PayPal has announced an improved mobile app that is rolling out to customers on iOS and Android.
Today, we are beginning to roll out an improved PayPal mobile app focused on the customer experience. We are making the app simpler to use and making it even easier for our customers to send and request money.
● We've streamlined the app design to make it easier for customers to view their balance, get notifications, and move money from nearly wherever they are.
● We've moved the Send and Receive money buttons, so they're always at customers fingertips on the home screen.
● Also, when sending and requesting money, we've made it simpler for customers to add their photo and personalize their contact list, so they can feel more confident they're sending money to the right person.
The new app launched on Android in Australia and Italy yesterday and will roll out to additional global markets (including the U.S.) and iOS over the coming weeks. You can download PayPal from the App Store for free at the link below.


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Author: Elizabeth Lang
Elizabeth Lang was an avid reader from an early age. Science Fiction and Fantasy were and still are her passions, with occasional dips in the pools of Mystery. She spent many years in the IT industry and started writing late in life, but once begun, she couldn't stop.
Elizabeth lives in Canada though she's worked in many places around the world. She loves traveling, learning about different cultures, and sampling their delectable foods.
Elizabeth's web site: http://www.elizabeth-lang.com/
Elizabeth's Facebook Page: Elizabeth Lang
Elizabeth's Twitter Address: @Kalinda001
Elizabeth also produces spectacular covers for IFWG Publishing/IFWG Publishing Australia.
The Empire Series
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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2005 CAMWS Award
for Special Service
Deanna Corn
(presented at Southern Section Meeting in Winston-Salem, NC, Nov. 6, 2004)
How many times do we classicists have to justify the value of what we teach and win over administrators and guidance counselors who not only do not assist students wanting to take Latin but who sometimes even discourage students from taking such an "irrelevant subject"? Now consider the reverse? What would it be like to teach in a school in which Latin is considered vital? What would it be like to have a Head of School who promotes Latin and who steers students into Latin classes? For that reason among others, Deanna Corn, Head of School at Columbia Independent School in Columbia, Missouri is a worthy recipient of the CAMWS Service Award.
CIS opened its doors in August 1998 with 55 students in grades 6-9; of that founding student body 38 were enrolled in two sections of Introductory Latin and one section of Intensive Latin I. Each subsequent year an additional grade was added to the high school until the twelfth grade was added in 2001-2002. Not only has the student body increased but also the number of students taking Latin. Currently 99 of the 106 students are in a Latin class. This year we have thirteen sections of Latin, which includes a full curriculum ranging from Introductory Latin to Advanced Placement – Vergil. In addition one student who completed the AP Vergil course last year is taking an Advanced Latin Class in Roman Comedy before school. How did this occur?
When the founders of CIS hired Deanna (Dee) Corn as Head of School in 1997, CIS was only a vision. There was no set curriculum, no teachers, and no students. Even though Dee herself had never had Latin, she knew from her 29 years in public education that the study of Latin offered many benefits to students. Several of the founders who had studied Latin agreed heartily with Dee that CIS should have a strong Latin foundation. Dee was the driving force in the development of our school's curriculum with its emphasis on Latin.
This emphasis on Latin at CIS has reached beyond our walls and has had an impact on our community. During our first year, our school was selected to participate in a special program with the University of Missouri's Museum of Art and Archaeology because of our students' involvement with Latin. Our students had their own program at the museum serving as junior docents, displaying their own art work, and performing their own creative pieces. Another way that Latin at CIS has impacted our community is in the increased enrollment of Latin in other schools in Columbia. When other private schools in town realized that Latin was an integral part of our curriculum, they began to offer Latin in their schools. In the public schools more parents took notice of what CIS, the college-preparatory school, was requiring, and they encouraged their children to take Latin. As a result the public schools are more accommodating to students wanting to take Latin. The word is getting out in the community.
Dee has also encouraged individual students to take Latin. Latin is required for grades 6-8, but students in grades 9-12 may choose the foreign language that they study. As she meets with new incoming upper class students, she counsels them to take Latin as she explains to them all of its benefits. At the end of each year Dee publishes in the local newspaper a special ad recognizing all of our student achievements. A prominent feature and in fact the largest is the number of awards that our students receive on the National Latin Exam. Numerous parents have told us that they noticed the large number of Latin award winners, and some have said that it was the strength of the Latin program that attracted them to our school.
Finally, Dee is always open to ways of expanding the classics' influence. Each year in April we have Toga Day, which celebrates Latin. All the Latin students make and wear their togas to school. Then the toga-clad students have a processional from the school down Broadway to a local restaurant for a special lunch. After the lunch the students present original skits to parents and invited guests.
In conclusion, Deanna Corn has been a driving force behind creating and nurturing in our school a thriving Latin program, which has raised the awareness of the value of Latin in our whole community. However, the most important thing is that she has allowed so many young students not only to learn but also to enjoy Latin. When polling 6th graders about their favorite subject, Latin is always at the top. Perhaps one of my 6th graders last year said it best when he wrote me the following: "I have never known Latin, but now I know it is living in your room." Without a doubt Deanna Corn truly has promoted Latin and its value and is worthy of the CAMWS Service Award.
--Sue Ann Moore, Latin Teacher, Columbia Independent School
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Jamboree Health and Medical Records have begun to be distributed; check your mailbox and spam filters. Have you received your personal bar-coded medical record? If not there is a good chance it is either in your junk or spam folder or your e-mail address on your jamboree application is incorrect. It is imperative and the responsibility of each applicant to keep all information up to date on the application so you can continue to receive the latest important information for the 2010 Jamboree. Please check and verify your information as soon as possible!
For the shake down this coming weekend; January 16th @ Camp Ho Non Wah it has been arranged for Dr. Steven McGown MD, Dr. David Fitzpatrick MD and Howard Hunter EMT to fill out Part B of the Jamboree Medical form. The said Dr.'s with the assistance of Mr. Hunter will conduct the necessary Physical Examination required by BSA. The gentlemen above are all registered Scouters and will follow all BSA guidelines. Dr. McGown and Dr. Fitzpatrick are both certified and licensed health care providers. There will be no fee for this service.
I herby give permission for my son_______________________ to receive a Physical from Dr. S McGown MD, or Dr. D Fizpatrick MD for the purpose of completing the Annual BSA Health and Medical Record required by 2010 National Jamboree.
The Coastal Carolina Council has been approached by Pet Helpers to help them sell their annual Pet Helpers calendars. The calendars are similar to a Day-Timer or Day Planner with pictures of local pets throughout. A Scout could sell them in front of a store, a school event or just to family, friends and neighbors. The calendars sell for $25.00 and the Scouts will earn a $10.00 commission per sale; Pet Helpers will earn $15.00.
Important Visitor Information - Here is information about attending the National Jamboree as a visitor.


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Q: Non-negative linear combination equal to sum of one component Let $V$ be a (finite) $n$-dimensional real vector space. Suppose that $v^1, ..., v^n \in V$ satisfy:

*

*For all $i \leq n$, $v^i_i \geq 0$ and $v^i_{j \neq i} \leq 0$.

*For all $i \leq n$, $\sum_{j \leq n} v^j_i \geq 0$.

Claim: For all $i \leq n$, some non-negative [edited] linear combination of $v^1, ..., v^n$ has $i^{th}$ component $\sum_{j \leq n} v^j_i$ and all other components zero.
Seems basic but I'm not quite seeing the proof and can't find a reference. Can anyone help? Much appreciated.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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After-Action Reports
SPACECORP 2025-2300 AD – The AAR, Part The First
by Michael Eckenfels April 4, 2019 March 10, 2021
Michael Eckenfels, 4 April 2019
Part 1: Introduction and First Turns
Manned and unmanned exploration of the stars had been ongoing for decades before the year 2025, though private enterprises (such as SpaceX) drove governments and other private companies alike to develop and build new systems for exploring our inner solar system. With issues coming to the fore such as climate change, population growth, and scarcity of resources, this impetus to drive for the stars became a reality by the start of 2025.
SpaceCorp 2025-2300 AD is a GMT board game that allows 1-4 players the opportunity to become the 'first' enterprise to explore, over three eras, outer space. Players do this by exploring, building, and moving teams across the cosmos in an attempt to earn money through contracts. Lucrative contracts in the trillion-dollar-plus range were all up for grabs by this time, and the first space enterprise to gobble them up stood to earn massive profits on scales unforeseen before.
In this particular game, I am playing the 'blue' team (because, hey, blue cubes and blue counters), with the SpaceCorp (SC) game system controlling the other three colors (yellow, purple, and green) as one all-encompassing 'competition.' These colors can be used separately in multi-player games but are lumped together representing a nebulous "The Other Guys" whom we are in direct competition with.
We're going to start with the first era – entitled 'Mariners' – which stretches from the year 2025 through 2069. This era covers the exploration and to an extent, exploitation, of the inner solar system, from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. The next era – 'Planeteers' – covers efforts at doing the same from the Asteroid Belt outward to the edge of the solar system, and the final era ('Starfarers') covers doing yet the same thing, but this time, involving the closest star systems. As the eras progress, more techs are unlocked, and capabilities increase. For example, you cannot build colonies in the Mariners era, but you can in the Starfarers era.
Although exact dates are not covered in the game itself, I'm mapping out all activity across each era and then assigning a rough date to them, for narrative/AAR purposes. For example, any events in the Mariners era will be spread out from 2025 through 2069, and so on. Also, any images I use to illustrate the following AAR, that are found online, will be credited to the original source in the caption.
Now, on with the space race!
Mariners Era
In the preceding years, NASA – the National Aeronautic Space Administration, America's grand space exploration government entity – has slowly but surely contracted out most of its efforts, to the point where it has more or less become a non-entity. BanzaiCorp, founded in 2020, is an amalgamation of some of NASA's cast-off parts, including laid off engineers and other workers, as well as several other smaller space exploration companies. BanzaiCorp is, however, not the only privately-owned company to come to the forefront of the space exploration business; several other worldwide and regional 'powers' have come to be, also incorporating previous employees of NASA, the ESA, and other space exploration entities. The privatization of space becomes more and more lucrative as governments find it cheaper to motivate private concerns through contracts rather than fund their own space programs. This launches the Platinum Age of Space, which is officially marked as 2025, when most of the major private space companies begin to move to the stars.
As CEO, CFO, and whatever else I decide I am, of BanzaiCorp, I call all the shots. Right now, with various R&D departments across the globe on the cusp of developing the first workable fusion reaction and incorporating it into an engine for space exploration, the universe is truly beginning to open, and my decisions will either make or break BanzaiCorp.
BanzaiCorp has two 'Teams' that can explore the inner solar system…
…while the Competition numbers at a dozen.
These twelve Competition Teams represent ALL our competitor's efforts, giving them near-limitless (as a whole, of course) for exploring the inner solar system. Compared to our two Teams, we're facing an uphill climb. The bottom line for the solo side of this game is, from the perspective of BanzaiCorp, there's only two things that matter – if BanzaiCorp does something first, or if any of our competition does. There are quite literally trillions of dollars to be made, which will not only make us and our stockholders insanely rich but is also eminently necessary to fuel the technological leaps we must make to strive for the edge of the solar system and beyond.
We'll measure our relative success through profit, which is tracked here.
The 'T' symbol on the counters in the upper left corner represents that profit made, both by us (BanzaiCorp, represented by the blue counter) and everyone else (represented by the yellow counter). Profit is not spent on anything; rather, you can just simply think of it as Victory Points.
One more note on the Mariners era: it ends in one of three ways. If either my draw deck or the Competition's draw deck runs out of cards, the era is over. Also, if six Contracts are fulfilled (in total, no matter which side gets them), the era will end. When this happens, you can kiss 2069 goodbye and we will move on to the Planeteers era.
And finally, note this Great Beyond marker in the Asteroid Belt:
The first Team to get there may claim it, and this is important as it gives good advantages to that side moving forward into the Planeteers era. More on what this entails later, when we get there.
COMPETITION'S TURN
Unfortunately, in this new "Platinum Age Space Race," the competition gets to go first. I draw the first Competition card to see what our Competition foes do…
Lunar LP5 is 'Lunar Lagrange Point 5.' This means the Competition sends one of their teams to this location on the map.
Not the grandest of starts for them, but that's GREAT for us.
Next for the Competition team's turn, we're supposed to check to see if they fulfill any Contracts. This early, there's no chance for that, so we're good. Now, it's our turn.
This is my HQ board. It's where I can play upgraded infrastructure items; anything on this board (including what's pre-printed on it) are part of whatever Action I decide to take. I can play cards, too, to enhance my Action choice; however, at start, I am limited to one simple card – Chemical Drive.
Looks like BanzaiCorp (hey, let's call it BC moving forward, huh?) has a simple yet decent propulsion system that we can use to push our teams into the black.
BC'S TURN
I'm very limited to what Actions I can take this first turn; the AI/bot/Competition in this game is only limited to what's in their deck of cards; they could have technically landed on Mars this first turn. That's why their first turn is great for us – not too far out. For me, the Chemical Drive card is only worth one Move point. My HQ board also has one Move point on it, giving me a grand total of two Move points. That won't get me anywhere. Earth's gravity alone requires at least two Move points to escape, plus the usual one Move point to launch from anything, for a total of three. It also costs one Move Point to land somewhere. So if I want to send a BC team to the Moon, that'll cost four Move points.
Nope, my teams aren't going anywhere, so I take a Research Action. That's pre-printed on my board, and has a value of 2, so I can take two cards from the Offer section of the board.
These Offer cards come from my deck, and they're all 'start' cards. It'll be a while before the more juicy, useful ones appear. I'm in desperate need of Move points, so I take a Science Module (worth Move 1 or Explore 1) and a Cargo Pod (worth Move 1 or Build 1). That leaves two empty card slots in the Offer section, which I immediately replace. This ends up being another Chemical Drive (Move 1) and a Science Module (Move 1 or Explore 1).
There are other things going on during my turn, but none of them apply right now (for example, fulfilling a Contract – ha-ha, not this early), so things swing back to the Competition. I draw another card to see what they do.
They move another team to Solar Lagrange Point 5, which is just 'east' of the other Competition team.
So now it's BC's turn again. I now have four Move points, which I can use to send a team to the Moon. I'm going to do that now.
REUTERS (AP), JANUARY 12, 2026 – At 08:39 Mountain Standard Time today, BanzaiCorp launched "Team One" into space. Their mission, to establish a full-time presence on the lunar surface. Hopes are high that their exploration of the Moon will yield valuable resources to make this mission lucrative, and fuel future moves in the inner Solar System.
SC AAR015
With four Move points spent, my team lands on the Moon (no safety rolls necessary here, thank goodness!). You'll note that Luna has a 'b2' and an 'e1' label on it. The e1 represents a (hopefully) lucrative discovery; finding it will cost me one Explore point. The b2 is how many Build Points (in this case, 2) it will cost to build a base there. These are, however, future events that I cannot do on this turn.
No Contract pays out for being the first to land somewhere. I'm simply looking to 'edge' my team out further, hopefully next to Mars and then the Asteroid Belt and that sweet, sweet 1stBeyond marker. Building a base here will also deny it to the Competition.
Tune in next time for a continuation of this epic story – well, hopefully you think it's epic if you're into space travel. If you're not, why are you even reading this?
Thanks for reading! We'd love to have your feedback either in the comment area below, or in our discussion forum. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube…
TaggedSPACECORP AAR
Saturday Night Fights! Still Having Fun with Capt. Funn
Saturday Night Fights! Gunpowder & Iron Balls
Michael Eckenfels
View all posts by Michael Eckenfels →


Roudsar city with its intact natural attractions and beautiful landscapes has been always an ideal destination for tourists. Toranj hotel in Roudsar is located on a beautiful forest road and is 500 meters away from the sea and 400 meters from the lagoon. Its rooms have a view to the mountain and forest. Boat riding and intact areas for fishing are the facilities that leave good memories on your mind from this hotel.
No rules have been announced by the hotel regarding women.
The music of the wedding hall can be heard.
Solo travelling ladies can only stay if they provide vaild identification documents and a letter from the Disciplinary Forces Bureau of Properties (Amaken).


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Kodaikanal: The clean-up of the former factory site
Following the settlement with our former workers in Kodaikanal, we continue to be determined to address the clean-up of our former thermometer factory site.
Cleaning up our Kodaikanal site - our position, in brief
There is no single clean up standard (or "remediation standard") for cleaning mercury-contaminated sites in India or any other country.
The standard proposed for Kodaikanal – 20mg/kg – was set by the TNPCB, the expert Government body, not Hindustan Unilever. It was set using a science-based, site-specific risk assessment as per international best practice.
Applying this standard would make the soil safe for children to play in, to grow root vegetables from, and would be protective to the environment.
Remediating the soil to a more onerous standard would cause greater ecological damage because significantly more soil would need to be excavated and trees felled.
A lot of misinformation is being shared about this issue. Read below to get the facts.
Cleaning up our Kodaikanal site - our position, in full
More information on Kodaikanal, India
HUL and former employees of Kodaikanal factory sign settlement 09/03/2016
HUL to commence preparatory work and trials for soil remediation at former factory site in Kodaikanal
HUL commences soil remediation trial at former factory site in Kodaikanal 16-08-2017
In 2001, it was brought to our attention that glass scrap, containing residual mercury had been sold to a scrap dealer about three kilometres away from the factory, in breach of our guidelines. On discovering this, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) immediately shut down the factory and took all the glass scrap with residual mercury along with the soil from the scrap yard back to the factory for safe storage. Subsequently in 2003, HUL sent all mercury bearing material including the glass scrap from the scrap yard to a mercury recycler in the USA, after obtaining appropriate permissions.
The ceasing of operations in March 2001, the removal of all mercury-bearing material in 2003 and subsequently the decontamination and safe disposal of plant, machinery and materials used in thermometer manufacturing in 2006, have removed any risk of contamination to the ecologically sensitive region. However, we need to remediate soil within our factory premises.
To begin the clean-up, we need to receive consent from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) – the statutory authority. Permission to begin the clean-up at the set soil remediation standard of 20 mg/kg was granted in July 2008. The pre-remediation work began in 2009. However, in 2010, the TNPCB decided to have additional studies conducted by eminent national institutions in response to some activists contesting the soil clean-up standard of 20 mg/kg and subsequently asked HUL to stop the remediation work.
The TNPCB and the Scientific Experts Committee (SEC), appointed by Supreme Court Monitoring Committee, reviewed the studies and set the site specific clean up standard of 20 mg/kg. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) – the foremost organisation that deals with issues concerning pollution control under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India – to whom the TNPCB had referred the matter, also approved the clean-up standard.
Some activists have made misleading claims about this complex issue which has resulted in further confusion. We want to make sure that the facts are accurately represented.
Determining the clean-up standard
The proposed clean-up standard of 20 mg/kg mercury has been determined based on a site specific risk assessment study. Taking into consideration factors such as soil type, exposure scenarios, and the sensitivity of receptors, both human and environmental. Important inputs to this proposal were:
A risk assessment study done by NEERI in 2007 as directed by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee and the Site Specific Human Health & Ecological Risk Assessment study conducted by IIT Delhi in 2010.
A study on the impact on soil and soil erosion by Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Research Centre, Ooty, in 2010.
A study on the impact and preservation of trees by National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, in 2011.
The expert studies conducted by these institutions of national repute were reviewed by the TNPCB and SEC before confirming 20 mg/kg as the applicable remediation standard in May 2013. The CPCB also confirmed this standard in April 2015 after reviewing the results of all these studies.
However, some activists are campaigning for the 20mg/kg standard to be arbitrarily lowered by incorrectly referring to preliminary screening criteria of various countries to make their case.
This is misleading because these screening criteria are solely intended to identify if a risk assessment of the site is warranted. They do not mean the affected site should be cleaned up to that level.
International best practice dictates that if soil remediation is required, the clean-up standard should then be determined based on a site-specific risk assessment - taking into consideration factors like the surrounding ecology, the soil type, and the expected human exposure levels.
The 20 mg/kg standard set by the TNPCB for the soil in the factory has been determined based on this site-specific risk assessment approach. At this level, not only would the soil be safe for a child to play in and to grow vegetables in, but the clean-up would be protective both for humans and the environment.
Remediating the soil at a lower standard will result in uprooting of more trees and greater soil excavation thereby leading to risk of much greater ecological damage in the hilly terrain where soil content is not uniform.
An estimated 300 trees will be affected / removed if the standard is 20 mg/kg. If the standard is taken to 6.6 mg/kg (as currently suggested by activists based on current Canadian Soil Quality Guideline), an estimated 3 to 4 times the number of trees would be affected / removed.
We estimate that the area to be excavated would be approximately 10,000 m2 if the standard is 20 mg/kg. If the standard is taken to 6.6 mg/kg, the area to be excavated would be around five times more – causing significantly greater disturbance of a fragile ecosystem, and implications for soil run-off and landslides.
Getting to work
TNPCB is the statutory authority to set the soil remediation standard. In consultation with SEC they have set the remediation standard to 20 mg/kg based on the risk assessment study at our former factory site in Kodaikanal. The CPCB has confirmed this standard which is based on science and follows international best practice. We believe it is in the best interests of Kodaikanal that we remediate the soil as soon as possible to a rigorous science-based standard, which is protective of both human health and the environment.
On December 31, 2016, HUL received permission from TNPCB to commence preparatory work and trials for soil remediation at former factory site in Kodaikanal.
HUL commenced soil remediation on a trial basis at its former factory site in Kodaikanal on August 16, 2017. The trial was conducted for a period of three months and was successfully completed in November 2017 in accordance with the Detailed Project Report and as per the approval given by TNPCB. To read more about this, please click here.
In February 2018, HUL submitted the final soil remediation plan for remediating the soil inside the factory premises to the TNPCB.
On June 11, 2018, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) received permission from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to commence full scale soil remediation to the remedial standard of 20mg/kg at its former factory site in Kodaikanal.
On November 1, 2018, the Principal bench of NGT cleared the way for soil remediation at HUL's former factory in Kodaikanal. The NGT has reaffirmed the soil remediation standard of 20 mg/kg.
HUL is committed to cleaning up the site.
Read a much more detailed background on this issue (PDF | 527KB)
Q&A on soil remediation
How long will it take to complete the soil remediation?
On June 11, 2018, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) received permission from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to commence full scale soil remediation to the remedial standard of 20mg/kg at its former factory site in Kodaikanal. We estimate that the remediation process will take around three years to complete after all other statutory approvals are received. Hindustan Unilever Limited is committed to cleaning up the site.
Following this, some of the activists approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) contesting the soil remediation standard of 20 mg/kg. The NGT has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to obtain an expert opinion on whether the Site-Specific Target Level of 20 mg/kg is the right remediation standard. In the interim, the NGT has asked HUL to wait for its order to begin remediation of soil inside the factory premises.
What is the process that will be followed in carrying out this remediation?
The soil remediation consists of soil washing and vacuum retorting treatment processes. Impacted soil will be excavated from the contaminated areas and transported to factory shed for treatment. The soil will be mixed with water, agitated, scrubbed, washed and screened into various size fractions.
Those fractions with mercury content higher than the remediation standard will be heated in vacuum retort and mercury vapour will be condensed into elemental mercury. Treated soil meeting the clean-up standard will be backfilled to the excavated area and rehabilitated. The soil remediation processes were tested successfully during the trials undertaken from 16th Aug 2017 to 18th Nov 2017.
Who will be carrying out this exercise?
The soil remediation will be carried out by Hindustan Unilever under the guidance of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur and Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Ooty. HUL will involve international environmental consultants M/s Environmental Resources Management and remediation services providers in the process. Remediation work will be monitored by the Scientific Experts Committee constituted by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. The Local Area Environment Committee and Local Body i.e. Kodaikanal Municipality will be associated with the remediation.
Who set the remediation standard?
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) - the statutory authority which has the responsibility of protecting the environment in the state of Tamil Nadu, where the site is located - set the remediation standard for the clean-up.
TNPCB had consulted with both the Scientific Expert Committee (SEC), which was constituted by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee, and the Central Pollution Control Board – the foremost organisation that deals with issues concerning pollution control under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India – while deciding the remediation standard.
How was the remediation standard set?
In line with international best practice, a site-specific risk assessment was carried out at our former site taking into consideration human and environmental safety. Following this a remediation standard of 20mg/kg was set by the TNPCB. At this level, it will be fully protective of human health and the environment.
This standard had been confirmed by the Scientific Expert Committee (SEC), which was constituted by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee, and has also been validated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) – the foremost organisation that deals with issues concerning pollution control under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India – to whom the TNPCB had referred the matter.
TNPCB had set the remediation standard basis review of extensive studies conducted by various eminent national institutions including National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, and the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research & Training Institute, Ooty
Why is remediation work pending even after 15 years?
We remain fully committed to cleaning up the soil at our former factory and are eager to start work as soon as possible.
This has been a longstanding issue, dating back to 2001, when it was found that glass scrap with residual mercury had been sold to a scrap dealer in breach of our guidelines. HUL immediately closed the factory and launched an investigation.
There was no adverse impact on the environment except in some areas within the factory premises which required remediation. This has been confirmed by many independent studies.
We sought permission as early as 2002 to begin the soil remediation, but it was not until 2007 that we received in principle approval to start work after a full analysis was carried out by NEERI.
During the intervening period, other remedial measures such as the export of mercury bearing material to US in 2003 and decontamination and disposal of plant and machinery in 2006 were undertaken.
Soil remediation work began in 2009, but was stalled the following year after some activists contested the clean-up standard – resulting in further studies being carried out by national institutions to assess the impact on matters such as tree preservation and soil erosion.
An additional Risk Assessment Study and review of the site specific clean-up standard was also carried out by IIT Delhi. The culmination of these studies – and visits by the TNPCB and the Scientific Experts Committee (SEC) to Kodaikanal – was the reconfirmation of the TNPCB set 20mg/kg standard by the SEC in 2013. The TNPCB referred this matter to the CPCB, who endorsed the standard of 20 mg/kg in 2015.
In 2015, Hindustan Unilever submitted a Detailed Project Report for soil remediation to the TNPCB, based on the soil remediation standard as recommended by the SEC.
On December 31, 2016, HUL received permission from TNPCB to commence preparatory work and trials for soil remediation at former factory site in Kodaikanal. Click here to read more about this. HUL is committed to cleaning up the site.
On August 16, 2017, HUL commenced soil remediation on a trial basis at its former factory site in Kodaikanal. The trial was conducted for a period of three months and was successfully completed in November 2017 in accordance with the Detailed Project Report and as per the approval given by TNPCB. In February 2018, HUL submitted the final soil remediation plan for remediating the soil inside the factory premises to the TNPCB. The company is engaging with TNPCB on next steps.
Why not go below 20 mg/kg?
The TNPCB set and CPCB approved 20mg/kg standard has been reached following internationally recognised best practice for determining site specific remediation criteria.
There is no science to back any reduction in the site specific remediation criteria, as it is not based on any site-specific risk assessment.
A remediation to the Canadian Soil Quality Guideline would not be any more protective to human health and the environment than a remediation to the site-specific mercury remediation standard.
A lower standard will lead to greater ecological and environmental damage on account of greater soil excavation and will lead to soil erosion & ecological imbalance in the hilly terrain where soil content is not uniform.
We estimate that 300 trees will be affected / removed if the standard is 20 mg/kg as set by the TNPCB and approved by the CPCB. If the standard is taken to 6.6 mg/kg (as currently suggested by activists based on current Canadian Soil Quality Guideline), an estimated 3 to 4 times the number of trees will be affected / removed.
We estimate that the area to be excavated would be approximately 10,000 m2 if the standard is 20 mg/kg as set by the TNPCB and approved by the CPCB. If the standard is taken to 6.6 mg/kg, the area to be excavated would be around five times more – causing significantly greater disturbance of a fragile ecosystem, and implications for soil run-off and landslides.
Are there international remediation standards for the clean-up of mercury-contaminated sites?
There is no single remediation standard for the clean-up of mercury contamination either in India or any other country.
Some countries have established preliminary screening criteria, which are used by regulators to determine whether a site is potentially contaminated or not and whether a site-specific clean-up standard should be established. These criteria vary from country to country and are different to the standards which regulators set when remediation is required. Remediation standards are based on a risk assessment study of the site in accordance with international best practice. The US Environmental Protection Agency, UK Environment Agency and European Environmental Protection Agencies follow this approach.
Some activists have claimed that 6.6 mg/kg is the remediation criteria that should be adopted for the site. What is your view?
The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MOEF), Government of India, has not issued any document which proposes 6.6 mg/kg as the remediation standard.
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has set the remediation standard based on site specific risk assessment study. This has been done as directed by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee. Even the guideline issued by CPCB in 2015 mandates site specific risk assessment for deciding remediation standard for remediating contaminated sites.
The TNPCB had in May 2015 stated that the Site Specific Target Level (SSTL) for our former factory in Kodaikanal should be 20 mg/kg after this standard had been validated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) – the foremost organization that deals with issues concerning pollution control under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India – to whom TNPCB had referred the matter.
Arbitrarily lowering the remediation standard without any scientific basis can result in risks to the local ecology whilst not providing any additional benefit.
HUL is committed to cleaning up the site and will commence work once the consent is received from the regulatory authority and necessary statutory permissions are received.
On August 16, 2017, HUL commenced soil remediation on a trial basis at its former factory site in Kodaikanal. The trial was conducted for a period of three months and was successfully completed in November 2017 in accordance with the Detailed Project Report and as per the approval given by TNPCB.
In February 2018, HUL submitted the final soil remediation plan for remediating the soil inside the factory premises to the TNPCB. The company is engaging with TNPCB on next steps. HUL is committed to cleaning up the site.


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The NM Political Report (http://nmpoliticalreport.com/2016/01/27/two-democrats-help-send-teen-curfew-bill-to-house-floor/)
Two Democrats help send teen curfew bill to House floor
By Joey Peters | January 27, 2016
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A bill to allow local governments to impose curfews on minors jumped through its second House committee, this time with some Democratic support.
House Minority Leader Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, and Rep. Antonio "Moe" Maestas, D-Albuquerque, joined with seven Republicans in the House Judiciary Committee to vote yes on the bill. Maestas had been previously public about his support.
"I'm stuck on this one," Maestas said at committee. "I lean towards local control."
The bill allows cities and counties to set up their own curfews for minors under 16 years of age. Current state law prevents local governments from being able to do that.
Any potential local curfew law would be limited to during school hours and between midnight and 5:00 a.m. Police officers would then be allowed to approach any child 15 and under during those hours.
Egolf mentioned how as a teen he sometimes cut class during the day and asked House Majority Leader Nate Gentry, R-Albuquerque and sponsor of the bill whether compulsory school attendance laws already allow officers to approach minors during school hours. Gentry responded yes.
"I imagine seven years from now if my kids were stopped for getting a coke [during school hours] I'd be annoyed," Egolf said. "But it it's already the law, it's already the law."
Youth advocacy and civil rights groups still highly oppose the bill. Several opponents mentioned how the Albuquerque Police Department is short of officers and the state Children, Youth and Families Department is underfunded and overburdened with case files.
"We're short enrollment of officers in Albuquerque, and now our solution is to come up with a curfew and scapegoat our young people when they haven't been doing anything wrong," Bill Jordan, senior policy advisor for New Mexico Voices for Children, told committee members. "There are already laws on the books where you can pick them up if they're doing something wrong."
Steve Allen of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico brought up how APD is under court ordered consent decree by the federal Department of Justice to reform after its own rash of unjustified shootings of civilians.
"There's never a good time to pass a law like this," Allen said. "But now is an especially bad time."
And Equality New Mexico Executive Director Amber Royster voiced her opposition, mentioning the state's high teen homeless rate and how an estimated 40 percent of them are LGBTQ.
"This bill would be disastrous for them," Royster said.
Gentry, who is sponsoring the bill with Rep. Carl Trujillo, D-Nambé, said he's motivated by the "series of very troubling crimes throughout our state over the last year." Gentry said he wants to address both the safety of the public and childhood safety.
Nicole Chavez, the mother of slain teen Jayden Chavez, spoke in favor of the bill.
"I am a mother of one teenager now and I believe any parent here agrees that their child does not need to be out in the street past midnight," she said, "because there is nothing but trouble at that hour."
Chavez also addressed concerns that curfews lead to racial profiling, mentioning that it can also affect her because she's Hispanic.
"Sometimes we get profiled, unfortunately," Chavez said. "But I would rather be safe than sorry."
Others who spoke in support included representatives from the CYFD, the state Corrections Department and the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
Gentry cited a 1997 study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors that found 93 percent of cities surveyed that had curfews considered them "helpful." He also cited a 2011 University of California at Berkeley study that found curfew laws help reduce property crimes committed by people under curfew age.
Yet the City Mayors Society in 2009 found that measuring the impact of curfew laws is difficult because of "several methodological problems."
"Cities enact their curfews in different years; some in response to an outbreak of youth violence, others as a measure to prevent youth violence," the study says. "This complicates the comparison of before-and-after crime rates between cities."
The City Mayors Society study also says curfew laws may also have an effect on people who are older than curfew laws but appear younger. Rep. Georgene Louis, D-Albuquerque, spoke to this point.
"When I first got here, they thought I was a page," she said, referring to legislative intern positions taken by high school students.
Rep. Cathrynn Brown, R-Carlsbad, raised concerns about the measure but said she ended up voting yes. Among the aspects she had differences with was wording that the curfew would "regulate actions of children." She also spoke about her 16-year-old son who, for a few years now, has biked in the middle of the day from a charter school to a college to take classes.
"I don't really like law enforcement stopping children just because he's out and about," she said. "But I'm going to reluctantly vote for this bill."
The bill next moves to the House floor for a full vote.
NM Legislature
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Attack ads, political bottle tossing and recriminations have marked this year's race to replace outgoing Gov. Susana Martinez, who is leaving office due to term limits. The campaign's increasingly dark tone illustrates the state of play in politics here in New Mexico and across the nation.
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NM Political Report partnered with New Mexico PB, KUNM-FM, Searchlight New Mexico and the Alamogordo Daily News to analyze Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's State of the State Address. Below is a copy of her speech, with annotations.
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As the legislative session gets underway in Santa Fe this week, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham selected a handful of bills aimed at expanding the state's clean energy economy to be considered during the short session this year. Here's a preview of the clean energy bills that made it on to the governor's call this session.
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Police watchdog raises concerns over State Police 'Surge' in ABQ
A member of Albuquerque's official police watchdog group is questioning the tactics and results of the recent "Metro Surge Operation," in which 50 New Mexico State Police officers flooded the city ostensibly to help fight violent crime. "This is the perfect atmosphere, the perfect storm for civil rights violations, and it completely undermines the serious energy people have invested in police reform in Albuquerque," Chelsea Van Deventer of the Albuquerque Police Oversight Board told New Mexico In Depth last week.
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The new dbx DriveRack 4800 System Processor made its realworld debut on January 20, when Toby Keith kicked off his Big Throwdown II tour in Portland, Oregon. Chosen by Keiths FOH mixer, Dirk Durham, in a criticallistening comparison test at Sound Image in San Diego (the PA provider for the tour), the new DriveRack 4800, as part of an integrated HiQnet system, not only gave the tour a huge new sonic boost but also made the task of mixing a huge arena tour much easier.
Durham is running a complex system, covering a full 270 degrees from the stage back video wall. He has divided the sound into five distinct areas: three main zones (a forward left/right and two side left/right zones) as well as two banks of 10 Vertec subs each sideone flown, the other on the deck, with the latter also feeding front fill boxes for the first few rows. Each area has its own DriveRack 4800 controlling it. And as good as its ergonomics from either the front panel or the software have been, Durham has found the DriveRack 4800's sonic capabilities to be even more amazing. "I knew it was going to sound great as soon as we tested it the first time," he says enthusiastically, recalling a challenge to identify A/B signals passing directly to the Crown I-Tech amplifiers or through the 4800.
The dbx DriveRack 4800 features all the familiar processing functions and a host of new algorithms-including selectable DSP inserts on the inputs and outputs, a wealth of parametric and graphic EQ, delay, classic dbx compression and limiting, bandpass and crossover filtersthe DriveRack 4800 supplies the front-of-house engineer, monitor engineer and/or system technician with all the necessary processing tools for any live sound reinforcement situation. The unit's 96 kHz 40 bit processing engine and standard digital I/O further extends frequency response and reduces latency. The 4800 incorporates Harman Professional's HiQnet protocol, providing the ability to monitor and control signal routing as well as the processing of multiple DriveRack 4800 units and other HiQnet products from various locations via standard Ethernet equipment including routers and wireless access points.
For more information, visit www.dbxpro.com.


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Q: PHP Variable In Link Here is the part of my script I need help with, the PHP Variable works, just not for the links.
$source_file = 'http://domain.tld/subfolder/<?php echo $_GET["m"]; ?>".png';

It doesn't work. When the script runs, it runs it as , instead of what was typed in for the m value, however when I have this not in a link, it works just fine. What can I do to fix this?

A: Because you are using single quotes, PHP takes the literal value. You can use this:
$source_file = 'http://domain.tld/subfolder/' . $_GET["m"] . '.png';

A: Just use this:
$source_file = 'http://domain.tld/subfolder/' . $_GET["m"] . '.png';

You are already in PHP code so you must not reopen <?php tags but concatenate each part of the string

A: You have an errant " after the ?>.
Aside from that, just toss the var in there directly:
$source_file = "http://domain.tld/subfolder/$_GET[m].png";

I prefer this to using . and doing unnecessary concatenations.
Cheers


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One of former President George W. Bush's daughters attended a fundraiser on Saturday for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Paris, CNN reported. During the event, Barbara Bush posed with longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin in photos that were originally captioned "We're with her."Abedin hosted the fundraiser along with Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. Vogue contributing editor Lauren Santo Domingo posted a photo to Twitter Saturday showing her, Bush, Abedin, actress Dakota Fanning and Vanity Fair's Derek Blasberg side by side with the caption "We're with her." The tweet was deleted about an hour later. Other members of the Bush family have previously hinted that they plan to support Clinton. Now yes their are two more names who have yet to endorse Hillary, which are the old hag Barbara Bush and her son George W Bush. It's starting to look like however that it is absolutely official that the Bush crime family and Clinton crime family have been in bed together since the 1990's in American politics. After all these families all have something in common, and that is their love for Saudi Arabia. If you thought America was a true democracy think again, for the Bush and Clinton families have been in power in America for close to now 40 years! The Clinton and Bush families have taken over America, and some Americans don't realize that these families are all part of the same political dynasty...Like I said these families have been in power for nearly 30 years. The good thing about this though is that Trump took down the bush family in the primaries with Jeb Bush, when Trump started bringing up the 28 pages in the 2016 Republican primaries. Trump is 50 percent there in destroying this political dynasty of the Bush and Clinton families...Trump only has one political crime family left to destroy, lets be that force America and help Trump destroy the rest of the dynasty that has ruled America for 40 years! For those that don't know Barbara Bush is the evil wench in the middle of the photo.


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Honsocker Knob is a summit in West Virginia, in the United States. With an elevation of , Honsocker Knob is the 723rd highest summit in the state of West Virginia.

Honsocker Knob most likely derives its name from the local Handsucker family.

References

Mountains of Wetzel County, West Virginia
Mountains of West Virginia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A British cafe is now serving croissants with CBD oil, but oddly enough just on Fridays and Saturdays. They contain 5mg of CBD but the price is rather high- £7.
The founder of the cafe says that this is a way to provide their customers with a non-alcoholic solution in order to battle social anxiety.
Many medical cannabis customers in Maryland are asking for edibles, which for the moment are not available because they are not permitted under the current state regulations.
More and more of cannabis conferences with international participation are taking place. At the turn of the month March/April there will be one of those in Berlin with attendance from more than 60 countries.