In my training, I remember being criticised for asking 'closed' questions. The assumption was that open questions require much more analysis and evaluation and would get me higher up Bloom's Taxonomy and therefore, I would be pushing my students harder and they would learn better. Yet, I'm learning that this isn't necessarily the case and that closed questions are incredibly important, and maybe particularly for teaching RS.
A wonderful colleague @ACBurgate made me think really hard this week about why learning and really understanding concepts as you go along in RS is crucially important. In History, he said, if a student didn't quite understand the significance of an event, the most important thing is that they have good notes in their folder to review later. The RS A Level doesn't work that way. It has a huge number of concepts to learn. By Christmas of Year 12, students have probably come across 150 brand new words. These are words that students do not come across in every day life and have not used in their GCSE studies. They underpin each unit and also link across units (and papers). They are the foundation of all of their learning. They have to understand them and be able to use them clearly. As teachers, we need to know that they understand these ideas.
Since September, I have been encouraging my team to evaluate the extent to which we incorporate Barak Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction into our everyday lessons. In my last blog, I was talking about breaking down complex concepts, and at some point, I'll add explicit reference to Rosenshine (I don't know why I didn't do that in the first place). In this blog, I want to think about asking a large number of questions. And in particular, I want to think about the importance of asking a large number of 'closed' questions.
Rosenshine says that 'Questions help students practice new information and connect new material to their learning… [and] allows a teacher to determine how well the material has been learned and whether there is a need for further instruction'. This resonates and fits well with what I've been learning about the importance of Retrieval Practice. In @DrSumeracki and @doctorwhy's book 'Understanding how we learn', they cite Smith, Roediger, & Karpicke (2013) and explain that 'retrieval practice has a direct effect on learning. When we bring information from mind to memory… we are making the memory more durable and more flexible for future use'. The upshot of this is that I am trying to ask more and more questions.
I am trying to use closed questions as retrieval practice all the time, whenever I can. Particularly, I use retrieval practice before explaining a new concept. This week, I wanted to teach Hume's Fork as a criticism of Kantian Ethics. Before I even explained Hume, I needed to know that students have a really firm understanding of rationalism, empiricism, apriori, a posteriori, analytic, synthetic, etc. If I'm explaining something new at the board, using these words and students are trying to recall their meanings during my explanation, I will be overloading their working memory and they are less likely to understand, far less remember what I am teaching. So, firstly, I asked students to explain (the already taught) concept of synthetic a priori to their neighbour (using a technique that Rosenshine suggests is a good way to involve all students in answering questions – the good old fashioned 'pair and share'). As they were doing so, I listened to some of the conversations, honing in on those students that I think would/would not be able to answer well. If all could explain clearly, I would not have to spend long questioning. But, their knowledge didn't seem that secure. So, I asked a long series of closed questions. 'What is a priori, Anna?' 'What is analytic, Robin?' 'What is synthetic, Angela?' Building from the simple, to the more complex. In the space of 3 minutes, I asked more than 20 questions* using examples to help explain wherever I found insecure knowledge – For example, I put the sentence 'Bachelors are unmarried men' on the board. 'Why is this sentence, analytic, Ben?' And kept probing until Ben could give me a full answer using the words 'subject' and 'predicate'. Now, for some of my students, this was easy. For others, it was hard. Their knowledge was not as secure but I kept going until everyone in the room could write a sentence explaining the concept. Some might argue that I wasn't stretching and challenging those whose knowledge was already secure. However, I don't think that's the case. The constant effort to retrieve – particularly if you're not sure if you're going to be asked the question (because I use the name at the end of the question) helps to 'make that memory more durable.' It also allows me to see clearly who understands well. One student I taught this week said that she loves the way that hearing other people answer questions helps her understanding.
I use closed questions to check how much students have understood what I've taught. It's amazing how many times (I think) I've given a marvellous exposition of something, only to find out that students have completely misunderstood my explanation or have latched onto a very minor part, missing the main idea. Again, I almost bore myself with the phrase: 'explain this idea to the person next to you', but mini whiteboard responses, choral responses (something I used to hate, but am I am embracing more) providing a series of right and wrong answers and asking students to explain whether they are right or wrong are all ways to use closed questions to check this understanding. I often, for A Level, ask the question – How well do you understand this? Show me 5 if you can explain this idea clearly; 4,3,2,1 if you're less sure. I find that students tend to be honest. I sometimes ask as a response – 'Why are the you sure?' And students tend to explain. Or I say – 'James, you seem secure, explain it back to me'. Creating a culture where it's ok to be unsure, and expected to say you don't understand makes this easy. Celebrating misconceptions and misunderstandings helps – as does recognising when I haven't explained something well. I'll do all of that, before I even get to the question 'Who is right (and why) Hume or Kant?' There is little point trying to evaluate a concept before we understand them!
Next, I want to think about modelling or independent practice. These are areas I'm not as confident with at A Level. This will take some thought.
*I videoed myself and watched it back to check.
Previous PostLearning is messy. My lessons are messy – and that is OK.
Learning is messy. My lessons are messy – and that is OK.
'All teachers need to improve… because we can always be better' Dylan Wiliam said this (ish). These are my reflections.


text:
Radhouane Salhi (Sousse, 18 de dezembro de 1967) é um ex-futebolista profissional tunisiano, goleiro, disputou a Copa do Mundo de 1998.

Ligações externas
Perfil em Ogol

Goleiros da Tunísia
Futebolistas da Tunísia
Futebolistas do Étoile Sportive du Sahel
Jogadores da Seleção Tunisiana de Futebol
Jogadores da Copa do Mundo FIFA de 1998
Jogadores da Copa das Nações Africanas de 2000

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
namespace device {

class BluetoothDevice;
class BluetoothGattCharacteristic;
class BluetoothGattDescriptor;

// BluetoothGattService represents a local or remote GATT service. A GATT
// service is hosted by a peripheral and represents a collection of data in
// the form of GATT characteristics and a set of included GATT services if this
// service is what is called "a primary service".
//
// Instances of the BluetoothGattService class are used for two functions:
//   1. To represent GATT attribute hierarchies that have been received from a
//      remote Bluetooth GATT peripheral. Such BluetoothGattService instances
//      are constructed and owned by a BluetoothDevice.
//
//   2. To represent a locally hosted GATT attribute hierarchy when the local
//      adapter is used in the "peripheral" role. Such instances are meant to be
//      constructed directly and registered. Once registered, a GATT attribute
//      hierarchy will be visible to remote devices in the "central" role.
class DEVICE_BLUETOOTH_EXPORT BluetoothGattService {
 public:
  // The Delegate class is used to send certain events that need to be handled
  // when the device is in peripheral mode. The delegate handles read and write
  // requests that are issued from remote clients.
  class Delegate {
   public:
    // Callbacks used for communicating GATT request responses.
    typedef base::Callback<void(const std::vector<uint8_t>)> ValueCallback;
    typedef base::Closure ErrorCallback;

    // Called when a remote device in the central role requests to read the
    // value of the characteristic |characteristic| starting at offset |offset|.
    // This method is only called if the characteristic was specified as
    // readable and any authentication and authorization challenges were
    // satisfied by the remote device.
    //
    // To respond to the request with success and return the requested value,
    // the delegate must invoke |callback| with the value. Doing so will
    // automatically update the value property of |characteristic|. To respond
    // to the request with failure (e.g. if an invalid offset was given),
    // delegates must invoke |error_callback|. If neither callback parameter is
    // invoked, the request will time out and result in an error. Therefore,
    // delegates MUST invoke either |callback| or |error_callback|.
    virtual void OnCharacteristicReadRequest(
        const BluetoothGattService* service,
        const BluetoothGattCharacteristic* characteristic,
        int offset,
        const ValueCallback& callback,
        const ErrorCallback& error_callback) = 0;

    // Called when a remote device in the central role requests to write the
    // value of the characteristic |characteristic| starting at offset |offset|.
    // This method is only called if the characteristic was specified as
    // writable and any authentication and authorization challenges were
    // satisfied by the remote device.
    //
    // To respond to the request with success the delegate must invoke
    // |callback| with the new value of the characteristic. Doing so will
    // automatically update the value property of |characteristic|. To respond
    // to the request with failure (e.g. if an invalid offset was given),
    // delegates must invoke |error_callback|. If neither callback parameter is
    // invoked, the request will time out and result in an error. Therefore,
    // delegates MUST invoke either |callback| or |error_callback|.
    virtual void OnCharacteristicWriteRequest(
        const BluetoothGattService* service,
        const BluetoothGattCharacteristic* characteristic,
        const std::vector<uint8_t>& value,
        int offset,
        const ValueCallback& callback,
        const ErrorCallback& error_callback) = 0;

    // Called when a remote device in the central role requests to read the
    // value of the descriptor |descriptor| starting at offset |offset|.
    // This method is only called if the characteristic was specified as
    // readable and any authentication and authorization challenges were
    // satisfied by the remote device.
    //
    // To respond to the request with success and return the requested value,
    // the delegate must invoke |callback| with the value. Doing so will
    // automatically update the value property of |descriptor|. To respond
    // to the request with failure (e.g. if an invalid offset was given),
    // delegates must invoke |error_callback|. If neither callback parameter is
    // invoked, the request will time out and result in an error. Therefore,
    // delegates MUST invoke either |callback| or |error_callback|.
    virtual void OnDescriptorReadRequest(
        const BluetoothGattService* service,
        const BluetoothGattDescriptor* descriptor,
        int offset,
        const ValueCallback& callback,
        const ErrorCallback& error_callback) = 0;

    // Called when a remote device in the central role requests to write the
    // value of the descriptor |descriptor| starting at offset |offset|.
    // This method is only called if the characteristic was specified as
    // writable and any authentication and authorization challenges were
    // satisfied by the remote device.
    //
    // To respond to the request with success the delegate must invoke
    // |callback| with the new value of the descriptor. Doing so will
    // automatically update the value property of |descriptor|. To respond
    // to the request with failure (e.g. if an invalid offset was given),
    // delegates must invoke |error_callback|. If neither callback parameter is
    // invoked, the request will time out and result in an error. Therefore,
    // delegates MUST invoke either |callback| or |error_callback|.
    virtual void OnDescriptorWriteRequest(
        const BluetoothGattService* service,
        const BluetoothGattDescriptor* descriptor,
        const std::vector<uint8_t>& value,
        int offset,
        const ValueCallback& callback,
        const ErrorCallback& error_callback) = 0;
  };

  // Interacting with Characteristics and Descriptors can produce
  // this set of errors.
  enum GattErrorCode {
    GATT_ERROR_UNKNOWN = 0,
    GATT_ERROR_FAILED,
    GATT_ERROR_IN_PROGRESS,
    GATT_ERROR_INVALID_LENGTH,
    GATT_ERROR_NOT_PERMITTED,
    GATT_ERROR_NOT_AUTHORIZED,
    GATT_ERROR_NOT_PAIRED,
    GATT_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED
  };

  // The ErrorCallback is used by methods to asynchronously report errors.
  typedef base::Closure ErrorCallback;

  virtual ~BluetoothGattService();

  // Constructs a BluetoothGattService that can be locally hosted when the local
  // adapter is in the peripheral role. The resulting object can then be made
  // available by calling the "Register" method. This method constructs a
  // service with UUID |uuid|. Whether the constructed service is primary or
  // secondary is determined by |is_primary|. |delegate| is used to send certain
  // peripheral role events. If |delegate| is NULL, then this service will
  // employ a default behavior when responding to read and write requests based
  // on the cached value of its characteristics and descriptors at a given time.
  static BluetoothGattService* Create(const BluetoothUUID& uuid,
                                      bool is_primary,
                                      Delegate* delegate);

  // Identifier used to uniquely identify a GATT service object. This is
  // different from the service UUID: while multiple services with the same UUID
  // can exist on a Bluetooth device, the identifier returned from this method
  // is unique among all services on the adapter. The contents of the identifier
  // are platform specific.
  virtual std::string GetIdentifier() const = 0;

  // The Bluetooth-specific UUID of the service.
  virtual BluetoothUUID GetUUID() const = 0;

  // Returns true, if this service hosted locally. If false, then this service
  // represents a remote GATT service.
  virtual bool IsLocal() const = 0;

  // Indicates whether the type of this service is primary or secondary. A
  // primary service describes the primary function of the peripheral that
  // hosts it, while a secondary service only makes sense in the presence of a
  // primary service. A primary service may include other primary or secondary
  // services.
  virtual bool IsPrimary() const = 0;

  // Returns the BluetoothDevice that this GATT service was received from, which
  // also owns this service. Local services always return NULL.
  virtual BluetoothDevice* GetDevice() const = 0;

  // List of characteristics that belong to this service.
  virtual std::vector<BluetoothGattCharacteristic*>
      GetCharacteristics() const = 0;

  // List of GATT services that are included by this service.
  virtual std::vector<BluetoothGattService*>
      GetIncludedServices() const = 0;

  // Returns the GATT characteristic with identifier |identifier| if it belongs
  // to this GATT service.
  virtual BluetoothGattCharacteristic* GetCharacteristic(
      const std::string& identifier) const = 0;

  // Adds characteristics and included services to the local attribute hierarchy
  // represented by this service. These methods only make sense for local
  // services and won't have an effect if this instance represents a remote
  // GATT service and will return false. While ownership of added
  // characteristics are taken over by the service, ownership of an included
  // service is not taken.
  virtual bool AddCharacteristic(
      BluetoothGattCharacteristic* characteristic) = 0;
  virtual bool AddIncludedService(BluetoothGattService* service) = 0;

  // Registers this GATT service. Calling Register will make this service and
  // all of its associated attributes available on the local adapters GATT
  // database and the service UUID will be advertised to nearby devices if the
  // local adapter is discoverable. Call Unregister to make this service no
  // longer available.
  //
  // These methods only make sense for services that are local and will hence
  // fail if this instance represents a remote GATT service. |callback| is
  // called to denote success and |error_callback| to denote failure.
  virtual void Register(const base::Closure& callback,
                        const ErrorCallback& error_callback) = 0;
  virtual void Unregister(const base::Closure& callback,
                          const ErrorCallback& error_callback) = 0;

 protected:
  BluetoothGattService();

 private:
  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(BluetoothGattService);
};

}  // namespace device

#endif  // DEVICE_BLUETOOTH_BLUETOOTH_GATT_SERVICE_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
True account of marriage's origins?!
Thread starter Leucosticte
Leucosticte
adolf512
https://theweek.com/articles/528746/origins-marriage
Yeah this doesn't seem like the true etymology.
Likes: Admin
fschmidt said:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EGWEYTG/
Thats nonsense https://psmag.com/environment/17-to-1-reproductive-success
Were the Mormons really that violent? I mean, they did have an army, but any group trying to establish their own country needs an army. The U.S. has practiced monogamy and has always been violent.
As for Mongols and Muslims, those are non-whites, so of course they'd be violent.
Leucosticte said:
The US also became successful, having a violent population will not prevent you from having a civilization, people will not rebel against a government/system they like.
adolf512 said:
Yeah, if the Muslim world were able to successfully vanquish Israel and the west, people would look at them as the vanguard of civilization rather than a bunch of barbaric towelheads. The headtowel would be viewed as the symbol of civilization, kinda like a suit and tie.
It really just depends on who's able to come up with a bunch of scientific, technological, and cultural advancements; Mises pointed out that the Ottoman Empire didn't accomplish a lot, despite their conquests, which I don't know the truth of but we don't hear too much about them in history class.
fschmidt
Talk about nonsense. Their method sucks. How can they tell when the difference occurred? And how do they know whether it was caused by male death or lack of monogamy?
How can they tell when the difference occurred? And how do they know whether it was caused by male death or lack of monogamy?
Males dying more often than females cannot explained the 17:1 ratio, at best that could give you 3:2 ratio.
Technological progress does not always result in evolutionary success, you also need to have a culture that is in line with what makes sense from a darwinian perspective.
High IQ among the population combined with democracy will lead to a lot of technological progress and high standard of living, it does however fail in terms of reproduction and expansion.
Technological progress can at least be passed down to a subsequent culture, unless the knowledge gets lost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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While the Italians don't have anything to say about their situation at the soon up and coming Paris Motor Show they have kindly announced the release of a new limited edition version of the Gallardo.
Lamborghini has teamed up with Swiss luxury watchmaker Blancpain to create a limited edition version of its baby creation, the Gallardo LP570-4 supercar which is intended to pay homage to the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo racing cars.
So what has this limited edition got to offer you? Well, it's a set of Skorpius alloy wheels with yellow-painted brake calipers and discs made from carbon-ceramic composite, external components, things like the diffuser and mirror casings are made from carbon-fiber, there's an unique engine cover which is said to offer better ventilation and a cherry on top, there's a rear wing that's straight off the racing models. The finish of the exterior is black and the theme continues on the interior with black Alcantara detailed by yellow accents and visible carbon-fiber.
The 5.2 liter V10 engine with 570 horsepower that's found in the series production Gallardo Superleggera and in the racing editions will power all four wheels in such a way that the car will hit 0 to 62 in 3.4 seconds and it will carry on to a top speed somewhere not far from 200 mph.
As to be expected with the Italians a bit of exageration has come with this release in them saying that at 1340 kilograms (dry weight) the car is lighter than any other Lamborghini to come before it but that's not entirely true as the Superleggera has exactly the same weight.
Moving on, it seems that while we know it'll be a limited edition we have no idea what it will be limited to and when the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Blancpain edition will be available.


text:
New financial rules could bring major reform to Colorado oil and gas industry
Regulators weigh increased bonding requirements on drillers to reduce risks of 'orphaned' wells
By: Chase Woodruff - January 24, 2022 5:00 am
A pump jack is seen in Frederick on June 24, 2020. (Andy Bosselman for Colorado Newsline)
State regulators will begin deliberations this week on a rule change that could fundamentally rewrite the financial bargain that Colorado strikes with oil and gas companies that seek to drill within its borders, potentially altering the course of the industry's economic future amid rising uncertainty and concern about fossil-fuel-driven climate change.
The latest phase of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's rulemaking on financial assurance, also known as bonding, kicked off with a round of public comment last week. More than 160 members of the public weighed in over two days of testimony.
Mandated by a 2019 Colorado law that dramatically overhauled the state's drilling policies, including the makeup of the COGCC itself, the rulemaking comes after repeated delays and three different drafts of new rules proposed by commission staff in 2020.
"We've been digging around the edges of the financial assurance rulemaking for over a year now," COGCC chair Jeff Robbins said at a Jan. 20 hearing. "We appreciate all the attention, and all of the dedicated work from everybody."
Financial assurances are the security deposits that oil and gas operators provide to cover potential cleanup costs in the event that a drilling site or other facility is abandoned, or "orphaned" to the state, typically as a result of bankruptcy.
Environmental groups have long criticized the amounts required by current COGCC regulations as inadequate. So-called "blanket bonds," for example, allow oil and gas operators with hundreds of wells statewide to cover their portfolio with a bond of just $100,000. That's despite the fact that the cost to "plug" and reclaim hundreds of wells — a process that drastically reduces the potential for safety or environmental hazards — would run into the tens of millions.
Ahead of the COGCC's rulemaking, which will unfold over the next several weeks, a coalition of environmental and community groups has launched a TV ad calling on Gov. Jared Polis' administration to act decisively to reduce the risks of "thousands" of additional orphaned wells.
"If the state doesn't step in now, we'll be left footing the bill," warns the ad from Protect Colorado Taxpayers, a group that includes the Sierra Club, ProgressNow Colorado and Colorado Rising. "Gov. Polis, we're counting on your administration. Please, stand up for families and taxpayers before it's too late."
Industry's long-term future at issue
Nearly three years ago, Colorado lawmakers gave the COGCC a lengthy to-do list with the passage of Senate Bill 19-181, instructing the agency to update its rules on everything from permitting procedures to wildlife protections. It also mandated new bonding rules to "require every operator to provide assurance that it is financially capable of fulfilling every obligation imposed" by the new law.
More than any previous rulemaking under SB-181, the extended debate over new financial assurance rules has put a spotlight on sharp disagreements over the long-term future of the oil and gas business.
Industry groups have consistently downplayed the need for any significant changes to bonding requirements at all. They point to Colorado's relatively low number of orphaned wells — 236 as of this year, compared to thousands in states like Texas and Pennsylvania — as proof that the state's requirements are adequate.
"We have less than three hundred (orphaned) wells, out of 50,000 (active) wells," said resident Chris Nelson during the COGCC's Jan. 20 public comment period. "The bonds and funds to take care of these orphaned wells is well-funded. I don't see any point in raising the cost and complexity of government control of this industry that is well-controlled already."
But supporters of stronger rules say the industry's arguments ignore the growing relevance of climate change and the global transition to clean energy. They want the COGCC to reduce the risks of greenhouse gas emissions, including methane leaks from abandoned wells, and to prepare for the industry to enter a sustained decline as the world shifts away from fossil fuels in the coming decades.
"This is a task on par with the Marshall Plan and the Manhattan Project, in its complexity and in its necessity," Greg Poschman, a Pitkin County commissioner, told the COGCC. "I recognize these rules will bring financial challenges, but we cannot avoid working toward realistic and concrete solutions."
COGCC staff released a third draft of their proposed rule changes last month, and are expected to release a fourth draft as the rulemaking enters its final stages over the next several weeks.
The agency's proposals have largely revolved around increased bonding requirements for certain wells that are deemed to be at higher risk of abandonment. But the final details are yet to be determined, and much will depend on key criteria and technical definitions of terms like "single well financial assurance," which, under the latest proposal, spells out certain conditions in which a well must be covered at a higher cost.
"You do not have an enviable task deciding how best to define this," COGCC executive director Julie Murphy told commissioners, referring to the proposed bonding amounts. "I think that everybody agrees it needs to be defined, but how to do it has been a little bit elusive."
More than 103 parties, ranging from environmental organizations and industry lobbyists to local governments and agricultural groups, are signed up to give formal presentations to the commission on the new rules in the coming weeks. Robbins, who led the COGCC as director before being appointed commission chair by Polis in 2020, noted that except for minor changes approved in 2008, the new rules represent the first major reform of Colorado's bonding requirements in nearly 30 years.
"The last time we overhauled our financial assurance rules pursuant to legislation was following the 1994 legislative (session)," Robbins said. "We have a great deal of attention on this rulemaking, which is excellent. It's a great path for Colorado to have a lot of informed people excited about the work that we going to undertake."


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In my review "a plethora of pilsners", I reviewed five pilsners produced by Saint Patrick's Brewing Company in Englewood, Colorado. One of these beers I was not too kind to (I believe the word "harsh" was used) was the German Pilsner.
Well, the beauty of Saint Pat's lagers is that they are lagered in the bottle, so are very much alive when poured into your glass. As such, these beers will change over time. Of course, I failed to mention this or take it into account when talking about these beers. And that was wrong. So very, very wrong.
Because that German pilsner, when I drank it a week later, became my favorite of the pilsners. The hops have smoothed out and are now really playing nicely with the malts. Still very easy to drink, but with a distinct hop character.
Anyway, this is just a short mea culpa. But it's also a good example of why my opinion – or anyone's opinion – of such a subjective thing, should be treated as a guideline and not biblical truth. Like I said in my post about Lugene Stout, there are many, many people who love it, I just don't. That doesn't necessarily make it a bad beer, it just means that my palate is not fond of it. I will always give reasons why I am not a fan of one beer or another so that you can make an educated decision.
However, if a beer does have severe issues with it, such as off-flavors, I will call it out. I will also try to identify where the problems are coming from (brewing, fermenting, packaging, etc). Again, education!
There is a part of me that doesn't really want to do beer reviews. It's kind of been done. But, at the same time, I'm approaching it from the angle of education rather than just bitching about what I do or do not like. Yeah – let's pretend it's about education. That'll work.
I promise a longer post in the next week. The PJ has eaten away at my brain and my time, but there's always room for beer!


Passages to the Past: HFVBT Presents Nancy Bilyeau's The Chalice US Book Blast, March 17-21 + Giveaway!
HFVBT Presents Nancy Bilyeau's The Chalice US Book Blast, March 17-21 + Giveaway!
I loved her first book and am excited to read the second one! Thanks for the giveaway!
I enjoyed The Crown a while back and look forward to continuing the series.
I have heard so many good things about this book from different blogs -- I cannot wait for it to come out! Thanks for this giveaway and feature.


This year's 3rd ANNUAL GRACE RACE was better than ever! Lots of kids went home with trophies and medallions as they placed in their age group for running or walking the 4.5 mile hilly, rural country road course. We were very thankful to all the volunteers who showed up early to get everything ready, the snacks, the tables, the road markers and signs, the t-shirts and registration materials. Thanks to the CMA "Crossroad Riders" Chapter for setting up hot coffee for all of us also.
1st Place Male Walker Justin Camilleri and 1st Place Female Runner, Aleesha LeRuzic.


Compared to Hanoi, Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh City (I was surprised how many people still call it Saigon) is Vegas, baby! The lights, the crowds, the motor scooters, the young people all trying to go for the gold ring, was energizing and, sometimes, quite amazing.
For example, the 5 star hotel we stayed at, The Reverie, which I learned was built by a Chinese investor and his Vietnamese wife, was in the heart of downtown Saigon and clearly over the top. We were met at the entrance with a Chihuly on the ceiling (I kid you not), and that was just the beginning. Here's the ceiling and the Italian marbled entrance to the elevators on the ground level.
We were so astonished at the sheer luxury of the place that Angela conducted a short tour on her phone. Take a look.
The next morning we walked past City Hall (notice the French influence), past the famous Continental Hotel where all the American journalists stayed during the war, to the Railroad Station, itself an architectural beauty.
Along the way, a confident little boy captured my heart.
Also along the way is a view of the former CIA station in Saigon. When South Vietnam fell, a helicopter landed on the roof and the few intelligence people still there flew out.
Next was a visit to the Vietnamese War Remnants Museum, which was sobering and somber. And, as you can imagine, not kind to the US. I took a lot of pictures, but I'll save them for another time. Or not.
A quick drink at the Rex Bar, another watering hole for journalists during the war, was more pleasant. Gail and Leslie Rose joined, friends on the tour, joined us.


Back in 2014, Foxtel spread its wings and ventured into the world of telecommunications by offering home phone and broadband plans alongside its pay TV service. Less than a year later, the company started bundling the three services together in the form of "Triple Play" entertainment bundles. While the telecommunication components of these bundles were initially priced at a premium compared to other ISPs at the time, Foxtel has since shifted to a more competitive pricing model that puts it more in line with the likes of Telstra and Optus.
More importantly, Foxtel now offers NBN Internet in addition to its soon-to-be-obsolete ADSL plans. Not only is this necessary to future-proof Foxtel against the eventual disconnection of ADSL services across Australia, it addresses one of the biggest complaints levelled at Foxtel broadband: its speed. ADSL is fast becoming insufficient to support the streaming appetites of many Aussies and the option to upgrade to the NBN for the same monthly price makes Foxtel's bundles far more attractive.
What bundles does Foxtel offer?
Foxtel offers four main Internet, home phone and entertainment bundles. Each is available on a 12-month or a 24-month contract and supports either an ADSL Internet connection or an NBN Internet connection. NBN speeds start at Standard Plus (nbn50) and go up to Premium (nbn100), while ADSL is capped at the standard 20Mbps.
For the full Foxtel experience, the unlimited Platinum HD bundle comes with unlimited standard local calls, 25c/min national calls, 35c/min Australian mobile calls, unlimited monthly data and the all-encompassing Platinum HD TV pack. The Platinum HD pack comes with every channel pack Foxtel offers, including Sports and Movies.
What extras does Foxtel offer?
If Foxtel's standard bundles don't quite meet your needs, you can customise them with a variety of a-la-carte add-on services. These include call packs for cheaper local and international calls, individual channel packs if you don't want to spring for the full Platinum HD treatment and multiple Foxtel boxes for watching TV in different rooms of your house at the same time.
How much do Foxtel's bundles cost?
Foxtel prices its NBN and ADSL bundles identically. The broadband and phone component of each bundle is the same, so the cost is based on which Foxtel channel package you choose.
Beyond the monthly payments, Foxtel's bundles also come with a number of setup and connection fees. On the TV front, these include a $100 installation fee, a $125 charge for the Foxtel iQ3/iQ4 box and a $99 bundle activation fee. If you choose to sign up on a 12-month contract, you'll also have to pay $140 to cover the cost of a Foxtel Wi-Fi modem. On 24-month contracts, the modem is free.
Foxtel doesn't charge any connection fees for its ADSL or NBN services – provided the appropriate infrastructure is already available at your house. If a new phone line or unplanned NBN connection needs to be installed at your house, you'll be looking at a charge of up to $300.
If you sign up to a Foxtel bundle and want to cancel any of the three bundled service before your contract is up, you'll be hit with an Early Termination Fee (ETF). The maximum ETF is $300 for Foxtel TV, $300 for the broadband service and $150 for home phone service, for a total maximum ETF of $750. Each ETF decreases by a set amount every month, eventually hitting $0 once you've reached the minimum term of your contract.
What alternatives are there to Foxtel's bundles?
With Foxtel as the only major provider of traditional pay TV in Australia, there aren't many other options out there if you're looking to combine TV, Internet and home phone services into one package. Telstra, which owns 50% of Foxtel, does offer its own Foxtel, broadband and home phone bundles, though these are limited to the Entertainment TV package and are priced around $20 higher per month than Foxtel's offerings.
Optus has its own, somewhat similar bundle that combines home phone, broadband and the pay TV service Fetch. Fetch, like Foxtel, features popular American and UK TV channels split into different channel packs. Both services include many of the same channels, including National Geographic, Disney Junior and UKTV.
While Optus' three-way bundle is cheaper than both Foxtel and Telstra's offerings, it comes with two caveats. One, its TV service is delivered over the Internet instead of over a dedicated cable like Foxtel. This means you could suffer lower picture quality or interruptions if your Internet connection slows down, such as if other people in your house are using it at the same time. Two, Fetch includes fewer TV channels than Foxtel, so if you love your channel-surfing, you'll want to compare both services' libraries before signing up.
If you like your broadband with a hefty dose of entertainment, Foxtel NBN plans provide fast, reliable broadband with a Pay TV subscription and home phone.
Optus offers a variety of NBN plans, entertainment bundles and speed packs. Here's what you need to know about each plan.


Shopping Online in Uyo just got Easier with Uduaa.
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Sprtshub meme challenge #1 - Entry 1"
The above meme describes exactly how typical Nigerians slap to death a mosquito that has been making their sleep uncomfortable.


text:
Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2 (2), P. 15-27 (1999)
PACS 07.07.D
Self-consistent method for optimization of parameters of diode temperature sensors
N. R. Kulish, Yu. M. Shwarts, V. L. Borblik, Ye. F. Venger, V. N. Sokolov
Institute of Semiconductor Physics of NASU, 45, Prospect Nauki, 252028 Kiev, Ukraine.
Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. 1999. V. 2, No 2. P.15-27. Eng. Il.: 9. Ref.:24
Abstract. In the framework of the diffusion transport model through an abrupt asymmetric p n-junction, the ideality factor of which is assumed to be equal to unity, and with the help of criteria commonly used to describe theoretically the semiconductor diode structures, the relations are obtained for estimation of parameters of the diode temperature sensor. The set of these parameters provides either the maximum extent of a thermometric characteristic toward the higher temperature range, or maximum sensitivity of the diode temperature sensor. For Ge, Si, GaAs diode temperature sensors with n+p- and р+n- junctions the limits of thermometric characteristics were determined, together with temperature dependencies of sensitivity, static and dynamic resistance calculated for cases of the maximum length of the thermometric characteristic and of maximum sensitivity. It has been shown that experimentally measured characteristics of diode temperature sensors are within the ranges determined by the limiting characteristics. The ways of further improvement of diode temperature sensors are discussed.
Keywords: temperature, sensor, р+n- junction, ideality factor, thermometric characteristic,
sensitivity.
Full text in PDF (Portable Document Format) are available for free. [PDF 244K]


Autonomous cars are on the verge of entering America's roadways on a massive scale, but they may cause mass amounts of motion sickness.
The automotive industry is on the cusp of transitioning fully autonomous cars from the laboratory to customers in the real world. However, one of the main factors delaying the rollout of fully autonomous cars is the challenge of keeping the sensors clean.
Some of the technology and lessons learned in self-flying planes could also be applicable to autonomous cars.
Hyundai debuted the prototype of the Nexo at the January 8, 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. The Nexo is a sports utility vehicle with a crossover design that is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. A hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen as the source of power.
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid car two available Driver Confidence packages that add semi-autonomous features to the Volt.
The 2018 Toyota Corollas are outfitted with standard Toyota Safety Sense Technology, which is a proprietary software that boosts its semi-autonomous safety feature.
Recently, Nissan tested an Infiniti (Nissan's line of luxury vehicles) Q50 autonomous car on the streets of Tokyo. The prototype had an advanced ProPILOT system with Level 4 autonomy, which means that it required minimal intervention from the driver.
When Toyota unveiled its new-generation 2018 Lexus LS at the Tokyo Motor Show this past June, the auto manufacturer seemed determined to downplay the new vehicle's autonomous and semi-autonomous features. In the wake of mishaps regarding test models of other self-driving cars, the company understandably wants to focus on safety first.
The Genesis G80 is a luxury car produced by Hyundai's Genesis brand line. It is a four-door sedan that seats up to five people. The G80 was first available in 2017, and it began production in 2016. It is available in two trim levels, including base and sport.
The new Volvo S90 is a Level 2 autonomous car, which means that it has partial automation. This sleek sedan includes the new Volvo Pilot Assist II technology.
The BMW 7 Series is a full-size luxury sedan that has been in production since 1977. By 2018, it had reached its sixth generation of design updates.
Is it possible for a family van to be accommodating yet still cutting-edge cool? With the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, it is. This minivan is loaded with standard and extra autonomous driving features ideal for families that need seating for up to eight.
The Nissan Leaf electric vehicle has received an all-new look for the 2018 model year. With this makeover comes the option for a brand-new Leaf feature: ProPilot Assist, a set of self-driving car capabilities.
Everyday drivers don't yet have access to a fully self-driving car, but Honda Sensing technology is helping move everyone a little closer to that reality. Honda Sensing is a high-tech suite of autonomous car features designed to help drivers stay alert and arrive safely at their destinations.
The 2019 Audi A8 continues the brand's legacy of luxury by offering intelligent technology that allows the car to drive itself in certain conditions. This partially self-driving car can also park itself and intelligently adjust its suspension for potholes and bumps.
The Cadillac CT6, which stands for "Cadillac Touring 6," is a full-size luxury car that offers cutting edge semi-autonomous features. As part of Cadillac's aim to offer a range of interior features, the CT6 is available in a wide variety of trim levels.
Autonomous technology promises the reality of self-driving cars on city streets within a couple of years. However, Tesla is running ahead of the pack with its Autopilot program.
As part of its total overhaul for 2018, the Volvo XC60 comes with a bevy of semi-autonomous features designed to improve passenger safety.
Autonomous cars are coming. In many places, they are there already in both Level 4 and Level 5 varieties. The BMW 5-series isn't at those levels yet, but the company's newest mid-range cars have several features that hint tantalizingly at the future to come.
As Mercedes-Benz prepared to roll out its 2016 E-Class line, the company started talking publicly about Drive Pilot, its name for a new line of intelligent safety features. Drivers who have purchased E-Class vehicles since 2016 have been among the first to try Mercedes' self-driving car technologies.
Self-driving cars are quickly becoming a part of our everyday world. The idea of a car that drives itself still seems like a fantasy. What is the magic that makes this possible?
The lessons learned, and the ideas sparked by these competitions, have influenced the development of self-driving cars in ways that are hard to quantify.
Do human drivers need to be replaced?
With artificial intelligence entering the mainstream and efforts by various companies to replace human drivers with self-driving cars, the question many seem to ask is: Are human beings really that bad at driving?


The annual fund-raising event will take place in the Church Halls on Thursday 17th November from 7:00 p.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m.
Coffee and the traditional exquisite baking.
Stall with fancy goods, cards and calendars; grand prize raffle and hopefully the usual bottle stall.
It might be cold outside, but the welcome will be warm.


WP Ticket offers many powerful customization options and tools from its plugin settings. In most cases, you can customize it without making changes in your theme files and/or writing addition code. It is also designed to minimize theme related conflicts by offering its own templating system.


text:
"""This model implements a simple jobshop named ft06.

A jobshop is a standard scheduling problem when you must sequence a
series of task_types on a set of machines. Each job contains one task_type per
machine. The order of execution and the length of each job on each
machine is task_type dependent.

The objective is to minimize the maximum completion time of all
jobs. This is called the makespan.
"""

import collections

from ortools.sat.python import visualization
from ortools.sat.python import cp_model

def jobshop_ft06():
    """Solves the ft06 jobshop."""
    # Creates the solver.
    model = cp_model.CpModel()

    machines_count = 6
    jobs_count = 6
    all_machines = range(0, machines_count)
    all_jobs = range(0, jobs_count)

    durations = [[1, 3, 6, 7, 3, 6], [8, 5, 10, 10, 10, 4], [5, 4, 8, 9, 1, 7],
                 [5, 5, 5, 3, 8, 9], [9, 3, 5, 4, 3, 1], [3, 3, 9, 10, 4, 1]]

    machines = [[2, 0, 1, 3, 5, 4], [1, 2, 4, 5, 0, 3], [2, 3, 5, 0, 1, 4],
                [1, 0, 2, 3, 4, 5], [2, 1, 4, 5, 0, 3], [1, 3, 5, 0, 4, 2]]

    # Computes horizon dynamically.
    horizon = sum([sum(durations[i]) for i in all_jobs])

    task_type = collections.namedtuple('task_type', 'start end interval')

    # Creates jobs.
    all_tasks = {}
    for i in all_jobs:
        for j in all_machines:
            start_var = model.NewIntVar(0, horizon, 'start_%i_%i' % (i, j))
            duration = durations[i][j]
            end_var = model.NewIntVar(0, horizon, 'end_%i_%i' % (i, j))
            interval_var = model.NewIntervalVar(start_var, duration, end_var,
                                                'interval_%i_%i' % (i, j))
            all_tasks[(i, j)] = task_type(start=start_var,
                                          end=end_var,
                                          interval=interval_var)

    # Create disjuctive constraints.
    machine_to_jobs = {}
    for i in all_machines:
        machines_jobs = []
        for j in all_jobs:
            for k in all_machines:
                if machines[j][k] == i:
                    machines_jobs.append(all_tasks[(j, k)].interval)
        machine_to_jobs[i] = machines_jobs
        model.AddNoOverlap(machines_jobs)

    # Precedences inside a job.
    for i in all_jobs:
        for j in range(0, machines_count - 1):
            model.Add(all_tasks[(i, j + 1)].start >= all_tasks[(i, j)].end)

    # Makespan objective.
    obj_var = model.NewIntVar(0, horizon, 'makespan')
    model.AddMaxEquality(
        obj_var, [all_tasks[(i, machines_count - 1)].end for i in all_jobs])
    model.Minimize(obj_var)

    # Solve model.
    solver = cp_model.CpSolver()
    solver.parameters.log_search_progress = True
    status = solver.Solve(model)

    # Output solution.
    if status == cp_model.OPTIMAL:
        if visualization.RunFromIPython():
            starts = [[
                solver.Value(all_tasks[(i, j)][0]) for j in all_machines
            ] for i in all_jobs]
            visualization.DisplayJobshop(starts, durations, machines, 'FT06')
        else:
            print('Optimal makespan: %i' % solver.ObjectiveValue())

jobshop_ft06()


text:
Cash is a fact, profit is an opinion – Alfred Rappaport
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Home — Research and News — Oil Market Report - April 2021
Oil Market Report - April 2021
After a period of volatility, crude oil prices were higher on average in the month of March 2021, extending previous monthly gains after investors turned more optimistic about the global oil demand outlook and were anticipating a rapid tightening of oil market fundamentals amid restrained global oil supplies. Positive market sentiment strengthened further amid signs that oil consumption is recovering in major economies along with improving mobility data in Europe and North America. The oil market was also driven by a firm US equity market after the $1.9-trillion US stimulus bill was signed into law. This is expected to boost the economy and oil demand, as well as benefit global industrial production and trade. Oil prices rose further after an attack on large Saudi Arabia oil facilities at Ras Tanura raised geopolitical risk concerns. Nonetheless, worries eased after oil output appeared to remain uninterrupted. Nonetheless, the ICE Brent benchmark rose to beyond $70.0 / bbl during the first part of March, its highest level since May 2019, and US benchmark NYMEX WTI rose above $66.0 / bbl as well, its highest mark since April 2019.
However, in the second half of the month, the oil market witnessed a sharp sell-off. It was exacerbated by liquidation of the positions on signs of deteriorating near-term oil demand amid resurgent COVID-19 infections across Europe, India, Latin America and other countries, along with the spread of new variants. Meantime, the global vaccination programmes slowed due to distribution issues and the temporary suspension of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in several European countries over concerns about possible side effects, which weighed on market sentiment and raised the risk to near-term demand outlooks. Oil price volatility also heightened after the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal for several days, raising worries about potential global supply disruptions of crude and refined products. All in all, the major crude oil benchmarks closed the month of March in the red zone with the ICE Brent falling by $1.68 / bbl, or -2.6% MoM, and the NYMEX WTI sank by $2.34 / bbl, or -3.8% MoM.
It was not a surprise that market participants took a break after such a splash of volatility in crude oil futures, so the market swung till the middle of April in a rather tight range of $60.0-65.0 / bbl as of the ICE Brent grade. However, crude oil futures shot significantly higher on April, 14 as the US crude inventories dropped to the lowest since February following the biggest decline in two months, according to the Energy Information Administration. Moreover, the stronger outlook for U.S. demand, along with improvements in China, drove the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the OPEC to lift their forecast for oil consumption this year some days earlier. So, both the ICE Brent and the NYMEX WTI benchmarks ended the period under report tangibly higher with the ICE Brent added $3.24 / bbl, or +5.0%, and the NYMEX WTI rose by $2.65 / bbl, or +4.3%.
In the month of March 2021, total production of crude oil in the OPEC as a whole went up by 300 thsd bbl / d comparing to the prior month, or +1.2% MoM. The same time, crude oil production experienced a decline by 3.3 mln bbl / d relative to one year ago level, or -11.5% YoY. The output of crude oil in the OPEC deflated in yearly terms in the month under review for the 11th consequent month due to a collapse of the production in May 2020 as a result of the OPEC+ historical deal to curb the output to overcome the demand destruction in the circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic. So, the cartel continued to produce the amount of crude oil unseen for more than two decades before the pandemic. The most recent OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting was held on April 1, 2021. The Meeting approved the adjustment of the production levels for May, June and July 2021, while continuing to adhere to the mechanism agreed upon in the 12th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting (December 2020) to hold monthly OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meetings to assess market conditions and decide on production level adjustments for the following month, with every adjustment being no more than 0.5 mln bbl / d. The Meeting also welcomed the positive performance of participating countries. Overall conformity reached 115 per cent in February 2021, reinforcing the trend of aggregate high conformity by participating countries. Finally, the Ministers noted, with gratitude, the value of the prudent policy approach by Saudi Arabia of maintaining its additional voluntary adjustments of 1 mln bbl / d in April 2021 for the third month in a row.
Total oil production worldwide mostly recovered in March 2021 after a sudden drop during the previous month caused by poor weather conditions in the USA. Relative to the depressed level of February the indicator rose by 1.51 mln bbl / d, or + 1.6% MoM. Dynamics of oil production in different regions outside the OPEC was uneven within the period. The most rapid growth of production was registered in the region of Americas, where extraction of oil exploded by 1.35 mln bbl / d, or +4.5% MoM. Output of oil in Europe also increased moderately in March relative to the volume of the previous month. The rate of growth was equal to 74 thsd bbl / d, or +1.7% MoM. On the other hand, total oil production in the regions of Asia and Africa / Middle East in March 2021 was somewhat lower in compare to February 2021. Performance of oil production in different countries not participating in the OPEC also was dissimilar in the month under review. Nonetheless, the strongest expansion of crude oil production was registered in the USA. The output in this country jumped by 1.42 mln bbl / d, or +8.6% MoM. Norway experienced likewise a formidable rise of oil production in March 2021 relative to the month prior. To be more exact, the production increased by 3.5% MoM, or +74 thsd bbl / d. So, oil production in Norway came up to its record high within last 10 years equal to 2.19 mln bbl / d. Brazil showed also a meaningful rise of output in March on a month-over-month basis, equal to 78 thsd bbl / d, or +2.4% MoM. Such countries as Mexico and Russia exhibited a temperate increase of extraction of oil in the month under review as well. In particular, production of oil in the country of Mexico expanded modestly by 20 thsd bbl / d, or +1.0% MoM, for the 2nd month in a row, while total oil output in Russia went up by 1.3% MoM, or +135 thsd bbl / d as compared to the previous month. On the other hand, Canada and China recorded a formidable contraction of oil production in March 2021 as compared to February 2021. Thus, the most considerable monthly decline of the output was exhibited in Canada, where the production dropped by 1.9% MoM, or -108 thsd bbl / d. In China, output of oil decreased by 79 thsd bbl / d, or -1.58% MoM.
Total production of oil in the USA in March 2021 expanded modestly by 337 thsd bbl / d, or +2.2% MoM, after a sharp drop in the previous month linked with bad weather conditions. The overall growth of the production was rather muted due to a tangible drop in output of natural gas liquids (NGLs) which contracted by almost 5.0% MoM. In contrast to one year ago level, total oil production in the USA was almost 2.0 mln bbl / d lower in March 2021, or -10.9% YoY. The same time, shale oil production in the USA exploded by 10.3% MoM, or +729 thsd bbl / d in compare to the previous month after a sharp drop of the output in February. It was one of the sharpest monthly growth rates of the production over the whole history of observations with the growth rate exceeding 2.8 StD of monthly growth rates. Nevertheless, from a longer-term point of view shale oil production in the USA in March was much lower than it was one year ago. To be more precise, in March 2020 the production was close to 9.3 mln bbl / d, so a yearly decline of the output in March was equal to 1.5 mln bbl / d, or -16.2% YoY.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, total demand for oil in the world continued to recover after pandemic-related shock and improved moderately by another 2.0 mln bbl / d on a quarterly basis, or +2.2% QoQ. Nevertheless, total global demand for oil in the quarter under review was lower than it was one year ago, in the 4th quarter of 2019, as demand destruction during 2Q20 was unprecedented in modern history. To be more precise, aggregate consumption of oil around the world in the 4th quarter of 2020 was nearly 6.0 mln bbl / d lower than in the 4th quarter of 2019, or -5.9% YoY. The majority of regions around the globe showed improvement of demand for oil in the 4th quarter of 2020 relative to the 3rd quarter of 2020. The most substantial increase of oil consumption in absolute terms was recorded in Asia, where an aggregate figure of the demand continued to went upward for 3 consequent quarters. Among others, the demand for oil in the region built up in 4Q20 by 4.8% QoQ, or 1.31 mln bbl / d, and expanded to its peak mark ever equal to 28.42 mln / d. According to the most recent IEA monthly report, total oil demand worldwide in 2021 is forecasted to reach 96.7 mln bbl / d, an increase of 5.7 mln bbl / d from 2020. Despite weaker-than-expected data for 1Q21, annual growth has been revised up by 230 thsd bbl / d on average to take account of better economic forecasts and robust prompt indicators. The biggest upgrade was for the United States, given its swift vaccine rollout and hefty stimulus packages on the way. China was also revised slightly higher. Nevertheless, the IEA stated that the recovery on oil market remains fragile with the number of COVID-19 cases surging in some major consuming countries.
Total commercial stocks of crude oil and oil products in OECD states continued to decrease in December 2020 for the 5th month in a row and declined by another 44.6 mln bbl in comparison with November 2020 level, or -1.4% MoM. On a year-over-year basis, total oil stocks in OECD countries apparently proceeded to demonstrate strong positive dynamics due to a massive build of the stockpiles during spring months of 2020. To be more precise, total oil stocks in the OECD in December 2020 were 174.0 mln bbl, or +6.0% YoY, higher than they were one year ago in December 2019. According the preliminary IEA data, total OECD oil stocks fell for the 6th consecutive month in January 2021. A monthly decline of 14.2 mln bbl left inventories at 3 023 mln bbl, 63.2 mln bbl above their 2016-2020 average. Crude oil stocks led the fall with a counter-seasonal 23.7 mln bbl draw. Preliminary February data for the US, Europe and Japan show that total industry stocks continued to fell further by 52.6 mln bbl in total, led by lower gasoline and middle distillate stocks in the US.
Total commercial inventories of oil and oil products in the USA in March 2021 experienced a growth of 0.6% MoM, or +5.4 mln bbl relative to the level of February 2021. By the same token, stocks expanded more significantly on an annual basis, a yearly change of the figure was equal to 38.2 mln bbl, or +4.6% YoY. Crude oil inventories in the Cushing storage in Oklahoma (the basis for NYMEX WTI crude oil futures) in March 2021 felt over the 5th consequent month and decreased by another 1.3 mln bbl relative to February 2021 level, or -2.6% MoM. A volume of the stocks in Cushing in the month under review sank to the lowest level since June 2020 and went below an average level for this month of a year over last 5 years. Relative to one year ago level, crude oil inventories in Cushing in March 2021 expanded by 4.2 mln bbl, or +7.0% YoY.
Total floating stocks of crude oil around the world in March 2021 expanded moderately by 11.5 mln bbl in compare to the volume of the prior month, or +12.8% MoM, after the figure dipped to the lowest level over 11 months in February 2021. In absolute terms, a volume of floating oil inventories worldwide was equal to 101.7 mln bbl as of the end of March. However, in pre-COVID times the figure usually fluctuated in a range of 50-70 mln bbl that is considerably lower than the current level. That's why a total volume of crude oil that held of floating storages in the month of March 2021 again was much higher than it was one year ago, in March 2020. To provide greater details, a volume of the floating stocks expanded in March 2021 by 35.8 mln bbl in contrast to March 2020, or +54.2% YoY. On a year-over-year basis, crude oil floating stocks continued to grow for 12 months in a row.
04 2021, Arbat Capital
oil, investment
Oil Market Report - October 2022
Although crude oil prices broke through the support level of $90 / bbl for ICE Brent front-month contract in the late of September 2022, the downward swing was very short lived as shocking OPEC+ decision to curb crude oil production quotas by 2.0 mln bbl / d starting November 2022 pushed the price back above the support level. As the oil market failed the attempt to move lower, we are more confident now that there is only a limited downside in crude oil prices below the level of $90 / bbl for ICE Brent, as the supply side will get only tighter in next 3-6 months.
Banking Sector Monthly Report - September 2022
US banks underperformed the broad market slightly in September 2022, for the third time over the last four months. Moreover, BKX index ended September in the red again, for the 6th time out of the first 9 months of 2022. BKX index tumbled by 9.4% MoM in September vs -9.3% MoM of SPX index.
10 October 2022, Arbat Capital
investment, banks;
Oil Market Report - September 2022
As the crude oil market is experiencing its largest 90-day decline since March-April 2020, which was only exceeded prior to 2020 by market routs in 2014-15 and 2008-09, we see the limited downside in crude oil prices from the levels achieved and believe that the market would pass its trough before the winter starts as the fundamentals remains rather tight and only would get tighter in a couple of quarters ahead. On the demand side, both the OPEC and the IEA expected a rather robust growth of the global oil consumption in 2023, driven mainly by jet fuel and robust oil use for power generation in the Middle East and in Europe due to record natural gas and electricity prices. In addition, petroleum product markets, especially diesel, are expected to remain in deficit in coming quarters due to downstream capacity constraints outside of China as lower Chinese export quotas have sharply reduced its sales abroad and newly introduced taxes in India have discouraged exports from Asia's largest supplier.
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Home » Frequently Asked Questions » My doctor says I am disabled. Is that enough to qualify for SSD benefits?
If your doctor just makes a statement that you are disabled that is generally not enough for you to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits or SSI. What happens is Social Security evaluates the medical records that the doctor writes down when you go for visits or if you're hospitalized or if the doctor sends you for a test and they order the results of those tests, they looked at your hospital records and they try to decide whether what's indicated in those doctors notes, hospital records or lab reports are sufficient to show that you are so physically or mentally disabled that you probably cannot work for 12months.


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Wayne Valley football honors U.S. Armed Forces, first responders
A ceremony honoring the U.S. Armed Forces and first responders was held prior to the anticipated showdown between Wayne Valley and NV/Old Tappan.
Wayne Valley football honors U.S. Armed Forces, first responders A ceremony honoring the U.S. Armed Forces and first responders was held prior to the anticipated showdown between Wayne Valley and NV/Old Tappan. Check out this story on northjersey.com: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/wayne/2018/10/17/wayne-valley-football-u-s-armed-forces/1668087002/
Doug Scancarella, Correspondent Published 9:16 a.m. ET Oct. 17, 2018
Wayne Valley honored U.S. Armed Forces and first responders before its game Oct. 12.(Photo: Doug Scancarella/Special to Wayne Today)
A lot was at stake in the Week 7 Wayne Valley-NV/Old Tappan football game Oct. 12. The winner, in all likelihood, would secure at least one home game in the upcoming playoffs and perhaps even two.
Still, the game took a clear-cut backseat to what happened beforehand. A ceremony honoring the U.S. Armed Forces and first responders was held prior to the highly anticipated showdown between the two North Jersey powerhouse programs.
Two flags were raised over the field for the ceremony. One was lent by Rick Ruggiero, the father of Wayne Valley junior lineman Ricky Ruggiero.
The elder Ruggiero was stationed at the forward operating base in Sharana, the capital of Paktika Province, Afghanistan in 2011. The American flag he lent to Wayne Valley for this ceremony flew in Sharana on Oct. 20, 2011 in dedication to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant George Oliveira, who was killed in action the day before by a roadside bomb.
Oliveira's brother, Marco, attended the ceremony and the game. Also on hand were Oliveira's unit mates: Ruggiero, Dave Pereda, Wayne Stein, John Burns, Mark Vero, and Jesus Reyes.
The other American flag was flown by the Wayne Fire Department. The first responders being honored that night included local police officers, firefighters, deputy sheriffs, paramedics, and several other rescue groups who typically arrive first for emergencies such as a crime, accident, medial crises or natural disasters.
"This was a big game for us, but it's still important for our players and young fans to realize that it's more than just football," said Wayne Valley football coach Roger Kotlarz. "The men and women we honored work hard and put their lives on the line every day. This is our way to say thanks for the many sacrifices these heroes make for our communities."
Unfortunately for the Wayne Valley football team (4-3), the ceremony was not followed by a victory. NV/Old Tappan (4-2) won a hard-fought game, 7-6.
"It was a frustrating game because there were several scoring opportunities we left out on the field," Kotlarz said. "At the same time, it was your classic, old-school defensive struggle. Both defenses were outstanding. We made each other work for every yard. It was difficult for both teams to string together first downs."
Junior Jake DeLuccia and senior Ali Gega led the way with eight and seven tackles, respectively. Senior Nick Trani added six spills. Senior David Trinidad had five tackles, including two sacks. Sophomore John Testa and senior Kevin Schneeloch had five and four tackles, respectively.
"It was a good collective effort on defense," Kotlarz said.
One of the missed opportunities on offense was when DeLuccia appeared to have scored in the second quarter on a screen pass from senior Ryan Michels. Unfortunately for Valley, it was negated by a holding penalty.
"It was the right call," Kotlarz said. "The kid (for NV/Old Tappan) that was held may have had a shot to get Jake close to the goal line. Still, we would have been in great position to score at that point. The hold pushed us back 10 yards (from the point of the hold) and we couldn't get it going. You can't give a great team like Old Tappan another opportunity to stop you."
With five minutes left, DeLuccia collected a shovel pass from Trani and followed a crushing block by Jordan Botero en route to the end zone. This time the touchdown counted.
"I was very pleased with our execution on that touchdown because Old Tappan had it defended perfectly," Kotlarz said. "But it still worked because Nick and Jake had a smooth exchange and then Jake followed Botero into the end zone."
Another missed opportunity came when the extra point was botched. The kick never got off.
"If you play this game long enough you are going to be involved in a big play that goes against you," Kotlarz said. "That's football."
Trani led the offense with 60 yards passing and 33 rushing. Michels threw for 72 yards. Senior Nick Duncan had 31 rushing yards and 35 receiving. Junior Elijah Lugo and DeLuccia had three catches apiece.
NV/Old Tappan's touchdown was a 20-yard pass from Drew Dippolito to John Lohrer.
Wayne Valley is still in decent shape in terms of securing a playoff berth. They are currently ranked No. 11 in North 1, Group 4. The top 16 teams qualify and the top eight get a home game.
"My initial thought after this game ended was that we probably blew an opportunity for a home game (in the playoffs)," Kotlarz said. "But when I look at the standings now, it seems to me that we still have shot."
Regardless, Wayne Valley could end up playing NV/Old Tappan in the playoffs.
"Old Tappan has won the championship twice in the last three years and they're clearly one of the favorites to win again this year," Kotlarz said. "We've proven this year that we can play with some of the best teams in our section. We haven't been able to pull those games out yet, though. We're close. Our defense has played great in some big games. If we can put together a complete effort, then we can beat anybody we may face in the playoffs."
Read or Share this story: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/wayne/2018/10/17/wayne-valley-football-u-s-armed-forces/1668087002/
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La Liga Națională 2013-2014 è stata la 64ª edizione del massimo campionato rumeno di pallacanestro maschile. Il titolo di campione di Romania è stato conquistato dal CSU Asesoft Ploiești.

Regolamento
Le 14 squadre partecipanti disputarono un girone unico all'italiana, con partite d'andata e ritorno. Al termine della stagione regolare, le prime otto classificate furono ammesse ai play-off per il titolo. Non furono previste retrocessioni in Liga I in virtù della rinuncia del CSS Giurgiu e della fusione fra CSM Bucarest e la neopromossa Steaua Bucarest.

Regular season

Play-off

Tabellone

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Pallacanestro nel 2013
Pallacanestro nel 2014
2013-2014


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His Majesty offers prayers for late President Kalam
His Majesty The King led the government and members of the Indian community in Bhutan in offering prayers and a thousand butter lamps for the late President of India, His Excellency APJ Abdul Kalam, at the Kuenrey of Tashichhodzong yesterday.
Upon the Command of His Majesty The King, the National Flag was lowered to half-mast in honour of the late president, who passed away on July 27.
Kela crematorium in need of amenities, Trongsa
24 hour lockdown in 14 districts


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Roy Hodgson has managed some superstars in his career with the likes Roberto Carlos and Javier Zanetti sitting alongside Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney.
Despite this he's never quite been a coach that breaks the bank during the transfer window.
In fact, half of the deals on this list come from the period the Crystal Palace boss was in charge at Inter Milan and Blackburn Rovers who were among the best financed clubs of the era.
If Hodgson had stayed in Milan just a little longer, rather than leaving for Lancashire and the Premier League, he would have been part of a transfer world record worth almost double the highest figure on this list.
Following his departure the Nerazzurri signed 'O Fenômeno' Ronaldo from Barcelona for £19.5m.
Given Palace's business in recent years with in excess of £25m being spent on Christian Benteke and Mamadou Sakho, could we see Hodgson's own transfer record broken this month?
See the Eagles boss' actual biggest signings below (as per transfermarkt for consistency).
Quite a modest fee to kick things off - get used to that - for a player who was coming into his peak at 25. The Dane was Hodgson's second signing as Fulham manager following Brede Hangelaand to the club.
Andreasen was one of six signings in the ex-England manager's first window at Craven Cottage and also one of four players of Scandinavian origins.
The ex-Bundesliga midfielder never quite hit it off at Fulham however making just 21 appearances before returning to Germany with Hannover where he remained for the rest of his career.
After two good seasons at Bolton and a quality start to a third with six goals in 12 games, Blackburn offered the Welshman another chance at the Premier League in October of 1998.
It was too little to late for Hodgson who barely lasted another month and Blake struggled to find his form managing just three goals as Rover were eventually relegated from the Premier League.
Why do Palace fans sing Glad All Over?
A man who always seems to be in demand during a transfer window. Hodgson plucked Long from a Championship Reading side to utilise his work-rate in an ambitious West Brom side that finished 10th that season.
His move was rumoured to have the potential to rise to £6.5m which would have been a record buy for the club.
While Hodgson only managed Long for a single season in which he delivered eight goals, the Republic of Ireland international remained at the Hawthorns for another two seasons before heading to Hull and then Southampton.
Poulsen was an established international and experienced pro having played for a number of clubs including Schalke, Juventus and Sevilla ahead of his transfer to Liverpool.
The aim was to prepare for the departure of Javier Mascherano, though the fee never quite matched the ambition.
The Dane struggled to make an impact at Anfield and despite a run in the team under Kenny Dalglish, Jay Spearing was eventually preferred.
Now we're going back some.
It's easy to forget the calibre of player that Roy Hodgson has worked with, sadly this time the Palace boss didn't spend any time with the Atletico Madrid signing.
Hodgson was persuaded to leave Inter for the glitz and glamour of the Premier League and Blackburn in move that is difficult to understand now.
Inter president Massimo Moratti even tried to sway the departing manager and holds him in high regard.
He said: "Roy Hodgson was an important person in the development of Inter Milan to the point we have reached today. He saved us at the right time. When he came we were in trouble and things appeared dark. He didn't panic, he was calm and made us calm. Disaster was averted at the most important time. Everyone at Inter will remember him for that and his contribution. He is considered by us all as an important person in our history. He left an endowment to this club that's important in our history."
Simeone went on to enjoy his time in Serie A eventually moving to Lazio and the Milan club remains the most likely he will leave his Atletico managerial position for due to his connection with the side.
A World Cup winner, not bad. Though the Frenchman had yet to win the competition when he arrived at the San Siro he was a player in his pomp.
A key component of the team that finished third in Serie A and enjoyed his most prolific season in Italy under Hodgson.
Continued his success in winning the UEFA Cup with the club as part of a team including Ronaldo, Nwankwo Kanu, Simeone and Javier Zanetti.
After a successful first season in charge of Blackburn without spending a massive amount of money, Jack Walker really backed Hodgson as they entered his second. Rovers lost Colin Hendry and Tim Sherwood but went big to replace them.
Dailly played just 17 times in his first year with the club as he struggled to both establish himself as Hendry's replacement and with injury. He stayed at Rovers until the 2000/2001 season when he left for West Ham where he was ever present in the Premier League during his second season with the club.
Much was expected of Davies who had completed a transfer for ten times what Southampton had signed him for a year earlier and broke the club record.
The Bolton legend couldn't reproduce his earlier goalscoring exploits for Rovers managing just two goals in 29 appearances before returning to the Saints.
Possibily Hodgson's best signing during his time at Liverpool as he made 33 appearances in midfield that season and scored five goals.
Best known for his harsh hairstyles and tenacious play, Meireles didn't lost long at the club despite being a regular starter.
2010/2011 was his only full term with the club and two games into the following season the Portuguese international handed in transfer request to move to Chelsea where he won the FA Cup and Champions League.
Again he only lasted a season at the club before moving to Fenerbahce.
Crystal Palace are in need of a striker and it wouldn't be the first time Hodgson has been on the lookout.
The Palace boss signed Eagles favourite Johnson from Everton in 2008 and while you couldn't describe the forward as prolific during his time at Craven Cottage he contributed to the club's most successful period of the Premier League era.
He struck up a good partnership with Bobby Zamora and scored a number of goals in Fulham's European adventures.
His best time in the Europa League was not when the Cottagers reached the final but when they missed out on the round of 32 despite Johnson scoring eight goals in 12 appearances during the competition.


Low season weather in the Phuket area is rather unpredictable. If you're lucky you can get a week of sun and blue skies in the so-called rainy season, but if you are unlucky you can get a week with hardly any sun. The months from June to August 2017 were actually quite nice this year, but the second half of September 2017 was particularly wet. And unfortunately for my cousin and her family, that was when they visited Phuket :) You certainly do hope for lots of sunny beach days when visiting Phuket on holiday, but in low season you have to gamble, and at the same time take advantage of cheap hotel prices. So we had a whole weekend to take my cousin's family out and the weather was not promising, but often I believe you should just go anyway - the weather here is often not as bad as it looks, and rain can be very localised. We planned one of our Phang Nga Bay tours including James Bond Island and Panyee village. We have done trips like this many times and it's been on the blog before - see Phang Nga Bay 2010 and Phang Nga Bay 2015. My friends with the Easy Day Thailand tour company run day tours around this area.
So, Saturday was looking rather wet, but we drove out of Phuket anyway (always think positive!) and had a nice lunch at Nern Khao View Talay, a nice restaurant with a view. But as we ate we could see rainclouds coming in quickly from the west and a couple of times the rain lashed down. Undeterred, we continued to visit Wat Suwan Kuha, a lovely temple built into a cave close to Phang Nga Town.
Well, the weather really was wet. Rained most of that afternoon, rained all the drive back to Phuket but did finally stop in the evening for us to have a little walk around old Phuket Town! But on Sunday morning - we woke up to sunshine! Yes! Let's try again .. we drove off Phuket again, and the weather looked OK so we headed for lunch at Samchong Seafood where we have been numerous times before - we found back in 2010 that we could get a boat from there to James Bond Island. Lunch was very good, but unfortunately while we ate, the dark skies appeared and we had some heavy rain.
(above) Samchong Seafood and dark skies!
Seemed like the skies were clearing after that lunchtime rain, so off we went! We actually got the same longtail boat driver who'd taken us in 2010 and the price was the same. Cost us 1800 Baht after some bargaining by my wife. I am not sure if a non-Thai / non-local group would get the same price, but in any case, even if you pay a bit more, that's not much to have your own boat for a few hours.
(above) Our longtail guy for the afternoon. We got the boat from the jetty next to the restaurant about 2:15pm and weren't back at Samchong until about 6pm.
(above) Heading out into Phang Nga Bay. No rain ... As we came out of the wide mangrove channel where Samchong is located, we could see dark skies in at least 2 directions, but our longtail guy seemed sure he could dodge the rain! We took a detour heading towards Koh Panyee village, but eventually the rain caught up with us.
(above) In the rain near Koh Panyee. I had to put the phone/camera away just after this, it was wet!
(above) The floating football pitch at Koh Panyee. It's between the mosque and the school on the west side of the island, so you need to follow some little alleyways to find it - all the restaurants where tours land are on the east side. As you can see from the photo above .. the weather again looked better. We spent about an hour at Panyee before heading south to James Bond Island (actually called Koh Khao Ping Kan). Only about 20 minutes by longtail boat. We approached Scaramanga's island just after 4:30pm. There is some kind of rule with national parks. If you arrive after 4:30pm you don't need to pay the entry fee. Our boatman shouted over to the beach where a couple of park staff had already closed their office. We did not need to pay. Normal entry fee is 300 Baht for non-Thai people. The other advantage of arriving at James Bond Island this late is that all the tours have left already. A few of the souvenir stallholders were still there (stalls closed, waiting for the last boat home), otherwise it is very nice to have a major tourist attraction almost to yourself!
We landed at the beach on the west side. We saw that a nice new stairway has been built over to the north side, much easier to walk over now! Despite the grey skies and threatening rain, the view was a good as ever, or better! Me and my boy enjoyed a few minutes on the beach, the family all got a few photos. We all had a few minutes of peace in this beautiful setting, but the rain was coming and the sky quickly darkened.


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Fitness Guru & Social Media Sensation 'Liver King' Busted For Taking Steroids And Fooling Fans
Fitness guru Brian Johnson, known as the Liver King, has been exposed for lying about taking steroids. (Photo: Twitter)
Written by Isheka N. Harrison
"Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear." The sage proverb can be applied to many things – but social media influencers are proving to be among its most consistent arbiters. Now, the popular fitness guru known as Liver King has been revealed as another embodiment of the words.
After building a 100-million-dollar empire touting the fitness benefits of eating raw meat and embracing "ancestral living" like a caveman, the Liver King has confessed to using steroids to aid him in attaining his buffed physique.
Liver King was on steroids 💉
Leaked emails shows that Liver King was taking almost $12k worth of pharmaceutical HGH per month, three injections per day. All while promoting his brand of holistic lifestyle, ancestral tenants, and eating raw meat on camera. pic.twitter.com/GuDGH0Po3s
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) November 30, 2022
Real name Brian Johnson, the Liver King has 1.7 million followers on Instagram and over 240,000 subscribers on YouTube. According to Fortune, before he was ever Insta-famous, Johnson was "making $100 million a year selling protein supplements and dried animal organs under his brands Heart & Soil and Ancestral Supplements."
He credited his biffed physique to embracing "nine ancestral tenants" – eat, sleep, move, shine, connect, cold, sun, fight, and bond. Sometimes he adds a tenth: fun. It turns out he left out the 11th: steroids.
He uploaded an apology video to YouTube after being exposed by a fellow YouTube account, More Plates More Dates, in a lengthy video entitled "The Liver King Lie."
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The video included a leaked email between Liver King and his nutritionist in which he asked for more steroids.
"Primals, I'm making this video to apologize because I f**ked up because I'm embarrassed and ashamed because I lied and I misled a lot of people," Johnson said, adding the topic was "complicated as f**k" because "it's been tricky to navigate" being in the public eye.
"Well, clearly, I did it wrong and I'm here now to set the record straight," Johnson admitted. "Yes, I've done steroids, and yes, I am on steroids, monitored and managed by a trained hormone clinician."
"When asked if I've ever taken steroids, I always said, 'No, I don't touch the stuff, not going to touch the stuff, never touched the stuff.' That was a lie," Johnson continued. "I convinced myself that this had nothing to do with the ancestral message. I convinced myself that I'm not a competitive athlete of any kind, so who the f**k am I cheating."
While some media outlets gave Johnson credit for facing the backlash head-on, many social media users clowned him for what they saw as an insincere, self-absorbed apology.
"You know it's sincere when he's sitting in a throne and starts bragging about how much money he has," one YouTube user commented. Another wrote, "this has got to be the most comedic apology yet, he even delivers it shirtless LMFAO."
"Haha I love how he tries to justify his deception by angling it as a fight against suicide and depression. Instead of fully owning his mistake. Not a real apology at all," another YouTube user identified as Brendon Burns wrote.
A Twitter user summed up what many mental health professionals have been telling users for years.
"That's why you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet," @therealdaddymo1 wrote. "Stop comparing your real lives with other peoples controlled online content."
That's why you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet. Stop comparing your real lives with other peoples controlled online content.
— ✨👑 DaddyMO👑✨🏁 (@therealdaddymo1) November 30, 2022
Johnson told TMZ he expected his supplement company to take a hit amidst his deception but said he deserved it.
"I know that I f**ked this up," Johnson said. "I owe this. This is on me to deal with, and I deserve all the hate and criticism that I'm getting. I'll deal with this."
PHOTO: Fitness guru Brian Johnson, known as the Liver King, has been exposed for lying about taking steroids. (Photo: Twitter)