John Brice has more than 30 years of experience in the private equity and hedge fund arena. Previously he was President, Chief Investment Officer and Co- Founder of CarVal Investors LLC, a leading alternative asset manager involved in special situations, distressed and opportunistic credit investments, until his departure in 2016. At CarVal Investors Mr. Brice worked directly with several Kennedy Lewis Partners. Under his leadership the firm grew to manage more than $10bn of capital on behalf of leading global institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds, consistently producing top quartile returns and recognized as one of Wall Street's leading firms in its space as a result. Mr. Brice was a pioneer in special situations and distressed investing in Europe, having led restructurings in several prominent European companies including Marconi PLC and British Energy PLC in the UK. Mr. Brice is a British citizen, a Chartered Accountant and holds a BSc in Economics from Cardiff University.
David Chene was formerly a Managing Director with CarVal Investors, responsible for managing the US Corporate Securities business based in Minneapolis, from 2012 to 2016. Prior to his role in the US, he was Co- Head of CarVal's European Corporate Securities business based in London. In both roles, he focused on special situations and distressed investments, including the firm's global liquidations exposures and European financial investments. Before joining CarVal Investors, Mr. Chene worked at Credit Suisse in London, running the firm's European Distressed business, and was responsible for risk management across the firm's European Leveraged Finance trading activities, from 2010-2012. Prior to Credit Suisse, Mr. Chene was a Senior Distressed Trader for Morgan Stanley in London, from 2009 to 2010. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Mr. Chene was a Research Analyst at DiMaio Ahmad Capital from 2003 to 2009, first in New York, and then later as Head of the firm's Asian Platform, based in Singapore. Mr. Chene began his career at CIBC World Markets, as a Research Analyst in its Leveraged Finance Investment Banking Division in New York, from 2001 to 2003. Mr. Chene actively supports charitable causes such as Ironman Foundation, Seeds of Peace, TreeHouse, Urban Ventures, WATCH, and Women for Women International. Mr. Chene is also an Eagle Scout. He received a BA in Business Economics and Accounting from the University of California at Los Angeles in 2001.
Darren Richman was formerly a Senior Managing Director with The Blackstone Group from 2006 to 2016. He focused on special situation and distressed investments, and was a member of GSO's Investment Committee. Before joining GSO Capital Partners, Mr. Richman worked at DiMaio Ahmad Capital, where he was a Founding Member and the Co- Head of its Investment Research Team, from 2003 to 2006. Prior to joining DiMaio Ahmad, Mr. Richman was a Vice President and Senior Special Situations Analyst at Goldman Sachs, from 1999 to 2003. Mr. Richman began his career with Deloitte & Touche, ultimately serving as a Manager in the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions Services Group, from 1994 to 1999. Mr. Richman received a BS/BA degrees in Accounting from the University of Hartford in 1993, and an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business in 2000. He was formerly a Certified Public Accountant and a Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Richman previously sat on the Board of Sorenson Communications, Outward Bound USA, Seneca Mortgage and Warrior Coal. He is a member of the Economic Club of New York and formerly served on its strategic planning committee.
Niles Chura was formerly a Managing Director and Co-Head of the Credit Markets Platform at CRG LP, a leading healthcare investment firm, from 2015 to 2016. Before joining CRG, Mr. Chura founded and led Ouray Capital, a boutique advisory business, from 2009 to 2015. Prior to CRG, Mr. Chura was a Portfolio Manager at Highland Capital Management, L.P., one of the largest alternative investment managers in the United States, where he provided research coverage for a $1.5+ billion portfolio of leveraged loans, high yield bonds, and equities in the telecom, media, and technology sectors, from 2003 to 2008. He was responsible for recommending trades and managing existing holdings, which included par, stressed and distressed securities, as well as originating private mid- market transactions. Prior to Highland Capital, Mr. Chura was a Portfolio Manager in Media and Telecom at Bank of America, from 2000 to 2003. Prior to Bank of America, Mr. Chura worked for American Airlines, where he was responsible for Finance & Planning, from 1998 to 2000. Prior to starting a career in finance, Mr. Chura began as a Field Artillery Officer in the U.S. Army and served overseas from 1991 to 1995. Mr. Chura received a BA in Economics and Government from The College of William & Mary in 1991, and an MBA with a Finance concentration from Yale University in 1998.
Mark Crawford was formerly a Director with CarVal Investors, responsible for managing North American special situation and distressed investments, from 2008 to 2016. Before joining CarVal, he was a Senior Credit Analyst with GSC Group, focusing on liquid investment strategies within the firm's distressed for control private equity unit, from 2006 to 2008. Prior to GSC Group, Mr. Crawford was a Research Analyst in the Carlyle Group's High Yield Business, focusing on power, automotive and consumer product investments, from 2005 to 2006. Prior to Carlyle, he was an Investment Banking Associate at Credit Suisse First Boston, primarily working in the Distressed Finance and Global Energy groups, from 2003 to 2005. Prior to starting a career in finance, Mr. Crawford began as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy, during which he deployed to the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Middle East and Latin America, from 1993 to 1998. Mr. Crawford received a BS in Economics from the United States Naval Academy in 1993, a MS in Information and Telecommunications Systems from Johns Hopkins University in 2000, and a MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003. Mr. Crawford is a member of the Board of Granite Ridge Holdings. Mr. Crawford was formerly a member of the Board of Bosque Power Company.
John Bertrand was formerly a Managing Director and Co-Head of Leveraged Finance Sales at RBC Capital Markets, where he covered many of the leveraged finance markets' most sophisticated investors, and also managed primary and secondary distribution across the firm's platform, from 2015 to 2017. Before joining RBC, Mr. Bertrand was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley in High Yield and Distressed Debt sales, from 2010 to 2015. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Mr. Bertrand was a Director at Deutsche Bank in High Yield and Distressed sales, and also in Real Estate, and Gaming & Lodging Investment Banking, from 2002 to 2010. Prior to Deutsche, Mr. Bertrand was an Associate in Investment Banking at Thomas Weisel Partners from 2000 to 2001. He began his career in in 1994 at Prudential Securities within the fixed income division. Mr. Bertrand received a BA from Georgetown University in 1993 and an MBA from UCLA Anderson in 2000.
Brian Dubin was formerly a Senior Analyst at Mariner Investment Group, a leading alternative investment advisory firm, from 2015 to 2018. Before joining Mariner Investment Group, Mr. Dubin was a Partner and Research Analyst at MehanCombs, a global credit opportunities fund, from 2012 to 2015. Prior to MeehanCombs, Mr. Dubin was a Senior Analyst at Eos Partners, a distressed credit fund, where he focused on investments in the financial services industry, from 2008 to 2012. Prior to Eos Partners, Mr. Dubin was an Analyst at GSO Capital Partners from 2005 to 2008. Mr. Dubin began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Global Industrial Group of UBS investment bank from 2003 to 2005. Mr. Dubin received a BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2002.
Prior to joining Kennedy Lewis, Mr. Naumowitz founded and managed the JJN Capital Fund, a long/short hedge fund focused on event driven and special situations investing. Prior to founding JJN Capital, Mr. Naumowitz was a Managing Director at Trian Credit Partners (TCP), a hedge fund focused on special situations and distressed investing. Prior to joining TCP, Mr. Naumowitz was a Managing Director at Bear, Stearns & Co. as well as a Director with the High Yield and Merchant Banking Group of CIBC Oppenheimer. Additionally, on behalf of Trimaran Capital Partners, Mr. Naumowitz served on the Board of Directors and audit committee of El Pollo Loco, a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Mr. Naumowitz received a B.S.E. from Duke University in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 1998, where he was elected to Tau Beta Pi, a national engineering honor society.
Rich Gumer has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, focused primarily on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies. Mr. Gumer co-founded LSAF in early 2013 to provide structured growth capital to the medical device and diagnostics companies. Previously, he was senior healthcare analyst responsible for all healthcare investing at Avenue Capital, a global hedge fund with $20 billion of assets under management. Prior to Avenue, Mr. Gumer was the global head of healthcare private equity investing for GE Capital. He previously headed the healthcare investment banking unit of ABN Amro and was involved in more than $10 billion of equity, debt and M&A transactions. Mr. Gumer has been on the board of several private companies, including Steri-Oss (sold to Nobel Biocare) and IVPcare (sold to Oncology Therapeutics Network). He has an AB in Biochemistry from Brown University and an MBA in Finance from University of California, Berkeley.
Griffin Dann graduated from Columbia Business School in May of 2018 with an MBA in the Value Investing Program. Before graduating Columbia University, Mr. Dann was a Summer Investment Analyst at Owl Creek Asset Management, in the Distressed Credit and Special Situations Group in the Summer of 2017. Prior to Owl Creek, Mr. Dann was a Research Analyst at Birch Grove Capital, a Multi-Strategy Credit Fund, from 2014 to 2016. Mr. Dann began his career as an Analyst in the Financial Restructuring Group at Houlihan Lokey, from 2012-2014 in London. Mr. Dann received a BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012.
Anthony Pasqua was formerly the COO/CFO of several credit related hedge funds, including Ellis Lake Capital where he was a Founding Member. Prior to being a COO/CFO Mr. Pasqua was the Head of Operations at Shumway Capital Partners (2008-2009) and the Controller/Director of Operations at Chatham Asset Management (2003- 2008). Mr. Pasqua graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 2000 with a BA in Business Management and earned his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2007. Mr. Pasqua is a Certified Public Accountant.
Ben Schryber was formerly a Managing Director at the Carlyle Group where he led the Firm's credit sales activities globally. Prior to Carlyle, Mr. Schryber was the Global Head of Credit at First Avenue Partners, a leading credit placement agent, where he oversaw for the origination, distribution, and ongoing management of credit funds. Prior to First Avenue, Mr. Schryber worked for Albourne Partners where he led the Firm's due diligence on private credit funds. Prior to that, he worked for Blue Ridge Partners as a management consultant focused on company-level due diligence on behalf of private equity funds. Mr. Schryber earned a B.A. with Highest Honors from the University of Florida, and was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge.
Carly Basner was formerly on the Marketing and Investor Relations Team at Emerging Sovereign Group LLC, previously part of the Carlyle Group, from 2015 to 2018. Ms. Basner began her career as an Analyst at BlackRock on the Global Consultant Relations Team within the Institutional Client Business Group, from 2014 to 2015. Ms. Basner earned a BBA in Finance and Marketing with Highest Honors from Emory University's Goizueta Business School in 2014.
Jerome Herschman was formerly the Co-Founder of On Pepper, a Finance Technology Startup, from 2015 to 2017. Before starting On Pepper, Mr. Herschman was a Managing Director at The Blackstone Group within GSO Capital's Middle Office Operations Group, from 2006 to 2015. At GSO he focused on portfolio reporting, trading desk operations, and was a key member of the firm's Valuation Committee. Prior to Blackstone, Mr. Herschman founded an independent consulting business that specialized in developing and implementing controls and procedures to enhance and streamline operational and accounting workflows, from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Herschman began his career at Lehman Brothers, most recently as a Vice President in the Trade Analysis area of the Middle Office, from 1985 to 1997. Mr. Herschman received a BS in Accounting from Brooklyn College in 1983, and earned Certificates in Programming from both Pace University in 1997, and Brooklyn College in 1999.
Kevin Westenburg was formerly an audit Associate at Grant Thornton, a global public accounting firm. He worked for Grant Thornton in three of their offices from 2016 to 2018: Baltimore MD, Boston MA, and most recently New York City. During that time he worked on manufacturing, insurance, NFP, and healthcare financial statement audits. Mr. Westenburg received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Towson University in 2016 and a Master of Science in Finance from Boston College in 2017. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Kelly Pan was formerly on the Administrative Team at Fir Tree Capital Management LP as an Administrative Assistant from 2011 to 2018. Ms. Pan received her BA in Sociology from University at Albany in 2011.


RazoRock Plissoft Monster Synthetic Shaving Brush - The latest addition to our RazoRock Plissoft shaving brush line is the Monster! The same great Plissoft fiber found in our best-selling 24 mm Plissoft brushes but this one has a special heavy resin, swirl faux ivory handle, with a huge 26 mm knot! Perfect for those wet shavers seeking a larger brush that is capable of holding enough lather for 4-5 passes. All the RazoRock Plissoft shaving brushes are vegan friendly and require absolutely no break-in period. For over a year now, there has been a synthetic shaving brush that's been all-the-rage in the traditional wet shaving community and sells for between thirty and fifty dollars. RazoRock has sourced the same knot and mated it to a heavy resin handle with our RazoRock logo stamped on the base. This brush is an absolutely joy to lather with and is uber soft on the face. The weight and quality of the handle is going to blow you away at this price-point!
If you have any questions about this product by RazoRock, contact us by completing and submitting the form below. If you are looking for a specif part number, please include it with your message.


text:
PPL Appoints Craig A. Rogerson as Independent Board Chair
Non-Executive Chairman William H. Spence to Retire March 1
ALLENTOWN, Pa., Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) has appointed director Craig A. Rogerson to serve as independent board chair effective March 1, 2021. This follows Non-Executive Chairman William H. Spence's decision to retire from PPL's board of directors effective the same date.
Rogerson, who has served on PPL's board since 2005, is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Hexion Holdings Corporation and Hexion Inc., a global producer of thermoset resins and other chemical platforms.
"Craig has been a strong, engaged and independent voice on PPL's board for more than a decade, having served with four different CEOs during that time," said Spence. "He understands PPL and the changes within our company and industry, is experienced as a board leader, and possesses a wealth of organizational, operational and risk management expertise. He is an excellent choice for independent chair and will provide outstanding leadership and continuity for PPL as he assumes his new role."
Rogerson's appointment reflects PPL's continued commitment to strong corporate governance and independent oversight by a diverse, engaged board.
"I am honored to be selected as independent chair," Rogerson said. "And on behalf of our entire board, I want to thank Bill for his exceptional leadership and vision in guiding PPL as chief executive officer until his retirement from that role in June 2020 and as chairman of PPL's board since 2012. Looking ahead, I am eager to work closely with the board and with PPL CEO Vince Sorgi as we focus on delivering operational excellence, providing superior customer service and creating long-term value for our shareowners."
Rogerson has chaired the board's Compensation Committee and has served on its Executive and Finance committees.
Prior to his current role with Hexion, Rogerson's past roles included chairman, president and CEO of Chemtura Corporation, a global manufacturer of specialty chemicals; president, CEO and director of Hercules Incorporated; and president and CEO of Wacker Silicones Corporation.
Headquartered in Allentown, Pa, PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) is one of the largest companies in the U.S. utility sector. PPL's seven high-performing, award-winning utilities serve more than 10 million customers in the U.S. and United Kingdom. With more than 12,000 employees, the company is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and reliability and delivering superior value for shareowners. To learn more, visit www.pplweb.com.
Contacts: For news media: Ryan Hill, 610-774-4033

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
things you can see
October 19, 2016 October 19, 2016 ~ jim clayton
Eileen opens the door.
'He's upstairs,' she says, towelling her hands dry as she speaks. 'I'm just finishing the washing up. You go on ahead.'
Then she turns and hauls herself back along the narrow hallway, vigorously swinging her body left and right to cheat enough play in her hips. It's like watching a great ape learning to walk; I half expect her to wave the tea towel over her head and jump up on the counter.
Malcolm has gone to bed. Bruised and shaken after his fall a few days ago, his confidence has taken a knock and he doesn't know what to do with himself.
'Everyone's been so kind,' he says. 'The doctor, now you people. Really, I couldn't fault it.'
When I pull back the duvet to have a look at his injuries, I'm surprised to see that he's fully and nicely dressed in a check shirt, knitted green waistcoat and corduroy trousers. He's wearing something round his neck on a piece of string – not an alert button, but a smart phone in a black leather wallet.
'It's good!' he says, tapping it gently. 'I'm still getting the hang of it, though. I mean, the other day, when I rang the surgery, this blasted voice was giving me all these options – press one for this, two for the other – but there was nothing on the screen! I couldn't get any further with it! I felt like a prize idiot! But my granddaughter showed me what to do. Easy when you know how.'
Eileen sashays in.
'Still alive, is he?' she says, considerably out of puff from the climb.
'Not bad, considering.'
'I've known this woman sixty years,' says Malcolm. 'She used to cut my wife's hair. We all lived in the same street. I ran the garage at the end, Eileen had a little place just round the corner.'
'Is it sixty years?' says Eileen. 'I'm not that old, am I?'
'Sixty years,' says Malcolm. 'Then my wife died, and then Eileen's husband died…'
'When you put it like that it sounds a bit off,' she says, wiping her hands on the tea towel like she's just come from the scene of a crime.
'Well – you know how it is,' says Malcolm. 'Things change, whether you like it or not.'
'I'll just be downstairs if you need anything,' says Eileen.
'You wouldn't think to look at me now, but I used to be quite a handy fellow,' says Malcolm. 'I had an interest, you see? Cars. Motorcycles. Anything with an engine. I just loved getting my hands dirty, getting right in there, in the oil and …and the grease. Because you used to get dirty in those days. Not like now. It's all computers now. I wouldn't know where to start. Plug it in somewhere, I expect. Then what? No idea. Back then, you see, it was much more straightforward. You just had to see how it all meshed together, how it moved. All the timings and what have you. I loved all that. Tappets! Jets! Things you could put your hands on! Things you could see!'
It looks from the examination that Malcolm might have a UTI.
'Maybe that's why you fell in the first place,' I tell him, writing out the specimen docket.
'I've had them before,' he says. 'They made my head go all funny.'
'Hopefully we've caught it sooner this time. Anyway, I'll let the GP know what's going on.'
Eileen shows me to the door.
'Is he going to be all right?' she says.
'I think so. He's doing really well.'
'Good,' she says, opening the door. ''cos I don't know what I'd do without him.'
< Previous benjamina gunn
Next > geoffrey (1a)
2 thoughts on "things you can see"
I've mentioned this before, but I really love your writing. Having a new story is the highlight of my day. I don't know what name I signed in under before but you can probably guess who I am by what I am saying.
jim clayton says:
Hi Rosalie! That's very kind of you to say so.
I'm probably being really dense (known for it, actually), but I can't guess who you are! (I'm tempted to say: Mum? – but that might end up just sounding plain wrong).
Great to hear from you, Rosalie 🙂


The "Rise of the Guardians" interactive storybook app retells the exciting story of the movie. Join forces with the legendary Guardians in this fully animated, narrated and interactive storybook. Fans follow Jack Frost, North, Tooth, Bunny and Sandy as they come together for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of the children from the evil spirit known as Pitch.
• Russian Dolls: Ever wanted to have your own matryoshka doll set? With this in-app activity, you can use your photos to customize the dolls with your own face and message. After saving, you can share the animated movie via Facebook and Twitter or save to your device.
• The Sandman: This animated alarm clock features Sandy, the Guardian of Dreams. The alarm clock also features a snooze button.
This book app from iStorytime is well-done with its great graphics. There are 3 narration options to this interactive app: Auto Play, Read To Me, and Read To Myself. The story includes both narration and actual movie dialogue. Just touching the magical snowflakes on each page triggers animations. The crackling effect of winter is a nice touch! There are several in-app features including a set of Russian stackable dolls, which you can customize them yourself using your own photos! Also, the Sandman is an animated alarm clock with even a snooze feature! I do however dislike how the app requires 352 MB of memory, but with all the animation and in-app features, that shouldn't be a surprise.


text:
namespace bpy = boost::python;
using namespace foundation;
using namespace renderer;

namespace
{
    auto_release_ptr<Project> create_project(const std::string& name)
    {
        return ProjectFactory::create(name.c_str());
    }

    bpy::object create_default_project()
    {
        auto_release_ptr<Project> project(DefaultProjectFactory::create());
        return bpy::object(project);
    }

    bpy::object create_cornell_box_project()
    {
        auto_release_ptr<Project> project(CornellBoxProjectFactory::create());
        return bpy::object(project);
    }

    bpy::object wrap_cpp_project_pointer(const bpy::long_& ptr)
    {
        const uintptr_t x = bpy::extract<uintptr_t>(ptr);
        return bpy::object(bpy::ptr(binary_cast<Project*>(x)));
    }

    bpy::list project_get_search_paths(const Project* project)
    {
        bpy::list paths;

        const SearchPaths& search_paths = project->search_paths();

        for (size_t i = 0; i < search_paths.get_explicit_path_count(); ++i)
            paths.append(search_paths.get_explicit_path(i));

        return paths;
    }

    void project_set_search_paths(Project* project, const bpy::list& paths)
    {
        project->search_paths().clear_explicit_paths();

        for (bpy::ssize_t i = 0, e = bpy::len(paths); i < e; ++i)
        {
            const bpy::extract<const char*> extractor(paths[i]);
            if (extractor.check())
                project->search_paths().push_back_explicit_path(extractor());
            else
            {
                PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "Incompatible type. Only strings accepted.");
                bpy::throw_error_already_set();
            }
        }
    }

    ConfigurationContainer* project_get_configs(Project* project)
    {
        return &(project->configurations());
    }

    bool write_project_default_opts(
        const ProjectFileWriter*            writer,
        Project*                            project,
        const char*                         filepath)
    {
        return ProjectFileWriter::write(*project, filepath);
    }

    bool write_project_with_opts(
        const ProjectFileWriter*            writer,
        Project*                            project,
        const char*                         filepath,
        int                                 opts)
    {
        return ProjectFileWriter::write(*project, filepath, opts);
    }

    bool write_project_with_opts_and_comments(
        const ProjectFileWriter*            writer,
        Project*                            project,
        const char*                         filepath,
        int                                 opts,
        const char*                         extra_comments)
    {
        return ProjectFileWriter::write(*project, filepath, opts, extra_comments);
    }

    auto_release_ptr<Configuration> create_config(const std::string& name)
    {
        return ConfigurationFactory::create(name.c_str());
    }

    auto_release_ptr<Configuration> create_config_with_params(
        const std::string&                  name,
        const bpy::dict&                    params)
    {
        return ConfigurationFactory::create(name.c_str(), bpy_dict_to_param_array(params));
    }

    bpy::object create_base_final_config()
    {
        auto_release_ptr<Configuration> config(BaseConfigurationFactory::create_base_final());
        return bpy::object(config);
    }

    bpy::object create_base_interactive_config()
    {
        auto_release_ptr<Configuration> config(BaseConfigurationFactory::create_base_interactive());
        return bpy::object(config);
    }

    bpy::dict config_get_inherited_parameters(const Configuration* config)
    {
        ParamArray params(config->get_inherited_parameters());
        return param_array_to_bpy_dict(params);
    }

    void config_insert_path(Configuration* config, const char* path, const bpy::object& value)
    {
        {
            bpy::extract<const char*> extractor(value);
            if (extractor.check())
            {
                config->get_parameters().insert_path(path, extractor());
                return;
            }
        }

        if (PyBool_Check(value.ptr()))
        {
            bpy::extract<bool> extractor(value);
            if (extractor.check())
            {
                config->get_parameters().insert_path(path, extractor());
                return;
            }
        }

#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION == 2
        if (PyInt_Check(value.ptr()))
        {
            bpy::extract<int> extractor(value);
            if (extractor.check())
            {
                config->get_parameters().insert_path(path, extractor());
                return;
            }
        }
#endif

        if (PyLong_Check(value.ptr()))
        {
            bpy::extract<int> extractor(value);
            if (extractor.check())
            {
                config->get_parameters().insert_path(path, extractor());
                return;
            }
        }

        if (PyFloat_Check(value.ptr()))
        {
            bpy::extract<double> extractor(value);
            if (extractor.check())
            {
                config->get_parameters().insert_path(path, extractor());
                return;
            }
        }

        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "Unsupported value type.");
        bpy::throw_error_already_set();
    }

    void config_remove_path(Configuration* config, const char* path)
    {
        config->get_parameters().remove_path(path);
    }

    bpy::dict config_get_metadata()
    {
        return dictionary_to_bpy_dict(Configuration::get_metadata());
    }

    bpy::object project_file_reader_read_default_opts(
        ProjectFileReader*                  reader,
        const char*                         project_filename,
        const char*                         schema_filename)
    {
        auto_release_ptr<Project> project(reader->read(project_filename, schema_filename));
        return bpy::object(project);
    }

    bpy::object project_file_reader_read_with_opts(
        ProjectFileReader*                  reader,
        const char*                         project_filename,
        const char*                         schema_filename,
        const ProjectFileReader::Options    opts)
    {
        auto_release_ptr<Project> project(reader->read(project_filename, schema_filename, opts));
        return bpy::object(project);
    }

    bpy::object project_file_reader_load_builtin(ProjectFileReader* reader, const char* project_name)
    {
        auto_release_ptr<Project> project(reader->load_builtin(project_name));
        return bpy::object(project);
    }

    std::string qualify_path(const Project* project, const char* filepath)
    {
        const SearchPaths& search_paths = project->search_paths();
        return std::string(search_paths.qualify(filepath).c_str());
    }
}

void bind_project()
{
    bpy::class_<Configuration, auto_release_ptr<Configuration>, bpy::bases<Entity>, boost::noncopyable>("Configuration", bpy::no_init)
        .def("create_base_final", create_base_final_config).staticmethod("create_base_final")
        .def("create_base_interactive", create_base_interactive_config).staticmethod("create_base_interactive")

        .def("__init__", bpy::make_constructor(create_config))
        .def("__init__", bpy::make_constructor(create_config_with_params))

        .def("set_base", &Configuration::set_base)
        .def("get_base", &Configuration::get_base, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_inherited_parameters", config_get_inherited_parameters)

        .def("insert_path", config_insert_path)
        .def("remove_path", config_remove_path)

        .def("get_metadata", config_get_metadata).staticmethod("get_metadata");

    bind_typed_entity_map<Configuration>("ConfigurationContainer");

    bpy::class_<Project, auto_release_ptr<Project>, bpy::bases<Entity>, boost::noncopyable>("Project", bpy::no_init)
        .def("create_default", create_default_project).staticmethod("create_default")
        .def("create_cornell_box", create_cornell_box_project).staticmethod("create_cornell_box")

        .def("__init__", bpy::make_constructor(create_project))

        .def("add_default_configurations", &Project::add_default_configurations)
        .def("configurations", project_get_configs, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())

        .def("get_aov_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<AOV>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_assembly_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<Assembly>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_bsdf_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<BSDF>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_bssrdf_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<BSSRDF>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_camera_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<Camera>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_edf_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<EDF>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_environment_edf_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<EnvironmentEDF>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_environment_shader_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<EnvironmentShader>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_light_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<Light>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_material_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<Material>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_object_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<Object>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_post_processing_stage_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<PostProcessingStage>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_surface_shader_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<SurfaceShader>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_texture_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<Texture>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("get_volume_factory_registrar", &Project::get_factory_registrar<Volume>, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())

        .def("has_path", &Project::has_path)
        .def("set_path", &Project::set_path)
        .def("get_path", &Project::get_path)

        .def("get_search_paths", project_get_search_paths)
        .def("set_search_paths", project_set_search_paths)
        .def("qualify_path", qualify_path, bpy::args("filepath"))

        .def("set_scene", &Project::set_scene)
        .def("get_scene", &Project::get_scene, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())

        .def("set_frame", &Project::set_frame)
        .def("get_frame", &Project::get_frame, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())

        .def("get_display", &Project::get_display, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())
        .def("set_display", &Project::set_display)

        .def("get_active_camera", &Project::get_uncached_active_camera, bpy::return_value_policy<bpy::reference_existing_object>())

        .def("_wrap_cpp_project_pointer", &wrap_cpp_project_pointer).staticmethod("_wrap_cpp_project_pointer");

    bpy::enum_<ProjectFileReader::Options>("ProjectFileReaderOptions")
        .value("Defaults", ProjectFileReader::Defaults)
        .value("OmitReadingMeshFiles", ProjectFileReader::OmitReadingMeshFiles)
        .value("OmitProjectFileUpdate", ProjectFileReader::OmitProjectFileUpdate)
        .value("OmitSearchPaths", ProjectFileReader::OmitSearchPaths)
        .value("OmitProjectSchemaValidation", ProjectFileReader::OmitProjectSchemaValidation);

    bpy::class_<ProjectFileReader>("ProjectFileReader")
        .def("read", &project_file_reader_read_default_opts)
        .def("read", &project_file_reader_read_with_opts)
        .def("load_builtin", &project_file_reader_load_builtin);

    bpy::enum_<ProjectFileWriter::Options>("ProjectFileWriterOptions")
        .value("Defaults", ProjectFileWriter::Defaults)
        .value("OmitHeaderComment", ProjectFileWriter::OmitHeaderComment)
        .value("OmitWritingGeometryFiles", ProjectFileWriter::OmitWritingGeometryFiles)
        .value("OmitHandlingAssetFiles", ProjectFileWriter::OmitHandlingAssetFiles)
        .value("CopyAllAssets", ProjectFileWriter::CopyAllAssets);

    bpy::class_<ProjectFileWriter>("ProjectFileWriter")
        // These methods are static but for symmetry with ProjectFileReader we're exposing them as non-static.
        .def("write", write_project_default_opts)
        .def("write", write_project_with_opts)
        .def("write", write_project_with_opts_and_comments);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Those in serious debt to a certain man can either pay the price or join a certain game, a "gamble" as he likes to put it. To win, you must acquire points by defeating the other game participants. What will happen to the players...?
Taken from ryColaa: Taemuk han is a 39-year-old Barista who opens his own coffee shop. He likes being free and finds it hard to get the right woman. Yeoun Sun is a 28-year-old woman who wants to be a Designer and wants to be a cool career woman who spends her life alone. However, she can't get her career started and somehow ends up working at Cafe Velomano.


Nashville, Tenn. (October 8, 2014) - MercyMe lead-singer Bart Millard co-hosted the 45th Annual GMA Dove Awards with Lecrae last night, and even so, had no idea what was in store following the band's lively performance of their No. 1 radio single "Greater." As the multi-platinum, award-winning band wrapped, the band's manager, Scott Brickell and Fair Trade Service's President Jeff Moseley presented MercyMe with a plaque commemorating 2 million downloads of their worldwide hit "I Can Only Imagine," followed by a standing ovation from the audience. "I Can Only Imagine" is the first single in the Christian genre to receive RIAA Double-Platinum Certification and also made history as the first to go Platinum. The GMA Dove Awards drew a record attendance at Lipscomb University's Allen Arena, and the entire show will be broadcast exclusively on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) on Sunday, October 12.
In addition to MercyMe taking home a win for Short Form Video of the Year with "Shake," Millard shared his excitement about hosting the awards: "The entire night was really pretty awesome! I didn't see the 2 million download thing coming at all. It was pretty surreal to be onstage with Lecrae as well - just unbelievable really, and overall a great night - I had a blast!"
This past April, Welcome to the New, which has been called the band's "best effort to date," nabbed the highest debut of the week landing at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart. The album peaked at No. 3 on the iTunes® Overall Albums Chart and No. 1 on its Christian Albums Chart.
Since their debut in 2001, GRAMMY®-nominated, American Music Award and multiple Dove Award winners MercyMe have sold more than 6.5 million units in CD and DVD sales, garnered 26 No. 1 multi-format Christian radio singles and four consecutive mainstream radio hits with "I Can Only Imagine," (No. 4 AC/Top 25 on Top 40/Hot AC), "Here With Me" (No. 4 AC), "Homesick" (Top 10 AC), and "So Long Self." In 2009, Billboard named MercyMe's "Word Of God Speak" the No. 1 Song of The Decade and the group the No. 1 Christian Songs Artist of the Decade, with an additional No. 1 as the Christian AC Song Artist of The Decade as one of the industry's most notable talents. MercyMe made history as "I Can Only Imagine" surpassed 1 million digital downloads, making it the first song in Christian music to go platinum in the digital domain, and has now reached 2 million downloads. MercyMe has sold out venues across the nation, including Radio City Music Hall, and has appeared on The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, CNN, Fox New Channel's Fox & Friends, ABC News, CBS This Morning and in the pages of Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, USA Today, Billboard and more. Their eighth studio album, Welcome To The New, is available now.


How much does a Kcode cost?
All users get the first automatically generated Kcode for free, that way you have the opportunity to test and use the Kylook benefits without any costs.
Personalized Kcodes can be obtained from 2 € (2,69€ APP Store).
Important: You only pay once, NO monthly fees.
* Personalized Kcodes are easy to remember and to spell and unique as you are.
* It's easier to remember 'ANAWORK' than 'MT34X'.


On the Campus From Princeton's vault: Why tigers?
What: Founded in 1912 by the Class of 1894, the Society of the Claw honored prominent Princeton men with real claws from tigers hunted in the British Raj.
When did the tiger first become our feisty emblem? Orange and black team colors (from the House of Orange and Nassau in Holland) preceded it by several years. As late as 1879, a graduating class gave statuary lions to adorn Nassau Hall, a mistake that later needed correcting.
The Yale football team had a chance to "beard the tiger in his den," a letter to The New York Times said in 1886, in perhaps the earliest off-campus reference.
Online newspaper databases suggest that the feline association didn't start to become universal until 1890 – some years later than usually assumed — with the extensive coverage of the Yale game that year. "The Princeton tigers come running out on the field," said The New York Tribune. It's been Tigers ever since.


text:
package com.hackbitstudios.taekwondo_time_tracker_android.api;

/**
 * This class defines an abstract model that can be used to query the database
 */
public abstract class ApiModel {

    //region PRIVATE MEMBERS

    // The URI to access
    private String uri;

    // The function to access (after the .com (with no '/' at the end))
    private String model;

    //endregion

    //region CTOR
    /* The ctor for the api model
        _URI:: the uri to query at
        model:: the function to access (after the .com)*/
    public ApiModel (String _URI, String _model) {

        // Copy the values
        uri = _URI;
        model = _model;
    }
    //endregion

    //region PUBLIC FUNCTIONS

    // Gets the whole url to perform the query on
    public String getURI (){
        return uri + '/' + model;
    }

    //endregion

}


VIVOTEK FD8133V is an easy-to-use fixed dome network camera specifically designed for indoor/outdoor security applications with a compact, stylish vandal-proof exterior. Equipped with a 1MP sensor enabling viewing resolution of 1280x800 at 30 fps, users need look no further for an all-in-one camera capable of capturing high quality, high resolution video.
The FD8133V supports the industry-standard H.264 compression technology, drastically reducing file sizes and conserving valuable network bandwidth. With MPEG-4 and MJPEG compatibility also included, video streams can also be transmitted in any of these formats for versatile applications. The streams can also be individually configured to meet different constraints, thereby further reducing bandwidth and storage requirements. Users can thus receive multiple streams simultaneously in different resolutions, frame rates, and image qualities for viewing on different platforms.
Its IP66-rated housing protects the camera body against rain and dust and ensures operation under poor weather conditions. Furthermore, the metal vandal-proof housing effectively provides robust protection from vandalism. Also included are a number of advanced features standard on VIVOTEK cameras, including tamper detection, MicroSD/SDHC card slot, and VIVOTEK's 32-channel recording software. With all of these capabilities, the FD8133V presents the best value in IP surveillance for indoor/outdoor applications.


text:
Cognitive behavioral therapy normalizes brain abnormality in OCD patients
The abnormality also may predict treatment success or failure
Jamie Feusner, MD
UCLA scientists and colleagues studying the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) discovered an abnormality in the brains of people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that may help to predict who is most likely to respond to CBT. Researchers used functional MRI scans to obtain a measure called hemodynamic response function (HRF), which is a marker of how blood flows to certain tissues in the brain.
Researchers found abnormalities in the HRF in patients with OCD before treatment in brain areas including a region called the caudate that appeared to normalize after four weeks of CBT. This finding did not hold true for people who did not receive CBT but were scanned twice separated by four weeks.
OCD is a disabling and relatively common psychiatric disorder that affects about 1 in 40 people in their lifetime. Certain abnormalities in brain function and structure are known to exist in OCD, but it is not understood how activity of the brain cells called neurons is linked to blood flow in the brains of those with OCD. CBT is a first-line treatment for OCD but does work for all patients.
OCD patients' pre-treatment HRF patterns in the caudate were able to predict their response to CBT, on an individual patient level, with high accuracy. With future studies confirming this, the finding may help doctors better decide who should and should not receive CBT as a first-line treatment for OCD.
Furthermore, abnormalities in how neural activity is linked to blood flow, called neurovascular coupling, could be related to the symptoms people with OCD experience and could be a target for future treatments.
Jamie Feusner, MD, professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute; Rangaprakash Deshpande, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Reza Tadayon-Nejad, MD, PhD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA and visiting associate faculty in neuroscience at California Institute of Technology; Joseph O'Neill, PhD, professor of child psychiatry at the Semel Institute; and Gopikrishna Deshpande, professor, Auburn University.
The research is published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior.
A grant from the National Institute of Mental Health funded this research.
Marrecca Fiore


text:
WE ARE CEITEC
Central European Institute
of Technology
A young and dynamic center of scientific excellence, which strives to fulfill its mission in advancing knowledge in the field of life and materials sciences, based on the interconnection of the scientific capacities of its six partners.
WE DO SCIENCE IN THE HEART OF EUROPE
Multidisciplinary research centre with cutting-edge technologies
We build bridges between the diverse research programs ranging from nanotechnology and material science to molecular biology, biomedicine to cybernetics.
WE ARE RAISING NEW GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS
A place for future scientists from all over the world
Our students have access to the most modern research infrastructure and education in an interdisciplinary scientific community with the standards of excellent foreign scientific institutions.
CEITEC – A PROUD HOLDER OF THIS AWARD!
Since its establishment, CEITEC has considered people the most important factor for building a successful research centre and carrying out high-quality research. Having top end infrastructure, modern premises and budget allocation means nothing without quality people and their inputs.
Press Releases News Research
INSECTS: Animals with plant telomerase
The new ADDIT-CE project will revolutionize Alzheimer's disease diagnostic
News Awards Press Releases
Tomas Sikola and Jiri Fajkus were awarded by the city of Brno
Scientists described different reactions to cadmium exposure in tobacco and…
Registration for EMBO Workshop Eukaryotic RNA Turnover and Viral Biology is Now…
From space to Brno. BDSAT-2 nanosatellite successfully sent the first telemetry…
Understanding of Plasma Processing Aiming at Manufacturing…
The dimensions of advanced semiconductor devices are now approaching the sizes of atoms…
Prof. Satoshi Hamaguchi
6. 2. 2023 11:00 - 13:00
CEITEC, Purkyňova 123, Building S,…
Dissertation Thesis Defence
The PhD School doctoral researcher Petr Tauš is running to the finish lines – awaited…
Petr Tauš
CEITEC MU, University Campus Bohunice,…
Collective State Doctoral Exams
On February 9, 2023, from 12:00 to 17:00 room E35/211 the collective state doctoral…
Darya Volkava, Surendra Saddala, Unnikannan Prabhullachandran, Juan Francisco…
We are creating a centre of scientific excellence whose results contribute to the improvement of the quality of life and human health.
We are involved in
Unique Equipment Sharing System
We provide access to 12 core facilities equipped with cutting-edge technologies in life, nanotechnologies, and material sciences. High-end instrumentation, funded through national and European projects, accessible to internal and external users from academy and industry at national and international levels.
Access to our laboratories is through a "tailor-made" reservation system.
Visit us through a virtual tour of our campuses.
Industry Cooperation
We work with industrial partners to supplement existing R&D.
Advanced Nano and Microtechnologies
9 Research Groups
11 Research Groups
Genomics and Proteomics of Plant Systems
Brain and Mind Research
Molecular Veterinary Medicine
Industrial Cybernetics, Instrumentation and Systems Integration
Více o výzkumu
Start Your Scientific
Career at CEITEC
Brno is the Czech capital of science and technology. The lively city offers a great culinary and cultural experience and is surrounded by beautiful nature with parks, forests and nearby lakes. Brno is a top destination for many expatriates working in the area of science and technology. The city is located in the heart of Europe, where Johann Gregor Mendel once laid down the foundation of modern genetics and where one-third of the world´s electron microscopes are being produced!
DISCOVER JOBS AT CEITEC
We are a consortium of six Brno universities and research institutions


You don't announce a pregnancy until the end of the first trimester, because you want to be as sure as possible it's a viable pregnancy first. Everyone knows this.
I hate this rule, and I think we should get rid of it.
For many women, miscarriages are extremely emotionally painful.
Why would we want to suffer in silence? Suffer without the help of our village to lift us up?
I know so many women who had a miscarriage and talked about it months or years after the fact, and about how horrible it was.
We grieve publicly when other members of our family die. Is it really only because everyone already knows them?
There are so many personal things I've posted about, often on Facebook but sometimes here too, and I get texts or emails in return: thank you for talking about that. I don't talk about it, but that's me, too.
The whole #metoo movement highlights this.
How many women have a story of trauma that they don't tell? How does this secrecy affect them in any or all other areas of their lives?
But let's not leave out the men in this one, either, because in our culture of toxic masculinity, men aren't supposed to talk about feelings at all. No good comes of keeping all of that inside.
I'm not saying that every time we feel something, we need to have a conversation about it. But men (and, indirectly, women) are done a disservice when taught not to talk about things that hurt.
People—all people—we need to learn to be more vulnerable. And we need to learn to take care of each other in our vulnerability. Listen. Hug. Be present. Let ourselves hurt when we connect all too well with other people's pain instead of throwing up judgements in self-defense. Keep the walls down.
This is how we build emotionally healthy people. Of all ages. Of all genders.
Vulnerability is not weakness. Vulnerability is strength—because it's scary, and we do it anyway.
Ladies, announce your pregnancy at 8 weeks and let us grieve with you if you lose the baby.
Ladies, if your man is finally ready to start to be more open, let him. Even if an eye roll and "finally" is your initial (internal) response. Better now than later (or never), right?


Share!T: Where Ideas Meet Ideas is coming to a close with our fourth and last event in this series for this year, bringing you new ideas and perspectives in science.
Our previous sessions have been a platform for students like yourself to share their interest in their field of choice and be part of a growing group of enthusiasts that would like to learn new things about the world we live in.
Share!T is also a good opportunity for speakers to be exposed to public speaking and to learn how to address an audience. We encourage interested individuals to carry on this evolving S-Cubed concept and expand it into a learning tool which we all can benefit from.
As such, we would be very pleased to see more people in Share!T 4 making use of this opportunity and getting together for discussing interesting ideas in an informal environment.
Share!T 4 will take place on the 15th of March in the New Biology Resource Room (NBRR) in the Biology Department. Speakers and their topics will be mentioned later on.


Lights. Over my shoulder their lights are coming, running through the trees, lamps and flaming torches. Coming for me through the trees, shouts, and hoots and laughter. It's a game, for them. Dogs, teeth bared for blood. Running. Under the chicken house, into the nettles. Quiet!
In the morning she lures me out with food, and I let her paste the baking soda on my stings. I try to tell her about them, but my words don't come right. She sighs at my tangled hair, my mother. Wants to keep me, but I slip away.
Tomorrow night they'll come again.
This is a 100-word flash fiction Friday Fictioneers story inspired by the picture above, this week supplied by Dale Rogerson. Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the lovely Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Click here to find out how it works or here to read some more stories by other writers.
"A deeply moving read, that keeps you turning pages." Oprah.com on my second novel, Swimming Lessons. Find out more.
This piece is thick with atmosphere and left me wanting to know more about the MC. Very well done as always.
Great tension in this piece, Claire. Atmospheric and bracing.
Good pacing, kept the suspense going. Great stuff, Claire!
Oh, this is so profoundly deep on so many levels. Love it.
I was out of breath reading it! I could feel all all the emotions of your character. So very well done, Ms Fuller.
I do so want to know who "they" are. Well done.
Loved the suspense that was there in every line.
Great story-telling. I really felt for this tortured soul.
Looks like he/she is flirting with danger for an adrenaline rush. Nice one.
The tension is palpable. Well written.
Well done. Such tension and I can feel that lost of breath and the terror and yet the thrill of being chased. I can't help wondering if your protagonist is a rabbit.
Well done, your drew me right into the story. Her fear was palatable. I found the end very sad. What is this tortured soul running from?
But for the baking soda, I would see a animal being tormented, then again I saw slaves escaping.
An incredibly visual piece. I hung on to every word. Simply brilliant.
I love the pacing and intensity of this piece. It left me with so many questions. Initially, I thought the same as Michael, that it was about escaped slaves. Then I thought, this is a world where this mother isn't entitled to have a child and so she hides it away. A fascinating story. I must check out your novels if you write as well as this.
Yikes. A night with the nettles! Misery follows, for sure.
I love the way there are so many interpretations! I see the 'they' as inside the child's head. A fascinating possibly disturbed narrator.
Amazing story, Claire, and so well-written. It leaves the reading wondering.
Very atmospheric. It raises so many questions, who's the main character? Why can't the mother keep her? Why's she hunted every night?
That's wonderful how you can make such an intriguing character in so few words.
the palpable tension made me breathless. a well crafted story.
A flash in the dark. A flash full of brilliance.


This topic for the IT professional describes how to create a Microsoft Key Distribution Service (kdssvc.dll) root key on the domain controller using Windows PowerShell to generate group Managed Service Account passwords in Windows Server® 2012.
Windows Server 2012 domain controllers (DC) require a root key to begin generating gMSA passwords. The domain controllers will wait up to 10 hours from time of creation to allow all domain controllers to converge their AD replication before allowing the creation of a gMSA. The 10 hours is a safety measure to prevent password generation from occurring before all DCs in the environment are capable of answering gMSA requests. If you try to use a gMSA too soon the key might not have been replicated to all Windows Server 2012 DCs and therefore password retrieval might fail when the gMSA host attempts to retrieve the password. gMSA password retrieval failures can also occur when using DCs with limited replication schedules or if there is a replication issue.
Membership in the Domain Admins or Enterprise Admins groups, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. For detailed information about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships, see Local and Domain Default Groups.
A 64-bit architecture is required to run the Windows PowerShell commands which are used to administer group Managed Service Accounts.
On the Windows Server 2012 domain controller, run the Windows PowerShell from the Taskbar.
The Effective time parameter can be used to give time for keys to be propagated to all DCs before use. Using Add-KdsRootKey –EffectiveImmediately will add a root key to the target DC which will be used by the KDS service immediately. However, other Windows Server 2012 DCs will not be able to use the root key until replication is successful.
For test environments with only one DC, you can create a KDS root key and set the start time in the past to avoid the interval wait for key generation by using the following procedure. Validate that a 4004 event has been logged in the kds event log.


Energy is the fuel that drives you. The Energy Equation explains how we all have the potential to get 15-19 hours of fully-energised waking hours from our day, and shows us just how to achieve it. It determines the speed at which you get things done, the results you achieve, your ability to maintain peak performance and how successful you are. Drawing on both the latest scientific research and ancient wisdom, The Energy Equation delivers a set of powerful techniques you can put to work to maximise that vital fuel. This book holds the key to greater vitality, heightened performance and powerful achievement. It shows you how to achieve a life with more energy, less stress, massively improved productivity and lots more time for you.
Daniel Browne is a consultant, trainer and life coach who has experienced the culture of of long working hours and the resulting impact on his family and social life. This book was born out of necessity and the need to understand how it is possible to increase productivity, energy and general wellbeing whilst still recognising that the demands of working life were unlikely to change. Daniel has studied productivity, meditation, yoga, energy healing and NLP to create a truly unique, life changing experience for those people looking to boost their efficiency and get more from their day without burning themselves out.


text:
Thomas Garvey
Impact Measurement Approaches: Recommendations to Impact Investors
Every business has social and environmental impact, for better or worse, but it is often difficult to understand exactly what these effects are. In 2007 the Rockefeller Impact Investing Collaborative was convened to explore interest among institutional investors in coordinating efforts to address this and related questions. Among the many difficult questions to be answered at the time were: How can investors tell if they are actually making progress toward a better economy both socially and environmentally? How does the pursuit of this better economy affect the finances of investors and the portfolio companies? Is the value created worth the costs? What is the best way for institutional investors to assess and manage their impact? The "Catalog of Approaches to Impact Measurement: Assessing Social Impact in Private Ventures," was commissioned by the Collaborative to document the impact management practices used by private equity investors in 2006, identify patterns, and offer recommendations to investors and portfolio companies seeking to better manage their impact. A summary of the Catalog's findings are found here. This article summarizes the recommendations laid out in a sister report to the catalog titled, "Impact Management Approaches: Recommendations to Impact Investors."
Two general approaches to impact measurement that were emerging at the time were the use of "impact ratings" to gauge environmental and social performance, and "impact assessment" by proxy to evaluate the actual effects of investment activity.
"Impact ratings" Just as a great restaurant may receive a Michelin star, an investment may have a certain rating that demonstrates it reputability. For investors studied in the Catalog, these ratings were based on an assessment of a given portfolio company's impact management practices, translated into a standardized scoring system. For example, the report characterizes "B Corporation [certifications as] the emerging standard for small- and medium-sized enterprises," where "standard" in this case means a standardized list of questions about practices, and a weighted scoring system for assigning points to each answer, where the maximum total score was 200. Better ratings indicated better practices, and carried the implication of more positive effects on people and/or the planet, although the underlying questions for the most part did not directly measure those effects. For portfolio companies, these rating systems provided a structured way to think about their own environmental or social performance, and a performance level (80/200 points to qualify for certification as a "B Corporation") to strive for. However, at the time the study was done, there was no universal, public, generally-accepted rating system in impact investing.
"Impact assessment" Impact Assessment at the time this document was published was closely related to Impact Rating systems, but without the added layer of abstraction/standardization of a score. In the Report the term impact assessment was defined as, "periodically [evaluating] characteristics, practices, and/or results of portfolio investments." At the time, most impact assessment systems typically tracked some measurable output, or leading indicator of impact, as a proxy for the actual effects the business had on people or the ecosystem; for example, a business' carbon output or energy consumption. These indicators could in theory be used to compare the portfolio company's impact to that of other businesses. Essentially, these assessments were used by investors to identify the company's strengths and weaknesses. For example, an assessment might show a company using excessive energy in creating their product. With this information, the investor can work with the company to find ways to lower their energy use to reach a desired energy consumption target. These assessments could also enable the comparison of the impact of different businesses within the same sector.
Based on these and other insights that informed the Catalog of Impact Management Approaches, including interviews with about 20 investors, SVT Group distilled nine recommendations for an approach impact measurement suitable for potential investors and portfolio companies, that could help facilitate progress towards a more socially and environmentally productive market:
Add value to companies: Only track identifiers that are key to the portfolio company and might affect their mission or profitability.
Ask for measurement of net results: Capture both positive and negative impacts caused by the portfolio company.
Screen up front for alignment with impact goals: Figure out the portfolio company's impact goals…what does the company want to look like?
Adopt an industry-wide rating of basic standards: How does this company compare to all the others in the same field?
Adopt a common documentation protocol: Every measurement needs to be in the same units, format, and based on the same common assumptions/principles.
Adopt a Progress-out-of-poverty index (PPI): The PPI is essentially a set of questions that that focus on certain indicators of poverty so that you can gauge the level of poverty someone has (i.e. what is your roof made out of?).
Be accountable for impact: Keep impact in mind during all decisions.
Support R&D for assessment of the relationship between impact and financial return: Understand how a change in impact is going to change financial return.
Commit publicly: Being held publicly accountable shows other companies how it is done!
Though this report was written over a decade ago, these same recommendations still hold true. To shape a market driven more by social and environmental concerns, credible information about each company's impact needs to be publicly available. This would bring greater social pressure to align financial decisions with ensuring a stable, healthy environment and with the well-being of others. However, there remains very little regulation governing how much a company needs to disclose. Without greater clarity about and demand for disclosures, most firms lack the vision and incentive to successfully manage their impact so that they at least do no harm and ideally benefit those whom they affect. In order for investors and others to embrace these recommendations, they will need a greater incentive to understand and praoctively manage impact than has historically existed. One example where this incentive has crystallized recently is the issue of climate-related risk to investors, which is has catalyzed 30 central banks to demand clear disclosure of carbon and other environmental risks. The day may come when other impact issues, such as poverty eradication, income equality, or diversity get similar treatment; in the meantime, asset owners, employees and the public at large are slowly but surely growing demand for information about impact.
Newer PostHow to Draw the Bottom Line(s): Impact Management in 2004
© Copyright 2019 SVT Group All Rights Reserved.


text:
Legislators Work with Ag Community to Update Farmland Preservation Program
January 27, 2021|In News|By The Farm
Farmers and conservation advocates both have reason to be enthusiastic about the recent reintroduction of a bill to update the farmland preservation program. Senator Patrick Testin (Stevens Point) and Representative Loren Oldenburg (Viroqua) have authored the legislation, which is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.
The bill encourages farmers to participate in the longstanding program that helps preserve farmland and safeguard soil and water by making a number of changes – including shortening the required length of participation and increasing the size of the tax credit.
"Since 1977, the farmland preservation program has helped Wisconsin farmers be good stewards of the land," said Senator Testin. "By strengthening the farmland preservation program, we're investing in the future of our farmers and our environment."
Representative Oldenburg agreed that the bill was a win-win.
"Our efforts on this legislation have attracted support from farmers, conservationists, and folks from across the political spectrum," said Rep. Oldenburg. "By making this program more responsive to the needs of farmers, we believe we'll see better outcomes for all involved."
By releasing this proposal early in the legislative session, both Senator Testin and Representative Oldenburg hope to build on the bi-partisan support the bill garnered last session when it passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture unanimously.