Distinctive homes was established in 1989 by Thomas C. Terry, a licensed architect with 38 years in the industry. An Ohio State graduate, Tom received his bachelors in Architecture in 1984. He studied along side several Frank Lloyd Wright Apprentices, eventually service his own apprenticeship under the former chairman of the Arizona Technical Board of Architects and Architects and Engineers. Tom has been working in the Prescott area and practicing architecture for over 30 years. Including 8 years of schooling prior, totaling in over 38 years working and designing in the industry. He and his team of talented employees have designed over 1,000 homes representing over $700,000,000 in planned projects.
Distinctive homes has designed models for Prescott area's successful builders, building hundreds of homes to date which were designed by Tom. The value of these homes totaling almost $700,000,000 worth of housing. He has also been published in other magazines and books, including Scottsdale Magazine and the nationally published fine log home ideas magazine along with other log home magazines and national publications.
Tom recently won the Fine Home Building Magazine, a national publication, 2014 People's Choice Award. This particular award was nationally published in the summer 2014 issue. Tom has personally designed one of the largest homes in northern Arizona, at 26,000 square foot under roof. We have received the energy efficient achievemnet of the LEED Gold certification in Prescott, Arizona.
We currently have projects in ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND OHIO.
Tom believes the most important aspect to any project is designing a home unique to each lot's topography, solar orientation, beauty and budget. As an architect, the most important aspects of his designs are to make living in the home a wonderful, beautiful experience and marrying the interior to the views and the exterior environment of the lot.


text:
Balin és un cavaller que apareix lligat a la matèria de Bretanya i que centra part dels episodis de La mort d'Artús. Destaca per la seva virtut i la seva dissort, ja que està condemnat pel destí a no triomfar. De jove va trobar-se una misteriosa espasa, que només podia ser desembeinada per qui tingués una gran valentia. Va agafar-la sense dubte, malgrat la profecia que qui la portés acabaria matant la persona més estimada. Balin no en fa cas i la porta juntament a la seva arma en diverses aventures, motiu pel qual és conegut amb el sobrenom de "Cavaller de les dues espases". La profecia s'acompleix quan assassina el seu germà sense saber la seva identitat en un combat cos a cos. Abans intenta pertànyer a la Taula Rodona però el Rei Artús el foragita per ser incapaç de seguir unes normes, com quan comença una lluita dins de la cort. Aquesta expulsió fa que aparegui amb el sobrenom de "El Salvatge" en algunes versions artúriques. En un intent de redimir-se, s'embarca en nombroses missions, sempre perseguit per la malastrugança. En una ocasió agafa sense saber què fa una arma encantada que provoca que tot el regne es quedi sense collites. Després de matar son germà, mor ell mateix de les ferides i és enterrat al seu costat.

Referències

Personatges de la matèria de Bretanya

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Jordan Luke Rhodes (5 de febrero de 1990, Oldham, Inglaterra, Reino Unido) es un futbolista escocés que juega de delantero en el Huddersfield Town A. F. C. de la EFL Championship.

Selección nacional
Rhodes fue incluido en el equipo de  para enfrentar a  el 11 de noviembre de 2011, ingresando en el minuto 87 por Jamie Mackie (victoria 2-1 para Escocia). Fue titular por primera vez en un amistoso ante  y marcó el gol de su selección, que finalmente perdió ante los oceánicos por 3-1. Actualmente lleva 14 partidos jugados con 3 goles.

Clubes

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Ficha en SFA

Delanteros de fútbol
Futbolistas del Ipswich Town Football Club
Futbolistas del Oxford United Football Club
Futbolistas del Rochdale Association Football Club
Futbolistas del Brentford Football Club
Futbolistas del Huddersfield Town Football Club
Futbolistas del Blackburn Rovers Football Club
Futbolistas del Middlesbrough Football Club
Futbolistas del Sheffield Wednesday Football Club
Futbolistas del Norwich City Football Club
Futbolistas de la selección de fútbol sub-21 de Escocia
Futbolistas de la selección de fútbol de Escocia en los años 2010


text:
Building a Village: How We Partnered with Avivo to Help Minnesota Homeless
Avivo Indoor Villages: Under Construction
You've probably heard the ancient African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." But the question is, what does it take to raise a village?
That was the exact question we had to ask ourselves when we agreed to help construct the Avivo Village.
What is the Avivo Village?
The Avivo Village is an indoor community of 100 secure and private dwellings, or "tiny houses," created to provide transitional housing to Minneapolis and Hennepin County residents currently experiencing homelessness.
According to Avivo, the organization spearheading the project, the goal is to provide "a dignified, safe, and COVID-aware alternative to outdoor encampments."
Located inside a warehouse in the North Loop Neighborhood of Minneapolis, the Avivo Village will house service providers, case managers, and security services in addition to the 100 residents.
The hope is that this community will offer the support these people need to overcome adversity, obtain new employment, and be successful in finding permanent housing.
Learn more about this project at Avivo's website.
How did the Avivo Village project come to life?
From the very beginning, the ultimate goal of the Avivo Village project was to have residents moved in by the end of 2020. Due to the lengthy approval processes and fundraising stages, everything about the construction had to be significantly expedited to meet that goal.
That meant the project needed the right oversight to meet those tight deadlines. Fortunately, under the experienced leadership of Greiner Project Manager Tony Ghilani and Senior Superintendent Paul Kreuzfeldt, we were able to do just that!
Even though it is still under construction, the first 16 residents were allowed to move in on December 30, 2020. And thanks to Avivo, a few of those residents have already found a more permanent home!
As of now, the plan is to fully open the Avivo Village in March of 2021.
Our core values are at the heart of this project
As we reflected on our involvement with the Avivo Village, one thing that became very evident was that Greiner's core company values were behind every decision we made and every single stage of the project.
We put the customer first
From day one, the Greiner team needed to be incredibly flexible to adapt to the heavily expedited pre-construction process. Daily adjustments to the scope of work were required to keep everything moving along. This involved constant problem solving and the need to double our carpentry and sheetrock teams to hit our ever-changing deadlines.
We say it like it is
When Avivo was looking for a construction partner, they knew they needed an experienced team who understood the design intent and what they were trying to accomplish. Greiner came in right away with clear expectations, transparent communication, and fresh ideas. Together with a talented team of subcontractors, we set to work on the fast-paced interior buildouts and modifications.
We don't quit
Many other contractors would have demobilized when faced with the roadblocks we were up against, but that's not how we operate at Greiner. Our project team buckled down and kept moving forward because they were passionate about the cause and believed in what our client was trying to do.
We understand the big picture
To avoid a procurement or manpower issue on any project, a thorough analysis is needed to confirm the best paths for the client. At Greiner, we always ask, "What will actually move up the end date?" This allows us to be as efficient as possible when it comes to deliveries, budgets, and staffing, which is all in our client's best interest.
When your clients have committed their lives to solving homelessness, that positivity and warmth is absolutely infectious to everyone around. It makes it much easier to go above and beyond and put in the long hours when you truly believe in the cause.
"We are the best at our profession to make sure that they can be the best at theirs. This project has moved fast, and it is all for a great cause. Though it has also given me a few pigment-free hairs."
Tony Ghilani, Project Manager at Greiner
Construct your next passion project with Greiner
The Avivo Village project would have never been the success it was without the wonderful teams at JLL, Avivo, and AWH, not to mention all of the hard work put in by our dedicated subcontractors. For that, we thank you!
Is your organization looking to make a positive change in your community? Contact us today to discuss how we can help.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
YouTube's Ad-Free Subscription Offering Is on the Horizon
Josh Wolford
Apart from Justin Bieber videos and comment trolls, ads are the most annoying thing about YouTube. But most of us have come to accept that we're going to have to watch five, 15, or god forbid 30 seconds of an ad before our video plays – and even during our video plays if the video is long enough. It's just a fact of life – death, taxes, and YouTube ads.
But if there were a way to remove ads from the equation, what would you pay?
If your answer is around 10 bucks a month or something, then you're in luck. YouTube's long-discussed ad-free subscription plan is on the horizon, and it looks like that'll be the price point.
YouTube confirmed the offering in a letter to its partners, saying the new ad-free paid subscription will "generate a new source of revenue that will supplement [thier] fast growing advertising revenue."
"We're confident this latest contract update will excite your fans and generate a previously untapped, additional source of revenue for you," said the YouTube team in the letter.
According to YouTube's updated Terms of Service, that will amount to 55% of total net revenues from the new subscription fees. Partners must participate in the subscription program, or risk their videos being set to private – according to source quoted by The Verge.
"YouTube will pay you 55% of the total net revenues recognized by YouTube from subscription fees that are attributable to the monthly views or watchtime of your Content as a percentage of the monthly views or watchtime of all or a subset of participating content in the relevant subscription offering (as determined by YouTube). If your Content is included in and viewed by a user in multiple subscription offerings, YouTube will pay you based on the subscription offering with the highest amount of net revenues recognized by YouTube, as calculated by YouTube."
No official word on when YouTube will begin offering users the option to make the ads disappear or how much it will cost exactly. The Verge says it'll cost around $10. Bloomberg says it should be coming in the next few months. The new terms for partners take effect June 15.
YouTube would only give this standard response:
"While we can't comment on ongoing discussions, giving fans more choice to enjoy the content they love and creators more opportunity to earn revenue are always amongst our top priorities."
Ad-free sounds great. But who would pay for YouTube? Aren't we all just used to YouTube being free?
Here's what I had to say when this option was rumored way back in October:
The question then becomes … who would pay for YouTube?
You may or may now know that YouTube has already been experimenting with paid subscriptions on a smaller scale. Since May of last year, YouTube has offered paid channels. YouTube lets the channel creator set their own price (which could be anywhere from $0.99 a month to a few dollars a month), and then takes a cut of the profit. Paid channels started with a few dozen partners and soon expanded, but the initiative hasn't really taken off – at least not as much as YouTube would've hoped.
Nearly a year and a half later, there are only 281 paid channels on YouTube.
And the problem that befalls paid channels could also affect YouTube's move into offering a site-wide paid subscription service.
Is the content really worth paying for?
It's one thing to pay a monthly or yearly fee to watch Game of Thrones or to listen to Led Zeppelin. It's a whole different thing to pay money to watch babies laugh, cats chase laser pointers, and drunk people falling down stairs.
I know there's much better content on YouTube than that – but you get the point.
YouTube caricature aside, a lot of people would likely have a problem justifying a monthly payment for YouTube. We're all so used to YouTube being free. You know what we're also pretty used to? Ads. It's just a part of the experience now. Are you really that annoyed by ads to warrant paying for YouTube?
YouTube has already made a move toward paid models. You might recall its music service, YouTube Music Key, is currently in beta. It's an interesting concept, for sure – one that would put YouTube in the same breath as streaming platforms like Netflix.
But will people play for YouTube? And is going "ad-free" enough of a carrot to dangle? Maybe if YouTube made a show like Game of Thrones and put it behind a paywall.
Tags Ads fringilla lorem Subscriptions Videos YouTube YouTube Creators
Emily Blunt Prepares To Battle Anne Hathaway In "Lip Sync Battle"
Apple: We're Going to Run Out of Apple Watches


text:
COMPLETED COMPS
Ended – £500 Cash – TAX FREE !!!
Ended – £150 Amazon Gift Card
Ended – 65″ LG Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
Competition Ended - See Winners Page for results!
Category: Completed Competitions
See our winners page for results
Ticket Number
January 29, 2021 5:50 pm	 s************r	 203
January 29, 2021 5:50 pm	 s************r	 59
January 29, 2021 5:11 pm	 a************e	 60
January 29, 2021 5:05 pm	 g******************n	 86
January 29, 2021 4:46 pm	 m***************s	 27
January 29, 2021 4:20 pm	 e********e	 22
January 29, 2021 4:17 pm	 t**********y	 155
January 29, 2021 4:17 pm	 t**********y	 5
Ended – NESPRESSO by Krups Vertuo – Coffee Machine
Ended – PlayStation PS5 Disk Edition
Ended – £250 Cash
Watch Live View Tickets
Jam Points
© 2021 Jam Competitions
Jam Points!
Refer a friend to receive 500 Jam Points when they make a purchase! Exchange your points to get a discount at checkout!
Buy Tickets to earn 5 Jam Points per £1 spent! Get £1 for every 200 points!
Use 1000 Points for a £5 discount Use 2000 Points for a £10 discount
Refer a friend to receive 500 Jam Points when they make a purchase!
Buy Tickets to earn 5 Jam Points per £1 spent!
Use 1000 Points for a £5 discount
Exchange your points to get a discount at checkout!
Get £1 for every 200 points!
Use 2000 Points for a £10 discount


A Few Words: Meg is Western Australia's leading and most sought-after social media educator and public speaker. She is a dynamic media commentator and founder of Perth's largest social media community and "knowledge economy", Social Media Perth (#SMPerth). Meg keeps her finger on the pulse of the industry with award-winning client work as Managing Director of her consultancy, Coffey & Tea.
A hospitality and tourism sector specialist, Meg's skill and understanding of all things "social" translates to her leading the charge for digital empowerment in Western Australia.
Meg's natural acumen for communication was an organic transition into her public speaking roles and leading training programs.
A testament to her talent, Meg is an in-demand speaker at national and international workshops, seminars, and conventions.
Meg features as an industry judge for numerous programs such as the Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards, Australian Web Industry Awards and Property Council of Australia Retail Awards. In early 2016 Meg completed a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, a testament to her commitment to professional development. Meg has also served as a Leederville Connect Committee Member and WA State Advisory Councillor for the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI WA SAC).
Meg was shortlisted in the 2014 WAToday Entrepreneur & Innovator Awards for the Curtin Growth Entrepreneur Award. She was voted one of Perth's 100 Most Influential in the Nifnex Awards. Meg was a finalist for both Coffey & Tea and Social Media Perth in the 23rd Belmont & Western Australian Small Business Awards in 2016. The recognition continues and in 2017 Meg was named Inside Business's Top 50 Small Business Leaders and provided media commentary to ABC during the WA State Election.
Meg is a go-to source for media outlets and regularly appears as an industry expert on 6PR radio and Channel 9 news.


So what exactly is Business Intelligence 3.0? Is it a mass of meaningless marketing messages, a collection of multiple BI advancements, or does it represent a single technological shift that many have misconstrued?
Well, according to Bill Cabiro, it's none of the above. In his article, What is Business Intelligence 3.0?, Cabiro contends that BI 3.0 represents two things: A changing philosophy regarding BI user types and an amalgamation, or confusion, of terms. However, Cabiro does acknowledge, from the outset, that this altering viewpoint, regarding BI's potential use cases and therefore user types, has also led to significant technological change.
This change has been driven by two interrelated factors: Technology vendors, eager to capture new market share, and organizations that have also realized the enhanced benefits attainable by delivering data-based insights pervasively throughout the enterprise.
Gartner, amongst many other prominent industry analyst firms, has long advocated the benefits of making reporting and analytics accessible to broader none-technical user bases, simultaneously citing the need for BI vendors to develop product intuitive enough to be explored with minimal IT hand holding. Cabiro notes Gartner's repeated commentary, which stipulates that "BI users do not want to read manuals", and that they "demand intuitive BI interfaces, in line with the internet experience they are accustomed to, like Google searches or iPhone apps".
Unsurprisingly, this has led to a shift in BI purchase habits. Gartner's recent Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence and Analytics Platforms surveys and Dresner Advisory Services' latest Wisdom of Crowds Business Intelligence Market Study found that business departments are increasingly driving BI purchase decisions. As a result, "product ease-of-use" has now usurped "product functionality" as the number one purchase consideration, according to Gartner.
Capgemini's Simon Gratton, in his article BI 3.0: The Journey to Business Intelligence – What does it mean?, essentially agrees with Cabiro's premise, writing that BI 3.0 can be fundamentally thought of as "Visualization, anticipation and collaboration through a human-centred UI… with information strategy and theory focused on self-regulating mechanisms and technology accelerators".
While it's clear that many BI vendors have attempted to address this usability issue highlighted by Cabiro, and thereby address the woeful BI penetration and utilization rates, he argues that the concept of BI 3.0 isn't a new phenomenon.
Gratton, too, highlights that the continued emergence of the category of BI technology, sometimes referred to as BI 3.0, has been a "torturous" journey: "Vendors and clients alike have, on the whole, struggled to fulfil the promise of ubiquitous information provision and ultimately widespread end-user adoption". According to Cindi Howson's BIScorecard report, only around 18 percent of employees currently use BI tools.
To understand how BI 3.0 is different to the BI iterations of the past, recognizing the developmental roadmap that led to the current state of BI is important.
BI 1.0: A tool-centric approach to BI that involves Batch processing, is tightly controlled by the IT department, and focuses on the delivery of information to an analytics trained minority (Also known today as the 'Data Scientist').
BI 2.0: A Web-focused approach to BI that involves near real-time processing, is jointly governed by IT and users themselves, and is aimed at empowering the 'Data Explorer' through content delivery and creation.
BI 3.0: A predominantly app-centric approach to BI, identifiable by an anywhere, anytime and device or platform independent collaborative methodology. This approach is based on social workgroups and supports self-guided content creation, delivery, analysis and management.
According to Grattan, BI 1.0 "Evolved during the client/server era" and was focused on enabling individual departments to "consolidate multiple operational servers" and thereby drive operations-specific insights relevant at a departmental level. This process relied heavily on IT resources to establish reporting requirements, massage the necessary data and centrally develop the resultant reports. This phase of BI was therefore typified by narrow insight into highly specific business operations, with the dissemination of information restricted by this IT-reliant approach.
Grattan suggests that the next phase of BI development (BI 2.0) encompassed schema-based BI tools that could take advantage of, and simplify access to, "the various structured data repositories of the day".
Grattan states that this approach supported the notion of the "Data Explorer" – while simultaneously relinquishing some IT control – by enabling broader BI uptake across the organization via empowering consumers to independently explore information. Or, as Grattan put it himself, BI 2.0 enabled "Enterprise Search coupled with initial attempts at consumer visualization". This stage of development also enabled BI technologies, and therefore users, to federate information sources in an attempt to provide a single source of truth.
Like BI 1.0, BI 2.0 was still dominated by "operational silos and tool-centricity". Enter BI 3.0.
The article also pinpoints "a gaping void between enterprise and consumer software", stating that it's this gap which new BI technologies must close to ensure sustained and widespread BI user adoption (the ultimate goal of vendors and organizations pursuing BI 3.0).
An article on ittechnewsdaily.com, titled 5 Tips for Maximizing Your Data Insights with Business Intelligence 3.0, concludes that the advent of 3.0 means that "BI has finally become what it should be — a core component in the continuous effort to improve business… owned by business users".
The same article also emphasizes the social and collaborative nature of BI 3.0, as well as its ubiquitous presence, stating that: "The same BI tools must be readily available regardless of the media such as desktops, mobile phones, or tablets. This ensures that users send and receive the right info, at the right time, in the right way.
But, while Forrester, Gartner, ittechnewsdaily.com, Gratton and Cabiro seem in relative agreement regarding the defining features and philosophies of BI 3.0; Marius Moscovici holds an alternate point of view.
Moscovici claims that the subsequent phase of industry development, BI 3.0, is actually addressing a different problem.
What Moscovici does agree on, is that BI 3.0 is "about living up to its initial promise of providing data analytics to everyone… that everyone wants to consume." Moscovici argues that integrating reporting and analytics into existing, and familiar, workplace processes and tools is "a key facet of BI 3.0 – spooning up intelligence without making users work for it".
So what are your thoughts? Which features, philosophies and methodologies best encompass and define this 'new wave' approach to BI?


text:
New Croydon plan will transform the health and care of local people | Trust news
New Croydon plan will transform the health and care of local people
Posted Wednesday, 23 October 2019 by Christina Clynes
One Croydon, a partnership between the local NHS, Croydon Council and Age UK Croydon, has today launched a new five-year plan to support residents to stay well for longer by making services more accessible in the heart of their communities.
The Croydon Health and Care Plan outlines a fresh vision for how health and social care will be delivered across the borough, particularly for those with the greatest need, to transform the health and wellbeing of local people.
The plan emphasises three clear priorities:
Focus on prevention and proactive care: supporting people to stay well, manage their own health and maintain their wellbeing by making sure they can get help early.
Unlock the power of communities: connecting people to their neighbours and communities, who can provide unique support to stay fit and healthy for longer.
Develop services in the heart of the community: giving people easy access to joined up services that are tailored to the needs of their local community
The Health and Care plan builds on a number of successful schemes already in place in Croydon, including social prescribing, which makes it easier for GPs and nurses to connect people with a range of non-clinical services – everything from Bollywood dancing to cooking lessons – to help improve the emotional, mental and general wellbeing of people suffering from conditions such as depression and anxiety.
The Personal Independence Coordinator scheme exemplifies the borough's person-centred approach, supporting people with long term conditions to stay out of hospital by providing a link between the NHS, council and voluntary sector.
In addition to a focus on locality-based care, the Health and Care plan outlines proposals for Croydon's acute and mental health trusts. At present, more than 40% of the budget spent on hospital care is on patients attending hospitals outside Croydon and leaders believe at least 17% of this treatment could be delivered by Croydon Health Services. We seek to enable patients to be treated closer to home and it would support our local hospital trusts, making them more financially sustainable providers of excellent care locally.
Councillor Jane Avis, Croydon Council's cabinet member for families, health and social care, said:
"Croydon has a growing population, which means an ever-greater demand for health and care services. We have already introduced better practices to support people to live longer, healthier lives, but some health inequalities still remain. People in more affluent areas are living longer than those in poorer areas, with men in Fieldway expected to live 13 more years less than those in Sanderstead. Two thirds of adults are obese or overweight, one in eight adults smoke, and more than 20% of the population has two or more long term conditions. The Health and Care plan will enable our dedicated health and care workforce to better respond to these challenges and to further improve health outcomes for all residents."
The highly successful One Croydon alliance initially focussed on care for older people. In the first year of the partnership there was a six percent reduction in unplanned hospital admissions amongst over-65s at a time when unplanned admissions across the total population had risen. The alliance has now expanded its scope to provide more joined-up care for people of all ages.
Dr Agnelo Fernandes, a local GP and Clinical Chair of NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
"The vision outlined in the plan is actually very simple: we want to support people to stay well, and for those who need care we want to offer the right services in the right places, making them as easy as possible to access. In many cases there is no one organisation that can solve every challenge a person is facing – we must all work together."
"Over the next two years we will bring our organisations together to form integrated care networks, providing services tailored to meet each local community's needs, sharing best practice and resources to reduce duplication."
Councillor Louisa Woodley, Chair of the Croydon Health and Wellbeing Board, said:
"The only way we can make meaningful and sustainable change and improvement is by working together and putting services back into the heart of the community. Over the last year we have had fantastic engagement and input from residents, representatives from our strong voluntary sector, as well as leaders and front-line staff from our local NHS and social care services. The Health and Care Plan reflects what they have told us and includes ambitious goals for the future of care in our borough."
Kate Pierpoint, Age UK Croydon, said:
"This plan builds on a strong track record of partnership working in our borough. We know that by bringing together representatives from health, social care and the voluntary sector we can provide a more holistic, person-centred service. The Personal Independence Coordinator service aims to help residents manage their conditions independently to reduce hospital visits and we now have 18 full-time coordinators working across the borough.
"We must continue to harness the power of these partnerships and also support people to connect to their neighbours and communities – who often have the skills and resources to help people stay well and take control of their own health."
Dr Nnenna Osuji, Medical Director for Croydon Health Services, said:
"We are committed to working with our partners to provide the best care for those who need it and to support people to get out of hospital as soon as possible with the help of community services who can assist them to live independently. Earlier this year we announced plans to align more closely with colleagues at Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group and this partnership is already delivering real benefits to patients – reducing duplication and providing more seamless, joined-up care.
"Our closer partnership aims to help more residents live and stay well, supporting them to remain independent and to choose how they manage their care, with high quality services available when they need treatment.
"Over the next two years we will review and redesign our clinical pathways to increase efficiency even further."
David Bradley, CEO of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said:
"Improving the mental health of people in Croydon is central to this plan. It details how, in the next two years we will focus on supporting people to stay well, and importantly, preventing them from becoming acutely unwell in the first place. This is important as we know admissions for mental health conditions for under 18s are higher in Croydon compared to London and the national average. It is key we reach these people as early as we can, and give them the care they deserve.
"One Croydon brings together local partners who can achieve the ambition to change the lives of the people who live in Croydon. Working this way, we will be able to address all the factors which affect people's mental health from housing to the way they access their GP.
"We are excited to be part of this partnership and are looking forward to providing more joined up care for local residents of all ages."
Dr Yusuf Rajbee, Chair of the Croydon GP Collaborative and local GP said:
"Croydon GPs are committed to working collaboratively within the recently formed Primary Care Networks and with our multi-disciplinary, multi-agency colleagues in the One Croydon alliance and additional voluntary sector partners.We aspire to the delivery of excellent general practice at the heart of every Croydon locality, within an integrated system supporting the health and wellbeing of every resident."
Edwina Morris, Chair of Healthwatch Croydon, said:
"We very much welcome the publication of this new plan which demonstrates the shared vision and partnership approach of all those involved to improve health and wellbeing in Croydon.In devising this plan it has been important to involve the people of Croydon, giving them opportunities to share their experiences and their views.By working together with Healthwatch Croydon and other local organisations, One Croydon's partners have shown their commitment to this to ensure that patient experience helps shape services.As the plan published today develops into detailed reality, the conversations with residents need to continue, to ensure their voices are heard, and so it is good to know that plans for further patient involvement are being prepared."
To read Croydon's Health and Care Plan go to www.croydonccg.nhs.uk.
* Spam Guard: Is a fire hot or cold?


text:
You are here: Home / Airline news / The End of an Era: American Says Farewell to the Super 80
The End of an Era: American Says Farewell to the Super 80
© Image American Airlines
American Airlines is retiring the last of its McDonnell Douglas MD-80 fleet today as most of the remaining 26 aircraft take their final flights to Roswell, New Mexico (ROW). The MD-80, also known as the Super 80, was the workhorse of the airline's fleet throughout the 1980s and beyond.
The Super 80 era began at American in May 1983 with three aircraft serving six cities — Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW); Detroit (DTW); New York City (LGA); Memphis, Tennessee (MEM); Nashville, Tennessee (BNA); and Ontario, California (ONT). When introduced, the MD-80 was one of the most fuel efficient commercial airplanes in the sky. American was the first of the large U.S.-based airlines to introduce the aircraft to its fleet and, by 2003, was operating 362 of the iconic planes, representing approximately one-third of all MD-80s ever produced by McDonnell Douglas.
American's final MD-80 revenue flight, American Flight 80, is scheduled to depart DFW for the last time at 9 a.m. bound for O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. From there, the plane will ferry to Roswell to join the other MD-80s retiring today.
The retirement of the MD-80 marks the end of an iconic era in American's history. Looking to the future, American continues to modernize its fleet with newer fuel-efficient aircraft that offer customers more highly sought-after amenities like industry-leading high-speed Wi-Fi and more inflight entertainment and access to power.
Visit aa.com/s80 for photos, video and more information about American's MD-80 fleet retirement. Follow along on Twitter and Instagramwith the hashtag #super80sendoff.
https://www.airlinestaffrates.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/featured-1.jpg 373 600 charlotteASR https://www.airlinestaffrates.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/header-841-141.jpg charlotteASR2019-09-04 19:56:442019-09-04 19:56:44The End of an Era: American Says Farewell to the Super 80
PORTUGAL, COMPORTA – Quinta da Comporta HUA HIN Devasom Resort – 25% discount


Description: CSX Q359-29 puts air to there pick up at South Anderson Yards.
Description: CSX Q-359-29 is lead by a Brand New ES44AC GE on the Indianapolis Line.
Description: Q-359-29 is bound for Indianapolis on the CSX Indianapolis Line running on track 1 main.
Description: Brand new AC45-series in shiny paint helps pull an intermodal train toward Logan, IA.
Description: Two of UP's newest locomotives trail an older SD70M around the curve leading into the small town of Logan, IA.
Description: Rochelle Railroad Park, 1017 hours.
Description: A new set of power for the Oakland to Marion, AR stack train (KOAMN) rolls past the Emeryville Amtrak station to hook up to the front of the consist. This replacement set of power had to be brought in due to problems with the first set. UP AC44CCTE #5632 is the lead unit.
Description: Union Pacific C45ACCTE #5275 prepares to be hooked up to the day's Oakland to Marion, AR stack train (KOAMN) consist as part of a replacement set of power.
Description: Union Pacific C45ACCTE #5275 prepares to be hooked up to the days Oakland to Marion, AR stack train (KOAMN) consist as part of a replacement set of power. At this point, she is only about one car length away from the consist. Very seldom do you see this kind of action outside the Oakland Yard in an accessible spot for photo taking!
Description: A Union Pacific worker connects UP 5275's air hoses to those of the day's Oakland to Marion, AR stack train (KOAMN) consist.
Description: Now coupled to the day's Oakland to Marion, AR stack train (KOAMN) consist, UP C45ACCTE #5275 sits idling in Emeryville.
Description: The power for the day's Oakland to Marion, AR stack train sits idling in Emeryville. The locomotives are UP 5275 (C45ACCTE), UP 4629 (SD70M), and UP 5632 (AC44CCTE).
Description: Union Pacifics Oakland to Marion, AR stack train (KOAMN) sits waiting to depart Emeryville. The locomotives are UP 5275 (C45ACCTE), UP 4629 (SD70M), and UP 5632 (AC44CCTE).
Description: Union Pacific's Oakland to Marion, AR stack train (KOAMN) departs Emeryville with AC44CCTE #5632 in the lead. SD70M #4629 and C45ACCTE #5275 are the second and third units.
Description: Union Pacific C45ACCTE #5275 serves as third-in-consist on the Oakland to Marion, AR stack train as it rolls through Emeryville.
Description: Union Pacific C45ACCTE #5275 leads a work train through Truckee. Last time I saw this unit, it was at Emeryville on the KOAMN back in May.
Description: UP 5275 leads a manifest south on the Fresno Sub.


Rent one of my boats and sail on the most beautiful Islands in the Mediterranean, such as the Pontine Islands (Ponza, Ventotene, Palmarola) Ischia and Capri, Aeolian Islands and Egadi Islands in Sicily!
Launched in the wake of the success of the 51 S , the Comet 45 S reflects same general design principles and style. The hull was designed specifically with the idea of improving performance. The bow and stern are both vertical to increase the waterline length. The bow sections are very slender. The craft's high freeboards mean that the deckhouse could be kept low and compact. It also boasts characteristic "loop hole" windows. A medium to light displacement translates in to excellent performance with a full cruising load.
The deck offers wide gangways and a very large cockpit that extends all the way to the open transom. The interior layout is quite particular: the central position of the head allows for great freedom in organising the saloon without interfering in any way with the clean exterior lines.
For the failure to submit of the client the day of the departure the refund is not provided. In the 30 days before the departure the client lose the down payment (50% of the total amount) . Within the 30 days the client lose the total amount of the charter.


Well I have been trying to find time to update the look of this site because the other design was just an interim. Well as life would have it I have not had the time or the creative spark to make my own design so I went looking for one that was similar to what I wanted to do and I found it here in Narnia . I am not done tweaking it and it will take some time but I think this is going to be CrookedShack.com. If anyone has any objections let me know. I have ideas of what I want to do but I don't have the time or the skills. I can learn the skills sure but I need the time in order to learn the skills. I have also started to realize that since I don't do web work I shouldn't be spending more time on it than is necessary. I need to spend time on things like my job, my family, and my house since those the most important items right now. I am not done playing with this site but I will be taking a break from thinking about the design and instead will be posting photos and writing posts instead of mulling over whether or not I have the right design and getting caught up in that vicious cycle. I hope you all (2 of you) enjoy.
I have just downloaded Flock and am using it to write this post. I have only played with it for a few minutes but it looks like it is going to be a great piece of software. The blog posting feature is really nice. I wish you could change the font that the editor uses (maybe you can) because I really dislike Times New Roman. The browser has some other great features like publishing your favorites directly to de.li.cious, a history search using the open source search engine Clucene, RSS feed find, tagging of bookmarks, and a feature called The Shelf where you can drag URLs, pictures or text from any web page for saving so that you can blog about it later. This is a developer release but so far it seems pretty stable. You should definitely check it out.
I have downloaded the latest build of flock and am trying the blog editor again. Let's see how it goes.


The killing in Gaza has underlined how divided the Arab world is. America's allies: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the PLO are ranged against Iran's allies: Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas, and Qatar. The Gaza violence, meant to topple Hamas, will make the breach wider and general radicalization of the region more serious.
Bashar al-Asad, as president of the Arab League has called for an Arab summit to be held in Doha on Friday. Syria and Qatar are challanging Husni Mubarak and King Abdullah to boycott it, which will embarrass them in front of their people who are outraged by the killings in Gaza. Egyptians demonstrated in front of the Journalists Union and were exceptionally angry. Everyone is asking Egypt to cut its relations with Israel. In response, Mubarak said he would open the Rafah crossing at its border with the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip to receive wounded Palestinians, but Palestinians took matters into their own hands before Egypt could move to control the opening. Palestinians near the border areas broke down the Egyptian-Gaza border fence shortly after the Israeli airstrikes stormed the southern Gaza area. Clashes erupted between Egyptian border guards and the Palestinians who tried to cross into the Egyptian side. An Egyptian officer was killed.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued a statement that said: "The United States strongly condemns the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and holds Hamas responsible for breaking the cease-fire and for the renewal of violence in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia urges US intervention over Gaza: "Superpowers should take responsibility to stop these attacks," the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a telephone conversation between Saudi King Abdallah and U.S. President George W. Bush.
Long-term preparation, careful gathering of information, secret discussions, operational deception and the misleading of the public – all these stood behind the Israel Defense Forces "Cast Lead" operation against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, which began Saturday morning.
Sources in the defense establishment said Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for the operation over six months ago, even as Israel was beginning to negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Hamas….
Two and a half years later, these words repeat themselves, to our horror, with chilling precision. Within the span of a few hours on a Saturday afternoon, the IDF sowed death and destruction on a scale that the Qassam rockets never approached in all their years, and Operation "Cast Lead" is only in its infancy.
Once again, Israel's violent responses, even if there is justification for them, exceed all proportion and cross every red line of humaneness, morality, international law and wisdom.
What began yesterday in Gaza is a war crime and the foolishness of a country. History's bitter irony: A government that went to a futile war two months after its establishment – today nearly everyone acknowledges as much – embarks on another doomed war two months before the end of its term.
Blood will now flow like water. Besieged and impoverished Gaza, the city of refugees, will pay the main price. But blood will also be unnecessarily spilled on our side. In its foolishness, Hamas brought this on itself and on its people, but this does not excuse Israel's overreaction. ….
…A peace treaty with Syria does not improve the strategic situation. Nothing beats the status quo. … Generally, Israel has little to gain from economic or cultural interactions with the Arab world. Our neighbors have not opened up to globalization and have remained poor, an unappetizing market for our products. Moreover, their societies are despotic, corrupt, fanatic and in deep cultural crises. The Arab world has nothing to offer and Israel should keep its distance.
Israel is trying to decapitate Hamas in Gaza, to use an favorite expression of military spokesmen and a docile American media, and the bodies are piling up.
What is the limit? As it stands, over 200 Palestinians are dead. One Israeli died today from a rudimentary rocket fired from the Gaza, the supposed impetus for all this.
When the "operations" subside — after how many days? — what will have changed? More Palestinians will have died because Israeli "security" is sacrosanct in the current international system but Arab lives are not. But it goes beyond American-made bombs and jets and stonewalling in the Security Council. Blame falls also on the supportive Arab regimes in America's orbit — perhaps Egypt most of all — as Gaza is blockaded, bombed, blockaded, and bombed again, this time among the worst in its history.
ANALYSIS / How did Assad manage to gain international respect?
After eight and a half years at Syria's helm, President Bashar Assad is gaining the respect and admiration that had been reserved for his father Hafez. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been courting him enthusiastically with the help of a Turkish matchmaker, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. European leaders are standing in line to meet with him. Close associates of U.S. president-elect Barack Obama see Syria as the basis for a new balance of power in the region.
Columnist David Ignatius of The Washington Post interviewed Assad this week in Damascus. Five years ago, Ignatius met a rigid and doctrinaire Assad. Now he found him relaxed, informal and even laughing sometimes. In Israel, too, people are speaking differently about Assad, who is perceived as a responsible and serious neighbor you can do business with.
Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Military Intelligence (MI) head Amos Yadlin all believe that Syria can free Israel from its strategic problems since the Second Lebanon War in 2006. They dream of a new Middle East in which Syria disengages from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, and links up with Israel and the United States in return for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights and "special status" (renewed control) in Lebanon. Compared with the fragmented Palestinians, who cannot be relied on, Syria resembles an island of stability and order. Even Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes a withdrawal from the Golan, is not attacking Assad personally.
The Israeli attitude toward Bashar Assad has gone through three incarnations. During his apprenticeship, when his father was preparing him to be his heir, people here were impressed by Bashar's "Western" background: He was an eye doctor living in London who surfed the Internet. In retrospect, it seems there was an element of Israeli provincialism here: Ehud Barak isn't really comfortable with a computer, Shimon Peres doesn't have one, Netanyahu prefers to read printouts, and former prime minister Ariel Sharon only learned to use the Web toward the end of his term, with the help of his family. Olmert, however, is addicted to Ynet and online sports reports. Perhaps this is why he was the first to try to connect seriously with Assad.
Sharon was the only Israeli leader since Menachem Begin to refuse to conduct negotiations with Syria. He and his associates described Assad as an overgrown child, a Hassan Nasrallah groupie cut off from reality. A senior intelligence official spread a story he claimed to have heard from colleagues in Egypt: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak wanted to speak to Assad once, but was told he was busy with his PlayStation and couldn't be interrupted.
The Israeli air force flew a scare sortie over Assad's palace, and they snickered here that his aides didn't even tell him about it.
Yossi Baidatz, who was IDF Northern Command's intelligence officer and now heads the research division at MI, noticed that Assad was quietly working to improve the balance of power vis-a-vis Israel. After Sharon bombed a Syrian radar station in Lebanon in 2001, Assad decided to change his father's policy and directly provide Hezbollah with Syrian weapons. Until then Syria had served as a way station for Iranian weapons and Nasrallah was kept a safe distance from Damascus. Then the army's storehouses and arms-production lines were opened and Nasrallah became a regular visitor to Assad's palace.
Israel paid the price: Most of the Israelis killed in the Second Lebanon War, both civilians and soldiers, were hit by weapons Syria had sent to Hezbollah, not by Iranian weapons. Then it emerged that Assad had taken a far more daring decision and had secretly bought a nuclear reactor from North Korea.
Sharon and U.S. President George W. Bush acted to isolate Assad, and were successful for some time. Negotiations over the return of the Golan, which had stopped when Barak was prime minister, were not renewed. The air force bombed an Islamic Jihad base in Syria after the suicide attack on Haifa's Maxim Restaurant in 2003. On the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Syrians feared they were next and sent a peace proposal to Israel. Then-foreign minister Silvan Shalom suggested examining it seriously, but Sharon dismissed it.
In early 2005, when Sharon was becoming the darling of the international community because of the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, the Syrian army was expelled from Lebanon. The United States and France blamed Assad for the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri; Assad later became the main suspect in the international investigation into Hariri's killing.
Assad absorbed the humiliation and focused on strengthening his regime by making Hezbollah Syria's strategic arm against Israel, and building the nuclear reactor. Had he succeeded, he would have achieved the "strategic balance" his father had dreamed of. The war in the summer of 2006 justified the doctrine of "resistance": Hezbollah came out a winner and Israel was defeated. The Hamas takeover of Gaza showed that Iran and Syria were on the rise, and Israel in retreat.
But the plot thickened with the discovery of the Syrian nuclear reactor. Olmert cut off contact and prepared to attack the reactor, recruiting international support. He was worried about how Assad would react. Would he launch a missile attack on Tel Aviv and deploy in the Golan, or show restraint and continue the quiet in the north? Olmert ordered a psychological profile of Assad from MI, which analyzed his complex relationship with his father and elder brother – the heir-apparent before his death in a car accident in 1994.
Olmert's gamble paid off. The reactor was destroyed, Syria remained outside the nuclear club and the world supported Israel. The cold war in the north continued with assassinations of high-ranking Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus and Syrian general Mohammed Suleiman, an Assad adviser who had been in charge of the nuclear project. Syrian sovereignty was once again harmed and Bashar decided to sit by quietly.
Olmert began to think of Assad as a responsible leader, and moved to renew the peace talks mediated by the Turks. He was prepared to revive negotiations with Syria despite America's reservations. The isolation was broken. French President Nicolas Sarkozy invited Assad and his wife to Paris, Sarkozy visited Damascus, and European statesmen followed in his wake.
Olmert depicts revival of the Syrian track as a courageous diplomatic move. It can also be seen differently: In a combination of bullying moves, cautious diplomacy and military restraint, the cunning Assad has driven a wedge between Israel and the U.S., and is being welcomed in Europe without making even one small gesture toward Israel or the U.S. The arms are continuing to flow to Hezbollah, and Hamas and Islamic Jihad command centers in Damascus are thriving. Assad has successfully leveraged his father's alliance: He is enjoying Iranian economic and military support, but hints that he would give it up for a better deal with Obama.
Just before he leaves office, Olmert remembered to enlist public opinion in support of an agreement with Assad. It appears his enthusiastic speech is part of a circular deal: Olmert praised the Syrians on Thursday, Assad reciprocated with public support for direct talks on Sunday, and Erdogan hosted Olmert on Monday, in order to discuss a draft on renewing direct talks. Olmert and his diplomatic adviser Shlomo Turgeman sat with Erdogan and his people, who occasionally left the room to phone the Syrians.
In the face of the Syrian demand to return the Golan, Israel is demanding that Syria disengage from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas. Olmert is prepared for a gradated Syrian disengagement, and Israel will pay initially with a less-binding declaration about withdrawal. Assad, meanwhile, is not buying the goods and has not yet agreed to the Israeli proposal. But Olmert has another two months to try.
Olmert is not the first to try to gain something from the Syrians. Yitzhak Rabin wanted a security arrangement with demilitarization on the Syrian side. Peres wanted a comprehensive regional agreement with dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders at the signing ceremony and detailed normalization accords. Netanyahu wanted an early-warning station on Mount Hermon. Barak preferred that the payback come from America in the form of extensive military aid. And Olmert wants disengagement from Iran. None of them achieved anything, nor did they evacuate the Golan. The situation on the ground remains as it was, and Israel isn't making efforts to develop its communities on the Golan.
In his interview with The Post, Assad said he will not wait for the Palestinians for peace talks and proposed integrating Hezbollah and Hamas into the diplomatic process. But he demands a full withdrawal from the Golan and U.S. sponsorship of direct talks with Israel.
It will be interesting to see how he deals with Olmert's replacement: Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, each in their own way, oppose the Syrian track and prefer Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Will they change their mind, or will Assad need to apply his methods of persuasion?
Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah are exploiting Egypt and Saudi Arabia to stir Arab public opinion.
The Egyptian and Saudi complicity in Arab suffering, particularly in Palestine today, is now laid out in the open for all Arabs to see.
How come non of the western leaders called for lifting the blockade and starvation of the Palestinians , I forgot , Arabs are just thugs , do not deserve to live.
لم أر في حياتي مشهدا أسخف من ذلك المؤتمر الصحافي، الذي عقده رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي إيهود اولمرت وإلى يمينه وزيرة خارجيته تسيبي ليفني، وإلى يساره وزير دفاعه إيهود باراك. عندما قال أولمرت إن صواريخ حماس قتلت مواطنا إسرائيليا وجرحت آخر، في الوقت الذي كانت فيه الصواريخ الإسرائيلية قد حصدت ساعة عقد هذا المؤتمر، ما يقرب من مائتين من أرواح الفلسطينيين وخلفت أكثر من أربعمائة جريح. هذه (البجاحة) السياسية والفجور الدبلوماسي، يجب ألا يمرا مرور الكرام على الغرب إعلاما وساسة، فمن المعيب أن يكون مقتل إسرائيلي وجرح آخر نتيجة لصاروخ طائش قادم من غزة، مبررا ومسوغا لتلك الحملة الإسرائيلية المسعورة الموجهة إلى شعب أعزل محاصر. مطب المساواة الأخلاقية بين الحدثين يجب ألا تقع فيه الذهنية الغربية، وإلا فقد الغرب ما تبقى له من رصيد أخلاقي عند العرب والمسلمين، هذا الرصيد الذي يتآكل أصلا يوما بعد يوم.
المشهد في غزة خطير جدا، وما قامت به إسرائيل لا يمكن تسميته إلا التخبط الاستراتيجي الهادف إلى زعزعة الأمن الإقليمي برمته. فأي عاقل أو دارس لقضايا الأمن يدرك أن موضوع انتصار إسرائيل على حركة مقاومة هو أمر مشكوك فيه في أحسن الأحوال، وقد شهدنا ذلك بوضوح في حرب إسرائيل على حزب الله في صيف عام 2006. إسرائيل قد تستطيع هزيمة جيوش دول منظمة وفق قواعد حرب واضحة للجميع، لكنها، كمعظم الدول أيضا، لا تستطيع إنهاء حالة مقاومة، سواء كانت متمثلة في «حزب الله» أو في حركة «حماس».
إذا كان الأمر كذلك، فلماذا شنت إسرائيل هذا الهجوم الأخير على غزة؟ قد يكون الهدف من ذلك هو إقناع الرأي العام الإسرائيلي بأن حزب «كاديما» قادر على تأديب «حماس»، وعلى الإسرائيليين أن ينتخبوه مرة أخرى وألا يمنحوا أصواتهم لحزب «الليكود» ممثلا في بنيامين نتنياهو. ولكن على الأغلب سوف تكون النتائج المترتبة على هذا الهجوم على غزة كارثية أكثر مما يتصور أولمرت، بحيث تذهب به وبجماعته وتأتي بنتياهو إلى الحكم، منهية آمال كل من «كاديما» و«العمل» في الفوز معا بالانتخابات المقبلة.
العدوان الشرس على غزة في مشارف العام الجديد، سيجعل الشعب الفلسطيني برمته يقف خلف حركة «حماس»، وحتى الرئيس الفلسطيني محمود عباس نفسه لا يملك في مواجهة هذا الموت والدمار سوى أن يقف في معسكر «حماس» مدافعا عن شعبه وأهله. الوقوف على الحياد في مواجهة القتل غير المبرر هو انتحار سياسي للسلطة الفلسطينية في رام الله، ولن تلجأ بالتأكيد إليه. فإذا كانت حكومة أولمرت لا تدرك ذلك، ولا تقدر انعكاسات هذا الهجوم على الداخل الفلسطيني، فهذا غباء مطلق.. وإن كانت تعلم، فمعنى ذلك أن لديها النية المبيتة لإنهاء حكم محمود عباس وليس حكم «حماس» ووضع الشعب الفلسطيني كله تحت خانة «حماس»، استعدادا للمواجهة الأكبر، وبداية النهاية لرفض حل الدولتين الذي كانت الإدارة الأميركية تضغط باتجاهه مؤخرا. وبهذا تكون إسرائيل أثبتت للعرب، المعتدلين منهم والراديكاليين على حد سواء، بأنها لا تريد السلام.
إن ما تقوم به إسرائيل من إحراج لقوى الاعتدال في المنطقة، سوف يسلم قيادة المنطقة بأكملها لقوى الراديكالية وقوى التطرف. فمن أجل أن تصفي إسرائيل القضية الفلسطينية تقوم بتمييعها في قضايا تطرف أخرى.
يجب أن تدرك إسرائيل بأن التوصل إلى معادلة أمن إقليمي، ليس بضرب غزة أو بضرب «حزب الله»، وإنما بالتفكير الجاد في تصور إقليمي ممكن للأمن ينظر للمنطقة كوحدة استراتيجية متكاملة، بما فيها إيران و«حزب الله» و«حماس». وإن بداية هذا التصور، تنطلق من محاولة جادة للتعامل مع الطرح العربي القائل بـ«الأرض مقابل السلام». حتى هذه اللحظة، لم يتعاط الإسرائيليون ولا الأمريكان مع هذه المبادرة بالجدية المطلوبة.. تحايل الجميع على العرب، من بيل كلينتون حتى جورج بوش، ومن شيمعون بيريز إلى ايهود أولمرت، وركزوا على العملية لا على السلام في «عملية السلام».
لدينا فرصة ممكنة في إدارة الرئيس الأميركي الجديد باراك أوباما، شريطة ألا يدخل فريق أوباما في الألاعيب ذاتها التي تبنتها إدارتا بيل كلينتون وجورج بوش الابن، اللتان لم تكونا جادتين في الحل، بل كانتا تركزان في العملية لا في السلام كهدف نهائي، كانتا تركزان على «إدارة الصراع» لا على «إنهاء الصراع». تلك الأفكار التي سمعتها مرارا في واشنطن من الوجوه ذاتها والمبعوثين ذاتهم الذين ينوي أوباما تعيينهم للتعامل مع قضية السلام في الشرق الأوسط. الطريق إلى الاستقرار لا تمر عبر استهداف غزة، وانما تمر عبر تصور ناضج وجاد للأمن الأقليمي يضمن أمن المنطقة بما فيها إسرائيل. الحل يكمن هنا.. أما عدوان إسرائيل على غزة في مشارف العام الجديد، فهو بكل تأكيد ينم عن نوايا غير مطمئنة، إن لم نقل بأنه يبشر بكارثة استراتيجية قادمة تجعل اللهب يلتهم المنطقة برمتها.
In general, extremists seem to fear moderation more than they fear opposite extremists. Hamas may cry foul about these attacks, but maybe this sort of intervention is what keeps them relevant. A secure and lawful Palestine would have little place for the antics of Hamas's militant leadership. And the leaders who prosecuted the invasion of Lebanon to save Israel from Hizbullah are now pursuing the Hamas bogeyman with excellent zeal.
What both these sides may fear most is elections in Israel and U.S. leading to more constructive engagements that will, slowly but surely, leave them behind the way the IRA in Ireland succumbed to a reconciliation of former enemies through a political process.
I don't think the title of the post is inaccurate, because the killings didn't divide Arab countries as much as it divided Arab regimes. I don't think Arab people are in much disagreement about what's happening.
This is why the only solution is for Israel to get out of palestinan land so that extremists on both end of the spectrum fade away. unfortunately for us Israel feeds off Hamas and likes to continue occupying Palestinan land more than they feed off Israel to fight it.
Shai, I couldn't really read through the second line of what AIG wrote, but I understand why it must have been a field-day for the AIGs in Israel (and on our side too).
BEIRUT — God punished the arrogance and hubris of the Hebrews in the Old Testament by making them wander the wilderness for 40 years before allowing a later, more humble, generation to enter Canaan. The current generation of Israeli Jews is not as proficient at learning these 40-year lessons, it seems, to judge from Israel's current ferocious attack on Gaza.
It was exactly 40 years ago to the day — December 28, 1968 — that Israeli commandos raided Beirut airport and destroyed 13 Lebanese civilian aircraft, in retaliation for a Palestinian attack against an Israeli airliner in Athens. Israel aimed to inflict a revenge punishment so severe that it would shock the Arabs into preventing the Palestinians from fighting Israel.
1. Israeli power has momentarily shattered Palestinian and Arab military and civilian infrastructure, only to see the bludgeoned Arabs regroup and return a few years later — with much greater technical proficiency and political will to fight back. This happened when the Palestinians, who were driven out of Jordan in 1970, eventually re-established more lethal bases in Lebanon; or when Israel destroyed Fateh's police facilities in the West Bank and Gaza a few years ago, and soon found themselves fighting Hamas' capabilities instead.
2. Israel's combination of military ferocity, insincerity in peace negotiations, and continued colonization has seen "moderate" groups and peace-making partners like Fateh slowly self-destruct, to be challenged or even replaced by tougher foes. Fateh has given way to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and to militant spin-offs from within Fateh like the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Hizbullah emerged in Lebanon after Israel invaded and occupied south Lebanon in 1982.
3. Israel's insistence on militarily dominating the entire Middle East has seen it generate new enemies in lands where it once had strategic allies — like Lebanon and Iran. Israel once worked closely with some predominantly Christian groups in Lebanon, and had deep security links with the Shah of Iran. Today — the figurative 40 years later — Israel sees its most serious, even existential, threats emanating from Hizbullah in Lebanon and the radical ruling regime in Iran.
4. The massive suffering Israel inflicts on ordinary Palestinians transforms a largely docile population into a recruiting pool for militants, resistance fighters, suicide bombers, terrorists, and other warriors. After decades of Israeli policies of mass imprisonment, starvation, strangulation, colonization, assassination, assault and terror tactics against Palestinians, the Palestinians eventually react to their own dehumanization by turning around and using the same kind of cruel methods to kill Israeli soldiers and civilians.
5. Israeli policies over decades have been a major — but not the only — reason for the transformation of the wider political environment in the Arab world into a hotbed of Islamism confronting more stringent Arab police states. The Islamists who politically dominate the Arab region — whether Shiite Hizbullah, or Sunni Hamas or anything else in between — are the only Arabs since the birth of Israel in 1948 who have proved both willing and able to fight back against Zionism.
All these trends can be seen in action during the current Israeli attack against Gaza: Palestinian and Arab radicalization, Islamist responses amidst pan-Arab lassitude, the continued discrediting of President Mahmoud Abbas' government, and regional populist agitation against Israel, its U.S. protector, and most Arab governments. None of this is new. And that is precisely why it is so significant today, as Israel's war on Gaza paves the way for a repetition of the five trends above that have plagued Israelis and Arabs alike.
The biblical 40-year time span between Israel's attack on Beirut airport on December 28, 1968 and its war on Gaza on December 27, 2008 is eerily relevant. It is time enough for frightened and arrogant Israelis to learn that in all these years their weapons have promoted neither quiescence among neighboring Arabs, nor security along Israel's borders. The exact opposite has happened, and it will happen again now.
Here's something to ponder as the next 40-year period starts ticking down: The only thing that ever did bring Israelis and Arabs genuine peace was equitable, negotiated peace accords — with Egypt and Jordan — that treated Arabs and Israel as people who must enjoy equal rights to security and stable statehood.
All moral issues aside- and they are important, since there are many people getting killed or injured in Gaza who had nothing to do with Hamas or militancy- isn't this really stupid on the Israeli side, strategically? Because now with what's happening, Israel is placing huge constraints on its diplomatic ties to other countries, especially in the Arab world. The Israel-Syria dialogue that was secretly ongoing, with the mediation of Turkey, has now been scrapped. Resolving things with Syria would have meant that at least the barest precondition would have been met for Israeli-Arab relations to be resolved.
So current Israeli leaders gain a domestic advantage, proving their military power, with the consequence that peace between Israelis and Arabs becomes that much more elusive.
The Gaza stills the main event and the ongoing painful one. 3 pages with a picture show the Egyptians protest and a heart breaking photo of killed child by Israeli bombs. The second article 4 pages taken from HAARETS is for the PRESIDENT AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE smiling in a picture 3.5×4.5!. What is the message here? Is this guy doing better than any other leader in the region? Or is his wife smile can override the bloody event?
I do not know, maybe I have a weird taste?
I hope you guys accept criticism.
#5: Rocket provocation: I agree, the action is in response to the rockets fired by Hamas, but it should be noted the response from Israel is disproportionate to the provocation. So, this reason in itself is not sufficent.
#4. To insure the failure of Hamas to govern the Gaza: I agree with the idea but believe it needs a different focus. Governance by Hamas is not the issue. Security is.
#3. The Israeli response helps America's weak Arab allies: I find nothing to support this supposition and much in the contrary. The suppostion is too complex and too indirect to be a reasoned motive.
#2: To cool down Arab and international pressure on Israel: Is not the reasoning just the opposite? The engagement risks a hardening of Arab pressure and invites a repeat of international pressure on Israel as occurred in the 2006 war.
#1: Israeli & hard liners in Bush Administration wish to draw Hiz into a conflict that will become Hiz's downfall: Curious but it did not happen. This is reasoning more properly belongs to Hiz. First, Israel's notice to Washington was brief and perfunctory. Washington was not a party to the decision. Second, the reasoning ignores the announced policy that the outgoing administration will not engage in any postion without informing the President elect's transition team. It will not take an action or position if the President elect does not concur. No one from Tel Aviv came to Washington to lay out Israel's intentions. More significant is the visit to Cairo last week by Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
6. The 6 month cease fire agreement expired 2 weeks ago: Since the expiration the political situation reverted to the status quo ante and Gaza has been tense, wondering what will happen. During this time Hamas sent several missles into Israel; one city had never been attacked before. This was all the provocation Isreal needed. My opinion is Damacus, knowing the cease fire agreement was expiring, overlooked a great opportunity to be the new leader; instead it looked no farther than its own interest in the tri-lateral negotiations.
7. Hamas' leadership did not foresee such an intense reponse by Israel. It thought things would be the way they were, an occasional rocket into Israel and one or two rocket responses. In the past Hamas used these light responses to strengthen its political position within the Gaza and with its patron countries. One report claims several Hamas leaders believed they needed some "light responses" from Israel to explain to its patron countries why Hamas needs more weapons. A confirmation is needed, but it does provide an explination why Hamas sent rocket provocations into Israel. That it misjudged Israel's response is clear.
8. There is a growing opinion in Israel that in 2006 Israel errored in agreeing to a peace agreement with Hiz that was no more than agreeing to a stalmate. Many arabs then cited the agreement as proof that Israel could be stood up to militarily. As a result Israel began to feel more insecure. A bold statement of its military power is needed, Israelis thought, to demonstrate that Israel continues to be a country not to meddled with militarily. This discussion has been going on in Israel (and in Arab countries) for the past 2 years, as many on this site are aware. Hamas provided the opportunity.
9. A well known American Congressman, now deceased, is famous for his statement that "all politics is local." So, what is "local" about this? There has been a turn toward the right in Israeli public opinion. The insecurity issue is firing the turn. A demonstrative step now will strengthen the hand of the center and the center-left in the upcoming February elections (this is the political group Syria needs to achieve a peace agreement). The need to show willingness to protect the citizens of Israel applies to all center and center-left parties. This military engagement was the decision of the ruling center and center-left, not the far right. Coincidentally, the current Minster of Defense is a candidate for Prime Minister in the February elections and he is running a poor third in the polls.So he has motivation.
10. Why now? This gets back to Alex's #1, but with a different interpretation. The outgoing administration is the administratioin Tel Aviv knows. To wait until after the Presidential inaugeration in January risks all Washington sources willdesire no action be taken until the new adminstrations has agreement on its policy toward the middle east and that will take months. So the time is now. No one in Hamas is thinking strategically.
How right you are. The title should be "Arab regimes". We should all be throwing shoes at all those Arab "leaders".
In this case, it is not possible to talk about "replica". There is no such thing as a military answer to an agression. This is just destruction, annihilation of a population. A European parlementary said on Al Jazeera yesterday that Tsahal killed more people in one single attack than Hamas did those last five years.


fit in well in our new home!
and the counter top of our breakfast bar.
My meezer colors look good with our carpeting.
My meezer colors look good with the wall color.
Happy Meezer Colors Day, Furriends!
You color-match your house!! Beautiful!!
All three of you have gorgeous meezer colors!!
They are beautiful Meezers and you have a beautiful home as well.
You colors compliment the new house purrfectly!!!
You have lovely meezer colors. Did I get to do a Meezer Colors post? NO.
Sabrina, you would look beautiful with any colors. Of course you guys look nice too, but it's just not the same.
Sabrina, would you like to come over for some Wellness treats and a snuggle on the gizzy? I will drop by and pick you up.
Purrfect displays of Meezer colors!!!
Wear your Meezer colors with pride!
Obviously your human got your new home specifically because it went so well with your colors!
You all have lovely Meezer colours.
What great meezer colors you have and they did the house to match you too. That is terrific. What great pictures and all of you look great too.
Sabrina, very beautiful. Sam and Simon, very handsome. Hope you had a Happy Meezer Colors Day.
Yep, your colors sure do well in your new home. It's so neat that you match your dwelling place. Great portrait pictures of all of you.


text:
McAlester mom who used to live in Lake Charles offers help after Hurricane Laura
VIDEO: Green Country woman returns to Lake Charles to help community recover A Green Country woman who used to live in Lake Charles, Louisiana is returning to help the community recover from Hurricane Laura.
By Amanda Gilbert, FOX23 News and Jennah Jane, FOX23 News
September 06, 2020 at 7:29 am CDT
A McAlester mom and her family are headed to Lake Charles, with $1,000 worth of supplies and donations.
The mom used to live in Lake Charles, so the destruction hits close to home.
She knows at least five people who lost all of their belongings.
Many of her friends have no power or water in the summer heat.
McAlester mom from Lake Charles is on the road to Louisiana to donate supplies McAlester mom from Lake Charles is on the road to Louisiana to donate supplies
Her family will be in Lake Charles, Sunday and Monday, handing out supplies and helping friends with cleanup.
They have a trailer loaded with water, Gatorade, batteries, bug spray, diapers, wipes, anti-itch/Benadryl cream, children's clothes and shoes, extension cords, tarps of different sizes, baby clothes, toothbrushes, toothpaste and an abundance of non-perishable food items.
"The street I used to live on, I've seen pictures of it. I've had friends say hey you're coming down to bring supplies, but brace yourself. It's a lot to see," she said.
Cox Media Group


Gynaecologist in Noida, All the laparoscopic surgery in this hospital is performed by qualified Indian surgeons. Dr. Rushda Riaz is a professional Gynaecologist surgeon known for her expertise in diagnostic and operative hysteroscopy, endometrial ablation, alternatives to hysterectomy. Best Obstetricians available in Noida.


text:
CAT Caterpillar Inc
Industrials : Machinery | Large Cap Blend
Caterpillar Inc. is a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The Company operates through segments, including Construction Industries, which is engaged in supporting customers using machinery in infrastructure, forestry and building construction; Resource Industries, which is engaged in supporting customers using machinery in mining, heavy construction, quarry, waste and material handling applications; Energy & Transportation, which supports customers in oil and gas, power generation, marine, rail and industrial applications, including Cat machines; Financial Products segment, which provides financing and related services, and All Other operating segments, which includes activities, such as product management and development, and manufacturing of filters and fluids, undercarriage, ground engaging tools, fluid transfer products, and sealing and connecting components for Cat products.
Back to News Results
Caterpillar to Launch Demonstration Project Using Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology for Backup Power at Microsoft Data Center
9:00 am ET November 22, 2021 (PR Newswire) Print
Caterpillar Inc. today announced a three-year project through a collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to demonstrate a power system incorporating large-format hydrogen fuel cells to produce reliable and sustainable backup power for Microsoft data centers. The project is supported and partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the H2@Scale initiative and backed by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).
"At Caterpillar, we focus on supporting our customers with reliable, resilient and economical power solutions while achieving their climate-related goals," said Jason Kaiser, vice president for Caterpillar's Electric Power Division. "This hydrogen fuel cell demonstration project enables us to collaborate with industry leaders to take a large step toward commercially viable power solutions that also support our customers in making their operations more sustainable."
Caterpillar is providing the overall system integration, power electronics and controls that form the central structure of the power solution which will be fueled by low-carbon-intensity hydrogen. Microsoft is hosting the demonstration project at a company data center in Quincy, Washington, while Ballard is supplying an advanced hydrogen fuel cell module. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is performing analyses on safety, techno-economics and greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts.
"We continue to invest in research and advanced development in hydrogen fuel cells as one of the various pathways toward our commitment to be carbon negative by 2030," said Christian Belady, Distinguished Engineer and VP, Advanced Development, Cloud Operations + Innovation at Microsoft. "This latest project with Caterpillar will provide valuable insights into how to leverage hydrogen fuel cells for backup power in our datacenters at scale."
Caterpillar experts in advanced power technologies, controls and system integration are working alongside Microsoft experts in data center design and Ballard experts in fuel cell design to demonstrate a 1.5 MW backup power delivery and control system that would meet or exceed the expectations set by current diesel engine systems.
"We are excited to be collaborating with a complementary team of global industry leaders on this important demonstration project," said Randy MacEwen, Ballard's President & CEO. "The results of this project will provide key insights into the capability of fuel cell systems to scale and serve multi-megawatt data centers. The project will also explore the scalability of fuel cell systems powered by low carbon-intensity hydrogen from cost and performance perspectives."
Caterpillar has been working with the DOE on research, development and demonstration projects for more than 20 years.
About CaterpillarSince 1925, Caterpillar Inc. has been helping our customers build a better world - making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2020 sales and revenues of $41.7 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Services offered throughout the product life cycle, cutting-edge technology and decades of product expertise set Caterpillar apart, providing exceptional value to help our customers succeed. The company principally operates through three primary segments - Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation - and provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
Acknowledgement: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, H2@Scale Initiative, Award Number DEEE0009252.
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.
Caterpillar contact:Clint W. SabinGlobal Government & Corporate AffairsMobile: (773) 706-5754Email: Clint.Sabin@cat.com
https://c212.net/c/img/favicon.png?sn=CG84466&sd=2021-11-22
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/caterpillar-to-launch-demonstration-project-using-hydrogen-fuel-cell-technology-for-backup-power-at-microsoft-data-center-301429877.html
SOURCE Caterpillar Inc.
https://rt.prnewswire.com/rt.gif?NewsItemId=CG84466&Transmission_Id=202111220900PR_NEWS_USPR_____CG84466&DateId=20211122
Options are not suitable for all investors as the special risks inherent to options trading may expose investors to potentially rapid and substantial losses.
Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standard Options before investing in options.
Information and news provided by ,, , Computrade Systems, Inc., ,, and


text:
Esperanza, es uno de los 217 municipios que conforman al estado mexicano de Puebla, el municipio fue creado en 1930. Su cabecera es la ciudad de Esperanza.

Geografía

El municipio tiene una superficie de 79.514 kilómetros cuadrados que equivalen al 0.23% del territorio de Puebla, se encuentra al oriente del estado y forma parte de la Región de Ciudad Serdán. Sus coordenadas extremas son 18° 48' - 18° 54' de latitud norte y 97° 18' - 97° 27' de longitud oeste, la altitud del territorio municipal va de los 2 800 a los 2 400 metros sobre el nivel del mar.

Colinda al norte con el municipio de Chalchicomula de Sesma, al sur con el municipio de Cañada Morelos, al oeste con el municipio de Palmar de Bravo y al este con el estado de Veracruz, en particular con el municipio de Aquila y el municipio de Maltrata.

Mal llamado Mixtlan ya que Esperanza es un municipio relativamente nuevo y en esta región no habitaban culturas prehispánicas.

Demografía
De acuerdo a los resultados del Censo de Población y Vivienda de 2015 realizado por el Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, la población total de Esperanza asciende a 14 974 personas; de las cuales 7 214 son hombres y 7 760 son mujeres, de la población total cerca de 7833 se encuentran en población urbana mientras que cerca de 5952 pertenecen a población rural.

La densidad de población es de 188. 91 habitantes por kilómetro cuadrado.

Localidades
El municipio incluye en su territorio un total de 21 localidades. Las principales, considerando su población del Censo de 2010 son:

Política

Representación legislativa
Para la elección de diputados locales al Congreso de Puebla y de diputados federales a la Cámara de Diputados federal, el municipio de Esperanza se encuentra integrado en los siguientes distritos electorales:

Local:
 Distrito electoral local de 14 de Puebla con cabecera en Ciudad Serdán.

Federal:
 Distrito electoral federal 8 de Puebla con cabecera en Ciudad Serdán.

Referencias

Notas

Fuentes

Municipios del estado de Puebla
Región Serdán y valles centrales


text:
Shane Mac, CEO of San Francisco-based Assist,warned from challenges businesses face when trying to implement chatbots into their support teams: "Beware though, bots have the illusion of simplicity on the front end but there are many hurdles to overcome to create a great experience. So much work to be done. Analytics, flow optimization, keeping up with ever changing platforms that have no standard.
One of the most thriving eLearning innovations is the chatbot technology. Chatbots work on the principle of interacting with users in a human-like manner. These intelligent bots are often deployed as virtual assistants. The best example would be Google Allo - an intelligent messaging app packed with Google Assistant that interacts with the user by texting back and replying to queries. This app supports both voice and text queries.
According to the Journal of Medical Internet Research, "Chatbots are [...] increasingly used in particular for mental health applications, prevention and behavior change applications (such as smoking cessation or physical activity interventions).".[48] They have been shown to serve as a cost-effective and accessible therapeutic agents for indications such as depression and anxiety.[49] A conversational agent called Woebot has been shown to significantly reduce depression in young adults.[50]
It's best to have very specific intents, so that you're clear what your user wants to do, but to have broad entities – so that the intent can apply in many places. For example, changing a password is a common activity (a narrow intent), where you change your password might be many different places (broad entities). The context then personalises the conversation based on what it knows about the user, what they're trying to achieve, and where they're trying to do that.
You may remember Facebook's big chatbot push in 2016 – when they announced that they were opening up the Messenger platform to chatbots of all varieties. Every organization suddenly needed to get their hands on the technology. The idea of having conversational chatbot technology was enthralling, but behind all the glitz, glamour and tech sex appeal, was something a little bit less exciting. To quote Gizmodo writer, Darren Orf:
Having a conversation with a computer might have seemed like science fiction even a few years ago. But now, most of us already use chatbots for a variety of tasks. For example, as end users, we ask the virtual assistant on our smartphones to find a local restaurant and provide directions. Or, we use an online banking chatbot for help with a loan application.
Kunze recognises that chatbots are the vogue subject right now, saying: "We are in a hype cycle, and rising tides from entrants like Microsoft and Facebook have raised all ships. Pandorabots typically adds up to 2,000 developers monthly. In the past few weeks, we've seen a 275 percent spike in sign-ups, and an influx of interest from big, big brands."
Other companies explore ways they can use chatbots internally, for example for Customer Support, Human Resources, or even in Internet-of-Things (IoT) projects. Overstock, for one, has reportedly launched a chatbot named Mila to automate certain simple yet time-consuming processes when requesting for a sick leave.[24] Other large companies such as Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Renault and Citroën are now using automated online assistants instead of call centres with humans to provide a first point of contact. A SaaS chatbot business ecosystem has been steadily growing since the F8 Conference when Zuckerberg unveiled that Messenger would allow chatbots into the app.[25]
Over the past year, Forrester clients have been brimming with questions about chatbots and their role in customer service. In fact, in that time, more than half of the client inquiries I have received have touched on chatbots, artificial intelligence, natural language understanding, machine learning, and conversational self-service. Many of those inquiries were of the […]
Poor user experience. The bottom line: chatbots frustrate your customers if you are viewing them as a replacement for humans. Do not ever, ever try to pass of a chatbot as a human. If your chatbot suffers from any of the issues above, you're probably creating a poor customer experience overall and an angry phone call to a poor unsuspecting call center rep.
The upcoming TODA agents are good at one thing, and one thing only. As Facebook found out with the ambitious Project M, building general personal assistants that can help users in multiple tasks (cross-domain agents) is hard. Think awfully hard. Beyond the obvious increase in scope, knowledge, and vocabulary, there is no built-in data generator that feeds the hungry learning machine (sans an unlikely concerted effort to aggregate the data silos from multiple businesses). The jury is out whether the army of human agents that Project M employs can scale, even with Facebook's kind of resources. In addition, cross-domain agents will probably need major advances in areas such as domain adaptation, transfer learning, dialog planning and management, reinforcement/apprenticeship learning, automatic dialog evaluation, etc.
Screenless conversations are expected to dominate even more as internet connectivity and social media is poised to expand. From the era of Eliza to Alice to today's conversational bots, we have come a long way. Conversational bots are changing the way businesses and programs interact with us. They have simplified many aspects of device use and the daily grind, and made interactions between customers and businesses more efficient.
Prashant Sridharan, Twitter's global director of developer relations says: "I've seen a lot of hyperbole around bots as the new apps, but I don't know if I believe that. I don't think we're going to see this mass exodus of people stopping building apps and going to build bots. I think they're going to build bots in addition to the app that they have or the service they provide," as reported by re/code.
Some bots communicate with other users of Internet-based services, via instant messaging (IM), Internet Relay Chat (IRC), or another web interface such as Facebook Bots and Twitterbots. These chatterbots may allow people to ask questions in plain English and then formulate a proper response. These bots can often handle many tasks, including reporting weather, zip-code information, sports scores, converting currency or other units, etc.[citation needed] Others are used for entertainment, such as SmarterChild on AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve (it's predicted that AI could double economic growth rates by 2035), conversational bots are becoming a powerful tool for businesses worldwide. By 2020, it's predicted that 85% of customers' relationship with businesses will be handled without engaging a human at all. Businesses are even abandoning their mobile apps to adopt conversational bots.
The term "ChatterBot" was originally coined by Michael Mauldin (creator of the first Verbot, Julia) in 1994 to describe these conversational programs. Today, most chatbots are either accessed via virtual assistants such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, via messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger or WeChat, or via individual organizations' apps and websites.[2] [3] Chatbots can be classified into usage categories such as conversational commerce (e-commerce via chat), analytics, communication, customer support, design, developer tools, education, entertainment, finance, food, games, health, HR, marketing, news, personal, productivity, shopping, social, sports, travel and utilities.[4]
NBC Politics Bot allowed users to engage with the conversational agent via Facebook to identify breaking news topics that would be of interest to the network's various audience demographics. After beginning the initial interaction, the bot provided users with customized news results (prioritizing video content, a move that undoubtedly made Facebook happy) based on their preferences.
Pop-culture references to Skynet and a forthcoming "war against the machines" are perhaps a little too common in articles about AI (including this one and Larry's post about Google's RankBrain tech), but they do raise somewhat uncomfortable questions about the unexpected side of developing increasingly sophisticated AI constructs – including seemingly harmless chatbots.
Smooch acts as more of a chatbot connector that bridges your business apps, (ex: Slack and ZenDesk) with your everyday messenger apps (ex: Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc.) It links these two together by sending all of your Messenger chat notifications straight to your business apps, which streamlines your conversations into just one application. In the end, this can result in smoother automated workflows and communications across teams. These same connectors also allow you to create chatbots which will respond to your customer chats…. boom!
Rather than having the campaign speak for Einstein, we wanted Einstein to speak for himself, Layne Harris, 360i's VP, Head of Innovation Technology, said to GeoMarketing. "We decided to pursue a conversational chatbot that would feel natural and speak as Einstein would. This provides a more intimate and immersive experience for users to really connect with him one on one and organically discover more content from the show."
Designing for conversational interfaces represents a big shift in the way we are used to thinking about interaction. Chatbots have less signifiers and affordances than websites and apps – which means words have to work harder to deliver clarity, cohesion and utility for the user. It is a change of paradigm that requires designers to re-wire their brain, their deliverables and their design process to create successful bot experiences.
Web site: From Russia With Love. PDF. 2007-12-09. Psychologist and Scientific American: Mind contributing editor Robert Epstein reports how he was initially fooled by a chatterbot posing as an attractive girl in a personal ad he answered on a dating website. In the ad, the girl portrayed herself as being in Southern California and then soon revealed, in poor English, that she was actually in Russia. He became suspicious after a couple of months of email exchanges, sent her an email test of gibberish, and she still replied in general terms. The dating website is not named. Scientific American: Mind, October–November 2007, page 16–17, "From Russia With Love: How I got fooled (and somewhat humiliated) by a computer". Also available online.
As AOL's David Shingy writes in Adweek, "The challenge [with chatbots] will be thinking about creative from a whole different view: Can we have creative that scales? That customizes itself? We find ourselves hurtling toward another handoff from man to machine -- what larger system of creative or complex storytelling structure can I design such that a machine can use it appropriately and effectively?"
You can structure these modules to flow in any way you like, ranging from free form to sequential. The Bot Framework SDK provides several libraries that allows you to construct any conversational flow your bot needs. For example, the prompts library allows you to ask users for input, the waterfall library allows you to define a sequence of question/answer pair, the dialog control library allows you to modularized your conversational flow logic, etc. All of these libraries are tied together through a dialogs object. Let's take a closer look at how modules are implemented as dialogs to design and manage conversation flows and see how that flow is similar to the traditional application flow.
Forrester just released a new report on mobile and new technology priorities for marketers, based on our latest global mobile executive survey. We found out that marketers: Fail to deliver on foundational mobile experiences. Consumers' expectations of a brand's mobile experience have never been higher. And yet, 58% of marketers agree that their mobile services […]
"I've seen a lot of hyperbole around bots as the new apps, but I don't know if I believe that," said Prashant Sridharan, Twitter's global director of developer relations. "I don't think we're going to see this mass exodus of people stopping building apps and going to build bots. I think they're going to build bots in addition to the app that they have or the service they provide."
"From Russia With Love" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-12-09. Psychologist and Scientific American: Mind contributing editor Robert Epstein reports how he was initially fooled by a chatterbot posing as an attractive girl in a personal ad he answered on a dating website. In the ad, the girl portrayed herself as being in Southern California and then soon revealed, in poor English, that she was actually in Russia. He became suspicious after a couple of months of email exchanges, sent her an email test of gibberish, and she still replied in general terms. The dating website is not named. Scientific American: Mind, October–November 2007, page 16–17, "From Russia With Love: How I got fooled (and somewhat humiliated) by a computer". Also available online.