual orientation or gender identity as the basis for making employment decisions, including hiring, firing, compensation or promotion. Religious institutions and the military would be exempted.
Biden also criticized Russia's ban on so-called gay "propaganda" and its military actions in Ukrainian territory.
"The great anti-Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov said, 'A country that does not respect the rights of its citizens will not respect the rights of its neighbor.' And we're seeing that today in Ukraine," Biden said.
His remarks, in their entirety, are here:
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Joe Biden, Workplace
R.I. speaker Gordon Fox to step down after FBI raids
Coming out as an undocumented immigrant, and as a queer man


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Vermont Court Search is a continually updated database of daily court activity in the state of Vermont. The information on the site is based on the daily schedules (the daily dockets) of all superior courts, district courts, and family courts in the state of Vermont. Cases in the Judicial Bureau, which hears municipal and motor vehicle violations, and the Bankruptcy court, have been added beginning in 2012.
Vermont Court Search identifies court cases by the names of the parties involved in the case. Enter a name, and select the court and county. The search result will provide the names of the parties, the attorneys, the court, the sheriff, the case docket number, and the most recent scheduled activity in the case. The phone number for the court and sheriff will also appear.
You will need the docket number of the case if you contact the court for information on the case. The case file can be reviewed at the court.


Nothing, zero, nada was found to support the conspiracy theory. The Trump campaign did not collude with Russia. A few flunkies were indicted for unrelated tax issues and for lying to the investigators about some minor details. But nothing at all supports the dramatic claims of collusion made since the beginning of the affair.
In a just world the people who for more then two years hyped the conspiracy theory and caused so much damage would be pushed out of their public positions. Unfortunately that is not going to happen. They will jump onto the next conspiracy train and continue from there.
The House Judiciary Committee sent more than 80 letters demanding all communications from a host of controversies surrounding Trump, as the panel probes whether the president and his administration have engaged in obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power.
But rather than a targeted approach, Monday's request was broad, reaching current and former campaign staffers, top Trump Organization officials, even documents and communications of the National Rifle Association and the British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The inquiry touched on a wide array of matters, from the president's business dealings with Russia to the firing of former FBI director James B. Comey to hush payments made to women. Many of those issues are already being examined by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York — not to mention other committees in the House.
For months, House Democrats said they would look to Mueller's findings to determine whether to proceed with impeachment hearings. But Nadler's request demonstrates that Democrats are preparing to probe well beyond Russia's interference in the election.
The Democrats try to find something that will put Trump into a bad light. I am sure that there are many shady deals Trump made during his life. But there are many worse things that he is doing right now right under the eyes of Congress.
Instead of focusing on what Trump currently does with deregulating whatever he can, by filling the courts with young conservative judges and by his mismanaging of foreign policy, the Democrats will draw the public attention towards issues in the past that have no relevance for what happens to their electorate right now and in the future.
It is a strategy of political self-castration. Instead of promoting policy issues that can attract voters, the Democrats draw attention to their anti-Trump campaign. That scheme was already tried, tested and failed in 2016. The chance is high that it will also fail in 2020. Trump might well get reelected despite all the dirt the Democrats will uncover during such sham investigations.


For the second year in a row I got to ride in the Grand Bend MS Bike Tour. This year my cycling was sparse and I was nervous about completing the ride.
My team, London Lifecycles, is packed with colleagues and friends. I get a lot of joy from hanging out with them.
This year I started Day 1 with my friend Tracy & her 7 year old son Tyler. We rode the first 40km together. The Sweeps were lovely but I hoped I wouldn't see them again. I hopped on my bike and gave my best effort.
Day 2 I decided to ride on my own. I had a great time seeing friends pass me or chat at the checkpoints. The weather was ideal, 25C with light wind. I finished the route nearly an hour faster than last year. I'm 99% sure that was due to the weather.
It was still hot though.
It was a great weekend and the perfect way to kick off my vacation.
Love your hair and your facial expression. Sounds like a great ride. I really miss riding with you!


The fully functional version of the AI-TOOLKIT is FREE for Non-Commercial use! Please note that VoiceBridge is open source and may also be used for commercial purposes in accordance to the VoiceBridge software license.
Japanese Bank Credit Screening data set.
Post-Operative Patient Care Process data set.


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To provide an accurate quote, I need to know the type of event such as party or show and if they are looking for a Disco or PA system. The size of venue is important too in order to determine the power of sound equipment necessary. Information on the power availability within the venue is crucial in order to determine that sufficient power is available for the sound and lighting required. Your venue can supply this information to you.
I need to know if the disco is for a wedding or a birthday party, what preference there is for music and if the client wants to create a personal play list.
Ask your provider how much time they need to set up from arrival and unloading to being ready to go.
Speaking of equipment, ask if their equipment is PAT tested. If it is a children's birthday party, can they supply music for games and can they M.C such games? If the PA system is for a band or similar situations can they provide lights as well as sound equipment?
Creswell Sound and Vision was set up to not only provide live sound in any application but also a full installation service as well. As a freelance sound engineer of many years I can now provide high quality mobile discos in areas that have sometimes been under-served such as children's parties and school discos. It is a professional pleasure to be able to rectify this issue.


text:
Tanegashima Space Center
This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese. (June 2012) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
View a machine-translated version of the Japanese article.
You should also add the template {{Translated|ja|種子島宇宙センター}} to the talk page.
The Tanegashima Space Center (種子島宇宙センター, Tanegashima Uchū Sentā) (TNSC) is the largest rocket-launch complex in Japan with a total area of about 9,700,000 square meters. It is located on the south east coast of Tanegashima, an island approximately 40 km south of Kyushu. It was established in 1969 when the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) was formed, and is now run by JAXA.
Overlooking the Osaki Range and Tanegashima Space Center
Mazu, Kukinaga, Minamitane-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima 891-3793, Tanegashima, Japan
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
Cabinet Office (Japan) / Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · MEXT Ministry · Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
global.jaxa.jp
Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite pre-launch, 2014
The launch of H-IIA Flight 11 rocket at the Tanegashima Space Center, 2006.
The activities that take place at TNSC include assembly, testing, launching, and tracking satellites, as well as rocket engine firing tests.
FacilitiesEdit
On-site main facilities include:.[1]
Yoshinobu Launch Complex is a launch site for large-size rockets like the H-IIA
Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)
Second Spacecraft Test and Assembly Building
Takesaki Range Control Center
Those facilities are used for performing operations from assembling launch vehicles, maintenance, inspections, final checks of satellites, loading satellites onto launch vehicles, rocket launches, and tracking launch vehicles after liftoff. The TNSC plays a pivotal role for satellite launches among Japan's space development activities.
Orbital launches of the H-IIA rockets take place from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex, lifting off from one of its two launch pads. The H-IIA first stage engine, the LE-7A, is test-fired at the Yoshinobu Firing Test Stand. Auxiliary buildings are in place for the assembly of new spacecraft and for radar and optical tracking of launched spacecraft.
The older Osaki Launch Complex was retired in 1992. It was used for the launch and development of N-I, N-II, and H-I space rockets.
The Space Science and Technology Museum is near TNSC. It offers an intricate view of rocket history and technology in Japan. Though most of the displays are in Japanese, there are English tour pamphlets available.
Full view of the Yoshinobu Launch Complex during roll out of the H-IIA rocket in February 2014
Space Science and Technology Museum
Tanegashima is the easternmost of the Ōsumi Islands, just south of the major island of Kyushu.
In fictionEdit
In Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest, in the Asian Campaign, the Tanegashima Space Center is an important location, pivotal in the story to the United Federation of Asian Republics reaching Mars before the Americans or Europeans. The spaceport was completely destroyed in a nuclear bombing raid by Novaya Russia, but was rebuilt by the UFAR at the request of their ally, Japan.
Episode 2 of the Japanese animated film 5 Centimeters Per Second features a rocket launch from Tanegashima Space Center.
In the Robotics;Notes visual novel, Tanegashima Space Center is one of the major settings found in the game. It is also featured in the anime.
In Captain Earth, Tanegashima Space Center is now controlled by Globe and serves as one of their bases.
In the Japanese animated television series Aldnoah.Zero, Tanegashima is the crash landing site of some Martian technology.
The video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, along with their remakes, feature the fictional Mossdeep Space Center, which is modeled on the Tanegashima Space Center.
In season 2, episode 19 of the Japanese animated television series Assassination Classroom, the students of class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High School infiltrate a space center that is based on Tanegashima Space Center.
In the Japanese animated series Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars, Tanegashima figures very prominently in the latter episodes.
PhotosEdit
A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (HMI) H-IIA rocket at TSC
H-IIB Launch Vehicle Flight 2, launching H-II Transfer Vehicle "Kounotori 2" (HTV2).
Smaller Uchinoura Space Center in nearby Kagoshima Prefecture
^ "JAXA - Tanegashima Space Center". JAXA. 23 September 2018. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tanegashima Space Center.
Space portal
Spaceflight portal
Official website ‹See Tfd›(in Japanese)
Official website ‹See Tfd›(in English)
http://www.astronautix.com/sites/tanshima.htm
SLR Global Performance Report Card
8866 Tanegashima - asteroid
5641143022 Tanegashima Space Center on OpenStreetMap
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tanegashima_Space_Center&oldid=903366535"


text: my personal portal to my digital footprints

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Next Monday this weblog will be updated. Currently the font is unreadable and not every page uses the same theme. I'm going to add a nice looking calendar. I also would like to have nice URI's, because now it looks awful. I think I'm going to ask some extra features on the Nuclues Support Forums.
When I installed this blog the first time it didn't work. Which made me angry, because this is the fifth blog I'm trying out (before I've had Blogger (not pro), Wordpress (still looking great), my own (offline) and I tried MovebleType. So actually this is my fifth! The reason it didn't work was because of those ugly php_short_open_tags (<?). I found a place to download newer versions of NucleusCMS, probably 2.1 or something similar where it was replaced with <?php, which is fine on my webserver, I shut down php_short_open_tags, cause I use XML sometimes.
XML Schema — it ain't easy :), but XML Schema rocks!
Back to NucleusCMS. The short_open_tag thing is fine now, but it's not good for people who are new to PHP or weblogging. But okay I managed it. Next problems: my entries are not validated, so entries may be invalid, this is a serious problem especially with mime-headers. So this is going to be a feature request, also for comments. Markup must be correct and valid on this blog. And I want nice URIs and I mean really nice.


text:
export * from './shared/index';

export {CartComponent} from './cart.component';


text:
Q: Открытые миры на основе звезд Я хочу открыть следующий мир на основе количества звезд.
Я хочу знать, как рассчитать звезды в разных сценах. И как сделать пример.
Я получаю 2 звезды на первом уровне. Количество звезд +2. Сейчас я снова играю на первом уровне и собираю 3 звезды. Количество звезд +3: количество звезд достигло 5. Как определить количество звезд уровня ?
На втором уровне я получаю 1 звезду. Количество звезд +1. Сейчас я играю на втором уровне и собираю 2 звезды. Количество звезд +2. Количество звезд было 3.
Теперь я соединяю количество звезд на обоих уровнях и получаю 8, но на самом деле их должно быть 5.
Пожалуйста, помогите мне понять правильный момент.
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using UnityEngine;
 using UnityEngine.UI;
 using UnityEngine.SceneManagement;

 public class CoinScript : MonoBehaviour {

  public GameObject star1;
  public GameObject star2;
  public GameObject star3;

     protected string currentLevel;
     protected int worldIndex;
     protected int levelIndex;
     public static bool isLevelComplete ;

     // Use this for initialization
     void Start () {

         isLevelComplete = false;
     //get the star images

     //disable the image component of all the star images
     star1.GetComponent<Image>().enabled = false;
     star2.GetComponent<Image>().enabled = false;
     star3.GetComponent<Image>().enabled = false;

     //save the current level name
     currentLevel = Application.loadedLevelName;

         ballon_1=0;
         scoreCoin = coin_num;
         coinscore = GetComponent<Text>();

         Panel_youwin.SetActive(false);
         Time.timeScale = 1f;

         Panel_youlose.SetActive(false);
         Time.timeScale = 1f;

     }

     void Update () {
         if (coinscore != null){

         coinscore.text = "Score " + scoreCoin;
         }

   // 3stars  if(ballon_1==astx_3&&Health.healthlife==3){
        star3.GetComponent<Image>().enabled = true;
             UnlockLevels(3);
         Panel_youwin.SetActive(true);
         Time.timeScale = 0f;
     }

  // 2stars    if(ballon_1==astx_2&&Health.healthlife==2){
         star2.GetComponent<Image>().enabled = true;
         UnlockLevels(2);
         Panel_youwin.SetActive(true);
         Time.timeScale = 0f;
     }

 // 1stars    if(ballon_1==astx_1&&Health.healthlife==1){
         star1.GetComponent<Image>().enabled = true;
         UnlockLevels(1);
         Panel_youwin.SetActive(true);
         Time.timeScale = 0f;
     }

     if(Health.healthlife <= 0){
         Panel_youlose.SetActive(true);
         Time.timeScale = 0f;

         }
     }
      protected void  UnlockLevels (int stars){

   //set the playerprefs value of next level to 1 to unlock
   //also set the playerprefs value of stars to display them on the World levels menu
   for(int i = 0; i < LockLevel.worlds; i++){
    for(int j = 1; j < LockLevel.levels; j++){
     if(currentLevel == "Level"+(i+1).ToString() +"." +j.ToString()){
      worldIndex  = (i+1);
      levelIndex  = (j+1);
      PlayerPrefs.SetInt("level"+worldIndex.ToString() +":" +levelIndex.ToString(),1);
      //check if the current stars value is less than the new value
      if(PlayerPrefs.GetInt("level"+worldIndex.ToString() +":" +j.ToString()+"stars")< stars)
       //overwrite the stars value with the new value obtained
       PlayerPrefs.SetInt("level"+worldIndex.ToString() +":" +j.ToString()+"stars",stars);
     }
    }
   }

  }

  }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I'm thankful that hubby and I had a great cruise to Oxbow Marina to visit Marina West Yacht Club. They treated us like royalty all weekend long.
I'm thankful that the weather was so mild all weekend. I think the high was around 85° all weekend. In fact one night was very chilly. We kept wondering what month it was. When you're on a cruise and the weather is this nice you thank your lucky stars.
I'm thankful that hubby and I have made some very positive decisions concerning our yacht club affiliations. Sometimes toxic people make volunteering very difficult. It's far better to just let them go than try to wade through their drama.
I'm thankful that hubby and I are getting the hang of our smart phones. I'm really enjoying all the things that are at my fingertips. Why did we wait so long? We don't know either.
I'm thankful that Seymour the pet rock and his sidekick Element are being so entertaining. Some of my new readers aren't up on Seymour's last visit, but the ones that were around do. These two are up to no good. I just hope things work out okay for them.
I'm thankful that the choices I've been making lately have been paying off and I feel more energetic and less achy.
Today i'm thankful Sweetie will be helping me clean this house that Ms. G is going to be the realtor for. The place hasn't been cleaned well in about 20 years, and Ms. G and i put in about 5 hours yesterday and it will take all 3 of us about 8 more hours today to get it done. The people who lived there were old, she's putting it on the market for the heir, and i'm so glad i have the work and have the help!
The weather there sounds lovely! I'm slightly jealous 🙂 I'm thankful for good friends who are there to help out when you need it.
I didn't jump on the smart phone thing right away either. I think they were out at least 3 or 4 years before I bought my first iPhone, and then my first iPad.
But just try prying it out of my hands now. ha!
We are really liking our new phones. Have much to learn, but we'll get it done.
I'm thankful that at last I understand about Seymour & Element. I was getting a little crazy about these two.
I'm most thankful that my wife & I reached 42 years of marriage. I almost died with my stroke at 3 years of marriage but thank God, He has allowed us to reach 42 years and hopefully many more.
I'm thankful that Gerry called and I'll be golfing on Friday with him.
Have a lovely Thursday Sandee & Zane. See ya.
I'm glad you finally figured out Seymour and Element. It's all for fun.
I hope you and Mary Lou had a great anniversary yesterday.
I am glad that hubby and you are getting familiar to smartphone. I am thankful to the technology indirectly.
So glad you had such a good cruise with good weather. That sounds like such fun. Glad you are having a good time with your phones too. They really can do everything. I don't have one yet.
Sandee, you and Zane have a fantastic day.
OK, you've learned how to receive a call on your smart phone. Have you learned how to make one?
You're right about cleansing yourself of toxic people. I felt guilty but not having all that drama has made my life much better.
I'm glad your cruise weekend was so wonderful! I'm thankful I went to a friend's in Texas last week. I had so much fun! I'm really thankful to be home with my girls and their daddy though.
I'm thankful for just being alive.
Well that sounded like things are bad. They're not. Just being alive lets me be thankful for all things! That's what I was thinking.
I am glad you have a lot to be thankful for. I am always thankful for my hubby, Mom, niece and kitties.
Thankful for all the care and love being given to my oldest son while he undergoes cancer treatments. Thankful for all the love and prayers being made in his name. Thankful for my sweet husband.
Congratulations on letting go of toxic people in your life. It's often difficult, but always a good decision in the end.
It's nice to see you two are back to enjoying your boat and boating again.
Welcome to the smartphone world. Love mine, and so does hubby. He is wondering why he waited so long, too.
I'm thankful to be back in the U.S.
I love my smartphone too. Getting the hang of it.


In-situ characterization of the bacterial biofilm associated with Xeroform™ and Kaltostat™ dressings and evaluation of their effectiveness on thin skin engraftment donor sites in burn patients.
Burns 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.
Identification of substance use disorders in burn patients using simple diagnostic screening tools (AUDIT/DAST-10).
Safety and efficacy of intraoperative gastric feeding during burn surgery.
Seasonal impact in burn profiles in a dedicated burn unit.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hospital São José (Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central), Lisbon, Portugal.
Introduction: The number of burns in Portugal remains considerably large and therefore constitutes a major public health problem. There is a shortage of studies describing the epidemiological and clinical impact of seasonality on burn centre admissions, particularly in high income countries.
Comparison of the effects of inhalation aromatherapy using Damask Rose aroma and the Benson relaxation technique in burn patients: A randomized clinical trial.
Admission factors associated with the in-hospital mortality of burns patients in resource-constrained settings: A two-year retrospective investigation in a South African adult burns centre.
Burns 2019 Mar 27. Epub 2019 Mar 27.
Predicting Adolescents' Intentions to Engage in Fire Risk Behaviors: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.
West Penn Allegheny Health System, West Penn Burn Center,4800 Friendship Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, United States.
The epidemiology and prognosis of patients with massive burns: A multicenter study of 2483 cases.
Burns 2019 May 2;45(3):705-716. Epub 2019 Mar 2.
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China.
Objective: Epidemiological features of massively burned patients in China remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and evaluate the burn index (BI) and other risk factors associated with the prognosis of massively burned patients.
Burn intensive care treatment over the last 30 years: Improved survival and shift in case-mix.
Burns 2019 Mar 2. Epub 2019 Mar 2.
Purpose: Mortality in burn intensive care unit (ICU) has been decreasing and treatment appears to be changing. The aims of this study: (1) examine outcome in burn patients, (2) examine changes in ICU indication and (3) explore the influence of a changing case-mix.
One-hit wonder: Late after burn injury, granulocytes can clear one bacterial infection but cannot control a subsequent infection.
Burns 2019 May 2;45(3):627-640. Epub 2019 Mar 2.
Anti-Xa guided enoxaparin dose adjustment improves pharmacologic deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis in burn patients.
Laser speckle contrast imaging in children with scalds: Its influence on timing of intervention, duration of healing and care, and costs.
Just the tip of the iceberg - Inconsistent information on a global scale and the need for a "standard" model of burn 1st aid.
Burns 2019 May 27;45(3):746-748. Epub 2019 Feb 27.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hypertrophic Scarring of Split Thickness Autograft Donor Sites in a Pediatric Burn Population.
Burns 2019 Feb 26. Epub 2019 Feb 26.
Title: Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hypertrophic Scarring of Split Thickness Autograft Donor Sites in a Pediatric Burn Population.
Burn injury as a result of interpersonal violence in the Northern Territory Top End.
Burns 2019 Feb 25. Epub 2019 Feb 25.
National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, Level 8 Royal Darwin Hospital, 105 Rocklands Drive, Tiwi, NT, 0810, Australia.
Aim: To describe the demographics, circumstances, burn wound characteristics and current tertiary centre management of interpersonal violence (IPV) burn victims in the Northern Territory Top End. It is anticipated that such knowledge gained will be of benefit to key stakeholders across the spectrum of injury prevention and management in this region.
A systematic review of oil tanker truck disasters: Identifying prevention targets.
Burns 2019 Feb 23. Epub 2019 Feb 23.
The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, United States; Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, NC, United States.
Introduction: Oil tanker truck disasters have been reported worldwide; however, the circumstances, causes, and health effects of these disasters have not been described. To address this gap, we performed a systematic review using PRISMA criteria to better understand this public health problem and identify prevention targets.
Capacity building in burns and mental health care.
Burns 2019 May 18;45(3):749-753. Epub 2019 Feb 18.
In hot water: The impact of burn injuries from hot water bottles - Experience of a UK burns unit and review of the literature.
Burns 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.
Introduction: Hot water bottles (HWBs) are a common domestic item in the UK. Their use is associated with burns injuries, either by contact for prolonged periods with the skin, or through the HWB leaking or bursting.
Burns 2019 May 8;45(3):531-542. Epub 2019 Feb 8.
The scourge of burn contractures: Who will bell the cat?
Burns 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.
Hospitalisations with burns in children younger than five years in Portugal, 2011-2015.
MEDCIDS - Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal; CINTESIS - Centre for Health Technology and Services Research, Portugal.
New fluid therapy protocol in acute burn from a tertiary burn care centre.
Burns 2019 Mar 25;45(2):335-340. Epub 2019 Jan 25.
Department of Burns, Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Vardhaman Mahaveer Medical College and Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi, 110 029, India.
The association of patient and burn characteristics with itching and pain severity.
Burns 2019 Mar 25;45(2):348-353. Epub 2019 Jan 25.
Red blood cell distribution width is an independent risk factor in the prediction of acute respiratory distress syndrome after severe burns.
Burns 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.
Background: The occurrence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) significantly increases the mortality and morbidity of major burns; there are few laboratory markers that predict the development of ARDS in severe burns. This study was to investigate the relationship between complete blood count (CBC) parameters and the incidence of ARDS in severe burn patients.
Burns 2019 Mar 25;45(2):328-334. Epub 2019 Jan 25.
Burn & Shock Trauma Research Institute, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA.
Platelet-rich fibrin as an alternative adjunct to tendon-exposed wound healing: A randomized controlled clinical trial.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of AnHui Medical University, China.
Candidemia in major burn patients and its possible risk factors: A 6-year period retrospective study at a burn ICU.
Objective: The aims of this study were to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of candidemia in a typical burn ICU, and to determine the risk factors associated with candidemia among major burn patients.
Method: This retrospective observational study of candidemia from 2012 to 2017 in a burn ICU was conducted in the Department of Burn, Southwest hospital, Chongqing, China.
Tissue expanders; review of indications, results and outcome during 15 years' experience.
Burns 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.
Background: Tissue expanders (TE) are frequently used worldwide. In this study we surveyed outcome of our patients retrospectively during 15 years.
The role of recruited minced skin grafting in improving the quality of healing at the donor site of split-thickness skin graft-A comparative study.
Burns 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.
Social support and posttraumatic growth in Iranian burn survivors: The mediating role of spirituality.
Burns 2019 May 14;45(3):732-740. Epub 2019 Jan 14.
Reconstructive and Burn Surgery Department, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
Background: Social support and spirituality are important issues among burn survivors that appear to affect their posttraumatic growth (PTG).
Aim: To investigate the relationship between social support and PTG in Iranian burn survivors, as mediated by their perceptions of spiritual well-being.
Reply to comments on "comparison of efficacy and safety of intralesional triamcinolone and combination of triamcinolone with 5-fluorouracil in the treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars: Randomised control trial".
Burns 2019 Jan 14. Epub 2019 Jan 14.
Burn camps for burns survivors-Realising the benefits for early adjustment: A systematic review.
Survey of national and local practice of compression therapy timing for burn patients in the United States.
Burns 2019 Jan 7. Epub 2019 Jan 7.
Objective: Compression therapy (CT) has been an important, but debated, treatment for burn scars. To better understand one source of variation in observed outcomes after CT, an evaluation of CT timing of application is needed.
Randomized controlled trial of the immediate and long-term effect of massage on adult postburn scar.
Burns 2019 02 26;45(1):128-139. Epub 2018 Oct 26.
Hôpital de réadaptation Villa Medica, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
"An improvement on burn care" - A full audit cycle on accuracy & appropriateness of burn injury referrals from an Emergency Department through a Burns Network.
Burns 2019 Mar 5;45(2):506-508. Epub 2019 Jan 5.
Epidemiology and outcomes of burn injuries at a tertiary burn care center in Bangladesh.
Burns 2019 Jan 3. Epub 2019 Jan 3.
New York Medical College, 40 Sunshine Cottage Rd, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
Use of the burn intervention score to calculate the charges of the care of burns.
Burns 2019 Mar 3;45(2):303-309. Epub 2019 Jan 3.
Is the burns research community committed to filling in the gaps in the evidence? An analysis of the burns section of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Burns 2019 May 3;45(3):741-742. Epub 2019 Jan 3.
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Grinstead, United Kingdom.


Each intern will have the chance to coach high school and collegiate athletes, become more familiar with the intricacies of program design, and observe and assist a variety of professional athletes under the supervision of our qualified staff of strength & conditioning coaches.
Must be comfortable interacting with clients, parents, etc.
The Athletic Republic – Escape Elite Baseball Mentorships provide an educational opportunity to become a trusted resource in this dramatically underserved athletic population. Through a combination of classroom presentations, practical demonstrations, case studies, video analysis, and observation of training, you'll learn about our integrated system for performance enhancement, injury prevention, and rehabilitation in baseball and other athletes. If you are interested in any of these services, please contact us.


text:
Tag Archives: Theatre
Wyrd Sisters Diary #1 – Setting out on the road to Lancre
I'm not trying to claim any snob value here but I discovered Terry Pratchett's Discworld almost right at the beginning. Back in 1985 I read an interview with Terry Pratchett, promoting the paperback release of the first Discworld novel The Colour of Magic, thought it sounded funny and bought it soon after. Possibly as a birthday present for my sister Gail now I come to think about it. Turned out we both enjoyed this send up of fantasy novels and it set us, and eventually my whole family, on an enjoyable journey with Terry's funny, ingenious books for many years.
Wyrd Sisters is the first proper Discworld Witches book, introducing us to the eccentric coven of the formidable, good but scary Granny Weatherwax, the cheerful, earthy, experienced Nanny Ogg, and the naïve, enthusiastic Magrat. As well as Witches, it has a ghost, a demon, lots of dim-witted guards, and a troupe of theatricals who stage a farcical play within the play.
It is in part a parody of Shakespeare, the Scottish Play in particular, but it is also a comedy about power, be it brute force, common sense or the subtler magic of storytelling. In fact I'm pretty sure it was Gail who bought me the script books of Wyrd Sisters and Guards! Guards! for my own birthday several years later. I had no idea they existed until then. By then I had become involved with amateur dramatics, and I loved Stephen Briggs' adaptations and the idea of realising them on stage. So in time I persuaded my then current group of Mawdesley Amateur Dramatics to stage Wyrd Sisters. The photo at the top of the page is from that production.
Like many groups, a majority of MADS were women, so it was an advantage to have a play with four really good female roles, not to mention a fair amount of characters who could be played by either gender. That 2007 production was my first experience of directing theatre. It helped that we were already a group of friends, so that made it less intimidating that it could have been. We played it on a smallish village hall stage, with much less in the way of facilities at the time than Bolton Little Theatre has. For example the sound system consisted of my laptop computer and a guitar amp at the rear of the hall. I should add that the current hall has had something of an upgrade since. However the show was a success, and I think the local audience enjoyed the fact that we were trying something a bit different from the traditional amateur dramatic fare.
Now ten years later I am about to direct a new production in a fully equipped theatre with a specially designed set and a cast that is an interesting mix of experienced Bolton regulars and newer faces, some for whom this will be one of their first plays. I have Glenn Robinson, Francis Clemmitt, Jeff Lunt and Joylon Coombs providing invaluable advice and help. I have been doing my homework and pouring over the script, plotting out movements, assembling the music and sound effects. As I write this, the first rehearsal looms this Sunday afternoon and I'm hoping I'll remember how to do this. It's not just the Witches who are embarking on an adventure.
For more information and to book tickets, please visit our theatre website
January 7, 2017 gazhack	Bolton Little Theatre, Directing, Discworld, Mawdesley, Terry Pratchett, Theatre, Wyrd Sisters	Leave a comment
Samuel Crompton – A Fine Spinner
I am currently working with Bolton Little Theatre on an unusual one day theater piece called Samuel Crompton – A Fine Spinner.
Samuel Crompton is one Bolton's most famous sons, a gifted engineer and inventor who created one of the key machines of the Industrial Revolution – the Spinning Mule. It changed the face of the cotton industry, enabling a worker to reliably spin yard upon yard of cotton thread without it breaking. It was also very scalable, leading to huge mills with rows of machines and much of Bolton's wealth was built on it. But the man himself saw only a fraction of the wealth that he might have earned from his genius, due to not patenting his invention, but instead accepting payments from mill owners to come and view his designs.
A Fine Spinner by Donna A Hughes, is the story of Samuel Crompton, his invention and his troubled relationship with the new world that machine ushered in. A cast of five actors from Bolton Little Theatre will be performing this one act play at Crompton's former home of Hall'ith Wood, on Tuesday 26 July 2016, as one of the events celebrating Manchester's status as European City of Science 2016. Admission is to the house and the play is free, and we will be performing the play three times during the day.
You can find out more about the year long festival at http://www.manchestercityscience.com
It has been an interesting challenge so far to plan this production. The author originally intended the play for the theatre, with multiple sets, scenes and a larger cast. My first job was to sensitively edit her play to make it feasible for staging in one room and with the minimum of props. I also had to cut several characters to bring the cast down to a manageable level. First to go was the narrator, a fictional neighbour of the Crompton's. He was purely a narrator, with no other role in the story, so it seemed sensible to take him out and give parts of his speeches to the characters to perform to the audience as asides. It also made the speeches a little more dynamic if the people involved were relating them. I chose to remove the first scene altogether, featuring Sam and his sister Ruth as children, since child actors bring their own complications and the scene mostly repeated information for elsewhere. My other main deletion was the Prime Minister, since he only appeared for about half a page. Instead the other characters will act as if he is there, while he remains off-camera as it were.
Hall'ith Wood is now a museum, dedicated to telling the story of the house, its role in the English civil war and its most famous tenant – Samuel Crompton. Open Tuesdays and Saturdays, free admission. You can find out more about the place by visiting its website.
I'll be sharing some details about this production when we start rehearsal. But for now, if you are free during the day on Tuesday 26th July 2015, please mark your diaries!
April 26, 2016 gazhack	Bolton, Bolton Little Theatre, European City of Science, Industrial Revolution, Manchester, Samuel Crompton, Script Editing, Theatre	Leave a comment


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Halloween Horror Nights 26 Review (2016) Universal Studios Orlando
Our review of the 2016 Halloween Horror Nights scare event in Orlando, covering all of their haunted houses and scare zones.
Regarded as the Halloween event in the US, 'Halloween Horror Nights' is Universal Studios' annual Halloween extravaganza. The focus on the haunted houses here is with licensed/intellectual properties (IPs).
American Horror Story: I hadn't watched a single episode of the show when this haunt was announced, necessitating a five-season mega catch-up! Glad that I did this though as I definitely got a lot more out of it given how faithful it is to the series. Freak Show and Hotel worked better than Murder House; mainly because they're more visually interesting seasons, translating better to an immersive experience. Knowledge of the series is definitely a plus here or the transitions and content are going to be jarring.
Saying this now, it's one of a few recurring themes at 'HHN' but the haunt operated like clockwork. Everything is synced up to the soundtrack in the maze; actors have to perform in line with this as their dialogue is also on the soundtrack. Yeah, they don't actually speak but mime to the dialogue coming from the speakers. What works about this method is the authenticity you get from hearing the actual actors from the show. The downside is that there's obviously no room for spontaneity. We'll get into another reason why we think this is a bad idea later. As for the actual walkthrough, it was stupidly well themed and decorated but didn't, for a single second, feel immersive. You just walked through very impressive sets.
The Exorcist: On paper, this was easily the worst sounding haunt of the line-up. The film mostly takes place in one room so there's limited scope for a haunt on that basis. The way that they got around this limitation was to take you on Regan's psychological journey as she became possessed. Therefore, non-canonical elements have been chucked in such as one hallway where the walls are reaching out to you. You also revisit the bedroom multiple times and witness Regan losing the fight against the demon.
Our favourite scene in this haunt by far was the 'vomit room'. It's a curtained section with the curtains being puke-stained bedsheets. The room was revolting. The smell in that area along with the sound effects and visuals resulted in a scramble to get out of there! It was a brilliantly creative moment and an effective way of dealing with the limitations of the licence. The weakest part of the haunt was Regan herself, she just wasn't that effective. We found the actresses to be a bit listless in these scenes although it may just be that they didn't want to stray too far from the character in the film.
Ghost Town: The Curse of Lightning Gulch: The first of the original mazes that we went through, 'Ghost Town' was one of the more interactive haunts at 'HHN'. It's set in an old mining town during a storm and the 'outside' parts of the walkthrough are subject to the elements. Using sprinklers, one section has you walking through the 'rain'.
The best scene was on the main pathway through the town. Here you walked past all the expected shopfronts etc. whilst being pummelled by powerful winds. It really did feel as though you were outside although they could have put an actor or two more in here. Generally, our problem with this walkthrough was that it was quite light on actors. Well, it was more the case that they were there but in the midst of resetting – we'd just entered at the wrong time!
The Walking Dead: We have prior experience with this haunt, having been through the Hollywood one in 2014. That covered up to season four whereas this one spanned all seasons up to six. The noticeable result of this was that the scenes per season were more abbreviated which resulted, to us, in less lavish sets as the locations were constantly changing. Again, other than the Terminus section, we didn't encounter too many actors either. This is especially problematic in a zombie-themed maze where the threat comes from their numbers. The ending did go some way to addressing this with a cool strobing scene that combined a room with mannequins with the occasional live actor. The strobing meant that you didn't know what was 'real' and what wasn't, it was genuinely overwhelming. It was just a shame that they pulled this out right at the very end of the haunt.
Lunatics Playground 3D – You Won't Stand a Chance: By far the worst haunt of the evening and the comparatively short queue times reflected this we think. It was loud and brash which almost never works in haunts. There also wasn't much in the way of interaction with the actors, even as far as scares went. For most of the duration, they were torturing each other but largely ignoring us. We did, however, encounter one of the best spinning tunnels that we've been through.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: Going into this one, I personally wasn't that excited. I'm much more a fan of the sequels than the original film, I know!! As a haunt, it lacked scares but it was completely successful in recreating the feel of the movie. They replicated the key scenes well and some of the staging was imaginative. The moment that stood out to us was when Sally runs through the window; with the use of sound effects, they sold the illusion effectively. Our problem with this haunt was that, again, it felt too much like walking through a museum as opposed to actually being in the film.
Tomb of the Ancients: Out of the whole evening, this maze felt the most like a traditional haunt. We can only guess that being an original attraction, it wasn't as popular as most of the other haunts at the event. This meant that the walkthrough wasn't as much of a conga line as pretty much everywhere else. So we got to appreciate the set a bit more and it also felt like the actors weren't as bound to a soundtrack as they were elsewhere. This isn't to say we didn't witness a couple of resets but it was nowhere near as bad as the other attractions. However, we did find this one to be a bit too dark to be able to appreciate some of the detail of the scenery and actors' makeup.
Halloween: Hell Comes to Haddonfield: The one thing that you can't fault 'HHN' for is their theming and this was yet another brilliantly themed haunt. Like the 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' maze, this attraction pulled off some great recreations of the key moments in the movie. You begin in the closet from the end of the first film and from there you eventually find your way to the main setting in 'Halloween II', Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. We're always impressed when haunts attempt outdoor scenes inside and the walk up to the hospital was fantastic. It's a shame that the hospital had a better façade, inside the maze, than the haunt's actual façade. Unfortunately, same criticisms as the other mazes – we didn't feel as though we were a part of what was going on. This was also an occasion where playing to the soundtrack didn't work at all. Whenever Michael took a swipe at us with his knife, the noise was so cartoony and comical that it took away any scare that there might have been.
Krampus: We set ourselves up for disappointment with this one in a big way! We tried not to watch any videos before we visited but 'Krampus' had an irresistible appeal, if any property on this list was suited to a haunt, it was 'Krampus'. Searching for 'Krampus' videos, we, oddly, couldn't find anything from the Orlando event at the time. We watched videos from Hollywood's attraction and so we thought we knew what to expect. Turns out that the Hollywood and Orlando versions were quite different!
The façade over in Hollywood was brilliant, being a recreation of the film's poster. The Orlando one was nowhere near as detailed. That said, we'd venture to say that inside the haunt, the Orlando version fared a bit better. It essentially recreates all the scenes from the movie with the full menagerie of beasts. The continuous flow of the maze sadly meant that we didn't see much of this in action, catching almost an entire maze of resets. This was most frustrating when we came across the jack-in-the-box which looked amazing but wasn't doing anything at the time we passed.
Scare Zones
The scare zones were a bit disappointing; something that we think resulted from most of the areas being too open. However, it was refreshing to have actors delivering personal scares as opposed to keeping in a time with a pre-recorded soundtrack. We managed to record four of these so we'll add the video to our commentary.
Survive or Die Apocalypse: There was a great, post-apocalyptic vibe to this zone. The standout here was the gang leader on the scaffolding delivering a speech to the people below him. They also drove vehicles through this space, which was definitely unexpected!
Lair of the Banshees: Whilst this zone had some good creatures, it was easily the sparsest of all the zones, probably because the path that it was on limited it. The area was a bit too busy to fully appreciate everything that was going on.
Dead Man's Wharf: This was by far our favourite, the lighting effects were fantastic here – you really felt as though you were walking through a stormy night entering this area. The costuming here was more ambitious than what we saw elsewhere too with actors wearing full makeup, masks and prosthetics.
Vamp '55: 'Vamp '55' was the most theatrical of the scare zones and definitely the least scary. In this space, it was more about experiencing the story, witnessing vampires stalking cheerleaders and the like. It definitely felt like the focus of the actors was more on each other than park guests, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; it just wasn't a place to get scares.
A Chance in Hell: We didn't properly see this one, getting there too early for it to really kick off and leaving at the end of the night where it was such a crush to get out that we couldn't experience what was going on properly.
Academy of Villains: House of Fear: We didn't get around to this one as time was running out and it looked like there was no actual seating at this show, not taking place in a stadium like 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure'. After being on our feet all day long, we just didn't fancy standing in one place for too long!
Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure: We didn't find this one particularly entertaining; it was just a series of pop culture references dropped with no real wit. The show was complacent to think that just referring to things was enough to be funny and the shtick got tiresome real quick. In addition, whilst some of the content was obviously American, enough of it was internationally recognisable for us to know that we weren't missing the joke.
Now, this was an upcharge attraction but was easily the highlight of the evening for us. The best way to describe it is two parts escape room to one part VR attraction.
We began stood around a table where an actor explained the story, that we were to explore the areas we enter and look for symbols to lift a curse that's fallen upon the Repository. This scene ended brilliantly when a guard appeared from behind me, lifted me off my feet and literally threw me into the next room. It was such a jolt; especially at 'HHN' which is typically the complete opposite of an immersive experience! From here, we had to find a key and code in a room with an actor who, again, was really aggressive with us, chucking things at people in our group!
We then moved into the VR room where we were to continue searching for the symbols but in the virtual world. Being completely honest, we're not entirely sure how much relevance there was to this VR part. We didn't put any knowledge gained from it into use in the final live action room. But then, we also didn't really care! The VR here was different to what we've experienced at other attractions in that we were free to walk around and the VR tracked our movement perfectly. The technology also allowed everyone to see each other by way of floating icons. After a couple of minutes in one 'room', the location changed and we had another symbol to seek out. Throughout this, the staff in the room were supplementing the action in the virtual world with physical additions. For example, there was one part where a flock of crows flew past us. In sync with this, someone brushed feathers over our faces and arms.
My personal favourite part of the VR section was when we ended up at the top of a very, very tall tower. Being scared of heights, I found this to completely fool me and when the edges of the tower started to crumble and fall away, I nearly knocked over one of our teammates in a bid to make it to the centre of the tower! They used a wind machine in this scene, which totally sold the feeling of being a billion feet up in the air!
The final room was back in the real world and was a timed experience where we had two minutes to get a collection of runes in the right sequence. This was a nice way to end the game, with a decent level of pressure. We're glad to say that we successfully completed it and managed to lift the curse!
Overall, it was an awesome experience but one problem we did have, which was most noticeable in the first room (probably because we were trying to listen to the actor), was that there were super loud storm effects happening nearby. We assume that 'The Repository' shared the same space as 'Ghost Town' as that haunt was set during a thunderstorm. It did spoil that first room but didn't stop 'The Repository' being a brilliant attraction. Yes, it is an upcharge to an already expensive event but this is because they can only get four people through at a time (another bonus and breath of fresh air from the conga line mentality elsewhere at the park). We'd definitely recommend this although it does make the rest of the event look even weaker!
The theming. You just cannot beat 'HHN' for theming. And it's always fun going through recognisable locations and coming face to face with terrors from the silver screen – it's the biggest draw 'HHN' has going for it!
Where to start on this… As an event, 'HHN' has an unbeatable atmosphere but, as far as providing a fun experience goes, it's incredibly lacking.
Three haunts were completely ruined by aggressive stewarding – 'Walking Dead', 'Exorcist' and 'Halloween'. At points where the marshals inside decided that we were going too slowly; they would shine a torch in our faces and shout at us to move faster. This actually happened. It's no way to manage a haunt. At all. It's just a messed up mentality, like fast-forwarding a film in the cinema. And it's such a brash thing to do as well that it can't help but cast a shadow over the rest of the event.
Somewhat related to this was that even though we had a fast track ticket, we still couldn't do everything that the pass afforded in the evening. Some of the rides shut earlier than they should have done which didn't help but it also pointed to the fast tracks being over-subscribed. If you buy something that gives you priority access to a number of attractions, you expect to be able to get through them all. If you can't, something's fundamentally broken. And to be clear on this, we didn't stop at any point for food (or alcohol regrettably!). From the second we entered the event we were either in an attraction, queueing for one or making our way over to the next one.
It boils down to the event being excessively popular and Universal not doing anything about it. It feels like a real cash cow for them and the fact that people seem to be happy queueing for two plus hours per attraction gives them no reason to change.
We'll address two other issues we had in one. By now, it's common knowledge that 'HHN' operates a conga line style walkthrough in their attractions. You aren't batched in groups of eight or less as in the UK, you're part of a constant stream of people walking through the attraction. It's a lame way to operate a haunt as you are constantly watching actors reset and can completely miss scenes because the actors are in the middle of that reset. In batched groups, you're less likely to see this as the actor usually has enough time to get back into their starting position before the next group arrives.
It also means that you can sometimes move at a snail's pace and this is where we saw something so stupid that it really made us laugh. In the 'AHS' maze, there was some sort of issue ahead which meant that the conga line completely stopped. And not just for a second or two, we were stood in the same position for about two minutes. We happened to stop right between two actresses who had dialogue coming from the soundtrack that was still playing. Because of this, for two minutes, we had them effectively caught on a loop, having to keep jumping out at us to keep in sync with the soundtrack. We found it ridiculous and we're sure that they must have done too, trying to scare the same two people over and over. Fair play to them, they didn't let it show if they did! It was the perfect convergence of two negatives to 'HHN' – the conga line walkthrough and actors syncing to a soundtrack.
Halloween Horror Nights 26 (2016) Universal Studios Orlando
We didn't like it. What is most apparent to us is that Universal Studios must know that they're offering a poor guest experience but don't seem to care. We've listened to interviews with the key creatives who acknowledge that the way the event is run isn't ideal but blame the popularity. The easy solution to that is to lower the cap of guests but, obviously, that won't bring in the same amount of money.
To us, you might queue for an hour or two to get on a rollercoaster but when you do get on it, it's an optimal experience. It doesn't keep stopping every two seconds or do anything other than run the way that it's intended. Therefore, we're not sure why it's acceptable to run a haunt where you have security shining torches in your face, shouting at you to hurry up or having such a constant flow of people that you miss stuff that's happening due to resets. If any theme park ride operated like that, people wouldn't have it. It's within Universal's ability to offer a better experience but they clearly just don't want to. And having been to the Hollywood event two years prior, we can confirm that it's operated in much the same way there too.
We would give this one star but the theming is unbeatable and we enjoyed the hell out of 'The Repository' (which, frustratingly, shows that Universal Studios can put together a solid experience). It's one of those events that you should visit once but just be aware that it's hard work and less fun than comparative events.
Ticket Price: $104.99
Address: 6000 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819
Website: http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/
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