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About Panathlon
Doncaster's delight at striking gold
Pupils from Doncaster School for the Deaf have excelled since joining the Panathlon programme – culminating in their first ever gold medals in May at the English Institute of Sport.
Having competed in numerous Panathlon competitions, it was the source of much joy when, at the South Yorkshire Primary Panathlon at the EIS in Sheffield, the school held off competition from seven opponents to finish as winners for the first time.
It was a particularly proud moment when the children returned to school the next day adorning gold medals, especially as it was a pan-disability event (competing against pupils with a mixture of disabilities and SEN).
Doncaster School for the Deaf has regularly hosted Panathlon multi-sport and boccia events over the last three years, with pupils from across Yorkshire, the East Midlands and Teesside arriving at their door to compete in deaf and pan-disability competitions.
Jane Goodman, the school's Deputy Head Teacher, comments: "Panathlon certainly champions the word inclusive. The atmosphere at their events is absolutely fantastic, positive and friendly.
"From our first Panathlon two years ago until now, our school is overjoyed at taking part. We look forward to each day and the children get what they want both competitively and socially. We hope to be taking part in many more Panathlons."
After their triumph in Sheffield, Doncaster School for the Deaf's primary PE teacher Rebecah Taylor reflected: "Panathlon offers equal opportunities to all our children and an opportunity to compete against other schools.
"Every child has achieved something and it has been valuable for them to experience the fast pace of the hearing world, but also learn to follow guidelines, have patience and work as part of a team. Panathlon has given them time to learn in a supportive and safe environment.
The school is a national resource for the deaf and has deaf learners, primarily from across South Yorkshire but also via local authorities from across the UK.
Pupils from the school are now looking forward to competing in the Panathlon Divisional Swimming Finals in June at Ponds Forge in Sheffield to battle for the title of northern champions.
Find out how your school can join Panathlon - as either competitors or Young Leaders. Also use the buttons below to support Panathlon through fundraising in school or as an individual.
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Book by Chris D'Arienzo
Arrangements and Orchestrations by Ethan Popp
Hollywood, 1987, and the party rages hard at The Bourbon Room, one of the last great venues on the Sunset Strip. Groupies line up as legendary rocker Stacee Jaxx takes the stage. Meanwhile, aspiring rock star Drew Boley longs to be the next big thing. (And also longs for small town girl Sherri Christian, fresh off the bus from Kansas and with stars in her eyes.) But, it's all about to end when German developers sweep in with plans to turn the Sunset Strip into a strip mall. Can Drew, Sherri, and the gang save the strip - and themselves - before it's too late? Only the music of Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, and more hold the answer.
Produced by Lise Richer and Christiane Taylor
Directed by Corey Disotell
Musical Direction by XXXXXXX
Wednesday, September 16th
SVTC Headquarters, 30 Sixth Street East, Cornwall, Ontario
If you are unable to attend but would still like to audition, please contact Lise Richer at svtc.lise.richer@gmail.com or Christiane Taylor at christianet@cogeco.ca.
ROLES AVAILABLE:
All manner of lead, supporting, and ensemble roles for actors, singers, and dancers aged 18 and up.
Bring the sheet music for a song which is not from the show which best displays your vocal range. Please also wear comfortable shoes and clothing for the dance portion of your audition.
REHEARSALS:
Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM at Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School, 437 Sydney Street, beginning Sunday, September 20th.
February 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27 at 7:30 PM
February 14 and 21, 2021 at 1:30 PM
Aultsville Theatre, 2 St. Lawrence Drive, Cornwall, Ontario
For more information about the show, hit this link to Samuel French, Inc. and this link to see our Facebook event page.
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS PRODUCTION CONTAINS COARSE LANGUAGE AND MATURE SUBJECT MATTER.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Contact Clermont, FL Attorney | Merideth Nagel, P.A.
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text:
Justia Patents Radiant EnergyUS Patent Application for SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE DETECTION AND CONTROL OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS Patent Application (Application #20140240134)
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE DETECTION AND CONTROL OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS
Dec 5, 2013 - INVAP S.E.
It is a system and method for the monitoring of the illicit traffic of fissile materials that can be used for the construction of nuclear bombs or not fissile that can be used for the construction of radiological dispersion devices; characterized by reducing the rate of spurious detection and increase the probability of detection compared with equivalent devices of the prior art. Some of its embodiments include the use of a radiation detector/telemeter ensemble with manual or automatic pointing and an ensemble of radiation detector/camera with an automatic object tracker along with data acquisition and processing electronics; which allow the calculation of the correlation between the characteristic profile produced by the MO and a predicted reference profile. The detection electronics includes a gamma spectrometer and processing electronics for compensating for the shadow shielding effects. One or more radiation detectors are included together with their correspondent high voltage power supplies and signal conditioning and amplification electronics.
Latest INVAP S.E. Patents:
HIGH SPEED GAMMA IMAGING DEVICE
The present invention, for which an US patent is requested, has as a main object a system and method for the detection and control of the illicit trafficking of special nuclear materials (SNM)1 or any other illicit radioactive material by means of which it is possible the monitoring of people or vehicles in transit; reducing to a minimum any interference with its normal flow, for determining if one or more of them carry SNM; even though it is only temporarily in the presence of the detection system, moving along arbitrary trajectories with arbitrary speeds within a Monitored Area (MA) in an environment with natural radiation background. 1 In accordance with the definition of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the United States
More specifically, the present invention covers a new system and method that outperforms the devices, installations or existing systems and methods, extending the limits of its ability to detect the presence of radioactive materials that can be illegally transported.
Theoretical Foundations
Currently the surveillance associated with the potential transport of special nuclear materials (SNM) is performed by different types of systems or devices. These systems are usually implanted in the border access points and are based on personnel or vehicle radiation portal monitors for primary inspections complemented with portable radioisotope identification devices (RIIDs) for secondary inspections.
One of the major limitations of these systems is the brief time period during which the monitored objects (MO) remain inside the field of view of the radiation detectors in the primary inspection phase. This period is chosen as a tradeoff between the maximum detection error rate and the maximum degree of traffic obstruction tolerated.
The classic technique of radiation monitoring is based on the measuring of the count rate produced by the gamma photons or neutrons emitted from the MO. This count rate is produced by at least two components: a) natural radiation sources (soil, construction, cosmic radiation, etc.) resulting in what is called the background radiation and b) artificial radiation sources, one of which can be SNM or radioactive materials that could be used for the construction of radiological dispersion devices.
The detection processes use the statistical hypothesis testing method to determine if the magnitude of the measured radiation level is derived exclusively from these natural radiation sources or contains a component that is different from them. This test consists in deciding on the validity of two hypotheses: H0 (there is only background radiation) and H1 (there is not only background radiation) from the statistical properties of the acquired data. These processes allow identifying only a fraction of the cases in which the system is in the presence of artificial radiation sources at a certain rate of false detections.
The alarm occurs each time the measured parameter exceeds a threshold that could only have been reached by fluctuations of the natural radiation background in very improbable conditions. It should be noted that the higher this threshold, the lower the false alarm rate will be. However, it also will be higher the number of cases of illegal trafficking of radioactive materials that will not be detected.
The greater or lesser success in solving this conflict between the probability of detection and the false alarm rates determines the quality of the detection system. The first figure of merit (probability of false positive α) determines the efficiency that can be achieved in the flow control of people and goods across the border without hindering the normal traffic. The second figure of merit is the probability P of detecting true cases of illicit traffic (P=1−β) where β is the probability of false negatives. This figure is related to the rate of cases in which the illicit radioactive material can circumvent the surveillance and is therefore associated with the maximum tolerated level of risk.
The determination of the MO's radiation level is achieved through the measurement of the count rate it produces. This count rate is proportional to the flow of radiation that passes through the detector effective surface. The count rate measurement is performed by integrating the number of pulses produced by the gamma photons or neutrons that arrives to the radiation detector surface with enough energy to be distinguished from the electronic noise during a time period called "the integration period".
The process of taking into account only those pulses generated by gamma photons, whose energy range is within the range emitted by the material of interest, eliminates much of the alarms produced by the natural background or benign radiation sources such as naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) or radioactive materials used in nuclear medicine.
The detection errors rate depends inversely on the square root of the number of photons detected. If the source is not in motion, this uncertainty can be reduced by increasing the integration period. However, this is not applicable when the transit period of the radiation source is as brief as it is in this type of monitoring.
Further increases of the detection errors rate are produced by the shadow shielding. This is the shielding produced by the vehicles on the background radiation as they pass through the monitoring area (MA). All the detection processes are based on the assumption that background activity is constant throughout the period of data acquisition. However, this premise is not met because this shadow can depress the measured level of background radiation up to 30 percent when the vehicle is large and is directly in front of the detector. Fortunately techniques such as the use of normalized values for the calculation of the spectral distance between the background and current radiation count rates allow mitigating this effect.
It should be added to this limitation the fact that in most cases the illegally transported materials are hidden by shields which strongly attenuate the radiation emitted by the MO. All of these factors define a base level in the detection errors rate. The value of this base level depends on the maximum cost of the radiation detectors that can be afforded and in the maximum transit time per vehicle tolerated.
In these conditions, a system which reduce the rate of detection errors by extracting additional information from the data acquired by the detection system while keeping the same inspection period represents a technological improvement with respect to the prior art.
PREVIOUS ART
The following patents are related to different devices that have been proposed for the passive monitoring of radioactive materials in transit up to now:
US4509042, 1985, Portal Radiation Monitor. It includes a radiation portal monitor which uses pulse shape discrimination, dynamic compression of the photomultiplier output and scintillators sized to maintain efficiency over the entire portal area.
US5679956, 1997, Enhanced Vehicle Radiation Monitoring System and Method. It includes a system and method for the detection of ionizing radiation emitted by an object. It is characterized by at least one radiation detector for the measurement of the ionizing radiation level, a sensing device for evaluating the characteristic shape of the monitored object, and a processor operationally connected to both. The output of the characteristic shape is used to compensate for the variations in the radiation background level emanating from the different shapes of the monitored object. With such a system, the possibility of a false alarm induced by the geometry of the object is minimized.
US5705818, 1998, Method and Apparatus for Detecting Radioactive Contamination in Steel Scrap. This is a method for monitoring radioactive contamination of scrap contained in a moving railway car. Every time that the presence of a moving wagon is detected it is scanned for radioactive contamination. The identification of the railroad car is determined through a RFID system. The scanning is deactivated when the vehicle is no longer present. Once scanning is complete, it is determined if the vehicle is contaminated.
US6727506, 2004, Method and Apparatus for a Radiation Monitoring System. A radiation monitoring system for detecting the radiation emitted by moving objects traveling at a wide range of speeds, including the high speeds normally encountered with vehicles driven on highways, interstate thoroughfares, railroads and conveyors. At least two and preferably three radiation detectors are employed, spaced apart in series separated from each other along the direction of travel of the moving object or vehicle. The results are linked by an identification system such as a webcam or other photographic device which produce visual identification of the objects or vehicles.
US2005029460/US20067045788, 2006, Multi-way Radiation Monitoring. It is a surveillance system capable of detecting a radiation source on or within traffic organized in M different rails. It comprises a set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies positioned at each of two sides of each of the M adjacent traffic ways. It includes a set of M controllers attached to the respective individual sets of detectors placed on both sides of its corresponding track. In this way each controller shares a set of detectors with its two adjacent ones. The (M−1) groups of detectors located between rails can detect the radiation of objects travelling in any of their adjacent rails.
US7064336, 2006, Adaptable Radiation Monitoring System and Method. It comprises a portable system capable of detecting radiation sources moving at high speeds. The system has at least one radiation detector capable of detecting gamma radiation, coupled to a MCA capable of collecting spectral data in very small time bins of less than about 150 msec. A computer processor is connected to the MCA for determining from the spectral data if a triggering event has occurred. The spectral data is stored on a data storage device. Several configurations of the detection system can be suitably arranged to meet various scenarios of radiation detection. In a preferred embodiment, the computer processor operates as a server which receives spectral data from the other networked detection systems and communicates the collected data to a central data reporting system.
US0001123, 2007, A Method and Apparatus for Detection of Radioactive Materials. It consists of an array of radiation detectors of which at least one is capable of detecting low and high energy gamma radiation and is adapted to provide spectrometric identification of the gamma source. It includes in addition at least one detector capable of detecting and providing spectrometric identification of fast neutrons and low resolution gamma spectra. It also provides at least one detector adapted to detect thermal neutrons and at least one plastic scintillator to give enhanced gamma rays sensitivity.
US0104064, 2010, System and Method for Thread Detection. The system includes an imaging detector with the ability to form an image from the radiation emitted by a radiation source. This image is produced by back-projecting the radiation via an image reconstruction technique using a digital processor. This processor generates a first set of image pixels identifying the location of the radiation sources and a second set identifying those that involve a potential security risk.
US0261650, 2011, Method for the Radiation Monitoring of Moving Objects and a Radiation Portal Monitor for Carrying Out Said Method. It consists of a radiation monitoring portal and can be used to detect unauthorized movement of radioactive material. It differs from other portals in that it uses an ultrasonic telemeter for accurately determining the exact point where the monitored object enters the monitoring area.
US0266454, 2011, Method for Detecting Contamination of a Moving Object. It is a method to detect contamination of a moving object based on the use of a portal containing three columns of gamma radiation and/or neutrons detectors on each side. This method includes a procedure to validate the results of the radiation detection process using the patterns that produces a radiation source when passing close to each column.
All the systems for radiation monitoring which are described in these patents base their operation in the comparison between the radiation levels measured before and after the incoming of the MO to the MA. All these systems do not take advantage of all the information produced during the monitoring process and their performance is influenced by the poor statistics of the radiation data acquired in short transit times.
The present invention includes for detection a new characteristic parameter. This parameter is the degree of linear dependence between the radiation flux profile produced during the transit of the MO and a reference profile predicted from the acquired MO trajectory, assuming he is carrying a radiation source.
All the previous systems are forced to use high thresholds for triggering alarms in order to reduce the false positives rates produced by the statistical fluctuation of the background radiation. This threshold is calculated from the mean value of the background plus a certain number of times its standard deviation (sigma). A two sigma factor in the calculation of this threshold implies a false positive rate of about a 5%, while a three sigma factor reduces this rate to approximately 0.3%.
Because of shielding, the levels of radiation produced by the illicit radioactive material that reach the detector will be extremely low. As a consequence the use of high alarm thresholds imply a low probability of detection.
This invention, overcomes this limitation because the standard deviation of its main detection figure (the Pearson correlation coefficient) is many orders of magnitude lower than the same parameter in the traditional detection figures when the H0 hypothesis is valid, even with the lowest levels of radiation.
The system referred to in the present invention, takes advantage of the fact that the radiation flow depends on the solid angle subtended between the radioactive object's center and the radiation detector's surface. This angle depends inversely on the square of the distance between the radiation source and the detector. From this, the radioactive object in motion will produce a radiation flow profile on the detector which will depend on the shape of its trajectory as long as it stays inside the field of view of the detection system.
With the invented system, in addition to comparing the radiation levels before and during the transit of the MO through the detection system (as in the traditional techniques), it evaluates the correlation degree between the acquired radiation profile and the estimated one.
The estimated profile is obtained in real time by using the MO-detector distances d and the radiation data, both measured while the MO was inside the field of view of the detection system. The final result of this correlation process indicates the degree of linear dependence r between the acquired radiation profile and the profile predicted from the trajectory's shape. This information, which up to now has not been used by any surveillance system, allows solving more effectively the conflict produced between the rates of true and false detections by increasing the amount of information that is available from the monitoring process.
The innovation component of this patent consists in taking advantage of this new source of information. It has been verified by using Monte Carlo simulations that the addition of this process to the traditional ones reduces significantly the detection error rates and increase the sensitivity of these systems.
In order to clarify the concepts previously discussed and their advantages, to which experts in this field will add many more, and to facilitate the understanding of constructive, constitutive, and functional characteristics of the potential applications of the invented technique, several schematic illustrations are represented, with the clarification that it does not correspond assigning to them a limitative or exclusive nature for the scope of the patent protection, but simply assist in explaining and illustrating the basic concept on which it is based.
FIG. 1 shows the basic architecture of the prior art devices.
FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of this invention. In this particular case it shows a radiation detector attached to a telemeter; both pointing to the MO along its trajectory.
FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of this invention. In this case, the intrinsic efficiency of the radiation detector is independent of the MO position, so it does not need to rotate during the transit period. The MO-detector distance at each point or the trajectory is determined automatically from images taken by a camera whose field of view covers the entire MA.
FIG. 4 shows the main block diagram of this invention.
FIG. 5 shows the block diagram of the Radiation Detection Electronics used by this invention.
FIG. 6 shows the block diagram of the Profile Calculator used by this invention.
The generic architecture of the prior art shown in FIG. 1 is used (with slightly differences for each case) by most of the perimeter monitoring systems for illicit traffic of radioactive materials. Note that in this case, only the radiation count rate is measured and this is done in two phases:
The first occurs when the MO is still outside the MA and is performed for determining the value of the CR0 count-rate produced by the background radiation.
The second occurs during the transit period of the MO traveling through the MA. This is performed for determining if the count-rate CR has increased beyond the critical value used in the statistical hypothesis test for signaling the presence of radioactive materials.
Different processes are used in this prior art to determine if the alarm condition occurs. These range from the simple comparison of the "in-transit" measurement with a critical level, to the application of more sophisticated algorithms such as Sequential Probability Ratio Test [2].
The entry and exit of the MO in the MA are monitored by special sensors not shown in this diagram.
For the system proposed in this invention the MO-detector distance measurement is essential. It is convenient for all the embodiments of this invention, that the intrinsic efficiency of the radiation detector remains constant during all the transit period; or in other words the effective surface of the detector remains the same for all the radiation source positions. In the specific case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 this is achieved by keeping the radiation detector pointed toward the MO using manual or automatic control during all the data acquisition period. In this way the sensing area of the detector will always be facing the MO during his transit through the MA.
The process implemented by this invention has two phases: a) the data acquisition phase and b) the data processing phase. The first phase occurs during the transit period, while the second occurs immediately after. If the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has manual operation, the system's appearance may look like a radar gun; similar to that used for measuring speed by Doppler Effect. The process will be initiated by the coincidence (AND) of two conditions: a) the trigger pull and b) the MO entrance. The end of the acquisition phase is produced by one of two alternative conditions (OR): a) the system memory saturation or b) the MO exit. If the embodiment is automatic, it must be implemented as a fix installation close to the edge of a transit zone. In this embodiment the device shall include a mechanism for tracking the MO while he is crossing through the MA.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the measurement of the MO-detector distance is implemented without moving parts. In this case, a camera acquires images of the MA periodically. The radiation detector(s) is (are) in a strategic position located within the field of view of the camera. An image processing unit executes a program for automatic identification and tracking of the MO. It detects the moment of entrance of the MO into the MA and also the moment at which the MO leaves it; starting and ending the acquisition phase. The MO-detector distances are extracted from each image through a process of calculation based on trigonometric relations. The data processing phase begins once finished the acquisition phase. Another possible embodiment can perform simultaneous monitoring of several MO by using an extended version of this tracking function. This extended version shall include the capability for calculating an estimate of the radiation activity for each of the MO by using the back-projection method. The intrinsic efficiency of the detectors used for this embodiment can be made approximately independent of the MO position by selecting the proper shape.
FIG. 4 shows a block diagram describing the architecture of this invention. In this figure, the acquisition phase functions are implemented using a generic distance sensor, a radiation detector and their respective electronics.
The data acquired by both inputs are stored in two separate memories for further processing. As discussed before, the implementation of the distance sensor and its associated electronics will depend on the chosen embodiment. They can range from some kind of telemeter to a complex device for the acquisition and processing of images. Its output data will be the MO-detector distances d, measured at uniformly spaced sampling times tk. These sampling times are determined by a periodic signal produced by the Control Unit, which ensures the correct synchronism between the distance values d(tk) and the radiation values that are expressed in terms of spectral distances SD(tk).
The time series SDm(tk) represents the measured profile produced by the transit of the MO through the MA. Their stored values SD′m(tk) are used by the Profile Calculator in the data processing phase to generate the estimated reverse profile ISDe, whose stored values are ISD′e. This module also provides the measured reverse profile ISDm. Both profiles are correlated in the Correlation Calculator. This last module carries out different calculations of the Pearson correlation coefficient r each one having a different time-shift δ between them:
r  ( δ ) = cov   ar  ( ISD m ′ , ISD e ′  ( δ ) ) σ m · σ e ( 1 )
where the function covar(ISD′m,ISD′e) is the covariance between the time series ISD′m y ISD′e(δ), σm and σe are the standard deviations of the measured and estimated profiles respectively and δ is the time-shift applied to ISD′e for the calculation of the different values of the correlation coefficient.
The upper Reference Calculator calculates the SDTH detection threshold for the traditional detection technique using the following calculation:
SDTH=W1·σSD (2)
where W1 is the predefined number of standard deviations that should be used in the alarm threshold calculation to achieve the tolerated rate of detection errors and σSD is the standard deviation for SDm(tk) when there is only background radiation. W1 is configured at the beginning of the operation by the system operator using Operator's Interface, while σSD is calculated by the Reference Calculator from SD′m(tk).
With these data the Count-Rate Comparator calculates a residuals vector tCR whose components are:
t CR = SD m  ( t k ) - SD TH σ SD ( 3 )
The outputs of this module are the values of the residuals' sign. These values are stored in a register for further processing in the Decision Logic Unit.
One of the functions of the Control Unit is to determine the number N of samples SDm(tk) to be acquired and transfer this value to the lower Reference Calculator at the end of the data acquisition phase. This module calculates the second alarm threshold zTH making the following calculation:
z TH = W 2 N - 3 ( 4 )
where N is the number of acquired samples and W2 is the chosen threshold expressed in terms of the number of standard deviations required to achieve the tolerated rate of detection errors. This threshold is initially configured by the system operator using the Control Unit.
The Correlation Coefficient Comparator module calculates in first place the Fisher z transform of the Pearson correlation coefficient making the following calculation:
z = 1 2 · ln  ( l + r l - r ) ( 5 )
and then normalizes this value in agreement with the t-student statistics generating the residual tr:
tr=(z−zTH)·√{square root over (N−3)} (6)
The output of this module is the sign of the residual. This value is stored in a register for further processing in the Decision Logic unit.
In the Decision Logic unit both detection techniques are combined for determining the existence of radioactive materials inside the MA. For this, the signs of tr and tCR are evaluated (see TABLE I). If both figures are negative the H0 hypothesis is chosen (meaning that the MO is not carrying radioactive materials). If any of them is positive the H1 hypothesis is chosen, meaning the opposite.
TABLA I tr tCR RESULTADO
− − H0 − + H1 + − H1 + + H1
The Control Unit provides the signal tk for synchronizing the sampling time in the Distance Measurement and the Radiation Detection Electronics. It also coordinates all internal operations in both the data acquisition and the data processing phases and determines the amount N of samples acquired during the first one. In addition to these functions, the Control Unit determines the beginning and the end of the data acquisition phase based on the data provided by the Distance Measurement Electronics. It also provides the operator with the capability to configure the splitting of the energy spectrum in S different windows in the Radiation Detection Electronics.
The Operator's Interface is a smart unit that communicates with the Control Unit for system configuration and alarm display.
The Radiation Detection Electronics shown in the block diagram of FIG. 5 produces an electronic pulse each time a particle of radiation impacts on the detector's sensing area with the appropriate energy level. These pulses are counted and classified by energy in the spectrometer. The acquired spectrum is used in the Shadow Shielding Compensation module for each sample in order to calculate the spectral distance as:
SD  ( t k ) = { ∑ i = 1 S  [ CR   0 i CR   0 - CR i  ( t k ) CR ] 2 }  1 / 2 ( 7 )
where CR0i is the i-th spectral component of the radiation background count rate, CR0 is the value of the background count rate integrated over the entire spectrum, CRj(tk) is the i-th spectral component of the count rate measured at the tk instant during the data acquisition phase and CR is the value of the current count rate, integrated throughout the entire sample energy spectrum.
FIG. 6 shows the block diagram of the Profile Calculator used in this invention. The first function of this module consists in the automatic alignment of the data vectors SD(tk) and d(tk) in such a way that the maximum of the first match with the minimum of the second. This is performed automatically for matching the reference point, located arbitrarily on the MO and used to measure the MO-detector distance, with the actual position of the radiation source. Subsequently the ISDm and x data vectors are calculated.
For the generation of the estimated profile the Parameter Calculator calculates the characteristic parameters a1, a2 and a3 from the relationship that exists between the inverse spectral distance ISDm and the square of the physical MO-detector distance. (x=d2).
ISDm=a1·x2+a2x+a3 (8)
This estimate is performed by applying the linear least square fit method with the data vectors ISDm and x.
Once finished this process, the parameters are stored in registers and the Profile Synthesizer starts the process of calculating an estimate of the profile, which is performed by calculating:
ISDe=a1·x2+a2x+a3 (9)
[1] P. E. Fehlau, "Perimeter Radiation Monitors for the Control and Physical security of Special Nuclear Materials", Proceedings of the Symposium on Access Security Screening, 28-30 Mar. 1990
[2] A. Wald, "Sequential Tests of Statistical Hypotheses", Annals of Mathematical Statistics 16 (2), June 1945
1. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, of the type designed to implement a monitoring process in an area with traffic of people or vehicles which could carry potentially dangerous special nuclear materials (SNM) such as uranium or plutonium and reducing its false alarms rate, presenting the capability to measure the degree of linear dependency between the measured radiation profile and a different profile synthesized from the same measured data, using for this measurement the radiation count rate as well as the MO-detector distance, for which manual pointing is required, characterized because it is used in combination: a radiation detector firmly attached to a digital telemeter for measuring the MO-detector distance and added to the standard components of the prior art (high voltage power supply, preamplifier, amplifier and signal conditioner), a spectrometer for classifying the radiation pulses, distributing them in different energy windows and a shadow shielding compensator that calculates the spectral distance of each sample; a reference radiation profile synthesizer which calculates the ideal radiation profile that would be produced by the MO if he were carrying NMS with a radiation level equivalent to the measured; a correlation coefficient calculator for calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient between the measured and the estimated profile, a comparator device for comparing the values of the obtained coefficient with the alarm reference threshold; a correlation alarm threshold calculator for calculating the alarm threshold based on the amount of acquired data; a decision logic for determining the existence of an alarm condition; a control unit for coordinating the operation of all the units in the system and an operator interface for configuration of the whole system by the operator, determining its operating mode and the display of the alarm conditions.
2. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because the pointing of the ensemble radiation detector/telemeter uses automatic pointing mechanisms.
3. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because it uses a camera and an image processor running an automatic tracking SW (which allows identifying and following targets) acting synchronously with the radiation detection electronics for the determination of the MO-detector distance (in which case the radiation detector is located within the camera's field of view).
4. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because it uses more than one radiation detector.
5. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because it uses more than one cameras.
6. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because it uses an enhanced processing capability for monitoring more than one MO simultaneously.
7. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because it combines a multiplicity of elements to form a network of devices that monitor the same MO along his entire trajectory.
8. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because the functions described for this device are implemented, mostly, by a computer program.
9. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because the radiation detectors have an intrinsic efficiency dependent of the MO position.
10. SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS, in agreement to what is claimed in 1, characterized because the radiation detectors have poor energy resolution.
Publication Date: Aug 28, 2014
Applicant: INVAP S.E. (San Carlos de Bariloche)
Inventor: Roberto M. Cibils (San Carlos de Bariloche)
Current U.S. Class: Radiant Energy (340/600)
International Classification: G01V 5/00 (20060101); G08B 29/18 (20060101);


Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. Wolff op.136 Trois Chansons polonaises.
Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. wolff hommage-chopin.
Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. wolff berlioz cellini.
Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. wolff donizetti fille.
Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. Wolff - Nocturne, Op. 46.
Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. Wolf-2 quintetti fl archi cembalo.
Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. Wolff - Etude Op. 20 No 2.
Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. Wolff, Edouard - Nocturne op 46.
Im Original: Wolff, Edouard. Wolff - Hommage a Chopin, Op. 169.


The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition (NWSC), the American Public Power Association (APPA), the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and Edison Electric Institute (EEI) welcome the final report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future (BRC) to the Secretary of Energy. After two years of fact-finding and intense study, the commission has officially endorsed a number of strategic used-fuel management initiatives that our members and other experts have long supported and that will reform and re-energize the country's high-level radioactive waste program. The six groups collectively represent state public utility commissions, nuclear energy producers and suppliers, and other public and private organizations interested in used nuclear fuel management.
a new, congressionally chartered federal corporation dedicated solely to implementing the waste management program and empowered with the authority and resources to succeed.
If implemented in the near term, they would create a solid foundation on which to build a sustainable used fuel management program while development of a repository is pursued.
The commission recognized that the one-tenth of a cent fee paid by consumers of electricity from nuclear power plants, which totals about $750 million each year, is effectively unavailable for its intended purpose—to cover the cost of used fuel management and disposal. To resolve this situation and ensure that the consumers' fee payments are used as intended, the commission has outlined near-term actions that we urge the Obama administration to take.
We believe actions can be taken to encourage and achieve consolidated interim storage in a willing host community within the next 10 years, well before a repository could be opened. This facility would permit the federal government to begin meeting its contractual and statutory obligations under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to remove used reactor fuel from decommissioned and operating nuclear power plants while reducing the taxpayer liabilities associated with the government's delay in accepting used fuel. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was required to begin accepting used fuel by 1998. We understand that site selection for storage and disposal facilities was not within the scope of the BRC's work. However, we continue to believe that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's review of the DOE's license application for the proposed Yucca Mountain, Nev., repository should be completed to determine whether it is a suitable site.
Creating a new management organization is a priority. It will provide strong and effective leadership for a focused mission of managing used nuclear fuel while better insulating the program from political interference. In addition to safeguarding consumer payments, fixing the funding issues will help ensure that the new organization, when enacted by Congress, will have a sustainable revenue stream to discharge its mission and cover its operating costs.
Nuclear energy is a key component of America's energy mix. The BRC recognizes this with its recommendation for stable, long-term support for advanced reactor and fuel cycle technology development that can help address the energy challenges facing future generations.
Although many of the key BRC recommendations require congressional action to be fully implemented, the Energy Department, under existing authority, can and should take action immediately to advance the recommendations. Our six organizations stand ready to work with the DOE, the administration and Congress to implement the BRC recommendations to advance the nation's economic, energy, environmental and national security imperatives by creating a sustainable integrated used nuclear fuel management program.


text:
Archive | December 2018
in Christmas, New York
Neapolitan Crèche, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
in Canada, Christmas, Downtown, Vancouver
Through My Lens: Christmas Moose
Is this not the most Canadian holiday display ever?
This moose is lighting up the North Point of Canada Place, where the cruise ships dock every summer. The pier does a good job of cleaning up for the holidays; every year it puts up a number of window and light displays, which it calls Christmas at Canada Place.
Some friends and I went out for drinks the other night at one of the hotel bars near the waterfront. When we finished imbibing, we took a walk along Canada Place to check out the light displays and so I could take some photos. That's an almost-full moon just to the left of the moose's antlers.
Vancouver is so pretty this time of year.
Goatherder at the Met
It's less than a week until Christmas.
To mark the ever-accelerating passage of time, here's another photo from the Neapolitan Crèche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I'm calling this fellow the Goatherder.
in New York, Quotations
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." — Article 1, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Today is about some significant anniversaries.
For one, 70 years ago today the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. One of the authors of that declaration was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat named John Humphries, who was Director of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1946 until 1966.
For another, 61 years ago today Lester B. Pearson accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. It was awarded to him in recognition of his work at the UN, including his 1956 resolution that an international United Nations force be sent to the Suez Canal to deal with the crisis there. At the time, Pearson was the UN General Assembly President and Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs. He later served as Canada's fourteenth Prime Minister.
The UN General Assembly Chamber
The international force Pearson envisioned is today known as the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces. Seventy peacekeeping operations have been deployed since 1957, and 14 are currently still underway.
The phrase "United Nations" was first used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 as a term for the 26 nations who came together to fight Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II. These Allied Powers, along with 24 additional countries, met in San Francisco in June 1945 at what was called the United Nations Conference on International Organization. They drafted the United Nations Charter, which was signed by 51 countries and ratified in October of that year.
Today, the UN has 193 members.
Given that I've been to New York City four times before my most recent visit, I'd already ticked off most of the "Top Ten Things to Do in NYC" a long time ago. Except for one.
I had never been to the United Nations Headquarters.
Here's a pro-tip from me: Don't wait until your fifth visit to New York to go to the UN. It's far too important an institution for any citizen of this planet to ignore.
The UN has offices in Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi, but its headquarters are in New York. The UN General Assembly meets here once a year. The UN Security Council also meets here, as often as necessary. Its five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) were all members of the Allied Powers during World War II. The Security Council also has ten non-permanent members, who are elected for two-year terms. Canada has served on the Security Council six times since 1945, the last term being from 1999 to 2000.
The UN Security Council Chamber
I learned all this from our Austrian guide. She also told us how the UN Headquarters is designated as international territory. You can feel that, actually, the minute you walk into the building.
The chairperson of the committee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. I'm going to finish this post by quoting what she said on the tenth anniversary of the declaration. Her words are ever so powerful and, given the current inclination towards ultranationalism that seems to be blanketing the globe, they are words we should all strive to live by.
Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world…. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." — Eleanor Roosevelt
The United Nations Headquarters
in Food, France, New York, Provence, Recipes
Recipe Box: Ratatouille
When I was flying back from New York the other month, I watched a couple of episodes of Anthony Bourdain's show Parts Unknown on the plane, including the episode he shot in Newfoundland. (If you haven't seen it, do. It's hilarious and oh-so-Canadian.)
A world without Anthony Bourdain is all the poorer, I thought as I looked out my window somewhere over the American Midwest. The celebrity chef, travel writer, and TV personality died six months ago today. I had this sad anniversary in mind while working on my last post about Le Bernardin. Eric Ripert was a close friend of Anthony's, and he appeared on his shows many, many times. They were together in France, filming an upcoming episode of Parts Unknown, when Anthony died.
The first Anthony Bourdain show I ever watched was an episode he filmed in Provence for No Reservations. My sister had recommended his show to me; I had never heard of the guy and had absolutely no expectations. But I went to YouTube, clicked on the episode — and have been a fan every since.
One line of dialogue in the episode about Provence always stuck in my memory. Anthony was preparing a meal for his new Provençal friends and he was quite nervous about messing it up. He set his dish of ratatouille down in front of them, they tasted it, nodded politely, and then said, "It's true that your ratatouille is very handsome." After much laughter, Anthony asked what he got wrong. They replied, "You didn't miss anything. It's just … not a ratatouille."
I remember laughing out loud at that point. Food is so much a part of the travel experience, and we try our best to replicate what we eat elsewhere when we are back home again, but most of the time we fail. It's never quite the same. Rewatching the episode now, after the dozens of Anthony Bourdain TV shows I've watched since, I marvel at his self-awareness. It's a rare quality that few celebrities (and, to be honest, men) possess.
A traditional dish from the south of France, ratatouille is essentially stewed vegetables. Like many French dishes, its origins are simple: it was a way for peasants to use what they had readily available in their gardens.
Last summer, I made a lot of ratatouille. It was a very good year for zucchini at my local farmers market and every weekend, I came home with bags of the stuff — all shapes and all sizes. And whenever I saw my sister, I was given bowls of tomatoes and handfuls of basil and thyme from her garden. What better dish to make than ratatouille when you have more fresh vegetables and herbs than you know what to do with?
This recipe is based on several versions, including Anthony's. Vary the quantities according to your own preferences. I like to use cherry tomatoes, but if you use full-size tomatoes, you probably want to peel and seed them. If your squash are on the larger size, quarter the slices. Make sure your eggplant is on the smaller side as you want each cube to have a bit of the skin. And, most importantly, cook each vegetable separately to help retain their shape and texture.
I'm sure what follows is also "not a ratatouille," but in my humble opinion it tasted all right.
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium eggplant, cubed
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 yellow zucchini, sliced
several sprigs fresh thyme
one handful fresh basil, shredded
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1. In a large, high-sided frying pan, heat several splashes of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft, then remove from the pan and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.
2. Wipe out the pan and repeat with the cherry tomatoes. When they are beginning to soften, smush them with the back of a wooden spoon to release their juices. Cook a little bit longer, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer them to the cookie sheet, keeping them separate from the onions and garlic.
3. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, wiping out the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper, and transferring to the cookie sheet each time.
4. When all the vegetables have cooled to room temperature, combine them in a large mixing bowl. Add the thyme, basil, and balsamic vinegar, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 3 or 4 hours before serving to let the flavours blend. Serve reheated or at room temperature.
in Books, Food, New York, Restaurants
Dishing: Le Bernardin
While in New York the other month, my sister and I treated ourselves to lunch at Le Bernardin. This New York institution has maintained its three Michelin stars for the past 14 years and, just last week, it was named the world's best restaurant by La Liste, a Paris-based ratings organization.
The world's best.
Hee. It was quite the lunch.
Le Bernardin specializes in seafood, which seems like a natural choice given that the restaurant's founders, Gilbert and Maguy Le Coze, grew up in Brittany, on the French coast. This brother and sister opened their first restaurant in Paris in 1972, calling it Les Moines de St. Bernardin after a song their restaurateur father used to sing about an order of monks who loved to eat and drink. When Gilbert and Maguy moved to New York in 1986, they simplified the name of their new restaurant to Le Bernardin.
Eric Ripert, who was only 26 when he joined the restaurant in 1991 as Chef de Cuisine, took over as Executive Chef after Gilbert's sudden death in 1994. He is now a partner in the restaurant. When I got home from New York, I read Eric Ripert's book, On the Line, which describes the inner workings of the restaurant. Want to know what I learned?
Le Bernardin is a machine.
In order to serve some 1200 dishes every day, 800 pounds of fish are delivered first thing in the morning. All of it is butchered on site — a process that takes six hours. To make 240 sauces each week, the restaurant goes through, per day, 10 pounds of shallots, 5 pounds of garlic, 10 pounds of ginger, and 30 pounds of butter.
(Thirty pounds of butter!?!!)
One neat thing about Le Bernardin, by the way, is that the day's leftover food is donated to City Harvest, an organization that feeds one million New Yorkers each year.
Le Bernardin is on the ground level of a non-descript office building in Midtown Manhattan with screens hiding the interior from the street. If you didn't know where to go, you wouldn't know it was there. But once you are inside, it's as if you've entered another world.
The service was seamless. We lost count, but my sister and I think there were at least seven people waiting on us. And because all staff are full-time, there are no actors moonlighting as servers at Le Bernardin. Instead, you are surrounded by professionals.
The menu consists of three parts: Almost Raw, Barely Touched, and Lightly Cooked. For the three-course prix fixe that my sister and I ordered, we were instructed to order one dish from the left side of the menu (Almost Raw and Barely Touched) and one dish from the right side of the menu (Lightly Cooked). I had Barely Cooked Scallop with Sea Beans and Bonito Butter Sauce and Pan Roasted Merluza with Stuffed Zucchini Flowers and Brazilian Shrimp Moqueca Sauce.
I apologize for the lack of photos. I was too overwhelmed with what I was seeing and tasting to pull out my camera.
When it came to my third course, however, there was no question that I had to document the moment. This is a Golden Hazelnut Sphere with Frangelico Mousse and Praline Ice Cream.
Yes, that is gold leaf on the hazelnut sphere.
I don't know if New York's streets are paved with gold, but this I do know: its pastries sure are.


text:
Q: ZSH `rvm-prompt` on RHS prompt not refreshing I have rvm-prompt feeding into my RPrompt, however it is not refreshing between commands:  (Larger image)
For example, when I cd from one ruby project to another with an .rvmrc file pointing to a new gemset, the rprompt simply will not refresh. It appears that it must be caching the rprompt for performance purposes, so I am curious as to how I can force a refresh for zsh at each command?

A: How do you generate the prompt? I do it like this:
local rvm_ruby=' %{$fg[red]%}[$(~/.rvm/bin/rvm-prompt i v g s)]%{$reset_color%}'

And then use the rvm_ruby variable in my prompt:
PROMPT="${user_host}${directory}${git_branch}${rvm_ruby}%B
→%b "

EDIT: Note that the place where you create the contents for the variable needs single quotes, otherwise the command will get substituted right away and not updated anymore. This initially took me a bit to figure out. You may have the same problem defining your RHS prompt.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and its streaming platform, Youku, have signed up to air the BBC drama "Taboo," starring and created by Tom Hardy. Both companies also bought the rights to two additional children's programs, "The Moe Show" and "Pop Up," via separate deals brokered by London-based co-production, financing and distribution group The Media Pioneers.
Youku will begin broadcasts of "Taboo" this month and the other two by year's end. Alibaba will promote the brands across China. Youku is one of China's largest video streaming platforms, with an interface similar to YouTube's. It has more than 500 million monthly active users and 800 million daily views.
"Taboo," an eight-part British miniseries, was produced by Scott Free London and Hardy Son & Baker, and aired last year on BBC One. Based on a story written by Hardy and his father, the screenwriter and novelist Edward John "Chips" Hardy, it tells a tale set in 19th-century London of an adventurer who returns from Africa and seeks vengeance after he becomes embroiled in his late father's debts and troubles.
The screenplay won its writing team a prize for best long-form TV drama from the Writers' Guild of Great Britain in January.


text:
Researchers find flaw in popular email encryption standard
The vulnerability may affect corporate users more than consumers
Photo (c) juststock - Getty Images
The Electronic Frontier Foundation says people using secure email servers should find a new way to send and receive sensitive information.
The group cites new research warning of "serious vulnerabilities" in PGP, including GPG and S/MIME, the most popular email encryption standards.
The researchers say the flaw can allow an attacker to use the victim's own email client to decrypt previously acquired messages and return the decrypted content to the attacker without alerting the victim.
"EFF is advising PGP users to pause in their use of the tool and seek other modes of secure end-to-end communication for now," the group said in a statement.
A few mitigating factors
Dominic Chorafakis, principal consultant at cybersecurity consulting firm Akouto, says it's a serious issue for people who depend on encrypted email.
"There are, however, a few mitigating factors that significantly limit the scope of the issue, as far as the average consumer is concerned," Chorafakis told ConsumerAffairs. "For one thing, the vast majority of consumers don't use email encryption at all. The main reason is that it can be complicated to set up and isn't supported by all email clients."
Chorafakis says the attack is also fairly complex. The attacker must already have the encrypted message in their possession and then send a modified version back to the victim to trick their email client into exposing the encrypted information.
"Theoretically, encrypted email messages can be intercepted as they travel across the internet, but in reality that is not easy for the average hacker to do," he said. "The most likely method an attacker might use to get their hands on a person's encrypted email message is by hacking into their account. As a result, carrying out this attack requires a degree of tailoring and targeting, which is not something often seen on a large scale that impacts the average email user."
That said, the issue isn't one consumers should ignore. It's prudent to check to see if your email uses PGP or S/MIME. Chorafakis says setting up either one isn't exactly simple, so if you don't remember doing it, chances are you aren't using it, and therefore have nothing to be concerned about.
If someone else set up your email client, it might be wise to ask them if your system is vulnerable.
"For individuals who are using PGP or S/MIME, the safest thing to do for now is to disable decryption in the email client until the vendor has provided a patch to mitigate the issue, and use an external program to do the encryption and decryption," Chorafakis said.
Chorafakis is not a fan of sending sensitive data by email, no matter how secure the system is. If email has to be used, he suggests using a file encryption tool to encrypt the information, then sending it as an attachment.
Verizon and AT&T to stop selling customers' location to data brokers
Gmail redesign to include self-destructing email option
Google won't be reading your emails anymore
Bank of America email scam still going strong
Why people still fall for phishing emails


The understanding of passive income streams is very important. A passive income stream is what it sounds like, incomes that stream or flow to you automatically after you managed to open the "tap". Capital gain is what most people think investing is all about. A capital gain is a onetime thing and in part similar to a salary or a bonus.
There is a perfect example story that explains the difference between passive income streams and salary/capital gains very easily.
Once upon a time there lived two ambitious men called Pablo and Bruno in a small village in central Italy. They were the best of buddies and big dreamers. They used to endlessly talk about how they would become the richest of men in the village. They both were smart & diligent and all that they needed was an opportunity to prove themselves and become wealthy. One day this opportunity knocked their door. They were appointed by the villagers to carry water in buckets from a nearby river to the cistern in the Town Square and get paid by the amount of buckets they delivered during the day. Both were overjoyed and started to work immediately. At the end of the day Bruno was very happy with the opportunity but Pablo was not very sure about the hard work and pain of carrying the heavy buckets. He didn't really feel like going to work the next day and vowed to think of a better way to bring water to the cistern.
The next day Pablo told his friend about his new idea to bring water to the village. Pablo suggested that instead of carrying buckets back and forth to bring water from the river they can build a pipeline from the river to village. Bruno was not very happy with the idea as it sounded new and there were no short term benefits from the idea and he rejected that idea outright and was happy with whatever he was earning. But Pablo did not give up and worked on building the pipeline. He worked during the evenings and weekends along with the bucket carrier work. This brought down his productivity and he wasn't able to earn as much as Bruno did. Soon Bruno earned quite a fortune but Pablo did not give up on his pipeline. He still hoped and believed that one day his dream of bringing water to the cistern automatically would come true.
While Bruno spent his evenings and weekends at the bar or relaxing at home, Pablo had to work hard on his pipeline. He kept on reminding himself that "Tomorrow's dreams are built on today's sacrifices". Every step is a step closer to the goal he kept on saying to himself as he dug every foot in the ground. "Short-term pain equals long-term gains" he repeated to himself as he went to rest in his humble abode after a hard day's work. "Keep your eyes on the prize" he repeated over and over as he drifted to sleep.
Hours turned into days, days turned into months and months turned into years but Pablo did not give up. His big day was coming nearer. His burden of carrying buckets was coming down. He watched his best friend carrying buckets, looking very tired, his shoulders stooped and villagers teased him on his gait. Bruno was doomed and was angry as he was destined to carry buckets day in and day out for the rest of his life. Finally Pablo's big day arrived and he was praised by all the villagers for his creative idea. Pablo, the pipeline maker came to be known as Pablo, the miracle maker. He was lauded for his efforts by politicians and people all over the world.
On watching his friend struggle with the bucket he went and offered his friend an opportunity again to work with him. He told his friend "The pipeline I built isn't the end of a dream. It is only the beginning! I plan to build pipelines all over the world". Bruno finally saw the big picture and shook hands with his old friend.
A lot of years passed since this all happened. Bruno and Pablo were retired but still had millions coming in as their income from their pipeline business. During their leisure trips to their village they would meet their childhood friends carrying buckets. They used to suggest the idea of pipelines to their fellow mates. A few of them would jump at the opportunity but most of them would dismiss the pipeline ideas with excuses like "I don't have the time", "My friend tried this and failed", "I've done this all my life and would like to stick on with it", "I know some people who lost money in this, I don't want to take the risk". Bruno and Pablo felt sad for these people who lacked vision and dreams.
What can we learn from Bruno and Pablo?
Having a job or making capital gains is the same process as walking with buckets. Every month most people work a certain amount of hours and get paid for their work, one month's work for one month's salary. With capital gains a risk is taken when we place money into something and then we hope for the price of that thing to go up, if it goes up and we sell with a profit we have made a capital gain. The capital gain is a one-time deal just like the salary, if you want more capital gain you have to do the process one more time, like the next month at work.
To build a pipeline for passive income streams on the other hand is a totally different process. Usually there is a lot of work involved and we don't get paid for the time we put in. When we want to build passive income streams we will get paid based on performance and we have to deal with delayed gratification. A lot of people might think it´s unfair that there is a small group of people that have most of the assets in the world but the fact is that most of those people worked really hard on their success and were OK with delayed gratification. Bill Gates has stated that he didn´t take one day off from work in his twenties, that's what I would call dedication for success. He didn´t get paid for every hour he put in at work, he got paid later on when people started using Microsoft´s products all over the world. He didn´t even care about the money, he wanted to change the world, and he did. Becoming the richest man in the world was just a bi-product.
Are you running with buckets or building a pipeline?
There´s nothing wrong with having a job and a salary, almost everyone does. The thing that we need to understand when we choose to run with buckets is that time will always limit us. We can only put in a certain amount of time, that's it. When it comes to passive income streams there are no limits, there might be a limit to the size of one passive income stream but there are no limits of how many income streams we can have. Actually the more streams of income we have, the more secure our economy will be. Think about it, if you have a nice job with a good salary of 10.000€/ month and you lose that, there might be some big consequences. On the other hand if you have 20 different passive income streams that give you 500€ a month your monthly income would be the same 10.000€ but the risks are significantly lower. If you lost a couple of your passive income streams it wouldn´t really be a big deal, only a small part of the total income would be lost.
I wrote about some Passive income ideas that work in this article before and how to turn your home into an income producing asset in this one.
The fact is that in some cases it might be really easy for you to create a passive income stream and sometimes it might be really hard and take a lot of time. I see everywhere around me, different ways that people can use to create passive income streams today, the thing is that you have to train your mind to see those things and understand them.
Where I live at the moment in Thailand, there is a woman that has a small coffee shop. I asked her and she makes about 25000 Bath / month after everything is paid for. Most people here earn around 10000 Bath so 25000 is a pretty good monthly income. Now with a passive income trained mind I think: Take in an employee, teach them to make everything exactly as you usually do it, you pay the employee 10000 Bath and you keep 15000 Bath. This is thinking in ways of passive income streams. While she still maybe have to do some of the work there has been a lot of time freed to do other stuff. She can start looking for a new good location to open another shop and do the same process all over again, creating more and more passive income streams and more security. It´s not rocket science, all it takes is a small change in thinking and a bit of financial and entrepreneurial education.
I met a guy a while back when I was out golfing. I asked him how he was able to go out and play golf in the middle of the day on a Thursday. He told me that he has a business in Bangkok that rent out taxi cars to drivers for 1000 Bath per day, the driver then drives and gets everything that he makes from customers. The guy said he had 200 cars now but started with just one car 10 years before. With a quick head count I understood why he could enjoy a round of golf whenever he wanted to. 200 cars that bring in 1000 Bath each per day, even though he has to maintain the cars in good shape 200.000 Bath (5000€) per day is a pretty handsome income to make from the golf course!
I met another guy just a couple of weeks ago from Korea, he and his wife came here for a 3 month vacation, so of course I had to ask how that was possible. As it turns out he had created an application that lets you stream movies to your phone or tablet (like Netflix) but about half of the videos and series where Korean and the American movie subtitles where in Korean. He told me that the service is about 500 Bath (12€) a month but he gave me a free account. About 10.000 people use his application which might sound like a piss in the Nile when compared to Netflix 60.000.000 users (!). But with a quick head count I can see that 120.000 € per month is not really a piss in the Nile. In fact I think that's about the same as some of the best paid bank CEOs in Sweden, who I'm pretty sure can't go on a 3 month vacation to Thailand whenever they feel like it.
As I mentioned before, Renting out a part of your home or your second car when it´s just standing in the driveway anyway. Renting out a vacation home, building a sales network, doing affiliate marketing and investing in Better Globe trees are all ways to create passive income streams in different ways and sizes.
As you can see passive income streams in different forms can be very powerful and enables choices in life that we can´t get in any other way.
Now, what is a good next step?
Read more, learn more and do more.
Read books like "Rich dad poor dad" or "The richest man in Babylon" and sign up for my free E-book. Read more and look around on this blog, here is a lot of great information that will help you out. Start to actively do things and build pipelines with streams of passive income running through them. Keep motivated with the help of motivational audios and videos. Attend seminars and webinars. Be open minded and look into opportunities that come your way.
Start to pay yourself first. Instead of paying all your bills first and then give yourself the leftovers start to pay yourself for your future investments the first thing you do when you get the salary. Then pay the bills with the rest of the money. This is not only important for your future investments but also important because it shows your unconscious mind that your dreams are important, more important than your bills. Most people don't prioritize their dreams at all, and so they never come true.
How big part of your salary should you pay yourself?
I don't know, how much are you worth?
Start with 10% maybe then when you can do that easily you can increase the percentage in small steps. Now a bunch of you might think I'm crazy, 10%!?
Isn´t it better to cut 10% today so you never have to worry about losing the 50% somewhere down the line?
This is amazing! I'm only minor but I'm going to start working with these ideas since now. Thank you so much for these ideas and this website! Also thank you for the e-book.


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Written by Highfield PS
Will Brexit have an impact on the nuclear industry?
The future of Britain's nuclear energy has raised some concerns due to recent Brexit negotiation uncertainties. The UK nuclear industry has issued warnings to the government and have expressed they must act urgently to ensure a Brexit deal is made to accommodate international atomic power.
Scientists say leaving the Euratom agency that oversees nuclear safety throughout Europe will cause widespread confusion, with the potential to have a devastating impact on Britain's nuclear industry.
Possible consequences include foreign investment to UK nuclear and power facilities being significantly reduced, leading to thousands of job cuts and Britain losing its place as a world leader in new nuclear technologies.
With work on Hinkley Point C beginning, and set to take UK's power reputation to a higher level, this would come at the worst possible time.
Concerns have also been sparked that leaving the Euratom agency could make the UK vulnerable to a large claim from EDF, which is already over budget for the Hinkley Point C plans.
MPs from across the House of Commons have urged Theresa May to think carefully about leaving Euratom. However, the PM has repeatedly insisted that the EU agree Britain will have to formally leave the agency as part of Brexit.
One suggestion to ensure the impact is as minimal as possible is for the UK, is to have an "association agreement" with the EU to take over its membership of Europe's nuclear agency.
Brexit Secretary David Davis has suggested that an "arbitration arrangement" would have to be agreed, explaining that there was "goodwill" for such an arrangement.
The government has said it will push ahead with leaving the body, despite calls for a change of direction.
The impact of Brexit on the nuclear industry is uncertain at the minute, but we must not forget this is still an exciting time for UK nuclear.
As a trusted recruitment supplier for Hinkley Point C we have lots of exciting roles on at the minute. If you are looking for your next role, take a look at our live Hinkley Point C vacancies, or get in touch on 01489 774 010 and speak to one of our expert consultants today.
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Employee Testimonial
"I am one of several employees at Highfield who work part time and feel I am offered total flexibility when needed. Whilst only working 4 days a week with reduced hours I am given the support I need to be successful whilst maintaining work: life balance."
We have worked with Highfield for a number of years sourcing Structural Engineers/Technicians and found them to be the most efficient Agency we have dealt with. They always deliver high-standard, fully vetted candidates in a very timely manner. We know the CV's we receive from their specialist Structural Consultant are always of the highest caliber and always match our requirements.
Highfield were exceptional in finding my new position at Southern Water. My Highfield consultant was professional and above all reliable and I look forward to working with them in the future
Highfield Professional Solutions is outright the best recruitment company I have worked for, they are always helpful and supportive with regular calls to make sure all is well.
Highfield is always my first call when looking for agency staff to fill engineering and designer project vacancies in the UK. Matt takes the time to thoroughly understand my recruitment needs, and quickly resources high quality candidates well fit for the roles.
If you are ready to engage the best talent within your industry register a vacancy with us today!
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Contact Highfield Professional Solutions on 01489 774 010 to see how we can help


We love gemstones, especially in jewelry, but what do you know about them?
Precious gemstones are diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. These stones have been considered precious since the min-1800's due to their rarity. All the other stones are considered semiprecious. However, this does not mean that precious gemstones cost more than semiprecious gemstones. Some jades and opals have been sold for over $1 million.
Natural stones are created in and mined from the earth. However, sometimes the natural stone's color and/or clarity are enhanced through a treatment process, such as heat.
There are gemstones being created in laboratories which look like natural stones. Opalite, diamonds, rubies and other stones are created using the same composition as natural stones to make gemstones more affordable.
Neither of these gemstone types should be confused with imitation gemstones. These stones are made using dyes, paint, foil, glass and various other materials. Cubic zirconia is an imitation gemstone.
Color – A gemstone's color varies in hue like the different shades of paint colors (i.e., yellow can be bright to dark to pastel). Hue, tone and saturation are aspects of color. The primary color of the gemstone is the hue. The lightness or darkness of the color is called tone. Saturation means the intensity of the color. Gemstones best color consists of bright, intense, pure and vivid color.
Cut – The cut of a gemstone affects its appearance, maintains maximum weight and optimizes it color and brilliance. A well cut gemstone comes alive in the light as it dances through the many facets in the gemstone.
Clarity – All natural stones have imperfections that can enhance or decrease the beauty of the gemstone. These imperfections are call inclusions and affect the transparency of the gemstone. Inclusions include spots, cavities, cracks, and fractures. Three types of clarity are transparent, translucent or opaque. A diamond, amethyst and quartz are transparent while an agate, moonstone and aventurine are translucent. Opaque gemstones include jasper, bloodstones, lapis lazuli, malachite and hematite.
Carat – (gemstone's weight) One carat equals 200 milligrams or 0.20 grams (1/5 of a gram). The more carats, the more the gemstone weighs, and the higher the price.
All of these gemstone description deal with its appearance. However there is more to gemstones than appearance alone.
To learn more, call and sign up for our "Gemstones – Properties and Uses" class on Thursday, April 9. Go to our "News" webpage to learn more about the class.


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Home → News & Events → Three Maine Employers Awarded National HIRE Vets Medallion
Three Maine Employers Awarded National HIRE Vets Medallion
AUGUSTA - Governor Janet Mills and Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor Laura Fortman today congratulated three Maine employers Bath Iron Works, Career Systems Development CorporationPenobscot Job Corps Center, and Dead River Company for being named 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Award recipients by the U.S. Department of Labor. The award recognizes employers across the nation who exemplify a commitment to civilian employment of U.S. military veterans.
"Maine has a long and proud tradition of military service that directly translates into invaluable leadership and skills that we are fortunate to have in our workforce," Governor Janet Mills said. On behalf of the people of Maine, I thank these companies for recognizing the value that veterans bring to our state and for their commitment to hiring and supporting our nation's heroes.
Congratulations to Bath Iron Works, Career Systems Development CorporationPenobscot Job Corps Center, and Dead River Company! BIW and Dead River Co. are also annual participants in our Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign, which is currently working to get at least 100 veterans hired within 100 days, Commissioner Laura Fortman said. It is partnerships like these that demonstrate the benefits of hiring veterans for both employers and the skilled workers who have given so much for our country.
Administered by the federal Departments Veterans Employment and Training Service, the annual HIRE Vets Medallion program has awarded 1,341 HIRE Vets Medallions since its inception in 2018. It is the only federal-level veterans employment award that recognizes a company or organizations commitment to veteran hiring, retention and professional development.
In 2019, Dead River Company became the first employer in Maine to receive the award. We are often thanked for our focus on veteran hiring and we are honored to receive this prestigious recognition, Guy Langevin, Dead River Company Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, said. Veterans are a talented, productive segment of the workforce. They possess learning agility; they are great teammates and; they align with our mission to serve our customers. Simply put, we have found that hiring veterans makes us a better company and we thank our veterans for choosing Dead River Company.
The U.S. Department of Labor recognized 675 employers nationwide with this years award. Collectively, this years award recipients hired more than 37,000 veterans since 2018.
As one of the states largest private employers, BIW is proud to currently employ over 1,000 veterans. We need to hire thousands of new employees in the next few years and veterans will remain a key focus because of the skills, capabilities and dedication they bring to our essential mission providing the ships our U.S. Navy Customer needs, Jon Mason, BIW Vice President of Human Resources, said.
We are most pleased to have been awarded the Gold Medallion Award in recognition of our commitment to the hiring and success of our veterans, Jim Downie, Job Corps Human Resources Manager, said. Career Systems Development Corporation and Penobscot Job Corps Center will continue to provide career opportunities to the many men and women who have served in our nation with distinction and have played a key role in the success of our students.
Criteria for recognition vary by level (Platinum or Gold) and employer size (Large, Medium, and Small).
2020 Maine Award Recipients:
Bath Iron Works Corporation Platinum, Large
Dead River Company Gold, Large
Career Systems Development CorporationPenobscot Job Corps Center Gold, Medium
Maine is fortunate to have companies like Bath Iron Works, Career Systems Development CorporationPenobscot Job Corps Center, and the Dead River Company not only as employers, but as business who continually look to veterans to create a strong workforce in the State of Maine, David Richmond, Director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, said. Experience matters and veterans truly provide a solid foundation in any work environment. Congratulations to the three businesses for earning the 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Award.
A press release from the U.S. Department of Labor can be found here: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/vets/vets20201110
For more information about the HIRE Vets Medallion Program and its criteria, visit https://www.hirevets.gov/
For more information on the Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign, visit https://www.mainecareercenter.com/mhav/


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HomeNewsArchivesNYASHA MUTUNHU CROWNED MISS UVI
NYASHA MUTUNHU CROWNED MISS UVI
Oct. 29, 2001 – Nyasha Mutunhu, a junior psychology major on the St. Thomas campus of the University of the Virgin Islands, is the new Miss UVI 2001-2002. Mutunhu, 26, was crowned Saturday night, at the culmination of the Miss UVI Queen and Ambassadorial Pageant 2001 at the Reichhold Center for the Arts.
In addition to the Miss UVI crown, Mutunhu claimed the titles "Miss Photogenic," "Miss Intellect" and "Best Talent," for an original poem she performed.
Anika Nicholas, 22, a sophomore biology major on UVI's St. Croix campus, was selected as first runner-up and also won "Best Ambassadorial Presentation" and "Best Evening Wear."
Elementary education major Shanee King, 19, was named "Miss Popularity" and Owanna Lans, 20, a junior political science major, was awarded the "Miss Congeniality" title.
During the 3 hour-long pageant, Mutunhu, who was born in Wisconsin and raised in Zimbabwe, passionately expressed her views on topics ranging from discrimination to HIV/AIDS and America's response to the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Mutunhu has worked as an HIV/AIDS educator and was one of the youngest delegates to the International AIDS Conference last year in South Africa. She is chair of UVI's African Heritage Committee and was a resident coordinator for Upward Bound's summer program.
"I believe it is important that we, as UVI students, become as informed as possible about events taking place not only here in the territory, but around the world," Mutunhu said. "I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to represent the university at this time."
Mutunhu's academic adviser, UVI Associate Professor of Psychology Agatha Nelson has come to know not only Nyasha the student, but Nyasha the person.
"She's extremely gentle, thoughtful and intellectual," Nelson said. "She is very aware of what's going on around her and she's dedicated to making a difference."
As Miss UVI, Mutunhu will receive free tuition, room and board for the two semesters of her reign.
PATRICE JOHNSON NAMED PR DIRECTOR AT UVI


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Because many buildings were destroyed or damaged during the 2010 earthquake and subsequent tropical storms, there is an urgent need for educational facilities, safe housing, and opportunities for economic development in Haiti.
Our concept diagram is a visual idea of how all these elements could work together to create a community design that integrates with the cultural aspects of many Haitians living outside larger cities such as Port-au-Prince. The school as a single element has great benefit, but connected to a community with housing, areas for work, shops, and retail makes the school an integral part of a larger economic and cultural system.
© Copyright 2021 - All Rights Reserved - By AP SocialSoft LLC


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Inbox A Force for Learning
By Constance Killian Escher *67 *71
In Response to: In Short: Renaming Spaces, DACA Protections, Private-Prison Divestment
In April, University officials wrote to me asking about the complete name of Betsey Stockton, the woman of color for whom a new public garden near Firestone Library is named (On the Campus, May 16). My reply was the title of my 1991 30-page biographical sketch, "She Calls Herself Betsey Stockton," in Princeton History, No. 10, available at the Princeton Public Library. I have continually expanded my research about this famous Princeton teacher.
That published title was drawn from a Sept. 3, 1821, letter by Stockton's surrogate father, the Rev. Ashbel Green 1783, during his tenure as Princeton's president. Stockton had been a young slave in Green's household; from his letter we understand that the freed Stockton named herself and claimed her stance as a full social persona. That act of self-recognition reveals her strength of mind, spirit, and character. She was to become a catalyst for close friendships between Princeton town and gown decades before the Civil War.
The garden near Firestone Library is doubly fitting as an honor for Stockton, whose whaleship journal was published by Green in Philadelphia. She was the first bilingual teacher of Hawaiian/English in the Sandwich Islands; she taught Ojibwa children in Grape Island, Upper Canada; and she used internationally recognized pedagogy in her school in Philadelphia. Stockton returned to Princeton as matriarch of her Witherspoon community, founding a church and three schools there.
The single authentic portrait of Stockton is the daguerreotype portrait, shown here, which was taken in May 1863. It is a revealing ledger of her long and successful life — the life of a Christian missionary, a master teacher, and an intellectual force for learning.
Photo used with permission of John Barker, archivist of the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society Library, Honolulu
Constance Killian Escher *67 *71
Former research associate, Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies, Princeton, N.J.
A Force for Learning


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Home » Skiing & Snowboarding » The Best Ski Resorts in Canada
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Written by Carmela Rodriguez on August 13, 2018
Written by Carmela Rodriguez
Carmela is a journalist from London. She's traveled from Asia to South America, where she got (temporarily) lost in the Peruvian Amazon. She quit the rainy UK and moved to Medellín, Colombia, where she has lived for two years
← Back to 'Best Resorts For Your Next Snowboarding or Skiing Trip'
In the world of winter sports in North America, ski resorts in the United States often steal the show, but we'll let you into a secret, Canadian Ski Resorts are just as good, if not better. Canada gets its fair share of snow and is packed with excellent ski resorts where you can enjoy the country's incredible natural scenery, as well as have a great time enjoying winter sports activities in resorts that aren't too busy. Here are our top recommendations:
By rareearthadventures
1. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia
Whistler Blackcomb is not just one of the best resorts in Canada, it's also one of the best in all of North America. The epic ski resort is spread over 3,200 hectares of beautiful terrain and offers over 200 runs. Lying over the two twin peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb, the acres of slopes are covered in fluffy white powder. Experts love to ski in the steep powder runs of Whistler Bowl, which is one of the world's longest blue runs. Elsewhere, there are plenty of great beginner and intermediate trails for all the family to enjoy. The resort also has everything from dog-sledding through to snow tubing — plus there are ski lessons catering to all levels and ages. When it's time to relax, the resort has a quaint village with delicious restaurants, great shops, and comfortable accommodation.
By Tourism Whistler
2. Big White, British Columbia
Another British Columbia favorite is the Big White ski resort, thanks to its stunning location in a dense forest. The resort offers a series of beautiful, rolling pistes, with ski-runs for all levels. It's known for its particularly great beginner slopes, while the village offers comfortable ski-in, ski-out accommodation. There's also a daycare center to keep the kids entertained while you're out on the mountain.
By Xtremespots
3. Sun Peaks, British Columbia
Sun Peaks is known to be the second biggest ski area in Canada, beaten only by Whistler, which takes the top spot. Sun Peaks has a perfectly varied terrain that passes through beautiful glades. It's spread out across three mountains (the Tod, Sundance and Morrisey mountains) and its slopes have plenty of light, fluffy snow. The resort village is small, quaint and family-friendly. While the village isn't as big as those in other resorts, it has all the essentials you could need in a charming and relaxing atmosphere — plus, it's car-free.
By British Columbia
4. Lake Louise Mountain Resort, Alberta
Located in the stunning Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you'll find Lake Louise Mountain Resort. The resort is located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, offering 4,200 skiable acres of world-class terrain. There are beginner, intermediate and expert runs, making the resort a great place to bring the family — the beginners' learning zone is a dedicated children's area and is especially great for leaving the little ones in safe hands. Lake Louise Mountain Resort is also known to have some of the most challenging terrains in the Rockies, so it's suitable for expert skiers looking for a challenge. With the combination of its stunning location by Lake Louise and excellent ski opportunities, it's definitely one of the best ski resorts in Canada.
By crystalski
5. Panorama
Panorama is an excellent ski area with stunning pistes, off-piste runs through the trees, and a great ski village. There's a mix of trails for all levels, including the adventurous, who can ski down Taynton Bowl, an off-piste trail with steep descents that are not for the faint-hearted. Additionally, there are tons of great things for the kids to do, with beginner trails and kid-friendly programs, including pizza-making, treasure hunts, and swimming in hot springs.
By westjetmagazine
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