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Home Politics Gov. Walz talks COVID-19, political divisions and legacy during in-depth interview –...
Gov. Walz talks COVID-19, political divisions and legacy during in-depth interview – Duluth News Tribune
In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz stood at the helm as the state opted for some of the toughest mitigation measures in the region and then in May as the police killing of George Floyd spurred calls for racial equity locally and around the world.
The first-term Democratic governor's decisions have altered the lives of Minnesotans at levels big and small over the last nine months. And they've been met with fierce opposition from struggling business owners, Republican lawmakers and fed-up Minnesotans.
Walz spoke with Forum News Service on Friday, Dec. 4, for a wide-ranging interview spanning several issues, including his response to the pandemic, how Minnesota has fared compared to its neighbors and equity in state government. He opened up about things he would've done differently, what keeps him up at night and what he hopes his legacy will be coming out of the pandemic. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Forum News Service: So I don't need to tell you, Governor, that the state has been through quite a bit this year — the pandemic, the killing of George Floyd, political polarization, the election — what has been your approach to leading through this year?
Gov. Tim Walz: Yeah, I oftentimes have people come up and ask and say, you know, "I bet you didn't sign up for this." I think you do these jobs, not with the idea that you're going to get to pick what the issue is of the time. We're responsive, and then you apply leadership principles to each of those situations.
I think one of the things I would say is that certainly my philosophy on this from a leadership perspective is to surround myself with incredibly competent people. And I think what's shown in this is the depth of the expertise that we have both around us and that we went out to find in building coalitions. I've always believed that this is about trying to get people to have a shared purpose and direction, motivate them to get to that, and then build that team around it. What we've seen is whether it was, because it's unimaginable that he would have had to build the most robust virus testing team that, you know, had ever been done.
And each state was left to do that, it was really a blank slate. And I think the good news there was to all the assets that Minnesota possessed both inside and outside government were there.
So my approach has been for our team to follow the data, follow the science. But you've seen us, especially around COVID, is to have a realistic understanding of what can you do? What can you do to help people understand why you're doing it? We put a premium on transparency, on data, and then for me, this worked well as a teacher, spending the extra time necessary to help folks in a very stressful situation for them and their families who are super busy, not having access to see some of the things that I see being able to put that into a format that they're able to see and then make some decisions from that.
FNS: How do you decide who's at the table helping inform you about these decisions and what are you asking of them?
TW: Yes, great question. And I think it goes back to, again, probably something I'm most proud of — and I think it's a theory that works — is how we constructed this team to make sure that the voices that were impacted by it were there. If you went back to that transition team and the folks that helped pick the candidates that then went in front of these selection committees and they got to me, I obviously knew people in my life as a member of Congress and as a teacher … but that would never have gone far enough.
So one of the things I pride myself on is that many of my commissioners, I had never met before. I had heard of them, I knew of their work, but they were selected based on the merit of what they can do by the people that were impacted, meaning if you were going to choose someone in housing, the housing advocates needed to be the ones that were most comfortable with that person. Same thing with health and so forth. And I think that was the best way to try and find that.
I think elected officials don't understand that elected officials many times are the least qualified people to hold those positions in those agencies.
FNS: I know you've talked quite a bit about wanting to make the state more equitable. Do you have any sort of examples of how the state has grown in that way, how the state has become more equitable?
TW: I got asked this question and it's, you know, kind of an ancillary part of this is you talk about "One Minnesota" and are we closer to that?
I wouldn't necessarily say that (we meet) that measure today, but if you look at the underlying structures that we're changing, we will eventually get there. And I would say the empowerment of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, their ability and they were instrumental in helping the state in a bipartisan manner pass a (police) reform package. I think, again, I'm very cautious making the case because I think in many cases it does. It certainly appears superficial, in some cases, it is superficial talking about the hires that you make and making sure people in positions of power who are entitled to make those decisions, understand their communities. We have searched deep on that but I would hope that it goes deeper than that, that they have been empowered. Those leaders have been empowered to bring their lived experiences to the decision making that will eventually make that difference. But I think right now we need to be measured by results.
RELATED: Walz stuck to his 'One Minnesota' message during a politically and socially fractured 2020
And I think there's little doubt that we have not closed our achievement gap in education. I think we are making structural changes to get there, but COVID exacerbated those and they still exist. And I think folks will tell you that you don't need to look that much further than that day and in late May when George Floyd died that we've got work to do.
But I do think the structural changes are happening. I think the conversation, the package that passed Legislature, not being the end and I don't want to put that out, the fact that we did that. It is a credit to the Legislature to move a fairly comprehensive package around police reform. So I think there are examples there but I do want to be very clear, this work is generational. You have to change the format.
I would like to say one more example and this is where you need to verify with them, I think this degree of consultation with the 11 Indigenous tribes in Minnesota is a way that they're starting to get more equity. And again, that's not new. We're always going to be really getting to the point about a true relationship with our tribal nations … the expectation, consultation and representation are absolutely ironclad that we meet that expectation.
FNS: I have a lot of readers who've expressed frustration about casinos being allowed to remain open while restaurants might not be open in their communities. Can you talk about tribal sovereignty and the way you've worked with tribal leaders and perhaps other business leaders?
TW: Yeah, this issue about mitigation efforts around COVID and the pandemic … I think it's critically important that there wasn't a ton there, we ended up going to go back and looking at 1918, looking at other examples of where mitigations were used, (during) cholera but what and I think we were trying to and I think we have done that, as the information changed, I've often said this when I was in my congressional office, when the facts dispute the ideology you change the ideology. And I think we tried to continue to do that.
The one right now that is challenging is the bars and restaurants.
This whole idea that the casinos get to do what they want to do and they're benefitting, l want to be very clear, the state's responsibilities are treaty rights obligations, whether it is the federal government's responsibility to pay for education, health care. Those are not communities that hit the lottery. They traded that for the land that was theirs and that expectation that we would fulfill that. And the idea of sovereignty is, these tribes are not like a county, they have both a federally protected and the courts have upheld this, they have a status of nation-status.
They have health officials and they work directly with Jan Malcolm and health commissioners, but the tribal chairwoman is not going to be in a meeting without me being there. The expectation is that those are government-to-government relationships. And you would not send in a governor to speak with someone in another state without speaking with the governor.
It just goes back to that understanding — they have worked closely as partners to use best practices, both learning from us and us now working together to see what did you do? … But it's not my right nor do I have the capacity to tell them.
I think there is a real deep misunderstanding about the legal and moral responsibility you have to sovereign nations.
FNS: Turning a little bit to just the states around us, Minnesota has been sort of an island in implementing stricter measures than we've seen in the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin. At the end of this, is there any way to recoup damages from those states after they didn't take steps that could have helped residents there or residents in Minnesota?
TW: Well, this is a fascinating question. I think, you know, it's incredible that this damage of the red state, blue state, the damage that I mean, it's almost incomprehensible to me that you would have a president of the United States that decided to choose during this pandemic to talk about how different states were doing things and just send out tweets to Gov. Whitmer, Northam and myself, to say liberate Virginia and Michigan and Minnesota. That caused immense problems.
And so that part has been incredibly, incredibly frustrating. I think there's data that show if we had the death rate per hundred thousand of South Dakota, we would not have 3,700, I would have over 7,200 Minnesotans dead. So, you know, we're not going to be able to recoup. There have been studies that came out in October that show the Sturgis rally cost the nation about $12 billion. That was early on.
MORE MINNESOTA POLITICS: Read more from Dana Ferguson in St. Paul
That has a ripple effect. I just think it's unfortunate that we did not have a more national, centralized structure. Imagine trying to fight World War II, that each state decided how they were going to do it. When we decided we weren't going to listen to the Pentagon, that we would make our own decisions about, you know, what we were going to land on June 6 or not. That's insane.
And I think that principle applies here. So certainly I'm disappointed it became ideological. I don't understand it. I don't understand, especially around masking and some of the basic principles. And I think what we've always known is, this was not a choice between the economy and health, the two go hand-in-hand. And so now, of course, whether it be death rates or the number of cases, they have soared way past where we're at. And their economic recovery has shown to be no stronger, in many cases weaker than what we have.
So, no, and I'm trying to maintain relationships, you know, with every governor. I will be candid and say it's pretty strained with South Dakota because it appears like there was a very aggressive proactive take to go at other governors for the decisions they made and mock those decisions I have never seen that before, I've never seen it anywhere else. And I'm not quite sure what to make of it, but it has had a negative consequence, there's no doubt about that.
FNS: I know that you have worked with other Midwestern governors to come up with policies or ideas that have worked and can work across the region. Were Govs. (Doug) Burgum (North Dakota) or (Kristi) Noem (South Dakota) asked to join some of those conversations?
TW: Yeah, I think the group that really, you know, we spend a lot of time and in fact, I facilitated a discussion this afternoon that Speaker Pelosi will be on with some of us. But that's been obviously Gov. Evers, it was Gov. Whitmer, Gov. Pritzker, Gov. Beshear, Gov. Holcomb, Gov. DeWine, kind of the Great Lakes governors and we did early on ask, and I will say this, my relationship and communication with Gov. Burgum I very much value, I consider him a friend.
He, in many ways, he was ahead of the nation in certain things. But I think the politics made it difficult for him. I don't want to speak for him, to be able to implement. And I think he ran into that problem so many of us had is that the science and the mandate we put out has to match with compliance of your citizens. And that became pretty difficult.
I will just be candid, we have virtually no communication with South Dakota. And I really hate that because I served with Gov. Noem. I considered her a friend. We worked on many things together, and in fact, we often partnered on ag issues and certain things. We did a lot and we partnered together on ethanol, biofuels. But I will say, since the start of the pandemic, that has changed pretty dramatically.
The president's approach to this and, you know, the division of politics made it so incredibly difficult for these folks to govern.
RELATED: Walz implores governors in North Dakota, South Dakota to take action against COVID-19
FNS: What would Minnesota look like if we took the path that South Dakota or North Dakota did, or if you had a Republican Legislature that could block the peacetime emergency?
TW: I think that's the thing that you often in this thing you get asked to prove a negative. And what I say is when I'm putting my proposals forward, they are proposals made with health care folks, with the best folks in that field, you know, being part of the suggestions to it. I think it's very clear that, again, it's hard to do apples to apples.
Just to be clear, Minnesota's population, if you take the Dakotas, Iowa and Wisconsin, which is a very similar population. But the difference is, is none of those states have an urban core of about 3 million like we do. And so we look in some cases like New Jersey or other places like that. With that being said, I often hear, you know, well, if we'd have kept open, these businesses would've been thriving so any businesses that closed, Gov. Walz is responsible for.
Actually, the data shows the states that took that road, they're not in any better position. Wisconsin's unemployment rate will actually go as far as the total economic output that we will probably get a better decision. But here's the one that I do think matches and it pretty hard. This is a 2+2=4 kind of thing, is that you can measure by the decisions you make in one of the things that every statistic the Kaiser Foundation and other looks at is deaths per 100,000. If I had mirrored South Dakota, as we said, instead of having right now 3,700 deaths, which is horrific in itself, we would be closer to 7,200 deaths. And the thing that we could not yet know is would that have been exacerbated further? Because the population we have here, that would have overwhelmed the hospitals sooner rather than later.
And the unknown in this that I think is unconscionable, that people aren't feeling the responsibility for, we don't know what the long-term damage of these infections are going to be. And the idea that you would not try and prevent as many as you could until we got to a safe place with the vaccine is pretty irresponsible.
Here in Minnesota, certainly, we're not perfect in our response, we continue to try and learn, but the fact is six weeks ago we were 21st in infection rates while Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin were 1, 2, 3 and 5 and now we're there with them.
If your neighbor's house is on fire, and they choose not to put it out, those flames lead to you and that's what happened.
FNS: Governor, are there things that you would do differently, knowing what you know now about the virus and about pandemic response?
TW: Yeah, God forbid, if this ever happened again, I do think there are things that we certainly would have done differently. I said I think we would have done more on masks and enforced that earlier. I think that could have made a difference.
I think being strategic around the lockdown, I think we would have still gone with a pretty robust lockdown, but we would not have done it all the way out or tried to, I think in the lockdown, what we learned is things like retail, especially smaller retail if done right, poses little risk.
And then I think there needs to be a way to figure out how you do education. But we've done pretty well on medicine, know the strength there. But we now have a strategic stockpile of personal protective equipment because every government state in the nation was told they had this thing. So we didn't have it. We're not going to make that mistake again. We have our own here and I think I would try to figure out a way out of no matter what happens we have got to keep children in school and safe as a top priority. And we did not. And to figure out how to do that early on. I think we're getting closer now.
So I think that sort of things retrospectively looking at what about this and that and then just candidly, I wrack my brain daily and I'm trying again around the vaccine because I want the vaccine to be totally nonpartisan. I want Republican legislators for the first time since March to stand with me on something on COVID and say, The governor's with us and we're with the governor, no daylight between us. This is a gameplan on rolling out the vaccine and this is how we're going to do it.
I can try and I think we're going to get even harder to try and do that. But I have to tell you, I'm all for the things I can do. But at every move, President Trump made it very difficult for us to do that.
Working together is one thing, but I was never going to accept their premise that this was not a real thing and that we should just let everything go back to normal. So their complaint is, "the governor doesn't listen to us." I'm not going to listen to you on something that goes against all the data, goes against all of the best practices. And just that the Legislature doesn't have the same responsibility I do with the executive in this. Each and every one of those decisions is going to impact lives, and I have to be responsible for that.
So I will acknowledge that in a history of two years, we've done some pretty good things in a bipartisan split government. And then this thing got blown apart because it became ideological.
I'm still daily getting letters from Republican legislators who say, "This is outrageous," holding everything up. And on the same day, I get letters from their hospital that says, "Oh, for God's sakes, do not listen to them on this. We are overwhelmed, we have no bed space."
And that's the type of thing going on. But I do acknowledge and I hope you see this and I'm going to do the thing that you're not supposed to do in politics. I've been telling you how to set the bar really high and ask us to try and get there. I want the vaccine rollout to be a bipartisan endeavor so that when the constituents of Republican legislators wonder, is this vaccine safe? Is it a fair distribution? Are they doing all they can to get it to us? I want them to say, "Well, I don't know if I believe Gov. Walz, but I believe Sen. So-and-so and he told me that's what we need to do."
That reduces the chances. And in all fairness, there are Republican legislators now who have taken to telling their folks, "Wear the mask, it works." So that part of retroactively looking back and going forward, lessons learned is something I'll continue to try to do.
FNS: What has the impact been to the state of having this pandemic become such a politically polarizing issue?
TW: Yeah, well, again, not to cry over spilled milk but I appreciate you asking the question because a lot of times this gets into two sides that he said this and he said that and no, there are not two sides. All the available evidence shows that you can reduce the spread of COVID-19 in an effective manner by wearing a mask.
And it would be one thing if they said, "I don't want to wear a mask so I'm not going to do it," but they actively promoted not doing it, they actively mocked me when I said, "Do not gather in large numbers." And you have leadership, elected leadership, sending out pictures of large crowds gathering at a President Trump rally and acting like they're sticking it to the libs or sticking it to the governor. My concern when I see that picture is, oh, my God, the nurses eventually here — 14-21 days down the line — this is going to come. So I, again, and I think you go back and look, I have a track record that I'm proud of, being bipartisan, of not interjecting. You don't hear me say, "Republicans didn't do this, Republicans didn't do that." I don't do that very often. But on this one, they actively undermined public health guidance to the detriment of our response.
And for that, I am deeply disappointed, quite candidly, very angry. And when I hear them say,"The governor doesn't work with us," that's not true. They have to approve every single expenditure because we set that up, we did it together. This whole idea that you get to blame me for the businesses, but don't have to take any responsibility for the deaths or overcrowding at the hospital that, simply, has made it very difficult to get things done.
So I believe, candidly, that starting with the president and starting with the polarization of this public health issue, that directly contributed — because it certainly isn't the intelligence or the innovation of the American people or the, you know, the resiliency of us — we have done this worse than any other nation. You can't explain that because we have more money, more technology and we've done hard things before. The only thing that explains this is we were not unified in our approach to attack this and it has caused countless deaths and anguish that's out there. And again, there'll be an accounting of this and I'm frustrated by it. That's why I think we need to pivot on this and we need to go on how we move to the next phase, which is continuing to stop the spread and moving towards the vaccination process.
FNS: Have you seen any change of heart or change of tone from Minnesota Republicans around pandemic response?
TW: Yes, they have. There are legislators who stood up over these past couple weeks and said, "Hey, this polarization around masks, it doesn't help us, just help us out and wear the mask."
I hate it that they seem to get a lot of hell about that but I think I do think that there's a change, I do think there's a desire. And the conversation we had about the relief package and then that kind of segwaying into the vaccine plan … that has been the best conversation, I think in a bipartisan candid respectful way of everybody all the way around that we've had in quite some time, and I think, again, people did not recognize Democratic legislators, Republican legislators, me as governor and others. Our ability to work together over the last couple of years has been the outlier in the country. It really has. And that's something I'm very proud of.
FNS: Governor, what do you hope your legacy will be in the way that you govern this year?
TW: I would just hope that people said, "He did what's right, he didn't do what was easy, he did it for the right reasons." As I said, time and time again, and I recognize this, it's not politically popular to tell people hard things. It's just like with your children. It doesn't make you the good parent when you say, "Eat the broccoli," it's better to buy the PS5 or whatever.
But in this case, I hope people say that he followed the science. He was compassionate, that every Minnesotan mattered, and that he made the best decisions possible at the time. And then I think one thing that's important to me is that I took responsibility for the decisions that were on but that I was very clear that the things that were right because of Minnesotans, because of innovative leaders, because of partnerships.
FNS: Governor, what keeps you up at night?
TW: I'm worried about what's happening with our children. I'm trying to think of ways to how do we get them caught back up? How do we make sure that this experience for them while it will be a defining part of their life is a positive, that they're in the moment, that they overcome the challenges?
I certainly would never want any generation to have to live through WWII or the Depression. I think many of us, the lessons we saw that came out of this, the sense that built the legacy of who this country is, who we are as a people, I would hope we start to find some of that. I'm not naive, there was not unanimous support around plans in 1918, support around that pandemic, that there were a lot of similarities with what's happened now, but I think it's probably worse. That keeps me up and I worry that we don't use this as an opportunity, especially in the middle of all this.
With the issue on George Floyd and confronting an honest history that has incredible contributions to the human race and that sense of pride that came out of this great state, but that human things where we failed and there's no shame in that. The shame comes if we don't address it.
And I think it keeps me up because the love that we have for this state, the uniqueness of it, the things that drew me here, that made this place so special. Those things are all still there. But we don't get to just tell them that rosy history that fits us.
I'm concerned when I see people falling into camps, seeing people saying we have to protect our way of life against the other. Who's the other? The other is your neighbor, they're us, and so I am concerned and it keeps me up and it also keeps me up in a way of planning and thinking about what can come out of this, the world is going to look different. Certain industries are not going to come back the same way. But certain things are OK.
And I do think that sense of just how precious some of the things we have that COVID has exposed, that George Floyd has exposed, that we have the opportunity to make it a little better because this is a special place. As I looked across the country, and this state, as I saw it, I thought this is the way it should be. They value children, they value education, science, business, all of those things. So I want to make sure that what's happened this year, that we're defined by how we respond to it, not by this year alone.
Follow Dana Ferguson on Twitter @bydanaferguson, call 651-290-0707 or email dferguson@forumcomm.com
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currently in preconstruction at 6811 Sussex Avenue and 6525 Sussex Avenue, Burnaby. Highline Metrotown has a total of 327 units. The taller 48 story tower will be 158.5 meters tall. I think this will be the tallest on Beresford, although that is dependent on the height of Sun Towers 1. As Spr0ckets had said, the lantern on the top motif is a bit overused, but this will be a great addition to Beresford regardless.
This should be an interesting project to keep track of - especially as one of the only projects in the Metrotown area currently under construction with any significant non-market housing component.
It's proceeding briskly through excavation right now and they should start laying in the footing concrete and parkade levels in a few weeks time.
This tower also needs its own thread to maintain interest. Feel free to add 158.5 meters to the thread title.


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Vizio D Series vs V Series: Which Smart TV is better?
January 19, 2022 by Jon | *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases
If you've set your eyes on a Vizio model, you probably appreciate the level of quality that this brand delivers without breaking the bank. With Vizio being an extensive TV manufacturer, narrowing your choice to a specific mode can be challenging.
In this Vizio D Series vs V Series comparison article, we'll focus on two of their popular TV lines to help you decide which one is the better choice for you.
Vizio D Series vs V Series
These series are relatively new in Vizio's lineup, as the manufacturer only started producing them a couple of years ago. Although they lack some advanced features, they offer quality 1080p and 4K panels for buyers who don't want to splurge on a big brand name.
The D Series and the V Series offer well-rounded features suitable for all-around entertainment, from watching movies, shows, and sports to playing video games. In terms of the quality of craftsmanship, both lines fall somewhere in the middle. Both of the series have more similarities than differences, but there are some features that can help you differentiate them and pick the most suitable model for you. To determine all of the nuances that set them apart, let's dig deeper into their features, starting with the D Series.
Vizio D Series
Vizio D Series models are affordable and generally cheaper than most V Series models. You can find models from this lineup that cost around $300 or less. Considering the picture quality, connectivity, and Smart TV properties you're getting, this price is hard to find with many other quality TV brands.
Panel Technology
D Series TVs use standard LED VA panels. These panels offer great picture quality and excellent contrast ratio but tend to quickly lose image quality when viewing off-center. This makes them inferior to more modern panel types like QLED and OLED.
Vizio D Series models employ the IQ Active™ processor for all image processing tasks. While this processor certainly isn't as capable as those from higher-end brands, it still delivers enough power for solid general usage.
Vizio D Series models have noticeably better motion technology and deliver faster response times than V Series TVs. While they might not offer near-instantaneous response times like some LG TVs, they can still fully transition between images in just twelve to sixteen milliseconds.
Contrast Ratio / Black Level
The native contrast ratio on most Vizio D Series TVs is impressive. When viewing dark scenes, especially if you're in a dark environment, you can enjoy blacks that always appear deep and rich.
Vizio D Series TVs have a direct backlight and don't possess local dimming features, neither in out-of-the-box configuration nor in game mode.
Peak Brightness
Depending on which D Series model you get, you can expect anywhere from disappointing to good SDR peak brightness. Additionally, most D Series models don't support HDR, but the ones that do offer okay HDR peak brightness. Although they can't get very bright, they can maintain steady brightness regardless of the window size.
Most sets from this lineup have an okay color gamut but can't display an HDR color gamut. This is with the exception of the Vizio D Series 4K models, which offer decent coverage of the Rec 2020 color space. Unfortunately, when it comes to the color volume, the series is limited by the low peak brightness, so the colors are often not as rich as they should be.
D Series models have underwhelming viewing angles. This is no surprise, as all VA panels typically have poor viewing angles. While the exact numbers may vary from model to model, image quality in D Series TVs degrades rapidly and generally starts losing brightness even at angles under thirty degrees. Knowing this, Vizio D Series TVs are unsuitable for wide viewing arrangements.
Reflections / Anti-glare
Newer Vizio D Series models all have a semi-gloss finish. This type of screen coating is good at handling reflections but not as capable of handling ambient light like a glossy finish screen. Looking into the numbers, D Series TVs reflect about 5% of total light and between 0.5% and 1.5% of indirect light, depending on the model. With that in mind, visibility is not an issue even in slightly brighter rooms.
Most Vizio D Series TVs have subpar sound properties. They come with a mediocre frequency response and a fairly weak bass. They can deliver clear dialogue and a balanced sound but generally can't get very loud, meaning that they're not the best choice for noisy environments or large rooms.
For these reasons, if you're planning on buying a D Series model, you should also consider pairing it with a budget-friendly soundbar.
Smart TV Platform (Operating System)
D Series TVs use the SmartCast TV platform like other Vizio models. This is a basic and easy-to-use Smart TV platform with many advanced options. SmartCast has an impressive selection of apps, but there's no option allowing you to install additional apps of your choosing. Furthermore, it's important to note that all Vizio D Series models don't have any ads in the SmartCast app.
Modern Vizio D Series models include all of the fundamental connectivity properties you would look for in a Smart TV. For a more detailed rundown of these features, we'll examine the three most important connectivity characteristics:
Vizio D Series models offer between two and three HDMI ports and just one USB port. Unfortunately, this series is a bit disappointing in terms of additional input specifications, as you can't find any D Series models with Dolby Vision or HDR10+. Most D Series models don't even support the basic HDR10 format.
Vizio D Series TVs use older-style remotes than the V Series models. Additionally, the D Series remote controllers don't support any voice assistant functions. D Series TVs still offer some voice control properties like changing inputs or opening apps. However, this is only available through Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Vizio D Series models support Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz) technology, while some models also support Bluetooth LE technology. Focusing on the latter means that you can only connect "low energy" devices like your phone or tablet to your D Series TV. However, you can't pair up more power-demanding devices like Bluetooth speakers, as you can with other Smart TVs that support Bluetooth.
Gaming Enhancements
Most Vizio D Series models come without any gaming enhancements. That said, the new Vizio D3 model does include gaming-friendly features like VRR and FreeSync, although there's still an absence of G-SYNC support. Still, having VRR and FreeSync gives the D Series an edge over the V Series in this category.
Recommended Vizio D Series Models
Vizio D3 Series 2021
The Vizio D3 Series is an excellent entry-level TV with a reasonable price tag. It's a mediocre TV in the grand scheme of things but offers great value for its price. This is because the D3 delivers a superb contrast, low input lag, and good color gamut and color volume. It also includes a very intuitive Smart TV platform with various streaming apps.
Vizio D Series 4K
If you want a 4K Vizio set without too many advanced features, the D Series 4K model is a perfect choice. It has fast response times with very low input lag and offers great HDR performance for its price tag. Additionally, it can also serve as a 4K gaming monitor, as there's almost no risk of a permanent burn-in with this model.
Vizio V Series
The Vizio V Series TVs possess some features that you can't find in D Series models, so it's understandable that they also come with a slightly higher price tag. Still, these TVs are very affordable and cost between $300 and $900, depending on the specific model and screen size you opt for.
Vizio V Series TVs use the same LED VA panel technology as D Series models, meaning that they come with the same advantages and disadvantages that mark this panel technology.
V Series models use the same IQ Active™ image processor as D Series TVs, so they offer identical performance capabilities on this front. The IQ Active™ processor offers decent processing speed and upscaling capabilities on 4K Vizio V Series models.
Most Vizio V Series TVs have mediocre response times and are considerably slower in transitioning between images than D Series TVs. More specifically, depending on which V Series model you choose, you can expect full scene transition times between eighteen and twenty-two milliseconds.
Vizio V Series TVs have an excellent native contrast ratio. While the contrast can vary between units, TVs from this lineup offer a native contrast ratio very similar to Vizio D Series models.
Identical to D Series models, Vizio V Series TVs don't have any local dimming features, so there's no way to compare the two series through this characteristic. If you're looking for strong local dimming properties, we recommend considering Sony or Samsung TVs.
Vizio V Series sets have sub-par to decent SDR brightness. They can produce enough brightness for an average lit room but not enough to overcome glare in slightly brighter rooms. HDR brightness is even worse, as HDR images often appear flat when displaying bright content. With that in mind, they offer equally inadequate peak brightness values as D Series TVs.
The Vizio V Series has a solid color gamut but one that's not wide enough to display a full range of any of the primary colors in HDR. Just like the D Series, this lineup is limited by its relatively low brightness, which sometimes results in less than impressive color saturation. Still, it offers slightly better color properties than the D Series.
V Series models offer similarly disappointing viewing angles like D Series TVs. They quickly start losing brightness as you move even slightly off-center. However, you can find some V Series models, like the 2019 V Series lineup, which offer solid viewing angles that start losing brightness only after viewing angles of forty or more degrees.
Like D Series models, Vizio V Series sets also come with a semi-gloss screen finish. Simply put, they have nearly identical reflection handling properties as D Series TVs. Unless you're planning on watching TV in a very bright room or setting your TV opposite a direct light source, D Series and V Series models are equally suitable.
Vizio V Series TVs have marginally better sound quality than D Series TVs, mainly because they deliver better LFE (Low-frequency extension) values. Models from this lineup have an okay frequency response and deliver fairly clear dialogues even at higher volume levels. Still, all V Series models noticeably lack bass, so you shouldn't expect them to produce any room-shaking rumble.
The Vizio V Series uses the same SmartCast TV operating system. This is a relatively smooth Smart TV platform, easy to use, and has many advanced options. It doesn't feature any ads and has a great selection of apps, including HDR Netflix and HDR YouTube. Considering all of this, the V Series has equally decent Smart TV properties as the D Series.
Regarding connectivity traits and capabilities, V Series models have relatively the same properties as Vizio D TVs. For a closer examination of how the two lineups fare, let's see the V Series' supported input, voice assistant, and wireless technologies features:
Vizio V Series models generally include three HDMI ports and at least one USB port. Input lag times can vary significantly between models, as older V Series sets deliver slightly above average input lag numbers, while newer models offer outstanding input lag values.
Most V Series TVs also support the Dolby Vision and HDR10 inputs, while newer models from this lineup also support HDR10+. This makes them far superior to D Series models in this category.
While most Vizio V Series come with a newer Smart TV remote control, this is still a reasonably basic remote without a microphone, so there aren't any voice control options. Still identical to the D Series, V Series models allow you to interact with the TV through Google Home or Amazon Alexa by linking a smart speaker to the TV.
Vizio V Series TVs support Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz) technology like the D Series models. Moreover, they employ the same Bluetooth technology, meaning they're only compatible with Bluetooth LE devices.
Unfortunately, Vizio V Series TVs don't have any gaming enhancements like FreeSync and G-SYNC. Since they feature a native refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is fixed at this value, V Series also doesn't support VRR.
Recommended Vizio V Series Models
Vizio V Series 2020
The Vizio V Series 2020 model is a solid TV for most general uses. While it can't get very bright, this TV offers an exceptional native contrast ratio and great black uniformity. It can upscale content very well and serve as a PC monitor, even for HDR gaming. Compared to most other Vizio sets, this model also has very good reflection handling properties
Vizio V5 Series 2021
Vizio V5 Series 2021 TV is one of the better Vizio models in its price range. It performs exceptionally well for watching movies and TV shows in dark environments because it has a great native contrast ratio and impressive black uniformity.
Although it can't get very bright, this TV excels at removing judder from native 24p sources and has very accurate colors out of the box. It also boasts good reflection handling and low input lag.
After this thorough Vizio D Series vs V Series comparison, we can say that the two lineups are much more similar than they are different. Still, there are some characteristics that can help you differentiate them and pick the most suitable model.
D Series TVs are primarily better for gaming, as they have better motion technology and include some gaming features. On the other hand, the V Series offers slightly better viewing angles, color accuracy, sound quality and has superior input features. Of course, the V Series is also slightly more expensive than the D Series because of all of this.
Related Read: Vizio M Series vs V Series: Which Smart TV is best?
About Jon
Hey, I'm Jon. I'm an engineer by trade, so it makes sense that I'm obsessed with anything technology related! On the weekends, you can find me playing around with my computers or fixing something around the house. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to get in touch.
Blink vs Arlo: Which home security brand is best?
Samsung TV Volume Stuck: How to troubleshoot and fix


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Showing posts with label pineapple pensioner. Show all posts
Serious Seagulls in Suffolk, stunned pensioner, who moved Oxford, Potter off, and get a life
Weather OK, car radiator still in its shiny new box (sorry DD), and is it me but wasn't the TV crap last night?
Clean up or cough up
The posh council down in Aldeburgh, Suffolk: Benjamin Britten's stamping ground has decided that if you feed the seagulls you will be fined £2,500, because they have become a serious problem, seagulls that is not the Council.
They claim; the Council that is not the seagulls, that the area is 'under siege' from seagulls and hope the fine will deter people from offering them titbits, which encourages the birds to swoop down and steal food.
Many holidaymakers who visit picturesque Aldeburgh, famed for its shingle beach and fisherman's huts, have reported close shaves with attacking seagulls in scenes reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's classic horror film The Birds.
The town also attracts thousands of people in June for the internationally renounced Aldeburgh Festival, started by Britten in 1948 to celebrate classical music, and councillors claim many of the visitors have complained of sleepless nights due to the raucous calls of the gulls.
And have put up signs-"Please do feed the gulls. Feeding encourages them to pester for food. It is also a littering offence. Maximum penalty – £2,500."
The same notice also states that anyone allowing a dog on the beach during the summer months could be fined a maximum of just £500.
However, the council insists that offenders will only face being taken to court if they refuse to pay an on-the-spot penalty of £80 which is reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
Viv Hotten, a Suffolk Coastal District Council spokesman, said: "The maximum fine might seem heavy-handed, but seagulls are a serious problem in Aldeburgh.
"There is a real issue with fish and chip papers left littering the seafront and the seagulls love to scavenge the chips and food scraps.
"They get so used to scavenging chips that they swoop down and annoy people trying to eat on the beach.
"We just hope the signs will be a deterrent and people will use their common sense and dispose of their fish and chip papers properly in the bins provided.
Do these people actually want visitors to come to their posh town?
Pensioner poleaxed by pineapple
Mary Raimo, a 76-year-old grandmother, is suing Tesco after she was allegedly hit on the back of the head by a falling pineapple.
The pensioner claims to have suffered severe neck pain and headaches since the incident happened in her local store in Lochee, Dundee, which has since closed down, and is demanding compensation.
"I was in the reduced section for the fruit, looking at some on the second shelf. Another lady was looking at the pineapples on the top shelf," she said.
""The next thing I knew - clunk - I got hit on the back of the head. I dropped my basket and staggered to the floor.
"My vision was blurred. I could not think straight. I sat there for a while and got my bearings. I didn't dare drive home, so I got them to phone my sister and come and pick me up."
A doctor later diagnosed concussion, but she claims she has been in pain since the incident happened a year ago.
"My neck is still sore," she told The Daily Mirror.
""When I'm driving I can't turn and see what is coming. It's a horrible feeling."
Alasdair Wannan, her lawyer, who is attempting to trace witnesses, said: "It is her position the shelf was poorly stacked. Tesco say it was another customer who knocked it off.
"We are not seeking massive damages, but we would be looking for £3,000 or £4,000 to compensate for Mary's injuries."
A Tesco spokeswoman said: "Customer safety is very important to us and we are looking into what happened, our best wishes are with the Mary Raimo for a speedy recovery.
"As this matter is in the hands of our insurance team, we're unable to comment further."
I can understand this happening, I have been hit by various items falling from shelves in Tesco, and items in difficult places to reach, I had to get some loo rolls yesterday and they were on the top shelf, with a pallet of foodstuffs in front and I had to climb on the pallet to reach them, add to that the endless supply of internet shopping robots that congregate at both ends of the aisles and cages of goods all over the place Tesco is an accident waiting to happen.
I thought they were supposed to be intelligent in Oxford
Oxford's airport has been rebranded as London Oxford Airport, the ninth to use the capital's name, despite it being nearly 60 miles from the city centre.
The Oxford Civic Society is a bit miffed; Ros Weatherall, said: "Good grief. Oxford is a great place in its own right and I find it insulting it is being considered just another offshoot of London.
"Trying to make Oxford seem like a suburb of London is very misleading.
"This is an insult to the major historical and cultural impact Oxford has had on the country."
The society's transport secretary David Townsend added: "It seems rather silly.
"Oxford isn't a London airport and we wouldn't want it to be.
"Anyone who wanted to go to London wouldn't want to end up in Kidlington.
"I find it amazing; Oxford is quite capable of standing on its own feet."
James Dillon Godfray, marketing manager at the site, hopes to bring in up to five more private business flights a day, on top of the existing daily total of 10.
"We're not meaning to insult Oxford or play down its history," he said.
"Oxford is probably the second best recognised city in the UK throughout the entire world but people just don't realise how close it is to London.
Err sorry Dillon but SIXTY MILES isn't close, five miles is close, ten miles is "neighbouring", twenty miles is distant and sixty miles is in another firkin galaxy.
Alien twit who?
A four hundred foot diameter crop circle of an owl has appeared in a field in Wiltshire, amid a theory that it is a tribute to Harry Potter's pet Hedwig.
The pattern, the latest in a string of bird-themed designs seen this summer, appeared overnight in a field in Woodborough Hill.
But while crop circle specialists are searching for a meaning, and some are convinced it is a tribute to the teenage wizard.
Steve Killick, a Harry Potter fan, said: "It is very exciting to think that there are fans of Harry from other galaxies.
"Most of the world has fallen in love with Harry Potter so it makes sense that most of the universe will do eventually too."
Numpty (well I Had to get one in somewhere)
Phone book philistine
There is this guy from Philadelphia, US who has decided to waste his life carving "famous" faces from old phone books, He said: "Every year when the new phone book comes out you see just piles of the old ones lying around waiting for collection.
"I'm sure a lot of hard work goes into recycling them but there are thousands that go unused at all because most people just use the internet to find people these days.
"I was out looking for wood to make a sculpture one day and I noticed a huge pile of them on the pavement. I suddenly thought they would probably make a pretty good material for carving, so I gave it a go."
The resourceful artist now produces up to two new impressions every month and has been crafting his works for 14 years.
He begins by selecting his famous face and copies it by freehand sketching.
His drawing is then placed over the phone book as a template and he uses an artist's scalpel or basic razor blades to patiently slice away at the thousands of pages inside the famous book.
"It can be quite tense work sometimes because it takes a long time to finish and when you cut something away you can't get it back again.
"Nearing the end of the carving and then suddenly having it ruined by a careless cut can be pretty crushing. You have to start all over again."
Out of his huge repertoire of celebrity 'mugs', the part-time natural foods shop worker definitely has his favourites.
"Some celebrities have just got brilliant faces," he said. "People like John Goodman and Jack Nicholson are so instantly recognisable because they have these odd features that really stand out.
"It's those kind of people who work out better in the book."
Oh yes, his name is Alex Queral.
A pencil and paper is what I use.
Labels: crop circle, Oxford airport, phone book sculptor, pineapple pensioner, seagulls


Amateur Radio opened many doors for David Larsen, KK4WW, that began in high school, with the US Navy, a front row seat to the burgeoning computer industry, a career at Virginia Tech, World travel, and a visit to the White House. David joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today to discuss his ham radio life and all of the wonderful opportunities and relationships that amateur radio created. Now as the historian and curator of the Bugbook Historical Microcomputer Museum, David has his perfect vehicle for preserving his unique past for future generations.


After years of discussion and debate, the City Council on Monday night voted to buy most of the former Fernald Center site on Trapelo Road.
About $2.7 million of Community Preservation Act funding will be used to purchase 138.977 acres of the site while $795,668.20 will be used from the city's general fund to buy 40 acres. In total, the site spans 200 acres.
Using CPA money to buy a portion of the site restricts uses for that portion to open space, recreation or historic preservation. There will be no restrictions placed on the portion purchased with regular city funding. The council also approved letting Mayor Jeannette McCarthy sign associated legal documents required for the sale.
Under the deal, the city would pay a total of $3.7 million, which includes other associated costs, but the state would continue operating the Marquardt Nursing Center. The state would also retain several buildings in which residents previously worked and lived.
The state had anticipated that the home for people with developmental disabilities would be shuttered by 2007, but residents fought a long legal battle that allowed them to stay for years. The last resident left the site in November.
While all councilors supported buying the site, some had disagreements over using CPA money.
"We have more than enough money in the general fund [to purchase the entire site]," Councilor-at-large Paul Brasco said.
Other councilors opposed the purchase Monday because they believe the city did not have enough information to make an informed decision or proper planning for future uses of the site. Ward 9 Councilor Robert Logan repeated his previous concerns, saying the city lacked proper demolition cost estimates, environmental cleanup cost estimates and an appraisal. He said he asked for those estimates to be done, but had not received anything back.
"This could be the biggest financial albatross to ever hit the city," Logan said.
McCarthy has hired an appraiser, though the final assessment has not yet been completed.
Councilor-at-large Tom Stanley, who is challenging McCarthy in the 2015 election, objected to buying the site now and echoed some of Logan's concerns.
"I am troubled by the lack of planning that is going on professionally with the city of Waltham," Stanley said.
Stanley said he feared learning of future site cleanup costs years from now.
"We're going to have no recourse," he said.
Despite the concerns, other councilors said they were comfortable voting to buy the site.
Ward 3 Councilor George Darcy supported the purchase because he claimed using CPA money was "compatible" with potential future uses he said north Waltham residents supported. He listed several potential uses such as a dog park, driving range, ice staking rink or a baseball field.
For Ward 4 Councilor John McLaughlin, purchasing the site would protect it from being developed.
At one point during the meeting, Logan motioned to delay the vote until Dec. 22 to ask McCarthy to alter the funding mix for the purchase, but that motion failed.


Japan is releasing some economic reports such as Tertiary Industry Activity m/m and Flash Manufacturing PMI along with the US publishing Existing Home Sales, Flash Services PMI and Flash Manufacturing PMI.
The support rests at 109.100 with resistance at 109.450 which both lines are below the weekly pivot point at 109.570. The EMA of 10 is moving with bullish bias and it is below the EMA of 200 and the EMA of 100. The RSI is moving horizontally above the 50 level, the Stochastic is showing downward momentum and the MACD indicator is in neutral territory. The ADX is showing weak buy signals.
Long positions are recommended targeting 110.


Ashley Nicole Hazzard, 26 of Rome, was arrested on Paris Drive after police said they found her to be in possession of marijuana after failing to maintain her lane of traffic.
Reports said that during the traffic stop Hazzard gave police a fake name and date of birth.
Hazzard is charged with giving false information to police, possession of marijuana, driving on a suspended license and failure to maintain lane.


If this outcome occurs, an error message appears (see Troubleshooting Options). The user will have an option to view the Pre-Conversion Data Checklist Report (see Pre-Conversion Data Checklist). The software will unlock the CMS Professional tables.


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The best (and absolute worst) Spider-Man appearances in video games
Spidey swings high and low, and so do his video games.
Henry Stenhouse
Ugh, what the heck is this sticky mess doing everywhere? Oh, no, you left the window open again, didn't you? It's almost Spider-Man day again, and you know how excited real world spiders get this time of year! Listen spiders, we get it, Spider-Man is pretty cool! In fact, he's no stranger to our favorite hobby.
Despite his current popularity on the silver screen, the arachnid comic book champ has made his home in far more games than movies over the years, though sadly, quantity doesn't always equal quality. Tell you what, we'll forget about the cobwebs for now if you'll indulge us in a spot of reminiscing. Join us as we celebrate Spider-Man day with a look back over the very best and worst Spider-Man appearances in video game history, be it games, cameos, or even fan-made mods.
The best Spider-Man appearances in video games
© Insomniac
We couldn't really kick this list off anywhere other than Marvel's Spider-Man. Prior to 2018, our wall-climbing hero was mired in a sticky web of mediocre releases, and we weren't far from considering his days a video game star over. But the instant we leapt out of that window for the first time and began swinging through Manhattan, everything changed.
You know that moment in all the Spider-Man movies where the hero first learns to swing? No video game has so perfectly captured the sheer joy of looping your way between towering city blocks. If Marvel's Spider-Man had nailed only that, it still would have been a decent game. Yet on top of that we got one of the best-acted superhero games ever, and a complex, challenging combat system to boot. All we can say is bring on Miles Morales!
© Treyarch
The original king. Long before they became part of Activision's churning watermill of Call of Duty releases, developer Treyarch was responsible for creating one of the best Spidey games on the market. Released alongside the second of Sam Raimi's films in 2004, the game's story perfectly mirrored the movie's plot, but it was the open world that really won players over.
It may not look impressive by modern standards, but few games of the time provided such a large open playground, let alone tear around it at such pace. Spider-Man 2 was a blast to spend time in, and it stood as a benchmark for superhero games for more than a decade.
Marvel vs Capcom
© Capcom
Until its untimely death after the disappointing release of Infinite, the Marvel vs Capcom series was one of the most prestigious fighting games around. One of the star showings of early EVOs, it mashed together two incredibly popular worlds long before gaming crossovers were in vogue. It even had the audacity to be brilliant, while at it (yes we are judging you Mario and Sonic).
Spidey has been a staple of the series since before the Marvel crew even mixed with Street Fighter's world warriors. His quick wit and web combos are almost synonymous with the series, and he also served as a great entry point for those less aware of the comic universe's less well known heroes and villains.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Now listen, they don't ever directly state it, but the stars of Tony Hawk games are clearly superhuman. You show us a real-life skater who can flip 90 degrees in an instant, converting their vertical momentum of a half pipe into a full-speed grind. As our three-times-broken legs can confirm, it simply can't be done.
To that end, it wasn't all that surprising when Spider-Man made his entry as a secret character in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. The series has since featured quite the roster of weird and wacky characters, including other Marvel faces such as Wolverine and Iron Man. Yet of all the super-human additions, Spidey is the only one you could actually imagine joining in with skating competition. Any chance we could have him back when the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 remaster arrives?
The worst Spider-Man appearances in video games
If there's one achievement that Spider-Man 3 can proudly claim, it's that at least it wasn't as bad as the movie. Still, if that's the trophy you choose to place in your cabinet, then you know something went very wrong in your life. Clogged full of dreadful quicktime events, the disappointment of Spider-Man 3 was only exacerbated by the fantastic title that had preceded it. Still, at least it provided us with this phenomenal moment of comedic genius.
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
© Activision
Forcing Spider-Man to team up with all his greatest foes to tackle an unknown villain. What a great concept! Aaaaaand what dreadful execution. What could have been a really cool game ended up little more than a rote beat-'em-up with no fun, flavor or challenge. And the lead player could only ever be Spidey! You can't promise a full treasure trove of allied villains and then only let our friends or siblings get to wreak havoc as Rhino or Venom. Shameful.
Skyderim (a.k.a. the stuff of nightmares)
And so we reach the foul-webbed depths of virtual Spider-Man hell. A realm in which only the jankiest, most broken superheroes dare to tread. Or, er, web sling. Our vote for the absolute worst time spidey has ever stepped into video games isn't even an official release. Oh no, for this level of repugnance we need to reach into the putrid, squelching bag of Skyrim mods. Behold, Spider-Man's appearance in the Elder Scrolls:
We can only assume that the mod's creator, driven by a noble heart, wanted to help out Skyrim players suffering from arachnophobia. And what better way to make these overgrown eight-legged beasts less terrifying than to replace them with everyone's friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man? Unfortunately, as one look at, well, that, will tell you, it somewhat backfired and created a foe capable of sending shivers down even the most stoic of Dragonborn spines. But hey, here's to egality at least.
Know a brilliant (or god-awful) Spider-Man appearance that we missed? Share it with us in the comments below! We promise not to bite. Well, not a radioactive one at least.
Henry Stenhouse serves an eternal punishment as the Associate Editor of AllGamers. He spent his younger life studying the laws of physics, even going so far as to complete a PhD in the subject before video game journalism stole his soul. Confess your love of Super Smash Bros. via email at henry.stenhouse@allgamers.com, or catch him on Twitter.


In support of the Victoria Transit Future Plan, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission has approved investing $1.5 million dollars in bus/bike only lanes on Douglas Street. Phase 1 of Douglas Street Priority Transit and Cycling Lanes officially opened on June 9, 2014 and phase 2 was officially opened on September 3, 2015.
The southbound Douglas Street bus priority lanes expansion, reaching from Tolmie Avenue to Hillside Avenue, is now complete. As of Monday, November 5th, priority bus lanes will be in effect both northbound and southbound between Fisgard Street and Tolmie Avenue.
The priority lanes are meant for buses, including those run by BC Transit and private tour companies. Motorists are allowed to enter the priority bus lanes only if making a right hand turn within the block.
The priority lanes, an infrastructure project designed in partnership with the City of Victoria, will shorten travel times for passengers, increase the reliability of public transit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging more transit use will also lower the number of vehicles on the road, helping to reduce congestion. The Douglas Street corridor currently supports as many as 1,700 vehicles per hour during peak travel times.
The fine for being in a priority bus lane is $109. The Victoria City Police will engage in an active education campaign in the coming weeks.
Construction is set to begin in late January for the southbound Douglas Street bus and bike priority lanes, which will reach from Tolmie Avenue to Hillside Avenue.
As the roadway is under the jurisdiction of the City of Victoria, the city is managing the construction contract process. Construction will include concrete and asphalt paving, sidewalk and boulevard restoration and improvements, tree and vegetation replacement, new line painting and new signal infrastructure.
The project is funded by the Province of BC and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission. Construction is expected to conclude in the fall of 2018.
Here's what's happened so far on our Victoria Regional Transit Priority Corridors Project.
Phase 1 of Douglas Street Priority Transit and Cycling Lanes officially opened on Monday June 9, 2014. Here's what your community looks like today.
Phase 1 of Douglas Street Priority Transit and Cycling Lanes officially opened on Monday June 9, 2014. Here are the documents supporting the plan.


Thank you, Greenstuff. Very kind!
Geese, that's so great that you're getting into fermentation! It is completely addictive. You'll be making stuff you never dreamed of making in no time. I swear, it happens to everyone! As for the yeast/bacteria question, I'm not going to go into the whole thing, but yes, there are bacteria AND yeast involved in this process. There are tons of little bacteria living on the surface of the things that grow in the earth (l. plantarum covers a lot of it) and they are good guys (aka probiotics). When you put them in an anaerobic environment (under water) those bacteria activate and start eating all the sugars they can find. So honey can actually impede your starter from starting or even if that works, your ginger beer from fermenting after you have a starter. Depending on where you live (winter cold = slower fermentation), I would really give it a shot with sugar. Figure out where you're at and what things would look like, then you'll know when you try it with honey if everything is okay. Some people think it's "dangerous" (quotes necessary) to use honey because your yeasts/sugar/bacteria ratios can get out of hand. I have used just about every sweetener you can think of and nothing but good digestive things have ever come to me or anyone I know from eating my ferments. So go crazy! But it might be easier on you to give it a sugar shot first!
The blog is easy to find if you click on ILovePhilly's user name. It looks amazing.
I'm also curious why the anti-bacterial properties in honey would kill yeast. I've heard this a few times, but I can't find any reason for it and . Unless yeast is a kind of bacteria?
For your first batch, you might want to use plain old sugar. You can totally use honey, but since honey has some antibacterial properties (which can negatively impact your "ginger bug") it's kind of a JV-level sweetener for ferments (IMO). My thinking there is that you see how the process works, how long it takes to start the bug, how long fermentation takes in your area/this season and what you like. Then you substitute honey. I have had honey batches of a few things fail (like the honey killed my water kefir grains one time, but the other 99 times I've used honey it's been fine), so it is a thing to watch, but it will probably be fine.
Also, if you're concerned about sugar, let it ferment longer. The sugar feeds your bug and is converted, so your final product has a higher alcohol content and less sweetness.
I posted a recipe for a "less sweet" version of ginger ale but I never experimented with honey or other sweeteners. I think you could sub honey 1:1 by volume.


The MoU is seen as a marker for a growing relationship between the two nations, with Xi heralding their "deep friendship" following a meeting with Sergio Mattarella .
The news of this latest football venture was broken Friday by the Financial Times who saw a copy of a draft agreement between Serie A executives and China Media Group, the nation's primary state broadcaster. The deal would see cultural ties between the countries grow yet stronger.
According to the draft agreement, Italy's football federation would look to host a game a season in China within the next three years, provided they have an "adequate budget" to do so.
The plans could also see Italy and China's national teams play an exhibition match in the other's country.
There is already a high demand for Serie A football in China, and Italy's Supercoppa final has been held in China on four previous occasions as the Italian football federation seeks to expand its reach and fan base.
The plans, however, are still far from a reality as they could still be blocked by football authorities in either countries as well as top Serie A teams themselves.
Spain earlier this year had to postpone a La Liga game scheduled to be played in the US after uproar amongst clubs and fans alike.


A Mexican band which featured Freddy Fender before he "wasted days & wasted nights", much to the delight of his many friends & thousands of fans, myself included.
Freddy always had his unique "style" when singing. Often, he would bring in his one-word, Mexican "chale-chale" to great effect and, considering the fact that there were so many non-Mexican "Country" icons around, at the same time, Freddy Fender always managed to pull his audiences into the palm of his hand.
Freddy Fender was born Baldemar Huerto in Mexico, 1936, He, like so many young Mexican guys, was always interested in music & "showbiz", worked with various bands in the Tejano District, but was immediately "recognised" as a "Country- favourite" after recording & releasing the top-hit, "Before the next teardrop falls". In addition, he recorded about a dozen other albums which made it to the "charts" in America, albums that became huge sellers all around the World. He was well loved, because he did always have his own style in "putting a song across". He never changed his hair-style either, never did try to emulate anyone else, and his fans loved him for these unique characteristics.
What many people don't know, was the fact that Freddy did sing & record many songs with his band of the early days named "The Texas Tornados", songs entirely in the beautiful Mexican lingo. I loved all of them, but feature just three for my readers of eLanka. As I always say, it does not matter where good music comes from, it is always enjoyable, BUT, song lyrics do not sound too good, in some languages. Freddy Fender makes "Mexican" sound very good, and one certainly does not have to understand the lyric, to enjoy the song.
Freddy Fender passed away, far too young, at age 69.
These Mexican Songs are my tribute to him. Enjoy them folks, and sleep peacefully, Freddy Fender. You will never be forgotten.


After 2 failed marriages, I never thought I'd have this kind of love. You have taught me how to rise above my low expectations and create a vision of love worth living. And with a man whose really worth having.


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Mornings on Maple Street
a collection of articles, stories, photographs, the Lewis Hine Project, and much more by Joe Manning
About Joe Manning
North Adams, Massachusetts
NORTH ADAMS ARTICLES
North Adams Photos
North Adams Books
NORTH ADAMS TOURS AND PRESENTATIONS
Articles, Stories & Poems
DINERS, CAFES & SMALL TOWNS
BASEBALL, MUSIC, RADIO & MORE
PERSONAL STORIES & COMMENTARY
Lewis Hine Project
Old Photos Project
OLD NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Lewis Hine In Winchendon, Massachusetts
My caption: Mamie Laberge, Winchendon, Massachusetts, September 1911. Photo by Lewis Hine.
Lewis Hine caption: Mamie La Barge at her machine. Under legal age. Location: Winchendon, Massachusetts, September 1911, Lewis Hine.
In September of 1911, Lewis Hine took at least 40 child labor photographs in Winchendon, Massachusetts, a town in northern Worcester County. Ninety-seven years later, in September of 2008, I made a presentation about my project at the Springfield (Mass) Museums. After the event, a woman in the audience showed me copies of a few of these photos, all of them picturing a girl identified by Hine as Mamie La Barge (later identified as Mamie Laberge). The woman said that she believed that Mamie was her great aunt, and asked me to check into it.
Despite browsing through the Library of Congress photos many times, I didn't remember seeing any in Winchendon, nor did I know where the town was located. I agreed to help and started right away when I got home. Quickly, I found the photos on the Library's website, and then I discovered that Winchendon is only about 60 miles from my home. Excited about the prospect of doing research "on site" rather than on the Web, I printed all the photos and captions and put them in a binder. Several days later, I drove to Winchendon and poured through birth, marriage and death records at the town hall, town directories at the library, and took an eerie walk around one of the mills, now closed, windowless and empty.
See important links below:
Click on Stories Of The Winchendon Children to see all of my completed stories of the children. Click on History of White Brothers mills, where Hine took his photos. See Interview with Eric White, the great-great-grandson of the original owner. Glenallan Mill Gallery includes more than 20 of my recent photos of the historic mill where many of Hine's photos were taken. And check out the great article in Yankee Magazine about my work in Winchendon.
Stories Of The Winchendon Children
History of White Brothers mills (Spring Village Mill and Glenallan Mill)
Interview with Eric White, member of first generation that did not own the White Brothers mills
Glenallan Mill Gallery
Lewis Hine Project in Winchendon in March/April 2011 issue of Yankee Magazine!
Special announcement! I am pleased to announce Child Labor in Winchendon, an exhibit of my stories of the Winchendon children. The exhibit is at the Winchendon History & Cultural Center, 151 Front Street, in Winchendon. The exhibit officially opened on June 24, 2017, and is expected be there for the foreseeable future. Museum hours are normally Wednesdays from 10:00 am till noon, and 1:00 pm till 4:00 pm; and on Sundays from 1:00 pm till 4:00 pm. Or by appointment. Call 978-297-2421.
On June 11, 2011, a huge crowd, including dozens of descendants of Winchendon child laborers, attended an exhibition of the 40 photos that Lewis Hine took in this town 100 years ago. I gave a slideshow presentation about the stories of some of these children. The event took place at the Winchendon Senior Center, located in the historic building once occupied by Murdock High School, where some of the child laborers and many of their descendants attended school. The event was sponsored by the Winchendon Historical Society and the Winchendon Courier.
This website, and all of its contents, except where noted, is copyrighted by, and is the sole property of Joe Manning (aka Joseph H. Manning), of Florence, Massachusetts. None of the contents of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including copying, recording, downloading, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Joe Manning, or his rightful heirs or assignees.
Contact Joe
joe@sevensteeples.com
Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved. Mornings on Maple Street joe@sevensteeples.com
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When many people consider getting into the world of business, they will rack their brains for hours upon hours to come up with a great idea, an idea that could change the World and one that will make them millions. Often it doesn't have to be as difficult as people make it out to be and one of the best ways to create a successful business which you are passionate about, is to turn something that you love to do into a business.
We all have hobbies that can be easily turned into business success, look at people like Bennett Kireker, a man who turned his love for wine into a successful business or even people like Steve Jobs, a man with so much passion for technology and computing that he turned Apple into the industry giant that it is. There are many ways in which you can turn what you love into business and here are some of the things you need to do, in order to make it happen.
Just enjoying something or being an aficionado will not give you enough knowledge to truly make a successful business out of something that you love. You may love wine for example and even have a good understanding of how it is made but if you don't know what the best season is to grow Merlot grapes or which grapes make the best wine blends then you are going to struggle a little in the industry. Invest the time, and become an expert in what you love.
As with any business it will important that you have a firm understanding of the market which you are entering into. Spend a few weeks getting to know your competitors, who is making the most money? Who has the biggest brand? Where will your business fit in both locally and globally? These are just a few questions which you should be asking yourself before launching into business.
Ask yourself why you enjoy whatever it is that you like, if you are going to start a business selling something that you personally love, then you are the ideal customer for your business. When you start to think about what kind of products you will sell and how you will sell them, you are the best placed person to decide if it is a good idea or not. Think about the things that you buy and why, from there you can understand perfectly your target market.
The best advice that we can give is to simply go for it, assuming you have done the preparatory work, understand the industry, what you will be selling and who to, then the best way to find out if you can be successful is just to try it out. Far too many people sit on business ideas for long lengths of time, talking about what they will do and how they will do it, all the while there is someone across the street who has just created a profitable company whilst you were procrastinating. Don't stall, just give it a shot.


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Priognathus is a genus of dead log beetles in the family Pythidae. There is one described species in Priognathus, P. monilicornis.

References

Further reading

Tenebrionoidea
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Katie Way
Tone-Deaf Tina Fey Sketch Divides the Internet
Did Fey demolish white supremacists or simply advocate complacency?
Getty Images / Kevin Winter
Comedian Tina Fey's remarks on Thursday's "Weekend Update" in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, proved to be divisive among the left-leaning denizens of Twitter, as she advocated "sheet caking" in response to white supremacists rather than active opposition.
The six-minute "Weekend Update" spot on Saturday Night Live follows the University of Virginia alum's stream-of-consciousness reaction to the Charlottesville protests, during which she aims acerbic jabs at white nationalists and the president, interspersed with jokes about the fact that drag queens are actually men and Thomas Jefferson's slave mistress and rape victim Sarah "Sally" Hemings.
Fey's solution to the festering pustule that is the white supremacist movement in America? The so-called "grassroots movement" sheet-caking. Stay home and eat a whole cake, which Fey said "most of the women I know have been doing … once a week since the election."
The clip of Fey speaking out against President Donald Trump and the white supremacists in Charlottesville received a lot of positive attention, particularly from certain media outlets. Variety lauded Fey's "takedown" of the president, The Huffington Post credited her with "absolutely [destroying] Nazis," and CNN said she "slams white supremacists" in the sketch. Many people online held Fey's comments in similar regard. "Yes, Tina!" a collective sentiment says. "My liberal QUEEN! Slay those Nazis and take DRUMPF down with them!"
But not everyone was as enthused by Fey's tacit endorsement of inaction. Many pointed out that, offensive jokes aside, the "stay inside" strategy that Fey suggested played a serious role in the current state of the nation.
The current political climate is, for many people, an exhausting one to inhabit. Stress-eating is a natural response to the kind of immense stress that many people, particularly women, people of color, queer people, and religious minorities, feel plagued by right now.
But we cannot let Tina Fey be "all of us," because for underprivileged individuals, the stakes are too high to stay at home and eat cake.
SNL's "Weekend Update" Will Return for the Summer
By Monica Hunter-Hart
10.10.2016 8:55 PM
Making the 'SNL' Sets, From Wayne's World to Weekend Update
By Sean Hutchinson
8.11.2017 2:05 AM
Bill Hader, Leslie Jones Stole the Show on SNL's Weekend Update


FURTHER flowers have been sent in to the Loughborough Echo's sunflower appeal.
Marion Shields sent is a snap of her grandsons, Bradley Pilgrim aged 10 and Zack Pilgrim aged 4, next to the sunflowers they grew in her garden.
And Libbie Edwards, aged 5, has cultivated a crowning glory of a sunflower at her home in Hathern.
For details of other submissions, plus a picture page special, see this week's Echo newspaper.


Many companies think they are making a good "investment" when purchasing an onsite phone system but often overlook the hidden costs. It's not just high upfront costs, which can easily be $50,000 or more in upfront equipment, but it is also another system for your IT Department to update, manage and maintain. There are yearly maintenance fees and potential upgrade costs for new equipment. In the long run, an onsite phone system is an investment that rarely pays off and costs far more than the initial upfront costs.
In addition to the the initial cost of purchasing the onsite equipment, there are often yearly maintenance and support fees that can equate to thousands of dollars per year. It is not uncommon for customers to pay $7,000 or more per year in maintenance fees. Any changes, such as adding new users or moving someone within the organization, require scheduling, waiting and spending money for an onsite phone technician. These simple changes typically cost several hundred dollars per change (thousands annually) and might be outside what was originally budgeted for telecommunications expenses. Think about each time a new employee starts or someone moves to a new location; expenses add up quickly over time. Some companies have an IT resource that can make some changes, but typically internal resources are already spread thin managing other systems, software and infrastructure.
Besides maintenance and support, there can be additional equipment upgrade costs if you want or need new features. An onsite system does not last forever. We have found companies who were faced with $20,000 expense for new equipment for minor system upgrades. This can be after an initial "investment" of more than $100,000. Other companies have experienced end-of-life decisions with their onsite systems in a period of less than 5 years.
On top of managing an onsite phone system, there are monthly service charges and often long-term contracts required from a telecommunications service provider. Many telecommunications companies typically have a list-price for monthly service, but then charge 20-40% more than their listed price due to hidden fees and other surcharges. Why does this happen? The competitive nature of the telecommunications industry causes many providers to feel as though they can gain an advantage by listing a lower price. The telecom industry is also known for lacking good customer service. With an onsite phone system, you are managing the onsite equipment and as well as dealing with a different provider for the service itself. It can be a lot to deal with internally managing disparate systems, vendors and contracts. Everything is complicated and expensive.
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provides a better solution to onsite systems for most customers.
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is an all-in-one solution. UCaaS providers, such as Level365, host your phone system plus handle all upgrades and maintenance as a part of the monthly service. There are no upgrade fees or yearly maintenance costs. At Level365, the communications service itself is provided as part of the package. The monthly price per user is simple and straightforward through Level365, without any hidden fees and other charges. Changes, such as adding a user or moving someone to a different location, can be managed online via the Web Portal or by contacting the Level365 support team.
There are no maintenance fees with UCaaS providers including Level365. Some companies charge yearly maintenance fees that can be thousands of dollars per year. Maintenance and upgrades are our responsibility and included with the service. This saves your IT team time, money and hassles. Another benefit of UCaaS is that since we host the service, we provide upgrades to the service in the form of new features, most of which are included with our monthly subscription.
With UCaaS, your phone system is hosted in the cloud. There is no onsite phone switching equipment, no maintenance, or upgrade fees. UCaaS providers host, maintain and upgrade everything for you, so you can focus on your business and not your phone system. The only upfront costs with UCaaS are the phones handsets, making upfront costs much lower than onsite systems.
Pricing for UCaaS is a simple predictable cost per user per month. At Level365, service is provided without hidden fees so you can easily set-up a budget line item and stay within that budget each month. Budgets are important for all organizations and let's face it, no one likes going over budget and having to explain budget variances every month. Other providers often charge 20-40% more than their listed price due to hidden fees and other charges. Level365 also provides one invoice for your organization with options for cost center breakouts to make sure funds are allocated correctly for each department within your organization.
Unlike traditional phone systems, there are no system capacity issues. You can expand as you grow, without adding expensive equipment and only paying for for active users. Traditional phone systems must be upgraded in multiples of 4's, 8's, etc. Adding one more employee can cost a lot if you have reached your traditional system's capacity. You can also scale down as well. Level365 does not lock customers into long-term contracts so you have the flexibility to make change as your business ebbs and flows. The service is month-to-month, so we deliver quality service or customers are free to leave with no strings attached. Other providers often require long-term contracts with termination fees.
Learn more about UCaaS solutions from Level365 by watching this video, visiting www.level365.com, or calling 1-800-590-2568.
Level365 offers a complete Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution with enterprise voice that is customized and scalable for your business. Our service provides seamless integration of business communications among desk phones, computers and mobile devices to support remote teams and provide flexibility for on-site staff. The UC platform extends beyond voice communications with Unified Messaging, Presence, Analytics, Chat/SMS, Cloud Faxing, Business Systems Integration and more. 365 allows you to make and receive business calls at your computer or over your mobile phone using your office or desk phone number.


Are you thinking about sending one or more technicians to take a NATE (North American Technician Excellence) exam? If so, it's a great way to elevate your technicians, and your company's presence in the marketplace. According to stats on natex.org, more than 5,300 HVACR contractors, with 34,600+ technicians, hold NATE certifications. Since the organization administered their first test in 1997, NATE certification has become a way to show contractors and homeowners alike that a service technician possesses the skills and knowledge to perform a job right, the first time.
Odds are, you know all this, and that's why you're considering sending your technicians to take a NATE exam. As you may be aware, Lennox is one of the HVACR manufacturers that offer NATE testing and proctoring. A chat with one of the company's Field Technical Consultants revealed some interesting details that you can use to set your service technicians up for success.
exam, and a 100 question specialty test. The combination runs $300, whether a candidate passes or fails and it must be completed in a four-hour period.
By contrast, EPA Section 608 exams are usually 25 questions, and anyone with a basic working knowledge of HVACR is likely to pass. Not so, with NATE certification. It's more comparable to ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification, for auto mechniciananics. To have a reasonable chance of passing the exam and earning a certification, candidates should have months of preparation. Yet, it's common for technicians to walk into the testing center with only a day or two of notice prior. Sometimes, they don't know which specialty to test for; they just know they're taking a NATE test.
Imagine taking a grueling test (most candidates require the entire four hours to complete it), with complex questions that are sometimes worded to test your reading ability, as much as Technical knowledge, and then finding out that you didn't even come close to passing. That would be pretty demoralizing, right? It can also be expensive. In some cases, business owners will pay for the exam, but only if the candidate passes. This adds an extra level of anxiety to the process.
How Can You Help Technicians Prepare?
Make sure they know that NATE doesn't have any regional certifications. If you operate in a warmer climate, your technicians likely don't spend much time working on gas heat. Conversely, technicians in a colder climate might not be as knowledgeable about air conditioning and refrigeration. NATE exams are designed to test to industry standards, across the board.
Treat it like a professional development track. According to the "2018 Workplace Learning Report" from LinkedIn Learning, a whopping 94 percent of employees say they would stay longer at a company that "invested in their career." Having a NATE badge on your technicians' sleeves, and associated with your online presence, is great for your business. It's also an investment in each technician who earns their certification (it's the individual who is certified, after all).
Give them a win. Talk to the individual candidates you're thinking of sending to take the exam. Find out what their strengths are, and then steer them toward the specialty they're already strongest in. For instance, an installer in Phoenix, AZ, would probably take the installer core test, and specialize in heat pumps. Having figured that out, you should sit down together and come up with a study track. For those technicians who are new to the industry, NATE offers Ready-to-Work and HVAC Support tests. These are designed more with technicians that have 0 – 6 months, or 6 – 12 months of experience, respectively. Ready-to-Work and HVAC Support can be good intermediate certifications, before tackling the more advanced Core and Specialty tests.
Use review materials that are no more than two years old. As you would expect, the NATE test-writing committee periodically changes and updates the exams. To make sure your technicians are getting the most out of their preparation efforts, help them out with study materials that are current. The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society publishes a "Preparing for the NATE Exam" series of manuals, covering the Core Essentials and five specialty areas.
You're probably going to want more than one NATE certified employee, so why not make it a company affair? One method would be to hold weekly review sessions with your service department. This will help to keep candidates accountable to do the studying, and allow them to benefit from one another's questions, knowledge and study habits.
Unlike the EPA Section 608 test, NATE is often cited as having the lowest first-time pass rate of any HVACR industry certification exam. Various sources put the industry average pass rate between 30 percent and 40 percent. ICE (Industry Competency Exams) are similarly intense, and NATE also administers those. Many vocational Technical schools require students to participate in one or more of the Industry Competency Exams.
If preparing for certification is starting to sound daunting, you should know that you and your technicians don't have to tackle it on your own. In addition to vo-technician schools, there are more accelerated programs to help new or relatively new technicians learn the theory, and practice the work, needed to be a successful technician.
For instance, Lennox offers the BuildATechnician program, a four-week course which trains students in all the basics of being a qualified HVACR technician. The curriculum includes preparation for the NATE Core exam, as well as the Air Conditioning, Gas Heat, Heat Pump, and Air Distribution specialties. 2017 stats for the program indicate a 74 percent pass rate for the exam.
What if your technician doesn't get certified on the first try?
Many technicians find they need to challenge the NATE exams more than once. Even with a concentrated and thorough training program, not everyone earns their NATE certification on the first attempt. If you have employees in this group, don't worry. Believe it or not, there is some benefit to not passing the first time.
With NATE test results, whether electronic or mailed, a passing score results in a message congratulating the student on passing. There are no further details on how students performed, if they pass. However, if candidates score is below the passing threshold, they receive a percentage breakdown of how they did in each area.
This is valuable information. Armed with those stats, you and your technician or installer can work together to outline a more targeted plan to prepare for taking the test again. Returning to the previous example of an installer from Phoenix, if that individual scored well on the Refrigeration section, but got a low percentage on the Gas Heat section, he or she could know what to spend more time studying, for next time.
Sitting through a grueling test, only to find out that you did not pass, would hardly boost your confidence, right? As a manager or owner, it might be tempting to show disappointment in a technician who didn't earn their certification on first challenging the exam. While it would obviously be preferable to have the chance to congratulate them on success, how you handle failure can really boost your cred as a manager. You might even consider covering the cost of the first attempt at the exam, regardless of the outcome.
If your technicians fail to certify, work with them to identify the areas to study more, and if possible, give them extra opportunities to put that knowledge into practice. Shared effort in training becomes shared victory in successful certification. You'll be proud of your technicians (and the value they bring to your business) when they're NATE or ICE certified, and they'll appreciate that you cared enough to invest in their careers.
Having gone through the work of studying for, and passing the NATE exams, it would be a shame to let those hard-earned certifications lapse. To keep NATE certifications current, a technician must complete 16 hours of NATE Continuing Education Credits every two years. Advanced Technical training classes, and short online courses, are both good options for meeting those training requirements. Not to mention, regular training will keep your service department sharp.


Tradeworks do Home Repairs and Renovations.
Our Specialty Renovations Are Bathroom Renovations. We have a dedicated team that are well grooved in and get your bathroom renovations done with out delay, in a timely fashion. So if You are thinking of having your bathroom renovated choose Canberra's most trusted bathroom renovator – Tradeworks Beautiful Bathrooms.
We also provide plastering, carpentry, tiling, plumbing, electrical services, painting, concreting, roofing and guttering.
We also deal with your domestic computer problems.