American rose growers are raving about it and, with great success, Dutch farmers have been using it for years.
While most coir is discarded, when it is used, the fibers are separated into long and short. Long fibers are used for ropes and mattresses, the short fibers and coir dust are used for both consumer and trade horticultural products.Coir, which wets and rewets almost instantly, absorbs water at a rate of about seven times its dry weight. This is almost 30% more water than peat can hold.
Coir is much more compact and lightweight than peat. Eg., one 8.25 lb. (3.75 kg) bag of coir hydrates to the equivalent of a 2.3 cu.ft. bale of peat moss.
Coir is 100% natural, the color of soil and pH neutral.
It lasts for up to four years and can be used for a wide range of applications, including edible plants.
A typical coconut palm produces one mature bunch of coconuts per month, or anywhere between 75 and 150 nuts per year. A healthy palm bears fruit for up to 75 years.
Hyper-renewable, coconuts are grown throughout the tropics worldwide. An estimated 17 billion coconuts are harvested annually from about 9 million acres.
While there are a number of countries involved in the coir business, PlantBest's coir comes from about 1500 subsistence farmers located in the hinterlands of Vietnam's Mekong Delta.
The coconut industry in Vietnam contributes to the economic welfare of some 10 million Vietnamese, and provides direct employment to some one million people.
Of the total area under coconut, 73% is located in the 9 provinces of the Mekong delta. As a matter of national land policy, private coconut holdings in Vietnam are limited to 1.25 acres (0.5 hectares) or less, with 60% smallholders, 30% cooperatives and 10% state farms.
Since nearly 65% of the area under coconut has been planted after 1983, the majority of the palms are relatively young, with many fruit bearing years ahead of them.


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Brachycaudus linariae är en insektsart som beskrevs av Stroyan 1950. Brachycaudus linariae ingår i släktet Brachycaudus och familjen långrörsbladlöss. Arten är reproducerande i Sverige. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Långrörsbladlöss
linariae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Careers at OpenGamma
Why join OpenGamma?
Meet team OG. We're a FinTech startup dedicated to reducing the costs of trading. With our deep quantitative expertise, we are building a cutting-edge, cloud-based service to help derivatives traders use their capital more efficiently and enhance their returns.
Our offices are based right in the heart of Shoreditch and Manhattan – and come with all of the standard startup perks: beer fridge, brownies, fresh fruit. But our best quality? Our people.
We are a small company, so every individual makes a huge difference. You won't necessarily finish in the role you start in, but that's because you shape your own role as you grow with the company.
We work completely transparently. From weekly team round ups to lunch and learns, we make sure the entire team understands what we're doing as a business and where we're trying to get to.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our people as much as the quality of our product. We look to hire only the strongest of candidates, eager to learn all they can from both industry and colleagues – and ready to immerse themselves in a modern and fast-moving startup environment.
If that sounds like something you would be interested in, we'd love to hear from you.
Shared office spaces with all of the perks…
We occupy shared spaces in both London and New York: The Office Group and WeWork. This gives us access to their exclusive office facilities, including their on-site gyms, midday massages, fresh burgers and salads. We can also use any of their spaces across the city.
Central locations in major cities…
London and New York are not just world-renowned as business hubs, but also as cities buzzing with culture and activity. We're lucky enough to be based right in the heart of both of them. That means, at the very least, we're walking distance from some of the best lunch spots and bars of East London and Midtown Manhattan.
Pick your own kit
We're all massive techies, which means the latest Macbooks and accessories on tap.
It also gets you 50% off Puregym memberships. Healthy employees = happy employees.
Budget for training
Because your continuous learning and development is as much an advantage to us as it is to you.
We're not tied to the bureaucracy of rigid, annual review processes; we recognise success with progression when it happens.
And if you don't have a bike, the scheme can cover that too.
Our employees have access to exclusive discounts across hundreds of brands, as well as travel and activity offers.
Monthly socials
Crazy golfing, shuffleboarding, games nights… you name it, we'll do it.
If you hadn't heard, we're growing pretty fast. Who do we want to benefit from that first? Our employees.
Fully stocked beer fridge
And a beer o'clock dedicated to drinking it, every Friday.
Office fruit deliveries
Ever tried a lychee? We have, they're our favourites.
For all of your adventures, we've got you covered.
Office dog Fridays, OG branded swag, sports leagues – we've got it all.
"OpenGamma has enabled me to work alongside a great group of people while being able to develop my own career in a supportive and exciting environment."
– Munaj, Quantitative Analyst
"It's a great company to work for, with an excellent team of people achieving really exciting things. I've been here 9 years and still love it."
– Helen, Business Manager
"For me, it's having the ability to make an impact in how the company is evolving. Plus, what's not to love about chocolate brownies on a Thursday?"
– Phuvan, Head of Customer Success
"It's really exciting to be part of such a fast growing business; I was given the opportunity to relocate to New York to begin our US expansion after just 2 years at the company."
– Veeral, Head of Product Specialists
"OG is packed with some of the smartest people I know, and everyone really cares about our products, the culture, and the future of the company."
– Abdi, Developer
"I knew OG was a perfect fit for me from the first time I came into the office. Before OpenGamma I'd only ever worked in large banks, so here I love being able to measure my own impact."
– Brian, Head of Development

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Learn more about Young Neighbors in Action and Just5Days!
Young Neighbors in Action is CMD's week-long, summer, service learning experience for older adolescents (9th through 12th graders). Young Neighbors provides a solid, Catholic approach to service and justice that balances Scripture and Catholic social teaching, direct service, and a justice consciousness. It provides the experiences, skills, and learning needed to make change possible. Please explore this site if you are interested in more information about Young Neighbors in Action that you need to plan your next summer service trip!
Just5Days is a week-long mission experience of hands-on service work, engaging faith learning, meaningful prayer, community building, and summer fun. Just5Days was created especially for middle school youth and their adult leaders from Catholic parishes and schools to learn about their faith while participating in service work.


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About Head Coach: Shadisha Robinson
At the University of Georgia, Shadisha Robinson, was ranked # 1 in doubles and #6 in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). From there, she went on to become one of the rising stars on the professional tennis circuit.
Robinson has now turned her focus on helping youth in the community discover their tennis talent. She runs a year-round tennis program in the Stone Mountain area.
Why did you decide to open a tennis academy?
Shadisha Robinson: I hope to change [kids'] lives for the better by offering tennis at this level. [Tennis] can open doors of opportunity for [young people] and make a huge impact on them educationally, physically and emotionally.
Where is your tennis academy located?
Robinson: I live in the Southland community and the tennis academy is located at the Wynbrooke Country Club in Stone Mountain.
What's the most challenging part of running the tennis academy?
Robinson: I'm always trying to make sure that the parents' and kids' needs are met. Sometimes expectations can be unrealistic.
What's been the most rewarding part about what you do?
Robinson: I like seeing the improvement in the kids and changing their lives [for the better].
What advice would you give an entrepreneur wanting to get into the business?
Robinson: I would say that they should have a passion and a game plan. Once you have a passion you'll be willing to do the work and you will ultimately succeed.
Junior 2005-06 (University of Georgia): ITA preseason ranked #1 in doubles with Caroline Basu and #6 in singles. The recipient of the 2005-06 Vickie Farmer Women's Tennis Scholarship Endowment. Final fall record of 3-3 in singles and 7-3 in doubles with Caroline Basu. Reached the doubles semifinal at the All-American Championships and the ITA National Indoors.
Sophomore 2004-05 (University of Georgia): Earned All-America honors in singles and doubles and final ITA national ranking of #1 in doubles with Caroline Basu and #13 in singles. First paired together with Basu in January and posted school record 28-4 mark; Made ITA rankings debut at #12 on Feb. 22nd and climbed to #1 on May 2nd. 23-2 in team matches and 12-4 against ranked opponents including a win over then #1 Cohen/Grier of Northwestern at the National Team Indoors. Entered the NCAA Doubles Championships as the top-ranked and top-seeded team but fell in the round of 16 to eventual champion Barnes/Burdette (Stanford). A First-Team All-SEC selection in doubles with Basu, going 10-1 in conference matches. 32-15 in singles and ranked as high as a career-best #4 during year; ITA preseason singles ranking of #23. 13-13 versus ranked foes, beat then top-ranked Audra Cohen (Northwestern) at the National Team Indoors. Entered the NCAA Singles Championships ranked 10th but fell in the first round to Stanford's Anne Yelsey (#61). Helped lead ninth-ranked Georgia to the NCAA Quarterfinals and a final record of 18-8. In fall action, won the Ole Miss Classic, the UNLV Invitational and was a finalist at the ITA Southern Regionals.
Freshman 2003-04 (University of Georgia): Earned All-America honors in doubles with Agata Cioroch as the duo finished the year ranked #9 by the ITA. 34-13 singles record and final ITA national ranking of #31, highest ranking during the year was #9. 33-9 in doubles overall including a 25-8 mark with Cioroch including 11-5 at number one in the lineup. Earned NCAA singles bid and advanced to the round of 32, lost in the first round of NCAA doubles with Cioroch. Won first six matches and posted a 16-4 fall record and 14-2 in doubles including 12-2 with Agata Cioroch. Won three matches to advance to Riviera All-American Championships Qualifying before first loss to #77 Emma Murphy (San Diego); a doubles semifinalist with Cioroch at the Riviera All-American event. Singles finalist at the ITA Southern Regionals to qualify for the ITA National Indoors., Won ITA Southern Regional doubles title with Cioroch and advanced to the semifinals of the ITA National Indoors. Won the consolation title at the ITA National Indoors ; Wins over top 25 opponents including #13 Julie Coin (Clemson), #14 Jackie Carleton (UCLA), #22 Nataly Cahana (Old Dominion) and then #7 Daria Panova (Oregon) ... Preseason ITA doubles ranking of #5 with Cioroch.
Juniors/High School: Attended Cambridge High in Ocala, Fla. Trained at the USTA Center in New York, the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., and the Van Der Meer Academy in Hilton Head, S.C.; One of the top American junior players and among the top 100 ranked in the world. Awarded a wild card into the 2003 US Open qualifying draw. Highest International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior ranking has been 45th in singles and 26th in doubles. Ranked among the top 10 U.S. junior players from 1999-2003 including as high as #2 in the USTA Girls 14s in 2000, #4 in the USTA Girls 16s in 2001 and #9 in the USTA Girls 18s in 2002. Career highlights include 2003 Junior Family Circle Cup title (beat Georgia teammate Natalie Frazier in the final) which qualified her for the Family Circle Cup tour event, 2002 doubles finalist at the US Open (Girls 18s) with Tory Zawacki, a semifinalist of the singles at the 2002 Astrid Bowl, an ITF event in Belgium. Won the 2000 USTA National Clay Court doubles with Ally Baker, won the 1999 USTA National Clay Court champion (Girls 14s) and won singles and doubles at the Southern Open.
Personal: Born July 12, 1985 in Queens, N.Y.; Daughter of Charles Robinson and Delina Sears. Has a younger brother, Danladhi, and an older sister, Shani. Featured on BET's MAAD SPORTS Show in May of 2005. Hobbies include cooking, singing and shopping.


Polonium Halos – Why they are not evidence for a young Earth.
Steve McRae and Panel vs Jay Hall(YES) Jay Hall from Young Earth Science (YES), adjunct professor of mathematics, joins the GDC to discuss Young Earth Creationism.
Dr. Hugh Ross and Dr. Fuz Rana join the Great Debate Community to discuss OEC, ID and YEC.


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- (instancetype)initWithTitle:(NSString *)title;
- (void)show;
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Newsflash: Making Sense of Integrated Care
"Our aim is to use the next several years to make the biggest national move to integrated care of any major western country" (NHS England, 2017)
Quite a claim, but this is no pipedream and changes are being made across England to make this a reality. The Sustainability and Transformation Plans published for each region set out a roadmap for achieving this objective and many propose Integrated Care Systems.
If you are confused by the ever changing models for integration (Accountable Care Organisations, Integrated Care Systems, Integrated Care Partnerships, etc) The Kings Fund has just published a very useful guide to these systems, the work underway across England to implement them and NHS England's proposals for an ACO Contract.
The guide also highlights some of the difficulties arising from the fact that these systems have no statutory basis and therefore rely on the willingness of the participants to work together to plan how to improve health and care in their area.
NHS England also recognise that the transition to these systems is complex, will require staged implementation and that the move to a contract with a single health and care organisation will take several years. As a result, NHS England has decided to delay the use of the proposed ACO Contract for now.
The concern about privatisation of the NHS is also considered, but the conclusion is that, "rather than opening up the NHS to increased privatisation and competition, these developments are likely to have the opposite effect".
The guide also recognises the difficulties in using competitive procurement to promote integrated care, and one of the key conclusions is that changes in legislation will be required to implement NHS England's objective. There is no prospect of this happening in the short term and, for the foreseeable future, the participating organisations "will have to find ways of making progress through workarounds".
The guide can be found here and, if you would like to discuss any of the workarounds that we have developed in our work with primary care practices and organisations, please contact Ross Clark.
Ross Clark
01423 724012 (mobile 07775 925078)
Legal support for general practi...
Integrated Care Organisations
NewsView all
Newsflash: NHS England and NHS Improvement publish long awaited Integrated Support and Assurance Process Guidance
NHS England (NHSE) and NHS Improvement (NHSI) published an introduction to the Integrated Support and Assurance Process (ISAP) in November 2016. This somewhat sparse guidance gave an initial outline to the process and what could be expected but left emerging accountable care systems guessing as to the detail of the process.


Thank you Jens for featuring this in the All Natural Scenery Landscapes group!
Thank you Shawn for featuring this in the Wonders of Nature Photography group!
A set of animal tracks head out from the woods onto the smooth white snow on a February day near the Otter Brook Dam in Roxbury, New Hampshire.


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MScBISSiliconValley2019
MSc BIS Silicon Valley Study Tour 2019
Where business dreams come true...
The FHNW organizers welcome you to the grand diary of the Silicon Valley Study Tour 2019!
Prof. Knut Hinkelmann
Prof. Holger Wache
Devid Montecchiari
Komal Dixit Tripathi
The Diary structure is such that for each company/university visit there is an article, followed by its authors (i.e. students to whom the visit was assigned), and some photos taken during the visit. For each extra activities only photos are shown. Visits are shown in chronological order from the first event to the most recent one.
Enjoy, and let yourself inspire...
Let's get started with...
Initial Briefing Session & Kick-Start Dinner - 19.08.2019
Each student was assigned to two company/university visits, for which she/he was in charge of (a) introducing the company/university reality to the rest of the students and (b) writing a short article.
B8ta - 19.08.2019
There's a big gap between the innovative products available online and what can be seen or tried in person. In 2015, b8ta was founded to create spaces where shoppers could try the latest products out of-the-box. To support the stores, b8ta pioneered a model called Retail as a Service, whereby brands can easily sign up online to place their products, and use software to manage and analyze their store experience. What started as an experimental store in Palo Alto has grown into a network of stores nationwide that together make up the largest experiential retail footprint in the world.
In 2018, b8ta opened up a Retail as a Service model and software platform to other retailers so that they could bring the best products and measure meaningful interactions in their own stores, and in 2019, b8ta acquired Brickwork to extend the software platform online. Today, b8ta works with hundreds of product brands and retailers, enabling and powering their retail. In addition to operating dozens of b8ta stores across the United States, b8ta powers the re-imagined Toys"R"Us stores.
Michael Stähli
Gaël Feyertag
Juan Pablo Castañeda Mejia
Impressions:
Ecosystem Ventures - 20.08.2019
The FHNW study group visited Alex Fries at Hero City (http://www.herocity.com/) – a co-working community that promotes creativity, collaboration and entrepreneurship sponsored by Draper University, on 20th August, 2019, to get some insights about the venture capital world. Alex is the founder of Ecosystem Ventures LLC (http://www.ecosystemventures-ice.com/), which is based in Silicon-valley, but has also a branch in Switzerland as well. Alex invests mainly in European based startups; however, entrepreneurs contact him from all over the world to get his attention and support. Hero City at Draper University is a very inspiring co-working community that offers startups a fast-paced environment with several VC networking events, world-class speakers and entrepreneurship programs.
Alex talked about the several differences like the cultural behavior between VC investors based in the US and in Europe. We got some insights about how startups find investors from the family, friends and fools (FFF) and information about angel investors category, through different Series A, B investments, until it is ready for the Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Alex also revealed some secrets, how to be a successful entrepreneur and when he will invest in a startup. It is important to believe in your idea 1000%. Your product should be 10 times better, cheaper and faster, than the other similar products on the market, in order to get the attention of the clients and the investors. There is no necessary for innovation, when you can make something 10 times better than the existing product, you will win the competition.
Ecosystem Ventures offers opportunities for both startups and investors, so that the European innovation can grow and thrive.
David Huynh
Renato Barba
Agnes Pakozdi
Swisscom- 20.08.2019
Swisscom is a giant by Swiss standards, but in the global environment of the IT and communications industry, it is just one company among many. Nevertheless, Swisscom has an offshoot in Silicon Valley. Since 1998, the company has an outpost in the home of Google, Apple, Facebook, Intel and other industry giants.
The outpost is in Palo Alto and is located in an house with a pleasant atmosphere near the birthplace of Silicon Valley - the HP Garage. The Swiss flag on the roof makes Swisscom Outpost recognizable from distance and a Swisscom logo on the front gate shows the way.
In the late 1990s, Swisscom lured people to the rapid development of new technologies in Silicon Valley. It was explained that the idea behind the Outpost was first to look closely at the internet hype at the time. They wanted to know, which influence the technological development has on the business with the telecommunication.
Now, Outpost identifies technology development and new business opportunities by fostering the exchange and cooperation with existing major technologies firms and ambitious young startups to satisfy rapidly developing customer needs and market requirements. It is structured in four business streams: fast innovation, venturing, new business and innovation lab. Swisscom Silicon Valley observes and partners with startups to bring innovative technologies to the Swiss market, create and accelerate new business and help startups to develop their minimum viable product to validate their business model with consumers.
Nathalia Bontempo Salgueiro
Celia Schmid
Oliver Ruggli
Extra Activity - Historic HP Garage - 20.08.2019
UserTesting - 21.08.2019
UserTesting has developed a platform that helps application and web developers to get user feedback and human/centric in short time by involving testers with multiple demographic profiles. On morning of 21.08.2019 we visited UserTesting. We were greeted by person who was responsible for "Employee onboarding success". The company has been growing fast and they needed to make sure that new employees can be integrated into organization fast.
We were first given an introduction to the platform. Key distinguishing feature of the platform is access to diverse and strong panel of thousands of testers. Unlike many other companies who are moving towards bots and UX analytics tool, here emphasize is on human interaction and human insight. Anyone can register oneself as tester and create the profile. Once mobile apps or web applications are submitted to the platform, targeted set of tester profiles can be contacted from platform panel or application developers can recruit their own testers. Majority of the feedbacks are provided within hours. 80% of tests have been completed within 2 hours. Further insight can be gained using videos and live sessions with the testers. Anyone can drop in and work as a user tester.
The company's revenue mainly comes from subscription fee for the testing services. A part of revenues are also generated from activities of "Professional Services" team. This team helps customers to build the test cases using platform and provide technical guidance to the customers of UserTesting.
We had a very informative session on design thinking and UserTesting team also shared their experiences on the topic. Later on we were given an introduction to company's own analytics solution analyzing company's overall performance and profitability of different products and services.
Saad Ahmed
IBM Watson - 21.08.2019
We visited IBM on Horward street after lunch on 21.08.2019. In the beginning we were briefed about recent developments at IBM. These were both about new business models as well as cultural changes in the company. IBM has transformed its business model in multiples aspects. On one hand it has acquired RedHat and contributing to various open source communities. On the other hand IBM is moving into cloud and AI space with IBM Watson. However, we learnt that the mainframe business is still one of the major sources of revenue.
It was amazing to see how IBM has moved from a traditional consultancy to design thinking and agile methodologies with its IBM Garage initiative. We did not see many black suits and white shirts. Our hosts and experts were very casual, open and friendly. For smaller companies, starting from a "green field" it is probably more straight forward to get right into new trends. But for a company with an established brand and products such as IBM, it is a challenging task and we could learn about how those two worlds can co-exist in one company.
We then had opportunity to see IBM Watson at work: see how AI can solve complex problems, see different applications and experience a powerful tool that mankind has in its hand. In a specially designed room, we were shown in a very interactive way what IBM Watson is capable of. At the beginning a video of a use case in a Brazilian art museum was faded in Using Watson, stories and backgrounds about the exhibits were shown and explained, thus increasing the public's interest for museums. Subsequently, we were shown how Watson can be used within research of new active ingredients in the pharmaceutical industry or where and how it can be applied in gastronomy. This was done using a 360-degree screen in a darkened room. The information was presented in the form of a neural network and there were extensive filtering possibilities. Watson is also able to track the current news landscape, categorize the reports and interpret whether the report is positive or negative.
All in all, it can be said that IBM is – in comparison to our general expectations - highly innovative and was able to "modernize" not only their business model but as well their company culture. As one of the oldest and largest players in the market, they are still very close to the pulse of time and on the right track, especially in the AI sector.
Tabea Zieger
Swissnex - 22.08.2019
The morning of the fourth day in San Francisco was dedicated to Swissnex - an institution founded based on an initiative of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. Furthermore, it is part of the Confederation's network in foreign countries, managed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Swissnex is located in different locations across the world (e.g. Boston (USA), Bangalore (IND), Singapore etc.). As part of our Silicon Valley trip, we got the opportunity to visit their site in San Francisco, which is located at Pier 17, next to the consulate of Switzerland.
During our visit Benjamin Bollmann, CEO of Swissnex site in San Francisco, guided us through a presentation to give us insights about the institution, their missions and some past exhibitions where they were heavily involved. Quickly the presentation changed into an interactive session, where we students started to ask specific questions around topics like Swissnex support for Swiss startups, perception of swissness in the States or difficulties swiss startups might face in foreign countries to expand their business.
After the Q&A session, Mr. Bollmann escorted us through the San Francisco site and explained us that the different facilities. Notable is the fact that several facilities in their site have swiss company's involvement (e.g. VITRA for chairs and tables) or swiss startups (e.g. self-dimming windows).
Worth mentioning is also their "Wall of Success" where successful startups with Swissnex support are highlighted. It is part of their mission to constantly keep contact with persons from well-known key players in Switzerland (e.g. SwissPost, Swisscom, Logitech etc.). We determined this based on the fact that each of these key players have a kind of a postbox at Swissnex, where they potentially obtain their correspondences.
At the end of our visit we met Finally, we also met – more on a coincident - people from SwissPost and Swisscom at the Swissnex site. The person from Swisscom was an exchange employee from Switzerland, who we met during our vitsit at Outpost (Swisscom Garage in Silicon Valley). This fact showed us that there seems to be a heavy interaction between Swissnex and swiss companies abroad!
Vesna Gajic
Ragesh Chellathuray
ShiftJS (Reshuffle) - 22.08.2019
"Shift JS is a startup that at this very moment, remain as a project. Their project provides language support for most swift data & collection types of mathematical & logical operators, control flow, and functions for app developers. It fully integrates backend and frontend coding, so that painful code separation goes away. A further service will be, that the platform offers the possibility to share and use End-to-End reusable components (login, payment, etc.) that can be uploaded by developers. They will provide platform services for free. The idea is to build up an active community to reach the attention of developers in big companies. Shifts JS will then charge companies a fee to for the use in their business.
One of the founders gave us a fascinating new perspective on product development. He told us to move away from MVP (minimum viable product) to focusing on an MLP (minimum loveable product.) Meaning that one should focus on one small group of costumers and make a product awesome for them. The idea behind is, that when focusing in an MVP, one no gathers a massive enough "WOW"-effect that motivates costumers or investors to spend money on that product.
The founders gave us also fascinating insights on how to set up a startup. We also saw many similarities with the idea from Alex, the venture capitalist, that told us which the criteria are to invest in companies. For instance, the necessity to be convinced to 1001% of your product and the idea.
We would like to thank the founders for the fascinating insight into a newly founded startup and wish them all the best."
Javier Pose
Extra Activity - Alcatraz Cruises - 23.08.2019
Extra Activity - Sausalito - 24.08.2019
Extra Activity - Wine tasting in Pichetti- 25.08.2019
Extra Activity - Santa Cruz - 25.08.2019
Extra Activity - Golden Gate Bridge - 25.08.2019
Facebook - 26.08.2019
Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard colleagues. It is a social media and social networking service company. The mission of Facebook is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. They have offices around the world with their headquarter located in Menlo Park. It has 76 subsidiaries including some well-known such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus VR. The philosophy of the company lies in talent acquisition rather than product acquisition.
Some facts:
Employees: 39,651
Stock price:179.26$
Users: 2.7billion active user
We started our visit at the headquarter and were welcomed by three Facebook representatives. It was a sunny day and we were taken right to the campus to receive a brief introduction about the representative and how the Facebook campus looks. The students asked a few questions regarding culture, their interests and other areas. Then we proceeded to lunch. All meals at Facebook are free for the employees as well as other facilities like a barber, gym, washing, dentists and so on. After having a great lunch, we proceeded to a meeting room where the representative gave a presentation about the Developer Circles at Facebook. These Facebook communities strengthen the local developer community through knowledge sharing with tech experts and learning from each other through talks and workshops. Participants can learn the latest Facebook technologies and build with other developers of all types. For Facebook it is a good way to find talents and keeping a dialogue with developers around the world.
Shreeya Nema
Jan Wolter
NVIDIA - 26.08.2019
After visiting Facebook in the morning, we drove on towards Santa Clara at NVIDIA's recently completed headquarters, we were invited to attend a presentation. There, we continue our company visits to Nvidia, which is one of the largest developers of GPU's. Besides the GPU's they also design SoCs for mobile computing and the automotive market.
In the last years, Nvidia has shifted to become a platform company that focused on four markets: gaming, professional visualization, data centers and auto. They now also focus on Artificial Intelligence. This new activity field was one of the key topics at this visit and the company representatives allowed us to ask a question about this interesting area.
The employees of Nvidia were very engaged to make our visit at most valuable as possible and invited several staff members of the company from various fields of activity (sales, marketing, development). After a short presentation of the company, all employees introduced themselves and gave us the chance to ask questions. The openness and enthusiasm of the staff were very remarkable. It reminded to very mature start-up culture. Also, the employees praise the top management, which encourages people in the company to such a culture.
To sum up, we are very grateful that Nvidia has allowed us to gain some insights into their company, products and projects. We see Nvidia as one of the important enablers of future disruptions and look forward to hearing more from them.
Kevin Trottman
Extra Activity - Computer history museum - 27.08.2019
Stanford University Guided Tour - 27.08.2019
Google - 28.08.2019
The FHNW Silicon Valley study group had an opportunity to visit Google's Headquarter in Mountain View. Google was founded in 1998 in Menlo Park, California and in 2019 it has one of the highest brand values in the world. Google is a multinational company that operates in the technology field, providing internet-related services, with its main revenue coming from advertising.
During our visit we got great insights from Nilay Yener about Flutter, Google's UI toolkit that helps developers to build mobile, web and desktop applications from a single codebase. Nilay said that anybody can build an application with Flutter, even people coming from the business side after finishing a three months online programming course. Nilay also shared, how they work together with the different developer's group all around the world.
Uttam Tripathi, the head of Global Programs, Developer's Relation Ecosystem talked about the company culture at Google and highlighted empathy and compassion, as the most important values of Google.
At the enormous Google campus, we could see a library truck, self-driving cars (under training mode), several food trucks, a volleyball field, infinity swimming pool and so on. After an interesting tour on the campus, we were spoilt by a delicious lunch, followed by an expensive shopping at the gadget store.
Marina Oldani
Ágnes Pákozdi
Impossible Foods- 28.08.2019
On the second last day of our Silicon Valley trip, we visited a company called Impossible Foods located in Redwood City. Impossible Foods is a company founded in 2011 by Patrick O. Brown. The company's objective is to provide the mass market with vegetarian meat which looks, tastes and contains the nutritional benefit of meat without having the negative health and environmental impact. To achieve this goal the company invented - based on research of animal products at molecular level and combining selected proteins and nutrients from plants – a product which delivers a similar experience to meat products without harming animals and the environment. With their products the company targets people that enjoy the taste of meat, while also caring about their health and the environmental impacts of having meat in their dishes.
As part of our company visit, Malaika Murphy – Internal Communication Specialist, introduced us to the company and their mission and goals. Furthermore, we obtained insights into their future plans (e.g. new products, expanding to other countries, etc.). We also walked through the company to see their office spaces and research labs.
As the highlight of the visit, we obtained the opportunity to taste an impossible burger to get an impression about the taste and the texture. Furthermore, they also prepared one sample of the impossible burger in front of us, so that we could see how the burger behaves while roasting in the pan.
Another notable fact is that Impossible could achieve a cooperation with the fast food chain Burger King by early 2019. This is considered as an enabler to extend their market and reach out to the mass market. For this purpose, Burger King introduced the Impossible Whooper in early August 2019, which extends Burger Kings Whooper offerings.
On the same day the majority of the Silicon Valley trip participants decided to do a blind testing by tasting both burgers from Burger King. We ordered 14 Whoppers with Impossible meat and 7 with regular meat, some people didn't even want to taste the regular burger and just tried the Impossible meat.
Although most of the participants - except Holger! - could differentiate the burger varieties, it is worth mentioning that the impossible whooper was determined as having a better taste in most of the cases!
Extra Activity - Apple Park Visitor Center - 28.09.2019
Weavr.ai - 29.08.2019
On the second last day of our study tour, we had the pleasure of meeting Avinash Harsh, the Co-founder & CEO of Weavr AI.
Weavr is a developer engagement platform and was established in 2018. Their software collects intelligence and conversations of developers across the web and offers related analytics. Through Weavr, companies get an overall view of developers' issues, likes and dislikes related to one's products. Some of the sources scanned for relevant information are GitHub, Stack Overflow or Reddit. Weavr is currently working with some selected customers, who use their product and give further feedback for improvement.
Avinash had previously co-founded another startup which was successfully sold. In the course of his presentation he shared some important lessons learnt, when starting a company. For example, he told an interesting anecdote of how pretending to be a big company backfired in his previous startup. His advice: if you are still a small company, be transparent about it!
Stefan von Arx
Meeting with VoiceBase - 29.08.2019
The company Voicebase was founded in 2010 by the Swiss Walter Bachtiger with the idea to give other companies and people easier and better access to information in audio format. It provides simple API's for automatic speech-to-text, speech analytics & predictive insights. Voicebase wants to be the same for voice what google is for text. It offers different kinds of products: speech-to-text, speech analytics, knowledge extraction, AI predictive analysis, API Platform.
The afternoon started with the talk given by very dynamic and motivating CEO of Voicebase, Walter Bächtiger. Mentioning the general statistics that 70% of billion-dollar startups are located in Silicon Valley, he gave his talk for all the lessons learned and how to be successful in this billion-dollar environment as a startup from his own experiences.
According to Walter, Silicon Valley is all about growth. To be able to lead the race, Voicebase needed to invest large sums into their company, which had to be raised through investors first. As a company, you have to grow as big as possible as quickly as possible to be "the first on the moon". That's why every investment in VoiceBase continued to be direct in order to expand the company. Since the company was founded, there have only been very few times when large financial reserves have been available. About half of the time the solvency was only enough for less than 3 months. In order to be able to compete with large enterprises such as Google and Amazon and to be the first company "on the moon", Voicebase needed in addition to the investments also to have a world class speech team.
Also, it is essential to operate at low cost (f.e. by buying used servers), keeping in mind the security and economies scale in the future to win the race. Acquiring capital from investors at the right time remains one of their major challenges to date.
According to Walter founding a company is like being in a race, where the winner takes it all. And this is what Voicebase is trying to achieve.
Extra Activity - Football Match - 29.08.2019
Plug and Play - 30.08.2019


It's much easier to worry a problem to death than it is to trust God with it, which is why so few operate by faith. People rack their brains about how a problem is going to be solved; and for the life of them, they can't figure a way out of their dilemma.
It's common for people to disbelieve God, when they can't figure out how He is going to solve a problem, based on their common sense reasoning, isn't it? Does this sound familiar? How often has this happened in your life?
The problem is God doesn't work in common sense ways—never has, never will. He works in supernatural ways. Because His ways are not our ways, we rack our brains and cannot understand how He operates; but when we look back at his faithfulness over time, we realize He has done what we have asked—but in ways we never anticipated or even considered.
That's the key. He operates supernaturally and not in "common sense" ways. We need to understand the difference and come to God based on His ways and not our own. If we do, then we will not spend so much time fretting about how God will answer our prayers.
Because we are not divine, we cannot think like God—not really. What we can do, however, is recognize our limitations and not ascribe them to God nature. He is Almighty; we are not. Knowing the difference, and knowing that God is active in our lives, can spare each of us a world of heartache and trouble.
In this sense, being childlike is an essential ingredient of faith. Children have complete confidence in their parents. Once they tell their mom or dad something, they let it go, knowing that their parents will take care of the matter. It's the same way with God. Once you put a matter in His hands, you can release it. Worrying about it after you've given it to Him isn't a sign of maturity; it's a sign of immature faith.
Such prayers seem so noble when we say them—that is, until the Lord actually initiates real change. When that happens—when His pruning process begins, we scream Holy Murder! The pain is often so intense that we're certain we cannot make it through. We are all for pruning—just as long as it's not too painful.
But that's not the way God seems to work in our lives. The Scriptures teach that He is a consuming fire, which is most often associated with judgment, but it can also refer to being purified. To get us where He wants us to be, God burns away everything that prevents us from becoming stronger, more resilient people. By the time He is finished, most feel like they've been whittled down to nothing, with little left.
We see this process through our eyes; He sees it through His. To make us stronger, better people, God engineers our circumstances to put us in a position where we have no alternative other than to trust Him. When this happens—and it happens to every child of God—it feels very destructive and, in many ways, it is. That is, until something new emerges, and you become a person with far more estimable character qualities than ever before.
Therefore, let the Lord do with you as He will. He's going to anyway, regardless of whether you like it or not. When the process is complete, you'll like what you see—so will others.
Part of repairing your relationship with God is repairing your relationship with those you have offended along the way. This is where the rubber meets the road in recovery—where "walking the walk" really gets tough. It's easy to repair your relationship with God. He's always there and always forgiving. It's His nature, whether you believe it or not.
It's entirely different with those you have mistreated in life, many of whom are less than forgiving. Some people may not want anything to do with you and your "apology," which they consider to be disingenuous. They may even treat your attempt at reconciliation contemptuously, which makes your efforts at contrition very difficult. Nevertheless, you have to make an attempt, regardless of the consequences.
Remember, you are only responsible for your part of the problem, not theirs. Since you can't control the outcome, you don't have responsibility for the results either. How someone reacts to your apology is their responsibility, not yours. Once you've addressed the issue, leave the outcome to God, and trust that He will work in the heart of the other person.
It takes a tremendous amount of courage to acknowledge that you regret past behavior, especially to a spouse, parent, or sibling, but it has to be done. There's no getting around it, no matter how difficult it may be. Besides, it's one of those things that will nag at you—never giving you rest until you've made the effort.
When it's over, however, and you've addressed the problem, it's an entirely different story. The relief you experience is palpable. A tremendous weight will have been lifted from your shoulders, and your relief will make you feel lighter—literally. It's like a ball and chain has been removed from your shoulders, which it has, making the entire episode worthwhile.
If you are really being honest with yourself, has this been your experience?
Not wanting to experience the pain and emotional dysfunction associated with your abuse, have you swept everything, including your relationship with God, under the rug?
Have you said to yourself, I don't want to have anything to do with God ever again?
Although this is the course of action most people follow, it's a strategy that doesn't work well—not long-term anyway. To heal—to become the person you were meant to be, you must revisit your abuse, feel the pain once again, release it—forgiving your abusers, and move on. Nothing else will heal you effectively.
Keeping the issue buried deep within you may feel comfortable—like it's the right thing to do—but it isn't. What works is reopening the old wound, which will drain the malice. Then, allow the anger, bitterness, and resentment to heal. Repressing painful events doesn't work in any other area of life, nor it will not work with religious abuse either. To heal, you must face your situation once again. It's the only way. At first, it will definitely feel uncomfortable; but over time, you'll realize how necessary this course of action has been.
From the fruitlessness of my wandering.
And has wounded my soul more than I imagined.
The way back seems long and difficult.
Hurt me but also have hurt others as well.
Which I had no right to do, nor was it my place.
I have heartlessly wounded along the way.
Treated others contemptuously, as I was treated.
Forgive me, and restore me to those I have hurt.
Most of all, restore my relationship with You.
To drift so far away from You again.
I'm not where I want to be—not even close.
And I'm not the person I'm capable of being.
Even worse, the gap is widening, not narrowing.
Behavior and my rebellious attitude.
I don't like myself—not even a little.
Journal: React to this prayer by writing your own statement. Are your thoughts similar or not? Be specific and candid.
I had a vision for what my life would be—a vision that was quite pretentious, but God's purpose was different. Becoming who He intended me to be has taken substantial work, and it continues to take work, each and every day of my life. By looking to God for the future, rather than blaming Him for the past, I chose life over the debilitating half-life of bitterness.
Question: Can you say that about yourself? Have you traveled a similar journey, or has your journey been different?
When you take a look at the lives of religious leaders, especially from large churches and ministries, frequently the leaders consider themselves to be the superiors of others. Even if they give lip service to saying they are servants, they don't really believe it. In their minds and hearts, their thoughts and pronouncements are more important than what others think and have to say.
Journal: The statement above is filled with emotions for those who have suffered religious abuse. Write about what the abuser in your life was like.
To heal, you must abandon your insistence upon retribution. Step 7 is about you and your healing—not about "them." If you insist on making it about how badly you were wronged, you will make little progress. It's as simple as that. You must abandon your anger and your need to be right.
Journal: Where are you with self-vindication? Write about it, being as honest and candid as you can possibly be.
I chose to respond in the way that has always worked for me, by bowing my knee and seeking the will of God. I don't know any other way to live life, and even if I did, I wouldn't choose an alternative path. For better or worse, it's who I have become. By abasing myself before the Lord, however, I knew what I was doing. God promises to exalt those who are genuinely humble "at the proper time"—using His timetable for exaltation and not mine.
Question: In your own life, where are you in the restoration process? On a scale of 1-to-10, where would that be?
We bow to the man who kneels.
In recovery, there are frequently long periods of emotional drought—times when you think the sun will never shine on you again and your life will never have value. Having recently gone through such a period, I chose to respond in the way that has always worked for me, by bowing my knee and seeking the will of God.
I don't know any other way to live life, and even if I did, I wouldn't choose it to be my alternative path. For better or worse, it's who I have become. By bowing myself before the Lord, however, I knew what I was doing. God promises to exalt those who are genuinely humble "at the proper time"—using His timetable for exaltation and not mine.
Such a time came, when I was asked to be the Master of Ceremonies at The YMCA to honor the life of a man who was dying of cancer. It was a difficult assignment because of all of the emotion, which filled the room, along with the 120 people—all of whom were paying their tribute and their respect to the man.
So often I wait to make sure when I send an email of gratitude, making sure it says just the "right thing," but then that just means I don't send it soon enough. So, this email is coming to you rough and filled with emotion. You were AMAZING today! I can't thank you enough for being my partner in crime and also my support during this wonderful event to honor our friend! I know in my heart that he was touched—as was everyone else in the room. When I walked past him in to the Y this morning, he was barely shuffling along, but when he left he was a man who was 10 feet tall—WOW! He told me he'd see me tomorrow for work!
We don't tell folks enough what they mean to us, but know that I value and treasure the years we have known each other; and I LOVE that you come in my office to say hello or just show off in your "wife beater" shirt. You're a special man and, thankfully, I get to call you my friend! I appreciate you!
Receiving this was the "first fruit" of coming out of the wilderness for me, and I was humbled and grateful. I have not become who I am by leading a soft, conflict-free life—not by a long shot. It's because of how I've reacted to my problems—most of which I have brought on myself by through poor choices. Bowing my knee is what has made me who I am. It has also made me a man of substance—not a man who has compromised or settled for a mediocre life. I couldn't do that, and neither should you.


Arduino's MKRZero brings users the power of a Zero in the smaller format established by the MKR form factor. The MKRZero board is a great educational tool for learning about 32-bit application development. It has an on-board SD connector with dedicated SPIs that allows users to interact with music files using the Arduino Sound library and I2S library with no extra hardware.
The board is powered by Microchip's SAM D21 MCU, which features a 32-bit Arm® Cortex® -M0+ core operating at 3.3 V logic levels. The board contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a micro-USB cable or power it by a LiPo battery. The battery voltage can also be monitored since a connection between the battery and the analog converter of the board exists and the board includes charge circuitry to easily recharge the LiPo from a 5 V source.
How to Use Arduino Analog Functions in Your Design Review hardware and software resources that form the basis for Arduino's analog functions and see how you can use them in your designs!


Tonight, the World Premiere of The Vinyl Six, at Tenri right here in Greenwich Village, with the downtown collective, Avian Music. Tomorrow night, a bit more unplugged, as Baylor performs the Texas premiere of As the scent of spring rain… with Dr. Barry Kraus.
A page for the new chamber work, The Vinyl Six, is now online, along with some Notebook postings about the piece. World Premiere by Avian Music, April 23, 2006.


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Q: construct a function with dense critical value I am learning derivative of a function from $\mathbb R$ to $\mathbb R$. If $f$ has zero derivative at $x$, we call $x$ is a critical point of $f$, and $f(x)$ is critical value.

*

*If critical points $C(f)$ is dense in $\mathbb R$, can we say $f$ is a constant?

*Can we construct $f$, which saisfies that critical value $f(C(f))$ is dense in $\mathbb R$?
Any advice is helpful. Thank you.

A: For the first question, the answer is `yes'. We can use the intermediate value property of $f'$ to conclude that the whole $\mathbb{R}$ is the set of critical points.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Being in a military family comes with its own unique challenges. A new assignment might mean a move to a different city, state, or country. Or it might mean that one parent is going on assignment while the rest of the family stays behind. It might also be tricky to get services when you are on base or on an overseas assignment.
These transitions are often harder for families of children with disabilities or special health-care needs. Between shifting schools, finding new service providers, and just getting into a new routine, these moves take some extra care.
We've talked with other families who've gone through this. By working with the military's services, doing your own research, and getting very organized, you can make sure your child is still getting the services they need.
The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is designed to help children in military families who have unique medical or educational needs. Members of the military must sign up for EFMP if they have a child with a disability or special health-care needs.
Screening. EFMP will review your child's medical and educational records to decide if your family is able to get services in the program. Once approved, your child's needs are reviewed each year to see if they have changed. If your family is going on an overseas assignment, all family members will be screened for EFMP services (including a developmental screening for children 6 years and younger).
Assignment review. EFMP will try to coordinate assignments so that your child will be able to get the services that they need. In some cases, the military's needs might come before your family's needs.
Family support. An EFMP case manager will work with your family to help your child get needed medical, educational, therapy, day care, and respite care. They will also manage the handoff to a new EFMP case manager if your family moves to a new assignment.
Service members are responsible for updating EFMP every 3 years or if their child's diagnosis or needs change, whichever comes first.
Some families in EFMP may be able to get respite care paid for. This may be in your home or through a summer camp. The number of hours will depend on your child's disability or special health-care needs, and local EFMP funding.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) does not participate in the EFMP program. USCG members must register in the Coast Guard Special Needs Program by calling work-life staff at their nearest Integrated Support Command.
Military OneSource has more about the EFMP program.
Getting a new assignment is a challenge. Many services for children with disabilities or special health-care needs are offered by your state, so a new move might mean starting over. But there are things you can do to make sure your child isn't missing the services they need.
Get in touch with your base's relocation service. See if they can help you connect with other families at the new base, and if they can help you borrow any equipment that you need until the moving truck comes.
When you are up for a new assignment, talk to your EFMP case manager immediately. Talk about your child's needs and the services that may or may not be available in the new location.
Do your own research too about services in the new location. EFMP can't be as much of an expert as you are on your child's needs – like if their recommended service provider really is the best fit or has a waitlist. There may be other service providers and support groups they don't know about. Without your help, your EFMP case manager could recommend a location that doesn't match your child's needs, or turn down an assignment that could work well.
If you find that a new assignment isn't going to have the support your child needs, bring proof of this to your EFMP caseworker. Proof could be a web printout or notes from a phone call where you learned that providers aren't taking new patients or don't serve your child's needs.
EFMP will then make a recommendation to your base command about the assignment. If possible, you will get a different assignment. If not, a family member might go as a temporary duty without the rest of the family.
If your new assignment is in Texas, you can connect with parents in your new area, or look at our regional pages for local support organizations.
Update your child's care notebook with the latest details from all their doctors and specialists. Learn more about care notebooks on our Organizing Medical Records page. Get a letter from your child's doctors explaining your child's disability or special health-care needs. You might need this for air travels, schools, or other officials.
Get copies of your child's school records and current Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan (if they have these). Update your child's educational notebook. Ask your child's school to send their current IEP and 504 accommodations to the new school too. If your child is due for any new testing or assessments, ask to have these done before you leave. This will make getting services in the new school much easier. See our page on transitioning between schools for more tips.
Get updates on any prescriptions for therapy, equipment, supplies, or medications before you go. Try to have a 1-month supply of any prescriptions or medical supplies to take with you. You can call TRICARE (the health insurance program for all military families) at 1-877-363-1303 to arrange an early refill.
Sign up as soon as possible for any waiver programs your child might need. Different states have different wait times and rules about getting waivers.
If you live in Texas and your child is on a waiver interest list, call the waiver program to tell them that you are leaving the state for a new assignment and plan to come back. When you move back, your child will be put back on the list using the first date they were registered (as though they never left).
For the Home and Community-Based Services (HCS) and Texas Home Living (TxHL) waivers, call 2-1-1 and ask to be connected to your Local Mental Health Authority.
For all other waivers, call the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) interest list phone line at 1-877-438-5658.
As soon as you get your new orders, start a social story with your child to help them understand what's happening. A social story is built around an event, your child is the main character, and it uses child-friendly pictures and words. See more about social stories on our Major Life Events page. See our Assistive Devices and Adaptive Equipment page for some social stories and other useful apps.
Make a list of new, exciting things to do in the new location. Have your child help, if possible, and help them focus on the positive things about moving.
If your child thrives on a daily routine, make a picture schedule and calendar. Have your child cross off the days on the calendar with a big "X" at the same time each evening. This will help them make sense of time and see the big moving day getting closer.
Make a list of the things your child needs on a daily basis, including medication, assistive devices, or just a favorite cup or spoon. Try to have a 1-month supply of these things packed and ready.
If you will be staying in a hotel or other temporary housing after you move, try to stay overnight in a hotel before you move so your family knows what it's like.
TRICARE is the health insurance program for all military families. Some children in military families may be able to get the TRICARE Extended Health Care Option (ECHO). ECHO gives financial help to families of children who have disabilities or special health-care needs and need care that is not typically covered under TRICARE.
Assistive Devices and Adaptive Equipment.
Care in private, nonprofit, public, and state programs (including transportation to and from these programs, if needed).
To sign up your child for ECHO, talk to your regional TRICARE representative and your local EFMP caseworker. Learn more by reading the ECHO fact sheet.
Children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders might also be able to get applied behavioral analysis services through the TRICARE Autism Spectrum Demonstration.
See our Finding Support For Military Families of Children with Disabilities and Special Health-Care Needs blog.
Military OneSource offers a confidential call center and has information online for military families on a range of issues – education and career for spouses, domestic violence, support groups for families of children with disabilities or special health-care needs, getting services for children, health coaching, financial support, and more. You can call them at 1-800-342-9647.
Operation Autism offers facts and tips about children with autism in military families.
The Military Child Education Coalition has suggestions to help your child keep up with school and learning during moves.
Mission STOMP is a federally-funded center that can give you training to help you advocate for your child. They offer one-on-one help, an online community of parents of children with disabilities or special health-care needs, and can help you put together a local support group.


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The Coretec Group Releases August 2022 Shareholder Call Transcript
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Coretec Group (OTCQB: CRTG), developers of silicon anode active materials for lithium-ion batteries and cyclohexasilane (CHS) for EV, cleantech, and emerging tech applications, today released the transcript from its August 17, 2022 shareholder call. The full call transcript can be found on the Company's Investor Relations Website.
On the call, CEO Matt Kappers, and other prominent Coretec leaders, detailed the latest updates to the Company's Endurion battery program, which was the primary focus of the call. Endurion is the development of a silicon anode for lithium-ion batteries, which will increase energy density, extend cycle life and improve charging time. These improvements are highly sought after by EV companies as well as other applications, and are expected to be even more in demand following the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
The call also outlined a preliminary report from the French Alternative Energy and Atomic Commission (CEA) on the status of its research partnership to test its CHS technology's potential to create silicon anodes and provided an update on the Company's C-Space research project with partner The University of Adelaide.
The call concluded with Matt Kappers urging all who were interested in receiving the latest Coretec updates to sign up for Company notifications on the Investor Relations Website and to follow the Company's social media channels.
Coretec Group
stc group and Alibaba establish Ali Baba Cloud for cloud computing in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – stc Group, the leading national digital enabler announced the establishment of "Alibaba cloud" in…
Major Growth for Gulftainer With KSA Container Terminals and Commercial Business
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates — Gulftainer, a privately owned, independent port management and logistics company, has announced substantial…
The global leader in cybersecurity for industrial control systems (ICS)/operational technology (OT) environments, today announced accelerated expansion in…
BREATHE CLEAN AIR WITH LG
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, – 23 million people suffer from asthma worldwide. World Asthma Day is observed every…


The Three Illusions | Where Enlightenment Meets Science.
Welcome to the website about the book "The Three Illusions". This book explains how to eliminate fear, guilt, anxiety and anger from your life by using a philosophy based on science.
Here you can read excerpts, ask questions and contribute answers.
I have set up a Facebook Group for us to discuss the concepts and ideas contained in the book. Feel free to join up!
The entire book is available from Amazon in ebook format and you can buy a paperback version via Lulu.
You can listen to my podcast with my buddy Ray Harris.
Read a couple of early reviews. For those of you without an iPad or iPhone or Kindle device, you can download the Kindle app for PC or Mac for free from Amazon's site.


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The Suburbs
With two brilliant albums under their belt and a reputation more extensive than most bands can boast of, Arcade Fire have long resided in the upper echelons of the hierarchy of bands I have structured in my mind. So of course, I've been looking forward to their third LP quite a bit, with lofty expectations firmly set.
Unfortunately - oh yes I'm giving this up straight away - "The Suburbs" falls somewhat short of meeting such expectations. You see, for the first long while I was listening to it, my impression was that while Arcade Fire sounded by and large the same as always, their new record was completely void of stand-out moments. Fans will know what I'm talking about. "Wake Up", "Rebellion", "Keep The Car Running", "(Anti-Christ Television Blues)" - all of those were songs that elevated the band's quirky indie sound to sweeping heights, electrifying the listener and encouraging him to dive into the remaining tracks on each album. Those, as far as I can hear, have no parallels here on "The Suburbs".
However, as time has gone by, and more listens have been granted when I'd been in the mood for something unobtrusive, I must admit that this is more a question of how short, not how far, the mighty have fallen. You see while "The Suburbs" feels more homogeneous than its predecessors, it seems easily the most intricately composed effort from the band to this date. The thing is that all the details weave themselves into the sound so seamlessly that you might not notice. At first I felt like the entire album floated by at medium pace, but songs like "Ready To Start" and "Empty Room" are actually up-beat, and there is in fact plenty of variety to be found in that department. Among other things to appreciate are also the floating electronic notes of the two parts of "Half Light", which brings to mind classic western films and set a nice mood.
So yeah, Arcade Fire have not suddenly become an ordinary band, in fact the level of texture and intricacy on offer in "The Suburbs" is absolutely out of the ordinary. That being said however, I still feel like more could have been done to get the listener truly excited just every once in a while. Songs like "Rebellion" and "Keep The Car Running" would make listeners raise their head and feel like moving every time they were heard, but for its (rather long) duration, "The Suburbs" seems content with providing music that most will find best as a rich, yet casual backdrop for some relaxed (and maybe contemplative) activity. What I'm saying is I guess, that this is more one to float away in than one to ride attentively to the end, an observation based in the fact that my own attention certainly tends to go wandering halfway through the album. Long story short, this is a really rich record which will easily stand out as something to appreciate, especially to the patient and attentive listener, but the truth for me is, that both The National and Wolf Parade have released similar records this year, from which there were songs that held my attention more firmly than those on "The Suburbs".
Download: Ready To Start, The Suburbs, Rococo
For The Fans Of: Wolf Parade, The National, The Decemberists, Modest Mouse
Listen: myspace.com/arcadefireofficial


The most compact of our nursing chairs, the Ro-ki rocking chair is a favourite around here. With a mid-century profile and ergonomic design, the Ro-ki Rocker will look at home in even the cosiest of nurseries.The chair base is also removable, making it a perfect choice wherever access is tight. The Ro-ki comes in 3 fabric choices and 3 different leg colours and can be customised to suit any nursery.


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Desktop Carbon Fiber Filament 3D Printer Launched by Raise3D
August 5, 2021 by Sarah Saunders 3D Printers3D PrintingFeatured Stories
Today, FFF 3D printing solutions provider Raise3D, which designs and manufactures AM systems for LSEs and SMEs, is introducing its new E2CF professional desktop 3D printer, based on its award-winning multipurpose E2 system. Optimized for carbon fiber printing and engineered specifically to print with fiber-reinforced materials, the E2CF, first seen at TCT Asia earlier this year, features what the company calls the industry's "most comprehensive ecosystem," which includes its RaiseCloud print management platform and ideaMaker slicing software.
"The global effort to manufacture more energy-efficient equipment has fuelled a high demand for high strength-to-weight ratio parts. Carbon-fiber is a great material choice for such parts, but its use in 3D printing was, until now, considered expensive. With the release of the E2CF, Raise3D fills the market gap for a desktop-level 3D printer optimized for fiber-reinforced filaments and will make carbon-fiber 3D printing affordable and simple at last," stated Raise3D's Global CEO Edward Feng. "We are confident this is a relevant step in our mission to lead the promotion and implementation of Flexible Manufacturing Solutions used for low-volume or agile production, by removing another obstacle to the adoption of additive manufacturing as an alternative to traditional production."
Raise3D's E2CF 3D printer, weighing in at 32.4 kg, includes many of the best features of its predecessor, such as door sensors, IDEX technology, the "resume print" function, flexible build plate, and a power save mode. But that's not all: for improved first layer adhesion and print performance, the system includes a new assisted automatic bed leveling process for fiber-reinforced filaments, helped along by a high-precision optical sensor that has better accuracy in nozzle height calibration.
Speaking of nozzles, the E2CF has a high durability nozzle and feeding system, meaning that both the nozzles and the extruders were mechanically and functionally enhanced for long-term use—over 1,000 hours of printing with Raise3D's Industrial PA12 CF, to be exact.
The printer's double-gear extrusion system, built out of hardened components that are optimized for the increased wear that comes with fiber-reinforced filament printing, has twice the feeding grip force compared to the E2. Single extruder prints have a 330 × 240 × 240 mm build volume, which goes down to 295 × 240 × 240 mm for double extruder prints. The nozzles and extruders for the E2CF have all been enhanced for a more seamless composite material 3D printing process.
The E2CF also includes two standalone sealed dry boxes for material storage, which were created by Raise3D to deal with the high water absorption that goes along with nylon and carbon fiber-reinforced filaments. The dry boxes, which are actually attached to the printer itself, ensure that the materials can be kept in minimum humidity during the printing process.
High-tech industries, like aerospace, automotive, and healthcare, that need to make consistently high-performing parts with high strength-to-weight ratios will likely find everything they're looking for in this new professional desktop 3D printer. Raise3D 3D printing solutions distributor OKM3D received early access to the E2CF, and they seem pretty pleased with the results.
"The E2CF makes the easy production of strong and light parts a reality, which will certainly contribute to the ongoing transformation in many industries and applications," said OKM3D's CEO Timmy Schramm.
In addition to the E2CF printer, Raise3D is also launching its new Industrial PA12 CF and breakaway support filaments, specifically developed to help users print parts with an excellent finish and hardly any post-processing, and that meet the necessary requirements for accurate, lightweight, and long-lasting high performance. The PA12 CF, with a 72 MPa tensile strength and 3.3 GPa Young's modulus, would be a good choice for printing industrial end-use parts, jigs and fixtures, and engineering tooling.
Additional specs for the E2CF printer include:
7″ touchscreen
WiFi and Ethernet
1.75 mm filament
30-150 mm/s print head travel speed
0.1-0.25 mm layer height
HEPA filter with activated charcoal
Raise3D plans to launch its new E2CF 3D printer late in Q4 of this year, and will host an online public event to introduce it; the system will also be showcased this year at RAPID + TCT and TCT Birmingham in September and formnext in November. While the price is still subject to change, the plan is to sell it for €3,999 in Europe and $4,499 everywhere else. Pre-sales will open a few weeks before the printer officially goes on sale.
Tagged with: auto-leveling 3d printer • carbon fiber 3d printer • double extruding 3D printer • E2CF 3D printer • fiber reinforced • formnext 2021 • ideamaker • IDEX • new 3d printer • PA12 CF • professional desktop 3D printer • Raise3D • RaiseCloud • RAPID + TCT 2021 • support materials


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Google halts Assistant speech data transcription in EU
Posted: Aug 1, 2019 / 02:11 PM UTC / Updated: Aug 2, 2019 / 01:32 AM UTC
FILE – This Friday, June 16, 2017, file photo shows the Google logo at a gadgets show in Paris. As Google becomes a leading mail provider, search engine and advertising platform, federal regulators are starting to wonder if it needs to be knocked down a bit. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
BERLIN (AP) — Google has given reassurances that it won't make transcripts of speech data picked up by its Google Assistant system in the European Union for at least the next three months, a German data-protection authority said Thursday.
The office of Johannes Caspar, who as Hamburg's commissioner for data protection acts as Germany's lead regulator of Google on privacy issues, said his authority received the assurance after opening proceedings against Google.
Google acknowledged last month its contractors are able to listen to recordings of what people tell Google Assistant after some Dutch-language recordings were leaked. It says contractors listen to recordings to better understand language patterns and accents.
Caspar's office said in a statement that Google told the Hamburg authority that transcripts of speech recordings are already suspended and won't take place for at least three months from Thursday.
The company confirmed the move and said that "shortly after we learned about the leaking of confidential Dutch audio data, we paused language reviews of the Assistant to investigate."
Google's move is voluntary as the authority is still considering the matter and Caspar hasn't yet ordered action. The company said it is "assessing how we conduct audio reviews and help our users understand how data is used."
"We don't associate audio clips with user accounts during the review process, and only perform reviews for around 0.2% of all clips," it added.
Caspar said there are "currently significant doubts" as to whether the use of Google Assistant complies with EU data-protection law. His office said that, while authorities in Ireland — where Google's European operation is headquartered — take the lead on such matters, EU data protection law allows authorities in other member countries to take action for a maximum of three months if there is an "urgent need to act" to protect people's rights and freedoms.
He urged other authorities to consider action against artificial intelligence systems from rivals such as Apple and Amazon.
More Science and Technology Stories
NEW YORK (AP) — The head of Hallmark's media business is leaving the company after 11 years, just a month after its flagship Hallmark Channel faced an outcry over a decision to pull an ad with a lesbian couple kissing.
No reason was given for Bill Abbott's departure, and no replacement was immediately named.
by JIM MORRIS, Associated Press / Jan 22, 2020
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A Canadian justice department lawyer said Wednesday that fraud, not sanctions, is the crucial element for a judge to consider when deciding if a senior executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei should be extradited to the United States.
This week's hearings deal with the question of whether the U.S. charges against Meng Wanzhou are crimes in Canada as well. Her lawyers argue the case is really about U.S. sanctions against Iran, not a fraud case. They maintain since Canada does not have similar sanctions against Iran, no fraud occurred.


Varnsdorf have conceded an average of 0.78 goals per game since the beginning of the season. The team's average number of goals conceded per game in the last 8 matches is 1.38, which is 76.9% higher than their current season's average.
Of the above 7 remaining matches in CzechRepublic - 2nd league, Varnsdorf will be playing more matches at home (4) than away (3).
Varnsdorf's opponents to be played in home games currently have a combined average of 0.91 Points Per Game in their away matches played so far this season in the league.
Matches played at home have accounted for 50% of Varnsdorf's total points and only 41% of the goals they have scored so far this season in CzechRepublic - 2nd league.
Varnsdorf have scored an average of 0.96 goals per match so far this season, which is lower than the average number of 1.26 goals scored by each team per match this season in the league, all teams combined in CzechRepublic - 2nd league.
A majority of Varnsdorf's wins have been obtained with a 1-goal margin (8 wins), while 2 of their wins had a margin of 2 goals or more.
78% of Varnsdorf's matches had under 2.5 goals in total. Varnsdorf have failed to score in 45% of their home matches. Varnsdorf have drawn their last 3 home matches. Varnsdorf have conceded 2 goals or more in each of their last 3 matches.


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Join Renew or Upgrade your Membership Today
Become an SCI Member
Safari Club International welcomes new members to help in the fight to protect hunting and to conserve wildlife around the world. By joining SCI, you support both hunting and conservation. As a member, you're brought together with other like-minded hunters and you receive an exclusive array of benefits. These benefits include discounts on products and services, as well as insider news and other information that is not available anywhere else.
Once you are a member of SCI, you can find and join an official chapter. Find the nearest chapter to you by searching our Chapter Locator. Chapters support the missions of SCI and help in their own localities. They raise money and provide services right in their own backyards and around the world by conducting hands-on conservation projects, education activities and humanitarian efforts.
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*Seniors (60 and older) receive a $250 discount on Life Membership plans.
*Spousal Life Membership is available for SCI Life Member from USA, Canada and Mexico for $750.
*Payment plans available, please call 888-HUNT-SCI or 888-486-8724 for more details.
For more details about SCI Membership Options and Benefits breakdown, please refer to SCI Membership Brochure.
Why should I consider a membership in Safari Club International?
Hunters know that the right and freedom to hunt is under attack, and you want to protect that freedom. SCI is one of the most powerful pro-hunting and pro-conservation organizations in the world. SCI works tirelessly on behalf of hunters. Members stay involved with state legislative and regulatory issues; with federal plans that affect management, conservation and hunting access on public lands; as well as with national legislative issues. There is strength in numbers. SCI could not make such significant changes without supporters such as you – united in the same fight.
There is an array of benefits that you will receive as a member of Safari Club International, including the bi-monthly, full-color SAFARI Magazine. Members also are invited to attend the annual SCI Convention — The Ultimate Hunter's Market™. Associated sponsors offer additional benefits and discounts on everything from travel insurance to hunting gear. Visit the benefits page for a full list.
How does becoming a member of an international organization help support my local community?
Dedicated to the overall mission of the organization, SCI's more than-170 chapters raise money to implement the mission of SCI right in their own backyards. The majority of all funds raised by a Chapter are used in ways that the Chapter members choose. In addition, Chapter members are active in their communities — organizing and working on humanitarian, conservation and educational efforts, and inviting others in their community to join in these efforts.
Use the Chapter Locator to find your area chapter. Contact the president or membership coordinator nearest you to find out about attending the next meeting.
The SCI Record Book program has documented SCI members' hunting heritage since 1977. The SCI Online Record Book of Big Game Animals uses SCI's unique, all-inclusive scoring system, which is the most used in the world. The Online Record Book is utilized by SCI members as a networking tool and guide to achieving SCI World Hunting Awards and personal hunting goals.
In addition to your support of SCI as a Life Member, upgrade and join the Life Hunter Advocate Society to protect your freedom to hunt today, and for generations to come.
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All SCI members and their families have 24/7 direct telephonic access to the SCI Hunter's Travel Assistance Hotline (Hotline). Supported by Global Rescue (GR) and its worldwide operation centers, the Hotline provides a range of travel assistance services. Please note that the Hotline does not provide any medical advisory, field rescue or evacuation services.
Access to Insurance Discounts
Gun and Trophy Insurance Programs are available online to SCI members. Our long-time consultants, Sportsmans Insurance Agency, Lechner & Stauffer, and Global Rescue are ready to assist SCI Members looking to insure their hunting investments, firearms and firearm collections, trophies, med evac and SCI Convention vendor liability insurance needs.
As a Member of Safari Club International...
You receive an array of benefits, discounts and services, including the bi-monthly SAFARI Magazine.
You actively participate in a cause you believe in: protecting hunting and promoting conservation.
You are invited to attend the annual convention, the biggest outdoor show of its kind in the world.
You join an organization that is both a powerful and politically active force around the world.
Learn about additional the benefits 50,000 members enjoy...
By joining a Safari Club International Chapter…
You connect to a local network of like-minded individuals who share the common goal of protecting the freedom to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation locally and worldwide.
You work to make a difference by getting involved in education, conservation and humanitarian projects.
You give back to your community because funds raised by your chapter stay at the local level.
You strengthen SCI projects and legislation while also protecting our hunting heritage.
Learn more about the activities of SCI Chapters…
We can give you plenty reasons to join. But don't just take our word for it. This is what some of our members had to say in a recent survey:
"SCI is proactive in protecting my hunting rights, and the annual convention gives me exposure to many outfitters and sources for my hunting and fishing trips."
"SCI is the best proactive hunting, conservation and educational organization in the world. It not only emphases local, state and national, but also international."
"I believe it is the responsible thing to do as a member of the hunting community: support organizations that protect wildlife conservation and hunting."


Of the many activities at a software company, customer support or customer care is one of the toughest to provide. Sometimes I think that to avoid burnout, you need to approach the whole business the way an athlete deals with a sport. Realize that it's a team effort, and that you will win some and lose some. In fact, you may lose by falling flat on your face some days. But a losing game is just one part of a longer season, and the support of teammates helps you pull through.
This doesn't sound like the kind of function towards which people gravitate, does it? So it is with most Product Managers. They understand the necessity of customer support, but breathe a big sigh of relief that they're not the ones who have to provide it.
Yet when a Product Manager participates in customer support, right on the hotline with struggling users, it can bring tremendous value to the product. Manning the support lines is an intense way of living the customer experience, with no watering down of the struggle, time expended, and confusion that comes with working with a software product.
Read below for some guidance on how you can enrich your understanding of the customer experience by actively participating in the customer care effort at your company, and as a result develop great requirements for new product capabilities.
With the tips provided below, you can have the confidence to go outside your comfort zone into the customer service trenches (a war zone if there ever was one).
Before you man the phones or answer emails, make sure you understand the type or types of users who are using the product and will be calling in. As Product Manager you may have been involved in pre-sales discussions with the executive team deciding to buy and implement the product. But it may very well be that none of the people on that team are active users. Active users may be one, two, or three levels down from the buyers you know.
The key is to understand the job duties and priorities of those users.
It's also likely that different types of users may be working with the product. You may have non-technical end users who call, or who have reported a problem to their own support person. There may also be internal IT resources that call, highly technical, in charge of system administration and troubleshooting. Each of these groups has a different focus and set of priorities.
It will be important to speak to the concerns of the callers, at the level of detail they need to get their work done.
If you can't be out in the field, sitting right next to a customer, building up your exposure to the customer experience, the next best thing is to be on the other end of the support hotline when a user calls with a problem.
More than any second-hand account from a trainer or consultant, or even a customer support rep, about a customer's problem, hearing about a difficulty directly from a customer will bring it home to you. You will gain a much clearer understanding of the problem. You will gain a wider perspective on the extent and significance of the issue as you hear about it from different customers.
This kind of insight is invaluable. It's like a concentrated version of experience working in your customer's industry. You get to hear the problems, all the problems, and find out just what kind of impact they're having.
Trying to solve the problem often leads to very unhelpful responses on your part. Of course, if the answer is cut and dried and you can actually solve it, all of it, when the customer calls, you just scored a big win. But usually you will need to restrict your ambition to thoroughly understanding and recording the problem or problems, and perhaps solving some, but not all, of the issues right away.
In fact, your job on the customer hotline is to care about the problem and respond to the customer. Listen and talk with the caller until you understand. Understand the impact of the problem until you sympathize, or better yet, empathize, with them. Make sure that the customer sees that you understand the importance of the issue.
Then tell the customer what you are going to do and when you will get back to them. More than anything, the customer needs to know that you are working on an answer, and needs to hear status reports by the deadline you gave them for news.
With the customer a little calmer and reassured, break the problem into pieces, solve it one piece at a time, and communicate the resolution to the customer as you fix each piece.
Win some, lose some. Some days the customer will not get any calmer or less upset, and you can hold your breath until you're blue in the face before they thank you. But generally, if the customer feels respected and understood, they are ready to wait a reasonable period of time to get the answer to their problem.
If, as a Product Manager, you spend some time working active customer support issues, it is absolutely critical that you do not let the ball drop when you step off the hotline to go back to your regular work. All open issues must be handed off to a customer service rep, with complete communication of the issue, and ideally communication of the handoff to the customer.
If you don't do this, you have just contributed to a guaranteed increase in customer dissatisfaction with you and with your company. Mostly it will be your company that gets blamed.
The other side of understanding customer support issues is stepping back to look at trends and categories of issues.
Whatever system is in place to handle support calls (hopefully an automated one with the ability to generate reports, but that's not a given), look at different issues and categories of issues. Compare them relative to the number of calls, length of calls, and cost to resolve.
The results of this analysis provides priorities for requirements aimed at improving or fixing customer care issues. There will be certain issues that predominate. If you fix issues that occur most often, you can cut down on the support workload. If you fix issues that demand the most resolution time, you also cut the workload. Both of these improve productivity and therefore profitability.
If you focus on issues that are the costliest to resolve (not just in time but other resources such as materials or shipping costs), you can develop a list of requirements that will improve product profitability.
Be aware that the level at which you are dealing with product issues on a support hotline is a much more day-to-day, practical versus strategic level. This bears pointing out, because one of the biggest dangers for a product is to be entirely successful at improving the many mundane tasks that bother end users, while failing utterly to expand into new strategic directions that are essential in the eyes of the marketplace and the managers who make the decision to buy the software.
When prioritizing requirements, you don't want to ignore mundane and practical improvements for the majority of end users, but you need to balance these against new capabilities that broaden or advance the overall product vision.
If you can implement requirements that cut support time and other support costs, you are improving the profitability of the product.
The cost of customer support usually has an important spillover effect, where a leanly staffed department of customer service reps has to rely on specialized help from other departments such as installation, implementation consulting, engineering or custom programming. While it's easy to measure customer support rep time, the cost of resources from outside the department may ultimately be the greater cost.
It's this hard-to-measure spillover effect that makes it so hard for customer service managers to get across to others the actual cost, usually higher than anybody realizes, of product problems.
Armed with a familiarity with customer support issues, you as Product Manager can devise a continuing stream of requirements, some involving minimal development effort, that make for a more self-sustaining product. And the more your product can sustain itself, the more licenses you can sell without having to staff up your customer support area accordingly. Combined with the reduced spillover effect of support demands on other departments, your profitability increases.
The idea of a more self-sustaining product also hits home with today's trend of wanting to buy products requiring an absolute minimum of IT support on the part of the customer. A reputation for minimal support will net you significantly more sales.


Does web "banner blindness" correlate with in-store screen viewership?
For those of us who found our way into this weird little space after a stint in what was "new media" 10 years ago, many will know the name Jakob Nielsen – a Web design and usability guru.
Much of his work has focused on the whole keep-it-simple-and-spartan look and feel for Web design. But he looks at other stuff, and recently wrote a piece (which I noticed in the MIT Ad Lab blog) about something called Banner Blindness. Simply put, this is the proposition that most Web surfers don't even notice the banners that top and flank the pages of many commercial Web sites.
The most prominent result from the new eyetracking studies is not actually new. We simply confirmed for the umpteenth time that banner blindness is real. Users almost never look at anything that looks like an advertisement, whether or not it's actually an ad.
I mention this because I think what goes on with people who are Web surfing has at least some correlation with what happens in store and in other public places. Intuitively, I have to think people wandering around stores, malls and other public spaces are looking for stuff, and the screens are like banner ads. I have even heard network operators talk about how they think it takes a while — as in repeated impressions — for the ads to start burning in to people's heads.
There's even research to back up the assertion that repeated exposures will over time generate positive feelings about a product, even if people aren't really paying attention to the banner ads.
At all levels of user engagement, Nielsen writes, the finding is the same regarding banners (outlined with green boxes in the above illustration): almost no fixations within advertisements. If users are looking for a quick fact, they want to get done and aren't diverted by banners; and if users are engrossed in a story, they're not going to look away from the content.
The heatmaps also show how users don't fixate within design elements that resemble ads, even if they aren't ads.
Even when we did record a fixation within a banner, users typically didn't engage with the advertisement. Often, users didn't even see the advertiser's logo or name, even when they glanced at one or two design elements elsewhere inside an ad.
– The more an ad looks like a native site component, the more users will look at it.
– Not only should the ad look like the site's other design elements, it should appear to be part of the specific page section in which it's displayed.
Using that notion, would that mean that spots running in a retail setting should try to share the look, feel and attitude of the store design and POP material. I'm not sure that's going to work in the same way.
However, I can easily see more people noticing a healthy chest or a six-packed set of abs than a spinning product shot on a screen.


These simple grey and pink leggings from adidas Performance are just right for active, sporty days. Cut in lightweight, stretchy cotton material, they feature the brand's logo at the hip and they have been finished with bold pink stripes to the side. Style them with a technical tee and colour-popping trainers.


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« Area veteran injured on bike
Loss mourned, but award celebrated »
Screaming Eagle lands in food cart
Staff photo by Patrick McCallister
Isaac Parks and Kiantae Mims have opened a weekend food cart at 3775 S.W. Mapp Road, the Royal Palms Apartments' southern parking lot by Southwest 35th Street. That's next to the new Sunoco.
Patrick McCallister
For Veteran Voice
Isaac Parks' grew up in a military family.
"My dad, my siblings, my aunts, my uncles, everyone served," he said.
He also grew up in a ministry family.
"My mom, she had a passion to cook," Parks, said "My parents believe you can minister through food."
Parks is a veteran with disabilities. He served in Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan in the 101st Airborne. He received a medical discharge.
"I had a couple close calls," he said.
Parks said when he got out of the military last year he thought veterans benefits would start immediately, because the Army was supposed to be coordinating with the Department of Veterans Affairs. That's not how things worked out.
"I went months and months without pay," he said.
Parks added, "Going from making $50,000 a year to nothing was hard. I see so many veterans hurting out there."