text:
Home Games EA Announced that The Sims 4 is Free This Week
EA Announced that The Sims 4 is Free This Week
Daniel Kiss May 23, 2019 0 Comment
The Sims was an original game when it was first launched, and many people tend to forget this. The unique and fabulous title allowed you to take on the character of God, in essence, controlling characters and their lives in the gameplay.
The Sims was and still is a one-of-a-kind game, similar to the Sim City, but rather than a city setting, you controlled and mimicked humans, or life if you want. Habitual gamers might have shot the door on the game, but many casual players loved it. As a matter of fact, more than 100 million copies of the title from the series have been sold since the first launch which took place in the year 2000.
The fourth, and also the latest significant version of the game, namely The Sims 4, is still incredibly famous, and it came for Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 and also Xbox One. The good news is that, for a short period of time, the versions for Windows and macOS of the game are completely free.
This announcement from its publisher, Electronic Arts, is surprising, and many asked why would the company make free such a high-quality game. It appears, however, to be a method to advertise its Electronic Arts Origin digital distribution service, which is also a competing platform to Steam. The free title can only be accessed through EA's Origin. However, it doesn't really matter because Origin is free and only requires an account in order to have access to the free edition of The Sims 4.
Even if the game's free promotion arrives at an end on May the 28th, the title's license will still be available. To put the matter another way, you have to get the game by that date, and it will remain free after it as well.
Daniel Kiss
Daniel Kiss is the senior editor for News Lair. Daniel was working as a writer since he finished high-school, first for local papers then he started online, nowadays he likes to write about the latest games and tech innovations.
Madden 21 Next-Gen Upgrade: PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, Sony, Microsoft, Dual Entitlement & more
Fortnite: How To Turn On Ray-Tracing! RTX On, Compatible Nvidia Cards, and More!
Roblox PS5: PS5 Release Date and Price Revealed! – PS4, Promo Codes & more
Minecraft PS5: PS5 Showcase Clues? Minecraft 2020, latest news & more
Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 4: How To Deal Damage With A Gatherers Remains
Football Manager 2021: Become a NewGen Player in FM!
© 2018 News Lair -News Lair LLC


text:
Stenotarsus lombardeaui es una especie de coleóptero de la familia Endomychidae.

Distribución geográfica
Habita en Nueva Caledonia.

Referencias

Lombardeaui
Coleópteros de Oceanía
Nueva Caledonia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In 2006, the Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith Scholarship recipient Dr Justin Hardi graduated with a double degree in science and aerospace engineering from the University of Adelaide.
Today, Justin leads the Combustion Dynamics Group at the Institute of Space Propulsion of Germany's national aeronautics and space research centre.
Last year Justin joined three fellow alumni, including astronaut Dr Andy Thomas, to speak in Adelaide at a University-run public lecture as part of the 68th International Astronautical Congress. Justin also embraces opportunities to give back to the education sector by helping other aspiring aeronautical engineers on their path.
We all know it's a small world, of course. But Justin's story certainly reminds us what wonderful things can happen when we help our next generation make their way in it.
This entry was posted in 2018, Impact of Giving and tagged aerospace, Donors, giving, mechanical engineering, philanthropy, Scholarships, science. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
HD 111031 är en ensam stjärna belägen i den norra delen av stjärnbilden Korpen. Den har en skenbar magnitud av ca 6,87 och kräver åtminstone en handkikare för att kunna observeras. Baserat på parallaxmätning inom Hipparcosuppdraget på ca 32,4 mas, beräknas den befinna sig på ett avstånd på ca 100 ljusår (ca 31 parsek) från solen. Den rör sig närmare solen med en heliocentrisk radialhastighet på ca -20 km/s.

Egenskaper
HD 111031 är en gul stjärna i huvudserien av spektralklass G5 V. Den har en radie som är ca 1,3 solradier och har ca 1,6 gånger solens utstrålning av energi från dess fotosfär vid en effektiv temperatur av ca 5 700 K.

Planetsystem
År 2007 upptäcktes en obekräftad exoplanet, HD 111031 b, som kretsar kring stjärnan. Den har en massa som är ca 2,9 gånger Jupiters massa och en omloppsperiod av 5 986 dygn i en bana med en excentricitet av 0,32.

Se även
 Lista över exoplaneter

Referenser

Noter

Externa länkar
 https://www.universeguide.com/star/62345/hd111031.

Stjärnbilden Korpen
HD-objekt
Huvudseriestjärnor klass G
Solsystem


The exercise period of the vested options is seven years. This means that that the employee can convert his 50 options ( that vested upon him on September 01, 2016 ) anytime before September 01, 2023. For the remaining 50 options that vested in 2017, the employee can exercise his right any time before September 01, 2024.
Fully vested incentive stock options exercisable at $38 per share to obtain 27,000 shares of common stock were outstanding during a period when the average market price of the common stock was $48 and the ending market price was $48.
Fully vested incentive stock options exercisable at $60 per share to obtain 17,000 shares of common stock were outstanding during a period when the average market price of the common stock was $80 and the ending market price was $80.
What is the difference between vesting and stock option? Update Cancel. So, for example, an employer would earn 100 shares of stock today. They would then be vested, so he would gain access to the shares over time according to a set out schedule. What is the difference between traditional stock options and an incentive unit plan?
The Stock Options shall become vested and exercisable only if the Consultant continues to regularly perform services for the Company as a consultant through the vesting dates set forth in the vesting schedule in Notice of Grant.
Vested Stock Options This refers to stock options for which you have earned the right of ownership and that are eligible for exercise Top. Vesting For stock option grants, this is the process by which stock options become exercisable, usually through the passage of time.
Fully Vested Incentive Stock Options Exercisable At / What Are Employee Stock Options? Exercising a stock option means purchasing the shares of stock per the stock option agreement. The benefit of the option to the option holder comes when the grant price is lower than the market value of the stock at the time the option is exercised.5.
Most companies offer you the opportunity to exercise your stock options early (i.e. before they are fully vested). If you decide to leave your company prior to being fully vested and you early-exercised all your options then your employer will buy back your unvested stock at your exercise price.
Stock options can be lucrative for employees who know how to avoid unnecessary taxes. Education Reference Dictionary The year after, another 250 shares are vested, and so on.
Fully vested incentive stock options exercisable at $40 per share to obtain 28,000 shares of common stock were outstanding during a period when the average market price of the common stock was $50 and the ending market price was $50.
EX-10.(C) 3 dex10c.htm TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR STOCK OPTIONS Exhibit 10(c) ALCOA INC. TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR STOCK OPTION AWARDS any unvested Stock Options will be forfeited on the date of termination of employment and any vested Stock Options will remain exercisable for 90 days after the date employment is terminated.
Difference between vested and exercisable stock options 27.05.2017 Allaire 4 Comments If you are a options executive or plan to be one someday, a substantial portion of your compensation may be provided between stock options.
This value is calculated by multiplying the total number of vested stock options that are exercisable across all of your grants by the Employee Options, Restricted Stock and Value The diluted approach fails to consider that exercising options will (including restricted stock) outstanding. Difference Between Outstanding and Fully Diluted Stock.
© Stock options vested and exercisable Binary Option | Stock options vested and exercisable Best binary options.


Modern biologists can already unpack and rebuild the DNA in a bacterium or cell. And that allows them to create new, synthetic organisms with brand new properties and capabilities–which one day might range from breaking down toxic waste to manufacturing drugs. In other words, biologists are now architects. And they're using the tools of architecture as well.
Tinkercell, developed by Deepak Chandran, a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, is a full-on computer program for designing cells and bacteria, and simulating how they'll behave. Much like the computer programs that allow architects to design building, Tinkercell allows a user to drag and drop various cell components–from membrane proteins to genes to enzymes–and link them together in a virtual organism. All of these have properties modeled inside the program. When a user is finished with a design, the program can run a simulation, to see if the arrangement works as desired.
But the idea is to make the design of synthetic organisms easier, faster, and more intuitive. Next stop: The future, where almost anyone with the will can design life at home.


text:
Q: OR-Lambda-Layer operation with Keras I'm creating a different project with Keras, it's a development of a Neural network based on predefined knowledge (described as IF-THEN rules), called Neurules. I've created a Python Module to train each one of my Neurons/Neurules from a given IF-THEN logical expression and after all I need to use Keras to create it as a network and reuse this Model.
I've already tested with one little example and it worked, everything manually added, the weights and bias. Now I've updated my script and it is giving me a JSON with all the weights to add to Keras (working until now).
Here comes my problem, I have one first Layer with 20 Neurules (neurons created from IF-THENs) but I only have 2 possible outputs, some of the Neurules/Neurons give me output[0] some of them the output[1], I want to add a layer in-between representing the OR connections.
E.g.:
Layer 1:
NEURON1, NEURON2, NEURON3
Output[0] is formed by: NEURON1 or NEURON2
Output[1] is formed by: NEURON2 or NEURON3
What I've done in my first little example was: I've created and trained an OR neuron with my pre-developed python module and then added a second layer with it. I've then connected the entries manually to the ORs Neurules (putting the weights in the correct connections and putting 0 when they shouldn't influence the OR). Now I have something bigger and I'm automating the whole process.
Visualization of the simple net:
Buffer is just forwarding the value, OR is doing an OR operation with the inputs.
Visualization of the layers
How can I create a Lambda Layer in Keras which takes some of the outputs, processes a logical OR and connects to one of the outputs?
I've found the Backend function:
tf.keras.backend.any, but I'm not able to use it until now, how should I use it? Probably in a Lambda layer, but how?
I need to connect, for example
(NEURON1 or NEURON4 or NEURON5) -> output[0]
(NEURON3 or NEURON6 or NEURON7) -> output[1]
In my system -1 represents False and 1 represents True.
Until now I've saved which Neurons are using each one of the 2 outputs in an array in a JSON like:
"secondLayerDescription": [
    [0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18],
    [2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17, 19]
]

I hope someone can help me :)
EDIT: Giving an update, I found a solution after some days, I'm splitting my layer into 2 layers and operating them with lambda layers as following:
def logical_or_layer(x):
    """Processing an OR operation"""
    import keras.backend
    #normalized to 0,1
    aux_array = keras.backend.sign(x)
    aux_array = keras.backend.relu(aux_array)
    # OR operation
    aux_array = keras.backend.any(aux_array)
    # casting back the True/False to 1,0
    aux_array = keras.backend.cast(aux_array, dtype='float32')

    return aux_array

#this is the input tensor
inputs = Input(shape=(inputSize,))

#this is the Neurule layer
x = Dense(neurulesQt, activation='softsign')(inputs)

#after each neuron layer, the outputs need to be put into SIGNUM (-1 or 1)
x = Lambda(signumTransform, output_shape=lambda x:x, name='signumAfterNeurules')(x)

#separating into 2 (2 possible outputs)
layer_split0 = Lambda( lambda x: x[:, :end_output0], output_shape=(11, ), name='layer_split0')(x)
layer_split1 = Lambda( lambda x: x[:, start_output1:end_output1], output_shape=(9,), name='layer_split1')(x)
#this is the OR layer
y_0 = Lambda(logical_or_layer, output_shape=(1,), name='or0')(layer_split0)
y_1 = Lambda(logical_or_layer, output_shape=(1,), name='or1')(layer_split1)

But I'm still having problems, I can't merge them together, I've raised a new question based on this new topic.

A: I found a way to do it, I need to sort my Neurules Layer, split them and then, with one Lambda Layer for each split, do some processing as shown in the EDITed part of the question: normalize the inputs, use the backend.any and then cast the True or False back to float.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
MovieSpoon
Trailer: 'Power Rangers' is a Surprisingly Awesome Blast from the Past
Katie Meschke
Studio: Lionsgate
Director: Dean Israelite
MPAA Rating: N/A
Starring: Dacre Montgomery, RJ Cyler, Naomi Scott, Becky G, Ludi Lin, Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader
Saban's "Power Rangers" follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.
Related Topics:Becky GBill HaderBryan CranstonDacre MontgomeryDean IsraeliteElizabeth BanksLudi LinNaomi ScottPower RangersRJ Cyler
Watch: The Final 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Trailer is Filled with Hope & Danger
Trailer: The '90s Make a Comeback with 'Legends of the Hidden Temple'
'The Boss Baby' Stays Put at #1 on Revenue Charts, 'Smurfs' Bask at #3
'The Boss Baby' Takes #1 Spot in Opening Weekend Smackdown
Movie Review: 'Power Rangers' Mighty Morphs into a Clunky Blockbuster
Watch: The 1st 'Power Rangers' Clip is Full of Personality
'Suicide Squad' Holds Top Spot at Box Office, Followed by Seth Rogan's 'Sausage Party'
Review: 'Sausage Party' is an Undercooked Spoof
Trailer: Jennifer Lawrence Goes Femme Fatale in 'Red Sparrow'
Red Sparrow Trailer
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Irons
Dominika Egorova is many things. A devoted daughter determined to protect her mother at all costs. A prima ballerina whose ferocity has pushed her body and mind to the absolute limit. A master of seductive and manipulative combat.
When she suffers a career-ending injury, Dominika and her mother are facing a bleak and uncertain future. That is why she finds herself manipulated into becoming the newest recruit for Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people like her to use their bodies and minds as weapons. After enduring the perverse and sadistic training process, she emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow the program has ever produced. Dominika must now reconcile the person she was with the power she now commands, with her own life and everyone she cares about at risk, including an American CIA agent who tries to convince her he is the only person she can trust.
Trailer: Saoirse Ronan Channels Greta Gerwig in 'Lady Bird'
Lady Bird Movie Trailer
Studio: A24
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Odeya Rush, Danielle Macdonald, Jordan Rodrigues, Kathryn Newton, Jake McDorman, Timothee Chalamet
A California high school student plans to escape from her family and small town by going to college in New York.
Trailer: Peter Dinklage Investigates Mysterious Death in Sci-Fi 'Rememory'
Release date: September 8, 2017 (limited)
Studio: Lionsgate Premiere
Director: Mark Palansky
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for bloody accident images, some violence, thematic material and brief strong language)
Starring: Peter Dinklage, Julia Ormond, Martin Donovan, Anton Yelchin, Henry Ian Cusick, Evelyne Brochu
"Rememory" explores the unexplained death of Gordon Dunn (Martin Donovan), a visionary scientific pioneer whose body is found shortly after the unveiling of his newest work: a device able to extract, record and play a person's memories. Gordon's wife, Carolyn (Julia Ormond – "Mad Men," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Legends of the Fall"), retreats into her house and cuts off contact with the outside world when a mysterious man (Peter Dinklage – "Game of Thrones," "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "The Station Agent") shows up. After stealing the machine, he uses it to try and solve the mystery, beginning an investigation of memories that lead him to unexpected and dangerous places.
Movie News9 months ago
"Captain Marvel" Retains Top Slot at the Box Office
It's no surprise that in its second weekend, the first Marvel Cinematic Universe of 2019 is still riding high. Captain...
Movie News11 months ago
"Dragon" Continues To Soar, "Funeral" Close Behind, "Green Book" Back
With little competition for the weekend, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the third in the animated fantasy...
Review: "Captain Marvel" is a Solidly Sensational Sci-Fi Adventure
Captain Marvel joins the ranks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a much different way. She slides into the MCU...
"Captain Marvel" Makes a Heroic Box Office Debut
Despite online controversy, another Marvel Comics movie has debuted to another astonishing figure. While not as monumental as last year's...
"Alita" Fights For First, Romance and Horror Behind in Box Office
Valentine's Day weekend wasn't exactly the weekend where the romantic comedy took the top spot. But, surprise, the top spots...
Review: "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" Tumbles With Too Much
The saga's plucky hero and leader Hiccup gives the standard introduction to his Viking village of Burke, now toppling and...
"Dragon" Dominates Last Box Office Weekend of February
2019 so far has been fairly low in the box office thus far. Few new debuts have had as large...
Review: "Happy Death Day 2U" Goes From Clever to Confounding
The sequel to 2017's fresh and giddy horror concept of Happy Death Day comes crashing in with the least remarkable...
"Lego" Makes Little Splash at #1 For Weekend
As we head into February, a larger crop of films are headed to the theater to take the top spot...
Review: "The LEGO Movie 2" Builds More of the Same
There's was such an inspiring surprise behind 2014's The LEGO Movie that resculpted the landscape of property-based movies. LEGO already...
Movie Lists3 years ago
Remembering Gene Wilder: 8 Greatest Movie Quotes from 'Blazing Saddles' to 'Willy Wonka'
Marvel4 years ago
Mads Mikkelsen on 'Doctor Strange' Humor & CGI: 'There's a Certain Darkness in the Doc'
The 29 Steamiest Bikini Movie Moments of All Time – #23 is a Shocker!
Movie News5 years ago
Watch: Matthew McConaughey 'Interstellar' Teaser Trailer
Weak Competition Gives 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Another #1 Weekend
All Marvel Movies Ranked From Worst to Best – Including Doctor Strange!
45 Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best: #39 Should NEVER Have Been Made
All 46 Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best – Including Doctor Strange!
© Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved. Popster Media Inc.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Michigan Industrial Real Estate Tenants Update @ Tri-Commerce Center
Ashley Capital's recently completed Tri-County Commerce Center Building 3 has a 916,000 square foot industrial facility and is 100% leased with two tenants. Building 3 is part of the larger Tri-County Commerce Center, a 2.1MM square foot fully occupied industrial park in Hazel Park, MI.
1) Avancez LLC – General Motors Co. Supplier
General Motors Co. supplier Avancez LLC inked a deal to occupy 400,000 square feet of space at Tri-County Commerce Center 3. This will bring 240 new jobs to the area. Regarding this new tenant deal, Kevin Hegg, a VP of Ashley Capital, said "Honestly, we're running out of space. It's indicative of how incredibly hot of a market it is."
Investment for Avancez's plant will be around $50 million total. The Michigan Department of Transportation announced that it would provide $1.4 million in road improvements and accessibility near the plant in addition to the nearly $1 million being contributed by Avancez.
Avancez signed a 10-year lease at the Michigan industrial complex immediately following the 10-year contract with GM to produce assembled modules for Factory Zero. Avancez specializes in "just in time" manufacturing, suspension modules, sequencing, as well as tire and wheel assembly.
2) Mayville Engineering Co.
Wisconsin-based Mayville Engineering Co is also going to be a tenant in Tri-County Commerce Center 3. It recently announced the signing of a 10-year lease for 450,000 square feet of industrial space. Mayville Engineering Co plans to invest around $45 million and will hire 390 employees at the Hazel Park plant.
Mayville Engineering's plant at Tri-County Commerce Center is expected to serve as a space for welding, tube bending, laser cutting, painting and electrocoating operations. Mayville provides the following services: prototyping and tooling, fabrication, coating, assembly and aftermarket components for commercial vehicles, construction, powersports, agriculture, and military customers.
"After reviewing many alternative [industrial real estate] sites and states, we selected Hazel park… due to the availability of a highly skilled manufacturing workforce in the area to support existing demand and potential future market growth opportunities," said Mayville COO Rand Stille.


text:
Directors Guild of America (DGA) WINNERS – Iñárritu Makes History
Directors Guild of America (Film)
Directors Guild of America (TV)
Erik Anderson February 6, 2016
Alejandro G. Iñárritu made history tonight by becoming the only director in the Directors Guild's 68 years to win back to back awards. He... Read More
Directors Guild of America (DGA) Predictions for Television
Proving once again that television is a medium of exploding diversity and opportunity (as opposed to feature film), the nominees for outstanding directing in... Read More
AwardsWatch's Top 50 Episodes of Television for 2015
AwardsWatch members have voted on 2015's Best of Television and here are the Top 50 Episodes for 2015. Did your favorite make the cut? Special... Read More
2015 EMMYS: Game of Thrones Breaks Record; Viola Davis Makes Emmy History
Erik Anderson September 20, 2015
The 67th Emmy Awards new winners in the top categories, Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series. Game of Thrones won Drama Series... Read More
What To Expect at Sunday's Emmy Awards – Comedy Categories
This could be a big year for comedy at The Emmys. We'll either see a new Comedy Series champ crowned if Modern Family manages... Read More
2015 Emmys: Official Acting and Series Submissions for the 67th Emmy Awards
Erik Anderson July 16, 2015
The nominations are in but race starts now, folks. Below you'll find the known submissions in all acting and series categories as they come in.... Read More
FINAL 2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions from the Emmy Experts!
TV Movie/Limited Series
Here are the final Emmy nomination predictions from the Emmy Experts with fancy, pretty pictures courtesy of EE Nicole Latayan!... Read More
Writers Guild of America (WGA) Winners: 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'The Imitation Game' Win Top Awards
Erik Anderson February 14, 2015
The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Imitation Game have won the Writers Guild of America's top honors, for Original and Adapted Screenplay, respectively. Each are... Read More
Directors Guild of America (DGA) Nominations for TV: Jodie Foster Nodded Twice
The Directors Guild of America nominations for television, commercials and documentary feature films were revealed today by DGA president Paris Barclay. They include two nominations... Read More
Golden Globe Nominations – TELEVISION: Transparent, Jane the Virgin, The Affair Lead Newbie Noms
Golden Globes (TV)
The Golden Globe nominations for television showed some the HFPA's usual flare for recognizing freshman year shows and this year it was Showtime's The Affair... Read More


Garver's Energy Services Group has completed design of a 4.5-mile 69kV transmission line for Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The design, using galvanized steel poles, completes a loop with dual feed and sectionalizing capability around the city. The transmission line increases system reliability and provides additional capacity for the next 20 years. Siloam Springs is self-building the project, and it should be completed by the end of 2010. Garver also provided route studies, environmental assessment and permitting, and various surveys.
Garver's Energy Services Group is also beginning work on two major energy projects in Bentonville, Arkansas. Those include design, surveying, and construction phase services for a 4-mile, 161kV transmission line and a new 161kV substation.


text:
Home Depressive Disorders Depression Is Linked to Suppression of Real Emotions and Desires, Says Study
Depression Is Linked to Suppression of Real Emotions and Desires, Says Study
A woman who is caught in an abusive relationship with her partner and a reader who does not feel his blood boil when he reads about child abuse, are two examples of the complex web of intrigue and conflict that are interwoven in the brain. The woman has two options – she can either acknowledge that the relationship is suffocating and moves on after venting her frustration, or she continues to live with the faith of her love and suffers silently from stress, depression and low self-esteem. In an ideal scenario, if the woman chooses to speak up, she is more likely to be happier than if she lives on without allowing her true emotions to surface.
A recent study has come up with an interesting finding. People are not always keen on experiencing emotions that place them on a high pedestal. Emotions such as love and empathy are transcendent, believed to inculcate a feeling of goodwill. However, as per the findings of the study, 11 percent of the participants wanted to feel fewer of these transcendent emotions than they experienced in their daily life, while 10 percent wanted to feel more unpleasant emotions such as anger or hatred.
The study revealed that across the cultures, participants who experienced their desired emotions, whether pleasant or unpleasant, had a stronger sense of fulfilment with their lives and fewer depressive symptoms. Elucidating further on the results of the study, lead researcher, Maya Tamir, a psychology professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, says that "happiness is more than simply feeling pleasure and avoiding pain. Happiness is about having experiences that are meaningful and valuable, including emotions that you think are the right ones to have."
Lesser known causes of depression
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide affecting more than 300 million people across the world. The number of people living with depression has increased by more than 18 percent between 2005 and 2015. While one of the reasons that fuels depression is the existence of a wide chasm between what "one feels" and what one "desires to feel," there are several other causes. Some lesser known causes of depression are:
Sibling rivalry: Those who live in a complex relationship with their siblings are more likely to be depressed than those who bond well. Healthy relationships with siblings transcend into productive relationships with peers and colleagues in later life. However, a rivalry in childhood may turn memories bitter and one could find it more difficult to sustain productive relationships with future partners and acquaintances, which could culminate into a source of misery and depression.
Lack of fish in one's diet: Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for brain. Omega-3 fatty acids impact the neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, in a positive manner. Fish oil improves memory and prevents cognitive decline.
Medications: Some medications used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders like Valium and Xanax, lopressor for hypertension, and cholesterol-controlling medications may have adverse side effects, including depression.
Strive for perfection: The determination to be nothing less than the best makes it impossible for a person to accept the reality. If someone fails to be perfect, he or she feels stressed out and is likely to get depressed.
A healthy mix of good lifestyle choices, nutritious diet, physical exercise and pursuit of hobbies help calm the mind and generate positivity. A mind filled with peace will function well and have lesser chances of being afflicted with a mental disorder.
Depression is a treatable illness
Depression is a serious mental health condition requiring immediate diagnosis and treatment from certified mental health experts.
Source by Barbara Odozi
How I Overcame Chronic Depression With Brainwave Entrainment Meditation
Tasks to Practice to Escape Depression
Cell Phone Towers and Mobile Phone Masts – Beacons of Harm


Unlike table hints, where the standard locks and methods that have been discussed so far are applied to a transaction at run time, without any further configuration, Snapshots rely on an entirely new data change tracking method, configured at the database level. This new method is more than just a slight logical change; it requires the server to handle the data physically different from before. Once this new data change tracking method is enabled, it creates a copy, or snapshot of every data change. By reading these snapshots rather than live data at times of contention, Shared Locks are no longer needed on reads, and overall database performance may increase. This new change tracking method is called Row Versioning.
Although Row Versioning is new to Microsoft SQL Server 2005, it exists in the Oracle Database products. For Microsoft SQL users (and most other database users other than Oracle), the database is handled in a Pessimistic way. The database philosophically expects there will be many data conflicts; with multiple sessions all trying to change the same data at the same time and corruption will result. To avoid this, Locks are put in place to guard data integrity. As we have examined in the previous articles, even the simplest read produces a Shared Lock. For databases with heavy insert, update, and delete activity, this is an excellent methodology. Locking safeguards against data corruption, but that safety comes at the price of requiring system resources for lock escalations and management. The locking also produces the side effect of Readers blocking Writers overviewed in the previous article. There are a few instances though, when this pessimistic heavy lock design is more of a negative than a positive benefit, such as applications that have very heavy read activity with light writes, or when porting applications from Oracle to MS SQL. For applications with heavy read activity, the first option might be to check the viability of using the NOLOCK hint. NOLOCK will not issue a Shared Lock and will not honor locks issued by other transactions. As a result, performance may increase. Unfortunately, you are never sure about the integrity of the data being returned by your NOLOCK statement, it may be either committed or uncommitted data. If this is unacceptable, Row Versioning may be a good fit. Row Versioning may also be a good for fit for off the shelf or third party applications, where it is not practical to change hundreds of stored procedures to use lock hints, only to have your changes undone during the next upgrade. Additionally, if their database statements are inside complied code, rather than database procedures, then without source code, applying lock hints is not an option. Fortunately, Row Versioning is enabled at the database level with one statement, and once enabled, no additional changes need to be made at the statement or procedure level.
Using the same example, we will include a second transaction trying to read to same data the first transaction is modifying. Without Row Versioning, the second transaction would be blocked, sitting idle, until the first transaction either committed or rolled back. However, with Row Versioning, the Data Store is used to speed up this process.
Therefore, with Row Versioning, we are getting the benefit of a committed read with out a block. In our example, the last committed read was "Kim." If three transactions change the same row, then there will be three rows in the Version Store. During a read, the Version Store will be checked for the most current committed data during the time the read was issued. In our examples, Rows in the Version Store were deleted on Commit or Roll Back, but in reality, a garbage collector periodically deletes them. Notice the extra work required by writes. Every DML requires the extra task or writing to the version store, regardless if there are active readers or not. If there are no active transactions needing the data, then the garbage collector will periodically delete the version store rows.
Snapshots in SQL 2005 provide new locking options. Read Committed Snapshot is very simple to enable and disable, so testing applications for performance gains should be straightforward. Next month, we will explore Snapshot deeper and look at an optional isolation level.


Be sure to surprise your little one with this 5-storey parking set that comes with a toy helicopter. It features an automatic elevator for the cars that will surely fascinate your kid. Sporting a helipad and fixable parts, this toy is a great pick.


Comfortable in the kitchen? I doubt you have this kitchen tool yet... Open to US residents only, you have through 4/4 to enter to try to win. Good luck.
Deliciously Savvy Is Hosting A Giveaway In Which 1 Lucky Winner Will receive a Geoffrey Zakarian Pro For Home Sous Vide Circulator Of Their Very Own! RV is $130! If You Have Not Yet Tried The Sous Vide Cooking Method..... I Promise You Will Love It & For Easy, Delicious Results Every Time!
Check Out My Review And Enter To Win One Of Your Very Own Today!
Plus a Big Thank You To All Of The Fabulous Bloggers Helping To Promote As I Can Never Do It Without You! Thank You.
Any Questions Email Me At mcushing7 (at) hotmail (dot) com. This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This giveaway is valid only in the United States. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway will end at 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/04/2018.
Deliciously Savvy did not receive any form of compensation for this giveaway. Once winner is selected via the Rafflecopter process, the product will be shipped. Winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. No other blog associated with this giveaway is responsible for the product shipment. Viatek & Zakarian Hospitality will be providing the prize above to the winner. Thank You for stopping by! Any Questions or Concerns email me at mcushing7 (at) hotmail (dot) com.


Announcing Charles I. Charles holds a Ph.D. in Lepidopterology from Cambridge, and is awed by life from the majestic to the profane; he currently lectures at Puss and Boots Preparatory. Note–Party spoiler: Charles is a gracious host, yet a snob to those west of the Mississippi. When at his dinner table, be sure to avoid language like "you betcha" or starting sentences with "So..."


text:
About RegTech
BSA Officer Coaching
Director Support
FinTech Due Diligence
Compliance for Marijuana Businesses
AML Regulations and Enforcement Actions
Beneficial Ownership & Customer Due Diligence
Cannabis/Marijuana
FinTech, Financial Crimes, and Risk Management
General Business, Risk, and Life
Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing – General
RTC Journal
Illegal cannabis grows, shell companies, straw buyers, border searches, beneficial owners … and GTOs?
US v Li et al, CD CA 19-MJ-00867
https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/three-socal-men-arrested-scheme-which-chinese-money-allegedly-funded-seven-inland
On March 7th the US Attorney for the Central District of California announced the arrests of three men for running an illegal marijuana grow and distribution operation out of eight homes in San Bernardino County.
This case reads like an ACAMS or ACFCS exam question, with even dollar wires from China, cash purchases of homes by straw buyers, linked shell companies, false leases, even border searches of cell phones (yes, when you enter the United States the Government can not only search your luggage, it can search your cell phone and laptop).
You may be asking yourself – if the homes were purchased with "all cash", were they covered under FinCEN's real estate-related Geographic Targeting Orders (GTOs)? The four GTOs require title insurance companies to report all cash purchases by legal entities of residential real estate over $300,000 in certain markets. The original January 2016 GTO affected only Miami and New York (and properties over $1 million in Miami and $3 million in New York). The GTO was renewed and expanded in July 2016 to cover LA County (properties over $2 million), and in November 2018 the GTO was expanded to twelve cities/counties and in all twelve the purchase price was set at $300,000.
Were any of these properties covered by the GTOs? No. San Bernardino County isn't covered, and all eight properties were originally purchased by individuals. Even if San Bernardino County was covered, the four that were transferred to LLCs were all in amounts below the $2 million threshold and before the threshold was reduced to $300,000 in November 2018.
What if real estate agents had BSA/AML reporting requirements? Would the real estate agents in these deals recognized any red flags? No. One real estate agent handled all eight transactions: he is the lead defendant and set up the straw buyers, shell companies, etc.
The press release included the following quote from United States Attorney Nick Hanna: "In states that have decriminalized marijuana, we have seen an influx of foreign money used to establish grow operations, with much of the marijuana being destined for out-of-state consumers". But seven of the eight properties used as grow houses were purchased before California passed the November 2016 proposition approving adult-use cannabis, and seven of the eight were set up as grow operations before the adult-use cannabis regime began in January 2018. However, there may be a connection to the adult-use cannabis regime: the first grow operation began in November 2016, then the next six were set up between August and October 2017. It appears that the defendant Li (through his wife) bought a house in September 2016 and immediately converted it to a grow operation (house #3 above). Once that was running, he then took six houses that had been purchased by Chinese nationals between 2013 and 2015, perhaps as investments and as means to get funds out of China and that were sitting empty, and converted them to grow operations.
There is no indication in the criminal complaint – which runs 120 pages – that the named banks identified any of the activity and filed Suspicious Activity Reports. There were certainly red flags aplenty:
Newly established LLC account received four incoming wire transfers from a Guangdong, China trading company in a one month period for $199,960.13, $299,960.13, $249,960.13, and $349,960.14;
Newly established personal account for a Chinese national on a tourist visa received nine incoming wires in a two week period, all at or just under the $50,000 limit on individual transfers from China and all referencing "tuition" or "education training". Less than two weeks after the last wire, the account holder wired the funds to a title company and received a "second home" mortgage from the same bank;
Newly established personal account for a Chinese national on a temporary visa, opened with a $15 deposit, received two incoming wires from a Chinese company for more than $300,000 each in a five-day period, immediately followed by a $10,000.00 payment to a title company; and
A Chinese national with an account in a US bank received four incoming wires from her account at a Hong Kong bank within six days for $120,000.00, $110,000.00, $120,000.00, and $100,000.00 followed two days later by a wire transfer for $445,000.000 to a title company.
A careful review of the LLCs shows that there are common addresses (including mail drops at UPS Stores), and common managers, agents for service of process, and officers. However, all of the activity occurred prior to May 11, 2018, so the beneficial ownership rule was not yet in force.
#cannabisgrows #beneficialowner #strawbuyer #shellcompany
(Note: as of March 14 the case is not available on PACER)
Lessons Learned as a BSA Officer – 1998 to 2018: Presentation to SoCal ACAMS Chapter, March 8, 2019
Global Money Laundering Estimate – Time for An Update!
RegTech Consulting, LLC | Powered by Tenaya Co.


text:
Q: Function not triggering even though it's called I'm writing a website, and part of it requires some text to appear as if it's being typed. However, one of my functions to do this (typewriter2) isn't working, even though it's called.
I've tried moving around the code, and testing it separately. The code runs fine, however the typewriter2 function just won't start.

var x = document.getElementById("businesscard");
if (x.style.display === "none") {
  x.style.display = "block";
} else {
  x.style.display = "none";
}
var i = 0;
var txt1 = "cd Info && cat Business Card";
var speed = 75;

function typeWriter() {
  if (i < txt1.length) {
    document.getElementById("cmd1").innerHTML += txt1.charAt(i);
    i++;
    setTimeout(typeWriter, speed);
  } else {
    BusinessCard();

  }
}
function BusinessCard() {
  var x = document.getElementById("businesscard");
  if (x.style.display === "none") {
    x.style.display = "block";
    typeWriter2();
  } else {
    x.style.display = "none";
  }
}

var txt = "cat Websites";

function typeWriter2() {
  if (i < txt.length) {
    document.getElementById("cmd2").innerHTML += txt.charAt(i);
    i++;
    setTimeout(typeWriter2, speed);
  }
}
/* unvisited link */
a:link {
  color: white;
}

/* visited link */
a:visited {
  color: white;
}

/* mouse over link */
a:hover {
  color: blue;
}

/* selected link */
a:active {
  color: blue;
}

body {
  background-color: #300A24;
  color: white;

    font-family: 'Ubuntu Mono', monospace;

}

<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ubuntu+Mono&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

[dmeskin@code-u.org ~]$

Daniel Notmylastname
 Student at notmyschoool
 Systems Administrator

    http://code-u.org

    1byte@gmail.com

    +1(917)-555-6761

[dmeskin@code-u.org Info]$

What's supposed to be happening is that typeWriter2() starts after businesscard is unhidden, but it doesn't.

A: Using global variables will hurt you. It makes the code unpredictable, especially if you use the same variable in more than one function.
Another thing: Don't query the DOM for the element every time you need the element: Querying the DOM is expensive and should be avoided if possible (in your code it dosen't matter, but since th fix is so easy, I would like you to learn doing the right thing from the start.) In your code it is the same element that it was 75 milliseconds ago.
Yet another thing: Don't repeat yourself. If you write the same piece of code over and over in the same program, or with just another variable, it is time to move that to a function. Then you have ONE place too look at when you are troubleshooting, and ONE place to apply a fix if needed.
The example below is NOT perfect by any means. A modern variant would probably use arrow-functions, but I decided against that in this example, since they can be hard to read if you aren't used to it.
Here is a little improved version that reuses the same function for the typewriter effect.

// A function that hides and show the Business card depending on the given variable.
function setBusinessCardVisible (visibility) {
  const elem = document.getElementById("businesscard");
  elem.style.display = visibility ? 'block' : 'none';
}

// A generig typewriter that takes an object and callback as arguments.
// The arg object has:
//   elem : the element that text shold be appended to
//   cmd : The text that should be added
//   delay : the delay between characters
function typeWriter (arg, callback) {
  let index = 0; // set the index for this typewriter to 0.

  // Get the elment ONE time, and resuse that.
  arg.elem.textContent = arg.prompt;

  const length = arg.cmd.length;
  // Using setInteval to start ONE timer that will be called
  // until it is cleared with clearInterval
  let timer = setInterval(
    function () {
      // Add the character
      arg.elem.textContent += arg.cmd.charAt(index);
      // increment index and see if we are finished
      if (index++ >= length) {
        clearInterval(timer); // stop the timer
        if (callback) callback(); // call callback if specified
      }
    },
    arg.delay
  );
}

// call this function to start the effect
function startTyping () {
  const
    elem1 = document.getElementById('cmd1'),
    elem2 = document.getElementById('cmd2'),
    delay = 75, // Set the delay here and reuse it below
    cmdprompt1 = "[dmeskin@code-u.org ~]$ ", // Part one: hide the card.
    cmdprompt2 = "[dmeskin@code-u.org Info]$ ";
  elem1.textContent = cmdprompt1;
  elem2.textContent = cmdprompt2;
  // Part one: hide the card.
  setBusinessCardVisible(false); // Start the first typewriter
  typeWriter({
    elem: elem1,
    prompt: cmdprompt1,
    cmd: "cd Info && cat Business Card",
    delay: delay
  }, function () { // part two, show the card
    setBusinessCardVisible(true); // Start the secord typewriter
    setTimeout( function() {
      typeWriter({
        elem: elem2,
        prompt: cmdprompt2,
        cmd: "cat Websites",
        delay: delay
      }, function () {
        setTimeout(function () {
          setBusinessCardVisible(false);
          elem1.textContent = cmdprompt1;
          elem2.textContent = cmdprompt2;
          setTimeout(startTyping, 2000); // Restart after 2 seconds
        }, 2000);
      })
    }, 2000) // delay after showing card
  });
}
a,
a:link,
a:visited,
a:hover,
a:active {
  color: blue;
}

body {
  background-color: #300A24;
  color: white;
  font-family:  monospace;
}

[dmeskin@code-u.org ~]$

Daniel Notmylastname
 Student at notmyschoool
 Systems Administrator

    http://code-u.org

    1byte@gmail.com

    +1(917)-555-6761

[dmeskin@code-u.org Info]$

A: The issue was that i was not set to the correct value, and had to be renamed.


Like a skier lost in the snow, I am scared stiff, risking is but a word one can eat if time finds end, put blame inside, away from your id, hate chains that unite, cold and as dead as a doornail, seek smile, pure and oily, and had you made me believe earlier, sunup, first light, then I would have been in your couch, sleeping in the very core of your heart, saying, ah, if angels ask me how, then mud's becoming and those chains without key, attracts, had you eaten the burger with fries dipped in reasonable strawberries, sap and a leaf, then its leaf would have become leaves. Really, risking is only fitting when a chain is caught, security. Lemons: when will you part? Sober: So young and trapped in our love…sweet love for if walls, then, stand in, will the heart wake? Trust the heart that loves willing to be as fit as a fiddle. Holding you tight, death brags darling gold of May and December.


This project's architectural gymnastics involved opening up compartmentalized main-floor living spaces to make way for a central showpiece kitchen, turning four upstairs bedrooms into three tricked-out suites, and incorporating a new steel-clad addition. The result is a family home for Cucci, his wife Denielle Nadeau, and their two daughters (ages 5 and 16) that's equal parts classic Victorian and urban loft, an unexpected—and delicious—combo.
5280 Home: Marrying Victorian and modern sounds tricky. How did you decide what to preserve and what to update?
Justin Cucci: The rule was, if it's original, let's not touch it, but if it was added later, let's scrap it. Now we have a really modern- looking house, but with stained glass and Victorian trim around the windows.
By removing the plaster interior walls to reveal the brick underneath, you actually brought out more of the original details.
Yes, but it's funny because I grew up in New York City, where you never, ever painted brick. It was sacrilegious. But I'm so tired of seeing raw brick; it just doesn't do anything for me anymore. So we painted it.
The kitchen is clearly the heart of this home. What were your must-haves?
Most of the recipe development [for my restaurants] happens here, so I had to have a combi oven, a Wolf range (with dehydrator, wok ring, griddle, and grill), a teppenyaki grill, and a giant butcher block to cut on. Most of all, I wanted a really big area to work in and make a mess.
And a place for all your cookbooks?
The steel bookcases that hold my cookbooks slide to reveal—or conceal—a powder room, freezer, and the basement. We incorporated as many built-ins as we could; I just hate having to buy cheap IKEA bookshelves.
Your dining area reminds me of a restaurant booth.
I wanted an intimate breakfast nook, but I also wanted to be able to have people over to eat. So local woodworker David Kremer designed a walnut table with a hinged edge; it pops up, we put a movable base under it, and we can fit 10 or 12 people here.
There must be a story behind that screen in the living room.
Years ago, I bought those plastic panels from an architectural scrapper, and I never knew what to do with them until we removed the wall between the entry and the living room. It felt weird to sit with my back to the front door; I wanted a wall, but I didn't want a wall. So we cut the panels to fit, painted them to match the steel fireplace enclosure, and made a screen.
Do you have more architectural details just waiting to be used?
I have three storage units filled with them. I had a lot of tall, vertical metal blades salvaged from the old Cherry Creek post office that we used to create a privacy screen in our side yard. I have 40 or 50 more that will eventually conceal the greenhouse we'll build by the garage.
Tell us: Have you always had a passion for design?
I think it started when I would try to inject ideas into my restaurants, but without a good sounding board to make my ideas better, I wasn't as thrilled with the results. I like my ideas when somebody else shakes them around.
You're pretty good at shaking things up, too.
It's probably just a good eclectic upbringing in New York City where, stylistically, things blend into each other all the time. Architects are schooled; they know the right things to do at the right times. But I say, let's not worry about those rules. Let's worry about how it feels.
Construction: Mark O'Brien, Squareroot Inc.


» Putting your best FOOT forward!
When you want to give the ladies in your office a gift they'll keep on their desk to use all of the time, consider these tape dispensing shoes and purses full of post-its.
OR…. Want to prospect to a female to GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR? Shoes would be the way to go!
We can send them wrapped as they are or add some chocolates to them. Should you wish us to add some snacks, please indicate your budget in the comments field and we'll adjust as requested.
STEP into your staff's circle of appreciation with these irresistible gifts knowing that one size fits all!
NOTE: Sold out of stilettos. Please specify pump or purse when ordering.


text:
Home England Graham fears Arsenal fans may get restless
Graham fears Arsenal fans may get restless
Graham told The Sun: "The trouble is, when you've had the success that Arsenal have had, the fans will not accept success in two years' time.
"The supporters want to see them up there challenging now.
"Last year they didn't win anything but getting to the Champions League final gave them something to hold on to.
"But as soon as you're in sixth place, as they are now – and not really challenging, the fans don't like it.
"They will not accept three years of failure."


Printed Accent Jute Rugs by Earth Rugs | P.C. Fallon Co.
Choose from hundreds of durable, natural braided jute rugs with printed images including stars, bears, mermaids, birds, dogs, cats, flowers, boots, horses, owls, fish, flags, moose, anchors, seashells and other nautical and coastal themes.
Cardinal Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
Pinecone / Welcome Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
Buffalo Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
Cranberries Braided and Printed Round Rug 27"x27"
Gingerbread Men Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
Green Stars Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
No Place Like Home Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
Patriotic Crow Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
Raccoon Welcome Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
Santa Braided and Printed Oval Rug 20"x30"
When properly cared for, a jute rug will last for many years. Just like other fine rugs, they can be cleaned when necessary with mild soap. Vacuum normally being sure to first trim any loose fibers that might get caught in the vacuum beaters. Do not machine wash.


text:
How to Transfer Videos in Android Tablets via Xender
Those who are accustomed to transferring video files in between Android devices using Bluetooth interface may know that the process may take some time. However, sending and receiving the file in between two Android devices can be done using Wi-Fi Hotspot via the Xender app. There are other apps like ShareIt for doing this as well, but Xender is a widely used file sharing application on Android. In case you are new to this, below is how to transfer files in between Android tablets via Xender.
Since the app will use Wi-Fi hotspot interface to establish a link, the Android device receiving the data may consume the remaining cellular data in your device if it has enabled automatic update of apps via Wi-Fi on Google Play Store. The users may know how Play Store updates each app, so turn off the cellular data in your Android device in case you are sending movies to strangers via Xender. A friend using your cellular data may seem like a win-win but not strangers.
Once you ensure that, launch the Xender app from the home screen of Android or the apps menu. Once you launch the file transferring app, you can see two options namely Send and Receive. Since you are the sender, choose a file from Video section on the app, click on Send, and tell the other user to choose Receive.
When you choose Send, the app will scan for a connection with the other Android device via Wi-Fi Hotspot interface and the receiver's device name will pop-up on screen. If other Android tablets are within range, they may pop up on the Xender app also, so ask your friend's device name and tap on the respective icon to start the file transfer in between the devices.
Alternatively, you can tap on the video file directly from Android Gallery, choose Share option, and then select the Xender app. The app will launch subsequently and scan for a connection as usual. The file transferring process will repeat in the same way as explained.
Some people find scrolling through videos on the Video section of Xender a tedious process, especially those who have many video files in their refurbished tablets. Regardless, when you have the right file to share, Xender will complete the file transferring process within a few minutes based on the file size and the Wi-Fi hotspot signal strength.


This popular family campground offers large, level sites within the 70 to 80 feet tall white pine trees to provide a rustic camping ambience. Many of these sites are located on the water's edge. A newly constructed boat launch aides in accessibility to Sacandaga Lake's fine fishing and water sport opportunities. From July to Labor Day, this campground offers an Interpretive Activity Program and a Junior Naturalist Program to enrich the camping experience. The campground also offers a guarded natural sand beach from mid-June to Labor Day; a large picnic area with pavilion; and an informal nature trail.
261 campsites (some designated as accessible for the mobility impaired), picnic area with tables and fireplaces (some designated as accessible for the mobility impaired), picnic pavilion rental, hot showers/flush toilets (one women's and one men's, designated as accessible for the mobility impaired), trailer dump station, recycling center, boat launch, sand beach, bathhouse, swimming area, firewood sales, and pay telephone.
Day use, camping, picnic pads, grills, picnic tables, camping pads, rest rooms. Full listing of DEC's Accessible Recreation Destinations.
Motor boats, rowboats, and canoes allowed. Boat launch available.
Fish include: walleye, rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, brown bullhead, perch, rock bass, and white fish. Fishing licenses are no longer being sold at any of our campground facilities, but can be conveniently purchased on-line or by phone.
Hiking opportunities are available within a short drive of the campground. The 47,000+ acres Jessup River Wild Forest, which boarders the campground offers miles of hiking trails. The hike to Fawn Lake on the Fawn Lake Trail is popular and also connects in the larger wild forest trail system.
From NYS Thruway (I-90), Exit 27 at Amsterdam and follow Route 30 north approximately 50 miles to the Village of Speculator. Turn left on Route 8, travel west 2 miles, turn right onto Page St. after encountering sign - follow 1 mile - campground on left.
From NYS Thruway (I-90), Exit 31 at Utica, proceed north on Route 8 approximately 65 miles, campground is on the left.
Shopping, restaurants, boat rentals and golf courses are nearby.
The lands upon which the campground is situated once belonged to Josiah Moffitt, a local stone mason, and woodworking mill operator who settled in the region prior to 1840. The beach area was a popular picnic and camping area. High quality sand was mined by Mr. Moffitt for his mason trade, and by local residents to develop many of the sand beaches that now exist in the area. Development of the campground was begun in 1932. In 1933 the Civilian Conservation Corps was established, and in 1934 their permanent camp was set up at the site of the present 4-H Camp near the campground entrance. Work continued on the campground until the camp was abandoned in 1942. Until the late 1950's there were approximately 100 campsites. In 1955 the Village of Speculator requested that the Conservation Department enlarge the campground. This was accomplished shortly thereafter, doubling the size.


The Delaney is a boot for little rebels. A kid-sized version of the iconic 1460 8-eye boot, the Delaney serves up instant style—but the boot's glitter finish catapults the average cool kid into best-dressed territory.
The Delaney has all the classic Doc DNA, like yellow stitching, grooved sides, and heel loop. Featuring an inner ankle zip for easy access, the sparkly kid's boot is built on our iconic air-cushioned sole.


text:
Posted inMovies
Fall Movie Preview: 21 More Films for '21
Let's Just Hope the Delta Variant Doesn't Infect the Calendar
by Ryan Syrek September 10, 2021 September 10, 2021
As I sat down to assemble this look at autumnal movie goodness, Twitter launched a new meme format. It consists of "My Fall Plans" written above a pleasant/fun/optimistic image on the left side and "Delta Variant" written above a nightmarish/unfun/pessimistic image on the right side. Please know that even though I'm writing this preview while on the left side, reality could be on the right side by the time you read it.
If the unvaxxed masses don't plague-ify things, we are in for a truly bonkers bounty of bad-ass flicks from now until the year's end, which is somehow about five minutes from now. Like a cinematic sommelier, I have carefully stewarded this collection, perfectly paired with the blend of nightmare-fueled ennui many of us are struggling with this year.
The Card Counter (Sept. 10)
Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish and Willem Dafoe star in a movie about an ex-military interrogator turned gambler. Are you still here, or are you in line for tickets already? It's written/directed by Paul Schrader, which means that guy you dated who calls literally every movie a "film" is really excited.
The Many Saints of Newark (Oct. 1)
The thought of watching James Gandolfini's son playing Tony Soprano in a prequel to the HBO show is thrilling … for some of you out there. Personally, the whole thing sounds like a combination of ghoulish and unnecessary. But this is America, where ghoulishly unnecessary is arguably the national pastime.
Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage (Oct. 1)
The first Venom was a surprisingly campy bit of maniacal Tom Hardy nonsense. This one adds Woody Harrelson to the mix, which exponentially amps the camp and maxes the mania. Who needs Spider-Man? We're all tuning in for the sexual tension between a man and his sentient, murderous alien spacesuit.
Titane (Oct. 1)
A body-horror film slathered with terrifying-sounding carnal curiosities, the plot description alone of Titane is what many parents think the new sex ed curriculum will be. Julia Ducournau became the second female director to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. And you know what they say, "If the French love it … it's probably artistically problematic."
No Time to Die (Oct. 8)
Let's be honest, if a disease was going to stop James Bond, we all had money on syphilis, right? COVID turned 007's long-delayed release into a burn slower than his relationship with Moneypenny. But they added Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a writer to a spy film co-written/directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga that features Rami Malek as a bad guy. So, yeah, whenever it comes out, I am coming with it.
Lamb (Oct. 8)
A24 is just playing Mad Libs for its films now. The noun chosen in this case is "hybrid sheep-human." The blank for "undervalued lead actress" was filled with "Noomi Rapace." "Choose a hauntingly idyllic setting" was answered with "Iceland." The instruction for genre was "cram many words together," and Lamb got "psychological pagan folk horror comedy thriller." My God. I'm so in…
Halloween Kills (Oct. 15)
Director David Gordon Green's Halloween was a reboot hoot. The trailer for the sequel reveals that he and writing buddy Danny McBride have picked up literally where the last film ended, with Michael Myers hot-footing it out of a burning building to once more try to kabob Jamie Lee Curtis. If it's a third as fun as the last one, it will still be the second-best thing William Shatner's face has been in.
The Last Duel (Oct. 15)
Fresh off needing to shut his mouth for various reasons, Matt Damon will follow up his MAGA-baiting Stillwater with a new Ridley Scott medieval movie. You're probably worried that Ben Affleck is in it. He is. He also co-wrote it with Damon. Don't give up hope — maybe it's a time-traveling sequel to Good Will Hunting? "How do you like them apples, Serf?" Oh, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer are in it too. So it'll probably be, like, "good" and stuff.
Dune (Oct. 22)
Are giant sandworms enough to overcome both Es in Timothee Chalamet's lack of charisma and talent? Writer/director Denis Villeneuve's intergalactic white savior riff is gonna be absolutely gorgeous. And I'm not just talking about a sandy Jason Momoa and intubated Zendaya. Whether or not the film can cement itself as one of the few space operas to sing about is another matter entirely.
The French Dispatch (Oct. 22)
Wes Anderson is back doing Wes Anderson things. Chalamet is also in this one, as is literally every other person you'd expect to be in a Wes Anderson movie. Things will be full of twee and quirk. Those who are not totally and completely over his schtick will revel in its allegedly esoteric charm. I'll be watching Dune. Maybe for the second time.
Last Night in Soho (Oct. 29)
Speaking of white directors who try too hard, Edgar Wright's latest is described as a "psychological horror" film and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, whose eyes are literally always stuck in "psychological horror" aperture. There's body swapping, time traveling and Matt Smith, who probably gave advice on both after his time on Doctor Who. I don't know, man. I'm still rooting for Wright, but I hope this isn't just him being sexually aroused by a jukebox filled with B-sides and neon colors again.
The Harder They Fall (Nov. 3)
Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors and Regina King in a hyperactive outlaw revenge Western? This elevator is going to the top, as all of my buttons have been pushed. Whether or not it can fulfil the promise of a trailer that left me 10-gallon twitching, even if it is just OK, I will be contentedly corralled.
Eternals (Nov. 5)
I can safely say that no woman has ever before won the Oscar for best director and then immediately released a comic book adaptation. Because Kathryn Bigelow didn't do it. But Chloé Zhao did! Sure to feature 100% less bucket pooping than her last film, Zhao's Marvel project is arguably the riskiest thus far. If it hits, it will expand that world into fascinating new proto-religious areas. If it duds, Kumail Nanjiani got upsettingly swole for nothing.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Nov. 11)
In an Incel-free world, we're at least two films into a trilogy of Paul Feig's Ghostbuster series. Instead, we are getting this nostalgia pornography that seems to have forgotten entirely that the original, beloved classic was, you know, a comedy. Although this will surely have moments of levity, Jason Reitman's reboot cross-its-heart promises to treat the source material with overwrought reverence. He just wants to make his dad, who directed the first film nearly 30 years ago, proud enough to argue nepotism works.
Top Gun: Maverick (Nov. 19)
Speaking of nostalgia: You remember how that one-time Tom Cruise played sweaty, shirtless volleyball in a music montage, around which a film about airplanes took place? Well buckle your scientolo-seatbelts, as the hot-dogging Maverick has gone from rebel to flight instructor. But he's still cool, y'all. Miles Teller is also in it. He still not, y'all.
House of Gucci (Nov. 24)
Some directors slow down when they get older, and some won't stop until they've put Adam Driver in a turtleneck. This crimey quasi-biopic fully had my interest when the first images of Driver and Lady Gaga were released. Then they showed a poster of Jared Leto lathered in the world's supply of prosthetics. Look, I know we have more to worry about right now as a people, but we've gotta get a handle on this Leto bullshit. It goes: COVID, climate change, Leto. And the gaps in that list are shrinking.
Soggy Bottom (Nov. 26)
Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's latest may not even actually be called Soggy Bottom, but please God let it be called Soggy Bottom. He's one of the few filmmakers who could make a "most anticipated movie" list with something that could literally be about the invention of adult diapers or something. Bradley Cooper is in it, and if he poops his pants, so help me, I will not stop until this is the highest-grossing film of all time.
Nightmare Alley (Dec. 3)
Guillermo del Toro is branching out from merman pornography and other spooky nonsense with this adaptation of a pulpy 1946 novel about carnies, hustlers, grifters and femmes fatales. That's right, multiple femmes! And at least one of them is played by Cate Blanchett! Toni Collette and Rooney Mara are also potential fatales. Sigh, but Bradley Cooper is also in this, with a significantly lower shot at pants-pooping.
West Side Story (Dec. 10)
Do yourself a favor and Google "Ansel Elgort and Sarah Paulson" for some incredibly horrifying allegations that will make you hate him (more) and love her (also more). Anyway, Steven Spielberg is the one human who could direct this musical adaptation and generate something close to excitement in me. This didn't need to exist, but neither did Ansel Elgort.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Dec. 17)
The rumors about what may happen in this Marvel movie have crossed from "plausibly fun" to "almost certainly impossible and thus guaranteed to disappoint." Will Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield show up as their respective Spider-Men? Will Willem Dafoe return as the Green Goblin and thus be the actor with the most films on this list? Will we all be disappointed that we built this up in our minds without any confirmation that any of this was happening? Disappointed isn't a word I've ever used with Spider-Man. And I've used a lot of words.
The Matrix 4 (Dec. 22)
Talk about not being disappointed, I was and remain a staunch defender of the Matrix sequels. I loved Cloud Atlas. I adored Jupiter Ascending. Thus, it is certifiably impossible for writer/director Lana Wachowski to present something I won't get giddy about. Watching the first film in this series remains one of my top 5 all-time movie-watching experiences. The minute Neo says "Whoa" again here, I expect I will have to revise that ranked list.


EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. and SAN LEANDRO, Calif. – December 12, 2017 – Wunderlich-Malec Engineering (WM) and OSIsoft LLC, today announced VIP Tower, an Internet of Things (IoT) gateway solution for the industrial and utility markets.
The VIP Tower is a software bundle that combines OSIsoft's PI System with high-end engineering company WM's VIP Services software tool to create an industrial QR code that allows employees at any location – plant floors, pipelines, dams and other remote locations – complete access to maintenance records, compliance documents and near real-time data at any point while onsite for specific assets.
The Industrial Internet of Things is expected to add nearly $14.2 trillion to the global economy by 2030, according to Accenture. Workers with subject-matter expertise who support local operations, however, are retiring at an accelerated pace that far surpasses the rate at which new employees are hired. This, in turn, creates a major knowledge gap around how to best maintain industrial assets. With VIP Tower, WM and OSIsoft directly address some of the most critical issues facing the global industry today, enabling a clear path for digital transformation and condition-based maintenance for industrial assets.
The VIP Tower enables industrial workers to make real-time decisions related to maintenance, compliance and other factors at the edge, connecting previously unconnected assets to boost operational visibility. Potential uses for VIP Tower include, but are not necessarily limited to, energy plants, water municipalities, remote pumps and pipelines. VIP Tower improves local process efficiency, asset lifecycle management and service quality.
One of the most widely used technologies for IIoT, OSIsoft's PI System captures high-fidelity data from sensors, manufacturing equipment and other devices and transforms it into rich, real-time insights that organizations use to reduce costs and dramatically improve worker productivity.
"We are excited to see a market solution that is targeted to a real business need and delivers robust functionality for processing data at the edge while harnessing the capability of the HPE GL20 gateway," said Christine Frank, Worldwide Director of IoT at Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
In developing the solution, WM and OSIsoft have also partnered with V5 Systems to integrate its V5 Portable Edge Computing Unit (PECU), a computing platform for collecting, analyzing and sharing sensor data in any outdoor area, free from the electrical grid. In remote locations, VIP Tower uses a solar panel and DC battery backup for high availability and reliability at the edge. Combining WM's VIP Services solution and OSIsoft's PI System with this solar-powered platform means employees can deploy the solution to access, read and contribute to the database with locally delivered independent power.
"The self-powered V5 PECU paired with WM and OSIsoft is an exceptional example of a market-ready Industrial IoT solution. The VIP Tower delivers a rapid return on investment for connecting unconnected assets in the industrial outdoor space without ever tapping into fixed power or communications," said Mike Grosswald, VP Global Partnerships at V5 Systems.
By creating this ecosystem around VIP Tower, WM and OSIsoft have ensured that VIP Tower provides a comprehensive bundled solution. Organizations in industries such as water and utilities will be able easily and efficiently to meet recent federal mandates around independent monitoring for substations, solving a leading problem the industrial space faces as it embraces digital throughout its operations.
Wunderlich-Malec provides advanced Engineering solutions for a variety of industries across the globe. Since 1981, Wunderlich-Malec has excelled in deploying total solutions to improve business operations for its clients. The key to Wunderlich-Malec's success and rapid growth is its flexibility and depth of talent. By providing custom solutions with the support of industry experts, Wunderlich-Malec is able to successfully execute a wide range of engineering projects.
OSIsoft is dedicated to helping people transform their world through data. Our PI System captures operational data from sensors, manufacturing equipment and other devices and turns it into rich, real-time insights to reduce costs, make critical business decisions and enhance products. Over 1,000 leading utilities, 95 percent of the largest oil and gas companies and more than 65 percent of the Fortune 500 industrial companies rely on the PI System to manage their businesses. Worldwide, PI System manage over 1.5 billion sensor-based data streams. To learn more, please visit www.osisoft.com.
V5 Systems is a California-based technology company that provides leading-edge portable, wireless, self-powered outdoor computing and security solutions for Industrial IoT applications. They deliver turnkey video surveillance and gunshot detection solutions that can be deployed in under 30 minutes while the computing platform itself can act as a host for third party hardware and software integration. These solutions utilize a proprietary power management system paired with bullet resistant solar panels which eliminate the need for fixed power and hard-wired communications. V5 Systems develops and optimizes all software and AI analytics to run at the edge, which is instrumental to delivering real-time information to its users. Working with state, local government, education and private enterprises V5 Systems is delivering the next generation of Industrial IoT computing and security solutions to the outdoors.
Copyright Wunderlich-Malec Engineering 2017 – All rights reserved.
Company and Brands are property of their respective companies.


text:
Dallas Cowboys General
An old-school Cowboys rival brings to mind the ups-and-downs of NFL teams as they chase a Lombardi
The number 49 plays a big role in today's look at the Super Bowl chase and NFL fandom.
By DannyPhantom@DannyPhantom24 Jun 1, 2020, 8:00am CDT
Share All sharing options for: An old-school Cowboys rival brings to mind the ups-and-downs of NFL teams as they chase a Lombardi
Photo by Icon Sportswire
Today, I turn 49 years old, which means I'm in the final year before hitting the half-century mark. That mean's I've been through over four decades of Cowboys football, which is just young enough to miss out on Roger Staubach, but old enough to witness the Jerry Jones era in it's entirety. Coincidentally, I've just recently reached 4,900 followers on Twitter.
Maybe 49 is a lucky number? Come to think of it, I want no part of it because when I compile a list of NFL teams I loathe, the San Francisco 49ers sit right near the top of that list. That may just come with the territory of being a long time Cowboys fan as these two teams have quite a history together. For me personally, it goes a bit deeper.
You see, I grew up in California and my fandom was instilled in me at a young age. Where those loyalties lie were mostly determined by geography, but the media had a little to do with it as well. My favorite NBA and MLB teams are the Los Angeles Lakers and San Francisco Giants respectively. The Lakers were on the rise back then as the Magic and Kareem era had begun, but the Giants were terrible. It didn't matter though as those were the teams that were on television the most so that is what I was exposed to.
Fortunately, the 49ers '80s dynasty had not started yet so they didn't get much air time on Sundays. Instead, it was the team everyone wanted to watch, the Dallas Cowboys, who were always on the TV set. "America's Team" had just become a thing and I was hooked from the moment I saw that glorious star on their helmets. Sign me up! Had I been just a couple years younger, I would've most definitely been a 49ers fan, so I really dodged a bullet on that one.
Still, being raised in California meant I had to live through the all the locals who jumped right on that 49ers bandwagon. To this day, I have friends and family everywhere who love to taunt me whenever San Francisco has a better season than the Cowboys. And it just so happens that this past season was one of those years as the 49ers played their way into the Super Bowl.
What adds to the frustration is that San Francisco was just 4-12 the previous season. This is the third time I can remember that San Francisco came out of nowhere to rise to the top quickly. Not only that, but in each of those moments it looked like the Cowboys were on the cusp of something special, yet somehow they flamed out and those pesky 49ers jumped them and earned their way to the Super Bowl. Take a look at these three years, which just so happen to be the year some notable quarterbacks entered the league, and look how the Cowboys were close to greatness near each of those years. However, in each of those cases, it was the 49ers that somehow got their act together and reached the Super Bowl before the Cowboys did.
Looking back on this, do you think it's more enjoyable as a fan to go through these significant ups and downs? Clearly, the end game is to win a Super Bowl, and while it's been longer since the 49ers last Super Bowl win than it has for the Cowboys (by just one year), they have at least made it to the Super Bowl twice since each of these teams big run in the '90s. They made it there with Jim Harbaugh and Colin Kaepernick in 2012 and then again with Kyle Shanahan and Jimmy Garoppola in 2019. Meanwhile, the Cowboys were right on par with a mediocre 8-8 season in both those years.
Since 2003, the 49ers have had 11 losing seasons in that 17 year span. Yikes. That's a lot of unsatisfying seasons of football for their fans. However, in that same time frame, they've made it to the Conference Championship game four times, with two Super Bowl appearances.
In those same 17 years, the Cowboys have only had three losing seasons. They've made it to the playoffs seven times (compared to San Francisco's four), yet none of those instances resulted in getting past the divisional round.
So which sequence of events would you prefer to experience as a fan? Keep in mind, neither of these teams have won a Super Bowl in those 17 years. Hoisting the Lombardi would make that an easier decision.
Which type of fan experience do you prefer?
Roller coaster of the 49ers
Consistency of the Cowboys


text:
Seattle's Great Viaduct Debate
Wishful Thinking About Tunnel Costs
Cascadia Center repeats misinformation about actual cost overruns.
(@Eric_deP) on December 23, 2009 at 11:15 am
This article is part of the series Seattle's Great Viaduct Debate
Cascadia Center's Bruce Agnew on KUOW last week:
…there was no real media comparison to the tunnels completed here in Seattle, like the recently-completed Sound Transit Beacon Hill light rail tunnel, which came in on time and on budget.
The Beacon Hill tunnel on budget? Not by a long shot.
Here's what really happened. When the tunnel project went out to bid, Sound Transit's engineers estimated that the project would cost $238.6 million. (Seattle Times coverage here; Seattle P-I coverage here). But Obayashi Corporation won the contract with a low bid of $280 million, a 17 percent increase. During construction, the project's costs subsequently escalated the contract to $309 million for a total cost overrun of 30 percent. (Source: Sound Transit, "Progress Report: Link Light Rail," August 2009, p. 17, not available online.) A subsequent Sound Transit progress report, for October 2009, shows the contract costs escalating further, to $311 million.
So, in the end, the final bill for the tunnel wound up being 30 percent more than Sound Transit projected when it sent the project out for bidding.
This isn't a question of nuance or interpretation. It's a matter of facts on the public record. The only way that you can say that the tunnel came in "on budget" is by referring to a cost estimate made well after Sound Transit made its estimates—a "budget" that already accounts for the 30 percent cost overruns.
Cascadia is a big supporter of the proposed deep-bore tunnel under downtown, and they think that concerns about potential cost overruns are overblown. Agnew, for example, consistently compares the deep-bore to the I-90 Mount Baker tunnel, which really did come in under budget. It's not a crazy comparison, but it is a selective one: the bored portion of the Mount Baker tunnel was only about one-sixth as long as the proposed downtown tunnel and that it was built with completely different technology and in a different place with very well-understood geology.
The truth is, there is no apples to apples analogy between any two tunnels, even locally. That's why Sightline published a report taking a more comprehensive look at Seattle-area tunneling projects. (Read the full report here: Cost Overruns for Seattle-area Tunnel Projects (pdf).)
As it turns out, the under-budget Mt. Baker tunnel seems to be the exception. In fact, three of the four major recent tunneling projects in the area have gone over-budget—and by quite a lot. But Agnew himself dismissed the report on the radio:
Ross Reynolds [host]: "I certainly saw some coverage. I think a think tank came out with a paper comparing the cost of the deep-bore tunnel to other tunnels in our area, and saying that it was going to cost a lot more than those tunnels."
Bruce Agnew: "Well, and that's the problem, when the media doesn't look into reports from think tanks. We're one ourselves, but I think there's a major difference in scope and technology, and difficulty, between those tunnels.
But wait: I agree with Agnew here. Media, please make it a point to look into the reports from think tanks. And when you do, try to distinguish between those that look at actual, real world experience, and those that are based on wishful thinking.
The Vast Potential of Pairing Transit and Homes in Washington State
New Washington Bill Would Legalize More Homes and Businesses by Transit
Anchorage Assembly Unites to End Parking Mandates
How Portland's Form of Government Makes It Hard to Find Parking
Tagged in: Alaskan Way Viaduct, KUOW, Public Transit, Seattle P-I, Seattle Times, Sound Transit
Previous article in series: « The Tunnel Won't Be Boring
Next article in series: A Dissertation on the Viaduct »
Thanks to George Thornton & Lee Miller for supporting a sustainable Northwest.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get more Transportation + Transit research, analysis, and other policy updates delivered to your inbox


With the rise in popularity of hosted VoIP options, you can be up and running (and saving money) in just a few hours, without having to install any costly equipment.
Large multi-million dollar corporations may have the capital and the expertise to install, run and maintain an in-house VoIP service. Small to large business may be better off with a hosted solution. This whitepaper explains both the differences and the advantages of each type of service.
In this whitepaper, we will explore some of these cost-saving advantages and give you the top 10 questions to ask a provider, ensuring you get a reliable, feature-rich business phone system that can save you thousands each year.
This white paper touches upon some of the key factors that will affect VoIP pricing in 2013.
Download this whitepaper to learn more about the benefits of VoIP phone service for small businesses.
In this whitepaper, you'll read about the six things you need to know before choosing a business phone system.
The purpose of this white paper is to help all businesses, whether large or small, to make the right decision in choosing a business VoIP phone solution.
In this whitepaper, you'll find a detailed outline of how a hosted VoIP system works and the advantages of choosing one.
Download this whitepaper to learn more about the pros and cons of a hosted PBX phone system.
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, technology provides businesses with several exceptional advantages, ranging from substantial cost savings to increased reliability.


Making Alba your home base is a very good idea; I often stay there in the center of town, as it has some charm, very good restaurants, and many great producers are within a 10-15 mile radius.
Tackling 2 or 3 wineries per day is probably the right number. Most Italian producer visits take at least an hour and usually end up being more like 90 minutes. They're very proud of their wines and graciously show you around their cantina and estate. I usually recommend 2 winery visits in the morning (say, 9:30AM and 11AM), followed by a great lunch somewhere nearby at 1PM, then one more winery visit at 4PM. That is a very full day.
For finding good restaurants filled with locals (the litmus test for me), I recommend you pick up a copy of Osterie d'Italia 2015 either in my shop, at a bookstore in Italy, or grab the app in the iTunes app store (if you're a iPhone user). You won't go wrong by using this to find some great places to eat while you're in Tuscany and Piedmont.
Out of curiosity, where are you making your home base in Tuscany?
I'll pull together some recommendations for you and post them here shortly. Chat soon.


Here is even more leaked photos of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. Too bad we don't see the backside though. The source is a case manufacturer that wants to be anonymous.
Looks awesome! The one I'm going for is the larger 6.2-inch Galaxy S8 Plus. I need large phone because I use them as my main computer.


Use the app.engine(ext, callback) method to create your own template engine. ext refers to the file extension, and callback is the template engine function, which accepts the following items as parameters: the location of the file, the options object, and the callback function.
The following code is an example of implementing a very simple template engine for rendering .ntl files.
Your app will now be able to render .ntl files. Create a file named index.ntl in the views directory with the following content.
Then, create the following route in your app.
When you make a request to the home page, index.ntl will be rendered as HTML.


text:
December tornadoes on the rise as 'tornado alley' appears to shift east | Metro
Crews use an excavator is move debris into a waiting dumpster during the demolition of an Amazon warehouse facility in Edwarsdville on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. Six Amazon employees died after the building was hit by an EF3 tornado on Dec. 10, 2021. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Daniel Shular
ST. LOUIS — Few people expect tornadoes in December, let alone one strong enough to collapse the 11-inch-thick concrete walls of a sprawling, new Amazon warehouse.
But the EF3 tornado that wrecked the facility near Edwardsville last month — one of several twisters that caused widespread damage in six states and more than 90 deaths — could be a sign of things to come.
While most people associate intense tornado outbreaks with spring, weather experts say both the timing and location may be changing.
Demolition crews continue the clean up of debris during the demolition of a section of an Amazon warehouse facility in Edwardsville on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. Six Amazon employees died after the building was hit by an EF3 tornado on Dec. 10, 2021. Video by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Two decades ago, December tornadoes — if they occurred — plowed through fields and homes from eastern Texas to northern Florida, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. At that time, fewer storms occurred overall, and even fewer hit the nation's traditional "tornado alley" — Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. Recent unseasonable twisters tend to touch down in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.
Scientists and those who study the phenomena agree that tornado outbreaks are moving east.
"Research has identified evidence of a 'Dixie Alley,' which represents an eastward extension of the traditional 'Tornado Alley' in the central Great Plains," wrote Harold Brooks in a 2018 study on tornado spatial trends. Brooks studies tornadoes in NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory, and said St. Louis has one of the most remarkable tornado histories of any place in the country.
In general, tornadoes are not happening more often — except in December. Professors and experts offer several reasons.
Tornadoes need two main ingredients: Warm air, and rapidly changing winds at different levels of the atmosphere, known as wind shear. Geographies with recent bursts in December tornadoes often have wind shear, William Gallus, professor of meteorology at Iowa State University at Ames, Iowa, said, but not the warm air that causes atmospheric instability. That's when a parcel of air is warmer than surrounding air, at the same elevation, causing the parcel to rise.
He and colleagues were shocked by the dew points produced in Memphis and Kentucky in the recent tornado-causing systems. The one that passed through Iowa on Dec. 15 broke the record for single-day tornadoes in the state, Gallus said. And that system produced tornadoes in parts of the country that previously had no December tornadoes.
A link between climate change and an increase in extreme weather seems natural to some, such as Gallus. A warming planet means an often-warmer Gulf of Mexico, he said. Disturbances in the jet stream can result and can spur tornadoes — especially in December.
Yet others think different weather patterns, like La Nina, which causes wet Midwestern conditions to meet warm Southeastern conditions, are the cause. John Allen, professor of meteorology at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, said La Nina can predict severe winter weather, and consistently. The U.S. is experiencing a La Nina weather pattern this winter.
The most recent complete decade of data available from NOAA, 2010 through 2019, shows 221 December tornadoes rated at the Enhanced Fujita scale of 1 or higher occurred in the U.S., compared with143 from 2000 to 2009, and just 78 during the 1990s. The majority of December tornadoes were rated at EF2 or lower, meaning weaker storms, but the percentage of strong or violent tornadoes increased to 10% from 4% between the past two decades.
And, in Midwestern-Southeastern states, excluding Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas — also known as "tornado alley" — December tornadoes increased to 189 twisters, up 78% from 106.
The NOAA tornado data has limitations, said Jana Houser, a professor of meteorology at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. The first two decades were retroactively recorded using newspaper archives and other reports, Houser said. There are now more people to witness and report tornadoes, and more methods for them to report more easily.
In 2007, NOAA changed rating systems for tornadoes, shifting from only measuring damage after a storm to measure its strength to measuring wind speed and damage. Brooks said the change caused inconsistencies in the strength rating of storms throughout the data.
In their paper, Brooks and his co-author note the geographic trend could be a result of techniques to smooth reports over time and space.
Still, the number of December tornadoes continue to rise.
December twisters
Your membership makes our reporting possible.
In December this year, strong tornadoes turned up the Midwest twice. The first aggressive system, on Dec. 10, affected Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky and killed eight people. The vicious winds blew homes off foundations and an EF3 tornado collapsed part of an Amazon warehouse near Edwardsville, killing and injuring workers trapped under concrete walls.
Edwardsville residents, including Paul Pitts, right, seated beside his friend Debra Pitts, pray during a memorial held for Amazon employees who were killed in last Friday's tornado in Edwardsville on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. The brief service, held by city officials inside a bay at the fire department, included the laying of a wreath at a tree to remember the six people who died. "I wanted to show my support to families that lost loved ones and to our first responders who helped others," said Paul Pitts. "I had to be here." Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
Robert Cohen
Meanwhile, a twister from the same system carved a 200-mile path through Kentucky, and potentially broke a 100-year-old record for time on the ground. The city of Mayfield, with a population of about 10,000 people, was devastated, with shredded trees and downed power lines littering the landscape. Windows and roofs were blown off buildings that were still standing. More than 70 were pronounced dead, and authorities are still working on recovery.
Five days later, a second storm system caused hurricane-force winds as far north as southeastern Minnesota and killed a man there, when a 40-foot tree blew into him outside of his home. Another person died when a semitrailer was blown on its side in Iowa; three others died in Kansas, where vehicle crashes resulted from high dust and low visibility.
Totals from all states that were hit reached close to 90 tornadoes, Gallus said.
On New Year's Eve in 2010, an EF3 struck the St. Louis region, leveling homes, at least one business and knocking down utility poles in Sunset Hills. The storms continued and spurred tornadoes to touch down in north St. Louis before moving into southern Illinois.
"The weather was eerie, like it is now — warm — and just not normal for December," said Pat Fribis, now mayor and then-alderman of Sunset Hills. "We were just shocked." Fribis remembers looking at a house that had its whole facade taken off.
"It was like you were looking at a dollhouse," she said. No one was hurt in the south St. Louis County community, but Fribis called the damage devastating.
Political issues stemming from the tornado caused Ann McMunn to run for office. She's now an alderman representing the 1st Ward in Sunset Hills and recalls the New Year's Eve tornado like it was yesterday. She was home alone in her three-bedroom house when a tree fell through the house and the storm leveled most of her street.
She remembers hearing two tornado sirens, at first. She ignored them until the third one went off, when she peered outside, and saw a green sky and rain falling sideways. She called her mother, who was at a Schnucks in Crestwood. Minutes later, she stood in the basement, still on the phone, when it hit.
"There was a moment I was talking to my mom, and I couldn't catch my breath," McMunn said. "I said to my mom, 'I think it must be right over me.'"
In 2000, an early December tornado in Alabama, near Tuscaloosa, killed 11 people and destroyed an entire shopping center before moving on to level homes. The storms overturned vehicles and injured 144.
"Ironically, the tornado dissipated as it moved into an open, unpopulated area," the National Weather Service reported.
A family member takes a break while searching amidst remnants for valuables at the Defiance home of Ollie and Vernon Borgmann on Saturday, December 11, 2021 on Highway F in that was destroyed by a tornado. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
Christian Gooden
To understand the how and the why with December tornadoes, more research is needed. But collecting data on one of the fastest-moving and random weather events isn't exactly easy, Gallus explained.
"I would have to be a trillionaire, and cover the entire country with weather instruments," Gallus said. Even then, they'd likely get blown away before much meaningful data could be gathered.
Meteorologists can only recommend a few things to those potentially in the paths of unseasonal twisters: Prepare, have a plan and have a safe place to go.
To prepare, residents can build substantial shelters. And for those with bad knees, the space doesn't have to be a basement.
Brooks has an above-ground shelter in his residence, with concrete walls reinforced by steel bars every six inches throughout, and a steel door.
Companies like Amazon can redesign their warehouses to make a safe space large enough for all employees.
"It's hard to reinforce a building that size, but you can make smaller shelters for your entire population," Brooks said. "You essentially spend the small amount of money to make part of the building really safe."
In 2021, before the year-end data collection and cleanup, Gallus said the number of December tornadoes had already reached 160, from his tally of weather station reports around the country.
"It is probably safe to say the increase will continue in the decade 2020 to 2029," Gallus said.
"The weather was eerie, like it is now — warm — and just not normal for December. We were just shocked."
Sunset Hills Mayor Pat Fribis, who was an alderman when an EF3 tornado struck the region on New Year's Eve in 2010
Post Tags:	#december#la nina#level2#national oceanic and atmospheric administration#NOAA#tornado alley#tornadoes
Chief Justice Roberts Reflects on Conflicts, Harassment and Judicial Independence
Trailblazing actress Betty White dies at 99
Food pantries struggle amid supply chain shortages
Here's the latest on what courts have said about Biden's vaccine mandates.
Changing drug laws means changing training for police K-9 units | Investigations
Chicago Public Schools and the Teachers' Union Clash
Biden administration asks Supreme Court to intervene in Remain-in-Mexico legal battle
With Omicron's Rise, Americans Brace for Returning to School and Work