Winter weather isn't only dangerous for drivers when ice lies around a bend or snow is falling from the sky. The limited daylight hours, low sun, wet leaves, standing water and submerged potholes all make for particularly difficult driving conditions.
Drivers who don't always feel confident when faced with such challenges – and many don't – would benefit from taking a driving course specifically aimed at dealing with winter weather.
There is a wide variety of training available, tackling everything from aquaplaning to driving on ice. Prices range from affordable refresher courses to once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Here's how you can stay safer, and feel more confident, when driving in the most tricky of all the seasons.
Picture a car built onto a super-size trolley, and an instructor sat in the passenger seat fiddling with an innocuous looking box of tricks from the passenger seat. One minute your car is driving perfectly normally, the next it's lurched into a dramatic drift, as though it has hit a patch of sheet ice.
Happily, if you don't correct the emergency situation the first time, you won't end up in a ditch, with the car on its roof. You get as many goes as you like, and will eventually develop the skills needed to ward off potential disasters before you can say crash, bang, wallop!
It may be one of the best known racing circuits in Britain, but Goodwood has something that's arguably a lot more fun and relevant for everyday drivers: the 'low grip area'. The specially prepared road surface simulates slippery surfaces, and means an instructor can safely help drivers learn to manage emergency situations, such as braking on water or ice, understeering across a road or countering oversteer. The course lasts for 90 minutes, and features Mini and BMW cars.
Mercedes-Benz World is the most impressive purpose-built experience centre of any car manufacturer in the UK. Sat within a stone's throw of the historic Brooklands race circuit, it's an impressive facility and the AMG 1 Hour Experience will leave drivers craving more – just as Mercedes would hope.
Nestled just the far side of the crash barriers of the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, the Porsche Experience Centre will hand 'learner' drivers the keys to a 911 and let them choose which areas of the impressive facilities they'd like to focus on. The wet-weather simulator is where you need to go to really build confidence and hone car control. It features water jets that rise from the ground, acting as a slalom which you must neatly navigate while driving on an ultra-low friction surface. Needless to say, the car will end up facing every which way until you get the hang of it.
If you want to blow the budget, and spend two days perfecting the art of drifting a car sideways around not one, not two, but three Grand Prix circuits carved into an ice lake, this is the winter driving experience for you. The price includes use of a Porsche Cayman S, but excludes travel and accommodation – which can be added. Want something even more extreme? Try driving a Ferrari 458 Italia, and why not add a snowmobile and dogsled tour while you're at it? Just don't forget to pack your thermals.
is there a winter course with a skid pan car near the midlands?


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Frank Kunert - Photographs of Small Worlds
An upright piano shaped like a garbage dumpster. A news kiosk at the bottom of a pool. A subway platform rising above the clouds. These are some of the surreal and witty vignettes imagined by German artist Frank Kunert, who has been photographing his hand-built miniature sets since the 1990s, melding a Wes Anderson–style love of whimsical detail with a mordant, Kafkaesque outlook on the absurdity of modern life.
"I realized how fascinating it is to shrink the world and play with perceptions," Kunert says of his early experiments. "It gives me the freedom to construct scenes that otherwise do not exist in such a way or at times cannot exist at all."
Kunert starts each project by sketching in his notebook. Then he moves to building the actual set, which can take him anywhere from two weeks to two months, working alone. Once he has perfected the model and the lighting, he takes a series of photographs with a large-format, 4 x 5-inch camera. His third photo book, LIFESTYLE, was published earlier this year by Hatje Cantz.
Thanks to Kunert's meticulous craftsmanship, it sometimes takes a few moments for viewers to realize they're looking at a model. Many of the photographs appear to depict a quotidian scene of domestic life—dining room, a nursery—except for the inclusion of a single jarring detail, like a cradle mounted atop a motorcycle. "I play with perceptions, words, and thoughts," Kunert explains. "Often they have to do with human hopes, fears, and problems, and I try to see all this with a certain sense of humor."
Kunert also loves to create dystopian architecture, like a hotel with rooms accessible only by scaling the outer wall, or a tiny apartment squeezed under a freeway overpass. Many of the images, such as the one depicting a steering wheel in front of a living room window, evoke the work of French surrealist Rene Magritte. Like Magritte, Kunert delivers his social satire with a light, playful touch. "The world is crazy and absurd," he says. "In my opinion, humor in art is a good way of dealing with this."
– WIRED, June 2018
Kunert's works walk a fine line between the humorous and the ominous.
– The Guardian, April 03, 2018
Kunert plays with habits of seeing and deceives viewers of his pictures. His photos fascinate with their profound sense of humor and at times subtle tragedy.
– Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 27, 2014
Still others push deeper into the uncanny, so that the building of models becomes a sublimation of violence. Frank Kunert's "Menu à Deux" shows a long table, covered in linen and laid with silver, that bends 90 degrees around a corner, so that two diners can watch two separate televisions and pretend they're alone.
– Will Heinrich; The New York Observer, September 06, 2011
"The building of dioramas for me is a way . . . to control the things that I can't control in the 'real' world. It's always exciting to dive into the small world in my studio," writes Frank Kunert, the creator of a series of adorably absurd tableaux. In one, an adult-sized cradle comes equipped with all the comforts of the home office: telephone, file folders – even sad-looking plants.
– Ariella Budick; Financial Times, June 29, 2011
In Frank Kunert's "Menu à Deux," meanwhile, the V-shaped dining table and perfectly symmetrical place settings imply a (nonexistent) mirror — or perhaps a difficult relationship.
– Karen Rosenberg; The New York Times, June 16, 2011
All told, it is hard for me to consider this book only a book of photography. Despite the fact that it presents a certain approach to photography, and that the end result is photography to me, this project seems to possess first and foremost the characteristics of the visual arts: installation, objects, staging. Kunert's subtlety and his striving for visual anarchy are fun and thought-provoking, and yet his work leaves you with the sneaking suspicion that the scenes he depicts, albeit exaggeratedly, were all inspired by very real sources. And this means that Kunert's satire may just cause your smile to freeze on your lips
– Review of Topsy-Turvy in PHOTONEWS, April 01, 2008
Like many artists, Frank Kunert, who was born in Frankfurt in 1963, makes models based on real life so that he can take pictures of them. In contrast to the more renowned Thomas Demand, however, Kunert refrains from employing the pathos of history with a capital H. Instead, he uncovers the dreams and the fears of our time by finding irony in small things
– Neue Zürcher Zeitung am Sonntag, March 16, 2008
These models have been designed and photographed with love, and you'll only discover their subtle irony after a second take
– ELLE DECORATION , November 01, 2007
He creates a fascinating and absurd everyday world
– WESTFALENPOST, September 15, 2007
Want to have contact with the afterlife? This presents no problem in the amazing world of Frank Kunert. Born in Frankfurt in 1963, this artist fashions tombstones with their very own mail slots for newspapers and mail. And in his other works, also, Kunert enjoys turning reality on its head. But if Photoshop tricks a la Doc Baumann are the first thing that pop into your head, think again. Kunert puts his scenes together with meticulous handiwork, not via computer -- which would make things simply move too fast. His way of working slows things down, and it is exactly this laid-back style that may very well be the secret to his whacky ideas. The more absurd, the better! One example is a slide that ends in the middle of the autobahn, which is popular with families with children. "Parents love their kids, but parents also moan about their kids. And it's when the slide comes into the picture
– PHOTOGRAPHIE, September 01, 2007
Frank Kunert's studio in the Höchst district of Frankfurt is the center of the world for him. Here, this presenter of reality has got drawer upon drawer where he keeps all kinds of packaging materials, things most of us would simply throw away. While standing in the shower one day, for instance, Kunert's eyes fell on a green dental floss dispenser cap -- and he thought to himself that it would make the perfect lamp for the tunnel lighting leading up to the entrance of an imaginary pub called the "Light at the end of the tunnel." In the meantime, this artist has got enough dental floss to last him for years
– Andrea Rook; Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten, May 31, 2007
All attempts made at describing Frank Kunert's work are bound to fail on account of the fact that his often cryptic images, marked by black humor -- such as "Destination restaurant," "Hansel and Gretel are full," "Climate border," and "Adventure pool complex" -- make their rather grumpy humor apparent only after a time of personal contemplation, upon viewing them. Kunert spends months on end working on his miniature worlds, with an obsession for getting the details just right. He then takes photos of his models and provides them with great captions
– Sächsische Zeitung, May 24, 2007
There is a touch of exquisite malice that makes one immediately think of photo montage, but Kunert (born in 1963), in fact builds all of the miniature scenes himself
– Ulrich von Döltzschen; DIE WELT, April 13, 2007
And the impressions that these images leave behind are mind-boggling. When in doubt, a second take never hurts.
– Detlef Sundermann; Frankfurter Rundschau, February 02, 2007
Frankfurt photographer Frank Kunert, too, achieves amazing effects with his miniatures, albeit in an entirely different way. His models are pure fantasy, even if those viewing them might not notice right away, and need a second take. What at first glance looks like the dreariness of city life quickly turns into the simply absurd. There are balconies with no doors, autobahn tunnels that run through apartment houses, and over-sized cooking pots serving as swimming pools. Frank Kunert's consistently creates his work based on models, using deco boards employed for the making of architectural models. "I'm the type of person who comes up with ideas by working with objects I can touch," he says. And it is exactly this kind of concreteness that viewers should become aware of. "On large prints, you can see the stucco on the models, and this makes them look unusual and less perfect than if the images had been created using a computer," he says. Kunert is not interested in hiding the fact that his photos are of miniatures. In fact, just the opposite is true -- and that's why he doesn't make his models too large. "Otherwise everything would look too real. On the big prints it's perfectly fine if the backgrounds are slightly blurred, and you are aware that the photo is of a model." Kunert also says he has no problem if viewers see a brushstroke or two. They have an unsettling effect as far as the proportions are concerned, but the "analogue look" is a part the concept. "The more things get digital, the greater the desire for tangible objects," Kunert declares. "My work is like an island I can retreat to." Kunert, who was just awarded a Silver Medal from the New Yorker Society of Illustrators at the 3rd Biennial Dimensional Salon, explains that the creation of one model takes anywhere from one week and two months to complete. His work will be on display at Museum of American Illustration through December 29
– PAGE, January 01, 2007
A combination of humor, a certain kind of lightheartedness, but also a very real profundity mark the work of Frank Kunert
– Fabian Löhe; MAGAZIN der Frankfurter Rundschau, December 10, 2005
With his models of scenes, Kunert literally builds homes for his ideas. Thoughts and word games are rendered in 3D, which makes them perceptible in the truest sense of the word. His ideas are condensed and made manifest in objects, and this makes his miniatures handcrafted curiosities. With painstaking diligence and a mind-boggling eye for detail, he works on his scenes until everything in them is perfect, and looks just like the real thing. Frank Kunert overrides reality in a subtle and profound way
– Leipziger Volkszeitung, August 19, 2005
Kunert's comedies plumb the depths of life
– WELT KOMPAKT, December 16, 2004
His specialty -- building miniatures and then taking photos of them. The results looks so real, you'll want to dive right in to one of his pools to cool off
– ELLE, August 01, 2004
The paradox will embed itself like a barbed hook in the minds of the viewers, who are wavering between amusement and confusion. Thoughts and ideas will begin to swirl on several levels at once, as they try to put it all together -- the work's visual appearance, the various perspectives presented and the language spoken. All in all a joy!
– Gert Heiland; Neue Wetzlarer Zeitung, July 23, 2004
Perhaps the very mix of charm and humor is the reason that these models are so likeable. This is wonderful work. Truly wonderful.
– Jörg Schneider; plan.F, Frankfurter Rundschau, April 08, 2004
The scenes automatically reveal short tales that function just like the nonsense poetry of Robert Gernhardt -- they put familiar perspectives and stories on their heads.
– Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, April 06, 2004
This man is in no need of a special pair of glasses to come up with ideas for his 3D cartoon figures. His imagination alone is all it takes. Frank Kunert contends with the threadbare vocabulary of concepts used in our time by building, modeling and tinkering around in a simply delightful way. And just like his works, his trade, too, seems to be constantly shifting sides. Is he an architect? A storyteller? Or a photographer? Frank Kunert is all of the above, but most of all, he is a one-of-a-kind equivocator and a player of ideas.
– DAS MAGAZIN, April 01, 2004
Would this have made Hitchcock laugh? Chances are it would! It's hard to resist the whimsical charm of Frank Kunert's photos of plasticine figures.
– Jens Holst; Frankfurter Rundschau, September 27, 2003
The intricate handiwork makes it clear that these works have been made with a love for detail.
– Nadine Mafke; Münchner Merkur, June 06, 2003
In the photo world, Frank Kunert's work is not without controversy. And yet everyone who appreciates this perfectionist's handcrafted curiosities will frankly be tickled pink by his photos of plasticine figures.
– Andrea Späth; PHOTO TECHNIK INTERNATIONAL, May 01, 2003
The amount of imagination put into Frank Kunert's miniature worlds knows no bounds!
– Natascha Kempf; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, March 15, 2003
This world may be small, but the possibilities are great!
– Silke Hohmann; Frankfurter Rundschau, February 15, 2003
Kunert's "Small Worlds" engage their viewers with their subtle humor, and distinctly ironic, yet loving view of life.
– Annette Wollenhaupt; Frankfurter Rundschau, August 15, 2002
Things can get pretty unpleasant in Frank Kunert's world of plasticine. […] Needless to say, this is not you conventional calendar. But people with a penchant for black humor will not be able to wipe the smiles off their faces, for the entire twelve months.
– Hamburger Morgenpost presents their pick of the best calendars of 2002, December 15, 2001
© Frank Kunert - Burdenstraße 6 - D-56154 Boppard - Tel. + 49 (0) 6742-896053
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Director Matthew Vaughn To Become Writer For Mark Millar's 'The Secret Service' And Bring 'Superior' To Screen
Posted October 21st, 2011 by Scott West
Mark Millar's 'The Secret Service' Penned By Matthew Vaughn
Hot on the heels of his first two superhero movie outings with 'Kick-Ass' and 'X-Men: First Class', English film director Matthew Vaughn has announced that he will be taking on the writing duties for 'The Secret Service'. The comic series is a spy-thriller based on characters co-created by Vaunghn and Mark Millar. Vaughn will team with artist Dave Gibbons of 'Watchmen' fame on the title. And like Millar did on 'Kick-Ass', he is offering fans the opportunity to name the villain of 'The Secret Service' by participating in an online auction to benefit St. Bartholomew's Primary School where Millar is an ex-student.
In addition to the comic series, Vaughn's co-creator credit also gives him the film rights to 'The Secret Service'. There is no word as to when, if ever, the series will make it to the screen seeing as it hasn't even made its way to comic shelves yet. I guess it'll be based on fan and critical reception when the comic releases in February 2012.
Millar's 'Superior' A Possible Next Venture For Vaughn
While many Marvel Comics fans would love for Vaughn to head back to the director's chair for a sequel to much praised 'X-Men: First Class', the director has other thoughts. Vaughn still holds the film rights to Millar's 'Superior', a story of a seriously ill young boy who is given the powers of his favorite superhero. Vaughn will not be handling script duties on 'Superior', but merely supervising. While it hasn't been confirmed that 'Superior' is the next film on Vaughn's agenda, it does seem likely as the director did not like working under Marvel's strict eye with 'X-Men: First Class'. 'First Class' was Vaughn's first foray into the realm of big studio filmmaking and word is he would rather stick to something like Millar's work where he is allowed more creative freedom.
What would you like to see from Millar and Vaughn? More mutant goodness? Or one of these other series? Me? I'd like to see 'Superior' make it to the screen and I would hope that Hollywood isn't afraid to let Vaughn take the film adaptation to the more un-politically correct places that the comic goes.
Matthew Vaugh
The Secret Service
WB Developing Image Comics' 'Memoir' For Television
'The Secret Circle: Wake' Episode 106 – Recap
Movie Review: 'The Meg'
In-N-Out: 'Inhumans' Officially Gets Scrubbed From Marvel's Release Schedule
'Disney Infinity' Developers Discussing Marvel & 'Star Wars' For Game
MCU Characters Will Appear In New 'Spider-Man'


Kids who participate in the Sun Valley Center's 2012 summer art camp are introduced to a variety of art media including drawing, painting, sculpture and collage.
There are two sessions, Monday through Friday, July 16-20 from 9 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m. The second is Monday through Friday, July 23-27 from 9 a.m. to noon and 2-5 p.m.
Mornings are for kids 5 and 6, and afternoons for 7-10 olds.
There are scholarships available and an extended day option through the Blaine County Recreation District. For information on this, contact the BCRD at 788-2273.
Also, later in the summer, kids can enjoy free kids crafts at the Sun Valley Center Arts & Crafts Festival Aug. 10-12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children will have the opportunity to get their hands dirty by trying some of the techniques used by the artist in the Festival.
Cost per session is $190 for members and $215 for non-members.


Get vba code & Excel formula to get Column letter from column number, in here.
For example, If you pass '1' to the function in this code, it will return as "A". Similarly "B" for 2, "C" for 3 & so on.
Lets first see the Excel vba code & then its equivalent formula.
Also Read: How to convert Column alphabet Letter to number?
Lets assume the same example as above to understand this. We are going to pass 26 to this function & get column letter 'Z'.
This function can be used inside another Macro code or in Excel worksheet also.
In any Excel sheet, enter "=Convert_Col_Number_To_Letter(26)" . Once you press "Enter" key it will return 26.
To understand this, lets assume we are passing number '26' & convert this into column letter.
Enter this formula in any of the Excel worksheet cell.
In place of 'ColumnNumber' type 26. Press enter in Excel worksheet to get value 'Z'.
ADDRESS function with 4 as thirst parameter returns the absolute address of cell. i.e., Z1.
SUBSTITUTE function replaces 1 with blank. So we get only the column letter.
Stackoverflow – Discussion on How to convert a number to column letter. Read here.
Microsoft Support article explaining the same concept with different logic. Read here.


He promised as president to invest in infrastructure and renewable energy and accused President Bush and Republican rival John McCain of ignoring the crisis until it ballooned out of control.
Participants included Victoria Villalba, the president and owner of Miami's Victoria and Associates Career Services, who charmed the crowd and earned a round of applause when she noted, ''I'm a small business owner and I'm not Joe the Plumber!'' -- a reference to the Ohio man who confronted Obama about his economic plan and has become John McCain's rallying cry to attempt to paint Obama as someone who will raise taxes.
Villalba, who sat next to Obama on stage, said she picks up the entire cost of her employees' healthcare plans and is worried about the rising costs. She showed the crowd several of her employees' statements, including a 61-year-old whose health insurance runs $1,200 a month.
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Graholm and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland noted they represent Rust Belt states that have been hammered by the economy, but Obama took pains to note that Florida — the biggest battleground state he's hoping to wrest from Republicans — has also seen its share of woe. He said the state has the second highest foreclosure rate in the country, ''lost nearly 11,000 jobs in September alone'' and is one of 21 states facing a budget shortfall.
Obama offered some pushback to McCain on his tax stance, saying that McCain had been misrepresenting his plans.
Lines began forming at the college before dawn -- and among those eager for a glimpse of Obama was Jackie Roberts, a Delray Beach Republican who said she woke up at 4:30 a.m. to secure a spot in the gymnasium.
Speakers at the event urged the crowd to vote early. Obama himself will headline an early voting rally Tuesday night at Bicentennial Park in Miami with his wife, Michelle, who started the day at another early vote rally in Pensacola.
The campaign also planned to dispatch New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson -- the only Hispanic governor in the U.S. -- to an early voting rally in Immokalee and a community gathering in Charlotte County.
Obama's campaign announced late Monday that he'll leave the campaign trail Thursday to fly to Hawaii to visit his gravely ill grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, whom he credits with raising him.
He is expected to return to full-time campaigning Saturday, likely in a western state.


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What the Government Can Learn from Netflix
pixinoo/Shutterstock.com
By Sanjeev Pulapaka and Srikanth Devarajan
Customers have moved past the search engine.
At the turn of the 21st century, a search engine was the most valuable tool for finding what you needed on the internet.
Websites such as Netflix, eBay and Amazon grew due to their powerful and persuasive search engines that enabled users to freely mine site content and discover solutions to their wants and needs. However, this simple "find what I'm looking for" capability that was considered so valuable now seems almost antiquated.
A search engine works reactively, only producing results when the user requests something. In contrast, a recommendation engine predicts what user might want and preemptively provides results that aid in a discovery process. A recommendation engine presents relevant content that users did not necessarily search for or of which they might not already be aware.
Recommendation engines are a branch of information retrieval that uses artificial intelligence. These engines provide powerful tools and techniques to analyze volumes of data—especially product information and user information—and are designed to correlate with user profile themes and characteristics and then provide relevant suggestions. In technical terms, a recommendation engine is a mathematical model that can predict how much a user will prefer an item. A key difference from the search engine is that the underlying goal is not to sell more but to learn more about prospects and then offer a great recommendation that becomes a catalytic precursor to insight. In short, recommendation engines are automated "hypothesis recommenders" that identify correlations which might merit real-world exploration. And they can be used in many sorts of virtual interactions beyond a retail sale.
We think it is time for government agencies to embrace the potential of recommendation engines. As an example, consider a competitive grant maker such as the National Science Foundation. NSF conducted more than 240,000 reviews in 2017 of about 50,000 grant application proposals. Every proposal received includes a written abstract. NSF staff managing the proposals often spend considerable time finding suitable reviewers for the application by looking through CV databases, academic credentials, availability and history. But what if NSF's Grants Management System could automatically "recommend" reviewers for grant applications by understanding proposal abstracts and correlating the abstracts to reviewers' background and work history? Such a capability could considerably decrease the time to find, assign and complete the peer review process.
Similarly, consider the Food and Drug Administration's imports processing system. FDA electronically screens foreign-made food, drugs and medical devices before they enter the U.S. There were about 40,000,000 product lines imported into the U.S in 2017. FDA uses PREDICT, a rules engine that forecasts issues in import lines using data from several sources, such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection's IT systems, FDA's own inspection results, and inherent product risks (i.e., spoilage of perishable food or drugs). The rules-based system employs proprietary coding developed by a contractor that supports PREDICT. Changes in that programming to accommodate revisions to regulations can be costly. Instead, an AI-based recommendation engine could predict issues in both new and existing import lines without needing explicit programming or rules definition by reviewing imports and inspection data, historical data for similar products, and compliance data, then recommending import lines most likely to have issues and require inspections.
Another federal activity that could benefit from recommendation engines is the procurement and grant-making function. Government agencies collect and report data on federal procurements and grants through the Federal Procurement Data System and the System for Awards Management. Using past performance and capability statements, plus bids, proposals and grant applications received, a recommendation engine could identify suitable vendors that the agency should invite to compete for a contract or other award. This might dramatically reduce the market research effort needed by acquisition staff.
While there are many benefits to recommendation engines, building a good one poses challenges to all the actors of the system. For example, deep learning algorithms cannot provide a rationale for any particular recommendation. Since government agencies favor transparency, we suggest supplementing deep learning with machine learning techniques that can offer a better rationale for the recommendations. From a government perspective, transparency is essential to seek relevant suggestions from a trusted source for decision making. So, the recommendation engine needs to be built in such a way that it ensures the confidence of its users. From a data perspective, organizations should evaluate their data strategy to ensure that they can systematically organize and access vast amounts of structured and unstructured input and output data.
To conclude, government organizations should explore AI-based recommendation engines by understanding and investing in AI technologies and techniques, and considering their implications, challenges, and constraints. AI capabilities, uses and experience are rapidly evolving, thus agencies may want to identify a trusted partner to help develop the infrastructure and processes needed to explore the potential of AI.
Sanjeev Pulapaka is a solution architect and Srikanth Devarajan is an enterprise architect at REI Systems.
NEXT STORY: How Government Agencies Are Solving Hiring Challenges with Technology


3. Software Version V2.47 with most vehicle coverage.
1. Kess 5.017 arrived. Tested ok on Orlando 1.8 petrol, MU-X 2.5 VGT, Trax 1.4T, Navara 2.5T.
2. I tested a little China kess 5.017 v2.22/3 since 2 weeks...no bad surprise..


There are many things we would like your opinions on!
On this page, you will find a list of current surveys and links to fill them in on-line.
Many of the surveys ask for your name and address. We only ask this so we can follow-up any queries and make sure that a variety of people are getting involved. Other than this, your name will not be attached to any of the answers you give. You do not have to give this information if you do not want to.
Summer Newsletter Survey - Prize Draw! Win prizes of £100, £50 or £25 by telling us how you feel about your local area, opportunities to get involved with Solon and access to the internet!
Involvement Survey - this survey will tell us more about how you would like to be involved and what topics you are interested in.
Saturday Opening Survey - we have had a suggestion that we open every other Saturday morning. Let us know what you think.
Rent Service Standard - this is about the Rent service and what you think we should do as part of that service.
Resident Involvement Service Standard - this is about the Resident Involvement service and what you think we should do as part of that service.


Charter this amazing Catamaran if you wish to sail the waters of Croatia. Sailing a Nauitech Open 46 Fly Catamaran will be an unforgettable experience – with this boat you can enjoy island hopping and discover hidden beauties of the Croatia coast in an intimate setting with friends or family. Nauitech Open 46 Fly Catamaran is 13.79 m meters long, has a 1.45 m meters of draft and a 2 x 50 HP engine. She has room to accommodate 8+2+2 people in her 4+2 cabins and provides 4 toilets. Come and let the fun begin, do not hesitate to hire this Catamaran for a perfect sailing vacation in Croatia!
Charter catamaran Nautitech Open 46 Fly for rent in Croatia and let us catapult you away for an unforgettable charter journey along the Croatia islands from Split, Dubrovnik Zadara, Sibenik, Biograd but soon from all bases in Croatia. Available for catamaran Crewed with our professional crew this all new sailing yacht can be rented for one way charters to and from Dubrovnik to Split as well as other famous islands subject to availability. Send us an Inquiry right now to secure top prime dates avoiding disappointment later or availability risks.


Share the post "Metropolitan Hilarion meets with ambassador of People's Democratic Republic of Korea"
Metropolitan Hilarion reminded his guest that the Russian Orthodox Church brought the seeds of the Orthodox preaching of good news to the Korean peninsula over one hundred years ago. "It is gratifying that an Orthodox church has been built in the capital of North Korea and regular divine services are celebrated in it and delegations of the Metropolis of Vladivostok come to Pyongyang to celebrate together with the clergy of the Pyongyang church".
They also discussed problems of the division of the Korean people and the contribution made by religious communities to the strengthening of peace in the Korean peninsula.


Many people have asked me, "Why did you start Goodbye Crop Top?" I've thought a lot about my "why," and here it is, plain and simple.
I love fashion. Love. Although I had a successful career in advertising, for which I will always be very grateful, I have cursed myself over and over for not going down another path. But I'm here now and I'm fascinated by personal style. I started Goodbye Crop Top because I constantly found myself looking online for inspiration in fashion, beauty, health. I was searching for depth, not quick fixes and gimmicks, and certainly not ways to hide myself or my age. I found myself on thirty-somethings' social media or blogs, deciphering what was right for me in my late forties and what was no longer suitable. Ultimately, I was in search of a place to go where I could find ideas not only for what to wear, but how and why to wear it. I know what I like, but at the same time, growing into the middle years has changed the way I think about clothes, the way I think about life in general. Personally, I want to embrace my age, want to look my age. I don't know necessarily if I want to feel my age, but I have learned it is indeed all about that; a feeling, not a look. If you feel good, if you're taking care of yourself, eating well, nourishing yourself from the inside out, making good choices, and surrounding yourself with people who love and accept you . . . and you love and accept back . . . inevitably you will radiate. And only then are we capable of tapping into our own personal style with confidence.
And what type of woman has captured this personal style that I love so much? A mature woman with guts, who has the courage to wear what she feels most comfortable in versus what society says she should wear. A woman who really expresses herself through color—through meaning—in the items she wears; a woman who dresses intentionally and comfortably. This woman has always captivated me, given me ideas, inspiration, and the determination to do the same.
Why me? I can't tell you how many times I have been asked by friends, co-workers, friends of friends, what to wear or how to wear it. How many women have asked me to re-do their closets, help them repurpose their clothing, help them pack for trips? The answer? A lot. That's when I realized that maybe I have what it takes—I dress with intention, I do have my own style—and I can make this my career. This gave me courage . . . the courage to pursue my dream.
In addition to my love of fashion, I love to write. I do not claim to be a writing genius, but I enjoy it, and I've scribbled many ideas for books, screenplays, poems . . . but nothing's stuck. And when nothing is sticking, I've learned it's because the passion just isn't in that project.
One morning it hit me. I mean it really hit me. Really early. I sat up in my bed at 5 a.m. and I decided it would be pretty damn powerful to combine my two passions and write about fashion. I cut all ties to my respective hobbies, and I put them into action in one place. Immediately, I knew I wanted this to be deeper than just "clothes," more meaningful than just pretty pictures of "things." Although the focus is on style, I want to talk about all of it, from the inside out. I want to address the fact that women look good, perfect, just as they should as they age. I want to scream from the mountaintops that THE MIDDLE YEARS ARE AMAZING! But . . . and this is a big one—you have to take care of yourself. You have to nurture your soul and your mind, and with that comes your own individual style. Your own beautiful YOU.
I'm so excited about Goodbye Crop Top and the opportunity to speak to women about what makes them tick. I'm going to talk to accomplished artists, writers, yoga gurus, skin care professionals, and more . . . all who have style. I'll ask them how they incorporate what they do into their wardrobes. What inspires them. The lineup is pretty fantastic!
Thank you so much for coming on this journey with me. Let's start a movement, ladies! We will laugh, we will go deep on issues we all think about but don't discuss, and we will tackle the issues of self-confidence and awareness. Let's own fifty, sixty, seventy—and let's make it look rad. Start with fulfilling your soul. Start by loving and letting others love you. Shed your skins of insecurity and embrace exactly where you are. Right now.
HANG UP THE CROP TOP ... IN SOMEONE ELSE'S CLOSET, PLEASE.
Copyright © 2017. Goodbye Crop Top. All rights reserved.


Our cottage is located in Dassel, the eastern gate to the nature park Solling - Vogler in the Wesermountains. No room has straight walls, the height of the ceiling varies and nothing is even. The house has character. If you like old houses you will love ours. Feel home in light coloured rooms with open oak woods and old clay walls which create a healthy climate. The house is situated in a quite side street close to the town center with no permanent neighbour. The surroundings offer endless hikes in the forrests of the Solling - Vogler, breath taking mountainbike tours on various single trails near by. Or you visit the historic towns of Einbeck, Göttingen and Bad Karlshafen or the sites of the old fairy tales of the Brother Grimm located less then 40 miles around Dassel.
The Weser Mountains combine slow down from the hectic of daily stress with culture and history. Long walks in endless forrests, mountainbike rides in the Solling-Vogler or exciting family vacation with the kids, the area around our vacation home offers lots of possibilities. We rent out bicycles to explore the closer surroundings, give recommendations on the best tours in the Solling Mountains or offer tips to visit unknown places in the forrest. Historic cities, castles and monatries as well as a high caliber cultural calender will form a memorable visit in the Weser Mountains. You will remember the ethnic scenery with small idyllic villages and the untounched nature. These pages will offer lots of suggestions for your vacation in our house and we publish regularly new tours and articles of the region our our Weser Mountain Blog.
We would be happy to welcome you in our region and our vacation home.
The house is a historic building. Dassel got town rights in the 14th century and built a town wall with seven towers between 1350 and 1400. On th souther side the Baldertower was built of large sandstones. Around 1820 part of the tower was turned down and the house was built on the location inside the townwall. Part of the tower were re-used and in the middle of the house still one wall of the tower exist. A stable was added around 1900 which now contains the kitchen and the bathroom. Under the sandstone floor in the living room we still found part of the old townwall going through the house. The first renovation was finished in 2005. In May 2011 the roof was re-newed and we added a sleeping room in the attic. Today the house combines modern comfort with the style and coziness of an old building.
Since 2017 our house is certified with 4 stars by DTV.


text:
package org.apache.geode.cache.query;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
import static org.junit.Assert.fail;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.List;

import org.junit.After;
import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;

import org.apache.geode.cache.Region;
import org.apache.geode.cache.query.data.Numbers;
import org.apache.geode.cache.query.data.Portfolio;
import org.apache.geode.test.junit.categories.OQLQueryTest;

/**
 * A sample test class using the QueryTestUtils
 *
 *
 */
@Category({OQLQueryTest.class})
public class QueryTestUtilsJUnitTest {

  private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

  QueryTestUtils utils;

  @Before
  public void setUp() throws Exception {

    utils = QueryTestUtils.getInstance();
    utils.createCache(null);
    // create regions
    utils.createReplicateRegion("exampleRegion");
    utils.createReplicateRegion("numericRegion");
    // put entries in the region
    populatePortfolioValuesInRegion("exampleRegion", 10);
    populateNumericValuesInRegion("numericRegion", 10);
  }

  private void populatePortfolioValuesInRegion(String regionName, int size) {
    Region region = utils.getRegion(regionName);
    for (int i = 1; i <= size; i++) {
      region.put("KEY-" + i, new Portfolio(i));
    }
  }

  private void populateOffsetPortfolioValuesInRegion(String regionName, int size) {
    Region region = utils.getRegion(regionName);
    for (int i = 1; i <= size; i++) {
      region.put("KEY-" + i, new Portfolio(i + 1));
    }
  }

  private void populateNumericValuesInRegion(String regionName, int size) {
    Region region = utils.getRegion(regionName);
    for (int i = 1; i <= size; i++) {
      region.put("KEY-" + i, new Numbers(i));
    }
  }

  @Test
  public void testQueries() {
    utils.initializeQueryMap();
    String[] queries = {"1"}; // SELECT * FROM /exampleRegion WHERE status = 'active'
    int results = 0;
    try {
      for (Object result : utils.executeQueries(queries)) {
        if (result instanceof SelectResults) {
          Collection<?> collection = ((SelectResults<?>) result).asList();
          results = collection.size();
          assertEquals(5, results);
          for (Object e : collection) {
            if (e instanceof Portfolio) {
              assertEquals(true, ((Portfolio) e).isActive());
            }
          }
        }
      }
    } catch (Exception e) {
      fail("Query execution failed. : " + e);
    }
    // execute all the queries from the map
    // utils.executeAllQueries();
  }

  @Test
  public void testQueriesWithoutDistinct() throws Exception {
    populateOffsetPortfolioValuesInRegion("exampleRegion", 2);
    String[] queries = {"181"};
    int results = 0;
    for (Object result : utils.executeQueriesWithoutDistinct(queries)) {
      if (result instanceof SelectResults) {
        Collection<?> collection = ((SelectResults<?>) result).asList();
        results = collection.size();
        assertEquals(9, results);
        List expectedIds = new ArrayList(Arrays.asList(10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 3));
        for (Object e : collection) {
          if (e instanceof Portfolio) {
            assertTrue(expectedIds.contains(((Portfolio) e).getID()));
            expectedIds.remove((Integer) ((Portfolio) e).getID());
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }

  @Test
  public void testQueriesWithDistinct() throws Exception {
    String[] queries = {"181"};
    int results = 0;
    int i = 7;
    for (Object result : utils.executeQueriesWithDistinct(queries)) {
      if (result instanceof SelectResults) {
        Collection<?> collection = ((SelectResults<?>) result).asList();
        results = collection.size();
        assertEquals(8, results);
        List expectedIds = new ArrayList(Arrays.asList(10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2));
        for (Object e : collection) {
          if (e instanceof Portfolio) {
            assertTrue(expectedIds.contains(((Portfolio) e).getID()));
            expectedIds.remove((Integer) ((Portfolio) e).getID());
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }

  @After
  public void tearDown() throws Exception {
    utils.closeCache();
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home News Controversial Informer Hotline Launched in Hong Kong
Controversial Informer Hotline Launched in Hong Kong
Alex Glenn
Hong Kong Credit: Internet
THE CONTROVERSIAL informer hotline was launched on Thursday and in a matter of hours received over 1000 tips in Hong Kong.
The Informer Hotline that can be contacted by various means such as WeChat and messages and the information is received by the National Security Police. Tips can even be actual video footage of incidents or photographs, and all informants remain anonymous. However, the Informer Hotline is controversial in nature as it encourages people to spy and inform on friends and neighbours so is somewhat divisive in its nature.
In June, the National security law was introduced in Hong Kong and according to The Guardian "criminalises a wide range of acts on the grounds of subversion, secession, foreign collusion or terrorism." The law came into force shortly after Hong Kong was the scene of large protests for democracy and has been seen to have far further reaching consequences than originally declared.
While the law was originally intended to target only alleged threats to security, in practice the law appears to allow for control of the population on a worrying level. Aljazeera reports that "Rights groups have voiced concerns that the hotline will deliver another blow to free speech as Beijing tightens its control over a city where certain democratic rights and freedoms were guaranteed for at least 50 years under the terms of its return to Chinese rule in 1997."
Thank you for taking the time to read this news article "Controversial Informer Hotline Launched in Hong Kong". For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page.
Euro Weekly News is delighted to continue be able to bring you a range of News from around Spain in English and Global News live as it happens.
Euro Weekly News doesn't cost you anything but your internet connection. Whether it's bringing you the local Spanish news or the International news today, we've got you covered!
Euro Weekly News, the leading free local and national newspaper in Spain, the people's paper, we lead others follow!
Alex Glenn is a reporter for Spain's largest English-speaking newspaper, Euro Weekly News. Formerly she worked in the NHS for 15 years until relocating to Spain in 2018. She loves the Spanish lifestyle, language and culture and spent several years learning Spanish before moving to Spain for a better quality of life. She has made her home in the mountains in Almeria, where she loves being part of a rural community that has a mix of both expats and Spanish residents. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, reading and exploring the area where she lives.


text:
Home>Music> Kanye West's Lawsuit Against EMI Gets Ugly Again
Kanye West's Lawsuit Against EMI Gets Ugly Again
By Alex Zidel
Kanye West and EMI were unable to reach a settlement.
In very rare cases, lawsuits fail to reach a settlement before notice runs out. This is one of those cases. Kanye West has been going up against music publisher EMI in an attempt to escape his contract, which effectively prevents him from ever retiring. Clearly, that's a pretty bad deal because, at the end of the day, Yeezy will likely want to fade away from music to focus on his family and other business ventures. It appeared as though the two sides were nearing a settlement but, unfortunately, time has run out and things are about to get ugly again.
Brad Barket/Getty Images
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kanye West's legal dispute against EMI will continue in court after the music publisher asked a federal judge to reopen the case. West previously argued that, under California law, it is illegal to hold a personal services contract against him for over seven years. Since the lawsuit is open in the state of New York, EMI didn't budge on that. A few months ago, the cases appeared to close when news of a settlement became public but the terms were never agreed upon and things will now go back to court.
"Unfortunately, as of today's date, the parties have been unable to finalize the terms of a settlement agreement, or to finally resolve related issues on which a settlement agreement would be conditioned," writes an EMI representative in a legal document. "As a result, good cause exists, and EMI hereby applies, to reopen the Action."
Do you think West will end up with a win when this is all said and done?
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
Music News Kanye West lawsuit EMI settlement lawsuit settlement
Kyrie Irving's Latest Injury Update Isn't Looking Too Good For Nets Fans
Did Justin Bieber Steal Machine Gun Kelly's Look?
MUSIC Kanye West's Lawsuit Against EMI Gets Ugly Again


Creation Studio Ltd www.creationstudio.co.uk have just been commissioned to remake a childrens TV series and are looking for at least one enthusiastic and keen full time 3D artist to join our team. Knowledge and examples of both modelling and animation in Lightwave is essential.
Please send your CV along with a portfolio to [email protected] We are looking for a full time candidate who will be working at our studio in essex, UK (currently based in Ongar, due to move to Rayleigh near Chelmsford/Southend very soon).
Hours are 9am till 5pm weekdays and salary is related to experience, qualification and skill (skill being the most important of them all). We are looking to hold interviews next week (week commencing 12th March) so deadline for entries is Friday 9th March.


text:
Name the Cranes Competition
Friday July 1, 2016
The Canterbury District Health Board and CPB Contractors are excited to announce a NAME THE CRANES competition.
The competition is open to children who are inpatients at Christchurch Hospital, use outpatient services, or who have a parent/guardian on the staff at the hospital. The 70m (approx.) high cranes are being used in the construction of the new 10-storey Acute Services (ASB) Building.
CPB Contractors was awarded the main build contract for the Acute Services Building at the end of last year.
David Grehan, CPB project director, says the children can let their imaginations soar.
"This is a great opportunity for the children in Christchurch Hospital to get involved in the new development, and make their mark on the Acute Services Building. We need some really strong names for our really strong cranes," David Grehan says.
David Meates, Canterbury DHB chief executive, says naming the cranes will add a personal element to the build.
"Many of these children can look out of their hospital windows and see what is happening on site. They have the chance to come up with a creative name for the cranes, which will be printed and then proudly displayed for the duration of the construction works."
Children are invited to let their imagination go wild and name either one crane, or both if they have a brilliant-double barrelled suggestion. They also need to say why they chose that name.
There is also a colouring-in competition for those who would like to be involved but can't think of a name, and also a draw your own crane option.
As well as seeing the names on the cranes, the winner(s) will also receive a small prize pack.
The competition starts today (July 1) and closes on 28 July, with the announcement of the names made in mid-August.
The 10-storey ASB has a 10,450m2 footprint with an approximate area of the floors of around 62,000 m2. When it is complete, the ASB will feature additional operating theatres, around 400 inpatient beds, purpose-designed spaces for children, an extended radiology department, an expanded intensive care unit, an emergency department, and a rooftop helipad.
The competition is open to all children 16 and under who are inpatients, or frequent outpatient visitors to Christchurch Hospital, or who have a parent/guardian who works at Christchurch Hospital. Only one entry per child per category. The judges' decision will be final.
For competition Terms and Conditions and Entry Forms, please see cdhb.health.nz/itsallhappening
Page last reviewed: 01 July 2016
© Copyright Canterbury District Health Board. Published: Jul 2016 | Last Updates: Jul 2016


text:
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Welcome to the redesigned home of Skye Callahan.
Since August, I've had a full-time job which obviously limits my writing and reading time, but the strange thing is I've been more productive since starting the job than I had been in a long time. Maybe it's because I'm happy, and maybe it's because I'm forced to be more organized. Whatever the reason, I have a lot on my plate. So, here's a quick rundown of where my main projects stand.
I hit a huge snag while working on She-Devil. I hated it! Fortunately since taking some time away from it I finally know how to morph it into what I always wanted it to be and it's nearly done. I hope to have the chance to hit publish by the end of the year.
Unbearable is a short story centering on Fiona and Ryan who you may know from Unbreakable and it will be available through the Just Breathe Anthology, launching October 15th.
If you haven't heard, I'm writing a novel in Anita Gray's world! This is the top project on my to do list right now and the books will start releasing early next year.
Next post Blaire's World is Live!


text:
Posted on Mon, Sep 21st, 2015 Mon, Sep 21st, 2015 by Jason Easley
If Joe Biden Runs He Will Take 15 Points Of Support Away From Hillary Clinton
The chatter surrounding a potential Joe Biden run for the Democratic nomination is growing and a new poll found that a Biden candidacy draws almost all of its support from Hillary Clinton.
Via CNN:
Clinton is backed by 42% of Democratic primary voters nationally, compared to 24% for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 22% for Biden and 1% for former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
That's a marked improvement over an early September CNN/ORC poll that found Clinton leading Sanders, 37% to 27%, with Biden at 20%.
And Biden's support comes almost entirely from Clinton's camp. Without the vice president in the race, Clinton's numbers climb by 15 percentage points, while Sanders' increase by only 4 points — giving Clinton a nearly 2-to-1 lead at 57% to 28%, with O'Malley moving up to 2%.
The good news for Hillary Clinton is that as summer turns to fall, the Republican-driven email scandal is fading away. Her negative media coverage is decreasing, and her poll numbers are moving up again. The bad news for Hillary Clinton is that if Vice President Biden runs for the Democratic nomination, the primary race will get more complicated.
A potential Biden candidacy is also not good news for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The Vice President will immediately threaten Sen. Sanders for number two spot in the race. Bernie Sanders has benefitted from being perceived by the media as former Sec. of State Clinton's strongest challenger. Sanders is already outgunned in terms of fundraising. If his free media dries up, and he falls to third in the contest, he may have a difficult time gaining traction beyond Iowa and New Hampshire.
Clinton has gained five points, and Sanders has lost five points in the last few weeks. For Bernie Sanders to capitalize on a potential three-way Democratic contest, he needs to continue to introduce new voters to the process. If the Democratic primary electorate gets bigger, Sen. Sanders could ride a wave of new voters to the nomination. If the Independent from Vermont is forced to contest the primary among the traditional Democratic base, he could get squeezed out of the race.
No matter what public statements the Clinton campaign makes to the contrary, a run by Vice President Biden hurts her campaign and makes the race more complicated for both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Jason Easley
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
CategoriesFeatured News
12 Replies to "If Joe Biden Runs He Will Take 15 Points Of Support Away From Hillary Clinton"
Mon, Sep 21st, 2015 at 11:55 am
GUEST POST: More voter turnout leads to more progressive policies and 4 other things you need to know about voting
http://www.eclectablog.com/2015/09/guest-post-more-voter-turnout-leads-to-more-progressive-policies-and-4-other-things-you-need-to-know-about-voting.html
Shadowolf says:
Mon, Sep 21st, 2015 at 12:08 pm
VOTE: The Country you save WILL be our own!!!
bobw says:
He will take 15 points away from Hillary and quickly lose them back after his first gaffe.
Robyn Blanpied says:
The election is not a horse race. Stop handicapping, start discussing what future we want. Not which horse you back.
Clinton calls for fixes to ObamaCare
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/244966-clinton-calls-for-fixes-to-obamacare
Rin says:
Mon, Sep 21st, 2015 at 2:52 pm
You misunderstand the poll and your conclusion makes no sense and isn't what anyone is saying.
He doesn't take 15 points from her. She remains where she is with him included.
If he is not mentioned by pollsters as an option she gains 15. If he enters an actual candidacy there is little idea how big a bump he will get or from where. They can only poll on hypotheticals and his 22 percent is what he would approximately start at in the race.
He wouldn't jump 15 more points.
If offered Biden as an alternative some of Hillary's base chose him.
If not offered Biden then approx 75% of his base choses her. They share a base – that is all. Same with Obama – it was the same base.
Your headline is wrong.
Everytime you interpret a poll it is not accurate, it seems.
As for Joe running, seriously, he earned it and is a sitting VP.
That said, I have watched Joe run twice before and everybody knows his weaknesses.
He will certainly be in 2nd place instantly and tightenen the numbers.
The rumors in the past few days are coming from TOTAL unreliable and far right propaganda merchants.
She is playing the long game. Her support is historical and record breaking already.
No candidate has had 440 delegates even when they were at the convention – let alone months before the first vote.
#42 says:
Tick tock the clock is running and it is only 3 weeks to the first Democratic debate.
The Jane formerly known as Jane says:
Run, don't run. Just make up your mind.
Are you afraid to act the way you desire? Will you take the crown you want so badly, or will you live as a coward, always saying "I can't" after you say "I want to"? You're like the poor cat in the old story. [Sparknote's modern language version of MacBeth, Act 1, scene 7.]
gsb says:
I don't believe Biden is the type of politician who would enjoy splitting the vote. Believe he would want to do the best for the country. That includes not splitting the vote so a rethug may grab the White House.] which by the way the thugs would enjoy very much. It's been their aim for years to destroy, then create THEIR view of America. Listen to tnem, You'll find out quickly just what that view is.
AndyfromVA says:
Whether Biden does or does not decide to run, one thing he has proved, beyond doubt, is that he's no coward.
A coward? Really?
True, it was the part of the quote that didn't quite apply. I left it in to avoid possibly losing the overall meaning, ie of wanting something yet holding back from pursuing it.
BTW, MacBeth was not a coward either. That was just his wife's quaint little way of persuading him to act. Probably the Carly Fiorina of her day.
Previous PostPrevious Republicans Love Donald Trump Because He Campaigns Like A WWE Wrestler
Next PostNext How A Joe Biden Campaign Could Help Bernie Sanders Become the Democratic Nominee
Kyle Rittenhouse Went to Court to Ask for the Rifle Used in Wisconsin Killings Back


text:
Some Simple Modifications Actually Make the Mitsubishi Galant Not Terrible
The base Galant might have a reputation for irrelevance, but a few bolt-ons quickly make it interesting.
By Brian Silvestro
The Smoking TireYouTube
The Mitsubishi Galant's reputation among the enthusiast community is limited to the rally-esque VR-4 all-wheel-drive turbocharged model. More at home on track than commuting, it was a blast to drive and easy to make fast. But that was in the early 90s. Since then, the Galant became very Camry-ish, except more boring. Sold with a naturally aspirated motor and front-wheel-drive, it wasn't nearly as exciting as the Galants of old. But with a few mods, you'd be surprised just how fun the base Galant really is.
Daniel, the owner of this Galant, received the car as a hand-me-down from his family, and proceeded to bolt on a few choice modifications to make it fun to wheel around. Coilovers, better brakes, an exhaust, and sticky tires expand the car's capabilities, and make it a joy to throw into corners.
Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire jumped behind the wheel of the Galant and discovered how some simple easy changes can make a big difference in overall enjoyment. Watch for yourself as he tosses it through some canyon roads without a care in the world.


Although they might be a little short on staff, every member of the team is friendly, attentive, and willing to engage with their customers. The breakfast menu consists of all the classics like omelets, pancakes, and waffles.
There are also specialty platters and skillets, such as the Spring House Skillet that's loaded with vegetables, meat, and eggs on top of home fries with some cheese and hollandaise sauce. The skillets come out very hot and are quite filling all on their own. The sauce might have been a little overwhelming, but the flavors all worked well together to make for a filling breakfast.
Most breakfasts do come with a side, like toast or a cinnamon streusel cake. Other sides include grits, pancakes, or home fries so there is plenty of mixing guests can do. Spring House respectfully asks, however, that no substitutions be made.
When it comes to pricing, Spring House has pretty good range, which is generally expected from pancake houses. The most expensive breakfast is $10, and you will pay for coffee and juice (with free refills). A skillet with coffee and orange juice was around $14 before tax and tip.
Spring House opens at 7 a.m. and also has lunch available, which begins at 11 a.m. every day until 2 p.m. when they close. Their lunch menu still has great prices, with the most expensive being around $11. From Wednesday to Saturday, Spring House also opens again at 5 p.m. to serve dinner until 9 p.m.
With new owners that care about the building, its history, and most of all their customers, this 25-year old restaurant is in good hands. Work is continually being done to improve the structure and appearance, all while taking the concerns and critiques of their guests seriously and graciously. Spring House is surely on its way to becoming a breakfast house for all ages.
The sign at Spring House Family Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach. Photo by Emily Smith for The Surge.
Eggs Benedict at Spring House Family Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach. Photo by Emily Smith for The Surge.
A skillet meal at Spring House Family Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach. Photo by Emily Smith for The Surge.


The mansionization battle rustling the leaves of North Barrington Avenue is something new even for Brentwood.
It's a dispute not over a 12,000-square-foot neo-Tudor monster or a towering modernist cube, but over a backyard treehouse for an 18-month-old girl.
This being Brentwood, of course, the edifice at issue is no ordinary treehouse.
When Les Firestein, a television producer, and his wife, Gwyn Lurie, a screenwriter, wanted to do something really special for their daughter, Sydney, they enlisted their friend Roderick Wolgamott Romero.
Romero is a renowned builder of elaborate treehouses for such celebrities as Sting and Donna Karan. His work can be found in the "fantasy gift" section of this year's Neiman Marcus holiday catalog. Beginning price: $50,000.
In the backyard of the Firestein-Lurie home, which sits on a tree-studded half-acre north of Sunset Boulevard, Romero and his buddies built a roughly 10-foot-by-10-foot structure of reclaimed wood, salvaged windows and vintage stained glass from Buenos Aires that would quicken the heart of any fun-loving child or parent. The treehouse includes a viewing deck bordered by a railing crafted from tree branches from the backyard.
In return, Romero asked for a week's worth of lodging and all the Baja Fresh meals he could eat. With his tattooed arms and braided, knee-length hair swept up under a tweed cap, Romero and his pals worked for days, even in the rain.
Richard Fleming, the couple's next-door neighbor and a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, was not amused.
He feared that children could perch in this aerie and look in on him and his wife in their backyard pool and hot tub. He suspected, also, that city codes had been violated.
Enter the city of Los Angeles. As the treehouse neared completion last Thursday, city inspector Thomas Sze arrived on the Firestein-Lurie doorstep, responding, he told them, to an anonymous complaint.
"Oh, that's big," Lurie said he told them after looking at the treehouse and the much larger platform on which it rested. Sze also expressed concern about the structure's safety. On Friday, he delivered a written order that all work be halted.
"We're requiring plans and permits if [they] want to continue," Dave Keim, the city's chief of code enforcement, said in an interview Tuesday. "We'll work with them to try to legalize this.... It's not going to be easy."
The city does not require permits for nonhabitable structures less than 8 feet square, but Keim said the treehouse exceeds that size and therefore requires city permission. Firestein and Lurie can appeal whether a permit is required.
"And where do we go from here? No viewing platforms? No climbing in trees? No swing sets? No children playing? It is, figuratively and literally, a slippery slope."
The slope on which the Firestein-Lurie treehouse sits is dramatic. The steep hillside spills down from the back steps of their house to an expanse of green dotted with a play set, a trampoline inserted directly into the lawn and a picnic table. The rear is lined with towering eucalyptus trees. A moss-covered path zigzags from the main house and deck to the grass.
From down below, one can look back up the hill to the underside of the platform that supports the treehouse. The platform, which by the city's estimation is 20 feet by 30 feet, vaguely resembles a ship, with its "prow" pointing toward the lawn. It is more or less triangular, built around three eucalyptus trees. The platform's beams rest on a system of steel rods that have been inserted into the trees. An arborist assured the homeowners and the builders that the poles would not harm the trees.
The windows of the treehouse face onto the Firestein-Lurie property. The treehouse originally had a rear window that overlooked Fleming's property. After Fleming complained, the builders repositioned it. Firestein and Lurie have also vowed to plant trees and vines to mask the view of the treehouse from Fleming's property.
The couple expressed surprise that the situation has come to this, given their efforts to keep neighbors informed of their intentions -- and given the care they say they've taken to ensure that the treehouse is safe.
Shortly before Firestein and Lurie moved in in August, the couple who sold them their house held a dinner party to introduce them to the neighbors. Fleming and his wife were there. When Firestein and Lurie announced their plan to build a treehouse, Lurie said, one neighbor offered to create a piece of art for it.
Fleming, however, said the treehouse plan "never crossed these ears." If it had, he added, "I would have raised questions immediately."
Dressed in blue scrubs, Fleming stood on his front lawn one recent afternoon and said that "it may turn out to be fine."
After living cheek-by-jowl with neighbors at the beach for several years, he said he values the privacy that this leafy Brentwood neighborhood affords. So does his wife, Margaret Michaels.
The dispute has taken much of the fun out of the treehouse experience for Firestein and Lurie.
They have received encouragement from their neighbor to the south, Craig Butler, a graphic designer.
"I think it's really beautiful," Butler said. "From my vantage point, it is so well integrated, non-obtrusive and very charming. It's like a little clubhouse."
His wife, Alexis, however, noted that in this neighborhood, residents crave total privacy. "Whether it's beautiful or not is not the issue," she said. "If I thought they were looking into our pool, it would be upsetting."


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'Knowledge of land rights critical to sustainable agriculture'
BY: Kester Aburam Korankye
The West Africa Coordinator of TrustAfrica, Rachel Gyabaah, has said it is critical to deepening the understanding of farmers and traditional rulers on the country's land tenure system to help ensure the sustainability of the agricultural sector.
At a workshop attended by traditional rulers and farmers from the cocoa and palm oil industries in Accra, Ms Gyabaah said there were significant knowledge gaps on the various land rights in the country that needed to be addressed.
"From the challenges that have been raised, most of them are capacity and knowledge gaps. We are going to close this one and engage in more sensitisation among the traditional authorities and farmers.
"The bottom line is that we need to have proper recommendations and then at all levels, we will follow through and make sure that this does not become just a talk show but that there are some actions taken," she said.
The workshop, which focused on creating awareness of the new Land Act 2020, Act 1036, was part of activities under the "Reclaim Sustainability" project being implemented by TrustAfrica and Solidaridad West Africa.
Launched in Accra last year, the five-year programme, which the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs funds, is aimed at tackling pressing challenges in the cocoa, palm oil and gold sectors in West Africa to ensure that the interests, voices and rights of farmers, workers and citizens are represented and heard in decision-making for the sustainable use of natural resources, decent work, fair value distribution and sustainable consumption.
Ms Gyabaah explained that data gathered from interactions with farmers and traditional rulers, which were examined at the workshop, called for further engagements to deepen their knowledge on the country's land tenure system.
For instance, she noted that there was a challenge for farmers and traditional leaders to differentiate between the different types of customary lands in Ghana and the type of customary land governance system in force in their area of operation.
She said there was also a limited understanding of the processes in land acquisition, especially of the authorities that could grant access to lands.
The research also indicated that some farmers had not been compensated for crops they lost to the conversion of farmlands to residential plots to accommodate the expansion of settlements while others had lost their farmlands and crops to illegal mining operations without access to redress.
The Executive Director of COLANDEF, a partner organisation implementing the project with TrustAfrica, Nana Ama Yirrah, said deepening the knowledge of lands rights in farming communities would improve the sustainability of supply chains in the country's cocoa and oil palm sectors.
"We have realised that the lack of education and understanding of what the land tenure system is has created a lot of challenges we find in the system and this is true for both farmers and traditional leaders," she said.
She added that "farmers do not understand there are different types of land rights. It is important that the chiefs and the farmers understand and when we do that it will help."


Steve Phelps, the chef and owner of the Sarasota restaurant Indigenous, recently added his name to the Portland Pact for Sustainable Seafood. The Pact was created to highlight the need for fisheries management policies that ensure a steady supply of sustainable domestic seafood. It calls for the conservation of measures in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary law governing fishing in U.S. waters, and asks that fisheries management decisions be science-based, avoid overfishing and ensure the timely recovery of depleted fish stocks.
$$$$ New American 239 S. Links Ave.
Miracles emerge from the minuscule kitchen in the downtown cottage that houses Indigenous.


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The Californian CO2 market is getting new neighbors
By George A. Allen on	 December 27, 2021 Industrial Facilities
Oregon and Washington state are set to enter the west coast carbon market soon after a year of financial players dominating the headlines as they helped drive allowance prices to all-time highs.
New net-zero commitments from companies in the run-up to the Cop 26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, along with soaring EU ETS prices this year prompted financial players to consider the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) market, particularly California which has the largest carbon footprint liquidity scheme in the US.
In California, participants largely expect the market to remain bullish over the long term after interest from speculative investors helped propel prices to record highs in the second half of the year.
California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices rose steadily for much of the year. Argus rated CCAs for December 2021 delivery at $ 18.55 / t on Jan 4th. They exceeded the $ 20 / t mark in June, the $ 30 / t mark in October and reached a high of $ 35 / t on November 15. The price has since declined, but was still below $ 30 / t before the holidays.
However, the market could experience some short-term volatility in the New Year as the Omicron variant spreads. Closures could have an impact on emissions and reduce the demand for allowances.
Oregon recently launched its own version of a cap-and-trade program, a development that could attract more carbon offsetting developers to get into the area. The country's climate protection program is scheduled to start next year and is intended to limit CO2 emissions from the use of natural gas and other fuels, including gasoline and diesel.
Fuel suppliers with products that are responsible for at least 200,000 t of emissions are regulated, as are large stationary sources that emit more than 25,000 t of CO2 equivalent on site.
The program begins with a total emissions cap of more than 28Mt CO2 for 2022. This limit will then be lowered each year until it reaches 3Mt in 2050, a 90 percent reduction based on the average emissions from 2017-19.
Alternatively, offset developers can create so-called Community Climate Investments (CCIs) in communities for environmental justice. Each CCI – which corresponds to a reduction of 1 t CO2 equivalent – will be valued at USD 107 / credit from 2023, with an increase of USD 1 / year. The credits cannot be traded and may only be held for two fulfillment periods.
Companies can use CCIs to cover up to 10 percent of their emissions obligations during the first compliance period, which runs from 2022-24. The limit increases to 15 percent in the second compliance period until 2027 and to 20 percent after 2028.
Oregon is unlikely to join the WCI because its program design does not align with the California and Quebec cap-and-trade programs.
However, Washington State is developing a WCI-modeled program set to start in 2023. The state recently announced that it has joined the WCI in order to use the existing systems to conduct its auctions.
Washington's program includes industrial plants, power plants, natural gas suppliers and other fuel suppliers that emit more than 25,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually, with an initial cap of 66 million reductions in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels and net to zero by 2050.
The Department of Ecology responsible for developing the program recently announced that it would adopt three of California's carbon offsetting protocols, including forestry, urban forestry, and livestock.
By Julia Martinez


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Dexter MI
Dexter's Cole Cabana is excited to be a Wolverine
Lonnie Huhman Reporter
Cole Cabana on signing day with his biggest fans, his family. photo by Lonnie Huhman
Before family, friends and teammates, Dexter's four-star running back Cole Cabana made it official on December 21 and signed his national letter of intent with the University of Michigan.
After a huge senior season with the Dreadnaught football team, Cabana is now looking ahead to competing as a Wolverine. It's a place and team that he said is the right fit for him. He made a verbal commitment to U of M earlier this year.
"Honestly, it just feels like home," Cabana said of the University of Michigan.
Noting he has a great relationship with all of the coaches and after visits to the school just down the road, he said he was ready to make Michigan his pick.
Cabana's time at Dexter High School has been nothing short of historical and memorable.
In his last season, he helped lead the team to a 12-1 record while finishing as the SEC, District and Regional Champs. His individual highlights included 2,434 all-purpose yards, 36 TDs, 1,518 rushing (27 tds) and 472 receiving (6td) as well as 444 return yards (3td).
He's ranked as the sixth best running back in the nation. He's also a two-time All American Sprinter in track and field.
With the signing complete, Cabana was able to look back at the dedication and hard work he's put in to make it to this important point. From the coaches, teammates, friends and others, he said there have always been two people who have supported and helped him along the way.
"Definitely my mom and dad; they were my two biggest supporters" he said.
Looking ahead, Cabana will not be wasting any time. He will be enrolling early and begin practicing with the team as well as traveling with them to Arizona as the #2 ranked Wolverines take on #3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.
"This is an exciting chapter for me," he said.
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OSHA Case Reporting app is designed for individuals to instantly report any violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations right on the spot.
Rochester, NH -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/17/2015 --Rochester, NH Snappii, the leader in custom business mobile app development with the Snappii Mobility Platform, which enables the rapid design, creation and deployment of custom business mobile apps without writing any code, today announces that it has just released its brand new OSHA Case Reporting mobile app for iOS and Android devices.
OSHA Case Reporting app is designed for individuals to instantly report any violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations right on the spot. Users can easily fill in the general form and email it to multiple recipients. All forms are being saved in the app and can be checked at any time. Utilizing mobile forms included in the app users can collect, email and share valuable inspection data, store it locally on device, access and edit it.
OSHA Case Reporting app can be 100% customized. Snappii has flexible form features to exactly match any requirement, collect date, time, locations, images, signatures and other necessary values and store them inside the app. Store the data in the cloud or integrate with existing back end systems. Snappii apps are created in days, not months on a codeless mobile app platform. Snappii already has 80+ live business apps in 28 industries available for download on Apple and Google Play stores and this number keeps growing.
Snappii is a unique mobile solution for businesses that offers both: a platform to create mobile business apps without programming in days, not months, and a wide selection of ready-made industry specific and general apps that can be downloaded from Apple and Google Play store at no cost. Over 20, 000 apps have already been built on Snappii, with customers range from the largest companies to medium and small organizations.


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Pre-midterm fight takes on the bots
Sam Mason
Yesterday, the last of the November midterm votes had been collected, bringing a close to one of the most coarsely polarizing elections in the United States. By now, much of the United States has either seen the results of a predicted "blue wave" or not. In the weeks leading up to this political event, the rhetoric became galvanized in a dual effort to bring out one's own supporters while simultaneously discouraging the other side from even reaching the polls. Twitter recently shut down over 10,000 bot accounts who had been posting tweets that discouraged people from participating in yesterday's vote.
Most of these questionable accounts represented themselves as Democrats. However, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, DCCC, immediately flagged these tweets in a report to Twitter executives. One spokesperson from Twitter stated, "We took action on relevant accounts and activity on Twitter." The DCCC has taken actions intended to prevent the widespread permeation of malicious automated messages on social media. The system that they use is primarily built from available tools such as "Hoaxley" and "Botometer." These systems allow a user to identify automated accounts and properly analyze how they spread disinformation concerning widespread topics.
Additionally, the Democratic National Committee works alongside contractors and partners to swiftly identify campaigns that are entrenched in the spread of misinformation. At the moment, one of these collaborators is a company named RoBhat. After extensive analytics, one official stated, "We can't tell you who's behind these different operations, Twitter hides that from us, but with the technology you know when and how it's happening."
About Sam Mason
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PACAF critical care
Personnel assigned to the 735th Air Mobility Squadron transport a Negative Pressure Conex-Lite from an Alaska Air National Guard 144th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III with a Tunner 60K loader at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21, 2022. The AK ANG transported a patient from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, to Hickam, where the 535th Airlift Squadron aircrew continued the transport to California. Airmen from the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 18th Medical Group provided patient care on the aircraft, while the 15th Medical Group provided an En Route Patient Staging System during the aircraft swap. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)
Airmen ready a Negative Pressure Conex-Lite for an infected patient on a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21, 2022. The NPCL is designed to treat and transport high-consequence infectious disease patients to minimize the risk of contamination and exposure. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)
Personnel with the 15th Medical Group provide medical care for an infected patient with an En Route Patient Staging System during an aircraft swap at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21, 2022. The patient, housed in a Negative Pressure Conex-Lite, was cared for by 15th MDG personnel while waiting for the NPCL to be placed on a Hickam C-17 Globemaster III. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)
Senior Airman Damian Cavazos, 535th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, and Senior Airman Adrian Jarin, 18th Medical Group public health journeyman, guide a Negative Pressure Conex-Lite onto a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21, 2022. This was the first time that the NPCL carrying a patient was transferred between aircraft within the U.S. Pacific Air Forces area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)
Senior Airman Adrian Jarin, 18th Medical Group public health journeyman, assists Staff Sgt. Cameron Schmidt, 18th Medical Support Squadron biomedical equipment technician, with connecting power from the C-17 Globemaster III to a Negative Pressure Conex-Lite at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21, 2022. Jarin ensured contamination protocol was followed to minimize any or all infection while Schmidt ensured the NPCL was operational. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)
Maj. Emmy Greenhill, 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron critical air transport team member, dons personal protective equipment before attending to a patient within a Negative Pressure Conex-Lite at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21, 2022. Members assigned to the 18th AES and 18th Medical Group accompanied the patient from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, to San Diego, California. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)
A critical air transport team from the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 15th Medical Group personnel escort a patient into a Negative Pressure Conex-Lite during an aircraft swap at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21, 2022. This was the first instance within the U.S. Pacific Air Forces area of responsibility that an NCPL was moved from one aircraft to another while carrying a patient. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)
By Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker
15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Personnel assigned to the 735th Air Mobility Squadron transport a Negative Pressure Conex-Lite from an Alaska Air National Guard 144th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III with a Tunner 60K loader at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21, 2022. The AK ANG transported a patient from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, to Hickam, where the 535th Airlift Squadron aircrew continued the transport to California. Airmen from the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 18th Medical Group provided patient care on the aircraft, while the 15th Medical Group provided an En Route Patient Staging System during the aircraft swap. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)


The Fox Point at Redstone Condominiums is in the Kimball Junction area of Park City, Utah.
- Features: Shopping, dining, movie theater, free bus route, walkable, and 850-acres of the protected Swaner Nature Preserve.
- Pet Policy for Fox Point at Redstone: "There are no size restrictions on pets, but owners are limited to one dog. The exception to that rule is if one of the dogs is an emotional support animal and the owner has the proper documentation."


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UPN Picks Up 'Veronica Mars'
UPN is picking up its rookie drama "Veronica Mars" for a second season. The announcement was made Monday by Dawn Ostroff, president of UPN.
The drama stars Kristen Bell as a 17-year-old apprentice private investigator who solves mysteries in the fictional community of Neptune, Calif.
The show, which airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (ET), is executive produced by Joel Silver and Rob Thomas. Mr. Thomas is also the show's creator. "Veronica Mars" is produced by Silver Pictures Television in association with and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Production.
ABC's 'Anatomy' Takes Over on Sundays
AMC Plans to Launch 'Celebrity Charades'