Amazon's drone spewing blimp is the eye of a storm stirred by a fake video doing the rounds on social media. The video shows a blimp with the brand of retailing giant Amazon painted on, releasing dozens of delivery drones with one popular post on Facebook captioned "The future delivery is here".
There is never smoke without fire though- the Amazon blimp isn't entirely based on a fictional idea. It's based on an actual patent Amazon filed back in December 2016 for a drone delivery service, Amazon patented the idea of floating blimp-like airships – called "airborne fulfillment centers" – that would store products midair, and an accompanying network of drones – called "unmanned aerial vehicles" – that would pick up items from the blimp and deliver them to customers.
While speculations arose about the biggest threat to the future workforce- automation; it restarted the whole privacy issue surrounding autonomous drones as well. Amazon has tested out drone delivery on a small scale in the UK countryside, besides mention of a "Prime Air" delivery system 'coming soon' on its website.
Apparently Amazon's strategy is to combine the conventional hot air balloon and technology to cut the noise pollution. So, its "unmanned aerial vehicle with inflatable membrane" would have a balloon hidden inside the chassis to be inflated using compressed gas, via a tank or chamber also carried on the drone. When the UAV roamed into an area where noise levels needed to be cut – such as the delivery location, Amazon suggests – the balloon could be inflated.
The balloon system would be used to raise and lower the UAV to and from the delivery location reducing the noise and energy involved in achieving a cruising altitude, where the balloon would be deflated and gathered back into its dock.
The drone would proceed to the delivery destination, and the balloon would be re-inflated and be used to gently lower the aircraft to the ground, to leave behind its package.
An inflating balloon near a system of fast-spinning propellers doesn't go well together so part of Amazon's patent outlines the retracting mechanism by which the two elements would be kept apart. Handled by an onboard autopilot, the balloon would be reeled back into the storage area. The drone could either return the gas used for inflation to the compression chamber, or allow it to escape.
As of now people's reactions to the CGI video circulating online indicate that plenty of people are fine with the drone spewing blimp.


"The latest robot from the Frame Arms line to join Kotobukiya's original spin-off series Frame Arms Girl is Zelfikar! Takayuki Yanase's mech design is expertly recreated into the adorable FA Girl form by illustrator Humikane Shimada! Model Specifications: - Zelfikar comes with two unique weapons, a prototype light-wave emitter for the right arm and an offensive shield system for the left arm. - Zelfikar's armor can be reconfigured to recreate "blast shield mode." - The base of the blast shield can be used as armor. - The included segment rifle comes with an updated blade part. - The kit includes a special support arm. - The sculpting of the head, face parts, hair, chest, and rear of the base model are all new. - The kit includes three face parts: smiling/looking left, looking down, and crying. - The model can be turned into a bunny girl by attaching the included tail part. - The model's joints are updated from the original Baselard model, giving Zelfikar an impressive range of movement while also maintaining the model's appearance. - The model's hands use ball joints that allow for a range of expressive poses. - The kit includes six sets of PVC hand parts, and the kit is also compatible with hand parts from existing Frame Arms Girl kits. - The kit includes decals for the eyes and other markings. - Zelfikar can be built without armor in her basic mode, fully decked out in mechanical armor, and anything in between by changing out the parts. - The kit includes shoulder attachments for arm extension parts that are compatible with the arms from Frame Arms Baselard and other Frame Arms model kits. - The 3mm connections on the arms and legs are compatible with equipment from the M.S.G and Frame Arms series.


Globe-Elite Electrical Contractors does commercial and industrial work as part of complete electrical service contracts. We offer a professional approach to voice, data, and LAN work. We have an aerial truck service, scheduled maintenance programs, fiber optics experience, and proficiency with explosion-proof wiring, controls, fire alarms, and emergency lighting. Our electricians, apprentices, and estimators have an extensive background in residential, commercial, and industrial electrical construction. You get the benefit of experience that's been acquired year after year, job after job.
Ken Pickering leads Globe-Elite Electrical Contractors in Regina, utilizing over 30 years of experience in the field. Al Anderson is Ken's business partner, bringing 15 years of experience and using up-and-coming electrical industry technology. Established in 1994, our company has a history of longevity, knowledgeable associates, and timely response to customer inquiries. We take pride in providing professional service in a timely manner.
Our electricians are excited to serve as your partners in power. Contact us for a free project estimate or to schedule a service appointment.


Discover how deaf children can learn the building blocks of English (phonemes), rhyming skills, and the language of their home through their eyes with cueing. Cued American English provides the foundation for language development and phonemic awareness that deaf children need for lifelong English literacy and for meeting success with hearing aids and cochlear implants and/or with ASL.
During this two-day, 14-hour interactive workshop participants will learn how the eight handshapes (groups of consonants) and four placements (groups of vowels) of the Cued Speech system are combined to express English visually. You will acquire the skills to leave the workshop and become a proficient cuer. The workshop will introduce the complete system and offer suggestions for developing your skills after the workshop.
Parents, teachers, SLPs, early interventionists, audiologists, etc - all are welcome! This workshop is only available face to face.
REQUESTS FOR ASL INTERPRETERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 22, 2019.
This program has been submitted for approval of 13 clock hours of continuing education credit by the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing-Association (TSHA).


Have seen this in store for 89. Online price shows 95.
Very good down filled jacket.
You gave thanks to RokuJ for this post.
RokuJ posted this deal. Say thanks!
How much better are these than the Kirkland knockoffs Costco use to sell.
From what i could find this is a very good deal compared to most every other jacket in it's class. Pulled the trigger, thanks OP!


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The 15 Most Astounding Images from the 2015 World Beard & Moustache Competition
by Christopher Hassiotis Dec 31, 2000
A contestant in the 2015 World Beard & Moustache Competition in Austria. Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images
Masculine hair grooming been a hot topic in 2015, whether we're talking beardstaches, man buns or more. But one bewhiskered group remains a Rock of Gibraltar — a bearded Rock of Gibraltar — offering constancy and follicle solidarity as trends rise and fall. The competitors in the World Beard & Moustache Championships are men dedicated to the art and tradition of cultivating facial hair that's both traditional and decidedly nontraditional.
Competing in 17 categories from Imperial Moustache to Goatee Freestyle to Musketeer, a global collection of beardsmen, as they call themselves, assembled in Austria in October to face off. The official results and rankings haven't yet been released, but those hailing from the United States did particularly well against the favored Germans. The first championship took place in Germany in 1990; the next world meetup happens in Austin, Texas, in September 2017, while Antwerp, Belgium, does the honors in 2019.
To stave off the suspense of waiting for the rankings, peruse these images from the 2015 competition, many of which come from the flamboyant Full Beard Freestyle category. We were impressed. We think you will be, too.
Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images
Science · Previous Story
NASA Thinks Augmented Reality Is the Future of Tech Support
Internet Roundup: The Greatest Beards of All Time & The Drunk Map
Stuff Mom Never Told You: Why Women Love Beards
How often should I shave my beard?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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This was Television on March 4
By Andrew Daglas, March 4, 2013
2013: Switched at Birth spotlights ASL
For the first time, a scripted primetime program presented an episode almost entirely in American Sign Language. Switched at Birth, a family drama set largely at a school for deaf students, also drew inspiration for the episode from the Deaf President Now movement at Gallaudet University in 1988, considered a watershed moment in the history of the Deaf population in the United States. -A.D.
Today's Birthdays: Andrea Bowen, Desperate daughter (23); Josh Bowman, Hamptons scion (25); Ron Fassler, cop (56); Scott Michael Foster, frat president (28); Margo Harshman, best friend (27); Patricia Heaton, Midwest mom (55); Kay Lenz, character actress (60); Frank Novak, character actor (68); Catherine O'Hara, SCTVer (59); Steven Weber, pilot (52); Adrian Zmed, cop (59).
Categories: This Was Television On...
Tagged: American Sign Language, March 4 2013, Switched at Birth, TV history
TWTV Hall of Fame: March 2013 – Best Lead Actress in a Comedy


Mastodon is great for defeating #censorship . Right Now I'm in a hotel room in mainland #China. Connected to the hotel wifi, and without any VPN, I'm still connected to the world. OTOH, Twitter / Facebook / Google are all blocked by the infamous great #firewall of China.
#Internet is supposed to be #decentralized. With projects like #Mastadon we are one step closer to the idealistic Internet.


The Student of the Month for Chester Boren Middle School in January is Lillian Underwood. Lillian is a 6th grader who was nominated by her language arts teacher, Mrs. Jones. Lillian was nominated for being a great student and friend who has a great attitude and assists her peers on a daily basis. Congratulations Lillian! We are glad you're a Panther!


Nicely updated and wonderful central corridor condo with 2BR/2.5 Bath. This private small 18 unit complex can become your personal oasis with Two living spaces plus wonderful private patio area. 2 car garage. 2 large bedrooms and 2 full baths with upgrades carefully chosen to enhance the wonderful floor plan. Convenient to all the freeways, plus shopping, restaurants and entertainment access to the Biltmore cooridor.


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Ginger Bread House Printable Template
Home Ginger Bread House Printable Template
Ginger Bread House Printable Template. Some recipes also include sweetened condensed milk.the dough is repeatedly kneaded, flattened, oiled, and folded before proofing, creating layers.the dough ball is then flattened, spread out until paper thin (usually by tossing it on a flat surface), and gathered into a long. If you are looking for vip independnet escorts in aerocity and call girls at best price then call us.
gingerbreadTemplate Gingerbread house template, Gingerbread house from www.pinterest.com
The food ingredients that belong to this category can be oatmeal, corn flakes, crackers, macaroni, biscuit, bagel, waffle, rice, white bread, cereal, and italian bread. Microsoft pleaded for its deal on the day of the phase 2 decision last month, but now the gloves are well and truly off. Those who have a checking or savings account, but also use financial alternatives like check cashing services are considered underbanked.
gingerbreadTemplate Gingerbread house template, Gingerbread house
Fred upton and billy long shared concerns over adppa preempting state legislation. / ˈ s eɪ t æ n /, us: Below are lists of the top 10 contributors to committees that have raised at least $1,000,000 and are primarily formed to support or oppose a state ballot measure or a candidate for state office in the november 2022 general election. But in that good, yay we're baking sort of way.
Source: www.momsandmunchkins.ca
) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. Now, the next steps in creating your gingerbread house is the design. Microsoft is quietly building a mobile xbox store that will rely on activision and king games. 밀고기), wheat meat, gluten meat, vital wheat gluten or simply gluten.it is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch granules have been removed, leaving. Yorkshire or the county of york was so named as it is the shire (administrative area or county) of the city of york or york's shire. It appears to have been invented in the nineteenth century, along. The writer is a partner at sequoia capital. Below are lists of the top 10 contributors to committees that have raised at least $1,000,000 and are primarily formed to support or oppose a state ballot measure or a candidate for state office in the november 2022 general election. Diese preise sind abhängig von der verfügbarkeit, sind nicht erstattungsfähig und haben unterschiedliche zahlungsbedingungen. The holding will call into question many other regulations that protect consumers with respect to credit cards, bank accounts, mortgage loans, debt collection, credit reports, and identity theft, tweeted chris peterson, a former enforcement attorney at the cfpb who is now a law.
Source: alipyper.com
Prop 30 is supported by a coalition including calfire firefighters, the american lung association, environmental organizations, electrical workers and businesses that want to improve california's air quality by fighting and preventing wildfires and reducing air pollution from vehicles. Thank you for making chowhound a vibrant and passionate community of food trailblazers for 25 years. From victorian to classic, to easy to large style templates, here are over twenty gingerbread house patterns to use this christmas season. ) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. Aerocity escorts @9831443300 provides the best escort service in aerocity. Adppa sets out to supersede the existing patchwork of state laws, but in so doing it could crystalize the legislative landscape and make it more difficult for relatively nimble state legislatures to respond to. The republican party holds a majority in both the house and senate of the michigan legislature. Roti canai is made from dough which is usually composed of fat (usually ghee), flour and water; 밀고기), wheat meat, gluten meat, vital wheat gluten or simply gluten.it is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch granules have been removed, leaving. The underbanked represented 14% of u.s.
Source: cooking.nytimes.com
The lists do not show all contributions to every state ballot measure, or each independent expenditure committee formed to support or. Hello, and welcome to protocol entertainment, your guide to the business of the gaming and media industries. But in that good, yay we're baking sort of way. If you are looking for vip independnet escorts in aerocity and call girls at best price then call us. Figures such as house speaker nancy pelosi and reps. セイタン) is a food made from gluten, the main protein of wheat. The writer is a partner at sequoia capital. Now, the next steps in creating your gingerbread house is the design. A footnote in microsoft's submission to the uk's competition and markets authority (cma) has let slip the reason behind call of duty's absence from the xbox game pass library: The state's congressional delegation is commonly split, with one party or the other typically holding a narrow majority.
Source: www.fashion-era.com
The holding will call into question many other regulations that protect consumers with respect to credit cards, bank accounts, mortgage loans, debt collection, credit reports, and identity theft, tweeted chris peterson, a former enforcement attorney at the cfpb who is now a law. I divide it into thirds (since you'll want at least three cookie pieces). A footnote in microsoft's submission to the uk's competition and markets authority (cma) has let slip the reason behind call of duty's absence from the xbox game pass library: Ezinearticles.com allows expert authors in hundreds of niche fields to get massive levels of exposure in exchange for the submission of their quality original articles. Microsoft's activision blizzard deal is key to the company's mobile gaming efforts. Some recipes also include sweetened condensed milk.the dough is repeatedly kneaded, flattened, oiled, and folded before proofing, creating layers.the dough ball is then flattened, spread out until paper thin (usually by tossing it on a flat surface), and gathered into a long. Regulators are leaning toward torpedoing the activision blizzard deal. Make a batch or two of simply recipes gingerbread house gingerbread. Fred upton and billy long shared concerns over adppa preempting state legislation. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices.
Source: www.cakecentral.com
Microsoft is quietly building a mobile xbox store that will rely on activision and king games. Now, the next steps in creating your gingerbread house is the design. 100+ printable (and free!) halloween templates. This friday, we're taking a look at microsoft and sony's increasingly bitter feud over call of duty and whether u.k. Hotels zur verfügung gestellt von booking.com: The food ingredients that belong to this category can be oatmeal, corn flakes, crackers, macaroni, biscuit, bagel, waffle, rice, white bread, cereal, and italian bread. The lists do not show all contributions to every state ballot measure, or each independent expenditure committee formed to support or. For example, a slice of italian bread contains 15g of carbs, and so on. From victorian to classic, to easy to large style templates, here are over twenty gingerbread house patterns to use this christmas season. It is also known as miànjīn (chinese:
Source: www.istockphoto.com
The holding will call into question many other regulations that protect consumers with respect to credit cards, bank accounts, mortgage loans, debt collection, credit reports, and identity theft, tweeted chris peterson, a former enforcement attorney at the cfpb who is now a law. But in that good, yay we're baking sort of way. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains, and potatoes since introduced in. The food ingredients that belong to this category can be oatmeal, corn flakes, crackers, macaroni, biscuit, bagel, waffle, rice, white bread, cereal, and italian bread. Out of the 11 house and senate races web3 forward spent money in, nine of the group's preferred candidates won, according to data from the nonpartisan opensecrets. I divide it into thirds (since you'll want at least three cookie pieces). The republican party holds a majority in both the house and senate of the michigan legislature. Below are lists of the top 10 contributors to committees that have raised at least $1,000,000 and are primarily formed to support or oppose a state ballot measure or a candidate for state office in the november 2022 general election. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings.
Adppa sets out to supersede the existing patchwork of state laws, but in so doing it could crystalize the legislative landscape and make it more difficult for relatively nimble state legislatures to respond to. Below are lists of the top 10 contributors to committees that have raised at least $1,000,000 and are primarily formed to support or oppose a state ballot measure or a candidate for state office in the november 2022 general election. A swiss roll, jelly roll (united states), roll cake, cream roll, roulade or swiss log is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing.the origins of the term are unclear; The state's congressional delegation is commonly split, with one party or the other typically holding a narrow majority. I divide it into thirds (since you'll want at least three cookie pieces). 밀고기), wheat meat, gluten meat, vital wheat gluten or simply gluten.it is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch granules have been removed, leaving. Ezinearticles.com allows expert authors in hundreds of niche fields to get massive levels of exposure in exchange for the submission of their quality original articles. Those who have a checking or savings account, but also use financial alternatives like check cashing services are considered underbanked. The writer is a partner at sequoia capital. That means the impact could spread far beyond the agency's payday lending rule.
Source: www.wilton.com
A swiss roll, jelly roll (united states), roll cake, cream roll, roulade or swiss log is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing.the origins of the term are unclear; Microsoft is quietly building a mobile xbox store that will rely on activision and king games. Fred upton and billy long shared concerns over adppa preempting state legislation. Some recipes also include sweetened condensed milk.the dough is repeatedly kneaded, flattened, oiled, and folded before proofing, creating layers.the dough ball is then flattened, spread out until paper thin (usually by tossing it on a flat surface), and gathered into a long. Regulators are leaning toward torpedoing the activision blizzard deal. The best outdoor christmas lights to make your house merry and bright nov 17, 2022. For example, a slice of italian bread contains 15g of carbs, and so on. The lists do not show all contributions to every state ballot measure, or each independent expenditure committee formed to support or. We wish you all the best on your future culinary endeavors. Write all of these food ingredients in the proper portion and grams.
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text:
from __future__ import unicode_literals

from indico.core.db import db
from indico.util.string import format_repr, return_ascii

class MapArea(db.Model):
    __tablename__ = 'map_areas'
    __table_args__ = (db.Index(None, 'is_default', unique=True, postgresql_where=db.text('is_default')),
                      {'schema': 'roombooking'})

    id = db.Column(
        db.Integer,
        primary_key=True
    )
    name = db.Column(
        db.String,
        nullable=False
    )
    is_default = db.Column(
        db.Boolean,
        nullable=False,
        default=False
    )
    top_left_latitude = db.Column(
        db.Float,
        nullable=False
    )
    top_left_longitude = db.Column(
        db.Float,
        nullable=False
    )
    bottom_right_latitude = db.Column(
        db.Float,
        nullable=False
    )
    bottom_right_longitude = db.Column(
        db.Float,
        nullable=False
    )

    @return_ascii
    def __repr__(self):
        return format_repr(self, 'id', 'name', is_default=False)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: sqlite vs postgresql - database size comparision I have a sqlite db file which includes 2 tables and each has over 800k records. the sqlite db file size is 186MB.
I was planned to migrate those records to postgresql database.
In order to made it, I followed these steps:
1) prepared a view to unify these 2 tables in sqlite (they have relation)
2) create a table with one column type jsonb in postgres
3) made a simple program to read from sqlite and then write to postgresql
all 3 steps worked fine... sadly I didn't get what I expected!
postgresql table size is 367MB...
I thought that was going to be much lesser!
How could that be possible the sqlite tables (800k *2 records) consume less disk space than postgresql with one jsonb column and half record?!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
CCPA Ready
GDPR Ready
Privacy as a Service
Find out how we can help you reach compliance.
[block id="imagemobiles"]
UPDATE: Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation is in Full-Swing
Published on: January 30, 2019 September 11, 2020
Thomas Dombrowski
Interview with Lily Li of Metaverse Law to Discuss the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
How Does the CCPA Impact Retailers in California?
CCPA: A Quick Look at Facebook's Limited Data Use (LDU) Feature
5-Step Approach to GDPR & CCPA Compliance
The GDPR & Privacy Shield: Which Companies Should Self-Certify?
This isn't the first time we've addressed Canada's increasing concern for personal privacy and data security, as expressed in legislation. In particular, the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (hereinafter "CASL") has finally come into effect, and we're learning about it as Canadians, and those who advertise to Canadians spend time with the CASL.
CASL impacts those who use electronic and digital marketing and acts to protect Canadians from the impacts of spyware, phishing and the like. Violations are expensive, and therefore, companies were on the ball when CASL came into effect this June. If you'd like more information on CASL, please see our post "Coming to Canada this Year: The National Anti-Spam Law."
Consent can be obtained from word-of-mouth and conversations carried out on the phone or in person. Part of sealing the deal with these requests for commercial information is to obtain all of the requisite information for valid consent in the form of an email after the conversation.
CASL allows a company to send one commercial electronic message as a referral. This must include the name of the person who referred the company to the individual. The referring individual and the company must have an existing business relationship, and this relationship must be made transparent to the person obtaining the referral.
Consent to advertise can be obtained through social media. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest are crawling with companies wanting to advertise. If an individual gives consent on a social media platform, the consent is limited to that social media platform. Messages posted on the public face of the platform are not under the jurisdiction of CASL, but private messages are.
Recording Consents
Because CASL requires that a company obtain consent before advertising to someone, the company must be able to prove that consent was obtained. This is easily proved when permission is obtained online or in written form, but permission can also be obtained by oral consent. In these cases, it is recommended that an email be sent after the conversation verifying that consent was given to advertise to them.
These are just some observations made by those engaging with the CASL so far. If you require more information about that CASL and your business in particular, please contact our team at DPOAdviser today.
Copyright 2022 © DPO Adviser Read our Privacy Policy Resources About Videos Webinars Articles Publications Solutions CCPA Ready GDPR Ready Privacy as a Service LOCATIONS Irvine, CA Singapore, Asia Birmingham, England Contact Us Copyright 2022 © DPO Adviser Read our Privacy Policy
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When you want to buy a car the amount of what it cost is a huge factor in Philadelphia and with the median income of residents being $39k and insurance being $841 a month lets say.
Around 12K would be the most you want to spend on a car but if you have bad credit it might be hard to sallow that number.
We can help you get the best auto loan rate at your local car dealer in Philadelphia. You can shop today for your auto loan for your next car.
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If you're looking to discover somewhere new, look no further than Jasov. Whether you're planning to stay for a night or for the week, the area around Jasov has accommodations to fit every need. Search for hotels in Jasov with Hotels.com by checking our online map. Our map displays the areas and neighborhoods around all Jasov hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. The best Jasov hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee.
Where are the Best Places to Stay in Jasov?
When Is the Best Time to Visit Jasov?


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Home Must Reads Broken Britain
Disgraced former detective who used the dating app Grindr to groom a 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of gross misconduct
A disgraced former detective who used the dating app Grindr to groom a 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of gross misconduct. Detective Constable Jonathan Davies-Brewin, 50, set up a profile with the display name 'Older4Youngerx' to contact the teenager online. He arranged to meet the boy in a Tesco car park, not knowing he […]
by Joe Mellor
in Broken Britain, Must Reads
A disgraced former detective who used the dating app Grindr to groom a 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of gross misconduct.
Detective Constable Jonathan Davies-Brewin, 50, set up a profile with the display name 'Older4Youngerx' to contact the teenager online.
He arranged to meet the boy in a Tesco car park, not knowing he had been snared by a paedophile hunter who was posing as a child.
But when he arrived, Davies-Brewin was confronted by his own colleagues who found a bag of sex toys in his car.
In January, Davies-Brewin was handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting arranging to meet a boy following grooming.
He resigned from the force in January before he was sentenced having been suspended from duty following his arrest in June.
Under previous guidelines, his notice would not have been accepted but a change in the law brought in last year meant he was able to leave his post.
Watch: Dog chases bear away in David v Goliath battle
Paedophile who paid for children to be abducted, drugged and raped has been jailed
Diver swimming with huge barrel jellyfish – that was 'as big as a him'
Married police officer who used his position to seduce vulnerable women on duty is jailed
However, Essex Police held a special case hearing where Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh decided Davies-Brewin was guilty of gross misconduct and would have definitely lost his job had he not already resigned.
Detective Constable Jonathan Davies-Brewin, 49.
Following the hearing, Chief Constable Kavanagh said: "I demand the highest level of conduct from my officers and Jonathan Davies-Brewin's actions have fallen well below what I expect.
"I have no doubt in my mind he went to Braintree with the premeditated intention to abuse a young person.
"The role police officers play in society to protect the most vulnerable is a responsibility which must be taken with the utmost seriousness and is a fundamental pillar in public confidence in policing.
"Jonathan Davies-Brewin's conduct had the potential to undermine the faith of children and young people in police officers and their intentions and I have no hesitation in handing down this sanction.
"I believe I have some of the best officers in the country here in Essex and Davies-Brewin's behaviour is not, and should not, be a reflection on them.
"He may have already resigned but it was important this misconduct process took place.
"The outcome and sanction we have agreed on means he will be placed on the barred list and won't be able to work for another force anywhere in the country."
Mr Kavanagh said he was certain Davies-Brewin was guilty of gross misconduct.
The former officer did not attend the hearing at Chelmsford Civic Centre on Monday, despite having been made aware of it by his union representatives and having been served with papers at his home.
The hearing heard Davies-Brewin had been a police officer in Essex since May 1994 and his latest performance reviews showed he had been meeting expectations. In 2003 he was given a commendation.
Mr Kavanagh ordered he is added to the barred list – a publicly searchable database of officers guilty of gross misconduct.
The shamed officer, whose career spanned 25 years in the force, had earlier tried to make out he was part of a sting.
Chelmsford Crown Court was told how he sent clothed photos of his chest and face with sunglasses over Grindr and pictures in boxers showing his groin area.
He then arranged to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old boy at Tesco in Braintree over messaging service Whatsapp, where Davies-Brewin was arrested.
A search of his car uncovered sex toys and a liquid form of party drug poppers.
At the scene he told officers he was glad to be caught and said colleagues had done him a favour by arresting him.
Davies-Brewin, of Colchester, Essex, was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for ten years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order.
Rape victim told court she wants to 'burn her skin off' to rid herself of abuser's touch
"Manipulative, cunning and deceitful": Former detective who brought Soham murderer to justice says Huntley should "die in jail"
Joe Mellor
Head of News & Social Media at The London Economic


Professional Aura photography.Great fun for Small group parties, hen's nights, birthday parties, private and corporate functions and events.
See your beauty reflected in colour! Have your photograph spiritually analysed.
This is great for Hen's nights or something different and fun for a work get-together. They will come to your venue and they offer Aura readings with photo for each participant.
The hand-shaped plates are sophisticated sensors. They measure your electromagnetic field, based on the Ayurvedic (acupressure points on the hand) system of meridians.
The camera codes the energy readings into frequencies (which correspond to certain colours) and processes the image. A computer sorts the information and prints the Aura Photograph.
These measurements are expressed as vibrational levels which a computer chip turns into their relevant colours. A data cable from the sensor takes the information to the camera which takes a double exposure (your image plus superimposing of colours collected from the sensors).
This amazing photograph of all the collected data superimposed on the image is the Aura photo. Through the use of this remarkable technology, we gain a deeper insight into our emotional and mental states; healing and spiritual well-being. Thus we are now able to give a more accurate reading of the Aura based on the colours that are photographed.
The colour interpretations are universal in meaning. Our experienced reader takes the photo and interprets the particles of colours based upon their placement on the photo.
This Camera produces a mirror image of your aura. The Future is seen on the photo to the right, the Present is above the body, and the Past is on the left. Most of the cycles of our goals and desires shift every six months.
As you can see, an aura has several layers.
Why not have some fun with your guests, friends and fellow staff members? The Aura readings are suitable for small groups and can come to your venue, where ever you are in Auckland.
- Any function where you have time for your guests to sit for a while as readings do take minimum 10-15 minutes.


I have these fond boyhood memories of Dakota North. I didn't understand the questionable mimicry of Ms. Tree or the way the femme fatale AS private eye would be capable of so much more in the years to come. Sure, she was half model, half gun-toting investigating adventurer, but at a time when all of my comics from Marvel were spandex or toy licenses like Micronauts or what have you, it was a refreshing change, right down to the pop art covers. When I looked back to some of those references for this jam, I was startled at how dated they looked, how unlike my mental image of that material. It's funny how we rewrite memory. Anyway, my modern appreciation for the character comes from Brubaker and Rucka's Daredevil run, and so that's the homage in the piece I put together.


For me it's shocking to see Google having security breaches, but this is the second one now. At least Google is shutting G+ down.
Google has announced yet another data breach affecting its Google+ social network.
This incident is separate to the one that came to light in October, which prompted Google to announce that it would shut Google+ down – a decision that the Wall Street Journal said was calculated to avoid reputational damage and regulatory interest.
Following the latest incident, Google has decided to close Google+ four months earlier than originally planned.
I was a pretty aggressive user of Google+ when it first got introduced. The majority of people on it were in the SEO community since it was believed that Google+ could lead to enhanced rankings. I actually made a few real life friends and acquaintances from it.


FReeZA artists of the month Baby Blue poses on a staircase in Melbourne.
Beginning as a solo project for Melbourne's Rhea Caldwell, Baby Blue has since grown into a rocking, rollicking four-piece combining 60's rock, folk, and pop.
You've been pretty busy this year already with some really cool shows. Any other big plans for 2017?
We're supporting Sonny and the Sunsets at The Tote on the 13th of April, opening Boogie Festival on the 14th and finally launching our EP on May 25th at The Curtin with Swim Team and Closet Straights!
Big Smoke, Broads, Jade Imagine and Oh Pep!
I've been listening to Kevin Morby, Allah Las and Sonny and the Sunsets a lot lately but find influences from older stuff like Lou Reed, Neil Young and Mazzy Star.
I look after the bookings at Open Studio on High St and take photos for other musicians. The rest of the time I'm mostly hanging out with my dog or going to gigs and catching up with friends.
I'm really working on trying to connect at the moment and give the audiences a show that they'll feel good about going to. I write songs about a lot of personal stuff and issues I have to work through and I really like it if someone can hear a song and relate to it. I feel good about shows when someone relates to a song or a line in a song. It's a good reminder that we're all just humans struggling with the same things as one another.
Usually love or frustration in that department. I'm a total romantic and get myself into trouble for it. I'm trying to branch out and write about other things but that's always at the forefront.
I post about them on Facebook, our website and Instagram.


Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 11:00 a.m.
Into the woods we go…It's a woodland themed Storytime! Today our stories will feature your favorite woodland animals.
Come and make your own hedgehog friend for our craft! Join us as we read stories, sing songs, and make crafts. Program is for children ages 5 and under with a caregiver, siblings welcome.


text:
using System.Xml;
//using NLog;
using UrdfToUnity.Urdf;
using UrdfToUnity.Urdf.Models;
using UrdfToUnity.Urdf.Models.Attributes;
using UrdfToUnity.Util;

namespace UrdfToUnity.Parse.Xml
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Parses a URDF <origin> element from XML into a Origin object.
    /// </summary>
    /// <seealso cref="http://wiki.ros.org/urdf/XML/link"/>
    /// <seealso cref="http://wiki.ros.org/urdf/XML/joint"/>
    /// <seealso cref="Urdf.Models.Origin"/>
    public sealed class OriginParser : AbstractUrdfXmlParser<Origin>
    {
        //protected override Logger Logger { get; } = LogManager.GetCurrentClassLogger();

        /// <summary>
        /// The name of the URDF XML element that this class parses.
        /// </summary>
        protected override string ElementName { get; } = UrdfSchema.ORIGIN_ELEMENT_NAME;

        /// <summary>
        /// Parses a URDF <origin> element from XML.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="node">The XML node of a <origin> element. MUST NOT BE NULL</param>
        /// <returns>An Origin object parsed from the XML</returns>
        public override Origin Parse(XmlNode node)
        {
            ValidateXmlNode(node);

            XmlAttribute xyzAttribute = GetAttributeFromNode(node, UrdfSchema.XYZ_ATTRIBUTE_NAME);
            XmlAttribute rpyAttribute = GetAttributeFromNode(node, UrdfSchema.RPY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME);

            Origin.Builder originBuilder = new Origin.Builder();

            if (xyzAttribute != null)
            {
                if (!RegexUtils.IsMatchNDoubles(xyzAttribute.Value, 3))
                {
                    LogMalformedAttribute(UrdfSchema.XYZ_ATTRIBUTE_NAME);
                }
                else
                {
                    double[] values = RegexUtils.MatchDoubles(xyzAttribute.Value);
                    originBuilder.SetXyz(new XyzAttribute(values[0], values[1], values[2]));
                }
            }

            if (rpyAttribute != null)
            {
                if (!RegexUtils.IsMatchNDoubles(rpyAttribute.Value, 3))
                {
                    LogMalformedAttribute(UrdfSchema.RPY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME);
                }
                else
                {
                    double[] values = RegexUtils.MatchDoubles(rpyAttribute.Value);
                    originBuilder.SetRpy(new RpyAttribute(values[0], values[1], values[2]));
                }
            }

            return originBuilder.Build();
        }
    }
}


Volvo indulged in some odd behaviour overnight when it made a curious omission from a publicity release promoting the Kinetic Energy Recovery System development for which it has just received a US$1,000,000 grant from the Swedish Energy Agency.
Volvo named its partners in the KERS project being Volvo Powertrain and SKF, but somehow managed to leave out the fact that the core technologies described in the press release and portrayed in the diagrams it released alongside the press release were Torotrak's variable drive technology and Flybrid Systems (UK) flywheel KERS technology originally developed for Honda F1 and set to debut in the Le Mans 24 Hour Race next week.
Torotrak immediately issued its own press release setting the record straight, but it's hard to see any motive for Volvo's omission other than to mislead the public as to its progress and expertise in the field.
The Volvo press release describes how the technology has the potential for reducing fuel consumption by 20%, giving four cylinder engines the acceleration of a six cylinder unit.
Indeed, looking through the press release, it's obvious that a lot of trouble has been taken to omit the names Torotrak and Flybrid. For instance, when describing the lightweight flywheel being used in the new KERS, the press release notes "Flywheel propulsion assistance was tested in a Volvo 240 back in the 1980s, and flywheels made of steel have been evaluated by various manufacturers in recent times. ... The flywheel that Volvo Car Corporation will use in its test car is made of carbon fibre."
Regardless of whether Volvo publicly wishes to acknowledge where the technology it is testing comes from, it seems certain that Volvo intends to pursue mechanical KERS in its road cars.
"If the tests and technical development go as planned, we expect cars with flywheel technology to reach the showrooms within a few years," said Derek Crabb, Vice President VCC Powertrain Engineering.
"The flywheel technology is relatively cheap. It can be used in a much larger volume of our cars than top-of-the-line technology such as the plug-in hybrid. This means that it has potential to play a major role in our CO2-cutting DRIVe Towards Zero strategy."


text:
[FEATURING] PayMaya, AMLC ink deal to address financial crimes
April 22, 2021 April 25, 2022 ByFintech Alliance.Ph Add Comment
Digital payments firm PayMaya Philippines, Inc. announced on Thursday that it had signed a partnership agreement with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to help the government in addressing financial crimes.
AMLC and PayMaya signed an information-sharing protocol agreement, which will serve as a bilateral agreement and cooperative framework "to prevent and mitigate financial crimes in the country," the digital financial services company said in an emailed statement.
Under the agreement, AMLC and PayMaya will work together on information-sharing and capacity building.
PayMaya said the collaboration aims to "strengthen the integrity" of the country's financial system.
The information-sharing protocol agreement, PayMaya also noted, can help address other crimes such as online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, human trafficking, terrorism financing, swindling or estafa, and donation scams, among others.
PayMaya is a subsidiary of Voyager Innovations, Inc., the digital innovations company of PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin
BSP wants Bank Secrecy Law eased
[FEATURING] Sun Life of Canada: Top insurers with healthy biz during pandemic year named


text:
Home Archives 2013 January 5
Daily Archives: Jan 5, 2013
Police at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's home after one of their kids pushes panic button
One of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's children accidentally pushed a "panic alarm" inside their house last night that prompted a massive response from...
Jameela Jamil fashion tips
DJ Jameela Jamil recently followed in the footsteps of Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton in turning her hand to designing for Very.co.uk. And now, as...
Gerard Depardieu arrives in Russia to receive his new passport from Vladimir Putin
Gerard Depardieu has arrived in Russia, where he has been granted citizenship and a private meeting with President Vladimir Putin. A Kremlin spokesman said Gerard...
Marianne Faithfull and Mick Jagger story
With the best will in the world, the Landestheater in the Austrian city of Linz is not exactly Madison Square Garden. But for the past...
Drunken passenger taped to his seat during flight to New York after ranting the plane was going to crash
A drunken passenger on an IcelandAir flight from Iceland to New York was duct-taped to his seat by fellow passengers after attacking one woman,...
Lance Armstrong considers publicly admitting his doping guilt and that his seven Tour de France titles were a fraud
Former cyclist Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping last October, is said to be considering admitting...
Bicholim Conflict: fictitious war for Goan independence that fooled Wikipedia for five years
"Bicholim Conflict" was voted a "good article" - a Wikipedia badge of honor - and sat happily on the online encyclopedia for more than...
Venezuela National Assembly to begin its new session amid Hugo Chavez crisis
Venezuelan National Assembly is due to begin its new session as the ill-health of President Hugo Chavez casts doubt over his inauguration on January...
Vittorio Missoni missing as his plane disappears in Venezuela
A small aircraft carrying Vittorio Missoni, director of Italian fashion house Missoni, has disappeared off the coast of Venezuela. Vittorio Missoni and his wife were...
India gang-rape case: Delhi court hears of DNA evidence
DNA tests have linked five men with the gang rape and murder from last month that has caused outrage in India, a court in...
US Congress passes emergency aid package for Superstorm Sandy victims
The US Congress has passed an emergency aid package for victims of Superstorm Sandy, days after an outcry over a delay in approval. The $9.7...
Senator Michael Crapo admits drink-driving
Republican Senator Michael Crapo has pleaded guilty to drink-driving, at a court in the state of Virginia and has had his driver's licence suspended...
King Juan Carlos gives rare TV interview
King Juan Carlos of Spain has given a rare television interview on the eve of his 75th birthday. In the interview, King Juan Carlos expressed...
Bluefin tuna fetches $1.7 million in Japan
A single bluefin tuna has sold in Japan for 155 million yen ($1.7 million), almost triple the record price set last year. High bids traditionally...
Hugo Chavez can rule without oath
Venezuela's government has said President Hugo Chavez can begin his new six-year term in office on January 10, even if he is too ill...
Curiosity rover close to drilling into Martian rock
NASA's Curiosity rover is very close to drilling into its first Martian rock, with the set-up operation likely to begin next week. After breaking for...
Iran 7.8-magnitude earthquake kills at least 40 people near Pakistan border
South-east Iran has been hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, with tremors felt across Pakistan, India and the Middle East. The …Read More »
Tom Cruise speaks about divorce from Katie Holmes for the first time
Tom Cruise has made his first comments about his divorce from Katie Holmes last year during an interview with a …Read More »
Deep South winter storm leaves thousands stranded on highways
A snow storm spawned traffic chaos in the Deep South leaving thousands of people stranded overnight on motorways, in schools …Read More »
How to boost a woman's mood
According to a British research, compliments beat sex, shopping and even chocolate when it comes to boosting a woman's mood. …Read More »
Annapurna Circuit: Nepal trekking death toll reaches 28
The death toll of Nepal's Annapurna Circuit has reached 28, officials say, after blizzards struck at the height of the …Read More »


As many as 16 infants, 40 toddlers (16 months to 3 years old) and 60 preschoolers (up to 6 years old) could liven up the corporate landscape of the 670-acre International Trade Center (ITC) in Mount Olive, N.J., next spring.
Bright Horizons, a five-year-old Cambridge, Mass., child-care company, will open its 46th center there in a 6,200-square-foot, one-story building at 450 International Drive.
"As the owner of a very large mixed-use business park we saw the need for this amenity," said Leslie R. Smith Jr., executive director of ITC. The Rockefeller Group, which is still developing the complex that includes the New Jersey Foreign Trade Zone, is financing construction of the $1.2 million project.
The day-care center's exterior "will be sympathetic to other buildings," said Richard C. Ashcroft of Cooper, Robertson + Partners, Manhattan architects. Inside, there will be an infants' room with a food preparation counter, refrigerator, changing tables and two sleep areas; a toddlers' area with changing tables and bathroom and playspace; and a preschoolers area adjoining a kitchen with low countertops for snacks. There will also be outdoor play areas.
The design also calls for a nursing nook and a reception-resource area where parents -- who will pay tuition not yet set up -- can stop by for coffee or parenting tips.
"We strive for a home-like environment," said Heather Samson, field manager for Bright Horizons.


text:
Visit the Movie Wave Store | Movie Wave Home | Reviews by Title | Reviews by Composer | Contact me
If only it lived up to its name
A review by JAMES SOUTHALL
Music composed by
UNNAMED ORCHESTRA
GORDON GOODWIN
Engineered by
STEVE KEMPSTER
WILL KAPLAN
PAUL LINFORD
Album running time
VARESE SARABANDE
VSD-6182
Album cover copyright (c) 2000 Touchstone Pictures; review copyright (c) 2007 James Southall
It's quite a feat, but Gone in 60 Seconds is probably both the most inconsequential film I've ever seen, and also the most objectionable, with an utterly dumb plot about stealing cars being ridiculously over-acted by a cast which is not that bad (Nicolas Cage is as unlikely an action hero as ever, but you might expect more from Robert Duvall, Angelina Jolie and Ving Rhames). In fact, it's so bad they somehow even made Jolie look completely unattractive. It's directed by Dominic Sena, but the most important creative (or, perhaps, destructuve) presence is of course producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Sometimes indescribably bad films somehow manage to inspire good scores - with the composer ignoring how absurd everything is and writing impressive music anyway. Indeed, there are many film scores by many great film composers which are for truly awful films. This is not one of those times. Trevor Rabin - pretty much Bruckheimer's "house composer" by that stage - has not distinguished himself with outstanding film music on many occasions, but it's still a pity that he couldn't raise his game slightly higher than he did here.
Drum loops and mostly synthesised power anthems abound here - it's a bit like "Music inspired by Top Gun" written by an 8-year-old for his school music project. In fairness to Rabin, I'm sure he was only writing in the style he was told to, and given that constraint it's very difficult to muster up anything particularly worthwile - but even if it's not right to lay the blame at the door of the composer, that doesn't make the music any less awful. There's no soul anywhere to be found - it seems designed to be plastered anywhere in the film the producer and director might want, with no dramatic statement underlying any of it.
Easily the best thing about it is that it's only 29 minutes long. But here's the thing - I don't know how many hundreds of new film scores have been released in the couple of years after this one - and I guess that a pretty large proportion of them were deleted by their record labels a long time ago. Seven years on, this one's still in print, which suggests there is a far larger market for this kind of thing than for any film score album I might like. A bit sad, but true. If extremely simple, directionless rock instrumentals are your thing, then by all means give it a go. Otherwise, use the 29 minutes for doing something more productive, like seeing how many paper clips it takes to make a lifesize replica of Aristotle Onassis.
Porsche Boost (1:12)
The Last Car (4:49)
Keys to Eleanor (1:22)
50 Cars (2:57)
Sphinx (:38)
Bad Man (1:36)
For the Cars (1:31)
Roundabend (5:21)
Meet the Team (1:15)
Memphis Jumps Elle (1:40)
The Throb (1:10)
Bad English (1:35)
Halls of Dalmorgan (:53)
Big Drag (:49)
Bad Carma (1:51)


The current lifecycle of most jobs is pretty linear – write your post, spray and pray, see what comes back, repeat. That repeat step typically involves copying and pasting the same job description, posting on the same job sites and whining about the same ridiculous cost per applicant. Yet, we don't change. It's rare to hear about any distruption in that well-tested model.
It doesn't help that we're really just guessing when it comes to digitally advertising jobs. Most recruiters have 0 background on placing an ad, PPC, or even know what an impression really is. That leaves a lot of people guessing on where to advertise, what to say, where to be online and where to buy. Then, the problem is compounded by blindly following lists and terrible webinar content versus doing our research or using the technology that's available. I mean, the way you do things now works – at least eventually, right?
What we tend to forget by falling back on our fail-safe mantras is that our job ads are marketing our companies. They're an opportunity in disguise, disguised by our philosophies and insistence that it's "just a job." The reality is that our job descriptions take passion and dull them into a bunch of adjectives and nouns that mean nothing to someone from the outside looking in. They focus on the work, not the demographic, psychographic and behavioral data that is so readily available with the addition of a few technology hacks like marketing pixels.
Shifting into a new mindset on marketing jobs starts with a scientific approach. What some might call an educated guess. Instead of researching "where to search for Java candidates," it's doing a search to find Java communities and comparing popularity. It's about going to different corners of the cave and discovering new people versus following the path everyone else uses.
Then, it's about testing that theory with marketing pixels (a little slice of code that tracks where people go from your site) to prove a strategy and see that someone is actually doing what we expect them to do and if not, where they're going instead. It's about refining and retargeting instead of using the same recycled model. We're tapping into a data set that can help us make better budgeting decisions when it comes down to the whole "spray and pray" job distribution method.
Using just this top level data, we can make decisions. We can start to track paths and understand where our best candidates are coming from. That's what programmatic is all about. Delivering impressions to people who might actually be interested instead of showing an ad to a million people who aren't nurses.
That pixel I mentioned earlier delivers the big data we really need to improve and make decisions about advertising with more information. That is the definition of programmatic advertising. At its most fundamental level, programmatic advertising is the automated process of buying and selling ad inventory through an exchange. What makes it smart is all the intelligence and algorithms that go into making those display decisions based on activity instead of just a whim.
You can target your budget goals more closely – Programmatic advertising tools keep working even after you've booked the ad. It's optimizing for applies instead of clicks and delivering measurable differences in ROI.
It's cost-effective – With programmatic, you have the ability to adjust your budget in real time based on results instead of pouring your money into one time buys that don't work.
You can gain more customer insights – Programmatic technology is constantly gathering data based on the type of candidates that apply to your jobs.
It makes media buying easier– Stop sitting on calls with job ad vendors for hours while they try to swoon you with numbers that don't mean anything. Instead, spend time focusing on the next steps and following up with candidates. You know, that whole candidate experience thing.
It's scalable – It's easy to dial up with programmatic during seasonal hiring waves because it allows you to to reach a larger audience across multiple websites and touch points in a timely and efficient manner.


text:
The Texanist: Hi, I'm From East Texas! Uh, Where Is That, Exactly?
A Dallas man who grew up on the Louisiana border isn't sure his home region actually exists.
David Courtney
https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/the-texanist-where-is-east-texas/
From the June 2018 Issue Subscribe
Illustration by Zohar Lazar
Q: Although I have lived in Dallas County since 1960, I am really a native East Texan. People often ask me which part of East Texas I'm from. "Kaufman? Tyler? Longview? Rusk?" they'll say. Sometimes I'm even asked if it's Paris, Athens, or Palestine. "No," I tell them, "I'm from Hemphill, in Sabine County, Deep East Texas." But where is East Texas, really? Is it anywhere from east of Dallas to northeast of Houston? Or could it just be a state of mind, like New York?
Robert Sewell, Ed.D., Dallas County
A: If the Texanist has ever read a sentence pertaining to East Texas that ended with the words "like New York," he doesn't remember it. In fact, this may be the first time such a sentence has ever been written. Congratulations, Dr. Sewell. That said, the Texanist has been to both New York and East Texas and can report with as much confidence as he's ever summoned up while reporting anything in his whole long life that those two places are not at all alike. But the Texanist does see what you're trying to say with the "state of mind" comparison, even though he's not really much of a Billy Joel fan. And he doesn't disagree with you. East Texas and New York are both unique places that exist on a physical as well as a metaphysical sort of plane.
Your query about the physical part of that equation—"Where is East Texas?"—reminds the Texanist of a letter he received back in November 2013 from a woman with a similar question about the regionalization of the state, although that lady's main concern was the whereabouts of West Texas. The Texanist is relieved to say that what he told the writer of that letter all those years ago still holds true today: "The nomenclature attached to the state's different regions can be confusing." Texas has been sliced up by so many geographers, both amateur and professional, that it's sometimes said that the state boasts seven physical regions (Big Bend Country, Gulf Coast, Hill Country, Panhandle Plains, Piney Woods, Prairies and Lakes, South Texas Plains) and other times that there are only four (Gulf Coastal Plains, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, Basin and Range Province). Others will apply simpler, somewhat less academic and more familiar terms (West Texas, East Texas, Deep East Texas, "Behind the Pine Curtain," South Texas, Central Texas, North Texas, the Panhandle, etc.). What is a Texan to make of such a dizzying assortment of regions, subregions, and nether regions? ("Nether regions? Really?" No, the Texanist just wanted to make sure you were paying attention.)
In the course of answering the "Where's West Texas?" question, the Texanist relayed an easy-to-use rule of thumb that has long served him well in ascertaining whether he was visiting East Texas or West Texas: If you take a moment to look around and see that there are numerous tall trees, you are probably not in West Texas. And if you stop and look around and see broad scenic vistas, you are probably not in East Texas. Not bad, huh? (As a side note, the Texanist feels compelled to note that once, after having had a particularly weird dream in which he was named lead judge of the Southern Hush Puppy Championship at the annual Texas State Forest Festival in Lufkin, he attempted to formulate another "Am I in West/East Texas?" test having to do with the quality of restaurant hush puppies. Alas, the research that was required to construct the test was as bad for the Texanist's midsection as the test itself was at telling him where he was.)
But a guide alerting you to where East Texas is not doesn't really answer the question you've posed, which, if the Texanist recalls, was "Where is East Texas?" Additionally, one could reasonably argue that there is no definitive answer to your question. As pretty much any denizen of Big Bend Country, the Gulf Coast, Hill Country, the Panhandle Plains, or the Piney Woods, etc. could tell you, the various lines of demarcation separating Texas's various regions are pretty fuzzy.
That caveat notwithstanding, it is nonetheless fairly well accepted that the greener, damper, and more humid part of the state known as "East Texas" is separated from the other parts of the state by just such a fuzzy line, this one running from the Red River in north central Lamar County (Paris) southwest to east central Limestone County (Groesbeck) and then south and east toward Galveston Bay (Harris and Chambers counties). Anything that lies east of that line and west of our borders with Arkansas and Louisiana can pretty safely be referred to as East Texas, though whether that fuzzy line passes east of, west of, or right smack through the middle of Houston will be argued from now until the end of time.
The Texanist hopes this helps you find your place in the world.
Have a question for the Texanist? He's always available here. Be sure to tell him where you're from.
A version of this is published in the June 2018 issue.
Tags: The Texanist, East Texas
Alan D Granger
A few years ago my wife and I were in El Paso talking to a friend that stated that he had lived in El Paso for 45 years, but had originally come from East Texas. Maria asked him where in East Texas. His answer "Brownwood". So there you go, If you live in El Paso, anything east of Ft. Stockton is East Texas.
Alan, that is truly funny. I'm from East Texas. Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas. However, Brownwood is not in "throwing distance" of here. Haha.
Kenneth D. Franks
Anything West of 35 can't be East Texas.
Gary Denton
Should have included a map like this one:
https://www.east-texas.com/east-texas-maps.htm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a2ac412ce1ba9c99274dcebb0673ff4b282566d9d36b1652b688688ca8123b9e.jpg
Paul Sadler
I grew up in Groesbeck and have always told everyone it is on the edge of east Texas. Now I have official verification of that. Thanks, Texanist.
Wright on Taco Plants Barbecue Roots in a Tiny East Texas Town
A Final Toast to the Quirkiest Little Dive Bar in the Piney Woods
By Wes Ferguson
Brisket Love Barbecue & Icehouse Adds a Required Stop to Any East Texas BBQ Tour
Texas Monthly Recommends: Lizzo Sets the "Tempo" with Missy Elliot in Her Latest Single
The Texanist: Who on Earth Holds a Cookout at a Highway Rest Stop?
The Texanist: Where Did the Phrase "Texas Leaguer" Come From?
We Were Always West Texas Sisters
By Ruth Pennebaker
Meanwhile, in Texas: A Longhorn (The Four-Footed Kind) Sets a World Record
By Leif Reigstad
The Art of Racing Pigeons
By Sterry Butcher
The Texanist: Should I Stop Wearing My Stetson Now That They've Become So Popular?
Meanwhile in Texas: If the Boat's a-Rockin' . . .


text:
Midge season has extended owing to climate change, study shows
Scientists warn the extended period could have dire consequences for animals that are susceptible to bluetongue.
Research highlights the effect of global warming on insect populations
New scientific evidence suggests the UK midge season has extended over the last 40 years owing to climate change.
The findings, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, could help scientists better predict how disease spread may alter in response to future climate change.
In the study, scientists analysed midge activity over two UK sites: Starcross in Devon and Preston in Lancashire. The sites are home to the longest-running flying insect survey in the world, the Rothamsted Insect Survey.
In total, the team looked more than 2,800 insect collections that spanned a 40-year timescale and contained more than 150,000 midges.
They found that the number of days midges were active across the two sites varied. Although they observed a similar change in temperature across the two sites, there was no significant change in midge prevalence at Starcross. At Preston, however, the midges had extended their yearly activity period by 40 days since the 1980s.
The study was carried out by scientists at The Pirbright Institute, Rothamsted Research, The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Met Office.
Dr Chris Sander, who led the study at Pirbright, said: "At first we thought this large difference in response might be due to many other local factors that can affect midge populations, such as abundance of their food source (like cattle) and changes in land use.
"But we found that these factors either remained consistent for both sites over the course of this study, or the changes would have been neutral in terms of their effects on the midge population, indicating that there was something else at play".
Scientists warn the extended period could have dire consequences for animals that are susceptible to bluetongue as it increases that time at which they are at risk of contracting the disease. Decreasing the time when adult midges are absent during the colder months increases the chance the virus will be able to overwinter and emerge the following spring.
Movement restrictions imposed on animals during a Bluetongue outbreak could be lifted when midge activity and disease transmission is negotiable, scientists said. A longer midge season would reduce the available time for the trade and movement of these animals, having a significant impact on these industries.


eBiblioTopia: eBookLand: New Nook Glows!
New York, New York – April 12, 2012 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today introduced NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, the world's first E Ink device with patent-pending lighting technology that eliminates the number-one problem couples have in bed – having their sleep interrupted, or being prevented from falling asleep, when their partner reads with the light on. With a soft, adjustable glow, GlowLight gives bedtime readers just the right amount of light for reading, without disturbing a sleepy spouse. Like having two Readers in one, the first and only Reader designed to let E Ink customers read in the dark is equally amazing at the beach, with a paper-like reading experience, even in the bright sun. This revolutionary device is the first to combine the most advanced and fastest E Ink display with a precise infrared touchscreen, built-in anti-glare screen for reading in any lit environment, and an evenly distributed and adjustable light for reading in the dark. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is also the lightest NOOK ever, with a long-lasting battery for over one month of reading on a single charge, with the light on. Customers can pre-order the newest addition to the award-winning NOOK portfolio immediately for just $139 at www.nook.com and in Barnes & Noble stores. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight will be in stores and homes starting in early May, a perfect gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day and graduations.
For people who love to read, E Ink's paper-like readability, no-glare screen and long battery life have made it a favorite and nearly perfect device choice, with one exception: reading in bed or other low-light environments. And according to a recent Barnes & Noble national survey of adult readers, reading in bed is what 64 percent do on a regular basis, so it's not surprising that the number-one request from E Ink customers is the ability to read in the dark to avoid bothering a significant other.
Barnes & Noble created breakthrough GlowLight technology, an innovative lighting solution optimized for low-light conditions, never before seen on an E Ink display and not available on any Kindle. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight delivers uniform light across an E Ink display, creating a better nighttime reading experience than LCD. GlowLight turns on instantly and adjusts easily with a touch, so customers can control the amount of light, whether in a dimly lit or pitch dark room. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is the perfect peacekeeper for the half of survey respondents who would read more in bed if it didn't interfere with their partners' sleep.
Bed Heads: Approximately two-thirds (64 percent) of people polled read in bed, and nearly a quarter read in bed between five and seven days a week.
People who own Readers are among the most likely to read in bed (72 percent) and are more likely to read in bed on a weekly basis than tablet owners (61 percent vs. 54 percent).
The Gender Divide: While reading in bed is a top pick for both genders, there's a distinct divide when it comes to second place: women are likelier than men to read outdoors (40 percent vs. 25 percent), and men more frequently read in the bathroom (41 percent vs. 26 percent for women).
The Light/Dark Debate: 77 percent of survey respondents say they or their partner requires light for their bedtime reading, although nearly 90 percent say their ideal sleep environment is completely dark.
Men are far more likely than women to report their significant other disrupts their sleep by using a light to read in bed.
Keeping Peace: 50 percent of respondents say either they or their partner would read more in bed if it didn't affect the other person's sleep.
31 percent of respondents noted that a partner's use of a light to read in bed interfered with their sleep or prevented them from falling asleep, while 20 percent noted that romantic overtures did the same.
Perturbed Partners: Nearly half (42 percent) of survey respondents have gone to sleep annoyed because their significant other was reading with a light on.
The "lights-on" breach of bediquette leads many to throw in the towel when it comes to sleep with flipping on the TV, leaving the room to read or staying up to read themselves the most frequent alternatives.
At under 7 ounces, NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is Barnes & Noble's lightest NOOK ever and 5 percent lighter than the highly acclaimed NOOK Simple Touch. The device's ergonomic soft-touch design makes it super comfortable to hold in just one hand – perfect for staying up all night in bed with a can't-put-it-down novel, or for carrying everywhere. Customers can also personalize their devices with an exclusive array of stylish and protective accessories.
NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight brings first-to-the-world lighting innovation to Barnes & Noble's award-winning Reader and reading experience. The most-advanced and fastest E Ink display and revolutionary built-in screen protector offer paper-like reading with no glare, even in bright sun, and lightning-fast page turns. The company's exclusive Best-Text™ technology with adjustable fonts optimizes each letter, so words are crisp and clear.
It's easy to navigate, shop and read with just the touch of a finger on NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight's 6-inch touchscreen. Touch to turn pages, look up words, highlight passages, read your way by adjusting the font size and style and more. Shop the world's largest digital bookstore of more than 2.5 million books, magazines and newspapers and enjoy helpful recommendations from Barnes & Noble's book experts, personalized based on favorite authors, as well as those from friends to decide what to read next. Plus, borrow digital books from public libraries.
NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight holds more than 1,000 books, plus it has expandable memory. It's easy to keep reading on the go with long-lasting battery life: on a single charge with Wi-Fi® off, read for over one month with GlowLight on and over two months with it off.
At the amazingly low price of $139, NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight offers an award-winning reading experience, including a power adapter and built-in anti-glare screen protector at no additional cost, unlike Kindle. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight can be pre-ordered at www.nook.com and in Barnes & Noble stores. The newest NOOK is expected to be in stores and in homes starting in early May, in time for Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations and summer reading. Experience NOOK products at www.nook.com or at the NOOK Digital Shops™ and displays in one of Barnes & Noble's nearly 700 bookstores and other leading retailers. Barnes & Noble offers Always Free NOOK Support in all of its neighborhood bookstores, with more than 40,000 NOOKsellers across the country ready to assist customers with setting up their NOOK devices or choosing their next great read.


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American Airlines offers pilots nearly 17% pay raises in new contract proposal
Pilots talk as they look at the tail of an American Airlines aircraft.
Mike Stone | Reuters
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom on Thursday said the carrier has offered its pilots pay raises totaling nearly 17% under a new contract, according to an internal video seen by CNBC.
The latest proposal to the pilots' union, the Allied Pilots Association, comes less than a week after rival United Airlines and its pilots' union reached a tentative agreement that includes more than 14% in total raises over the next 18 months. That deal faces a vote by United's pilots that ends in mid-July.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates.
Stocks rally to end the first day of the second half, Dow jumps 300 points
Internal Facebook memo warns company must be disciplined, prioritize ruthlessly


text:
Courtesy of Apple.
The most perceivable whitespaces are filled in with mobile. However, there are still opportunities. The underlying platform in markets long resistant to innovation is now mobile first. Full-stack entrants are now able to penetrate markets like healthcare and financial services by building products and distribution native to mobile. Ultimately, they are crafting customer experiences orders of magnitude better than before.
It's true that smartphone innovation has plateaued the top of the S Curve. What's new is more incremental than transformative. But incremental advances are underrated. The commoditization of LBS and mobile app reliability spawned Uber. Instagram leveraged improved mobile cameras and increased bandwidth.
Face ID, AR Kit, and Neural Engine are major upgrades for the iPhone (and similar flagship Android devices): the ability to track facial expressions, augment and understand real-world surroundings, and compute powerful neural networks are all powerful new primitives for smartphones. These additions are all new compelling "why now opportunities" for startups.
The current use cases appear trivial, like Animoji, but the next big thing always starts as a toy. AR is the most significant advancement of computing interaction since multi-touch replaced the mouse, which replaced the command line. Challenges around miniaturization and computer vision remain for AR devices. The use cases are also still unclear.
With the advent of AR Kit and AR Core, mobile AR will be a central testing site for groundbreaking applications. While the install base is already massive, most smartphone cameras lack stereo vision and depth computation. Making high-end smartphones cheaper—a trend that will continue—is key to accelerating adoption. It is likely that the next major AR consumer startups get their start on mobile.
It's evident the "smart" phone is an anachronism today. In 2012, Matt Cohler noted the best mobile apps were a " remote control for real life." People spend less time using smartphones as phones, but a control for the real world. When assessing the next great platforms to usurp smartphones… "what is better than a remote control for real life?"
Eventually, the functions, rather than the physical object itself (smartphones) will take center stage. The core technology will be absorbed into other products and venues—like AirPods with voice and audio. As Jordan Cooper notes, "Siri will be exposed via an always-on mic interface in future generations of AirPods." I expect a Cambrian explosion of products and business models native to voice and audio.
The near-term potential for AirPods is voice-user interfaces. However, the ear is the perfect place to place biometric sensors. In the potentially not too distant future, AirPods will enable biofeedback-interfacings and brain-computing interfacings. The disruptive and transformative impact is clear. Biofeedback will replace surveys and likes, brain-computing interfacings will replace multi-touch.
Courtesy of "Disruptive Interfaces & The Emerging Battle To Be The Default" by Scott Belsky.
Whether it be AirPods, Magic Leap, Alexa, etc., emerging platforms are doing things better than smartphones or doing things smartphones can't. New computing platforms will displace smartphones by making the user experience more efficient and cheaper. They eliminate friction to products and services (like browsing) and even transcend human reason (via ML). Today's primary levers of competitive strategy will be excluded from the moment where customers make decisions. As Scott Belsky notes, "'closed' user experience built on top of a wide open and hotly competitive ecosystem of services." The rise of disruptive interfaces will have tremendous secondary and tertiary effects on consumer behaviors and customer demands.
Many of today's business models around mobile will atrophy. They will not only fatigue but will be incompatible with future computing platforms. Countries that have leapfrogged Web 1.0 infrastructure to go straight mobile-first have business models more reflective of the future. In China, media businesses have emerged with revenue models beyond traditional advertising.
These business models (like subscription) are an intermediate step towards more efficient and discriminate value creation and capture. China is an interesting case study. It already has undergone app consolidation with WeChat. Third-party developers apps connect seamlessly to the payment and social functions of a user's existing WeChat account. WeChat has become the primary interface layer for customers.
Courtesy of Tips & Tricks for WeChat.
However, the concerns around mobile disruption are twofold: mobile's scale and the meaning of disruptive innovation. Mobile disrupted PCs in the same way PCs disrupted mainframes. While mobile devices introduced a more advanced paradigm of computing, they achieved scale from a new and larger untapped customer base. Mobile's install base is 3-5x larger than PCs with annual unit sales of ARM/iOS/Android at 10x the unit sales of PCs. It's mathematically impossible for another platform to disrupt mobile through scale power because there are not enough people on earth.
Furthermore, many of the new platforms are not only dependent on the smartphone supply chain but are complementary products. As of now, VR, IoT, AR, and AI interfacing is still reliant on the smartphone and the smartphone ecosystem. Smartphones remain the default interface for consumers to access the web. While smartphone sales and upgrades have stagnated, sales and upgrades are inevitable. 5G will require users to upgrade as will the need to access high-end features.
This brings us to GAFA. Mobile has enabled GAFA with unprecedented scale. In their current period of dominance, GAFA has 10x the scale of Wintel. GAFA has an enormous distribution advantage to test new idea to wider markets. As customer acquisition cost increase for consumer products, companies like Google and Facebook benefit most.
GAFA has also leveraged their resources to remain influential in startups in health and financial services. While GAFA has commoditized basic enabling services around infrastructure, payments, and intelligence, this makes most startups dependent on GAFA's ecosystem. While a new platform may usurp mobile, it's a question on whether it's able to usurp the GAFA ecosystem along with it.
Courtesy of Stratechery.
I noted in "Technological Revolutions Should Make Our Future Better":
Finding power-law returns is difficult in today's consolidating market (GAFA). GAFA has massive distribution along with deep moats. The new incumbents are super-evolved organisms compared to their predecessors in Wintel and IBM. Investors and entrepreneurs are actively looking for the next insurgent platforms. The next S-Curves will need to have a tremendous market size but also have free and liquid distribution channels.
By 2020, more than 5bn people will have smartphones. GAFA has been particularly aggressive with global expansion. Facebook is aggressive with Internet.org to continue its scale. There is also still room to democratize access to high-end smartphones globally. GAFA (along with their Chinese counterparts, BATX (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and Xiaomi) will only gain more competitive power as a result of these secular trends.
However, as Benedict Evans notes, "Microsoft's moment of victory was in 1995 with Windows 95, yet that was also in hindsight the end of its dominance of tech, as the agenda moved to the internet." In many ways, I think the rise of decentralized networks has the potential to commoditize mobile devices, and shift our attention away.
I expressed in "Wellness: the Next Seven Deadly Sins"
Distribution changes as the customer purchasing journey and top of funnel discovery are disrupted. Business models not native to these new tech enablers and distribution methods will atrophy.
The offline and online world is increasingly becoming more integrated with technology. As wellness becomes ubiquitous in our offline lifestyles, it will dominate our online presence. The moats of today's largest media businesses are more exposed than most imagine: convex growth via network effects can result in concave decay.
Given all the ad-fatigue and emphasis on user experience, it's difficult to see how mobile-based ad revenue models are compatible with emerging technologies like AR, VR, and cryptonetworks.
I think this is why decentralization matters so much. It has the potential to reorganize the internet and create new networks native to new computing platforms that more efficiently and naturally connect desires, behaviors and values of today. I noted in When Moore's Law Ends: the Computing Resurgence about the ongoing renaissance in more diverse computing architectures. From AOL, Web, and GAFA, cryptonetworks is a renaissance of the original internet by enabling trust and cooperation at an unprecedented scale.
If you're an investor or entrepreneur building or thinking about any of these ideas, feel free to drop me a line.
Posted on December 8, 2018 February 24, 2019 by Kyle Yuan
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Experience the real fun to live, Bluetooth headset delivers you powerful bass and high quality audio experience of stereo sound with Bluetooth technology and take call during workout - very easy to do both eliminates tangle wires that drive you crazy. And simply stream music and calls via Bluetooth. Waiting for a call, no need to disconnect. Your Bluetooth headphones the music will go automatically to pause when an incoming call comes in, will go back to music automatically when you hang up.
For Tablet: Apple iPad series, Samsung Galaxy Tab; Kyros Tab; Nook Tablet; Playbook, Asus; Google, Coby; Microsoft, TOSHIBA, LG; All brand Tablet, MID, ALL Android Tablet for Music/Skype/Messangers. Listen Music & Receive Calls. Build in micphone, easy free talk. Super mini size, diameter is about 22mm.
Please fully charge the ear piece before using. Turn on the ear piece , please long press and hold MFB button for 5 or 6 seconds until the light starts flashing an alternating red-blue.
(this is the key step) 4. Specifications: Earphone Type: Stereo Bluetooth Earphone? Bluetooth Version: Version 3.0, compatibility with V2.0 V1.2 Support Profile: Handfree, Headset, A2DP? Effective range: about 10M Charging time: about 2 hours Talk Time/Play Time: about 3 hours?
Standby Time: up to 100 hours? Size: 22 x 22 x 26 mm?
Color: Black+Blue Weight: About 3oz. Package Included: 1 x Wireless Stereo Bluetooth Earphone Headphone for one ear (not for two ears) 1 x Earloop 1 x USB Charging Cable 1 x User Manual. It will help us to offer better service. We will reply you within 24 hours in feedback.
The item "Mini Cute Music + Phone Calls Hands-free Stereo Bluetooth Headphone Earphone FLY" is in sale since Friday, September 4, 2015. This item is in the category "Cell Phones & Accessories\Cell Phone Accessories\Headsets". The seller is "flygoodly" and is located in Humble, Texas. This item can be shipped to United States.


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New James Webb Image Shows Off Famed Star-Forming Region 'Pillars Of Creation'
This time, the space observatory has captured the stunning Pillars of CreationThe famed Pillars of Creation are a star-forming region with newborn stars and spires of dust and gas, as visible in the new image.The new image, released on Wednesday, adds more allure to James Webb's colourful catalogue of space images in less than a year
James Webb Space Telescope is at it again! This time, the space observatory has captured the stunning Pillars of Creation. The famed Pillars of Creation are a star-forming region with newborn stars and spires of dust and gas, as visible in the new image.
The new image, released on Wednesday, adds more allure to James Webb's colourful catalogue of space images in less than a year. The Pillars of Creation are situated in nursery known as the Eagle Nebula (or Messier 16). This nursery is about 6,500 light-years away from Earth.
Capturing Pillars of Creation
The region was first captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, and then again in 2014, making it famous. But Webb's image is more detailed, for it can see through the dust to reveal more stars and details.
Also read: Space Odyssey With James Webb: Craziest Images Clicked By The Revolutionary Telescope
Such observations can help astronomers get a better understanding of star forming processes, NASA said. Webb is a key player in this space journey, for its instruments can find distant stars and galaxies in infrared and near-infrared light, allowing the telescope to see beyond human sight.
In addition, it can also capture details that are invisible to other telescopes like Hubble that relies on visible light.
Also read: Neptune's Faint Rings Captured In Detail For First Time By James Webb Telescope
Hubble vs James Webb / NASA
The wavy lines that appear like lava at the edges of some pillars are actually "ejections from stars that are still forming within the gas and dust." Webb was launched on December 25 last year and has already offered us stunning views of the universe.
What do you think about this new image clicked by the James Webb Space Telescope? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
Adkins, J. (2022, October 19). NASA's Webb Takes Star-Filled Portrait of Pillars of Creation. NASA. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-takes-star-filled-portrait-of-pillars-of-creation/
Chow, D. (2022, October 19). NASA's Webb Telescope captures a fresh view of the famed star-forming region Pillars of Creation. NBC News. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/nasa-webb-telescope-image-pillars-creation-rcna52994
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In 1990 when Congress passed and President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") into law, websites and mobile apps were the stuff of science fiction. Today, however, it is hard to find any company or non-profit that does not have a website and/or mobile app, leaving the courts to struggle with (1) whether Title III's ban on disability discrimination applies to such electronic spaces at all, (2) if so, when does the law apply, and (3) what standards should be applied to determine whether these websites and mobile apps meet the ADA's requirements. This article will discuss these three issues.
Does Title III Apply to Websites?
FIRST, some courts have read the ADA very broadly, reasoning that since the law was enacted to reduce discrimination, it must be read as a civil rights statute. As such, these courts have held that such websites are public accommodations that must comply with Title III. See e.g., Nat'l. Fed'n. of the Blind v. Scribd, Inc., 97 F. Supp. 3d 565, 576 (D. Vt. 2015) ("[E]xcluding businesses that sell services through the Internet from the ADA would run afoul of the purposes of the ADA. . . .").
SECOND, other courts have taken a somewhat more restrictive approach, holding that websites are subject to Title III only if there is a "nexus" between the website/app and the business's physical location. See e.g., Young v. Facebook, Inc., 790 F. Supp. 2d 1110, 1116 (N.D. Cal. 2011) ("Facebook's internet services thus do not have a nexus to a physical place of public accommodation for which Facebook may be liable under the statute."). Under this approach, if, for example, a sports franchise such as the Pittsburgh Steelers sells tickets online and at the Stadium, it must ensure that a visually impaired individual can buy his/her ticket from the website.
THIRD, the final approach reasons that Title III has no application to websites/apps, that is, it applies only to physical spaces. See e.g., Access Now, Inc. v. Southwest Airlines Co., 227 F. Supp. 2d 1312, 1318 (S.D. Fl. 2002) ("[T]o fall within the scope of the ADA as presently drafted, a public accommodation must be a physical, concrete structure."). These courts reason that it is up to Congress to revise Title III and expressly include websites within the law's coverage.
Any hopes that the Department of Justice (DOJ), the agency charged with the enforcement of Title III, would resolve this conflict and, just as importantly, provide guidelines for businesses going forward regarding the steps they should take to comply with the law, have not materialized. On a number of occasions since 2010, the DOJ has announced it was preparing regulations on the issue, only to then announce as the date set for those regulations approached, that they were delaying their enactment. In fact, the DOJ recently stated yet again that rather than announcing its ADA website regulations as planned in April 2016, those regulations would not be promulgated until sometime in 2018.
The question, of course, is what steps businesses and non-profits that own and operate websites should take NOW in light of the DOJ's inaction and the split in the courts on whether—and to what extent—the ADA is applicable to websites and mobile apps. Even entities located in jurisdictions such as the Third, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits that only apply the ADA to websites that have a "nexus" to goods and services available at a physical location can take little comfort from this more restrictive view, since it is likely that since they are engaged in e-commerce many of those businesses will be subject to suit in nearly all jurisdictions. A review of several settlements reached between the DOJ and the owners/operators of a number of websites in the past 15 months suggests an answer to this "what to do now" question.
These settlements, coupled with the DOJ's accompanying statements in its press releases, make it clear that despite its repeated delays in promulgating website/ADA regulations, the DOJ plans on aggressively enforcing Title III of the ADA. Moreover, the DOJ's repeated references in these settlements to the WCAG 2.0 AA as an "industry guideline" and the "industry standard" appear to also to make it clear that the DOJ will consider inaccessible any website or mobile app that fails to meet these standards.


Once upon a time, "Toy Story 2" was planned as a direct to video cheapie in the tradition of the "Aladdin" sequels. Then Disney wised up and retooled Buzz and Woody's encore into another big screen gem. But the Mouse House couldn't resist the cheese forever. Hence, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, a straight to tape travesty that flattens Tim Allen's puffed up space ranger into… a cartoon! While it is produced by Pixar, "Buzz" trades the costly, eye-popping computer images we're used to for shoddy drawings better suited to a Saturday morning series (which, not coincidentally, it'll soon become on ABC).
Even with Allen resupplying his pipes, this less animated Lightyear seems strictly two-dimensional. Instead of a deeply felt tale about an unlikely friendship between an old fashioned cowpoke and a newfangled astronaut, "Buzz" offers sub "Pokémon" laser fights against Zurg, who's reduced to a stock supervillain. Our hero spends more time with lame-oid newcomers like a Jabba the Hutt size janitor called Booster than with old friends like Woody — who does make a cameo, though he's voiced by Tom Hanks' less expensive brother, Jim.
Wise viewers will fast forward to the end credits for "To Infinity and Beyond," a Priceline.com worthy anthem intoned by William Shatner. He generates the video's only real buzz.


There is many different ways that an application can become lost on an iOS smart device.
Smart devices are designed to be easy to use and understand for children and adults alike. A simple finger swipe across a screen or a minute touch will activate any number of activities on many different devices.
However, once a user gets past the simple tap and swish of normal, everyday use applications and operating systems can become confusing and archaic.
Take, for example, the many different ways that an application can become lost on an iOS smart device. An iOS device requires a simple tap on the icon, located on the device's screen, activate applications. This same simple action, if held for a moment, will activate the application-management mode.
The application-management mode activate is indicated by every app on the iOS screen becoming squiggly or wavy and all self-installed applications then gain a small "x" in the top left corner. This mode allows for the moving or deletion of any self-installed app. The application-management mode can be exited by pressing the "home" button.
The ease at which this mode of management is entered and by which applications can be deleted can lead to an app's deletion by users and their children before either know that the app-management mode has been activated.
Along with the application-management system, iOS devices attempt to organize application on device screens through a simple folder system. All a user is required to do is to slide an application icon onto the top of another application icon to start the process.
The device will then create a folder with an automatically derived name that will not include both the moved application icon and the application icon destination.
The only visual indication of included application in the iOS folder system is a 1/9th scale version of the application icons within the folder image. This systems ease of use will lead to quickly created application folders that have the ability to hide old application without easily recognized indications.