The International Council of Biotechnology Associations advocates for public policies that support the growth and connection of the innovative biotechnology industry worldwide.
i. Ratio of R&D Spending to GDP: This figure shows the percentage of business and government spending that goes to Research and Development (R&D). This is a crucial indicator of the markets potential for future growth in the biotechnology industry as the more spent on R&D increases the potential for the development of innovative products. This data is derived from UNESCO.
ii. Number of Public and Private Biotechnology Companies: This figure represents the number of micro, small, medium and large-sized companies operating in each market. The figure includes companies working in all three biotechnology sectors: Health (Pharmaceutical, Therapeutics and Diagnostics and R&D Services); Food and Agriculture; and Industrial and Environmental.
iii. % of Biotechnology Companies by Sector: This chart depicts the percentage of biotechnology companies in each market broken down by sector (Health, Food and Agriculture, and Industrial and Environmental). For more information, click here.


text:
Q: Policy Gradient: Initialization of Policy Parameter Problem I have some problems with initializing the Policy Parameter Theta for the REINFORCE algorithm from the book:
Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction, 2nd Edition, Chapter 12, Sutton & Barto
Here is the pseudo code for the algorithm:

They say you can initialize Thetas(Policy Parameter) with arbitrary values, e.g. 0. But then I get completely wrong results:

To fix this I had to initialize them in such a way so they correspond to an Epsilon-Greedy policy. This can be achieved by taking into account that using action preferences:
Probability(LEFT)  = e^Theta[1] / (e^Theta[1] + e^Theta[2])
Probability(RIGHT) = e^Theta[2] / (e^Theta[1] + e^Theta[2])

Solving for example the second one(using p=Epsilon / 2) and the fact that Probability(RIGHT)=p and the two probabilities sum to 1:
 Theta[1] = ln(p / (1 - p)) + Theta[2]

So giving Theta[2] any value and using the offset above to calculate Theta[1] produces the results from the book(sorry for reversing alphas on the first picture):

So I have no idea why the initial values should mimic an Epsilon Greedy policy and what's wrong when setting them to 0 as noted in the book.
The other problem is that the order for different alphas when comparing the REINFORCE algorithm are in exactly the opposite order as displayed in Figure 13.1 from the book. It was supposed Alpha=2^-14 to outperform all instead of being the worse.
Any help and clarification will be appreciated?
I have this implemented in Lua here: Lua code
Thank you

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Phobias are a very common type of anxiety disorder. People with phobias have a continuous fear of a specific type of object, place, activity, or situation. Common phobias are a fear of flying, giving public speeches, heights, dogs, or snakes. Confrontation with an object of a phobia causes an immediate extreme state of anxiety and fear.
Adults with phobias realize that their fears are illogical, but are unable to prevent their reactions to the feared trigger. Some adults cope with phobias by avoiding the object of the phobia. For others, phobias and the associated physical symptoms can be debilitating and interfere with their employment and daily life. Therapy and medication can help the symptoms and improve the quality of life for people with phobias.
Exposure to the object of the phobia causes immediate anxiety and discomfort that is out of proportion to the actual threat of the situation. You may experience excessive sweating, a rapid heartbeat, and a rise in blood pressure. You may feel like you are "frozen in your tracks" or have poor physical movement control.
People with phobias may avoid the stimulus that causes a phobic reaction. This may interfere with their jobs, such as a fear of flying in airplanes, or disrupt their social life. Over time, people with phobias may feel cowardly and lose self-esteem.
There are different types of phobias, including specific phobia, social phobia, and agoraphobia. Specific phobias include a fear of certain objects or situations, such as spiders, driving across bridges, elevators, or the sight of blood. People with social phobia fear certain social or social performance situations, such as speaking in front of an audience, attending parties, or dating. Agoraphobia is a fear of being in a place or situation that may be difficult to leave or find help in the event of a panic attack. People with agoraphobia may avoid situations that involve leaving their home.
Many people are able to cope with phobias by avoiding the particular stimulus or situation. However, phobias can be problematic if they limit your daily activities, social life, employment, or quality of life. A psychiatrist can begin to diagnose a phobia after listening to you describe your fears and symptoms and conducting an evaluation or interview. A psychiatrist can also identify co-existing conditions such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and substance abuse.
Treatment for phobias may include therapy, mediation, or both. Systematic desensitization therapy involves working on confronting phobias. Therapy may include real-life exposure to phobias to help reduce fears. Phobia clinics or group therapy may help groups of people overcome fears, such as the fear of flying in airplanes. Additionally, anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications may help reduce the symptoms of phobias.


text:
https://www.thebody.com/article/this-is-exactly-how-hiv-activists-disrupted-congre
This Is Exactly How HIV Activists Disrupted Congress to Save Health Care
Tim Murphy
(Left to right) Jaron Benjamin, Paul Davis and Jennifer Flynn stand with protesters after mass arrests in Washington, D.C. on July 10, 2017
Emily Marie Ahtúnan
Late last month, thousands of Americans with HIV/AIDS -- many of them among the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid or Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans for their health coverage -- saw the news and breathed yet one more major sigh of relief: GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell announced that, lacking the votes needed to win, the Senate would not go forward on its final effort this year to kill the ACA (aka Obamacare) and take a devastating bite out of Medicaid.
As had been the case after a similar moment in July, many hailed GOP senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and John McCain as heroes for withholding their votes, thus dooming GOP efforts to destroy the health programs. But many of the millions nationwide who'd been watching the news in the nail-biting days, weeks and months leading up to that final vote knew who the real heroes were: the masses of people with chronic conditions and their allies who'd flooded the District of Columbia week after week to literally take over the offices of their GOP senators, undergoing arrest as their limp bodies were dragged away by Capitol Police while they shouted, screamed, begged and cajoled their lawmakers not to take away the health coverage keeping them alive.
In July alone, over the course of four daylong actions, 700 people from 39 states flooded into D.C., with 400 of them arrested. On one day alone, 49 Senate offices were occupied. It was among the larger, more sustained displays of civil disobedience the nation had seen in recent years. Footage of the arrests appeared everywhere from CNN to USA Today to Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show. And they were widely credited with keeping a high level of pressure on moderate Republicans to -- in the words that rang out in the halls of the Capitol throughout July -- "Kill the bill, don't kill us!"
Then, just when you thought activists didn't have a drop of fight left in them, they were back in D.C. in late September, massing outside the Senate hearing on the Graham-Cassidy bill, the last attempt to gut Obamacare programs. "Shame! Shame!" they roared as senators went into the hearing.
Remarkably, those multiple waves of D.C. pilgrimages and arrests were largely organized by three veteran AIDS activists: Jaron Benjamin and Paul Davis of Housing Works and Jennifer Flynn of The Center for Popular Democracy. (They received funding for staples such as bus charters, plane tickets, tightly packed hotel rooms and lots of pizza deliveries from their respective organizations, plus individual donors.
I spoke with Flynn and Benjamin about the sleep-deprived, adrenaline-charged madness of pulling together day after day of mass arrests, of their most exultant and despairing moments -- and, most importantly, of why they need you to keep your eyes on the real prize: universal health care.
Tim Murphy: You pulled off something massive. How on earth did just three people do that? How did it start?
Jennifer Flynn: It actually started in January, when we started traveling the country and doing these bird-dogging trainings in different cities, sharing with people our experience of how you hound politicians about health care at every event you possibly can, pinning them down with yes-or-no questions and videoing it. Jaron called it Bird-Dogging Nation. So, we created a network that way. Paul and I did that with presidential candidate Al Gore in 1999, and it led to the U.S. dropping its lawsuits against South Africa for violating American patents to make affordable AIDS drugs.
Murphy: So, you were creating a lot of stink in cities around the country for months before you took it to D.C. this summer.
Flynn: At a town hall in Arkansas, Kati McFarland got into a back-and-forth with Senator Tom Cotton that went pretty viral. The same thing with Marco Rubio in Florida.
Murphy: When did you feel it started to reach critical mass?
Flynn: I'd say the first trip to D.C. right after July 4. We had about $25,000 to pull off each trip, which I'd say proves that if our side actually had enough money to do the work, we'd win more. We were able to fundraise quickly from foundations, individuals and unions because it was this critical national moment. On average, it cost $500 to get each person to D.C., house them, feed them and pay their legal fines.
Jaron Benjamin: I think the first time we really moved the needle was July 10. We got out of jail to find that we owned the whole front page of CNN's website. The 10th was twice as big as the one before, with more than 80 people arrested. By the action on the 17th, it was clear to me that the whole thing was bigger than we could handle with our staff capacity.
Flynn: We developed this system where [Brooklyn activist] Molly Sandley and I would stay up all night for three days before the action, communicating about how many people were coming in and booking hotel rooms and buses. We never wanted to overbook. Then, we'd go to bed and Jaron and Paul would stay up the next two nights of the action.
Benjamin: The day before the actual vote in July, I kept falling asleep on my feet.
Flynn: I started viewing it as training for when shit gets really bad and America turns into Venezuela. And the funny thing is that, even when it was done, I felt like we could have kept going. It made me realize that I'd been thinking too small my whole organizing career.
Murphy: What was a challenge you didn't foresee?
Flynn: Actually, a benefit we didn't foresee was that you never get such incredible clarity in a campaign. It was crystal clear that we were on the verge of losing health care for tens of millions of people and there was no billionaire coming in to save us. Nobody could say to us, "We're on the inside track and you're gonna fuck this up for us." There was nobody on the inside.
Benjamin: There was nobody to say, "Here's what we want you to do instead."
Murphy: But what was the toughest part?
Flynn: It was that, even up to the last minute, despite all these passionate people with great stories about being directly impacted, we thought we were going to lose. I had to make myself be very stone faced because I was thinking, "All these people are going to be dead in three years, especially if their states don't have Medicaid expansion."
Benjamin: I totally agree with that. We thought we were just delaying the inevitable. And I also really missed my daughter, who just turned two. There was a point in March when we went on a short vacation and she was very angry with me for not having been around.
Murphy: Where were you when it was finally voted down around 3 a.m. back in July?
Benjamin: I was on my bike from Brooklyn to be the bus captain for that day's haul of activists into D.C. I glanced at my phone and there are all these texts saying, "Unbelievable!" I sent out a text telling the New Yorkers booked for our bus to go back to bed, but when I got to the bus pickup site, there were five or six there who hadn't heard.
Flynn: I was in a hotel room in D.C. with the TV on. I was so tired that I didn't believe it; I thought I'd misheard. And then people were texting me like, "No, it's done." And I was like, "Wait. Did we just win?" Then, I went down to the celebration on Capitol Hill.
Murphy: What's the long-term plan to work toward universal health care?
Benjamin: It's continuing to train our bird-doggers to call for getting more people covered for less expenses out of their own pockets, with quality at least as good as what congress members get.
Flynn: We have every intention of using people's passion around health care to flip the House of Representatives in 2018. Tea Party activists made every GOP candidate pledge they were going to repeal Obamacare. We're going to make every candidate pledge to get behind universal coverage.
Murphy: How can people nationwide sign on for this?
Flynn: Get 15 of your friends and a room, and we'll fly out and train you.
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
@TimMurphyNYC
Tim Murphy, based in Brooklyn, has been writing about HIV/AIDS for 25 years, for publications and organizations including TheBody, TheBodyPro, POZ, New York Magazine, The Nation, Housing Works, and Lambda Legal.
Tags:News, Personal Stories, Health Coverage

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Fantastic Newly Renovated Home From Top To Bottom! Brand New Kitchen, Baths, Electric Led Fireplace In Living With B/I Shelving. Gourmet Family Size Kitchen With Centre Island And Breakfast Bar, B/I/ Appliances With Walkout To New Deck. Brand New Finished Basement, New Windows Thru Out, New Front Door And Garage Door, Newly Sodded And Landscaped, New Deck And Patio And Gate To The Backyard. New Front Porch, New Siding, To Many Extras To Mention.


text:
6/1/2017 | 6 MINUTE READ
Replacing Hex Chrome for Aerospace Applications
A collaboration develops between NASA and the European Space Agency to test and evaluate coating systems as replacements for hex chrome coatings in aerospace applications.
The U.S. flag is in view on NASA's Orion spacecraft inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo courtesy of NASA.
A solid rocket motor for the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket slated to boost NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, or MMS, is lowered into position inside the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo courtesy of NASA.
Table 1: Alloys and Pretreatments Used in Test Articles
Table 2: NASA and ESA Test Procedures and Evaluation Criteria
Table 3: Results of ASTM B117 Salt Spray Testing, Hours Passed
Kurt Kessel
TEERM NASA Principal Center , ITB Inc. and NASA
NASA maintains a Principal Center for Technology Evaluation for Environmental Risk Mitigation (TEERM) that serves as an integration activity for NASA, helping to improve the agency's ability to adopt new environmental or energy technologies.
TEERM also looks for technologies that benefit the environment and enhance the resilience of NASA's infrastructure. NASA is working in close collaboration with other federal and state authorities to assess and mitigate the risk it faces in terms of threats, vulnerabilities and consequences.
January Issue: Professional Plating and Automotive Coatings
VIDEO: A Look at the 2020 Automotive Finishing Market
One goal of NASA and TEERM is to increase international collaboration, where NASA can benefit from working with international organizations, particularly the European Space Agency (ESA). NASA and ESA face similar challenges and risks, and collaboration with ESA offers many advantages.
Both agencies process flight hardware, maintain ground-based facilities and face increasingly stringent environmental regulations that pose cost, schedule and technical risks to their missions. Collaboration offers the advantage of sharing resources and expertise and avoiding duplication of effort in identifying and evaluating potential solutions. NASA and ESA recently signed an agreement that allows both agencies to work together through an exchange of information and technical data on topics of common interest in the field of space transportation.
TEERM has begun a collaborative effort with ESA evaluating alternatives to hexavalent chromium-containing coatings for aerospace applications. TEERM works closely with the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Corrosion Technology Laboratory (CTL) on this project. Similarly, ESA works with the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) located in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
Hexavalent Chromium in Coatings
Aluminum is the major manufacturing material of structures and components in the space flight arena. The processing and maintenance of this material to reduce degradation and corrosion is of prime importance to NASA and ESA.
Hexavalent chromium (hex chrome or Cr6) is widely used in coating systems for its self-healing and corrosion-resistant properties. Chromated coatings also play a critical role in enhancing the adhesion of the primer coating to the substrate.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that Cr6 compounds are carcinogenic to humans, and the National Toxicology Program 11th Report on Carcinogens classifies Cr6 compounds as known to be human carcinogens. Occupational exposure includes the inhalation of dusts, mists or fumes, and dermal contact with chromium-containing products.
In response to the health risk posed by exposure to Cr6, occupational and environmental regulations in the U.S. and European Union are becoming increasingly stringent. These regulations make the use of coatings containing Cr6 increasingly more expensive, and increase the risk that a coating used in critical applications could become unavailable.
NASA and ESA continue to search for Cr6 alternatives that meet performance requirements in corrosion protection, cost, operability, health and safety, while specifying that performance must be equal to or greater than existing systems.
The overall objective of the collaborative effort between NASA TEERM and ESA is to test and evaluate coating systems (pretreatments, pretreatments with primer, and pretreatments with primer and topcoat) as replacements for Cr6 coatings in aerospace applications. This objective will be accomplished by testing promising coatings identified from previous NASA, ESA, Department of Defense (DOD), and other project experience. Testing is in progress at KSC CTL and at the ESA ESTEC. Preliminary results from the pretreatment testing at KSC are discussed here.
Pretreatment Testing at KSC
Test Articles: Table 1 lists the aluminum alloys selected for testing because of their relatively common use in avionics and aerospace applications and/or their ability to exhibit similar performance to other materials of interest. Two of the alloys, 2024-T8 and 7075-T73, were supplied by ESA. All test panels were procured mill finished without mill markings.
The pretreatments used are shown in Table 1. Two of the pretreatments, Bonderite M-NT 65000 and MAPSIL SILICo (thin), were supplied by ESA. MAPSIL SILICo (thin) is approximately 3 micrometers (µm) to 5 µm thick when applied to a panel.
Testing Approach: Test panels with pretreatment only were evaluated by NASA and ESA under a variety of environmental test conditions. See Table 2 for test methods, evaluation criteria, and the location where testing was conducted. Only results of the salt spray testing conducted at KSC are reported here.
Salt Spray Resistance: This test is used to rapidly evaluate the performance of a coating or coating system and how well it prevents corrosion. Salt spray exposure and corrosion resistance is a requirement of MIL-DTL-5541.
Salt spray resistance testing was performed at the NASA KSC CTL and at ESA ESTEC. Only data from NASA testing is reported here.
Test panels were subjected to a 5 percent NaCl salt spray, pH-adjusted to a range of 6.5 - 7.2, in accordance with ASTMB 117 (Standard Practice for Operating a Salt Spray [Fog] Apparatus). Test panels were inspected for the formation of corrosion every 168 hours.
Test panels were evaluated for pitting and pit count was recorded weekly. Areas within 0.25-inch from edges, identification markings, and holding points during processing or salt spray exposure were excluded. Color loss was not cause for rejection.
See results from salt spray testing in Table 3. In general, pretreatments did not perform well on 2024-T3 and 2024-T8 alloys except for 2024-T3 test panels pretreated with SurTec 650V. Overall, pretreatments performed better on 6061-T6, 7075-T6, and 7075-T73 alloys. SurTec 650V performed the best across the alloys and showed promise in protecting 2024-T3.
The reason for the varied results per alloy is that resistance to corrosion decreases with increasing copper content. Alloy 2024 has a very high copper content (3.8 - 4.9 Wt. percent) making it difficult to protect from corrosion. Alloy 6061 has lower copper content (0.15 - 0.4) and resists corrosion even if no steps are taken to treat or coat the alloy. Another factor that can contribute to variances with pretreatment performance include the quality of the test panels. Test panels that have scratched and marred surfaces may contribute to reduced pretreatment performance.
Parallel testing was performed at ESA with results published in its report, "Evaluation of Alternative Surface Treatments and Coating Systems as Future Replacements for Chromate based Conversation Coatings – Surface Treatments Screening Test Report." In general, NASA and ESA saw similar results for salt spray testing.
NASA and ESA will continue working together to develop hexavalent chrome-free coating systems for spaceflight applications. Next steps include testing of full coating systems; including pretreatments with primers and pretreatments with primers and topcoats. The test plan for continued testing is being finalized and expected to start in the summer of 2016.
Previous screening-level testing of pretreatments with primers was performed and is reported in "NASA and ESA Collaboration on Hexavalent Chrome Alternatives – Pretreatments and Primers Screening Final Test Report." There is also interest in evaluating materials stored in cleanrooms and other long term storage facilities.
Kurt Kessel is with ITB Inc., and works at the NASA Principal Center for Technology Evaluation for Environmental Risk Mitigation at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He can be reached at kurt.r.kessel@nasa.gov. The author thanks Thomas Rohr with ESA ESTEC, Fatema Janjali for coordination and testing support at ESA ESTEC, Jerry Curran for coordination and oversight of the KSC Corrosion Technology Laboratory and the KSC Beachside Atmospheric Test, and Teddy Back for test panel preparation and coating application at KSC.
Originally published in the June 2017 issue.
An overview of decorative and hard chromium electroplating processes.
Coating Thickness Measurement: The Fundamentals
A review of available test methods, common applications and innovative instrumentation...
VIDEO: Finishing News for Week of Sept. 25
See the Latest Issue of Products Finishing Magazine


text:
<?php

namespace Gobline\Filter\Sanitizer;

/**
 * @author Mathieu Decaffmeyer <mdecaffmeyer@gmail.com>
 */
class StripTags implements SanitizerInterface
{
    private $allowedTags;

    /**
     * @param string $allowedTags
     */
    public function __construct($allowedTags = '')
    {
        $this->allowedTags = (string) $allowedTags;
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritdoc}
     */
    public function sanitize($value)
    {
        if (!is_scalar($value)) {
            throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Unexpected type: '.gettype($value));
        }

        return strip_tags($value, $this->allowedTags);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Last year, Samsung's Exynos 7420 showcased what the company's leading 14nm FinFET chip manufacturing process could achieve in the high-end mobile space. This year, Samsung has announced a new 14nm processor destined for the mid-range smartphone market.
Known as the Exynos 7 Octa 7870, Samsung's latest processor features eight low power Cortex-A53 CPU cores each with a maximum clock speed of 1.6GHz. The naming convention may be a little illogical, as the 7870 isn't targeting the same peak performance as the 7420 found in last year's Galaxy S6 smartphones. Instead, Samsung is looking to provide an energy efficient chip for the mid-range market. The company's latest high-end processor is the recently announced Exynos 8 Octa 8890.
The main benefits of moving to 14nm manufacturing are improved performance and power efficiency, both attributes that are highly sought after in the mobile space. Samsung states that its 7870 consumes roughly 30 percent less power than other mobile's SoCs based on 28nm High-k Metal Gate process technologies.
Of course, SoCs aren't just about CPU cores these days. Samsung is also cramming the chip with support for high-end modem, display and camera components. The Exynos 7870 is equipped with a Category 6 LTE modem with 2 band carrier aggregation and speeds which theoretically peak at 300Mbps download. The chip supports 1080p 60fps video playback on displays up to a resolution of 1920×1200, and there is an image signal processor with support for 16 megapixel front and rear cameras or dual 8 megapixel cameras.
The Exynos 7870 will enter production within the next few months and could appear in mid-range smartphones in the second half of 2016.


text:
Q: What happens with the old content when I use ajax and jquery's $.get() to render new content? I have a dashboard feature on my website where I'm using ajax and jquery to render partial content. That is I have a sidebar and when the user clicks one of the items the content of the page changes but not the sidebar, navbar, footer and you get the point.
But what happens to the content thats not displayed anymore? Is it still there in the background slowing down my page? Should I avoid alternating between large amounts of content in this manner?

A: It depends on the implementation. Let's take a simple example:

$(function () {
  $("aside nav a").click(function (e) {
    e.preventDefault();
    $("#content").load($(this).attr("href"));
  });
});

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4

Link 5

The above code, scraps everything inside the #content div and loads fresh content from AJAX. The old content is not there anywhere in the page. Most of the implementations are similar to this.


We cover the whole state of Oklahoma including the Heavener area and can help you with and answer your questions about Generac Backup Generator for residential and commercial use. Service, repair and installation - we do it all!
Generators are incredible devices that enable you to continue on with your life when everyone else is waiting on the power to come back on. This is especially true if you reside in our storm-prone state. Electrical power can be out for days or weeks due to the damages caused by one of these disasters. Having a supplementary source of electrical power supplies assurance, safety and security, comfort, and convenience for your family in the house or your staff members and clients at the office.
We suggest getting in touch with us directly for the best option for your question concerning Generac Backup Generator. Our service area in Oklahoma is quite large and we have installed and serviced generators from one end of the state to the other - even Heavener!
When you phone us, you will also be routed to our support staff that know about your model type and can provide you with the technical specifications or information that you require to keep your device running in tip top condition. From wiring to batteries to oil changes, you can be certain that when you call us, you will find the most up-to-date details and assistance offered anywhere.
If you are considering buying a brand-new standby generator and getting it installed at your home or business building, there are excellent reasons why you should buy the generator from a licensed Generac dealership like us and not a big box store.
First of all, a regional dealership will certainly be around to help you with maintenance after the sale. On the other hand, you never know who you will speak with when you call a retailer and locating the exact same contractor could be challenging.
Secondly, dealers are aware of the current specials and price cut programs offered. Also important, doing business with a neighborhood Generac dealer means that you won't experience any type of service warranty problems that could occur if a non-authorized installer is employed to install your generator.
Call us today for help with your Generac Backup Generator questions in Heavener, OK.


At Christmas last year, we received a present we didn't want: a problem. Within a few hours, a dirty, orange construction vehicle had invaded our yard, scooped down and churned up a large area of sod. What a mess.


Whether your words or theirs, we'll be in your corner.
If you think you may have to take someone to court, let's discuss it. Ideally sooner rather than later. If we act quickly, we can explore other ways of resolving the dispute.
But, of course, if legal action is required, you couldn't ask for better counsel than that provided by our disputes team.
We cover Sheriff Court hearings and appeals, mediation, judicial review, commercial actions and Court of Session actions and appeals.
And if you're the one being taken to court? Admittedly, it's a daunting prospect for anyone to face. But with our experience and guidance backing you up, you can rest assured that your rights will be rigorously protected and your assets defended.
The service was excellent. Gordon Milligan was first class.


When it comes to bringing you the latest and greatest Melbourne happenings, there are some incredible things out there. But we've never before discovered a hidden bar that quite literally locks you in, and hides the key. Meet Trapt: the latest bar experience in a secret Melbourne basement with pizza, cocktails and puzzles galore.
You might be wondering why anyone would want to spend an evening locked in a room, trying to work their way out via a series of puzzles, soundtracked to a bevvy of drinks and good times. In a nutshell, Trapt combines a fantastic cocktail bar in a show-stopping venue, with four different puzzle rooms that immerse you in four totally different worlds—from horror to gore to fantasy themes. The only catch is that, with 45 minutes on the clock, you and your mates have to figure your way out of the room before you can order your next round. Hey, it certainly makes a change from the usual Wednesday evening catch-up or Sunday session!
For starters, walking into Trapt's incredible CBD venue is like discovering a forgotten movie set: filled with leather Chesterfield couches, bare brickwork, and mind-blowingly good cocktails containing everything from butter vodka to Taiwanese whisky, the venue itself is worth visiting for drinks and freshly baked pizza (supplied by the guys at Crust, conveniently located upstairs).
But if you're looking for the true Trapt experience, it's ALL about the games rooms. Each room—the fantasy-themed Alice In Wonderland, the zombie invasion inspired Biohazard, the creeped-out church-esque Transylvania and the behind-bars Prisonbreak—is packed full of clues, hidden everywhere and anywhere. You get 45 minutes to solve all of the puzzles in the room and unlock the final door, with groups as small as two and as large as six being recommended. A word of advice: Choose your mates wisely before you invite them to this one.
Luckily, each Trapt room comes with a difficulty rating: If you're a go-getter, Wonderland comes in with an impossible 11/10 rating, whereas Prisonbreak gets a far more manageable 7/10. Of course, when The Urban List team went to check it out, we opted for Wonderland. Go hard or go home, right?
We'll be honest, it's tough. But because it's tough, it's a hell of a lot of fun. There were pretty much no instructions when we entered the room and, asides from a walkie-talkie, we were entirely cut off from the real world. We literally felt like we had stepped into a different world, Mad Hatter's tea party and all.
What Happens If You Never Figure it Out?!
After crawling through a ball pit, playing a game of chess, solving a card game puzzle and shouting "Hurry uuuuppppp!" at each other waaaaay more than would normally be appropriate, yes, we did. Back out to a world of mouth-watering cocktails, hurrah!
Seriously, the aftermath—ie. sitting in the bar with a couple of drool-worth drinks, slice of pizza in hand, gossiping over who figured out which clue first and which team member we should've left in there—is one of the greatest parts of the Trapt experience. It's definitely not like any night out we've ever had, and as you can imagine, we've tried just about everything that Melbourne has to offer.
Keen to try your own Trapt experience? The CBD venue is open seven days a week, and takes booking from 2pm Mondays – Wednesdays, from 12pm Thursdays and Fridays, and from 10am at the weekends, making it the ideal mid-week pick-me-up our pre-dinner activity.
Editor's note: This article is proudly sponsored by Trapt and endorsed by The Urban List. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make The Urban List possible. Click here for more information on our editorial policy.


text:
Mixes/Radio
Home / Vinyl / Soul / Henry Turner's Crystal Band – Music (Limited 12″ Test Press, 1 per person)
Henry Turner's Crystal Band – Music (Limited 12″ Test Press, 1 per person)
SKU: KALITA 12012TP Categories: Disco/Boogie, Soul, Test Press, Uncategorised, Vinyl
**EXTREMELY LIMITED 12″ TEST PRESSING** **MAX ONE PER PERSON**
Kalita are happy to announce the first ever 12" reissue of Henry Turner Jr.'s hugely sought-after 1980 disco single, 'Music', backed by the first ever re-release of his 1984 boogie single 'Forever Us'. So elusive and in-demand, the former routinely commands four-figure sums on the rare occasion that a copy surfaces for collectors and DJs to scramble over. The latter is equally as great, commanding three-figure sums and demonstrating clearly America's development by the mid-1980s away from disco and towards the boogie craze. In addition, here Kalita accompany the release with a never-before-seen press photo of Henry's band Crystal and interview-based liner notes.
Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Crystal band consisted of Henry on guitar with local musicians Ranches Hall on keyboards and vocals and Ricky Broomfield on drums. By the tail end of the 1970s, Crystal had settled themselves into the local music scene, and performed at many nearby venues including The Golden Palace, Derringers', The J Club, and for numerous fraternities and sororities of nearby universities.
Forever Us
By 1980, the band were ready to record their first single, 'Music', in the hope that it would be a radio hit. As Henry explains, "we were driven performers and 'Music' was the perfect tool to get us radio play". They decided to pay to lay down and press their music at Soundsmith Recording Studio, which had the ability to not only record but to also manufacture and release their music on the studio's own eponymously- named label. Only five hundred copies of the record were pressed, distributed by the band themselves, meaning that today, copies almost never turn up for sale. A fantastic disco track, upon release the band deservedly succeeded in their original aim, and it was a radio hit in Baton Rouge.
Within four years of 'Music's' release, Ranches Hall had left the band, reducing it to two core members – Henry and Ricky. However, still eager for success, the now-slimmed down Crystal band recorded 'Forever Us' over a couple of days as a follow-up single to 'Music', laying down their instruments at the local Sound Trax Studio, produced by Henry himself. In contrast to the number of additional session musicians that had performed on their first record, here only Henry and Ricky contributed, playing all the instruments and providing the vocals themselves. On release, the record received notable success, not only in the US but also across the pond on the UK scene.
Since then, Henry has continued to release both his and other musicians' music on his own Hit City label, as well as developing his musical style and cementing himself in at the core of the Baton Rouge music scene.
We hope that this timely re-release helps to make such great pieces of music accessible and affordable to all once more.
Momo Joseph – Love Africa Soul
Kallaloo – Star Child
Okyerema Asante – Sabi (Get Down)
Nana Tuffour – Sikyi Medley
Subscribe to the Kalita Records mailing list!
Wilson Boateng - Asew Watchman £11.99
Desmond Chambers - Haly Gully B/W The Morning Show £11.99
Kalita Classic Tee (Black/White/Colour Options Available) £18.75
Al-Dos Band - Doing Our Thing With Pride £20.99
Kalita Slipmat (Single/Pair) £10.00 – £16.00
Mpharanyana & The Peddlers - Disco £11.99
Michael Paul - Reggae Music £11.99
Muchos Plus - Nassau's Discos £11.99
Marcy Luarks & Classic Touch - Electric Murder £17.99
Jeannette N'Diaye - Makom Ma Bobe £11.99
Cross Island - East of the Apple £11.99
Vance and Suzzanne - I Can't Get Along Without You £11.99
Stirling March - Under Cover Lover £11.99
Emerson - If You Need Me, Call Me £17.99
Sign-up now - don't miss our latest releases!


DENVER, CO | 19,000 SF industrial space with 20 private offices and over 200 flexible co-working memberships for small construction companies and design firms.
This collaborative environment provides a place where contractors can organically grow and support one another.
The building was constructed out of pre-fabricated and pre-engineered building systems and components, including metal building and shipping containers which provided the form.
Polygal paneling is directly attached to studs for the interior office walls, allowing light to filter through the offices into the bullpen interior space.
Off-the-shelf and economical materials were chosen for use throughout the interior based on the same principle of multi-use, while creating an overall aesthetic that is congruent with the industry the materials are serving.


My PhD will research the modes of communication during jazz improvisation and the dynamic between pre-determined factors and the process of music making. My studies are practice-based around three case studies that vary the degree of pre-determined factors and feature differing groups of musicians each time. They will be recorded live and will document the progression of my observations.


Thanks to widespread vaccination, diseases like these that once killed thousands of Americans each year have become so rare in the U.S. that most younger doctors have never seen a case in-person.
But that could change if enough people stop vaccinating, according to many of the doctors, ethicists and public health officials FRONTLINE spoke with in The Vaccine War — a newly updated version of our 2010 documentary that airs Tuesday, March 24 on PBS stations and online.
That's why Portland, Oregon-based pediatric intensivist Dr. Cynthia Cristofani has made it her mission to document the rare cases of vaccine-preventable illness that she's come across over the years — and to use the footage to teach other medics how to recognize these diseases and educate parents on what they entail.
That presents a challenge for physicians: A study published this month in the journal Pediatrics found that most doctors say yes to parents who request to delay their children's vaccinations.
For more of Dr. Cristofani's insights and rare footage, watch The Vaccine War Tuesday night on PBS. Against the backdrop of an ongoing measles outbreak that has been linked back to Disneyland, the documentary is a powerful look at why there is still fear about vaccines despite established scientific consensus that there is no link between vaccines and disorders like autism.
Find out when The Vaccine War airs on your local PBS station.


Here's a series of 12 bar, Cmin bebop blues video lessons by Rich Severson. Minor blues is a favorite among bebop musicians. The three 12 bar solos that are played over minor blues are demanding. The four comping versions, each increasing in difficulty, uses chord substitutions and back cycling. Also the head of a simple little tune of Rich's called Minor Imposition. Mp3 practice tracks are also available for practicing both comping and soloing. Each lesson includes printable PDF files in tab and notation.
BEBOP SOLOS & COMPING IN F.
John Coltrane's 3 Cminor Solos on Mr. P.C.


text:
Ernst Peter Wilhelm Troeltsch (17. února 1865 Haunstetten – 1. února 1923 Berlín) byl německý protestantský teolog a sociolog náboženství, svým působením zasáhl i do religionistiky. Byl představitelem německé liberální teologie a tzv. nábožensko-historické školy (Religionsgeschichtliche Schule).

Život
Narodil se v Haunstettenu. Vystudoval teologii a dějiny náboženství v Göttingenu, Erlangenu a Berlíně. Po ukončení studií začíná působit nejdříve krátce v Göttingenu a Bonnu, načež až do roku 1915 působil v Heidelbergu. Poté působil v pozici profesora teologie na univerzitě v Berlíně.

Dílo
Troeltsch vychází z prostředí liberální teologie. Podle Troeltsche je náboženství něco, co nelze vyvodit z jiného pojmu a je těsně spjato s lidskou kulturou.
Křesťanství sice hodnotí kladněji než ostatní náboženství, ale podle Troeltsche křesťanství pořád zůstává "pouze" náboženstvím. Je každého osobní věc, které náboženství si zvolí.

Byl jedním z čelných představitelů tzv. Religionsgeschichtliche Schule (Škola dějin náboženství). Tato skupina vznikla v Německu na konci 19. století a měla velký význam ve formování studia náboženství. Snažila se mimo jiné o prokázání ovlivnění textů Starého a Nového zákona jinými starověkými náboženstvími.

Dalším významný okruhem, do kterého Troeltsch zasáhl, je sociologie náboženství. Ve své knize Die Soziallehren der christlichen Kirchen und Gruppen z roku 1912 se snaží rozebrat sociální učení církví a náboženských skupin. Podle Troeltsche náboženská skupina vznikne kolem charismatické osoby. Jakmile se počet osob ve skupině zvyšuje, nastává problém organizace a předávání autentického učení svého vůdce. Proto se jeho myšlenky začínají zaznamenávat a vznikají tak náboženské spisy. V další fázi vznikají instituce, které se ve snaze udržet si své sociální postavení ve společnosti přizpůsobují okolnímu světu.

Bibliografie
Vernunft und Offenbarung bei J. Gerhard und Melanchthon, 1891
Die Absolutheit des Christentums und die Religionsgeschichte, 1902
Das Historische in Kants Religionsphilosophie, 1904
Die Bedeutung der Geschichtlichkeit Jesu für den Glauben, 1911
Augustin, die christliche Antike und das Mittelalter, 1915
Psychologie und Erkenntnistheorie in der Religionswissenschaft, 1922
Gesammelte Schriften I-IV, 1912-1925

česky
Z dějin evropského ducha, 1934

Odkazy

Literatura
 Heller, Jan; Mrázek, Milan: Nástin religionistiky, Praha: Kalich 2004.
 Horyna, Břetislav: Úvod do religionistiky Praha: OIKÚMENÉ, 1994.
 Horyna, Břetislav; Pavlincová, Helena: Dějiny religionistiky Olomouc: Olomouc, 2001.
 Waardenburg, Jacques: Bohové zblízka: Systematický úvod do religionistiky, Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1997.

Související články
Religionistika
Teologie

Externí odkazy

Němečtí teologové
Pohřbení na Hřbitově invalidů
Narození v roce 1865
Narození 17. února
Úmrtí v roce 1923
Úmrtí 1. února
Muži
Vyučující na Humboldtově univerzitě
Vyučující na Univerzitě Heidelberg
Vyučující na Univerzitě v Bonnu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
VIDEO: North Dakota lawmakers discuss importance of Keystone XL after President stopped it
by Amanda Rooker | Feb 9, 2021 | Environment, Topics
WASHINGTON – During his first day in office, President Joe Biden put a stop to the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline. At the Capitol, several North Dakota lawmakers say a presidential permit is not required and introduced legislation in the House and the Senate last Tuesday to build the pipeline.
If constructed, the pipeline would transport 830,000 barrels of oil from Canada's boreal forest all the way to Texas. However, environmental and public safety concerns have made the pipeline the center of controversy since former President Barack Obama stopped its construction in 2015. The Trump Administration reversed that decision in 2017, but President Biden has halted it once again.
Congressman Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota introduced a House bill Tuesday that would authorize continued construction, pushing back on criticism over the pipeline's safety.
"The permit was lawfully issued. The Keystone XL pipeline has gone through numerous state lawsuits. It has been permitted from every federal alphabet soup agency and then with a stroke of a pen, all of that work gets undone. And that's just not the way that's not the way this country can work. Nor should it," Armstrong said.


Ashland City Times featured the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail on its 20 year anniversary.
Randy Moomaw of the Ashland City Times recapped the twenty year history detailing the opening by Governor, Don Sundquist, the inception of the Rails-to-Trails projects in Tennessee, and the trail's expansion under Mayor Mary Grey Jenkins.
The Friends of the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail are proud to featured by the Ashland City Times and are glad the trail remains popular with Cheatham County residents and all Middle Tennesseans.
We would like to thank all of our sponsors and volunteers for their on going support of the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail.


text:
In Culture, Politics, Social Issues, Trending June 19, 2021 196 Views
Samiya Usmani
"Breaking your silence is the first step towards a long journey of striving for equality and social justice."
Following the recent killings of Oluwatoyin Salau, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, there has been an upsurge in activism as many non-black people are confronting the realities of racism that have been ignored for centuries. The multidimensional nature of activism becomes prevalent, especially amidst a global pandemic. These outlets include social media visibility, physical protests, spreading awareness through difficult conversations, signing petitions, donating, fundraising, and contacting legislators and politicians. Whilst there are protestors on the street, others who are unable to join them are supporting the movement through authentic allyship. However, it may be easy to slip into performative activism – a form of activism that is done to increase one's social capital over a genuine devotion to a particular cause also referred to as 'slacktivism'. But these modalities are not enough, it reduces the entire movement to displays of perfunctory advocacy hidden under the veil of pseudo-solidarity.
What becomes dubious is the fact that this newfound activism inundating all social media platforms seems to be sudden; spreading across like wildfire through the echo chambers of 'reposts' and 'retweets'. Whilst this has been a relatively recent development in contemporary times, these injustices and systemic inequalities maintained through social structures have existed for centuries. Even so, many people have chosen to stay silent before the latest killings and instances of police brutality. Why has it taken a social media trend for people to finally speak up against decades of oppression faced by black people? Why have people woken up only now?
Social media has been used as a tool for advocacy and to disseminate important information about protests and educational resources. However, it can often act as a protective shield – enough to create the perception of being "woke", but also act as a scapegoat to bypass accountability for concrete actions. For instance, the #BlackoutTuesday black box highlights the optical and illusory nature of such activism. The original intention was to put a pause on the music industry specifically, but this gesture swiftly became a trend and overshadowed vital information being shared with the #BLM hashtag. This resulted in #BlackoutTuesday having 28 million posts on Instagram whilst #BLM stunted on 21 million posts and petitions being nowhere near such numbers in 2020. Thus, a key aspect of social media behavior that has been influenced by consumerism is the lack of curiosity – we are no longer seeking information or context. In this sense, the performative is a fundamental characteristic of how social media platforms operate- people select the content that contributes to the perceptions of the way they want to present themselves. However, posting about the recent killings is not enough – to be a productive ally requires substantial education on issues that surround white fragility and privilege, the colonial past, and how one can contribute. We need to make sure that the movement is not capitalized upon in the form of being 'trendy'.
The pandemic has highlighted how oblivious and opportunistic celebrities can be. Despite having big platforms which can influence millions of people, it seems as if many of them have not grasped the gravity of the issue and are only committed to doing the bare minimum. Words of solidarity seem extremely embarrassing and ironic coming from celebrities that have thrived on black aesthetics and cultural appropriation to further their own careers. This is not activism. It is an approach chosen by celebrities that conveniences them. It is a hollow gesture at its worst and virtue signaling at its best. This approach devalues the entire movement and inevitably underscores why things have reached a breaking point.
This urgency of showing (fake) solidarity towards #BLM on social media seems to have emerged only now – six years later since the Black Lives Matter movement began. For instance, Amazon has faced many criticisms for the unethical treatment of its employees in recent years but issuing a statement for BLM is almost an insult to the movement. Similarly, L'Oréal's tweet on standing in solidarity with the Black Community is juxtaposed by the lack of representation of Black models such as Munroe Bergdorf who was dropped during a campaign. These antics amount to corporate gaslighting, where companies have co-opted the movement to their agendas of appearing to be politically 'woke'.
Celebrities and corporations were quick to jump on this trend with varying responses ranging from wanting to dismantle white supremacy to using a more indirect and non-confrontational approach. All this was enacted against a backdrop of hypocrisy, with many celebrities sustaining their existence upon racial oppression through the likes of promoting skin tone enhancing creams and fast fashion that oppressed minorities. Examples include Kendell Jenner photoshopping herself against a damaged property as if she was in a protest and Priyanka Chopra displaying solidarity on her social media whilst notoriously being known for campaigning for skin-lightening creams.
Many activists have called out such performative activism as being unsustainable and ineffective for the broader movement. Decolonizing our society, questioning our biases, and acknowledging our privilege is a continuous process of making our society anti-racist. We need to do more than addressing an issue and actively seek solutions to those problems. Taking activism further requires unlearning what we have learned about racism rooted in the colonial past. It takes a conscious effort to understand social structures from a postcolonial lens. Racial oppression of 400 years cannot be wiped away in a single day; it requires moving beyond the black box and keeping up the movement after protests have been quelled. This could potentially be manifested in the form of supporting black businesses, donating to black charities and organizations, and most importantly, voting.
Simply doing nothing does not do anything either. In a society that is taught to perpetuate a culture based on individualism, we are often told to resist a group mentality. However, whilst this apprehension is justified, at least something is better than nothing. I urge you to involve yourself in the movement, even if you feel that you may come across as unoriginal for reiterating something that has already been said. Sharing something is more valuable than staying mute. Breaking your silence is the first step towards a long journey of striving for equality and social justice. There is no excuse to not engage.
Samiya Usmani is a Sociology and Social Policy undergraduate student at the University of Bath. Born and raised in New Delhi, Samiya migrated to the UK in 2017, achieving academic success at A level before progressing to university. Having moved around the globe, Samiya understands the importance of multiculturalism. With a keen passion for social research work, Samiya has hopes of influencing policymaking after she graduates – possibly within the civil service sector. Her curiosity for understanding the world in which she lives in is what drives her love for academia. Her research interests include human rights, race relations, social activism and political participation. In her free time, Samiya enjoys listening to podcasts, reading books, and playing the ukulele.
BREXIT on British Overseas Territories: How are they affected?
Conventionality Control in Brazil: A Jurisdictional Defense mechanism of Human Rights
Deepsikha Dasgupta
Italy and Neo-fascism: The Growing Far-Right Sentiment!
Giusy Lawani
3 comments On "The Issue with Digital Activism: The Case of Black Lives Matter"?
Shah kashfi Ahmed
Very nice post.. Keep it up samiya… Waiting for your next eye opener post
What a stuff of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable knowledge regarding unpredicted feelings.
Incredible points. Sound arguments. Keep up the great work.


text:
State Highway 87 (SH 87) is a state highway in New Zealand servicing the Taieri Plains and the Strath-Taieri Valley in Otago, connecting Mosgiel to Kyeburn on the eastern flank of the Maniototo Plains.

The highway is two-lane for its entire length, and there are four sets of traffic lights in Mosgiel.

Route
SH 87 leaves  at a junction at the southwestern end of the Dunedin Southern Motorway, immediately south of Mosgiel. It travels north through the town as its main street, Gordon Road, before heading west along the northern edge of the Taieri Plain. The highway climbs the northeastern flank of Maungatua shortly after passing through Outram (where it crosses the Taieri River), its course becoming northwesterly. The course continues past the small settlements of Lee Stream and Clarks Junction before turning northeastward to head along the broad Strath-Taieri valley. After passing through Sutton, the highway reaches the town of Middlemarch.

From Sutton, the highway runs close to the course of the Taieri River, and from Middlemarch the Otago Central Rail Trail also runs nearby. The highway continues northeast past Hyde before emerging onto the high Maniototo plain. The highway terminates at Kyeburn, 15 km to the east of Ranfurly, at a junction with .

See also
List of New Zealand state highways

External links
 New Zealand Transport Agency

87
Transport in Dunedin
Transport in Otago


Kimberly Thomas (PhD 2015) won the 2016 Nystrom award.
Kimberly Thomas (PhD 2015) won the 2016 Nystrom award for best dissertation in Geography from the Association of American Geographers.
Kim's Nystrom award paper was titled "Bordering non-water flows: Explaining upstream-downstream power asymmetries in the Ganges Basin" and came from her 2015 dissertation "The River-Border Complex: Governing flows in South Asia."


text:
Q: Symfony3 : Generate crud doesn't work I'm trying to use the generate crud feature with my new symfony3 project. I have created a bundle named AdminBundle with the generator, the entity test, also with the generator, all processed well to the end. I checked my file under, i have my class Test.php generated under my src/AdminBundle/Entity/Test.php folder. All is working well.
But when i try to generate a crud following the doc for my test entity with the following command :
bin/console generate:doctrine:crud
The Entity shortcut name: AdminBundle:Test

I get the following error :

[RuntimeException]
    Entity "Test" does not exist in the "AdminBundle" bundle. You may have mistyped the bundle name or maybe the entity doesn't exist yet (create it first with the "doctrine:generate:entity" comm
    and).

As i said, i already generated the entity with the "doctrine:generate:entity" command, and i type the same name ( AdminBundle:Test ) as i type in my crud generator.
Any ideas ?

A: I have the same problem with sf2.8.
What I did to solve this problem was:
first: generate the form for the entity.
php app/console doctrine:generate:form NameBundle:EntityName
Second: generate the CRUD for Entity
php app/console doctrine:generate:crud

A: I just ran into this problem. One of my entity's attributes annotations were mistyped, causing this error. Check your attributes annotations.

A: I had to do bin/console doctrine:schema:update for it to acknowledge the entity as I had the class but the entity was not in the DB yet.

A: It's an old issue. But I face it too, just now. I solved it by pointing the class with whole name space.
$test = new \AppBundle\Entity\Test();


Step2's variety of train track tables provides a special place for your little railway tycoon to build their own railroad empire.
We know that model trains are serious business. Laying the tracks is just the beginning. There are also bridges to build, crossings to make safe and the occasional train crash to engineer.
An easy-to-relocate purpose-built train track play table from Step2 Pretend Play is just the thing to stimulate the creativity of the locomotive engineer in your house.
Our assortment of Step2 kids train track tables suit all stages of rail road pioneers, freeing them to concentrate on the next phase of their big project while enabling them to quickly and easily pack up their toys in time for dinner.
Just because the occasional train crash may be inevitable at your place, doesn't mean your home has to look like a train wreck. So check these out and get your kids pack up toy time running on schedule every day.


ForwardIT is a Canberra based managed IT service provider and value added re-seller. Founded in 2002, we specialise in ICT design, implementation and support services for government, small and medium business, education and not-for-profit sectors.
Our size, experience and extensive partner network means we can deliver solutions that FIT your needs – regardless of size or complexity, and to industry standards. We're backed by a talented and passionate team of engineers and sales professionals with expertise across Microsoft ICT infrastructure, enterprise architecture, ICT security design, implementation and support. Our ICT Cyber Security Assessment capability is growing in demand with our clients too.
Above all, our number one priority is great customer service and ensuring our clients have the best experience with the services we deliver.
Our helpdesk is available 24/7 to ensure you have the support you need when and where you need it the most. You're also supported by a dedicated primary technician and account manager who understand and monitor your business IT environment, keeping across any issues you may have and helping you plan for your future IT needs.


text:
Wormfood est un groupe français de metal gothique et avant-gardiste, originaire de Rouen, en Haute-Normandie. le groupe officie depuis 2009 à Paris, en Île-de-France. Œuvrant initialement dans un registre black/death théâtral, le groupe prend un virage musical radicalement sombre et francophone en 2007.

Historique

Première décennie (2001–2010)
Wormfood est formé le  par Emmanuel  Lévy et Romain Yacono après la séparation de leurs groupes Outward Ceremony et Alienchrist. Deux ans plus tard, en 2003, le groupe publie son premier album démo Éponyme. Un an plus tard sort leur démo auto-produite Jeux d'enfants.

En 2005, Wormfood publie son premier album studio, intitulé France, au label italien Code666. Il est relativement bien accueilli par la presse spécialisée. À la fin de 2006, Tim Zecevic (claviers) et Alexis Damien (batterie) quittent le groupe.

Posthume (2011–2015)
Le , le groupe signe au label Deadlight Entertainment pour la sortie de son nouvel album, intitulé Posthume. Prévu pour fin 2010, l'album  d'après la presse. En , Wormfood annonce l'arrivée du claviériste Pierre Le Pape (Embryonic Cells, Kim's Over Silence). La même année, le groupe annonce du changement dans sa formation, et poste le clip de la chanson Les Noces sans retour,  avec la participation de Paul Bento à la sitar, sur YouTube, qui sera compris de leur album Posthume.

En , l'album est publié en version téléchargeable payante. Concernant le titre de l'album El Worm déclare que :  La pochette est réalisée par Hicham Haddaji (Strychneen Studio). En , ils postent une reprise de la chanson Christian Woman de Type O Negative.

L'Envers (depuis 2016)
Le , Wormfood annonce la sortie de son nouvel album intitulé L'Envers qui sort le  via Apathia Records en formats digipack A5 et en téléchargement payant. Il comprend huit chansons au total. À sa sortie, l'album est particulièrement bien accueilli par la presse spécialisée.

Membres

Membres actuels
 Emmanuel  Lévy (ex Carnival in Coal, Erdh) - chant, guitare
 Renaud Fauconnier (ex Borgia, Abstrusa Unde, Ketelo Tropo, Psy K Trip) - guitare (depuis 2009)
 Thomas Jacquelin (Öxxö Xööx, Lugnasad, Anus Mundi, Régiment) - batterie (depuis 2009)
 Vincent Liard (Lonah, Désert Orange) - basse (depuis 2009)
 Pierre le Pape (Embryonic Cells, Kim's Over Silence, Melted Space) - claviers (depuis 2010)

Anciens membres
 Romain Yacono - basse (2001-2009)
 Alexis Damien (ex Carnival in Coal, Pin-Up Went Down) - batterie (2002-2006)
 Tim Zecevic (ex Carnival in Coal - claviers (2003-2006)
 Frédéric Patte-Brasseur (Despond, Ataraxie, Funeralium) - guitare (2004-2009)
 Efflam Le Maho (ex Yorblind, 7th Nemesis) - batterie (2006-2009)

Membres occasionnels ou invités
 Axel Wursthorn (Carnival in Coal, C-Rom) - arrangements, theremine (studio) (Posthume)
 Paul Bento (Carnivore, Type O Negative) - sitar, tanpura (sur Les Noces sans Retour, Troubles Alimentaires)
 Mathilde Dambricourt - percussions (sur EWB28IF)
 Céline Zanaroli - violon (sur Les Noces sans retour)
 Arno Strobl (Carnival in Coal, Kroak, Maladaptive) - chant (sur Daguerréotype, Femme chrétienne (Christian Woman))
 François Corbier - chant, guitare sur Comptine (France)
 Arnaud Legrand - violon sur Daguerréotype, Miroir de Chair, Femme chrétienne (Christian Woman)
 Asphodel (Nowonmaï, Penumbra, Pin-Up Went Down, öOoOoOoOoOo) - chant sur Miroir de chair, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Femme chrétienne (Christian Woman)
 Eric Folschweiler (Folschweiler Trio) - guitare, glissentar (sur Miroir de chair)
 SAS Guy de Michelin et LAB (Abitbollus) - chœurs (sur TEGBM)
 Valnoir (Sect Metastazis) - chœurs (sur Death Equals to Nothing)

Discographie

Albums studio
 2003 : Éponyme
 2005 : France
 2011 : Posthume
 2012 : Décade(nt)
 2016 : L'Envers'

 Autres
 2001 : Demo (démo)
 2004 : Jeux d'enfants (démo)
 2006 : Blast Fest (live)
 2006 : Lustour Angel (compilation)
 2009 : Postghost Parties (compilation)
 2010 : Combat Nasal vol.1'' (compilation téléchargeable)

Notes et références

Liens externes

Groupe français de doom metal
Groupe français de metal avant-gardiste
Groupe français de metal gothique
Groupe musical de Rouen
Groupe musical formé en 2001


BRISTOL, England - George Fasarta, the Bristolian who claimed to have found God, has been charged with 'Wasting Police Time' by local police. Excitement spread all around the Christian world last week, as it was reported that Fasarta, a 42-year-old baker from the north of the city, had definitely located the Almighty who had been missing/presumed dead for almost 2000 years. But now police say they believe Fasarta was simply an attention seeker who repeatedly changed his story.
Fasarta was further questioned as to how he had initially located God. He reportedly claimed that he had found God through a contact of his named Jesus Christ. The only Jesus Christ found on any records were those of the Israeli security services. Their records showed he had died over 2000 years ago. When this was put to Fasarta, he argued that Jesus had risen from the dead, removed a giant boulder from his tomb and gone to see twelve of his mates. At this point the interview was terminated. "The last thing I'd do if I had just risen from the dead would be to attempt to remove a massive rock," commented Watcher.
This page was last edited on 5 June 2012, at 02:10.


Process — Zander's Creations Custom made jewelry, in diamonds, colored stones and precious metals.
I can custom design something unique to you with the help of your idea, or come up with something of our own.
Conveying your idea can be challenging if you are not blessed with an artistic drawing hand. Even sending pictures with your camera, or pictures from the internet will help.
Let me create you a family heirloom to pass down generation to generation.
Before any metal work is done, we will work with you to finalize a design. I will send CAD renderings of the actual piece we will be creating for you. These photos can be photo realistic, giving you a great idea what the final product will look like.
First we take the 3d file we finalized after sending you a picture, and prepare it for printing or milling.
I utilize several machine technologies. For 3D printing I currently use Stuller for manufacturing most pieces I produce. I also use other American casting companies that have access to high end prototyping machines.
The piece of jewelry is taken from the casting and the beautification process begins.
I sand and polish each piece and then set any stones or assemble any required pieces.
I finish the pieces and send you pictures and any final payment invoices before we ship it out. You can see some of the custom pieces we have designed below in the gallery.


text:
Zio paterno del quarantacinquesimo Presidente degli Stati Uniti, Donald Trump, è stato membro della National Academy of Engineering.

Biografia
John Trump era il secondogenito della coppia di immigrati tedeschi Frederik Trump ed Elizabeth Trump. Dopo la morte del padre, nel 1918, John venne mandato al college dal fratello Fred (padre di Donald Trump). Fred e John provarono a lavorare assieme nell'ambito edilizio, ma essi avevano differenti ambizioni. I fratelli sciolsero la loro collaborazione e John iniziò una carriera da ingegnere elettrico. Trump ricevette la laurea in Ingegneria elettrica dalla Tandon School of Engeenering della New York University, nel 1929; la laurea in Fisica dalla Columbia University e il dottorato di Ingegneria elettrica dal Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) nel 1933. Divenne un professore del MIT nel 1936.
Durante la Seconda guerra mondiale spostò le sue ricerche riguardo ai raggi X e alle microonde dall'ambito medico a quello bellico. Nel 1940 divenne membro del National Defence Research Committee, dove collaborò con Karl Compton per lo sviluppo di nuove tecnologie di radar. In seguito collaborò con alcuni dei più grandi fisici inglesi dell'epoca tra cui Robert Watson-Watt e Bernard Lovell. Finita la guerra Trump tornò alla cattedra di professore al MIT fino al 1973. Trump morì il 21 settembre 1985 a Boston.

Note

Altri progetti

Germano-statunitensi
Ingegneri elettrici
Statunitensi della seconda guerra mondiale
Professori del Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Studenti della Columbia University
Studenti dell'Università di New York
Studenti del Massachusetts Institute of Technology
John George Trump


Do you enjoy creating, and boldly going where no one has gone before?
Well my dear Humanoid, you have come to the right place!
We are in need of a new logo that truly captures the essence of Vul-Con!
What do you think our new logo should be? Create something that captures the spirit of our beloved Star Trek franchise and everything that it stands for.
Do you have what it takes to create the logo to represent our convention?
If so, please fill out the form and upload your creation below!


text:
Minbya – miasto w Mjanmie, w stanie Rakhine. Według danych na rok 2014 liczyło 22 944 mieszkańców.

Miasta w stanie Rakhine


Massive range of wire framed and natural hanging baskets at keenest prices online. Free Next day nationwide shipping guaranteed. We also stock a range of wall brackets and natural liners for your baskets.
30 products in this category, displaying products 1 to 21.
Tom Chambers Hanging Basket 35cm - Special Offer - Sold as Pair.


In 1999, Murray moved to Hollywood where he supported himself modeling for such clients as Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger and Gucci. Then he was cast in the role of rich brat, Tristin DuGray on Gilmore Girls; which was one of the main characters in the first season of the series and then became a recurring character thereafter. He appeared in several guest starring television roles, including an episode of Undressed and an episode of Diagnosis: Murder. Murray portrayed the role Charlie Todd on the successful television series Dawson's Creek in 2001. In 2003, he appeared in television film, Aftermath: A Long Way Home. Murray then appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures feature film, Freaky Friday alongside Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film was a major box office success, earning a total of $110,222,438 in the United States alone. Critics were mostly positive in their reviews of the film, and the film garnered a "B" grade on Yahoo! Movies and an 88% "Certified Fresh" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Murray also appeared in the television film The Lone Ranger where he portrayed the role of Luke Hartman.


Chikyab Khenpo. Personal name Lobsang Geleg. Born about 1874. The title of an official who is the Senior Ecclesiastical Official in Tibet and may be described as the Inspector General of Monasteries. Is in Eastern Tibet in connection with the Sino-Tibetan trouble . Holds the title of Khen-chhung . A pleasant old gentlemen. Very influental since he and the Dronyer Chhempo are the medium of Communication between the Dalai Lama (or the Regent) and the outside world.


Keeping your personality classy is one of the important factors to consider. Right from shoes to apparel you wear everything must look classy to attract people attention. There are few who consider everything to be branded. From socks to watches, they make sure it is from the top brand.
So if you are looking for socks, then luxury knitwear brand from Germany called Falke is selling the most expensive socks in the world.
These pair of socks is made from Vicuna, the fabric made from ultrafine hair of the Peruvian Vicuna which is quite rare. These socks will be sold for $1,188. The socks along with 20 pullovers with same Vicuna fabric and each pullovers costs $3,300. Socks come with golden-brown presentation box resembling Llama- like camelid originating from Peru. These Falke socks are available in one colour, the golden brown. The wool used in the socks is so delicate that it can't be dyed. One Vicuna produces one pound wool. The Vicuna socks are available in 10 pairs only, and if you want to buy one then you need to order quickly. These Vicuna socks are Falke's autumn/winter collection. These socks will be available in two neckline choices v-neckline and roll.
Apart from these socks, there is yet another Italian brand, "Harrys of London". This Italian made charcoal grey knee-high end hosiery is 100 percent from Cervelt, which is known as Diamond of cutting fibre. This limited edition of most expensive pair of socks is sold at Harrys of London stores online $1442 each.
Socks are integral part of attire and having branded socks, especially from the above brands then you are going to be the centre of attraction. Moreover, be ready to fetch dollars on buying these expensive socks.


A vintage tight-waisted jacket with topstitching. Fastened with a front button. Special darts and a short cut allow the garment to fit to the bodyshape and make it look slender. A jacket is an absolute must-have in a woman's closet. This classic design will add a pinch of elegance to every look.


text:
Fair, and 73 ° F
I-95 NB from Maryland State Line to RT-1 I-95 NB from Maryland State Line to I-295 I-95 NB from I-295 to Naamans Rd (#11) I-95 NB from I-476 Blue Route (#7) to I-676/Central Phila. (#22) I-95 NB from Scudder Falls Bridge to RT-1 I-95 SB from I-295 to Maryland State Line I-76(NJ)/Walt Whitman Bridge EB from Toll Plaza to I-295 I-76/Schuylkill Exwy EB from PA Tpk Toll Plaza to Walt Whitman Brg I-76/Schuylkill Exwy EB from I-476 Blue Route (#331) to RT-1 City Av (#339) I-76/Schuylkill Exwy EB from RT-1 City Av (#339) to I-676 Vine Exwy (#344) I-76/Schuylkill Exwy EB from I-676 Vine Exwy (#344) to Walt Whitman Brg I-76/Schuylkill Exwy WB from Walt Whitman Brg to PA Tpk Toll Plaza I-76/Schuylkill Exwy WB from Walt Whitman Brg to I-676 Vine Exwy (#344) I-76/Schuylkill Exwy WB from RT-1 City Av (#339) to I-476 Blue Route (#331)
Boardwalk Empire Review: The Sopranos Meets Deadwood
By Dennis Bakay at 12:41 pm on Monday September 20, 2010
HBO's highly anticipated series "Boardwalk Empire" debuted last night at 9:00 and did not disappoint.
The pilot episode, directed by Martin Scorcese was gripping, intense, and at times wickedly funny.
Steve Buscemi, who portrays Atlantic City political boss and racketeer Enoch "Nucky" Johnson (fictionalized as Nucky Thompson for the series) carries the show much like James Gandolfini in The Sopranos and Ian McShane in Deadwood. If you were a fan of The Sopranos and Deadwood, then Boardwalk Empire is just the show for you.
Boardwalk Empire's story focuses on Atlantic City just when Prohibition goes into effect in 1920. In one of the first scenes of the show, Nucky Thompson and his cronies cheer the impending prohibition like it's a gift from the Gods. One of Thompson's cronies asks who will pay $3 for a drink? And, Thompson aptly responds, "you will!"
Alas, Thompson is ready to reap the rewards of Prohibition, which will serve to vastly inflate the price of alcohol. Cha-ching!
The show also centers around the character Jimmy Darmody (played by Michael Pitt) who is a struggling young man trying to rise up through the ranks of organized crime in AC. For you mafia history buffs, a young Al Capone is also featured in the show. He and Darmody strike a chord and do a job together right off the bat. Further on in the show, Thompson meets with Lucky Luciano and strikes a deal for weekly supplies of booze.
And, thus the stage is set for Boardwalk Empire. It will be exciting to see how the drama develops over the first season.
As is the case with many series premieres, it takes a while to get to the core of what a show is about. Boardwalk wasted little time in cutting to the chase. This brilliantly crafted drama has "hit" written all over it. And, as long as HBO supports the show, it will be around for quite some time. HBO made a serious mistake when they cancelled Deadwood after just three seasons due to the budget. Boardwalk's budget isn't cheap (the set was reportedly $20 million) so hopefully history won't repeat itself here.
Ultimately, the pilot of episode of Boardwalk was rich with substance, drama, and history. Boardwalk Empire is the love child of The Sopranos and Deadwood - rife with lots of cursing, action, violence, attractive females, nudity, great dialogue, and dark humor. If you're a fan of sex, violence, and F-bombs, then Boardwalk Empire is right up your alley. Don't miss it each Sunday night at 9:00.
Philly2Philly.com's Veronica Dudo was in Atlantic City for the red carpet premiere over the weekend. For photos of the Boardwalk Empire premiere, check out the Lens Gallery.
Email Dennis Bakay at dbakay@philly2philly.com
Atlantic City Boardwalk
boardwalk empire review
Dennis Bakay
enoch johnson
hbo boardwalk empire
nucky johnson
vernoica dudo
Login or register to post comments| 0 Comments | Permalink
NORAD Tracks Santa 2018: Find St. Nick Here!
REVIEW: 'Bumblebee' brings Transformers franchise back to life
Best Winter Activities In Philadelphia
REVIEW: 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' at Academy of Music
Preview: Metallica thrash their way into Wells Fargo Center
Greatest Gambling Movies of All Time
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - 5 Reasons to Check It Out
'Ocean's 8' reenergizes the series with plenty of girl power
Bacon Me Crazy: Phoenixville's Newest Eatery
WWE Women's Royal Rumble Preview
'ER' reunion in the works? Jessica Simpson, 'Under the Dome's' fate revealed
Style With Laini: Fall in Philadelphia
Preston and Steve's 2010 Totally Office Calendar Release Party at Chickie's and Pete's
Fashion Body Shape Advice For Apple, Pear, Rectangle, and Hourglass Body Shapes
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Love Child, Seth MacFarlane To Bring Back 'The Flintstones', and Donald Trump Focusing on 'The Apprentice' And Not Running For President
Why having your birthday on Valentine's Day stinks!
Boardwalk Empire Episode 10 Recap: Paz De La Huerta Steals The Show
Kanye West and Mary-Kate Olsen Dating, Charlie Sheen Getting a New Show, and Jessica Simpson on NBC's "Fashion Star"
New Kids On the Block & Backstreet Boys' NKOTBSB Tour Came to Atlantic City Friday
'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' spotty at times, but better than the original
© 2009 Philly2Philly All rights reserved.


Apparently, being a futurist is one of the coolest jobs on the planet. Shame I'm in the process of getting out of being one then. Am I just way ahead of everyone else or seriously behind? (Personally, I think futurists come and go. They come in and out of fashion and at the moment we're at peak futurist (or, at least, futurists have reached the peak of inflated expectations).
-Firstly, the article, in Bustle. Not bad, but it's really describing trend spotters not futurists in my opinion. Real futurists are much closer to sci-fi writers in my view. They tend to think at least 10-20 years out, not next year, and they don't predict either. OK, maybe they do, for fun, but "based on stone cold facts"? How can you have stone cold facts about the future when the future hasn't happened yet? What is being described here is extrapolation from historical data or current trends ("future trends" is another oxymoron btw – guilty!). I think futurists, like good sci-fi writers, warn of possible dangers or at least illuminate current concerns. They point to worlds that might be rather than world's that are, and again this is rarely trend-based and is impossible to 'prove' with numbers. In other words they get people to think. Also, just look at the history of bad predictions from futurists. The accuracy of forecasting is shocking, although I'm sure it's not stopping. So here's a prediction: One thing that won't change in the future is our interest in the future – what's coming next. But something else that won't change is our total inability to remember people that, with hindsight, make shockingly incorrect statements. Thanks to Tara for spotting this article. Link to article here.
This entry was posted in Futurists. Bookmark the permalink.


Thanks to sister blog FishbowlNY's champion Twittering from the American Magazine Conference in San Francisco, we know that New York's Barbara Kruger-annotated photo of Eliot Spitzer has bested Todd Eberle's shot of Marc Jacobs as Andy Warhol (Interview) and cartoonist Barry Blitt's illustration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Senator Larry Craig (The New Yorker) to be named Cover of the Year in the third annual Best Cover Contest organized by the American Society of Magazine Editors.
The March 24 New York magazine cover (pictured above) also bested Blitt's 3am phone call New Yorker cover and two others to take the Best News Cover prize, and its five-letter coverline—"BRAIN," in Futura Bold Italic—nabbed Best Coverline honors, trumping WIRED's "Evil Genius" caption of a barbed wire-ringed Apple logo and The New York Times Magazine's "Oprah. Martha. Tyra." Meanwhile, our pick for Best Fashion Cover—Paolo Pellegrin's stark runway shot for New York Look—triumphed, albeit in a tie with Vanity Fair's Style issue cover, featuring Gisele Bundchen helpfully demonstrating how to exit a limo when wearing a very short, spangled Roberto Cavalli dress. Get a closer look at all the winners and finalists here and head to FishbowlNY for ongoing coverage of the annual magazine confab.


text:
Industry Bulletin | October 9, 2019
Hims & Hers To Build In-House Pharmacy Fulfillment Center In Ohio
Hims & Hers, a digital health company that seeks to change the way people approach their wellness, announced the opening of their first pharmacy, which is set to open in 2020. The company is investing $1.5 million in the Columbus, Ohio region to create a fully-licensed mail-order pharmacy, fulfillment center, and customer support center. By opening the pharmacy, Hims & Hers intends to expand safe, convenient, and efficient access to quality care for consumers, no matter their location.
The new facility will bring order-fulfillment in-house, enabling Hims & Hers to streamline delivery to consumers throughout the U.S. The first priority for the new pharmacy is safety—the new pharmacy will comply with stringent U.S. licensing requirements and regulations governing how and where medications can be sourced. This includes independent evaluations to test and validate dispensed medications. In recent quarterly testing, in which an U.S. Food & Drug Administration-inspected, analytical testing lab ran blind tests on medications dispensed by Hims & Hers' partner pharmacies, the portfolio of products submitted for testing passed FDA specifications for quality and potency.
The company plans to create over 500 jobs in the Columbus region, with hiring processes beginning in the second quarter of 2020. The company is currently in the process of finding a permanent location, specifically targeting 300,000 to 400,000 square feet of warehouse space in Columbus.
Hims and Hers offers a modern approach to health and wellness. The company's mission is to eliminate stigmas and make it easier for people to access care and treatment for the conditions that impact their daily lives. That starts with creating an open and honest culture of care that is accessible for everyone. Since launching in November 2017, Hims & Hers has raised over $200MM in funding and are one of the fastest growing direct-to-consumer brands in history.
This was reported by Hims & Hers on September 30, 2019.
Contact information: Hims & Hers, 340 Bryant Street, San Francisco, California 94107; Email: press@forhims.com; Website: www.forhims.com


text:
Q: How can to compare 1750 samples between 3 groups by R? I have 1750 proteins  that I want to compare the expression level of them between 3 groups (cell-type) using R. How can I do it?

A: Bioconductor project produces software (add-ons for R) for bioinformatics. Bioconductor offers several solutions to your problem. Possibly the easiest one is to use the limma package (http://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/limma.html). It has an extensive user guide that walks you through the basics of the analysis.
In addition, see the answer eBayes() lmFit() for a quick overview of the workflow and the functions in the limma package.
What you need to consider is the question you are interested in. These questions are coded in a design matrix. For example, if you have one control group (C), and two treatment groups (T1, T2), and you are interested in comparing both treatments with the control group, you might generate the following model matrix. But, before generating the model matrix, let's assume your data matrix (containing the expression values) contains the controls in the three first columns, then three T1 columns, and last three T2 columns. A vector (listing the groups in the same order they appear in the data matrix) containing the group information can be turned into a model matrix as follows:
# "group" vector
groups<-c("C","C","C","T1","T1","T1","T2","T2","T2")
design<-model.matrix(~groups)
design
  (Intercept) groupsT1 groupsT2
1           1        0        0
2           1        0        0
3           1        0        0
4           1        1        0
5           1        1        0
6           1        1        0
7           1        0        1
8           1        0        1
9           1        0        1

If you do not have a control group, but some comparison group anyhow, just specify it as the first group (alphabetically) in the groups vector. The model matrix will automatically use it as a baseline with which all others are compared.
This does a simple comparison of groups (T1 v. C and T2 v. C). If you have something more complex in mind, please elaborate your question a bit to address this.


The final chapter to the story of my first trip and try at the Horse Player World Series has been written and the ending was not climatic. More of a crash and burn finish, but I'll get to that later.
First, I want to congratulate the winners, thank my tablemates, and send out personal congratulations to Eric Wing, the communications director and master of all things ceremonial for the NTRA. Eric finished in 7th place overall by stringing together three incredibly consistent days with masterful handicapping. Eric sat at the table next to me, and he is really missing his calling in life because no one could tell whether he just hit a capper horse or took a tough beat. A tremendous poker face topped only by his intellect, quick wit, and handicapping ability.
As I've written and spoken many times before my strategy for these large field tournaments is to focus on a target number that should put me in contention to win and construct plays to get to that number. For this tournament my target number was reaching 3000 points on Saturday with 5-7plays left to go. Mission Accomplished as I had 3000 points with 7 plays left. I had surmised that this would put me less than 500 points or 50 bucks out of first place. Not a high mountain to climb.
The reality was that when I had 3000 points with 7 bullets left I was 2000 points out of first place because the leader had run away and hid; I must admit, this took a lot of wind out of my sails and I became the horse player version of the Carnival Cruise Ship Triumph: dead in the water.
I basically whiffed on all 7 remaining plays and ended up in 26th position overall, a top 3% placing and good for some cash, but it will take me a few days to figure out if I just calculated wrongly and this year's tournament was an aberration or something else. I'm happy with my placing (well I will be happy in a few days but right now I'm a bit miffed). After all I did beat 750 other great handicappers but I'm left wondering if I was doomed to lose from the get go because of the miscalculation on the target number.
In any case, these tournaments are a great experience, meeting new friends, renewing old friendships, and affirming my strong belief that playing the horses is something to wear as a badge of honor and not as a scarlet letter.
I encourage everyone to give tournaments a try--whether online at Twinspires--or a local live tournament because these contests are a true, complete test of one's handicapping ability.


text:
BMW to Study Landfill Gas-to-Hydrogen Conversion
August 2, 2011 • Staff • Bookmark +
SPARTANBURG, SC – BMW Manufacturing said it has launched the first phase of a program exploring the economic and technical feasibility of converting landfill gas into hydrogen.
If successful, the follow-up phases of the project will provide infrastructure for using this hydrogen to fuel the company's entire fleet of material handling equipment. In addition, BMW is participating in two projects with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop efficient storage of hydrogen for use in future motor vehicles. Collaboration with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on a project to produce and store cryo-compressed hydrogen is ongoing, as well as a DOE project to store hydrogen via a liquid organic carrier. These projects are part of a broader effort to promote the use of long-range zero-emissions vehicles on the roads across America.
South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) will fund the first phase of the landfill gas-to-hydrogen project. Partners from various government energy agencies and other public and private sponsors will work together on future phases. The project team will include BMW, Advanced Technology International (a subsidiary of SCRA), the Gas Technology Institute, Ameresco Inc. and the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance.
Since 2003, methane gas has been collected, cleaned and compressed from a local landfill and used to power more than 50 percent of the BMW plant's total energy requirements. In 2009, the company invested $12 million in its landfill gas program to further improve overall efficiency. The program has reduced CO2 emissions by about 92,000 tons per year and saves about $5 million annually in energy costs, BMW said.
In September 2010, BMW completed installation of a hydrogen storage and distribution area within the existing Energy Center at its North American manufacturing plant in South Carolina. The company is using hydrogen fuel cells to power nearly 100 material handling vehicles in the plant's new 1.2 million-square-foot assembly facility that produces the new BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle.
Success of this new project will allow BMW to transition from the pilot-scale system into a full-scale system capable of supporting the largest single-site deployment of fuel-cell material handling equipment in the world, BMW said.
"This project allows testing of valuable technology to determine if using locally sourced hydrogen in our fuel-cell equipment can provide the necessary performance needed to expand our hydrogen fuel-cell fleet," said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing.
"This landfill gas-to-hydrogen project at BMW will seek to demonstrate a first-of-its-kind solution that will serve as a model for other private sector companies," added SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney.
Read more about BMW Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles U.S. DOT South Carolina