"Oh, I see! That's how it works," I thought to myself as I reread the instructions for my new, pop-up popsicle molds for the umpteenth time. Popsicle molds should be simple, and they are, but somehow I hadn't been comprehending the instructions to put the sticks on top of the molds, once they'd been filled. It took a demonstration for me to realize. How these molds work is that, after you've filled them, you put the sticks on top and once they're frozen, you push it upwards to eat. I like it a lot better than the wooden stick in the centre – I don't like accidentally biting the stick. I just cringe thinking about it.
My grandmother got them for me, the same day I got the ball whisk and also visited the public market for fresh fruit with the intention of making popsicles. When I was younger, I didn't understand why popsicles were underlined in red by my spell checker (the auto-suggestion was for it to be capitalized) but now I know that it's a trademarked word. Funny how this world works, eh?
Most of that fruit was eaten as is. With making these popsicles, I also diced a mango for the first time, just for fun. Thanks, Nigella. Fun fact: mango skins can be eaten! They're edible. Mangoes have always been peeled in my house and the skin is thrown away. I like the flesh right under the skin, after it's been peeled, and after tasting the skin of the mango, I realize that what I've been tasting is residual from the skin. Eating the mango flesh and skin makes for a whole new eating experience, it adds another layer and dimension to the sweetness of a mango. Now I want to try a green mango, after reading an article about it in Saveur.
It was a blighter to get the molds fitted back into the tray after I'd taken it apart to wash, so I just put the individual molds in a plastic container. Interestingly, as they froze, the sticks were pushed up a bit by the freezing liquid. I don't know why that happened – I'm not that geeky of a food scientist to know that yet.
My original idea was to photograph my siblings each holding a popsicle but it didn't work out exactly as planned – mainly, bees and that the popsicles were melting, and that my sister and brother were being seriously tempted to eat what they were holding.
Note that all the amounts are for guidance only – you can add more or less as you please. As is often with fun treats like popsicles and smoothies, the fruit is generally just thrown in and tweaked as you go along. For these, I would have used two mangoes for more more mango flavour but mangoes are usually just eaten as they are in my house – they're rarely used in recipes, if at all – so I was left with only the one I'd saved. Either that, or I would have used less frozen banana.
It would also make great smoothies, if you don't have popsicle molds or can't wait for it to freeze. There is no added sugar of any kind in this recipe; instead, the ultimate sweetness is determined by the fruit.
Blend the frozen banana chunks and mango in a tall container using a hand-held electric blender until smooth. A food processor or blender may also be used for this. Pour or spoon into popsicle molds and insert sticks or, in the case of my pop-up molds, fill almost to the top and place the sticks on top. Freeze for up to 5 hours or overnight. For the pop-up molds, it's not necessary to pull out the frozen treat from the mold: instead the stick is pushed upwards as the popsicle is eaten. Enjoy!
Smoothie pops! Love them. I did not know that about mango skins, but will take a nibble next time I buy one.
I really want to get some popsicle molds, do you know what brand those are that you have? They sound like good ones and I like that they are individually frozen.
Yes, I liked that they're individually frozen, too. The brand I have is Cuisipro. Here's a link to the star pop-up molds on their site or on Amazon.
Wow, love that first photo, Zoe! These look incredible! 🙂 And, you taught me a new word … blighter. LOL I'll have to use that one soon. 😉 Thanks for the recipe, mold use instructions, and the tips!
These look scrumptious. This is a must try!!!!!
Don't you need to add water or something to cut the thickness? These look really good!
They were tasty! And in regards to cutting thickness, I didn't think it was necessary but you may use a little water, if you want to.
Cool popsicle molds! And these sound great.
Hey Zoe – I made these today for the kiddies, and they loved them! I thought that I would definitely need to add some liquid. Nope! I can't wait to try one tomorrow. Thanks!
Sounds and looks amazing!!! So easy and nutritious. Yum.
This recipe sounds like a great snack while lounging at the pool 🙂 Can I substitute fresh puréed apples for the mango?
I love eating Kiwi skin too – it's really tangy and the 'hair' isn't an issue, you really have to try it to believe it. You said about the sticks being pushed up when they were freezing – it's the same when you put in water in an ice cube tray – they always come out bigger. It's something to do with the molecules restructuring themselves as it gets colder, but liquid generally does expand when frozen. Weird eh!


text:
Henry T. Hazard (* 31. Juli 1844 in Evanston, Illinois; † 7. August 1921 in Los Angeles, Kalifornien) war ein US-amerikanischer Politiker. Zwischen 1889 und 1892 war er Bürgermeister der Stadt Los Angeles.

Werdegang
Im Jahr 1853 kam Henry Hazard mit seinen Eltern mit einem Ochsengespann über Salt Lake City nach San Bernardino in Kalifornien. Bald darauf zog die Familie in das Tulare County. Er besuchte die öffentlichen Schulen seiner neuen Heimat. In den Jahren 1863 und 1864 absolvierte er das San Jose College. Zwischenzeitlich arbeitete er in verschiedenen Berufen, beispielsweise in der Landwirtschaft oder als Postkutschenfahrer. Mit dem Geld finanzierte er sich ein Jurastudium an der University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Nach seiner 1868 erfolgten Zulassung als Rechtsanwalt begann er in Los Angeles in diesem Beruf zu arbeiten. Zunächst war er Strafverteidiger. Später spezialisierte er sich auf das Immobilien- und Patentrecht. Neben seiner Tätigkeit als Jurist war Hazard auch in anderen Geschäftsbereichen erfolgreich und erwarb ein beträchtliches Vermögen. Im Jahr 1873 wurde er Mitglied der Freiwilligen Feuerwehr.

Politisch schloss sich Hazard der Republikanischen Partei an. Er befürwortete damals die Aufteilung Kaliforniens in zwei Staaten, was aber nicht umgesetzt wurde. Außerdem setzte er sich für den Erhalt und Ausbau des Hafens von San Pedro ein. Von 1880 bis 1882 war er juristischer Vertreter der Stadt Los Angeles und zwischen 1882 und 1888 saß er als Abgeordneter in der California State Assembly. In seiner Eigenschaft als Rechtsvertreter der Stadt Los Angeles verklagte er erfolgreich die Eisenbahn auf Rückgabe von Land, das nicht direkt für die Schienen und den Bahnbetrieb benötigt wurde. Auf diese Weise fiel viel Land an die Stadt zurück, das diese in ihre Pläne mit einbeziehen konnte.

1889 wurde Hazard zum Bürgermeister von Los Angeles gewählt. Dieses Amt bekleidete er zwischen dem 25. Februar 1889 und dem 5. Dezember 1892. Dabei setzte er sich unter anderem für die Anlage von Parks und Spielplätzen ein. Er setzte auch ein Gesetz durch, wonach das Geld der Stadtkasse auf einem Bankkonto geführt werden musste. Zuvor war das nicht üblich. Während Hazards Zeit als Bürgermeister wurde in der Umgebung von Los Angeles Öl gefunden, was einen wirtschaftlichen Aufschwung auslöste. Aus nicht überlieferten Gründen muss Hazard eine Woche vor dem regulären Ende seiner Amtszeit als Bürgermeister zurückgetreten sein, denn das Amt wurde eben für diese eine Woche im Dezember 1892 von William Hartshorn Bonsall kommissarisch ausgeübt.

Nach dem Ende seiner Zeit als Bürgermeister setzte Henry Hazard seine früheren Tätigkeiten fort. Er starb am 7. August 1921 in Los Angeles.

Weblinks

 Municipal Reference Library

Bürgermeister (Los Angeles)
Mitglied der California State Assembly
Mitglied der Republikanischen Partei
Rechtsanwalt (Vereinigte Staaten)
US-Amerikaner
Geboren 1844
Gestorben 1921
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Ever hear this? Ever say it? It's easy to get into the habit of treating class C and class B airspace the same. They're both marked in bold, impressive lines on the chart, and they both serve major airports with many jets. But there is a difference in the requirements a pilot needs to enter these airspaces.
You need to have two-way communication, mode C, an ATC clearance, and be IFR. "Climb and maintain flight level 230″ is your ticket into the class A airspace.
You need to have two-way communication, mode C and an ATC clearance. "Cleared into the class Bravo" does the trick. A bravo clearance is good for just one entry into the bravo. If you leave the class B for any reason, you need another clearance to enter it.
You need to have two-way communication and mode C. There is no such thing as "Cleared into the class Charlie," because just having two-way radio communication is your clearance. But what is two-way radio communication? It's the controller saying your call-sign.
"N123, approach" — That's all you need to hear. The controller has used your call-sign. This is your class C clearance.
"N123, approach, standby" — this is the one that blows people's minds. Even though the controller has said "standby," you can go right on into the class C. That's because "standby" means "don't talk now, I'll get back to you," but the controller saying your call-sign established two-way radio communications.
"N123, remain clear of the class C airspace, give me a call in 10 minutes" — The use of your call-sign has established two-way communication, but the controller barred you from entry. You may not enter.
You need two-way comms, same as for class C, but you no longer need the mode-C transponder.
No radio or transponder requirements.
From whom do you need the clearance?
You need the clearance from the controller in charge of the airspace. In real life, that's simple: every airspace has its own controller. But on VATSIM, that can lead to interesting situations. That's because, most of the time, C and D airspace is not manned and the overlaying approach or center controller handles those airspaces. That can lead to the interesting situation where you are in two-way radio communication with a center or approach controller, squawking mode-C, and there is no other controller controlling any of the C or D airspaces along your route. In that situation, you are, without any magic words being said, cleared into those airspaces.
When you get to the thick purple line for the Charlie airspace, don't hyperventilate. Don't key the microphone and ask for a clearance. Just keep on flying.
Things change on those days when there is a separate controller for that C or D airspace. Your two-way radio communications with center does not automatically transfer to that other controller. So, if you're on center's frequency and approaching a class C or D being controlled by a different controller, you may not enter until you are switched to that other controller's frequency and establish two-way radio contact with them.


The ground floor consists of separate living, dining, and kitchen family areas offering a spacious feel of a contemporary open-plan home. Every room has access to private terraces. The main bedroom has an en-suite spa and shower room, 2 dressingrooms, a foyer, study and terrace with breathtaking views of the ocean. The 'his' and 'hers' bathroom sections are separated by a curved glass wall of floating vanities mirrored in the skylight above. An en-suite guest bedroom and cloakroom completes the ground floor plan.
The first floor features a guest suite with en-suite spa bath. A glass bridge, overlooking the entrance hall, connects the guest suite with the study and balcony leading onto one of the two roof-top garden areas and the roof terrace.
The basement houses staff accomodation, which includes an en-suite bedroom, kitchen and living area. There are 2 pools, a gym complex, a sauna and a wine cellar. The house features a state-of-the-art, fully ducted central air-conditioning system.
The centre of the house boasts a free-floating steel-and-glass staircase that twists down all three levels of the house to the wine cellar, tasting room and gym with windows that look through an aquarium to the swimming pool.
The concept of a central courtyard surrounded by both private and communal spaces takes a dazzling leap into contemporary design, morphing into a double volume glazed core with swimming pool, protected from the prevailing wind of the sea. The second pool is situated at the corner of the boma entertainment area at the front of the house.
"The Cove" - one of the finest homes the world has to offer.


text:
How Infectious-Disease Testing Can Improve Employee Performance
Organizations Healthcare Apr 7, 2020
A new study on malaria prevention shows that employees who know their health status become more productive at work.
Oladele Akogun
Jed Friedman
Ashesh Prasann
Pieter Serneels
The U.S. has grappled with a shortage of coronavirus tests since the pandemic began, preventing many people from knowing with certainty whether they've contracted COVID-19.
This testing shortage is likely to have dire consequences for public health. But it could also deepen the toll on businesses at a time when political officials and business leaders are working to stem the virus's economic impact.
Recent research from Andrew Dillon, clinical associate professor of development economics within Kellogg's Public–Private Interface Initiative (KPPI), suggests that testing employees for an infectious disease can have a surprising impact on their productivity.
Dillon, along with coauthors Ashesh Prasann and Jed Friedman of the World Bank, Pieter Serneels at the University of East Anglia, and Oladele Akogun at the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, explored how medical testing and treatment affects job performance when people are particularly concerned about contracting an infectious disease.
They focused on malaria. The team launched a malaria testing and treatment program for agricultural workers in Nigeria, and then monitored these employees' earnings, productivity, and physical activity in the weeks after people were informed of their test results and received necessary treatment.
The researchers found that access to malaria testing and treatment led to significant increases in both earnings and days worked, but not solely for workers who tested positive. Interestingly, earnings and productivity also jumped for employees who tested negative for malaria. After learning that they were disease-free, these employees became more physically active on the job and devoted more of their work hours to higher-effort—and higher-paying—tasks.
The finding offers an important lesson for any business facing the threat of infectious disease, whether malaria or COVID-19. "When people don't know their status, they can't take the appropriate curative or protective measures for themselves," Dillon says. "That potentially has productivity implications for firms, workers, and the global economy."
Can You Improve Productivity Simply by Testing for Malaria?
Dillon and colleagues undertook a series of experiments at a large Nigerian sugarcane farm to observe the small-scale economic impacts of readily accessible malaria testing.
The economic benefits of treating deadly diseases was clear: Prior research had found that countries like Greece, Spain, Italy, and Jamaica enjoyed swift economic growth after eradicating malaria, for example. Another study concluded that in economies where malaria was widespread, income in 1995 was only 33 percent that of otherwise similar countries where malaria was absent.
But the researchers suspected that simply testing for a disease might also deliver an economic boost, not just by helping those who were sick to recover, but also by improving productivity for those who test negative.
"When people don't know their status, they can't take the appropriate curative or protective measures for themselves."
Malaria, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, is widespread in Nigeria. The World Health Organization estimates that 100 percent of the country's population faces significant risk of infection, and the disease kills roughly 100,000 Nigerians per year (a full 25 percent of the disease's global death toll).
Early symptoms of malaria resemble an intense flu, with fever, chills, headaches, and nausea being the most common. However, it can take over a week for symptoms to appear, and people who are frequently exposed to the disease sometimes acquire "partial immunity," which can weaken the severity of symptoms. As such, people may keep working even after being infected. And, unlike many other infectious diseases, malaria cannot be transmitted from person to person, meaning that employees who choose to keep working are not putting others at risk.
Roughly 800 sugarcane cutters (all of them men) worked on the farm at the time of the studies. Each morning, employees chose one of two possible tasks for the day: cutting sugarcane or "scrabbling"—that is, collecting cut sugarcane rods and readying them for processing by rolling them into bundles.
Employees who cut sugarcane were paid per sliced rod, with the average worker earning about 1,008 Naira in a day. Scrabbling is the less physically demanding of the two options and it also pays less, offering a fixed rate of 500 Naira per day, about half of what sugarcane cutters earn.
All employees on the farm had access to the malaria testing and treatment program. Over the course of six weeks, researchers invited workers to have a sample of their blood drawn and analyzed. They received their results about three days later. The 36 percent who tested positive for malaria were given Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT), which kills the disease-causing parasite within seven days (though it can take several weeks for the previously infected to fully regain their strength).
The researchers offered the six-week treatment program twice over two subsequent harvest seasons, using two slightly different approaches to answer their central question.
In the first season, they drew from records of how many days each employee worked, which task they chose, their total earnings, and how much work they were able to do per day. However, the researchers realized that such measurements were not always available (for instance, when work is done collaboratively among several people). Without such data, it would be difficult for other researchers to test whether their results could generalize to other contexts.
So they decided to test whether their results held up when they used an alternative productivity measure: physical activity. So in the second harvest season, they ran a second study at the same farm, this time giving a random subset of 83 employees FitBits to wear.
The Impact of Health on Worker Behavior
The researchers found that testing for malaria and treating those who were infected benefited all employees, boosting overall earnings and days worked by about 10 percent. The reason was twofold.
First, employees who tested positive and received treatment boosted their earnings by simply feeling healthier and coming to work more often. Among this group, the number of days worked per week after treatment increased by 7 percent.
Second, those who tested malaria-negative also had higher productivity; after learning that they were healthy, these employees took on more strenuous, higher-paid work and generally upped their physical activity on the job.
In short, the results show a direct link between a negative malaria diagnosis and how much physical effort a worker puts forth. "That's something we could only establish by measuring workers' physical activity," Dillon says.
"It's certainly within a firm's interest to make these types of investments because it can reduce supervision and turnover in their labor forces."
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Everyone Wants Pharmaceutical Breakthroughs. What Drives Drug Companies to Pursue Them?
The long-term financial toll extends far beyond medical bills.
Whom you call is linked to where you travel, which dictates how viruses spread.
A new study suggests that firms are at their most innovative after a financial windfall.
The researchers' analysis also established that, beyond the public-health benefits, the financial benefits of the medical program outweighed the costs. During the three weeks post-testing (or post-treatment, for those who had tested positive), the program increased earnings by more than $13 per employee, while the cost of implementing the program was just $10 per employee.
Less easily quantifiable, Dillon adds, is the worker goodwill that redounds to a company when it provides access to an important health intervention—not to mention the many other upsides that accrue for individuals, families, and communities when hundreds of people are treated for malaria.
The experiments also didn't capture the long-term benefits to the farm. But Dillon says the results suggest that implementing testing and treatment could help a company reduce its expenses. Because sick employees could recover, for example, the farm would likely have to spend less on training replacements going forward. Plus, they might be able to cut back on worker supervision, since a clean bill of health alone motivated people to work harder.
Who Should Pay for Disease Testing?
One critical takeaway from the study: business leaders overseeing employees in contexts where an infectious disease is rampant—nearly every part of the world today—stand to benefit from ensuring that their employees are clear on their own health status.
"When workers are in endemic situations or face high risks as part of their jobs," Dillon says, "resolving informational uncertainty can help them become more productive and devote more of their effort to work."
Given the manifold gains that flow from testing and treatment programs—for individuals themselves, for businesses, for society more broadly—who should pay for them? Dillon makes the case that, in the absence of robust public-health programs, companies should consider the costs a sound investment.
"Certainly the public-health system should be the first stop for workers in terms of managing their health," Dillon says. "But for very physical workers especially, we know that there's this link between being healthy and being more productive on the job. It's certainly within a firm's interest to make these types of investments because it can reduce supervision and turnover in their labor forces."
At the same time, employees also have plenty to gain from the implementation of these programs—probably more than the firms themselves. Does that mean they should be on the hook for covering the cost of tests? Dillon believes the best answer may be a mix of both, perhaps resembling typical employer-sponsored health-insurance programs in the U.S., where employers and employees jointly contribute to the total cost of employees' healthcare.
"I think the issue comes down to one of coordination," he says. "Can firms providing workplace-based health services reduce the costs and better nudge workers to have health information and access to treatment? And can those costs be shared between firms and workers?"
Clinical Associate Professor of Development Economics, Kellogg Public-Private Interface; Director of Research Methods Cluster, Global Poverty Research Lab, Kellogg School
Katie Gilbert is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia
Akogun, Oladele, Andrew Dillon, Jed Friedman, Ashesh Prasann, and Pieter Serneels. 2020. Productivity and Health: Physical Activity as a Measure of Effort. World Bank Economic Review.
Dillon, Andrew, Jed Friedman, and Pieter Serneels. 2020. Health information, treatment, and worker productivity. Journal of the European Economic Association.
More in Organizations
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Collaborating to Save Lives

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A new survey compiled by The Manifest shows that nearly 30% of people interact on social media more than 10 times in a single day. This includes liking, posting or sharing content on various platforms. In addition to this percentage, almost every social media user (94%) posts content regularly, with 42% posting at least once a day.
According to the study, 69% of people post images on social media. The next most popular subjects included updates or announcements, videos and opinions, falling at 47%, 46% and 42% respectively. The study also found that Facebook is still the top social media platform, followed by YouTube and Instagram.
The information gleaned from this survey can help content marketers make strategic decisions about their social media campaigns such as deciding which platform to target most frequently. For now, it's safe to say Facebook and the use of visuals should remain top priorities within your marketing strategy.


text:
Tatts Group starts FY18 with a boost
Credits: Tatts Group
by Paul Lancaster
The first quarter of fiscal year 2018 has seen Tatts Group's revenue boosted by a 6.8 percent thanks to strong lotteries jackpot results.
Australia.- Tatts Group revealed an improved performance for the first quarter of fiscal year 2018 (FY18) after strong results of its lotteries jackpots provoked a rise of 6.8 percent in revenue in comparison to the previous year. The operator introduced its latest filing on Tuesday and revealed revenues of up to US$565 million and recorded an increase of 14.8 percent in net profit after tax after reaching US$51.1 million.
According to the filing, the company managed to control its expenses and was rewarded with an overall rise in its finances, including EBITDA, which reached US$97.4 million after increasing by 9.6 percent since last year.
Furthermore, the company highlighted its strong results in its digital initiatives, with growing sales among lotteries and wagering businesses. Lotteries revenue was up 8.8 percent from first quarter of FY17, and Tatts' three major draw games reported strong revenue growth. Tatts also explained digital sales growth for this product rose as well as they represented a 16.4 percent of total lotteries sales. Meanwhile, wagering businesses' recorded an increase in turnover of 1.8 percent.
Tatts is set to complete its US$8.3 billion merger with Tabcorp by Christmas but already has many reasons for a toast before the end of the year.
australia finance tatts group
VIP Baccarat in Macau sees GGR jump
Revenue up 4.5 pct in Pennsylvania in 2019
Sportradar extends relationship with Tennis Australia
UKGC unveils three new industry working groups
Bulgaria passes bill to ban private lottery games
TVBET is set to unveil its live streaming solutions at ICE London
New gaming bill has New Zealand on alert


text:
Airlines improve coronavirus safety protocols to lure back anxious passengers
Published: May 24, 2020 at 8:50 a.m. ET
Quentin Fottrell
United will use sneeze guards at check-in counters and hand out wipes; JetBlue will block middle seats on Airbus planes
A United Airlines passenger jet taxis at Newark Liberty International Airport, N.J.
ERJ
Airlines are trying to fill at least some of the seats on the planes they have in the sky.
Air travel in the U.S. has largely ground to a halt as people have grown wary about potentially exposing themselves to coronavirus. Many airlines have resorted to flying mostly empty flights — although in some cases, passengers have complained about crowded planes, as in the case of a recent United Airlines UAL, +0.23% flight.
Jet Blue JBLU, -0.88% said this week it will continue to block middle seats on Airbus AIR, -0.91% planes in rows where people aren't traveling together through July 4, and will block aisle seats on smaller Embraer ERJ, +0.47% 190 planes.
"Even with blocked seats, it's challenging to maintain six feet of distance between everyone onboard and that's why JetBlue was the first U.S. airline to require face coverings for customers," the airline said Wednesday. JetBlue will keep the seat distancing program in place through at least July 6.
United announced a series of changes this week to help restore the public's confidence in air travel, outlining how it will operate at airports and on board planes, including a partnership with Clorox Co. CLX, +1.36% for enhanced cleaning and another with medical experts from the Cleveland Clinic, as it works to keep passengers safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
"United will introduce sneeze guards at check-in counters, touchless kiosks in select locations for baggage check-in, mandatory face coverings for crew and customers, and will give passengers options when flights are over 70% full."
The company on Wednesday unveiled new cleaning and safety protocols that include sneeze guards at check-in counters, touchless kiosks in select locations for baggage check-in, mandatory face coverings for crew and customers, new economy snack bags that will come with a sanitizing wipe, and providing individually wrapped hand sanitizer wipes to customers when they board. United will also limit advance seat selections when possible, and give passengers the option to take alternative flights when flights are over 70% full, the company said.
This is a notable turnaround in policy for the airline, given criticism leveled at United in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Ethan Weiss, a University of California, San Francisco, cardiologist, shared a photo on Twitter US:TWTR showing nearly every seat full on the plane out of Newark Airport in New Jersey. He said customers were "shocked" and "scared."
"I guess @united is relaxing their social distancing policy these days? Every seat full on this 737," Weiss wrote. "They could have avoided this by just communicating better," Weiss added. "They literally just sent an email 10 days ago telling all of us the middle seats would be empty." He was traveling with 25 other nurses and doctors who have been volunteering in New York hospitals.
At the time, United said it could no longer guarantee all customers would be booked next to an empty seat. "Last month, we began limiting advanced seat selection for adjacent seats in all cabins, including middle seats where available and alternating window and aisle seats when seats are in pairs," the company said in a statement to ABC7 DIS, -1.02%.
Airlines for America, an industry trade group, released a summary in April of how U.S. airlines are improving cleaning and safety protocols. Alaska Airlines ALK, -0.57% increased its cleaning procedures between flights and is now using disinfectants that are effective against viruses, it said. American Airlines aircraft are cleaned at regular intervals throughout the day with disinfectant.
Read more: Airlines are issuing billions of dollars in vouchers — but can you still get a cash refund for coronavirus-related flight cancellations?
Airlines are working to help contain and stop the spread of COVID-19, Airlines for America said. "The safety of passengers and employees is the top priority of U.S. airlines," it added. "Since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, carriers have been working closely with Congress, the Administration and federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
"There's no doubt that these unprecedented times will lead to some major changes in the travel industry," said travel expert Brian Kelly, also known as The Points Guy on his website. "Until a vaccine is developed, carriers will need to make customers feel safe. Increased cleaning is a start, but we're likely to see demands for more protections, including health screening."
"'Until a vaccine is developed, carriers will need to make customers feel safe. Increased cleaning is a start, but we're likely to see demands for more protections, including health screening.'"
— Brian Kelly, AKA The Points Guy
"JetBlue was one of the first U.S. airlines to require that crew members wear masks and just recently extended the same rule to passengers," Kelly wrote on his site. "In addition, JetBlue has limited the number of seats available for purchase, allowing for more space between customers. Crew members will continue to review seat assignments to comply with social-distancing guidelines."
U.S. airlines are considering taking similar actions to Chinese airlines.
"United Arab Emirates-based Etihad has already begun testing new technology that would screen passengers for dangerous medical conditions like COVID-19 by monitoring their temperatures, heart rates and respiratory rates," Kelly added. "However, many people with COVID-19 have been asymptomatic."
"In the U.S., Frontier Airlines recently implemented a program that requires passengers to accept a health acknowledgment prior to completing check-in via website or app," Kelly said. "This is the first we've heard of any U.S. airline instituting its own health-screening check. This isn't the most effective screening, but it's a start."
See also:Frontier Airlines will drop social-distancing fee after wave of criticism
Carriers' stocks have had a rollercoaster ride in response to the nationwide economic shutdown due to the coronavirus. Warren Buffett recently revealed that Berkshire BRK.A, -0.39% had sold off all of its holdings in the airline sector, including stock in Delta DAL, +0.25%, American Airlines AAL, -1.49% and Southwest LUV, -0.28%.
Boeing BA, -1.40% Chief Executive David Calhoun said a major airline will "most likely" go under as a result of the coronavirus pandemic during a recent appearance on NBC's "Today" show. He added that it could take three to five years for the industry to recover to the passenger levels seen before the pandemic. Airlines, meanwhile, face an uphill struggle to convince passengers to fly.
"Safety has always been our top priority, and right now in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, it's our singular customer focus," Scott Kirby, United's Chief Executive, said in a video message to customers on Wednesday. "We recognize that COVID-19 has brought cleanliness and hygiene standards to the front of customers' minds when making travel decisions."
(Jacob Passy and Ciara Linnane contributed to this story.)
For EV drivers with range anxiety, it's helpful to know what features use up your battery power, and much of it is surprisingly different from gas cars.
Picks: Here's exactly how much Americans have in savings at every age — and (yikes) here's what they should have
My sister-in-law emptied my late mother-in-law's home. How do we stop our family from pillaging her estate?
These diets were associated with lower risk of death, according to a study of 119,000 people over four decades
Quentin Fottrell is MarketWatch's Managing Editor-Personal Finance and The Moneyist columnist. You can follow him on Twitter @quantanamo.


"You have written a comprehensive guidebook that makes a significant contribution to the field of personal development. Indeed your book offers what I believe has been missing in this genre, namely a matrix of how various linear themes of growth interact with each other and become the basis of the five stages of attainment in becoming the chosen ones.
I would recommend your book to everyone in hopes they would examine the totality of their life and take what they consider helpful. However, knowing there are many who are coasting along in their life, I would recommend it to those who are searching and on a quest to discover more about themselves and the journey to become a "chosen one".
"The Rise of the Chosen Ones is a surprising work of simple, yet profound concepts. It is an easy read that simply and effectively explains each step of the process of rising to the level of "Master" as a "Chosen One." More than just another self-help book, Parker's work provides insight into many of life's fundamental issues and difficulties and provides real solutions and methods for solving them, not just coping methods.
Parker has managed to fundamentally explain the primary purpose of this life; choice, and provide instruction on its effective use in everyday life. "Chosen Ones" helps you to understand yourself and some of the fundamental functions of the human mind. While many of the concepts may seem familiar, "Chosen Ones" goes far beyond simplistic positive thinking philosophies by providing a structured method of reprogramming the way one thinks about themselves, their life, and their relationships.


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Home Blog Sam Davis Featured in the 20th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America
Sam Davis Featured in the 20th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America
Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. | March 10, 2014 | Firm News |
Samuel L. Davis has been selected by his peers to be in the 20th edition of The Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation on behalf of Plaintiffs. The 2014 edition includes 50,834 attorneys in 134 practice areas across the United States and District of Columbia. Davis is a leader in defective orthopedic implant litigation and serves as the founder and chair of the American Association for Justice's Orthopedic Implant Litigation Group. In addition to the honor he has recently received, Sam Davis is an attorney Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney concentrating his practice in representing people seriously injured because of the negligence of others. He has been responsible for several million dollar settlements including paralyses, quadriplegics and disfigurements caused by fires and explosions. He has been named 8 consecutive years as a Super Lawyer and by the Law & Politics Magazine.
The Best Lawyers in America is one of the oldest and most honorable peer-reviewed legal publications in the United States. The peer evaluation process is extensive and confidential which includes lengthy peer-reviewed surveys. This year's edition is based on over 4.9 million peer evaluations. Lawyers are prohibited from paying a fee to be included in The Best Lawyers in America publication.
Regional publications of The Best Lawyers in America include The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune. In addition, The Best Lawyers in America is gaining substantial international presence in publications such as Les Echos in France, the Australian Financial Review, Business Day in South Africa, Expansion in Spain and the Handelblatt in Germany.


This 7,000-square-foot home is truly a gem. Set high in the mountains above Big Sky, this home is structurally engineered to function beautifully at 8,300 feet in elevation. Radiant heat, the highest quality windows, and even the logs themselves keep the home heated efficiently throughout the nearly nine months of winter.Careful attention was paid to make the expansive home look as cozy as it feels. The 16 to 18-inch Swedish cope logs with saddle notch corners give the home a traditional look; and the interior includes both log and non-log walls, offering the owners endless style options. The natural colors and rich palate of textures — granite, wood, slate and leather — lend the house even more warmth. A local artisan designed both the home's lighting scheme and the accompanying fixtures, adding a richness to every room.
Though the form-follows-function kitchen won a regional design award, all of the rooms in this home — from the sun room to the bunk room, the game room to the media room — meet the owners' needs perfectly. The master suite is its own private getaway, and the guest rooms are entirely inviting.


PRO X Liquid Grease is highly recommended for steel and ceramic cartridge bearing. Waterproof, which protects bearings from corrosion. Hybrid (Ceramic balls, steel races) bearings are prone to corrosion and wear without a lubricant. PRO X Liquid Grease is the perfect solution. PRO X Liquid Greaseessentially eliminates drag that grease packed steel bearings experience. You will have a drag free bearing, especially in freezing temperatures.


If you are interested in travelling to sustainable and eco-friendly destinations this spring, you might be happy to hear that there are plenty of such places in Europe. Not only some of its major cities are ramping up their eco-initiatives, but things are changing in smaller regions where there are now many options for eco-conscious travellers. With tour companies that try to offer environmentally friendly options, eco-accommodations or bustling farmers' markets, Europe is welcoming all kinds of travellers who care about the environment.
If you want to visit a romantic country, where you can enjoy relaxing beaches, busy cities, delicious foods and tasty wines, Portugal is the best choice. While Lisbon is a fantastic destination for culture aficionados, for those of you who want a memorable escape far from all the groups of tourists and in a place that is developing its ecotourism, Algarve is the perfect Portuguese spot.
Not only will you have the chance to unwind on some of the best beaches in Europe, admire breathtaking landscapes, and spend time in the middle of beautiful nature, but you can also get closer to the friendly locals and find out more about their way of living. And never say no to a delicious Portuguese dish, especially if it's made with locally grown products. It will be difficult to forget that taste!
Some of the things you must see while in Algarve are Ponta de Piedade and Cape St. Vincent, Ria Formosa National Park, as well as Tavira and Lagos.
The Canary Islands are located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and they are welcoming all travellers who want to relax in a sustainable and eco-friendly Spanish paradise. One of its most beautiful islands, Tenerife, is already famous for its eco-friendly village, but all the Canary Islands offer environmental-friendly options to their visitors.
With green tour companies and accommodations, local restaurants that produce their own ingredients, and colourful farmer's markets, these islands are a great destination if you are into ecological travelling.
Whatever island you choose to visit, get ready for a memorable adventure, filled with exciting outdoor activities, tasty foods, and spectacular volcanic beaches. And if you are an adrenaline junkie, you can enjoy hiking, cycling, swimming, surfing or other watersports, as well as more extreme activities like paragliding.
Scotland is another fantastic destination for all adventurers who want to explore a nature-friendly place. Green is the colour that describes Scotland not only because of its landscapes, but also thanks to all the work put into offering people ecological options.
To properly explore the Scottish natural beauty, you should consider hiking one of its famous paths. Declared one of Scotland's Great Trails by Scottish Natural Heritage, Ayrshire Coastal Path is a great choice. Not only will you have the chance to admire breath-taking landscapes and catch a glimpse of the area's wildlife, but you will also get closer to the Scottish past while visiting some of its interesting historical sites.
You don't have to be a hiking expert to complete the hike, but you will need to have a pretty good level of fitness since there are some cliff-tops you'll have to walk along, as well as a few rough rocky shores.
The Arran Coastal Way is as beautiful as the famous Ayrshire Coastal Path too. Both of them will amaze your eyes with the natural beauty you will encounter on the way, and if you have enough time, you don't even have to choose. Just hike them both! However, though you are planning this holiday during the spring season, it is advisable to check the weather before adventuring in exploring Scotland.
This list would not be complete without a beautiful eco-friendly European city. Declared the European Green Capital in 2011, Hamburg is one of Germany's pearls. Filled with green public areas, gardens full of flowers, woodlands, and riverside beaches, the city is a perfect destination for people who want to explore an urban beauty but also relax in the middle of nature.
Relax in one of Hamburg's parks, explore its beautifully arranged streets by foot or rent a bike, take a boat trip along winding canals, or travel by train because guess what? The S-Bahn airport train is powered entirely from renewable sources. In addition, you can find more than 300 green taxicabs on the streets daily.
These are just some of Europe's eco-friendly destinations, but there are more places where ecological options are available. However, you should also be aware of your own impact on these places, of how much you can influence their economy and their inhabitants' lives, and make sure your influence is always positive.


Have trouble getting their imaginative thoughts on paper?
Never know where to start when asked to write creatively?
Struggle to come up with original ideas?
Find it hard to organise and develop their ideas?
Have the potential to be a great writer, but lack the know how to experience success?
Many bright, capable kids have the capacity to be terrific creative writers, but lose confidence when their stories don't quite make it onto the page in the way they intended.
Research has shown that devising a plot, developing characters and working out a narrative is very rewarding for young children. Creative writing also encourages problem solving and the ability to think independently.
In today's digital world, creative writing also develops kids' curiosity and gives them a platform through which they can express their individuality in a way that no 'screen' can.
Kids First's Creative Writing Clubs are led by teacher, best-selling author and Kids First founder, Sonja Walker.
In weekly one hour small group sessions, Sonja supports primary school children in Years 3 to 6 to become confident, creative writers who are ready to share their stories with the world.
During her 30 year teaching career, Sonja has taught children of all ages and abilities.
Well known for her down to earth, practical and engaging style, Sonja has been encouraging reluctant writers to find their voices for decades.
Sonja's experience as a classroom teacher, HSC marker and judge of a national a national creative writing scholarship with children's author Andy Griffiths has given her the opportunity to read thousands of kids' stories in her time.
She knows what works – and more importantly – she knows how to teach children to develop the skills they need to become confident, capable young writers.
Places in Kids First's popular Creative Writing Clubs are strictly limited to a maximum of 6 children per group.
Creative Writing Clubs take place on Wednesday afternoon at Kids First Children's Services in Brookvale.
Check our current class timetable here.


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Press Ombudsman upholds complaint by Ms Katrina Whelan
On 28 October 2016 the Press Ombudsman upheld a complaint by Ms Katrina Whelan that the Sunday World breached Principle 5 (Privacy) and Principle 9 (Children) of the Code of Practice of the Press Council of Ireland.
Earlier this year the Sunday World published an article that claimed that a man, whom the article claimed was involved in criminal activity, had become a murder target due to his association with one of rival drug-dealing gangs involved in a feud. The man, it was claimed in the article, had created "his very own territory" in competition with one of the other gangs. The article was accompanied by a photograph of the house where the man's wife and family lived. The article also gave the location of the house.
Ms Katrina Whelan, the complainant, is the wife of the man named in the article. She made a complaint to the Press Ombudsman's Office that the article breached the rights of privacy of her children and herself and, in addition, placed her children's and her own life in grave danger. She claimed that Principles 5 and 9 had been breached.
The Sunday World in response to the complaint stated that everything in the article was accurate and that the husband of the complainant was a "known criminal of many years and has placed himself at the centre of gangland crime for decades". In regard to the house which featured in the article the Sunday World stated the man's business is registered at the house, a fact it said, which is on the public record in the Companies Registration Office. The newspaper concluded its defence of the article by stating that it was the husband of the complainant through his "continued involvement in organised crime (that) has always put his, and his family's, lives in danger and not the article" of earlier this year.
As the complaint could not be conciliated it was forwarded to the Press Ombudsman for a decision.
In regard to Principle 5 I believe the woman's and her family's privacy was breached. There is no public interest in providing information as to where his wife lived, particularly as she was not accused of any wrong-doing whatsoever in the article.
In regard to Principle 9 I do not see how the publication of the photograph and location of the house where the wife and family lived could be justified. Principle 9 requires the press to take particular care is seeking and presenting information or comment about a child under the age of 16. A child lived in the house that was identified. Her mother has expressed her concern about her child's safety especially in the context of recent gangland killings. I am of the view that publishing the photograph and locality of the house was a breach of Principle 9.
The Sunday World appealed the decision of the Press Ombudsman to the Press Council.
The newspaper's appeal was considered by the Press Council on 2 December, 2016. The Council decided to uphold the decision of the Press Ombudsman that Principles 5 and 9 of the Code of Practice had been breached.


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Q: GloH20 Global Koppen Geiger Raster Values I am trying to use the global KG classification raster from http://www.gloh2o.org/koppen/. Everything seems to be working fine, but the values from the raster seem to range from 0 - 30, however the legend provided by the team only defines values from 1 - 30 so I'm wondering what the 0 value is supposed to signify. I'm guessing this is supposed to be a NaN value but I'm not sure how to verify this, I've contacted the team but have had no response for a couple of weeks.

A: I recently used the raster dataset as well and was confronted with the same question. As the A. Bollans already explained, the zeros can be interpreted as missing values, i.e., no climate classification present which should be mostly (or only) found in large water bodies.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


• To allow students to demonstrate a wide range of the skills learned at the College of Computing during their course of study by asking them to deliver a product that has passed through the design, analysis, testing and evaluation stages.
• To encourage multidisciplinary research through the integration of material learned in a number of courses.
• To allow students to develop problem solving, analysis, synthesis and evaluation skills.
• It allows students to specialize in a topic that they enjoy.
• It allows students to show a wide range of the skills learned since the first year.
• Students must demonstrate these skills by delivering a product that has passed through the design, analysis, testing and evaluation stages.


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Libra › U.S. › Regulation
Donald Trump: If Facebook wants to become a bank, they must be subjected to all banking regulations
United States President Donald Trump expressed his views on cryptocurrencies, saying that not only was he "not a fan" of Bitcoin, he also believes Facebook's Libra will have little standing or dependability when launched.
Priyeshu Garg Twitter • Jul. 12, 2019 at 5:47 pm UTC • 3 min read
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his views on cryptocurrencies, saying that not only was he "not a fan" of Bitcoin, he also believes Facebook's Libra will have little standing or dependability when launched. He said that Facebook should be subjected to banking regulations both in the U.S. and globally.
Trump expands his opinion on cryptocurrencies taking a jab at Libra
After more than two years of silence on cryptocurrencies, U.S. President Donald Trump has finally shared his thoughts on the burgeoning new industry. And while his comments were nothing unexpected, the very fact he spoke about digital assets was seen as a clear sign that the industry is maturing.
Related: Donald Trump: Bitcoin not money, value based on thin air, facilitates unlawful behavior
In a series of tweets posted on July 12, Trump said that he was neither a fan of Bitcoin nor of Facebook's "virtual currency," which he believes will have very little "standing or dependability." His knowledge of the matter seems limited, though, as he implied that the only way Facebook could issue Libra is to become a bank.
Trump explained that if Facebook, or any other company for that matter, want to issue cryptocurrencies and become banks, they would have to be subjected to banking regulations both in the U.S. and globally.
….Similarly, Facebook Libra's "virtual currency" will have little standing or dependability. If Facebook and other companies want to become a bank, they must seek a new Banking Charter and become subject to all Banking Regulations, just like other Banks, both National…
Starting a bank in U.S. is a regulatory hurdle which the tech giant was looking to bypass by merely offering a digital currency backed by USD. All banks, before commencing operations in the U.S., must get approval by the federal or state government via charter. The cumbersome process of starting a bank takes minimum one year, according to the Federal Reserve.
Banks are also allowed to get insurance from the FDIC ( Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) and meet other regulations by Federal Reserve and other government agencies. New banks must have a solid team and sufficient funds to support themselves in case of losses and will be subjected to additional regulations while they're still young.
Different countries have different banking regulations and operating an international bank will be a tough task for Facebook as it will have to abide by a plethora of various regulations.
Facebook is up for a tough summer
While it's hard to say what the Trump administration was hoping to achieve with these comments, it certainly didn't deter anyone from investing in cryptocurrencies. They were posted following a social media summit held at the White House, where Trump criticized tech giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google for their bias against political conservatism.
Just came from the White House Social Media Summit where I had chance to stand alongside @realDonaldTrump and talk about why we need to stop Big Tech from discriminating against conservatives #Section230 #SocialMediaSummit pic.twitter.com/LJ0Ig7GWDo
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 11, 2019
And while it's unclear whether the topic of cryptocurrencies was discussed, it's safe to assume that Facebook was most likely mentioned. Many Reddit users even speculated that the tone of the tweet implied that the government was gearing up to push more regulation into the space.
Trump's comments come less than 24 hours after the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Jay Powell warned Congress about Libra. Powell said that Libra had "serious concerns" over privacy, consumer protection, financial stability, and money laundering to resolve before it launches.
Facebook is preparing for two separate hearings at the U.S. House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee next week, and Trump's comments might push the committees' sentiment even further against Libra. With the G7 meeting just over a month away, where the topic of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology will be discussed, a sudden drop in support will only spell trouble for Facebook.
Posted In: Libra, U.S., Banking, People, Privacy, Regulation
Donald Trump: Bitcoin not money, value based on thin air, facilitates unlawful behavior
United States president Donald Trump finally expressed his views on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, and the POTUS is not a fan. 3 min read
Bitcoin long-term trend still looks bullish, short-term not so much
Bitcoin's exponential growth lead 40-year trading veteran Peter Brandt to (famously) believe BTC entered a new "parabolic phase." From its December low of $3,150 BTC could aim for a new high of $100,000, Brandt suggested. 5 min read
Modeling altseason, estimating Ethereum, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin prices using BTC dominance
If 'altcoin season' happened today what would the cryptocurrency prices look like? What about if Bitcoin continues to reign supreme and BTC dominance keeps rising? We model different BTC dominance scenarios and show the price implications on Ethereum, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin—providing a best-guess estimate of what the markets could look like. 4 min read


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After CS GO release in 2012, the difficulty of finding characters around the world has become one of the most popular feedback we have got. Since any map of the game includes a wide range of lighting and details, we have introduced a new graphics setting called 'Boost Player Contrast,' which is allowed by default, to increase the reading quality of all maps and locations, if viewed from a certain angle. That is a special post-process filter for stationary characters that provides spatial contrast, since characters are separated from the context.
Increases the contrast of character from far distances against the background.
Fortifies edge pixels for distance characters.
Creates a little blur to reduce background noise around a character.
Build a slight opposite halo around a character if the character and the setting are not coloured.
In addition to the above improvements, we have modified the textures of some types of characters (and in certain situations we have personalized coarse mipmap levels) and have modified fog.
Fog is applied to characters and the rest of the world in cfg CS:GO. We have reduced the fogging of all characters across all maps, to help characters stand out from the background on longer distances.
The characters look
The upgrade today will in most cases boost the character learning, but we know something needs to be done. Please contact us via the subject line Agent Read if you identify particular situations where the new tools do not help you. Take a peek at the case and a link to a picture. Among the most tournament play there is the Global Offensive or cfg CSGO. The first-person shooter is a true testament to one's skills and efficiency. The game's quick-running, your characters aren't shooting a lot and the newbies' nuances are small.
CS: GO is a game with several customizable options. Players play endlessly with their resolution, crosshairs, camera settings, etc. There are several of these more complicated modifications made in the console of the game, which you can reach by pressing the ~ key by default.


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Hirst, Claude Raguet
Chrysanthemums in a Canton Vase
American Painter, 1855-1942 Related Paintings of Hirst, Claude Raguet :. | Paul and Virginia | Companions | Paul and Viginia | Two Pleasant Anticipations | Seascape |
Henrietta Johnston
b.born before 1670, probably Ireland buried March 7, 1729, was an early American pastellist. Born Henrietta Deering, probably in Ireland, she married in 1705 and emigrated to America in 1707, settling in Charles Towne (now Charleston, South Carolina). A total of 40 pastel portraits by Johnston are known, dating from 1707 to around 1725. After her husband's death in 1716, Johnston was forced to support herself and her children, becoming possibly the first professional female painter in America. She's a very talented artist.
MASTER of the Aix-en-Chapel Altarpiece
French painter (active between 1480-1520)
Flemish Baroque Era Painter, 1599-1652 Flemish painter. He was apprenticed to Herman de Ryt in 1614 and later visited France, Italy and Germany before returning to Antwerp by 1625. He painted pantry scenes, farmyards with poultry, fish markets, game pieces, garlands and diverse still-lifes of fruit and vegetables. Game paintings are most frequent and reflect the influence of Frans Snyders. Adriaen adopted the same abundant displays of game, fruit and vegetables, usually set on a table parallel to the picture plane. Compositions typically fall in horizontal and vertical lines in contrast to the dynamic diagonals of Snyders. In large works, such as the Still-life with Game, Vegetables, Fruit and a Cockatoo (1650; Malibu, CA, Getty Mus.), Adriaen's accessories overflow the table on to the floor below. Baroque devices, such as a sweeping curtain and background window view, add movement and depth. Van Utrecht favoured warm earthen tones, especially grey-green, and a strong chiaroscuro light in his still-lifes; the latter may derive from his knowledge of Italian painting. The artist's style changed little during his career, save for the gradual elimination of figures in his paintings. The influence of Jan de Heem and Jan Fyt can also be seen in his later work.


When I first handled this speaker I was impressed with the quality of it. You are supposed to be able to connect to a Bluetooth device very easily, I normally find that it is never that easy; however I was surprised to find that it linked to my iPhone straight away and was up and running in minutes. The quality of the sound is very good for such a small device. I was more concerned about it being too loud and disturbing other campers so volume is not a problem.I have used it on many occasions whilst camping and it has not failed me. I did manage to leave it out overnight and it got wet but this did not effect its performance.It is supplied with a USB cable to charge it so can easily be charged it the car or even one of the portable power packs.
As it is small and light it can easily slip into a bag or pocket for your camping trip, perfect for a sing song around the camp fire.
Anyone who knows me know that I love adrenaline. It's become an addiction, once you feel the exhilaration of going higher or faster than you have been before it's hard not to want to push the limits a little bit more.
Now, it may be out of season (unless you live in the antipodean countries) but when I think of one of my most memorable, adrenaline fuelled experiences I think back to a time when I was in the Canadian Rockies. If you've ever visited the Rockies, you will know how truly awe-inspiring the place is. It is somewhere that will leave you breathless by the magnitude of its beauty. Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to have visited many locations with my snowboard in tow. Although I may not have returned to some locations as much as I would have wanted to, the Rockies have always pulled me back there.
On my last visit I was looking for a new challenge, I had heard about a resort called Kicking Horse which had peaked my interest. Kicking Horse has a reputation for some serious runs; jagged edges, rock faces, steep slopes – this I had to try. So after sorting out transport, tickets and the other fiddly bit, my boarding partner and I headed off. The journey took a couple of hours from where we were based and all the way there was a mix of excitement and apprehension.
The journey was a typical Canadian drive full of spectacular scenery and a beautiful ruggedness, then before we knew it we were there. That morning we had some runs testing out the bowls and then went for the 10K run. After that it was time for lunch, which I'm not ashamed to say we were ready for. Instead of eating, lunch mainly consisted of pouring over the piste map. Kicking Horse is well known for its double-black diamond runs, some of which we had already done that morning. However, there was one double-black diamond run which, from what we had heard, was the big one. It's name, CPR ridge.
Eventually we had eaten as much as we could and had found the route to CPR ridge. Having gone up the gondola there was then a short hike which we traversed. When we reached the edge I took a peak over the lip and then my stomach turned. The ground fell away at an incline that was greater than either of us had ever attempted. At this my fellow boarder took a peak and his face confirmed what I was thinking. 'What are we doing?' A short while went by as we sat considering whether to go for it or not, then we came to the theory of just getting it done before we talked ourselves out of it.
I took a deep breath and went over the ledge. I quickly accelerated and recall thinking 'why am I doing this? I could get seriously hurt'. I knew I had to stay upright and control my board. I became in a zone of total concentration, almost zen like. It sounds like a cliche, but I seemed to become one with my snowboard controlling my speed and direction, avoiding jagged rocks and drops that I was not experienced enough (or crazy enough, depending how you look at it) to try. Behind me I could hear shouts from my friend, suggesting he was feeling the same elation and relief I was feeling. Eventually the slope became a degree of incline more in my comfort zone and it was then my emotions changed. A sense of euphoria poured over me followed by relief. The two of us stopped a little way down and looked up at what we had just descended. A sense utter euphoria came over me, my body was full of adrenaline. We sat looking for a little while at what we had just done, letting our emotions calm and the adrenaline simmer down. I was overwhelmed at what I had accomplished. Having caught our breath and shared our experiences, what did we do next? Well that was simple, we did it again!
It is never easy to push yourself outside your comfort zone, but I hope this story illustrates that unless you try you will never achieve greater heights and truly find out what your capable of. Take a look at our range of products here or our Amazon store. we hope to inspire you to get outdoors.
It was great to see so many people enjoying Endure24. The weather was not too bad for us this year so everyone was able to enjoy being out and soaking up the atmosphere more. Our stand proved to be very popular and I think it turned into a bit of a creche. The children seemed to love jumping and playing on the hammocks and lazy bags, and I think the parents enjoyed the break. I would like to thank all the children who put the products to the test and I am pleased to say everything survived. This may be a great way to test products in the future.
we are looking at a range of bio-degradable tableware to possibly bring to you. We never launch a product until it has been tested by the team. However these bio degrade in about 2 years even though they are dish washer safe. We don't want to wait that long to see if they really do, any suggestions! Take a look at our other tested products here.
There's nothing worse than arriving at your campsite and realising that you've left something crucial behind – whether that's tent pegs or wine! That's why we've created the ultimate starter checklist for you here – you can customise it for every trip you take, and it will make sure that you never have the headache of a forgotten crucial part of your holiday again!
Just enter your best email address here and it will get to you straight away!


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Why Pre-Recorded Stadium Music Is Stupid, By Huey Lewis
HUEY LEWIS
This post was originally published on The Talkhouse.
A lot of you probably watched the MLB all-star game. I had a gig, otherwise I would have, too. But as a sports fan who knows a little about music, I have to get something off my chest: Can we all agree it's time to ban most, if not all, pre-recorded music from sporting events? The fairly recent (in historical terms) proliferation of the pre-recorded stuff has begun to seriously degrade the experience of going to a ballgame. I can think of lots of reasons why a ban would be beneficial.
1. The murmur of tens of thousands of people in a baseball park, vendors hollering about beer and hot dogs, along with the thrilling crack of a bat hitting a ball, an umpire's throaty call, and the occasional player's whistle or cry of "I got it!" is a wonderful symphony of sounds that we almost never get to hear anymore. Fortunately, most venues halt the music when the action starts, but not always, and not exactly, and that can be doubly infuriating. And, yes, it's often played too loud.
2. Pre-recorded music doesn't even sound good in these venues. The delivery system for the music usually consists of a series of big speakers, spaced very far apart, often resulting in a canceling effect, reducing the song to mainly the beat. And whose idea was it to let the players choose their own music when they're introduced, or coming up to bat? That makes about as much sense as having me make the starting line-ups. (Actually, come to think of it, I kind of like that idea.)
3. Furthermore, live acoustic music isn't just authentic entertainment, it's a boon to the local culture. The San Francisco 49ers used to have an 18-piece jazz band on the sidelines, complete with a cable car bell ringer, to perform between plays. The 49ers, and their San Francisco baseball counterparts the Giants, used to hire a local Dixieland combo to roam the stands and play. These things were entertaining and culturally valuable—marching bands are a wonderful incubator for local talent, they connect a team to the local music community in a real way, and the sound they produce is far more interesting and appropriate for a large stadium. Think of all the people employed by a sporting event on game day (dancers, parking attendants, jugglers, vendors, Frisbee dog trainers, food service people, acrobats)… why not hire a few musicians? How about a blues combo roaming the stands at Wrigley Field in Chicago, playing a different section of the stadium every inning? Or, similarly, a country group at a Nashville sporting event?
4. I'm a big fan of live organists—the worst live organist is better than the best pre-recorded music.
5. Lastly, and maybe most crucially, a ban would do away with those over-played theme songs that annoy and belittle athletes and audiences alike. (Think "Wheels on the Bus.") Sport is a wonderfully complex pastime played by exceptional people, and it deserves better.
So, let's leave pre-recorded music to the awards shows and reclaim our sports entertainment integrity. And if anyone from the big leagues is reading this, I can recommend plenty of musicians who could use the gig.
More from The Talkhouse
Lou Reed reviews Yeezus
Scott Pinkmountain on working as a music analyst for Pandora
Eddie Argos of Art Brut on accidentally writing a rock musical
Rachel Trachtenburg reviews Katy Perry: Part of Me
The Talkhouse is a place for smart, distinguished musicians from all genres and generations to write about and discuss music. Nobody knows more about music than musicians, so why shouldn't they have a place to express their ideas about other people's music? You can follow The Talkhouse on Twitter @the_talkhouse.


The 2013 National ID&R Forum opened with two videos compiled from submissions from a number of recruiters and recruitment coordinators.
We were looking for 1 minute videos from recruiters, coordinators, migrant families & youth, administrators staff, etc. what they think of the recruitment process – complete the sentence "recruitment is…" in their own words.
The videos were arranged into two parts. The files are large and need to be downloaded and viewed on your local machine.


Alice Munro is the author of many collections of short stories and the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her work has often appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Grand Street. This story is included in a collection titled The View from Castle Rock.


Won't this Make my Belly Bigger?
When coaching individuals to use their breathing patterns to support better health and mindfulness, I frequently hear – "If I breathe into my belly it will make my belly bigger?" Research shows muscles held in a tightened contraction all the time become weaker.
Breathing into the belly area, alternating muscular contractions with relaxation during breathing, not only supports the needed contract-relax pattern for the muscles, it creates pressure changes in the abdominal area which flushes toxins out and brings healthy nutrients into the region. Instead of the abdomen becoming a storage vessel for toxins, it becomes a center for healthy flow through the body. It is like Grand Central Station if the individuals are moved through Grand Central Station the exchange takes place.
When there is a back up because a line breaks down, catastrophic back up can result. Take a few minutes and breathe deeply, relaxing as you inhale and contracting your abdominal muscles as you exhale. What do you notice about your body? About your breath?


I've been enjoying doing small watercolor studies of a group of abstract work that might look wonderful done very large in multi-media fashion. A little p-shop, BANG, a large canvas hanging in a modest den.
Boy, what I would do with a roomy studio that could handle six-foot, eight-foot canvases! I still have faith in my attempts at exploring less literal, more poetic themes that fit in a living space.
Ypu're absolutely right. It's a bit sobering to work on a piece from a consistent perspective only to realize it looks better when it's flipped. An unintentional improvement makes me remember how intuitive abstract truly is.
Years ago, the Museum of Modern Art in NYC hung one of Matisse's paintings upside down in the exhibit hall. Nobody noticed it for months.
Maybe your next painting could be a big red arrow with the words "This Side Up".
Interesting painting. I'm very curious about your choice of room to show this-what the heck is going on in this room-a giant black vent, an odd chair that seems to be meant for torture or an adult game...maybe I've seen too much David Lynch.
I picked a bland room to showcase the "painting".
Putting it in a well-appointed living space would put too much emphasis on the surroundings, as if the nearby furnishings and art on the walls made my piece legitimate.
I'm thinking that if the painting ADDS interest to a room, it's doing the job.
This is for site admin: Please check SLM under my name..this back link generator had been launched 2 days ago and already gave me a 2 pages jump in google. Make your self a favor and go grab it until its not saturated.
This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on February 7, 2012 7:21 PM.
The previous post in this blog was DVD Cover Illustration Idea.


text:
Tuesday practice report — Boyles being tried at cornerback
Practice is over for today and the most eye-catching sight was that of Anthony Boyles being tried at cornerback.
DC Nick Holt, who spoke to us today in lieu of Steve Sarkisian, said it's a temporary switch at the moment just to see how it goes.
"We're getting him in and just trying to find out where he can help the team the quickest," Holt said. "We've been kind of talking about it for a while, but who knows?"
Boyles knocked down a couple of passes, and almost had a pick-six on a comeback route at one point, and appeared to be having fun in his new role — he was not allowed to speak to the media on order of the coaches.
"He looks the part," Holt said of the 6-3 Boyles, who played safety in high school and one of UW"s top-rated recruits in the Class of 2008 but has played just one game so far.
"He was a really good DB out of high school and we have a great receiving corps right now and it's hard to get on the field and with the bye week, we have a couple of days to experiment and this is one of those experimentations."
Holt said Boyles was receptive to the idea.
"He's a football player and he wants to play and help out," Holt said. "He's a good kid and he wants to help out so we just threw him out there and hopefully maybe someday it will work out."
IN OTHER NEWS. …
— A number of players sat out to rest and heal injuries, as referenced yesterday. A couple of new injuries today, however, were C/G Mykenna Ikehara (with a knee injury that we didn't get any more details on), WR James Johnson (sick), DE Kalani Aldrich (knee) and LB Cort Dennison (stinger). Holt says Aldrich has what is essentially a "chronic" knee condition and often has to have the knee drained after heavy activity.
— WR Cody Bruns got a lot of work today with Johnson gone and Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar resting, and seemed like the offensive player of the day, making two deep grabs in the team period.
— With E.J. Savannah and Dennison out, Jordan Wallace worked with the starting LB group and drew kudos from Holt. Holt also said he was impressed with MLB Tim Tucker and DEs Talia Crichton and Andru Pulu, of young players.
— Jason Wells got a lot of work at free safety and said afterward he's as close to 100 percent as he's likely to get. Holt said Wells almost played Saturday but it was decided to hold him out to give him two more weeks to prep before returning to play. Holt said he could add to the rotation at safety.
— Savannah spoke to reporters for a while afterward and revealed that he had the cast he had been wearing reduced to a splint before the game hoping it would allow him more flexibility to wrap up and tackle. But without the protection he broke another bone in his left hand in the third quarter and is again in a cast.
All for now but I'll have more from Holt later today or tomorrow.