text:
Blue Cross Giving Churches the Tools to Treat Heart Attacks
By Richard Craver, Winston-Salem Journal
Placing defibrillators in houses of worship — including eight in Winston-Salem — is part of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C.'s strategy for extending the reach of health care into community gathering places.
The insurer and churches hope there will be a pay-it-forward element from the free CPR training that goes along with the automated external defibrillators.
"Most people don't want to be in a helpless place when they see someone having a cardiac arrest," said Bruce Hayes, associate pastor at Reynolda Church. "They are willing to spend two to three hours to be trained.
"Hopefully, the training they get will enable them to respond to a cardiac arrest wherever they are in the community."
Blue Cross will spend $390,000 over three years on its "Strive to Revive" initiative. The goal is placing a defibrillator in 150 churches statewide and training at least 500 people associated with those churches in CPR.
After beginning with a defibrillator in 20 Charlotte-area churches in 2010, the insurer and the N.C. Council of Churches expanded the initiative this year to 33 churches. The American Red Cross is also participating in the initiative.
"Strive to Revive gives our communities the tools and training they need to take action in case of a cardiac emergency," said Brad Wilson, the insurer's president and chief executive, while taking a tour of Reynolda.
A main catalyst for the Blue Cross initiative was the role that a defibrillator played in helping N.C. Rep. Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg, survive a cardiac arrest suffered in 2009 while in the state legislature building.
"One of the first people to get to her was one of our government affairs people who had CPR training with a defibrillator," Wilson said.
"A light went off for us. As we did research, we learned that many places of large gatherings didn't have a defibrillator available.
"We know that these devices are needed in other places, but we decided to start with churches because we felt we could make the biggest impact with its members and elsewhere in their communities," Wilson said.
Reynolda applied for the program in part because about 50 percent of its 900 members are age 50 and older, and 56 percent of the congregation is female, said Maryann Hites, a faith community nurse at Reynolda with a background as a cardiac nurse.
"Several women in the church have had an unusual type of chest pain while at church," Hites said. "Fortunately, we have had doctors in the congregation who were able to observe them, and nothing serious had occurred to them.
"Still, you never know when a cardiac arrest could happen, especially to people who look healthy."
Hites tried to get a defibrillator for the church, but at about $1,750 per device, the church determined it couldn't afford it.
Hites learned about the Blue Cross initiative through the Congregational Nurse Health Ministry program and applied at www.healthandwholeness.org/strive-to-revive. She said about 30 people connected with Reynolda have been trained through its defibrillator program, including staff members, deacons and church members.
Willona Stallings, the partners in health and wellness coordinator for the N.C. Council of Churches, said "with large numbers of individuals attending places of worship throughout North Carolina on a weekly basis, we have the potential to make a real difference."
Stallings said the 53 churches have been chosen in part because they serve either a large proportion of women, blacks, Latinos and/or seniors — "groups disproportionately affected by sudden cardiac arrest." They also participate in the council's health-certification program.
Velma White, congregational nurse at Galilee Missionary, said the church applied as part of its holistic approach to caring for members that includes exercise and diet initiatives.
"We want members to be physically, emotionally and spiritually fit," White said. "Stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes is so prevalent in our community and within our congregation."
White said at least 10 church staff and members are trained to use the defibrillator, with a goal of getting at least 30.
"It's obviously something we hope we never have to use, but we don't want to be faced with a cardiac-arrest crisis we couldn't handle," White said.
Filed Under: NCCC in the News Tagged With: Health
About Trinh Le, Former Strive to Revive Assistant - Partners in Health and Wholeness


I first heard this advice at RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across Iowa held the last week of July. When my friends and I arrived at camp to start the adventure, the head of our outfitter, Pork Belly Ventures, welcomed us with the following, "This is going to be a great week. But here's the reality: It's hot. You're sleeping in a tent. And you're riding with 10,000 cyclists into town s built for 400 residents. If you want a great experience, just lower your expectations."
Brilliant. Most employed advice of the week. Whenever anything was about to cause an upset (like the mid - week downpour and tent - flooding), we would look at each other and say, "Lower your expectations."
When our expectations are high, we easily get disappointed, angry, and upset. In fact, conflict is merely the result of missed expectations. One person's expectations are higher than another per son's. That gap produces the conflict.
If you're like me, however, you're suddenly looking at an entire career rippled with high expectations of people. You cannot fathom lowering them for fear of breeding complacency and mediocrity!
We can have high expectations of things we manage: time, money, budgets, deadlines, and projects.
We get in trouble when we place high expectations on things we do not manage and therefore cannot control: weather, traffic, airlines, crowds, family, and people.
We manage things and we lead people. Expectations are things to be managed. People are not.
So what should we do with those high expectations we have been dumping on people?
Exchange those expectations for aspirations.
As leaders, our commitment is for people to be wildly successful. So we need high aspirations for them. And only through leading can we contribute to and influence their success with those aspirations. We influence aspirations. We control expectations.
If you cannot control it, then lower your expectations around it.
Exchange those high expectations of people with high aspirations for them.
Then influence the success of those aspirations by relentlessly leading and contributing.
Lower your expectations. Raise your aspirations.
Caveat: Lowered expectations does not mean "no expectations." You must have minimum standards of expectations for every role.
Try on this perspective this week! Le t me know how it looks through the kaleidoscope.


Life has become a compromise – in tea, it is a compromise (for most brand owners) between profit and quality, with quality losing out unfortunately. Ultimately though the power to tip that balance back in favour of quality lies with the customer. The more customers know about tea, the better for integrity in tea. Of course it's not quite that simple though, because knowledge of tea is so poor generally that most consumers don't even know how to brew their cuppa in the right way.
The wine industry got that right. Education inspires passion, and the more consumers learned about wine, the more good quality wines they consumed. With the rise in consumer knowledge of quality in wine came greater pressure on winemakers to deliver quality. The hundreds of family or owner operated vineyards that made up the majority of the wine industry was more than equal to the task. The whole industry benefited for knowledge drove satisfaction, appreciation, desire for better wines. Gone are the days of Red, White and Rose.
Tea was there once, although the very success that a colourful, passionate tea industry achieved in making tea the most consumed beverage on earth after wine, brought about its downfall. That success attracted the corporations – read about them in Prof. Bakan's 'The Corporation – and the rest is history. Tea is not compatible with dispassionate commercialisation. Quality was first to go as the giant profit machines that came to own most of the tea category, sought to recover their investment in their new acquisitions. Next went that wonderful stimulus for innovation – competition – as the corporations sought to dominate tea, as they did in pharmaceuticals, personal hygiene, carbonated beverages, spirits and the like.
It seems strange that in seeking to enter and grow in the tea category by acquisition, the corporations that bought into the category cut out of their acquisitions the very elements that made them attractive for takeover in the first place. One of the more recent such examples is a European family tea company with a tradition of over a century. Their new American owners arrived over a decade ago with the promise that nothing would change. Several thousand redundancies later, the 'cost cutting' has ended a tradition of generations of people working entire lifetimes for this once great company. Even the Tea Tasting Dept., has gone. Their product carries the same name though, but tastes very different.
There is no substitute for tradition. If 'cost cutting' and 'profit maximisation' are reasons for cutting the heart out of companies, then they are immoral. On no account should any individual or business forget that we are human because we are humane. Whether it is quality, or care for one's employees, profit is not an excuse. The wine industry today is undergoing the same trauma that tea went through almost a century ago. Small producers who have made their mark with quality are being bought by large corporations for unimaginable amounts of money. Let us hope that in their bid to recover and profit from these expensive acquisitions, the new owners will not forget the reasons why these companies were successful in the first place.
The possible takeover of Anheuser Busch is in the news. If the transaction goes through, change for the worse is inevitable. History will repeat itself. There is something so very wrong with the way the world does business. And yet the solution is so obvious; it is the way the world did business a couple of centuries ago, owner operated businesses, with a heart and a love for what they do, with integrity and care for their product and their customer. It's a long shot, but in this time of change and adaptation to new realities I hope that along with the environment and the climate, the powers that be will understand that these issues are all interrelated. Externalising environmental factors for the sake of profit is done for the same reason and by the same entities that externalise values of humanity and integrity. Quality is just the tip of the iceberg, for with quality, ethics, the environment and the future goes too.
Some economists insist that the business of business is business, and that means profit. But as the role of business has widened and its influence intensified, there is an obligation for business to take on humanitarian and environmental roles that were previously shouldered by governments. The state has not disappeared yet but the reality is that the policy of many governments today is dictated by commercial interest. Some refuse to respond to mounting and urgent environmental priorities because they believe it is bad for business. Others give up their prized and critical natural resources to predatory businesses because they believe it is necessary for their economy.
All this started with quality, and it ends there too for quality is just one dimension of integrity. When tea, coffee, chocolate or other businesses compromise their integrity, they compromise everything. To end this post, I share with you an image of our very special Watte, Single Estate Teas. We taste over 5,000 teas each week to make sure that we select just the right teas for our customers. That may seem old fashioned but it is the only way we can ensure that we do not compromise on quality. With that commitment to quality comes the other components of old fashioned, family business. You can read more about that here.
Is it CSR or just business as usual?


Oracle RAC 11g release 2 introduces the Single Client Access Name (SCAN), which provides a single name for clients to access Oracle Databases running in a cluster and simplify the database connection strings that an Oracle Client uses to connect.
Without SCAN, till Oracle Clusterware 11g release 1, TNSNAMES has 1 entry per node.
With every cluster change, like node addition or removal, all client TNSNAMES need to be changed.
With SCAN, from Oracle Clusterware 11g release2, only 1 entry per cluster is used, regardless of the number of nodes.
Single Client Access Name (SCAN) - eliminates the need to change TNSNAMES entry when nodes are added to or removed from the Cluster. RAC instances register to SCAN listeners as remote listeners. Oracle recommends assigning 3 addresses to SCAN, which will create 3 SCAN listeners, though the cluster has got dozens of nodes. SCAN is a domain name registered to at least one and up to three IP addresses, either in DNS (Domain Name Service) or GNS (Grid Naming Service). The SCAN must resolve to at least one address on the public network. For high availability and scalability, Oracle recommends configuring the SCAN to resolve to three addresses.
Public network addresses are used to provide services to clients. If clients are connecting to the Single Client Access Name (SCAN) addresses, then we may need to change public and virtual IP addresses as we add or remove nodes from the cluster, but you do not need to update clients with new cluster addresses. SCANs function like a cluster alias. SCANs are resolved on any node in the cluster, so unlike a VIP address for a node, clients connecting to the SCAN no longer require updated VIP addresses as nodes are added to or removed from the cluster. Because the SCAN addresses resolve to the cluster, rather than to a node address in the cluster, nodes can be added to or removed from the cluster without affecting the SCAN address configuration.
Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2) instances only register with SCAN listeners as remote listeners. Databases register with SCAN listeners as remote listeners, and also continue to register with all node listeners. It's highly recommended that the clients are Oracle 11g R2 or later version clients, to allow them to fully take advantage of the failover with the SCAN settings.
Because of the Oracle Clusterware installation requirement that we provide a SCAN name during installation, if we resolved at least one IP address using the server /etc/hosts file to bypass the installation requirement, but we do not have the infrastructure required for SCAN, after the installation, we can ignore the SCAN and connect to the databases in the cluster using VIPs. Oracle does not support removing the SCAN address. Oracle recommends that we should not configure SCAN IP addresses in the hosts file. But if we use the hosts file to resolve SCAN name, we can have only one SCAN IP address.
Each cluster will have 3 SCAN-Listeners, combined with a SCAN-VIP defined as cluster resources. The root.sh script automatically configures the Single Client Access Name (SCAN) VIPs and SCAN listeners. When we run root.sh on the first node, all 3 scan IPs are plugged on to the first node's public interface. The SCAN VIP/LISTENER combination will failover to another node in the cluster, if the current node fails. SCAN VIP addresses must be on the same subnet as virtual IP addresses and public IP addresses.
The SCAN is a fully qualified name (hostname+domain) that is configured to resolve to all the addresses allocated for the SCAN. The addresses resolve using Round Robin DNS either on the DNS server, or within the cluster in a GNS configuration. SCAN listeners can run on any node in the cluster. SCANs provide location independence for the databases, so that client configuration does not have to depend on which nodes run a particular database.
To use the DNS method for defining SCAN, the network administrator must create a single name that resolves to 3 separate IP addresses using round-robin algorithms. Regardless of how many systems are part of cluster, Oracle recommends that 3 IP addresses are configured to allow for failover and load-balancing. SCAN Name needs to be registered in DNS and resolved using round-robin algorithm. To test the round-robin algorithm, perform nslookup on the SCAN Name. The DNS server should return those 3 set of IP Address in different order each time.
It is important that the IP addresses are on the same subnet as the public network for the server. The other two requirements are that the name (not including the domain suffix) are 15 characters or less in length and that the name can be resolved without using the domain suffix. Also, the IP addresses should not be specifically assigned to any of the nodes in the cluster.
Grid Naming Service (GNS) is a new feature introduced in Oracle RAC 11g R2.
As part of the Grid Infrastructure installation process, optionally we can also provide Grid Naming Service (GNS) information, which includes the GNS Sub Domain Name and the GNS VIP Address.
Using GNS assumes that a DHCP server is running on the public network with enough available addresses to assign the required IP addresses and the SCAN VIP. Only one static IP address is required to be configured and it should be in the DNS domain.
Oracle Clusterware 11g release 2 (11.2) supports the use of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) for the VIP addresses and the SCAN address, but not the public address. DHCP provides dynamic configuration of the host's IP address, but it does not provide an optimal method of producing names that are useful to external clients. When using GNS and DHCP, Oracle Clusterware configures the VIP addresses for the SCAN name that is provided during cluster configuration. The node VIP and the three SCAN VIPs are obtained from the DHCP server when using GNS. If a new server joins the cluster, then Oracle Clusterware dynamically obtains the required VIP address from the DHCP server, updates the cluster resource, and makes the server accessible through GNS.
SCAN Name will represent the cluster in the network.
SCAN used by clients to connect to any database in the cluster.
SCAN is a GSD resource, which is managed by CRS.
SCAN provides a single domain name (via DNS), allowing end-users to address a RAC cluster as-if it were a single IP address.
Removes the requirement to change the client connection if cluster changes.
Load balances across the instances providing a service. SCAN listener selects least loaded node.
SCAN requires a DNS entry or GNS to be used.
SCAN is an alternative to the transparent application failover (TAF) for automatic load balancing.
SCAN VIP/LISTENER will failover to another node in the cluster.
Clients do not require VIP information.
Must resolve to at least one address on the public network.
SCAN provides location independence for the databases.
Allow clients to use EZConnect or JDBC connections.
SCAN Listener would forward the request to local listener that's running on VIPs.
Each cluster will have 3 SCAN listeners, each having a SCAN VIP defined as cluster resources.
Instance registers with local listener on its node. Database "REMOTE_LISTENER" registers instances with all SCAN listeners.
SCAN listeners on each node in the cluster, which are not replacements for a regular listener.
PMON process of each instance registers the database services with the default listener on the local node and with each SCAN listener, which is specified by the REMOTE_LISTENER database parameter.
Client queries DNS to resolve to SCAN.
cluvfy comp scan -> Use the cluvfy comp scan component verification command to check the Single Client Access Name (SCAN) configuration.
crsctl status resource -w "TYPE = ora.scan_listner.type"
Great article, really helped clear up my understanding.


text:
NIEPMD Recruitment
National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities
Accounts Officer (CA, ICWA, M.Com, MBA/PGDM)
Asst. Professor in Special Education (M Sc)
Sr. Lecturer in Special Education (M.A/M.Ed)
Demonstrator (M.Sc., B.Ed.)
Senior Lecturer (M.Sc, M.Phil/Ph.D)
Accounts Officer (CA, ICWA, M.Com, MBA/PGDM) in National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities - NIEPMD Recruitment
National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 603112
M.Com., from recognized university with five years of experience on regular basis in Government Accounting in any Organized Accounts Department in the scale of pay of Rs.5500-9000 (OR) three years of experience on regular basis in Govt. accounting in any organized accounts Department in the scale of Pay of Rs.6500-10500/- OR ACA/AICWA/MBA (Finance) from Institution of Reputation with one to two years of experience in Govt. accounting. OR Graduate with pass in SAS or equivalent examination conducted by C&AG in any branch with five years experience on regular basis in Govt. account in any organized accounts department. 2. Knowledge in Computer application & computerized accounting system
Accounts Officer Group 'A' /Ministerial Pay Level - 10 Rs.56,100 - Rs.1,77500 of the Pay Matrix of 7th CPC (6th CPC Rs. 15600- 39100 (PB-3) Grade Pay Rs.5400/-) by Deputation basis
Upper Age Limit as on last date of receipt of applications: Not exceeding 56 yrs.
Application form as per the prescribed format given in our website, duly supported with attested photocopies of the complete and upto date Confidential Reports for the last five years shall be submitted within 30 days of publication of this advt in Employment News, addressed to "The Director, NIEPMD", at the address given above. Applications received late will not be considered and the fee is forfeited to the organization. 2. The appointment will be governed by the instructions issued by DOP&T, GOI, as applicable to Central Govt. departments/organizations. The tenure of deputation will be initially for one year that may be on satisfactory performance extended further but not exceeding 3 years. 3. Application form as per the prescribed format given below duly supported with attested photocopies of the complete and upto date Confidential Reports for the last five years (if serving Central Govt. employee) shall be submitted within 30 (thirty) days of publication of our notification in Employment News .
Accounts Officer Vacancy – Last Date 29 November 2020 (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) recruits Accounts Officer posts. Candidate with CA, ICWA, M.Com, MBA/PGDM Experienced can apply.
Asst. Professor in Special Education (M Sc) in National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities - NIEPMD Recruitment
National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities , Chennai, Tamil Nadu 603112
M.Sc. Mathematics/M Sc. Statistics. ii. M.Ed. Spl. Edu. (MD/ASD/ID with Dissertation topic with MD or ASD) in regular mode. iii. Minimum 5 years of experience in Teaching or Research
Rs. 44, 000/- per month
NET/ Ph. D in core area and publications.
RCI Registration is mandatory for all the positions otherwise specified. 2. This engagement will be purely temporary and only for a period of 11 months and the engagement will cease after the 11th month without any notice. Renewal of engagement for further 11 months is subject to project need and performance. 3. The incumbent will be paid consolidated honorarium only. No other allowances such as DA/ HRA/ MA/ GPF/ NPS and other allowance will be admissible. 4. The incumbent will have NO RIGHT to claim for any regularization or extension/ renewal of engagement in any circumstances. 5. Duration of Ph.D. will be considered as experience. 6. Candidate to bring filled in application in the prescribed format (Attached). 7. Candidates to report with all testimonials/certificates in original and one set of self-attested true copies. Two passport size photographs. Aaadhar or any valid ID proof
The Candidates are requested to report at Room No. 34, 1st Floor, Department of Special Education before 11.00 A.M on 17.11.2020 .
17. 11. 2020 Time: 11.00 AM (Room No. 34 First Floor, Dept. of Special Education NIEPMD)
NIEPMD, East Coast Road, Muttukadu, Chennai-603 112.
Sr. Lecturer in Special Education (M.A/M.Ed) in National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities - NIEPMD Recruitment
M.A. History or Geography. ii. M.Ed. Spl. Edu. (MD/ASD/ID with Dissertation topic with MD or ASD) in regular mode. iii. Minimum 3 years of experience in Teaching or Research
Demonstrator (M.Sc., B.Ed.) in National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities - NIEPMD Recruitment
Asst. Professor in Special Education & Various Vacancies – Last Date 17 November 2020 (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) recruits Asst. Professor in Special Education, Sr. Lecturer in Special Education, Demonstrator posts. Candidate with M.Sc., B.Ed., M.A/M.Ed. Experienced can apply.
Senior Lecturer (M.Sc, M.Phil/Ph.D) in National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities - NIEPMD Recruitment
M.Sc (Sp & Hg)/ MASLP /M.Sc (Audiology) /M.Sc (SLP) or its equivalent. ii. Minimum 3 years of experience in teaching/Clinical/ Research in the field of rehabilitation. iii. Valid RCI registration.
Ph. D in core area and publications.
The Director, NIEPMD, Chennai invites applicants for a walk-in interview/selection process to engage Faculty Members (Consultants) in the Dept. of Speech, Hearing and Communication. 1.Venue: NIEPMD, East Coast Road, Muttukadu, Chennai-603 112. 2.Date: 05. 11. 2020 3.Time: 11.00 AM (Room No. 68, Dept. of Speech, Hearing and Communication, 2nd Floor NIEPMD)
05. 11. 2020 3.Time: 11.00 AM (Room No. 68, Dept. of Speech, Hearing and Communication, 2nd Floor NIEPMD)
Senior Lecturer Vacancy – Last Date 05 November 2020 (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) recruits Senior Lecturer posts. Candidate with M.Sc, M.Phil/Ph.D, Experienced can apply.
About National Institute for empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (नेशनल इंस्टिट्यूट फॉर एम्पावरमेंट ऑफ़ पर्सन्स मल्टीप्ल डिसैबिलिटीज)
National Institute for empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities. established in the year 2005, on East Coast Road, Muttukadu, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, (about 30 km from Chennai Central railway station, Mofussil bus terminus and airport) Under Department of Disability Affairs, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India, to serve as a national resource center for empowerment of persons with Multiple Disabilities such as those with two or more disabilities in a person. The Disabilities enumerated as per PWD (1995) Act, are Low Vision, Blindness, Locomotor Disability, Hearing Impairment, Mental Retardation, Mental Illness, Leprosy Cured Persons and as per The National Trust (1999) Act, are Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities.Contact Us:East Coast Road, Muttukadu, Kovalam Post Chennai – 603112, Tamil Nadu, India. Fax No: 044- 27472389 Email: niepmd(at)gmail[dot]com Website:http://niepmd.tn.nic.in/For more Government jobs, Please visit https://www.sarkari-naukri.in/
More Govt Jobs Filed Under: CA, Chennai, Diploma Holders, M A, M. Sc, MBA, Officer, Ph. D, Post Graduates, Tamil Nadu, Walk In Interviews

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Regulators Vetting Casino Sale to MGM Real Estate Trust
Global anxiety over Chinese real estate crisis
The Gaming Commission began Thursday to wade through a complex proposed real estate transaction that would boil down to the MGM Springfield land and property being sold to MGM's real estate investment trust for $400 million and it being leased back to MGM Resorts for $30 million annually to continue to operate the casino.
When the transaction was announced, the real estate investment trust – MGM Growth Properties – said it expected no change to MGM Springfield's "employees, vendors, customers, and the community." Even if the sale and change could have no significant impacts on the operations of the casino, the first to open under the Bay State's 2011 expanded gaming law, the Gaming Commission must scrutinize each of the various moving parts and vote on whether to approve the transfer.
"We are excited to add MGM Springfield to our portfolio of high-quality gaming resort real estate and are encouraged by the property's recent record financial performance. This transaction reflects the continued execution of our growth strategy," James Stewart, CEO of MGM Growth Properties, said. When announced in May, the transaction was expected to close by the end of 2021.
MGM Resorts has executed similar transactions with other properties around the country as part of an "asset light" strategy that frees up liquid cash that the company can invest in other casinos, use to pursue sports betting expansion or to benefit shareholders. CDC Gaming Reports said MGM Springfield is the last of the MGM regional casino properties to be sold to MGM Growth Properties (MGP).
As of the end of 2020, the REIT controlled approximately 32,400 hotel rooms, 1.6 million square feet of casino facilities and 3.6 million square feet of convention space, it said.
"As a growth-oriented public real estate entity, MGP expects its relationship with MGM Resorts and other entertainment providers to attractively position MGP for the acquisition of additional properties across the entertainment, hospitality and leisure industries," the company said in its press release boilerplate.
Ms. Kim in her 50s plans to go on a field survey to New York to see a studio condominium...
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Irvine, California-based real estate investment trust American Healthcare REIT has hired a new general counsel, less than a month after...
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Day in the life: Serena, Real Estate Management Associate at Blackstone, London Serena graduated from Cambridge University with a degree...
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CALGARY, Alberta (AP) _ Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust (BOWFF) on Tuesday reported a key measure of profitability in its...


text:
Go to the search field
Legal and Trademarks
GNOME starts campaign to protect its trademarks
GNOME has launched a campaign to raise funds for protecting the GNOME trademarks.
Recently, Groupon launched Gnome, a tablet-based point of sale (POS) system that Groupon describes as a "platform" and an "operating system".
The GNOME Foundation is concerned and sees their long-established mark for Free Software, GNOME, endangered. The GNOME Foundation asks for ideological and monetary support to cover the costs of opposing the marks Groupon applied to register, which were estimated to be around 80,000 USD.
"I cannot believe Groupon was not aware of GNOME, the Free Software desktop environment and application suite, when it chose the name. Especially as they claim to be 'fueled by open source'," said Tobias Mueller, one of the directors of the GNOME Foundation.
"We will not give up but fight their use of our name which we have established over the last 17 years to provide users all over the world with high quality Free Software solutions."
"Millions of people who use GNU/Linux based systems use GNOME or GNOME-related technologies, such as GLib or GTK+. We must not let a billion-dollar-company take the well-established name of one of the biggest Free Software communities," Tobias added. "If you want to help GNOME defend its trademark and promote Free Software, visit the campaign's page, share the link, and let Groupon know that they behaved terribly".
GNOME also made a press contact available for further questions or interviews.
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One of the most notable features of the traditional HR department used to be the banks of filing cabinets. In fact, it's quite possible that the human resources function has significantly contributed to the deforestation of the planet.
Which makes the trend for transitioning to a paperless HR environment – to HRMS and other assorted software – all the more welcome. Printing costs and security issues make moving to a paperless office practically a no-brainer for any HR function. But if you're moving your records from the page to the screen, what do you have to take into account?
Before the technical issues and opportunities, let's start with the human factor. If the users won't use it, then your paperless systems will be a waste of time, effort and money. Consider your stakeholder groups – C-suite, HR staff, managers, frontline workers – and then involve them from the beginning of the process. If everybody is used to paper forms, paper records, and paper procedures then the shift to 'paperless' is a quantum leap. Communicate the benefits of the new system to key users; these include better security, no lost files, easier search-and-retrieval, automatic alerts and notifications, direct access, and fewer mistakes – especially important for functions such as payroll!
Any change of system is a potential de-skilling exercise, so ensuring that your users can actually use the new system is an essential element of the transition. Link the training to the goals in the HRMS business case: reduced costs, ease-of-use, better legislative compliance. Avoid a one-size-fits-all strategy and offer different packages for different sets of skills and knowledge needs. Finally, evaluate the training – both during and post-activity – to ensure that those needs were met.
Assuming you want the HRMS to contain past HR records (and really, why wouldn't you?) then there's a sizeable input task ahead. What's more, allowing for the inevitable human error, the newly-digitized data will need cleansing. For the sake of accuracy,and to share the workload out more evenly ask each employee to personally check their new record; this is also another element of your change management and training efforts as the act of checking forces everybody to engage with the system in some way.
There's no point in half measures and a truly paperless HR setup will enable staff to complete and sign their HR 'paperwork' on-screen. It's faster, simpler, and no trees are harmed in the course of benefits enrollment or a simple application for time off. The design of your e-forms can be included in the inevitable review and (re-)design of your HR processes that adopting a new system will prompt.
Any well-managed move to a new way of working includes measures to prevent backsliding. If you don't want your people to relapse into printing everything they see on-screen, consider how you can reduce the number of printers available. While you on the topic, remove the fax machine from the HR office – if you have no mechanism to receive paper copies, people will stop sending them.
If a fundamental benefit of going paperless is reducing your storage requirements then what to do with all those old records? Even having input the data into the new system, you may be reluctant to simply recycle the old files; and besides, legislative compliance may require you to maintain them somewhere. So, have them scanned as pdf files and stored. If you absolutely have to keep the paper copies then at the least, look into long-term storage options and remove them from the premises.
Paperless HR: better productivity, reduced costs… what are you waiting for?


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Q: Adobe Illustrator cs5 svg file size Hello I have issue with size of svg.
When I have some texts on canvas, for example:
Text1
Text2
Text3

I need to save each text into svg. So I select Text1 with Artboard tool and save. Resolution size is 5kb. But when I delete Text2 and Text3 from canvas and save Text1, then svg has about 1.2kb.
Is some way how to achieve smaller size without deleting objects? I have tried to put texts into layers and hide them, but it does not works.

A: Try and use this online SVG cleanup optimizer:
https://jakearchibald.github.io/svgomg/
It has many options to clean up Illustrator code for a smaller SVG file size.
You can either paste your markup or upload a SVG file.
Just some other useful tips:

*

*remove unneeded whitespace

*remove unneeded tags, like nested <g> tags

*decrease decimals as much as possible

*use transforms, instead of creating other paths, shapes or points

*remove attributes that are not needed especially if including your SVG tag inside an HTML page

*remove unwanted namespace URI if including in HTML page.

*remove the doctype and xml tag included in the SVG file if including in an HTML page

*remove any hidden vector pointer

*maybe using flat colors instead gradients and blurs.

*convert inline styles to a  tag for CSS

*optimize and any external images, png is preferable use tinypng.com

*If your SVG is just used as an image, weigh the cost of it as a regular PNG, vs as an SVG

A: Hiding a layer does not remove it from the svg code, it just sets the display on the group (layer) to "none", the points are all still represented in the code. This is intended functionality of an SVG file. If you want a smaller file size, you really need to remove the elements from the file before you save.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home / News / Future Day at Jacobs University
Future Day at Jacobs University
In three workshops on the topics of "Economics", "Mathematics", and "Biology", the young scientists were able to get to know various professional areas (Source: Jacobs University)
How are new products introduced to the market? Are magnetic fields harmful? How do you solve a geometric puzzle? The questions 60 high school students dealt with during the nationwide initiative "Girls' Day and Boys' Day" at Jacobs University were exciting and encouraged creative thinking.
Instead of sitting in the classroom of their schools, the 60 girls and boys from the greater Bremen area were able to get a taste of university air for a day. During a campus tour, the group could see what everyday life and studying at the international university in Bremen-Nord looks like. In three workshops on the topics of "Economics", "Mathematics", and "Biology", the young scientists were able to get to know various professional areas. The 14-year-old Julius Vial has set himself a clear goal after the Future Day. "I want to study economics later," says the high school student from Syke after lunch at one of the colleges on campus.
Wiebke Schulzendorf is a real whiz kid at maths. She brilliantly solved the challenging tasks in the mathematics workshop: "I liked the puzzles best because they were even more challenging than at school." 12-year-old Torben Happel enjoyed his day at Jacobs University very much. "I would definitely recommend the Future Day and would also like to come back," says the student from the school "Gymnasium Vegesack". There are many occasions for this, as Jacobs University regularly offers educational opportunities for high school students.
The Future Day ("Zukunftstag") took place on 28 March 2019 on the occasion of the nationwide initiative "Girls' Day and Boys' Day". This day intends to give pupils the opportunity to gain new experiences and to discuss gender aspects of life and career planning in their classes. Jacobs University is happy to contribute to getting young people excited about science and helping schoolchildren discover courses of study and careers that suit their abilities.


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Exclusive: Falwell steered Liberty University land deal benefiting his personal trainer
By Aram Roston, Joshua Schneyer
LYNCHBURG, Va. (Reuters) - Evangelical leader and prominent Donald Trump backer Jerry Falwell Jr personally approved real estate transactions by his nonprofit Christian university that helped his personal fitness trainer obtain valuable university property, according to real estate records, internal university emails and interviews.
FILE PHOTO: Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., attends the school's commencement ceremonies in Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S., May 11, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake
Around 2011, Falwell, president of Liberty University in Virginia, and his wife, Rebecca, began personal fitness training sessions with Benjamin Crosswhite, then a 23-year-old recent Liberty graduate. Now, after a series of university real estate transactions signed by Falwell, Crosswhite owns a sprawling 18-acre racquet sports and fitness facility on former Liberty property. Last year, a local bank approved a line of credit allowing Crosswhite's business to borrow as much as $2 million against the property.
Falwell, one of the most influential right-wing Christian leaders in the United States, has been buffeted by disclosures about his private dealings over the last year and a half.
A Florida lawsuit brought public scrutiny to a relationship between the Falwells and Giancarlo Granda, a young man they befriended while he was working as a pool attendant at a luxury Miami Beach hotel and later backed in a business venture involving a youth hostel. Falwell filed an affidavit in 2018 saying he used his own wealth to lend $1.8 million to the $4.65 million project with Granda.
And U.S. President Trump's now-jailed fixer, Michael Cohen, has said he helped the Falwells suppress racy personal photos, as Reuters reported this May, in the months before Cohen persuaded Falwell to endorse Trump's 2016 White House bid. There is no evidence that Cohen's efforts to suppress the photos were a quid pro quo for Falwell's vital political backing.
The support Falwell provided to the two young men, Granda and Crosswhite, has some parallels. Both were aided in business ventures and both have flown on the nonprofit university's corporate jet.
One difference: When Falwell helped Crosswhite, he used the assets of Liberty, the tax-exempt university he has led since 2008. Among the largest Christian universities in the world, Liberty depends on hundreds of millions of dollars its students receive in federally backed student loans and Pell grants.
In 2016, Falwell signed a real estate deal transferring the sports facility, complete with tennis courts and a fitness center owned by Liberty, to Crosswhite. Under the terms, Crosswhite wasn't required to put any of his own money down toward the purchase price, a confidential sales contract obtained by Reuters shows.
Liberty committed nearly $650,000 up front to lease back tennis courts from Crosswhite at the site for nine years. The school also offered Crosswhite financing, at a low 3% interest rate, to cover the rest of the $1.2 million transaction, the contract shows.
Crosswhite declined to answer questions about the deal. "All I will say is that my wife and I consult each other before every major business deal and we bought the complex from Liberty together," he said in an email. "My wife and I both work around the clock to make our business succeed."
Falwell referred Reuters to the university for comment. Liberty issued a statement describing the transaction as both proper and beneficial for the school.
Liberty had received the athletic center as a gift in 2011 from a trustee who has since died, but it quickly became a "drain on university resources," the statement said. Crosswhite had been leasing gym space at the property since 2013, and was thus "the most viable purchaser." Liberty said it adjusted the price and financed Crosswhite's purchase because its tennis team would continue to use the courts.
Falwell has "tried to be a business mentor" to Crosswhite, the university statement said, but that effort did not "cause him to abandon his fiduciary duties" to Liberty.
As Liberty's leader, Falwell draws an annual salary of nearly $1 million, and is obligated to put the university's financial interests before his own personal interests when conducting Liberty business.
"The concern is whether the university's president wanted to do his personal trainer a favor and used Liberty assets to do it," said Douglas Anderson, a governance specialist and former internal audit chief at Dow Chemical Co, who reviewed both the transaction and Liberty's explanation of it at Reuters' request. That would be bad governance, he said. "At a minimum, the terms suggest the buyer got a great deal and Liberty got very little."
The Crosswhite Athletic Club is set off a quiet residential lane about seven miles from Liberty's campus. Its large windowless buildings house indoor tennis and racquetball courts, a gym and pavilion.
During a visit by a reporter in August, Crosswhite, a muscular 31-year-old with short blond hair, was training a client in the well-equipped facility, running him through kettlebell swings and dumbbell presses. On a wall: A sign for "Crosswhite Fitness," with a cross where the T should be, and a citation to a verse from the New Testament's Second Epistle to the Corinthians.
Falwell has publicly credited Crosswhite with helping him lose 75 pounds. "That's the kind of guy he is," Crosswhite told Reuters. He asked Reuters to submit written questions about his dealings with Liberty and Falwell, but did not respond to them.
PITCHING A 'SWEET DEAL'
The story of the business relationship between Crosswhite, Liberty and Falwell appears to begin in 2011.
That year, Falwell urged other Liberty personnel in an email to cut Crosswhite a "sweet deal" allowing him to offer private gym training at the Lynchburg fitness facility, then known as the Sports Racket, which Liberty had recently acquired through the trustee's donation.
"Becki and I wouldn't mind working out over there with Ben as a trainer because it is more private," he wrote in the email, which was reviewed by Reuters. Falwell and his wife, who goes by Becki, each work out with Crosswhite twice a week, the university said. Falwell has become a vocal advocate of the trainer's skills, as have other university executives and clients who work with Crosswhite.
The Falwells brought the trainer along on Liberty's private jet during a 2012 trip to Miami. Later, Falwell sent an email directing Liberty to lease its gym space to Crosswhite's fitness business, which began a five year lease in 2013. The cost, according to a lease document: $2,300 per month.
Liberty said Falwell uses the university-chartered jet to fly every year to his annual physical in Miami. Crosswhite joined him in 2012 "to explain to the doctors Mr. Falwell's diet and exercise program and help document the results," the university said. Because Liberty's board requires an annual physical for Falwell, the president doesn't have to reimburse the university for the corporate jet travel to Miami, the statement said.
It was in Miami in 2012, as well, that Falwell met Granda, the pool attendant he would later finance in business. The financial ties between Falwell and Granda have been detailed by BuzzFeed and others.
In 2016, Falwell signed the deal transferring the facility to Crosswhite. The contract says the price is $1.2 million, but notes that the "Net Purchase Price" is $580,000, because Liberty "agrees to credit" Crosswhite with rental payments for seasonal use of the site's tennis courts through 2025. The courts are used by Liberty's tennis team for practices and tournaments.
Liberty "agrees to finance the purchase" at a 3% interest rate, the contract says. To help Crosswhite in the transaction, Liberty was lending Falwell's fitness trainer more than half a million dollars to buy its property. The university would receive no cash up front from the sale, the contract shows.
Transactions on such favorable terms could raise concerns over stewardship of corporate assets, and potentially insufficient scrutiny by the board, said Anderson, the independent governance specialist.
In 2017, after Liberty had sold the facility to Crosswhite, some university representatives voiced concern about whether the indoor tennis courts and roof over them were receiving needed maintenance, as the sales contract required, internal emails show. Falwell wasn't included in the email chain.
Liberty's general counsel, David Corry, responded that the school should remind Crosswhite of his maintenance obligations, according to the email exchange, which was reviewed by Reuters. But Corry, referring to Liberty University by its initials, added a note of caution: "Ben Crosswhite enjoys a close working relationship with several LU administrators, including the President." Anyone communicating with Crosswhite should do so "with knowledge ahead of time that it may be second guessed," Corry wrote.
Asked about Corry's warning, Liberty said he was raising the possibility that Crosswhite might complain to any one of "several people" at Liberty if he felt he was being treated "harshly" over the maintenance obligations. Therefore, Liberty said, the university needed to "have an approach that was not only legally sound, but cordial, professional and above reproach."
In 2017, Liberty provided Crosswhite with another $75,000 line of credit to conduct maintenance and repairs, the university said in its statement.
In an email sent earlier this month, Corry, citing a Reuters reporter's "persistent" attempts to reach former board members and the Falwells, reminded the former trustees they had signed confidentiality agreements. He told them they were required "forever" to keep secret what they knew about the university.
Crosswhite's acquisition of the sports facility appears to continue benefiting him. Last year, according to a Lynchburg Circuit Court filing, the trainer's business obtained a $2.05 million credit line from a local bank against its interest in the facility. Liberty said the credit line amount was linked to the property's future value after Crosswhite builds a swimming pool there.
On April 23, 2018, the day after the $2.05 million bank financing, Liberty University filed paperwork saying the $576,000 note Crosswhite owed for the property had been paid in full.
Editing by Ronnie Greene


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Myanmar opposition already showing itself in young democracy's parliament
Myanmar's National League for Democracy is a small piece of the country's parliament. But already its flexing its muscle as the nascent parliament begins to deal with real issue that will shape the country's future.
Preservationists worry economic growth may endanger Myanmar's historic buildings
Because of Myanmar's economic stagnation over the past decades, very little development has taken place -- which has allowed the country's historic colonial buildings to endure. But as the country loosens up, some preservationists are worried it may lead to destruction of relatively rundown, but still historic, buildings.
FDA panel recommends approval of prophylactic use of HIV prevention drug
Truvada, long used to treat people already infected with HIV, may soon be available as another means of preventing initial HIV infection. That was the recommendation of an FDA advisory panel that has been looking into the idea.
Side Effect: Burmese Punk
This weekend the country formerly known as Burma is holding democratic elections. Everyone there has something at stake – including a trio of punk rockers who call themselves Side Effect.
Spirits on the Streets of Yangon
Whatever else you do while you're in Myanmar, be sure to save time for wandering around downtown Yangon. You might see a nat house, a shrine that's home to diverse universe of spirits worshiped in Myanmar.
Business, Economics and Jobs
Labor Laws Strengthened in Myanmar, But Workers Still Struggle
Myanmar's workers were granted new job protections and rights to organize almost two years ago. Yet organizing can cost workers their jobs.


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← Download vol.1 of the WelcheMusic Compilation Playlist
Will She Be the Next Mary J. Blige? →
He Had the Biggest Hit of the '00s
The biggest UK singles hit of the last decade, "Evergreen," was performed as the winning song of Pop Idol UK back in 2002. Today, the Idol franchise produces new stars yearly around the world and was followed by X-Factor in the UK. The track was written by the Swedish songwriters Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, and had already been recorded by Westlife.
It only appeared on the Westlife's album "World of Our Own," and was never issued as a single. The track immediately topped the UK singles chart, staying there for three consecutive weeks. The track was included on Will Young's debut album From Now On. That album produced the No.1 singles "Light My Fire," and "The Long and Winding Road" as well as "Don't Let Me Down," which peaked at No.2.
The second biggest hit of the '00s was "Unchained Melody" with Gareth Gates. He was the runner-up behind Will Young in Pop Idol, and the track succeeded "Evergreen" on the chart.
This entry was posted in Idol, Pop, X-Factor and tagged David Kreuger, Gareth Gates, Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson, Will Young. Bookmark the permalink.


Are interested in learning how to clean your pool easily?The swimming pool at the backyard looks stunning and adds elegance. The private swimming pools provide you with an awesome chance to spend your summer holidays in a marvelous way. Having a private swimming pool is not a big deal, but maintaining the cleanliness of a pool is a huge deal. Well, you can see quite commonly the leaves and dirt flowing over the swimming pools and cleaning these can be difficult if you do not have a vacuum with you. For better performance of a pool vacuum, you need to have a pool vacuum hose.
Length – The hose that is used for the pool cleaners is not similar to the room vacuum cleaners. This hose is subjected to chemicals and water pressure along with flotsam and jetsam so that it can handle all the things easily. You should consider the length of pool hose before buying it quite carefully. If the length of the hose is long then it would help you in a great manner.
Durability – You should also consider the durability of a hose while buying it. These days you can find a number of pool vacuum hoses in the market and these are also known as swimming pool vacuum hose. You should always buy a vacuum hose for pool that can stand up against high internal pressures and the turns and twists it would be subjected to. If you buy a bad quality hose, you will have to repair it again and again and you wouldn't get enough time for having fun in the pool.
Adapter – In order to make sure that your hose attaches to inlet and vacuum easily, you should always buy the right pool vacuum hose adapter. You should always buy a cuff so that it can be attached to the pool vacuum hose. This cuff will allow the hose to rotate while you sweep and thus lessen time that you spend vacuuming the pool.
Safety – Make sure that your pool is safe and clean by using the hose properly to clean the pool in a proper manner. If you are new to pool maintenance you should always fill your vacuum hose with water from the pool in order to clean the pool. While cleaning the pool you should always keep in mind that pump in the pool basically pushes the pool water but not air.
There are a number of online stores these days that provide you with hoses with good quality. However, you should always look for the hoses that provide the traits specified above at an affordable price. Use these good hoses for your pool vacuum like the Hayward pool vac.
As summer comes the pools begin to open. The pools provide plenty of activity and are a good place for aerobic exercise and respite. Swimming can be one of the best exercises you can do. It doesn't put any weight on the joints and bones, plus it strengthens the upper and lower body. It also can help with the cardiovascular conditioning and works many of the major muscle groups. But of course in order for this to happen you need to follow some pool maintenance tips. The three keys to easy pool care are sanitation, oxidation and water balance.
To ensure a clean pool, you need to concentrate the efforts in removing unwanted dirt and foreign particles as well as adjusting the PH level in the pool water. This is something that can't be done whenever you think about it. You need to test the water of your pool regularly so you can adjust the levels by adding chemicals. A pool maintenance program can help prevent problems with your pool and prevention is better than the cure, it's always easier to perform maintenance than to have to repair. There are regular pool maintenance tips you can follow that will help your maintenance become easier.
Working to keep your pool maintenance effortless for owners as well as easy, Hayward Industries has been in business for over 80 years. They keep working to create efficient and cutting edge products fabricating Totally Hayward Systems that will work well all year round. Their main goal to the public is to make things easier for them by creating such products like filters, pumps, heaters, and cleaners.
In the spring when you open the pool and in the fall when you close it, are the times when you have the most work to do. Here are some tips on pool maintenance tips for opening and closing a pool.
Remove the cover that has been on since winter. The cover needs to be rinsed, dried and put away laying flat in a dry place.
Reattach the equipment back to the pool such as the pump and filter. Make sure to put the skimmer basket back for the debris won't go into the pump.
Fill the pool with water up to the skimmer.
Test and put in chemicals, since it's been closed it will be in need of a lot of chlorine.
Remove the water down to the below the inlet jets, by back washing and draining the water.
Put the cover on and secure it.
Speaking of easy, there is an automatic cleaner made by Hayward that is promising to be the best solution to your pool maintenance needs. The Hayward Pool Vac is a robotic vac that will help keep your pool clean. It can be a pool owner's best friend especially if your pool gets a lot of use.
Millions of households own their own swimming pools and appreciate the benefit of cooling off on those hot summer days. Everybody can also enjoy the benefit of a clean swimming pool, however, the work associated in cleaning and maintenance is not appreciated. But you don't need to worry because there is a solution. The Hayward Pool Company provides many fine products to make the chore of cleaning the swimming pools a bit easier. Here is a list of pool cleaning tools you will need for basic pool cleaning and maintenance.
For basic pool cleaning, simply connect one end of the swivel hose to the triangle brush vacuum head and the triangle brush vacuum head to the telescopic pole.
Then attach the other end of the swivel hose to the skimmer basket and pool filter attachment in order to create a strong suction flow from the bottom of the triangle brush head. Now you are ready to have some fun.
Standing on your pool deck and holding the telescopic pole handle, slowly sweep the triangle brush vacuum head along the bottom of the swimming pool where the dirt has settled. If you sweep the vacuum head to fast, the dirt will just get lifted up from the bottom and settle again after the water is calm again thus increasing the amount of time you will spend cleaning your pool.
When you are not using the vacuum, attach the leaf skimmer to the telescopic pole to skim the water surface to remove leafs.
In today's lifestyle, it is certain that everybody lead busy lives and will agree that keeping the pool free of leaves and other small debris is a major chore. To make everybody's lives a bit easier, the Hayward Pool Company carries a full line of automatic swimming pool cleaners made for all types of swimming pools to go with their list of pool cleaning tools.
The last thing a person wants to do is to spend hours cleaning swimming pools each week. These automatic swimming pool cleaners are great time savers. The automatic swimming pool cleaners can operate independently of the swimming pools filter system or it can be connected to the pools filter system utilizing the pool filter's suction just like the manual vacuums. Whichever automatic swimming pool cleaner you decide to purchase, it will do a great job of cleaning your swimming pool. Now, enjoy your weekend!
Why is Hayward Vacuum cleaners for pools popular? The Hayward Pool Vac is a great solution to your pool maintenance needs. Great products like the Hayward pool vac ultra, the Hayward pool vac XL and the Hayward robotic pool vacs are all products to consider if you need to keep your pools clean and looking their best.
Hayward Industries has been around for over 80 years, constantly working to keep pool maintenance not only possible but also easy and effortless for owners around the nation. They seek to create "cutting edge" products and work to fabricate efficient Totally Hayward Systems that work year-round. Their goal is to make things easy and simple, with products ranging from filters, pumps, heaters, cleaners, and more. AquaVac Systems, acquired in 2007, has become a brand that Hayward uses due to its international reputation for high quality manufacturing. The companies now work together to market maximum growth opportunities.
Energy Efficiency. Cleaners by Hayward are automatic, allowing for energy conservation and less effort on the owner's part. The most efficient cleaners are the robotic cleaners, which save up to 94% of energy costs vs. common pressure cleaners. From the TigerShark to the SharkVAC, these robotic cleaners offer a great solution that might be perfect for you.
Suction Cleaners. The suction cleaners that Hayward is renowned for are one of their many great products. Suction cleaners are used best in desert and tropical climates where the Hayward pool vac can easily handle fine debris, twigs, and leaves. Even though they have to be installed through a dedicated line, it can be done in 15 minutes without any other tools necessary. The Hayward Blu is a great solution for in-ground pools with its SmartDrive technology, which makes it fast and efficient. The Pool Vac XL is great because of its AquaPilot steering maneuverability, which allows the cleaner to steer in a predetermined routine.
Single Pass Capability. As the majority of these cleaners are powered by your own filtration system, buying a booster pump is an unnecessary expense. The DV5000 is another great solution for its impressive power. Able to devour debris in a single pass, it's an automatic pool cleaner that is quiet and self-propelling. This means that, on its own, it can clean up all the dirt, debris and twigs that are in your pool.
Having a pool, either personally or commercially, is an investment that's hard to maintain. Pools need constant work and maintenance; Hayward is a company that helps you to keep everything in order.
Whether you are buying all of your equipment from Hayward or just your cleaners, they're a great place to go to solve all of your pool problems. So don't worry about having to maintain a pool. The hassle, the worry, and the amount of work can be significantly cut down if you choose to use the products that Hayward has spent years and millions of dollars developing. The Hayward pool vac might be the last thing you need to buy for the rest of your career as a pool owner, and their quality and durability will make it a purchase worth your while, plus additional Hayward pool vac parts are very reasonably priced.
GE replacement parts can be obtained at times from GE themselves, especially if it is a newer GE appliance in warranty. You can take the GE appliance to a certified GE repair shop, or hire a repairman to put in GE replacement parts. Just ask them if they repair GE appliances and if they do, if you can buy the part from them, as well.
Also, you can get used appliance parts to do DIY repairs. If you know how to do a repair on a GE appliance, you can get GE appliance parts from appliance parts shops. Maybe you have a friend or friend of a friend who has parted out a GE appliance that was the same as yours. Ask around and see if one did, maybe you can buy GE replacement parts from them.
General Electric replacement parts can sometimes be found online, or in a parts shop where they part out dead electrical appliances and keep good used appliance parts for others to buy. Look around for appliance "chop shops" for used appliance parts if you are buying a part for your GE appliance. Check Craigslist for people who might be selling GE appliance parts, too.
Sometimes, there is a local Freecycle and other online classifieds for your local area to look into for people selling or giving away GE replacement parts. If someone on Freecycle is giving away a free GE appliance that is broken and it matches the model of yours, ask them for this and part it out and see if the GE appliance part that you need actually works. If this is the case, you got a free repair, especially if you are a DIY'er.
After you had gotten or bought the GE appliance to part out, then you can part it out even more and store the GE appliance parts so that if another part breaks, you can go to your storage and quickly replace what broke down. Keep a nicely organized rack of the parts in the garage or shed of your GE appliance parts and you should be as good as gold.
General Electric replacement parts can be found in appliance parts shops and sometimes on Craigslist and other classifieds sites. Even if you do this, check the curbs on garbage day to see if there is a particular GE appliance that you need out there. If there is, bring a truck and pick it up to part out at home. This is best done if you are a handyman.
Getting a refrigerator can be a confusing decision since there is a huge variety to choose from. Be it a compact size small refrigerator or a humongous sized refrigeration unit, there is a wide selection of refrigerators available in the market, depending on the varied uses. Besides that, there are a number of prestigious and branded companies that manufacture and sell these quality refrigerators at economical prices. Among them, GE is a popular and trusted name in kitchen and refrigeration appliances that is well known all over the world owing to its reliable and quality induced products. Its GE monogram refrigerator range is one such fine example of its masterful creation.
Being a popular name in durable refrigerators, the GE monogram refrigerator is a state of the art refrigeration unit that is stylishly designed to become a point of attraction in any kitchen. Its effective cooling and various sizes make it a preferred choice of many satisfied customers. One can either select from counter depth refrigerators or regular sized ones depending on the size of their kitchen.
Be it a casual hangout or a formal social event, the GE monogram refrigerator has enough space to store food and snacks including ice for drinks for any kind of event. It is also idle for people who simply want to enjoy a few snacks or chilled drinks. The GE monogram refrigerator has been voted among the best refrigerators for 2010 and hopes or continues its prestigious legacy by rolling out new and advance models in the future. These stylish marvels add a fashion statement to your kitchen or room interiors due to their chic and modern design features. Their sleek looks and spacious interiors make them the perfect choice among households worldwide.
The GE monogram refrigerator is a complete solution to all your home refrigeration needs. It is made from quality GE refrigerator parts that are put through rigorous tests before being installed. Providing a uniform and effective cooling in all compartments, this refrigeration marvel is another quality product from the house of GE. Besides refrigerators, GE is a world renowned name in various kitchen appliances and other household products. It has been awarded time and again for its quality innovations. The GE monogram refrigerator is one such award winning technical marvel that incorporates high standards of quality and safety in order to render a lifelong service to its valued customers.


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Hero Spotlight – SSG Justin Keplinger
February 10, 2018 March 6, 2018 / in News & Media / by Homes for Heroes
"Never take counsel of your fears" Stonewall Jackson
Staff Sergeant Justin Keplinger is stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where he proudly serves as a Signal Collection Analyst and Airborne Jumpmaster Senior Rated Parachutist. Staff Sergeant Keplinger has served in the United States Army for 15 years and has been at his current duty station since 2011. Staff Sergeant Keplinger is a dedicated soldier, husband to his wife, Kacy, father to his son, Jackson, and servant to his church and community. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he is mentoring the youth at his church in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Of serving others, he says "I can think of no higher calling than to serve someone other than yourself."
A True Calling
Staff Sergeant Keplinger grew up right outside of Charlotte, North Carolina in the small town of Oakboro. His mother and father are both significant influences in his life, referring to his father as "The American dream" and his mother as "My biggest supporter." He says their support and love over the course of his military career have meant the world to him.
Justin says he always felt called to the military in some way and had initially considered becoming a chaplain. After the events of September 11, 2001, Justin said he knew he had to "pull the trigger," so he enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating High School in 2002. While his specific career field was a "random decision," his choice to join the Army was where he always saw himself. "I always knew I would have a career in the military."
Award Recipient
Over the course of his Army career, Justin has received several recognitions and awards of which he is proud. The one he takes the most pride in is his award for "Installation Joint Service Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year," which he received in 2008. He is most proud of this award because "It was the first time I got to represent something bigger than myself in the Army." He also received a medal for "Outstanding volunteer service." He received this medal for coordinating and planning to build a new audio-visual system for the instillations chapel in 2008. He also won the Knowlton Award in 2012. Staff Sergeant Keplinger received this award for his significant contributions to the Army Military Intelligence community. That award is meaningful to him because at the time, he was only a Sergeant, and it is typically just awarded to senior enlisted soldiers.
His favorite quotes are,
"'You do you, boo-boo,' which I hear in the kitchen at Church all the time, but I think the person who coined the phrase was Kevin Hart. Basically, to me, it means that you have to let people be who they're going to be, and you love them through it, regardless. And while I would never say that I'm a brave soul, Stonewall Jackson's famous quote, 'never take counsel of your fears' has always inspired me. We can't trust what our fears tell us. Don't ever consider what your fears have to say."
Staff Sergeant Keplinger's fondest memories of his time in the Army have been: "My first jump was a big one, I think back to how scared I was, and of course graduating Jumpmaster School. I have a lot of favorite on-the-job moments, but I have two in particular that involve my family that will always stand out to me. The first being, getting off the plane at Green Ramp from my seven-month deployment to Afghanistan and seeing my wife and son for the first time. And the second was surprising my son at Charlotte Motor Speedway after a year-long tour in Korea. It was incredible to see the sheer excitement of a six-year-old being completely caught off guard by his Dad after a long separation."
"The most difficult aspect of my job is the amount of time spent away from my family. Being in the Army isn't your typical 9 to 5 job, and even when I am in the country, sometimes I am working very late nights, weekends and even when I am at home. I'd say the consistent nature of always having something to do, and the time that it takes away from your family is by far the most difficult part of being in the Army."
A Positive Life Experience
When asked if Staff Sergeant Keplinger would encourage his son Jackson to follow in his footsteps he says, "While the Army itself may not be the best route for Jackson, I would absolutely encourage him to go into a profession where he is serving others. I can't think of anything greater for my son to do than to serve in some capacity. He's a great public speaker, even at nine years old. He's got a confidence about him that I admire greatly."
Staff Sergeant Keplinger was asked if he considered his career in the Army as having a positive or negative influence in his life he says, "I don't believe in the concept of negative life experiences, as long as we are willing to learn from them. You have to take the best of it and take the worst and find ways to avoid it if you can in the future. Learn from your life experiences, and they'll never feel like negative ones."
Staff Sergeant Keplinger says that "Learning when to act and when to be patient, and the difference between the two," has been the greatest lesson that the Army has taught him so far. "Sometimes, you're forced to be patient, and other times you have to know when it's time to no longer sit back and wait, and you just need to go act."
Family Is Everything
Justin has been married to his wife, Kacy, for 12 years. They knew each other for only two months before marrying, and they have never looked back. Of his wife, he says, "She is understanding and is willing to work with me and the military. I am thankful for her loving heart, and her best quality is how well she loves others. She loves the teenagers at our church and truly has a heart for teenage girls and helping to raise them up to be godly young women."
His son, Jackson, was born 15 weeks premature, weighing only 1lb 11oz. "I remember the Doctors preparing me before I saw him for the first time, saying, 'don't expect much.' It was frightening beyond belief for my wife and me. After four brain surgeries and countless other surgeries, he has amazed us over and over again. He taught himself to read at only three years old, and now at nine, you'd have no idea how precarious his life was for the first two years. He's such an individual, and we couldn't be more proud of the young man that he is".
Staff Sergeant Keplinger plans to retire from the Army saying that, "Retirement is a little bit of a waiting game, but its eminent and I am looking forward to it at 20 years." After he retires from the Army, he can see himself moving into another service role and says, "Elementary education has always interested me because of the lack of good male role models. I have also given a lot of thought to moving into a ministry position specifically geared toward military members."
Staff Sergeant Keplinger and his wife Kacy are familiar with Homes for Heroes. "We love the Homes for Heroes Foundation and that they give back so generously to Heroes helping to make them homeowners. We support organizations like this that give back so much to those who dedicate their lives to serving others."
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The Sunrise Movement and their young allies in the new Congress are pressing for commitments to the Green New Deal from lawmakers and 2020 candidates.
In the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi at least created a Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. This falls short of what Sunrisers really wanted, which was a standing committee that would have subpoena power. This would enable the committee to call department heads to House hearings to hold them accountable for policies to implement a Green New Deal or at least to address the climate change challenge.
However, the Sunrisers are pressing ahead. Already several potential 2020 presidential candidates have expressed varying degrees of support for a Green New Deal, including Bernie Sanders, Jeff Merkley, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Cory Booker.


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Cynthia Hoehl
Age: 73 • Ferrisburgh, VT
After having spent a lovely holiday and birthday surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and friends. Cynthia Hoehl, 73, passed away peacefully at home on January 11, 2016. Born on January 2, 1943, in Burlington, VT, Cynthia Ann was the youngest daughter of John Ferdinand and Christina Paula Kieslich. After her father passed away, her mother remarried Frank Deslauriers, and the family moved to St. Albans, VT where she graduated from Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans. Cynthia attended Trinity College and as a freshman, and at 16 years old, met the love of her life, Robert "Bob" Hoehl. They married at St. Mary's Church in St. Albans on August 17, 1963.
Cynthia, Cindy to her close friends, was a loving mother, making a home for her ever-growing family and supporting Bob in his business endeavors from IBM to BDP and finally IDX. She and her family fondly enjoyed reminiscing of the homes and friends from Barre, Burlington, Essex Junction, and South Burlington. With her kids all busy in school, mom took the opportunity to continue her education. She began by attending the kids' high school to master algebra, in 1991 she received her Master's in history from Saint Michael's College, and in 2010 she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from SMC. She also enjoyed extensive traveling with family and friends. Cynthia and Bob's success allowed them the privilege of being able to give back to these communities they called home, and in 2002 they earned the title "Outstanding Vermont Family Philanthropist" from the Northern New England Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She was active in many charitable organizations in the greater Burlington area with a particular focus on enhancing the lives of Vermonters through the support of their basic human needs. Dismas House, The Lund Center, COTS and the Cynthia K. Hoehl Institute for Excellence at the Stern Center were among the many beneficiaries of her generosity. From teaching the inmates to read at Chittenden County Correctional Facility to building houses in Immokalee County, Florida and a school in Haiti, she heeded her call to service and charity. Cynthia now joins her husband and partner, Bob, who passed away in 2010; her sister, Christine, and her brother, John. She is survived by two brothers, Karl and Paul; her sisters-in-law, Irene, Donna, Dot and Anita; her six children: Krystin and Michael Downes of Tully, NY; Robert and Betsy Hoehl of Clearwater Beach, FL; John and Martha Hoehl of South Burlington; Katharine and Mark Kostin of Yarmouth, ME; Nicholas and Stacy Hoehl of Waukesha, WI; Tad and Jessica Hoehl of Shelburne; as well as her 15 grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Michael's College Chapel on Saturday, January 23, at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow the ceremony at the Hoehl Welcome Center. Arrangements are by Boucher and Pritchard Funeral Directors. In lieu of sending flowers, the family asks that you take a loved one to dinner to talk, and if the Spirit moves you, make either a time or monetary donation to your favorite charity .
Thomas Trefley Bessette
Thomas Trefley Bessette passed away on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at the age of 73. A lifelong Shelburne resident, he was born in his family home on February 26, 1942 to Thomas and Hilda (Thomas) Bessette. He graduated from Shelburne High School in 1960, served in the Vermont National Guard and married Joanne Martin on May 6, 1967. Tom cared deeply about his community. He made countless friends and valued each of them for the richness they brought to his life. He was an active member of the Shelburne community serving in a variety of capacities including selectman, volunteer firefighter, police officer, town constable, health officer, animal control officer, and rescue squad driver. He also served as a board member of the Champlain Water District for more than thirty-five years. His love of people was apparent in his professional life as well. He worked at Parker Brothers, Inc. and then as head of security at Trinity College of Vermont. After Trinity's closure, Tom continued to serve the college community as an emergency dispatcher at St. Michael's College. Tom also worked for many years with Corbin & Palmer, Inc. He was an active member of the Catholic Church and the Ethan Allen Club, had a passion for photography, loved bird watching, and adored his four grandsons.
Thomas is predeceased by his parents and his brother Ronnie. He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years Joanne Bessette; their daughter Heather Bessette and her partner, Peter Straube of Monkton, VT; daughter Stephanie Egan, her husband Patrick and their children Brennan, Rowan and Declan of Bowers Beach, DE; and daughter Christine Terry, her husband Jason and their son Gavin of Shelburne, VT. He also leaves his dear brother Rick Bessette, his wife Candy and their sons Jeremy and Travis of Shelburne, VT.
Calling hours are Sunday, December 13, 2015 from 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Corbin & Palmer Funeral Chapel in Shelburne, VT at 209 Falls Road. A funeral is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Monday, December 14, 2015 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Burlington, VT. Burial will be immediately following church services at the Shelburne Town Cemetery following. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shelburne Rescue at P.O. Box 254 Shelburne, VT 05482.
Published in The Burlington Free Press on Dec 13, 2015
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PO Box 5186 Essex Jct., VT 05453
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© 2019 by Trinity College of Vermont


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The Gabba is an icon of the Brisbane landscape and is the home ground for the Brisbane Lions, Brisbane Heat and Queensland Bulls. It is regarded as an impenetrable fortress for the Australian cricket team, with one of the best cricket wickets in the world.
First established in 1895, the Gabba has hosted many major events including cricket, AFL, baseball, rugby league, rugby union, Olympic soccer and most recently two sell-out Adele concerts.
The venue has 42,000 capacity and a range of function and meeting spaces that are used extensively throughout the year. The stadium boasts unrestricted views of the oval playing surface from all areas making it ideal to host international sporting and entertainment events.
The Gabba is one of nine major sporting and entertainment facilities owned and operated by Stadiums Queensland.
There are a range of facilities and services available at The Gabba for patrons and venue hirers to utilise.
To find out more about The Gabba's non-game day venue hire options, please visit our Venue Functions and Stadium Hire pages.


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Female Marine Corps recruits train in Parris Island, South Carolina. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Marines are ready for female combat troops, but no women have signed up
For the first time in U.S. military history, female Marines officially will be allowed to start training for combat roles this summer, though the Marines may face an unforeseen problem: so far no women have signed up for combat positions. Last year, 200 female Marines underwent combat training as part of an experiment as the military considered whether to allow women in combat roles, but of those women, none have chosen to leave their current roles in the Marines to pursue combat.
"I don't think there's going to be a giant rush of female Marines, or current female Marines, who want to be in the infantry," Marine Capt. Ray Kaster told NPR. "It is a very difficult way of life. It is not a job. It's a lifestyle. It's who you are; it's what you do."
The Marines were the only branch of the military to petition Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter to keep combat roles closed to women, a request he declined when he announced in 2015 that all branches of the military would begin allowing women in combat roles this year. The Pentagon estimates that about 200 women will sign up each year for combat roles. Kaster conceded that there are "absolutely female Marines out there that can do the job." It's just that none so far have come forward to pursue the jobs in artillery, infantry, or armored vehicles.
Read the full story at NPR.
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Top military leaders say women should register for the draft
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Q: jQuery/js dealing with 'double focus' with cursor and event I'm enabling keyboard navigation for a menu. I'm running into an issue in a particular situation:

link

link

link

the jQuery:
$('ul').keypress(function (eh){
    var keyPressed = eh.keyCode;
    if (keyPressed=='37'){
        $currentFocusedLink.closest('li').prev('li:first').find('a:first').focus()

};
What happens:
I'm capturing the arrow keys to navigate between the menus. This works EXCEPT when the cursor is before the first character of one link and I hit the back arrow.
What I think happens is that the cursor moves and then the keypress is captured. Because the cursor moves into the previous anchor tag, it then triggers focus. But because I'm also capturing the keypress and assigning focus, whatever my focus event is gets called twice.
Any way to get around this issue?
UPDATE:
Here's a bit of sample code to try out to get a good idea of what is happening.
HTML:

      TEST LINK 1
      TEST LINK 2
      TEST LINK 3
      TEST LINK 4
      TEST LINK 5

jQUery:
var $activeLink;
$('.testNav')
    .find('a')
        .focus(function(){
             $activeLink = $(this);
        })
        .end()
    .keypress(function (eh){
        var keyPressed = eh.keyCode;
        if (keyPressed=='37'){
            $activeLink.prev('a').focus()
        };
     });

Note that you can tab forward and backward to each link just fine.
Now, tab to the 5th link and push the back arrow. It will jump to LINK 3. Push it again and it goes to LINK 1.
I think the reason is as stated above...my script applies focus, but so does the act of moving the cursor into the previous anchor tag. Both happen when you hit the back arrow.

A: You could use the jCaret plugin to check if your cursor was before the first character and handle that situation as an edge case.

A: SOLUTION:
This should have occurred to me sooner, but the eventual fix was to attach 'preventDefault()' to the keypress event. The key is to first detect the key presses, then only preventDefault on the particular keys you are looking for (or else lose keyboard functionality on the web page).


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Class Guide
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Home»Education»Class Guide
Filter classes by name
COIL HEARTS WORKSHOP (with a parent) AGES 5-8
Celebrate the month of February with a parent and each create a heart in clay while learning the coil technique. Learn More
First class:
Saturday, February 4, 2023 - 10:00am to 12:00pm
LEPRECHAUN HOUSES WORKSHOP AGES 5-8 (with a parent)
Create a ceramic leprechaun house with a parent while learning basic clay techniques along the way. Just in time to display for St. Patrick's Day and bring out every year. Learn More
Saturday, March 4, 2023 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm
SCULPTURE EXPLORATION AGES 5-8
Come create a sculpture in the round while exploring different techniques including experimenting with natural materials while learning about artists who are known for their 3D work. Learn More
Saturday, February 25, 2023 - 10:00am to 11:30am
SLAB BUILT TABLEWARE
Building with slabs is an efficient method for constructing walls of cylinders or bases of plates when throwing on the wheel is unavailable or undesirable. In this class, students will learn effective slab construction tips and tricks and slab assembly methods using simple molds to create a set of plates, bowls, and cups. Learn More
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm
PAINT POUR WORKSHOP AGES 9-12
Learn the art of paint pouring. Learn More
COMIC BOOK ART AGES 9-12
Local cartoonist and educator Jacob Boland teaches how to construct comic art using a combination of narrative detail, non-linear storytelling, panel layout, and traditional drafting tools. Learn More
Saturday, February 4, 2023 - 10:00am to 11:30am
MIXED MEDIA EXPLORATION ON CERAMICS AGES 13-16
Explore layering different types of media application in addition to glaze creating fun and interesting surfaces on a series of small ceramic pieces. Learn More
Monday, February 6, 2023 - 4:00pm to 5:30pm
POTTERY TEEN NIGHT AGES 13-16
Come learn something new and make some pottery with a friend! This is a two part clay session where you will each learn the basics of throwing on the pottery wheel! Learn More
Friday, February 3, 2023 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
GALENTANGLES NIGHT OUT
Celebrate Galentines day with your BFF, a bottle of wine and relaxing Zentangles Learn More
PHOTOSHOP FOR BEGINNERS
Learn photo editing with Photoshop. Topics covered include basic image editing, selection techniques, using layers, and creating original artwork. Learn More
PRINCIPLES OF DYNAMIC WATERCOLOR LANDSCAPES
This informative but fun course goes into great depth about how to paint one's own personal landscapes. It will touch on all the steps involved, including the initial sketchbook ideas in black & white such as thumbnail sketches, value studies, design principles, & other strong compositional guidelines. Learn More
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 - 10:00am to 12:30pm
WATERCOLOR PORTRAITS FROM PHOTOS 3 DAY WORKSHOP
This intensive class on watercolor portrait painting is one of the instructor's most popular workshops. The first Saturday will be spent discussing the particular construction of the face, as the students follow the instructor's step-by-step instructions. Each feature will be discussed & painted, along with some color theory & paint mixing, as they all work from the same watercolor portrait from start to finish. Students will also consider the best tactics on deciding upon & drawing out their photographic choices for the following Saturday & Sunday, when they will be painting their own personal images. Bring a sack lunch for both Saturday Sessions. PLEASE note Sunday, March 19 will meet 1:30pm -3:30pm Ages 16 and up! 3 Day Workshop *Saturday, March 11 10:00am-3:30pm *Saturday, March 18 10:00am-3:30pm *Sunday, March 19 1:30pm-3:30pm Learn More
Saturday, March 11, 2023 - 10:00am to 3:30pm


text:
Everson Griffen puts Vikings on his back with a critical sack
Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen celebrated a third-quarter sack of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson that swung Sunday's game back in the Vikings' favor.
— Jerry Holt, Star Tribune
By Mark Craig , Star Tribune
September 26, 2021 - 11:13 PM
See more of the story
Seattle had just torched the Vikings defense for 308 yards in the first half when it picked up a quick first down on its opening drive of the second half of Sunday's game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings led only 24-17 after an 8 ½-minute drive to start the third quarter produced only a 43-yard Greg Joseph field goal.
In other words, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had the Vikings right where he wanted them. Right where he's always toyed with them, going 7-0 against the Purple at that point in his career.
Then Everson Griffen, the 33-year-old pass rusher in his second stint with the Vikings, changed the game back in the Vikings' favor. For good. His 9-yard sack on second-and-10 led to a Seattle punt two snaps later, and Seattle never really threatened again as the Vikings pulled away to a 30-17 victory.
"That play was actually huge for me," linebacker Eric Kendricks said. "They ran like a little bit of a trick play. My guy actually was open down the field. So thank Everson for getting the sack on time."
One week after big miss, Vikings kicker Joseph perfect 6-for-6
Up next for the Vikings: the Browns
For Griffen, it was his first sack since returning to the Vikings after a year away in Dallas and Detroit. Now a situational pass rusher, he had one near-sack in the opener at Cincinnati and then missed Week 2 at Arizona with a concussion suffered when he said he swerved to miss a deer and struck a tree while driving to the Vikings practice facility.
"I feel like my feet are getting back underneath me," Griffen said. "The more reps I get, the better I feel like I'm going to get, and I'm going to start making my team better."
He certainly jump-started an amazing turnaround defensively in the second half.
Seattle ran 33 plays for 308 yards (9.3) and 17 points in the first half. In the second half, the Seahawks ran 19 plays for 81 yards (4.3) and zero points.
Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf had five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown in the game's first 16 minutes. Seattle led 17-7.
In the game's final 44 minutes? Metcalf had one catch for 19 yards. Meanwhile, Tyler Lockett, one of the league's best deep threats, had a quiet four catches for 31 yards with a long of 15.
"They've got two great receivers in Metcalf and Lockett," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "We're trying to focus on those guys and back them down a little bit. We just kept plugging away. They hit us on a couple of boots early. We kind of messed up a couple of those things but we settled down. I think the players did a good job of adjusting."
Kendricks admitted the Seahawks' game plan caught the Vikings off guard.
"They came out with a lot of looks we really hadn't seen on film," he said. "I mean, teams are going to do that. It's about adjusting. We talked over about how we should adjust.
"We talked over it originally and maybe it didn't work the way we thought so we changed it again. And everybody was on the same page, and we started neutralizing it a little bit."
Kendricks had a team-high 11 tackles, including the other sack of Wilson. Harrison Smith had eight tackles and an excellent pass breakup of a fourth-down deep ball into the end zone that essentially ended the game in the closing minutes. And Griffen had three tackles and two hits on the quarterback.
The Vikings defense, of course, was helped tremendously by an offense that held the ball for 36 minutes and a stadium that was filled with fans — very loud fans — for the first time since 2019.
"Being back at U.S. Bank Stadium, it feels amazing," Griffen said. "They're the best fans in the game. And I haven't seen Kirk play like this in a long time. He's playing great football right now. You've got to recognize that."
As for the defense, well, as Griffen said, "We had a slow start, but we picked it up."
Yes they did. Right after sack No. 75 ½ of Griffen's Vikings career.
In raucous home opener, Cousins and Vikings dominate Seattle
Kirk Cousins and the offense wore down Seattle to give the Vikings their first victory of the season — and beat the Seahawks for the first time in a dozen years.
Mark Craig has covered college or pro football for 27 of his 31 years as a sports writer at the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and Star Tribune. He is in his 24th season of covering the NFL. He is one of the 48 selectors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
mcraig@startribune.com 612-673-7011 markcraignfl
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