Global Handwashing Day comes around every year on October 15 to raise awareness of hand washing as a key approach to disease prevention; I have had the pleasure of celebrating it with Maji Safi Group (MSG) since 2013.
I joined Maji Safi Group as a practicum student in January of 2013 during my final semester of graduate school at Washington University. At that time, MSG had only been an organization for six months, but it was already filled with a sense of excitement, potential for growth, and the desire to facilitate community change. While I was a newcomer to Shirati and Tanzania, I had experience studying and working in Madagascar and Kenya. These experiences got me interested in sustainable and participatory community development in East Africa. During my semester with MSG, I worked alongside an amazing team of intelligent and creative go-getters who have an incredible passion for public health, WASH, sustainable community development, and women's empowerment. Creating a healthy community is always at the center of everything MSG does – from program planning to program development, from implementation to evaluation.
When I returned to St. Louis, I worked on developing MSG's US operations, and one of my first tasks was to celebrate Global Handwashing Day (GHD) 2013. We successfully collaborated with 10 international partners in spreading awareness of the importance of hand washing to prevent waterborne and water-related diseases. We partnered with amazing organizations like the Nepal Children's Art Museum in Kathmandu who painted large hand washing murals.
This year, Global Handwashing Day was even more exciting for me as I, for the first time in my new role as the Tanzania Director of Operations, was able to help plan, carry out, and see the Shirati celebration in person. The celebration made it evident that over the past three years, MSG has grown into an organization that the Shirati community trusts and respects. Every day, the MSG Community Health Workers work tirelessly to teach their community about disease prevention through proper WASH methods, and it has been absolutely amazing to see the impact MSG has had in the Shirati community since my time as a practicum student. Children are singing songs about washing hands and stopping open defecation; adults are buying and using ceramic water filters and building toilets; the local government requested MSG's assistance during a cholera outbreak; community members have received health screenings with treatment and prevention lessons; and the children eagerly await Maji Safi Group's annual Global Handwashing Day event.
The day started off with our Community Health Workers splitting up and going to three different primary schools. By using songs, demonstrations, and coloring sheets, they taught approximately 1,400 students ages 6-16 how to properly wash their hands. Each student was then able to practice hand washing, ask questions, and sing MSG songs. I joined the Community Health Workers at Tina's Educational Center. The children were enthusiastically awaiting the Maji Safi Group car. Once we arrived, they gathered around the CHWs and listened to the hand washing lesson. Several of the students have participated in MSG's After School Program for a couple of years and proudly answered the questions about hand washing. The most memorable part of the school visit was the children singing our Maji Safi Group songs. When the CHWs started singing about the importance of hand washing, the children instantly recognized the songs and dances and joined in while laughing and smiling.
Meanwhile, our Community Art Coordinator (CAC) had decorated the MSG office for the afternoon celebration. Children from all over the Shirati community came to the office to learn about and practice hand washing, get their faces painted, play cards, and color disease prevention handouts. Students from our Female Hygiene Program and Singing and Dance Group performed original songs and dances about the eight steps of hand washing and how using soap and hot water prevents diseases. The Community Health Workers suggested that I work at the face painting station with the CAC. The line was long, but the interest level for learning and playing never dwindled. I enjoyed painting kids' faces and seeing how happy they were when they were finished. They would proudly show their friends and then run out to the next fun and educational activity.
The day was a huge success and ended with a dance party as well as all the children washing their hands and enjoying a banana. I decided to join the mob of children and dance alongside them. They taught me how to do the kiduku (a local dance). Although, I must say that they danced much better than I, fun was had by all. By the end of the day, Maji Safi Group had reached over 1,850 Shirati community members.
For me, this year's Global Handwashing Day in Shirati, Tanzania, was a great illustration of the important work Maji Safi Group does every day: fighting waterborne and water-related diseases with proper WASH methods and encouraging community members to be public health change makers. It is inspiring to watch Maji Safi Group gain momentum and Shirati get one step closer to being a healthy community every day.


We are excited to be delivering a new community project in the west end of Newcastle to provide opportunities for people to learn, play and listen to music.
Let's be clear from the start – this not a jazz project. It will embrace music from different ages and cultures.
This pilot project, which runs to 31 March 2019, is being funded by the Community Foundation's Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund and is supported by Newcastle City Council. We have recently appointed local musician Ben Helm as the project co-ordinator.
Ben will be holding a number of FREE Making Music Together sessions in various community venues in the west end of Newcastle from September 2018 to March 2019. The details have not been finalised but the activities on offer include: instrumental learning, playing in groups, choirs, DJ skills, song writing etc.
We welcome people of all backgrounds and abilities to take part in Making Music Together. The activities are FREE. The minimum age is 16. There is no maximum age.
Getting involved in music can improve health and wellbeing. It can relieve stress, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of dementia and depression. Making music together with others can build confidence and aid concentration and learning. … It's also fun!
If you are interested and want to know more please get in contact.


If you love a bit of Nutella bliss but would prefer not to have the emusifiers, milk solids, sugar, and vegetable or palm oil it comes with, this simple, heavenly recipe from Minimalist Baker is for you. We hadn't indulged in it for awhile, but were inspired to rediscover its joys when the mother of one of Chef F's preschool classmates, recently returned from years spent living in Spain, mentioned Nutella being a daily fixture. That was also around pumpkin patch time, with Thanksgiving just beginning to peek around the corner, and further coincided events that meant a friend could use a pick-me-up of sorts…so logically stuffing healthy pumpkin muffins with homemade, naturally sweetened Nutella was inevitable!
Prepare a muffin tin with liners. Fill each liner about a third of the way up with batter, then drop roughly a tablespoon of nutella into the center of each muffin. Portion the remaining batter evenly among the muffin liners. Bake on the center rack 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes before removing. Enjoy!
Nutella filling (from Minimalist Baker*): original link has great pics and tips!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and add hazelnuts to a baking sheet in a single layer. If raw, roast for a total of 12-15 minutes. If already roasted, roast for 8-10 minutes just to warm the natural oils and loosen the skins.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer to a large kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around and remove most of the skins.
Leaving excess skin behind, add hazelnuts to high speed blender or food processor. Blend on low until a butter is formed - about 8-10 minutes total - scraping down sides as needed.
In the meantime, heat the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments. Set aside.
Once the hazelnut butter is creamy and smooth, add the melted chocolate, sea salt, and vanilla. Blend/puree again until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt or vanilla if desired.
*This recipe makes a healthy batch! Halve the recipe, or relax in the knowledge that extra can be easily enjoyed, or stored in the freezer.


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Home » Investing » Dividend Stocks » TFSA Investors: 2 Dividend-Paying Mortgage Stocks to Boost Your Income in 2023
TFSA Investors: 2 Dividend-Paying Mortgage Stocks to Boost Your Income in 2023
TFSA investors can allocate their new $6,500 contribution limits to two high-yield mortgage stocks to boost their tax-free incomes in 2023.
Christopher became a CFA Charterholder in 2016.He has worked at some of the largest companies in Canada, working as an Energy Trader at Enmax, a Financial Advisor at RBC, and was a Wholesaler for CI Investments and Sentry Investments.He is a staff writer at Motley Fool with hundreds of articles contributed.
Latest posts by Christopher Liew, CFA (see all)
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Published November 30, 2022 12:30 pm EST
| More on: MKPTFII
For the first time since 2019, the annual Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) contribution limit in 2023 won't be $6,000 anymore. It appears that the decision of the federal government to increase the limit by $500 to $6,500 was due to high inflation.
The top-up is welcome news and an added motivation for TFSA users to maximize their accounts and boost tax-free income next year. If you're scouting for high-yield stocks to hold in 2023, consider buying high-yield, dividend-paying mortgage stocks MCAN Mortgage (TSX:MKP) and Timbercreek Financial (TSX:TF).
The table below shows how many MCAN or Timbercreek Financial shares you can buy using your new $6,500 TFSA limit. You can also compare the dividend yields, potential income from the investment, and the frequency of the payouts.
Stock Current Price Shares Yield Dividend Frequency
MKP $16.64 390 8.72% $141.70 Quarterly
TF $7.85 828 8.53% $46.20 Monthly
Invested for the long term
MCAN Mortgage is a Loan Company and a Mortgage Investment Corporation (MIC) in Canada. It operates under the Trust and Loan Companies Act as a loan company. It is subject to the guidelines and regulations of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI). As an MIC, it falls under the Income Tax Act.
The specialized portfolio of this $535.44 million company consists of Canadian mortgages, loans, private investment funds, and real estate investment trusts (REITs). MCAN capitalizes on special financing and investment activities by making strategic investments. Performance-wise, the stock is beating the broader market year to date at +2.77% versus -4.72%.
In the third quarter (Q3) of 2022, MCAN's net income fell 10% to $11.7 million versus Q3 2021. Management said the decline was due to the unrealized fair value losses in the REIT portfolio. Its president and chief executive officer (CEO) Karen Weaver said the rising interest rate environment, housing market challenges and inflation are causing uncertainty in the Canadian economy.
Nevertheless, Weaver said, "Our business has various levers and attributes that are positive for managing net mortgage interest income in a rising interest rate environment." Also, because MCAN invests long term, management expects to continue realizing the benefits of solid cash flows and distributions from these investments.
Durable mortgage portfolio
Timbercreek's portfolio has been healthy and stable in 2022 despite the strong headwinds. This $659.2 million non-bank lender provides short-term (not more than five years) structured loans to commercial real estate clients. In Q3 2022, net income increased 30% to $13.5 million versus Q3 2021.
Blair Tamblyn, Timbercreek's CEO, said, "Our mortgage portfolio continued to perform well in the third quarter, demonstrating the durability through market cycles that have become a hallmark of our income-focused investment philosophy." Notably, the company's largely variable rate portfolio benefits from the rising-rate environment. As a result, the distributable income rose 24% year over year to $16.8 million.
Better quarters ahead
MCAN and Timbercreek Financial see better quarters ahead, as both companies anticipate a return to more typical mortgage transactions and levels next year. Moreover, there are no indications that the generous dividend payments are under threat. TFSA investors can take positions in one or both at the start of 2023 for higher tax-free income throughout the year.
Fool contributor Christopher Liew has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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HomeWorld & NationPro-life, pro-immigrant
Pro-life, pro-immigrant
DENVER, CO - MARCH 18: Hispanic youth rally at the Ritchie Center at the University of Denver on March 18, 2017, in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Daniel Petty/for Denver Catholic)
In the wake of President Donald Trump's policies and statements regarding immigration reform, the country's response is just as divided as during the election, and many people have questions and concerns. And while nothing has actually been enforced yet, the media's overblown lens coupled with the abrasive statements Trump's made have instilled very real fear in the millions of immigrants in the country.
But no matter where you stand on the issue of immigration policies, it's important to remember that this isn't just a political issue; it's a Catholic one, too.
So what does Catholic social teaching tell us about it? Immigration is difficult because two rights are held in tension: the rights of the immigrant, and the rights of a country to control its borders. But it doesn't have to be a decision between one or the other.
Catholic social teaching is a "both-and"
Bishop Jorge Rodriguez, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Denver, recently spoke to Denver Catholic on immigration reform policies, stressing that both the immigrant and the country have rights and responsibilities in relation to each other.
"According to Catholic social teaching, when we are dealing with human beings who possess inviolable and unalienable rights, we need to act respecting their dignity…allowing everyone to have access to what they need…especially helping the poor in a spirit of solidarity," Bishop Rodriguez said.
He continued, quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), "The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood…[and] immigrants are obliged…to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens," (2241).
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which Bishop Rodriguez also referred to, has several resources and documents on the issue, including an outline of five basic principles.
Persons have a right to find opportunities in their homeland.
Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.
Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.
Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.
The human dignity and human rights of undocumented immigrants should be respected.
The tension between the immigrant's right to migrate and the State's right to control borders is held together by the common good. The CCC defines the common good as "the total sum of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily," (1906).
With the common good in mind, comprehensive policies can be created — it can be a "both-and" of respecting the human person and the law, instead of an "either-or." However, these laws need to be at the service of the human person, says Bishop Rodriguez.
"These laws do not deal with commercial exchange of material products, but rather with human beings," he said. "The law is only an instrument in the service of human dignity, not her inflexible patron."
The dignity of the person
"I think the key in Catholic social teaching is that we remember the dignity of the human person — each person is a child of God…that's a principle we can lose," said Luis Soto, former director of Hispanic ministry of the Archdiocese of Denver. "Our interaction with people should be first and foremost remembering they're a child of God and that legal status doesn't affect that."
Because it deals with persons, immigration is a pro-life issue too, says Soto.
"It is [a pro-life] issue, because we believe in the dignity of life," Soto said. "We're not defending people who have committed crimes, however, the dignity of the person has to be guarded in the process. We believe in the dignity of [conception of] life to natural death, and everything in-between."
While Catholic social teaching emphasizes the dignity of the human person, it does not dismiss laws. In his article titled, "Immigration and the Law," the late Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said that as a nation, our cultural identity is wrapped up in the order of the law, as we were founded on a Constitution.
"The U.S. bishops have made it clear that they are not in favor of illegal immigration. No one has a 'right' to come into someone else's country illegally," Cardinal George wrote (emphasis added).
However, both he and other bishops have urged for a comprehensive reform on immigration policy, one that deals with the issue humanely.
"The reform should start with concern for the basic respect that is owed all human beings, no matter their status before the law. It should provide a path to citizenship for the great majority who are law-abiding citizens now, and it should separate for deportation any who are criminals," Cardinal George said.
"We cannot wait for immigration reform"
Many bishops have spoken on the issue of immigration reform, but of all of them, perhaps none are as passionate and persuasive as Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In his article "We cannot wait for immigration reform," he points out that with every wave of immigration in America, we have met them with "suspicion, resentment and backlash."
"Think about the Irish, the Italians, the Japanese. It is no different with today's immigrants. We need to keep that perspective," Archbishop Gomez said.
He said that despite the media hype about the issue, deportations didn't begin with Trump's administration — in fact, the previous president deported more than anyone in American history. That said, the problem of illegal immigration isn't just a one-sided blame game.
"These 11 million undocumented people did not just arrive overnight. It happened over the last 20 years. And it happened because our government — at every level — failed to enforce our immigration laws," Archbishop Gomez said. "And law enforcement officials looked the other way because American businesses demand 'cheap' labor — and lots of it."
"Why aren't we punishing the businesses who hired them, or the government officials who didn't enforce our laws?" he continued. "There is plenty of blame to go around. And that means there is a lot of opportunity to show mercy. Mercy is not the denial of justice. Mercy is the quality by which we carry out our justice."
He also called for us to depict America as it truly is — not just a country founded by Western Europeans, but of one rich in its history of Hispanic culture and influence.
"We can no longer afford to tell a story of America that excludes the rich inheritance of Latinos and Asians…we need to tell the story of St. Junípero Serra and Thomas Jefferson."
Other bishops speak out
Among the many bishops that have spoken out on the issue, including Arcbhishop Charles J. Chaput and Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, the general consensus is the same: the U.S. needs a comprehensive policy that respects the dignity of the immigrant, while enforcing a reform that places valid laws on border entry.
"Even though illegal immigrants have failed to observe our immigration laws," said Archbishop Aquila in a 2014 interview with Denver Catholic, "they do not lose their God-given dignity as children of the Father. Our laws should reflect this reality, while also allowing for our country to enforce legitimate border controls."
Archbishop Gomez recently published a book called, "Immigration and the Next America," which expands on a recent talk he gave to U.S. bishops.
"I am not proposing that we 'forgive and forget.' Those who are here without authorization have broken our laws. And the rule of law must be respected," Archbishop Gomez said. "So there needs to be consequences when our laws are broken. But I don't think [the current policy] is fair, either. Why don't we require the undocumented to a pay a fine, to do community service? We should ask them to prove that they are holding a job and paying taxes and are learning English."
Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Neb., said that the Trump administration's current policies won't solve the problem.
"Mass deportation is a panacea: the appearance of an answer without really resolving anything," Bishop Conley said.
Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin, Texas, the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, said that the new policies endanger the vulnerable and cause many problems.
"Taken together, these memoranda constitute the establishment of a large-scale enforcement system that targets virtually all undocumented migrants as 'priorities' for deportation, thus prioritizing no one," Bishop Vasquez said.
For more resources on Catholic social teaching and the Church's statements on immigration, visit the USCCB at usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigration/index.cfm.
You can also visit the Center for Migration Studies (CMS), a Catholic educational institute devoted to integrating immigrants, at cmsny.org for other information and resources.
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Bill Huizenga: Family reunification should be priority for Congress
By Bill HuizengaU.S. House Representative
Like most in West Michigan and throughout our nation, I was heartbroken to learn of the actions being taken at our southern border. The United States is a nation of laws, but it is also a nation built upon the foundation of compassion and strong families. While it is critical that we enact reforms to secure our borders and work to fix our broken immigration system, the notion of automatically separating families runs counter to my values as a father, as well as the core values of our nation.
For these reasons, I called on the Administration to immediately end the policy of separating young children and infants from their parents and I didn't stop there. Recognizing both the urgency of the situation and the need for leadership on this issue, I took action to right this inhumane policy by introducing the bipartisan Family Reunification Act prior to the action by the Administration or the courts.
The Family Reunification Act would require the federal government to immediately reunite separated children with their families. Specifically, it directs the Homeland Security Secretary, in conjunction with the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services Department, to use "all necessary means" to ensure that each unaccompanied, undocumented migrant child removed from the custody of a parent or legal guardian within 100 miles of the border be reunited with the parent or legal guardian "at the earliest possible date."
On Friday, I took my actions a step further by attempting to visit a location where children who were separated from their families at the southern border are being housed by families here in West Michigan under the care of Bethany Christian Services. While Bethany seemed to indicate a visit would be welcome and help tell the story of how the children that have been sent to Michigan are receiving top notch medical care and attention, I was turned away at the door by the federal government.
According to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) which oversees care for the children, they needed two weeks notification prior to a visit. I find this to be a ridiculous and outdated requirement, especially when one considers the Acting Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families told Members of Congress that the required notification time was 24 hours. After continuing the conversation with officials at ORR, I learned the policy of two weeks notification was actually instituted by the Obama Administration, and that the Trump Administration was continuing the policy. As a member of Congress, it is my job to represent and address the concerns of West Michigan. The Trump Administration should change this policy immediately.
Reforming our outdated immigration laws is going to require multiple pieces of legislation as well as Democrats and Republicans working together. The latest efforts considered in the House of Representatives took a multi-faceted approach to addressing the many issues at hand. Unfortunately, despite my vote in favor of both measures, neither was able to gain the majority of votes necessary to pass. That is why I believe we need to take a more targeted approach.
While the actions taken by the Administration to end the separation of families as well as the action taken by a federal judge in California to reunite separated families are both steps in the right direction, neither carries the permanency of law. The Family Reunification Act would reunite families and provide legislative clarity to resolve the crisis at hand. Congress must stop outsourcing its Constitutional authority to the Executive and Judicial Branches of government and pass legislation.
I believe that the Family Reunification Act can serve as a step towards ending the partisan bickering in Washington. I believe Congress must craft a narrowly tailored legislative solution that balances our compassion with the fact that some individuals are exploiting loopholes in our immigration system and actively trafficking children across the border.
So far, 21 members of Congress have joined my effort. While some may view this as an uphill climb, I am committed to working towards solutions that restore families, strengthen border integrity, and reform our outdated and broken immigration system.
— Bill Huizenga represents Michigan's Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.


…When helping others, we recommend the respect of certain lines. Their purpose is to ensure that the individual who offers or receives assistance realises that any aid is, in the final outcome, at the same time also an intervention into the actions of another individual, whatever the aid may consist of. It may be a service, a material or financial gift, generally any information in the form of advice, opinion, etc. during the resolution of a spiritual problem (e.g. "Should I or should I not tell him?"), also a bodily activity (e.g. assisting a wheelchair-bound person). An individual provides aid to another without expecting any reward, including self-promotion. He does not do it for the benefit that he may derive from it, he does not expect any reward, he lays no claim to it.
From a systemic viewpoint, no form of loan exists in the Universe, because it represents a source of subsequent conflict between people and an instrument for controlling them— there is enough of everything everywhere for everybody, it depends only on our cognition as to how we deal with it. In this connection, a reciprocal service both for assistance and in general, is exclusively a matter for the other person, but it is not his/her obligation. Moreover, it is valid that a reciprocal service is accepted up to the level of a gift. Therefore, if an individual accepts a reciprocal service for assistance provided, which as a whole or in part is not his Essential Personal Need (see above Not Injuring Others or Oneself), he will offer it as a whole, or in its respective part, to somebody who, in his opinion, needs it or who asks for it. Alternatively, he will use it for the benefit of others. Of course, he need not do this immediately, but can wait for an appropriate occasion. It is also correct to check whether the other individual has really asked for aid, and that it was not just a statement. For example, the words: "My husband is a brute!" might not mean that the person who pronounced these words is asking for help in solving this problem.
If an individual is unsure whether he has received a request for aid or not, and nevertheless provides the aid, this goodwill can turn against him. However, the above-mentioned situation may occur even in the case of an entirely clearly presented request for help. A typical example, unfortunately, is domestic violence. It often happens that a third person intervenes in a dispute between husband and wife, with good intentions and at the explicit request of one of them. It is not uncommon that this assistance turns against the helper in an instant. In these cases, and not only in these, it is good to take into account that aid to another person can have a negative impact on the provider of the aid. The individual should make sure that he/she is ready to bear the possibly pleasant as well as unpleasant impact of the assistance in the form of, for example, spending a certain financial amount or enduring later reproach.


A chemistry screen is a blood test that measures the levels of several substances in the blood (such as electrolytes). A chemistry screen tells your doctor about your general health, helps look for certain problems, and finds out whether treatment for a specific problem is working.
Some chemistry screens look at more substances in the blood than others do. The most complete form of a chemistry screen (called a chem-20, SMA-20, or SMAC-20) looks at 20 different things in the blood. Other types of chemistry screens (such as an SMA-6, SMA-7, or SMA-12) look at fewer. The type of chemistry screen you have done depends on what information your doctor is looking for.
As part of a routine physical examination.
To help you and your doctor plan changes in your meal plan or lifestyle.
To look for problems, such as a low or high blood glucose level that may be causing a specific symptom.
To follow a specific health condition and check how well a treatment is working.
How you prepare for a chemistry screen depends on what your doctor is looking for in the test.
You may be instructed not to eat or drink anything except water for 9 to 12 hours before having your blood drawn. This is called a "fasting blood test." Fasting is not always necessary, but it may be recommended.
Usually, you are allowed to take your medicines with water the morning of the test.
Do not eat high-fat foods the night before the test.
Do not drink alcohol before you have this test.
A chemistry screen is a blood test that measures the levels of several substances in the blood (such as electrolytes).
Normal values vary from lab to lab and depend on which tests were included in your chemistry screen. Results are usually available in 1 to 2 days.
Many conditions can change chemistry screen test levels. Your doctor will talk with you about any abnormal results that may be related to your symptoms and medical history.
Taking medicine. Some medicines can cause changes in the normal values of a chemistry screen.
Eating high-fat foods or drinking alcohol.
Recent intravenous (IV) fluids, such as fluids given during surgery.
There are several different chemistry screens. For example, an SMA-7 looks at 7 substances in the blood, including uric acid, potassium, and sodium. A complete chemistry screen (or SMA-20) looks at the same things as an SMA-7 plus 13 others (such as phosphorus, carbon dioxide, and bilirubin). Which chemistry screen your doctor orders depends on why you are having the test, your symptoms, and whether you have any specific conditions or diseases.


Marketing your products and services in the current competitive business environment is very essential (and really hard! I know) to stay on top of things. Among the many tools you employ in promoting and marketing, email ✉ marketing stands a prominent place due to its effectiveness in reaching out to customers and prospects. Therefore, in this article, I thought of comparing and contrasting the two email marketing tools, MailChimp 🐵 — as it is a popular and favourite tool among many -, and ShoutOUT — as it comes with lots of features although it's slightly a new service.
Let's have a look at the differences you can see between MailChimp and ShoutOUT.
It is a fact that SMS have a 97% read rate within 15 minutes of delivery whereas it's only 20%-30% with emails. So, as I'm sure has already occurred to you, you can send SMS reminders alongside each email campaign to boost 📈 the open rate of your emails (not to mention how it will affect lead conversion too 😉). ShoutOUT has recognized this fact and facilitates both triggered and broadcast SMS to make things better.
Segmentation is a really important aspect of CRM when it comes to targeting email campaigns. It is imperative that your customers are constantly segmented by studying their customer life cycles. Just like you can remember exactly when and where your bae sneezed last😍, you need to track all your customer activities to understand their customer life cycle so that you can segment them and run a successful email campaign where the relevant email reaches only the relevant party.
If your business doesn't involve frequent and real time interaction with your customers, then MailChimp is your sweetheart since they focus mostly on broadcast emails.
On the other hand, if your business is one which demands real time and frequent communication with customers, say YES to ShoutOUT, your life partner 👰! ShoutOUT tracks each customer life cycle and keeps segmentation up to date.
For example, Mary will be in the 'active' segment if she constantly purchases your products, but will be automatically moved to 'less active' segment if she doesn't purchase for over 30 days.
Customers nowadays are well adapted to new technologies and expect us to be up to date too. (just why I've written this and you're reading it! 😂)This reason has led ShoutOUT to facilitate live chat assistance to customers in order to enable immediate assistance and direct feedback. On the other hand, MailChimp not facilitating live chat assistance in order to portray their service as error free might be a wise decision, but only on the surface level, given the difficulty to use MailChimp for a beginner.
I'll knock my head on the wall if my crush wouldn't even open that text I spent like two hours on typing, just to make it sound good 😭. Won't you get the same feeling if your customers and prospects wouldn't open your emails? Well, for them to be opened, they first have to get your customer's attention.
Campaign designing being a main focus of MailChimp, it obviously provides ready-made email templates along with the option to create an email that is template free using your own HTML design code. And it is something really cool! 👌ShoutOUT also provides a medium type email editor which enables including text and image URLs.
Are We Building Another Version of MailChimp?


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Twitter Feed Of NBC News Hacked
IssuesNews
Few days earlier a group of hackers wrote on the news station feed that a civilian aircraft had been hijacked and crashed into the World Tread Center, though it was a pretty old incident, happened a long years ago on the date of 11 September 2011, but few days earlier it has completed 10 years.
On the other hand it can also be described as an offshoot of the world best hacking group like Anonymous and Lulzsec, though they have taken all the responsibilities on them quickly. They have also announced that they were hacked Fox News Twitter Feed on 4 th July 2011, which was claimed that US president Barack Obama had been fatally shot.
Short Look What Was Exactly In That Tweet?
"A breaking news, Ground Zero has been attacked, that's why Flight 5736 has been crashed into the World Tread Centre, which is now suspecting as a hacking."
Three minutes after another tweet has stated "Flight 4782 is not responding, suspected to hacking, a plane crashed Ground Zero site at 5.47."
Few minute after third tweet has said "It is not a matter of jock – we are doing this only for taking attention of the reporters over this matter."
Though, a minutes later The Script Kiddies has claimed all the responsibilities. While these tweets came in front of NBC News, they immediately removed it, but before that it was presented there for a few minutes. With the sequence to the entire fact Brian Williams, anchor of NBC News has stated "We are now working with the Twitter feed issue, that's why we apologies for what has happened little ago."
Though, FBI officers are now investigating on this matter, but yet they have not got any evidence related with this case.
Tagged as : Anonymous, Barack Obama, Flight 4782, Fox News, Fox News Twitter Feed, LulzSec, The Script Kiddies, Twitter Feed, World Tread Center


FOSDEM NoSQL devroom talk, February 7, 2010.
...not the best DB for everything.
What do Web Apps Want?
What else do developers want?
be unique across multiple servers?
...that's 1 round trip + 1 update or insert.
4 GB, 50 MB, 97 documents, etc.
what Fred is doing later.
...trust a bunch of ones. Mostly.
A-M, server #5 has N-Z.


By far the most significant UK political event yesterday was the speech by outgoing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates.
His warning to European allies that they risked military irrelevance, and that the US could not perpetually be relied upon to fund European security was blunt and timely.
Of the many surprises about the way the media covers the coalition, one has been the relative ease with which the government has cut defence spending at a time of substantial military engagement. UK defence chiefs will be hoping David Cameron takes note of Mr Gates' remarks. A lot of them saw the recent strategic defence review as being more about deficit reduction than defence strategy.
I am sure Britain will not have been anywhere near the top of Mr Gates' list of irritating European nations. We remain one of the few major defence powers. But he will have had all countries in mind when he complained about the fall in spending, and the confused nature of European defence.
This is not a new threat or argument but Gates is right in saying that as the cold war recedes in the collective memory, the political circumstances for defence will change.
My next volume of diaries, out next month, starts in the midst of the Kosovo conflict and I remember from that period Bill Clinton and Tony Blair feeling many of the frustrations Gates expressed yesterday. Clinton was an internationalist, and a master politician, but even he found it hard to win support and understanding for a major US contribution to an effort on Europe's doorstep. I remember too Clinton's frustration that Europe looked so much to the US to do the heavy lifting.
America now contributes three-quarters of Nato military spending – much higher than at the height of the cold war, much higher than during Kosovo. It is hard to see how the post-Gates generation of political leaders will be allowed, able or willing to sustain that.
David Cameron is said to have taken a lead in pushing for action in Libya, action which would not have had any chance of success without the US. But though all Nato members voted for it, less than half have participated and less than a third have actually taken part in military strikes. The fall in EU defence spending over the last two years is £45 billion . To give you a sense of the scale, that is the same figure as the entire defence budget for Europe's biggest and richest country, Germany, which is sitting Libya out.
Mr Cameron is by nature a Eurosceptic. But he could do worse than trying to take on the challenge of reforming European defence. He has made a start with the French, who are never easy on the subject. But what the Gates speech showed up is the scale of a challenge still to be avowed in Europe, let alone met.
Excellent points Alastair. What name can we give to your brand of sensible left of centre politics that resits the "ya boo" that we normally see from our elected representatives? Would love to see some sense and thoughtful debate coming back into the political mainstream. I guess we have to wait for David Milliband to finish his sulking and get back to taking a leadership role. Or is there anyone else? Keep up the good work.
Are you sure Mr Gates is not just setting himself up as a future defence company leader who needs to make sure spending is high? Sorry to be a bit cynical … Loved your fight with the pop singer btw.
You are right the media have let them away with it — but so have Labour. I am beginning to despair of how much the tories get away with. I read your blog and see intelligent criticism and big points but the opposition in parliament don't seem to be able to do this in a way that damages the govt. I feel the public are able to see through it all but Labour are making heavy weather.
Hmm – if you believe public spending has to be cut then defence would be near the top of the list for me. I'd rather universities were properly funded than Trident, for instance.
My feeling is that Britain does its bit in the main but we just don't have the resources any more. Better cooperation with our European allies could be a way forward but we won't get that from the Tories now will we?
Many years ago I worked for NATO and the contribution by each member country was always a bone of contention. As you know the larger countries who contribute more to the budget have always complained about the unfairness of the agreed system to fund NATO believing that it allows countires to ride in slipstream of others. As reported only 5 of the 28 (or 29?) countries have a defence budget over 2% of GDP. They all want to be in NATO but at others expense and this is particularly relevant to those countries in Eastern Europe.
I know that Mr Gates said the US paid 75% of the 28 member states defence budget. I do not know where he got this figure from? Is he is including the cost of military operations in addition to the contribution to the main budget?. Further if he used his own calculation in adding up defence contributions of other member states to the Military element of the budget this would be wrong. Smaller countries like Iceland and Lithuiana pay a pittance with some contributions as low as 0.1337. Maybe he meant the total spending in each country on defence and only then does his claim make sense. The funding formula also ensures that nations absorb military personnel and munition costs if they participate in a conflict. As would be expected the US have more military and pay the vast sum of all military conflicts. . This part of the formula is a huge disincentive to nations agreeing to participate in operations and one wonders about changing it in the future.. I prefer to use the percentage of the total budgetry requirements for the three areas of expenditure ie civil, military and security. The percentage that each country pays relates to GDP, defence budget and the ability to pay.
A document produced for Congress in 2010 states that the US pays between 1/5th and1/4 of the total budget – 21.8% to 22.5%, Germany 15 -17%, UK 12.5-14.1%, France 12-13%, Italy 7.5-8% and Canada 5%. The US contribution has declined over the last thirty years but it still amounts to a substantial sum.
This does not detract from the clear message that we have been getting over many years that NATO relies too heavily on the US and they are getting mightily fed up with us. This happened several times when I worked with NATO. Mr Gates also stated in his speech that the member countries involved in Libya ran out of munitions and needed help from the US. I live in constant despair at fellow European citizens criticising the US when we rely on them so much in defence of European security. I am also shocked that military planning did not ensure that sufficient munitions were available for the Libyan mission. Is it not time that these military planners lost their cosy jobs?
The US has been calling for NATO to review its operating procedures for years. The number of Committees it needs to operate – some 300 is astonishing and it is why the larger contributors get frustrated. As to Defence Budgets and their decrease throughout Europe. When the MOD can prove to me as a taxpayer that they are efficient in procurement etc then I may be more sympathetic. The UK like the rest of Europe and indeed the US are having to reign in spending ( eg the US has removed the military shield project from Europe under Obama. Rather than increasing budgets we should ensure that all countries in NATO pay a fair share of the costs. this is not happening particularly from many countries in Eastern Europe.
In Paul Kennedy's book 'The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers' Kennedy argues that a country's influence projected by its military inevitably reflects its economic strength. The US deficit inflated by decades of military overspend has now put America at a crossroads. The military budget will be under pressure and so will America's commitment to NATO and the UN. This, along with China's rise as a world power, will provide a challenge to the west in which Europe will either come of age or become irrelevant. Cameron's short-sighted cuts in the defence budget give the USA the perfect excuse to proceed with cutbacks of their own. The defence review therefore may save a few billion now but will be repaid several times over when Europe has to pay for its own defence while severely reducing British influence around the world. The only realistic way forward is a new defence review which has European cooperation at it centre. Europe can be a world power which can work for the benefit of all peoples whether taking a lead in reducing global warming or Human rights. If we leave the future to a diminished US or to the totalitarian tendencies of China our children and grandchildren will pay the price. Obama has sent clear signals that NATO cut back are on the agenda. The results of decisions made in the next year or so will have global implications for decades to come. As Obama has said in relation to Libya it's time for Europe to step up to the plate.
This is just the US telling the EU to get a move on with its proposed Common Security and Defence Policy – which of course, the voters of Britain have not been permitted a vote on, like everything else to do with the EU..
Just for the record (again) the geat defenders of the British way of life and traditions have.
Illustrious is now a helicopter carrier. Therefore no aircraft carriers until Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales are ready, at which point one of them will be sold.
£4 billion of Nimrod MRA (martime, reconnaissance and patrol) aircraft cut up for scrap. We've had to borrow one of the yanks turboprop Orions to protect our subs off Libya. This cut also leaves our Trident boats defenceless when they leave Faslane.
With the amount of coastline when compared to land area, the UK has a surprisingly small Navy these days. Especially with a population of 60 million living on it.
And the waste in the MOD over the years has been phenominal, what with botched contracts. The AWAC Nimrods from a couple of decades ago is a prime example. What a waste of billions that was.
The problem with the AWACs Nimrod was that the computers couldn't be cooled due to the size of the Nimrod. To be fair though it took Westinghouse years to overcome the same problem with the AWAC Boeing 707.
The MRA4 Nimrods according to the info I had were performing very well and the RAF couldn't wait to receive them.
The original contract to build them was a dogs dinner but again BAE paid for the delays (as they did with the Astute submarine). When BAE introduced the stoppage to production to bring costs in line, the MoD had another look at the Nimrod and decided to increase its role. It had the potential to carry cruise missiles as well as its superb array of listening devices, the ability to cruise for 12 hrs without re fuelling (it shuts down two of its four engines), can be refuelled in flight too. Because of its jet engines being inside the wing as opposed to being under the wing it had a very low noise signature so was very hard for diesel/electricsubmarines to detect.
It also carried sonor bouys which were dropped to triangulate the position of enemy subs, espiecially Russian nuclear boats as they wait off Faslane to shadow our nuclear subs.
The decision to scrap the Nimrods was the worst decision by a defence minister since Healy cancelled the TSR2, it could well come back to haunt the tories.
While Mr Gates puts the altruistic 'defence of Europe' on the origins of NATO (as does Mr Obama with his 'The basic premise of NATO was that Europe's security was the United States' security and vice versa') I reckon the reasons also included just a tad about controlling Europe from a distance.
That's not cynicism or ingratitude, it's objective.
Beneficent but still Big/Little; there are disadvantages in the states all being lumped together as if one country … just as there are in Europe not being.
1950s political maps ( CIA's? ) of the world show the entire thing, outside of America, in varying shades of red and pink; NATO wasn't just about preventing a resurgence of Nazism it was more about keeping USSR in check.
I posted on a US forum for about a year and there are still Americans that think the Nazis were socialist … ha hahhhhhh.
Even more are still convinced US won WWII (Tarantino's 'Inglourious B*stards' makes the most of that joke).
More isolationist behaviour will read well with rednecks, those who just don't 'get' society; poorly-paid Republicans that believed Europeans are all cadgers.
Once Obama got the healthcare changes in to motion and those who'd supported it beforehand realised that insurance would become mandatory, lots of them stopped supporting it (vociferously) …… they really hadn't understood that Europeans' NI-equivalents are compulsory insurance policies to fund our respective health systems.
He needs them on side soon …….
I must admit that if I were over there now and watching this bunch scrap / chop up our extant hardware before any replacements are even on the horizon I might also be thinking 'those toffs are scroungers'.
There's something very odd about the Daily Mail's website……if you google "Russian troops still in Georgia" up pops the Daily Mail with today's date with the 2008(?) story headlines "Georgia overrun by Russian troops as full-scale ground invasion begins". President Bush and VP Cheney are expressing their concerns as one would expect.
Enough said, perhaps, the Mail notwithstanding?
i hope you can read this as i am dyslexia. i suffer from bi-polar grade 2, the some as stephen fry. i am write to you because people with serious mental health problems are having there benefits cut. i cannot get any benefits, because i am deed not ill enough. you know how dibilitate it can be.i am not writing for me, but others. Mr Cameron does not seam to know that mental illness does exist. i hope you are well. love selkie field.
I've been waiting for a US Defense Secretary to criticise Nato's European members publicly. Clearly we need European cooperation to pool limited resources with no more out of Europe operations. The UK is far too thinly stretched fighting an irrelevant, morally dubious guerilla war in Afghanistan.. UK nuclear weapons should be phased out, aircraft carriers are irrelevant in the days of piracy. The navy needs frigates and troop carriers. The RAF should concentrate on home defence. The army needs to be small, mobile and urban.


Age: 65Dealer since: 1977Dealership: Schneider+Nelson Porsche, West Long Branch, N.J.Average monthly sales: 180 new, 50 usedQuote: "We find ourselves caught between manufacturers who have made it somewhat difficult to achieve fair trading margins. We're trying to sustain profitability and keep loyal employees in the dealership."
Porsche dealers want more profitability. Today's marketplace is a far different landscape than it was a year ago.
Fortunately, the Panamera sedan will launch this fall, and the Cayenne SUV has been a strong contribution to the brand, says Jerry Nelson, a member of the Porsche Dealer Board of Regents.
Still, the recession is beginning to bite even the well-heeled. They are scaling back as their portfolios wither under the credit market meltdown.
Nelson has been through recessions before. So he's counting on his regular customers and a new breed of customers attracted by new products. He's also counting on increasing demand from entry-level buyers because of Porsche Cars North America's certified pre-owned vehicles.
Staff Reporter Robert Sherefkin interviewed Nelson.
With trouble on Wall Street and Main Street, where will Porsche customers come from? Even the rich defer purchases.
Frankly, some have. While sales are hurting, we are still doing business with some of our most loyal customers, and we fully expect that as the market rebounds, which it will, and always has, others will return. We know that typically the high-end customers are the first to return to the market. And by spring I believe that the moods in the U.S. will begin to be more positive.
Will this deepening recession force Porsche to reconsider incentives?
No. Porsche has always felt strongly in long-term objectives and maintaining the brand, and the historically strong residuals are paramount.
Porsche sales were down 25 percent last year. What will it take to get customers in the showroom?
The good news is we will be introducing new versions of both the Boxster and the Cayman this spring, and while that segment has suffered, we hope to be able to give customers a reason for enjoying these cars with all the new changes.
The Cayenne is a big vehicle in a fickle segment that buyers look to for the latest and greatest. Is it helping you?
Thank goodness for the Cayenne. The naysayers claimed Porsche was crazy to come out with an SUV. No one could have predicted that almost half of our sales are Cayenne. This vehicle has allowed us to have access to customers who never would have come to our Porsche showroom. And it continues to be a success story.
Porsche said Europe will get diesel engines. What about North America?
That's a good question. We recently spoke with Porsche engineers and told them we did not care what technologies they use to increase fuel mileage while maintaining traditional Porsche performance. If they feel diesel is right for North America, we would welcome it.
When does the Panamera sedan launch? How do you feel about the market for this vehicle?
The launch for the Panamera is currently on for the fall. We already have several customers who have given us deposits. There are always those customers who want to be first. And like the Cayenne, the Panamera should allow us access to customers currently driving Mercedes S-class vehicles as well as others.
How do you like Detlev von Platen, CEO of Porsche Cars North America? Is he listening to you?
I've been in several meetings with Detlev and I have been very impressed. He's carrying on the same traditions of Peter Schwarzenbauer, as the former head of Porsche Cars North America. Detlev asks questions, listens and understands our needs.
How is your program for new warranties on certified cars? Has it become the entry vehicle for Porsche?


These versatile silicone moulds can be used over and over again and can be cast with plasters as well as resins. the mould produces a cast of the shop frontage and also 4 sign boards. 3 of the signs are pre printed and the 4th sign is plain to allow you to create your own signs.


It's a sampler of alchemical symbols--what scientists used in the medieval times, before the periodic table and the foundations of chemistry were worked out. With my background in geochemistry and history, I had to stitch this.
Those gorgeous covers were my inspiration for the color palette I used. The books-- "Die Opale"-- were published in 1907 by a great great uncle of mine or somesuch. Or so I'm told. I can't read them because they are written in old German.
Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that I changed the pattern a little bit, in addition to the charted colors. The original pattern has another symbol for gold in the center-- but I noticed after going over the pattern that there was no symbol for "lead" included. So, because it's always the old story that the alchemists were trying to turn lead into gold (and would not succeed, of course), I tracked down the old symbol for lead and plunked it in the center instead. In my opinion I think it gives the overall sampler more of a focus point this way as well.
And as reward I get to start something else, hee hee! You saw it at the end of the last post--another Ink Circles, this time "Mother Maya". Yay!
Oh it's wonderful, I don't know this chart but love the unusual signs, marvelous job!
It's a fabulous finish! Great choice of colors! Congrats!
It looks so beautiful and original, and medieval too! Congratulations with the finish!
Love how you got inspiration from the colours of the books! This has got a great antiquey feel to it with the marbled linen. PS, looked through your blog and I am amazed at all your work! Especially your moss stones! They are too darlin!


So as most superhero fans know by now Green Lantern will be hitting movie screens on June 17, 2011, in 3-D of course. Ryan Reynolds will be playing test pilot Hal Jordan who is recruited into the Lantern Corp and whose mission is to keep the universe safe.
Along with Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins and Angela Basset will be co-starring. Along with Mark Strong as Sinestro. He seems like the go to bad guy actor at the moment. Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye) is directing. There aren't many more details.
Warner Brothers is keeping a tight lid on this one. I'm sure once they finally release an official picture of Reynolds in his costume fan boards will be lighting up around the world, scrutinizing every little thing about it.
Warner's has said they are already planning a second Green Lantern film. I don't think anyone will be too surprised by that. I mean, you need sequels nowadays and that seems to the ultimate goal. Keep the train running as long as possible and get all the money you can.
Along with another Lantern film a script, a Flash film is being worked on with the hopes of it hitting theaters in 2013.
So it looks like finally Warner's is going to do something with their DC properties, other than Batman and Superman. It seemed inevitable. With superhero films being the hot ticket, it seems crazy not to do something with them. Plus, looking at long-term business these could potentially earn the studio billions. The upcoming end to the Harry Potter series perhaps made them realize they won't be able to count on that anymore to rake in the bucks.
So this all sounds pretty good. I'm excited to see these characters finally make it the theaters. The only thing now to worry about now is – will they be worth the wait?


text:
Q: How works login function in cake php? Login functionality is not working in cake php
I generate UsersController.php
     public function login() {
        if ($this->Auth->login()) {
            $this->redirect($this->Auth->redirect());
        } else {
            $this->Session->setFlash(__('Invalid username or password, try again'));
        }
     }

     public function add() {
         if ($this->request->is('post')) {
        $this->User->create();
        $this->request->data['User']['password'] = md5($this->request->data['User']['password']);
        if ($this->User->save($this->request->data)) {
            $this->Session->setFlash(__('The user has been saved'));
            $this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
        } else {
            $this->Session->setFlash(__('The user could not be saved. Please, try again.'));
        }
     }
   }

My model file Users.php
            <?php
            App::uses('AuthComponent', 'Controller/Component');

            class User extends AppModel {
                public $validate = array(
                    'username' => array(
                    'required' => array(
                        'rule' => array('notEmpty'),
                        'message' => 'A username is required'
                      )
                          ),
                         'password' => array(
                         'required' => array(
                            'rule' => array('notEmpty'),
                         'message' => 'A password is required'
                      )
                       ),
                     'role' => array(
                      'valid' => array(
                          'rule' => array('inList', array('admin', 'author')),
                                  'message' => 'Please enter a valid role',
                          'allowEmpty' => false
                       )
                      )
                  );

                   public function beforeSave($options = array())
                   {
                        if (isset($this->data[$this->alias]['password']))
                        {
                         $this->data[$this->alias]['password'] = AuthComponent::password($this->data[$this->alias]['password']);
                    }

                        return true;
                   }
               }
               ?>

My view file is Uesrs/login.ctp
           <div class="users form">

               <?php echo $this->Session->flash('auth'); ?>
               <?php echo $this->Form->create('User'); ?>

              <fieldset>

                  <legend><?php echo __('Please enter your username and password'); ?></legend>
                  <?php echo $this->Form->input('username');
                     echo $this->Form->input('password');
                  ?>

               </fieldset>

              <?php echo $this->Form->end(__('Login')); ?>

           </div>

When i run this code it tells "Invalid username or password, try again" .
But I enter right user name and password.
Why this issue is coming?
Please help me. I new for Cake Php.

A: Try this one.
Are you sure about the username and password? Might check it again in the DB?
   public function login()
      {
      if( $this->request->is('post') )
      {
        App::Import('Utility', 'Validation');
        if( isset($this->data['User']['username']) && Validation::email($this->data['User']['username']) )
        {
          $this->request->data['User']['email'] = $this->data['User']['username'];
          $this->Auth->authenticate['Form'] = array('fields' => array('username' => 'email'));
        }

        if( ! $this->Auth->login() )
        {
          $this->Session->setFlash(__('Invalid username or password, try again'));
        }
        else
        {
          $this->redirect($this->Auth->redirect());
        }
      }
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Small Bear Records has a new release, the absolutely right on Joan of Arse, from the Isle of Man. The video is by vanguard artiste Venison Lamprey. The Youtube video has the best quote ever: "it's not illegal if you don't care."


text:
Q: Django Image Upload Form not valid For some reason in django the form that I am trying to use is not considered valid. This code is taken almost directly from a site that claims that it works but is still not functional.
my code is as follows.
VIEWS
def display_update_image(request, pk):
if request.method == 'POST':
    form = ImageForm(request.POST, request.FILES)
    if form.is_valid():
        display = Display.objects.get(pk = pk)
        display.image = form.cleaned_data['image']
        display.save()
    return HttpResponseRedirect(reverse('displays'))
else :
    form = ImageForm()
return render(request, 'catalog/update_display_image.html', {'form': form})

TEMPLATE (template name is update_display_image.html)
<form method = "post" enctype = "multipart/form-data">{% csrf_token %}
<p>
    <input id = "id" type = "file" class = "" name = "image">
</p>
<input type = "submit" value = "Submit" />

MODELS
class Display(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length = 50,)
    image = models.ImageField(upload_to = 'images')
    id = models.UUIDField(primary_key = True, default = uuid.uuid4, unique = True)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.title

edit: forget to post Forms code sorry
class ImageForm(forms.Form):
    image = forms.ImageField()

further edit: changing my forms class to this
class ImageForm(forms.Form):
    class Meta:
        model = Display
        fields = ('image',)

Allows the form to be read as valid for some reason though I don't understand why. Unfortunately that causes my views method to be unable to function properly as it can no longer read
display.image = form.cleaned_data['image']

A: If you form class is a modelform: class ImageForm(forms.ModelForm): you can pass the instance to the form and save it.
def display_update_image(request, pk):
    if request.method == 'POST':
        display = Display.objects.get(pk = pk)
        form = ImageForm(request.POST, request.FILES, instance=display)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
        return HttpResponseRedirect(reverse('displays'))
    else :
        form = ImageForm()
    return render(request, 'catalog/update_display_image.html', {'form': form})

A: In forms.py check that you have a Django Form like this one:
class ImageForm(forms.ModelForm):
    class Meta:
        model = Display
        fields = ['image',]

In template add {{ form }} instead of manually using input, like this one:
<form method='post' enctype='multipart-formdata>
{% csrf_token %}
{{ form }}
<input type='submit' value='Update Image'>


text:
Published: Thursday, December 4, 2014
That America is spiraling on a collision course with calamity seems certain. We seem to be ignoring virtually all of the lessons of history, and, well, you know what one fellow said about the folly of doing that. I join the consensus of patriots and freedom-lovers throughout the country who believe America's future is filled with all sorts of stormy weather. As a matter of fact, the storms are all around us already.
For one thing, most of the people who should be helping us in the freedom fight cannot see past the end of their ballot. They think, as long as they elect "conservatives" to public office, all is well with the world. And since the GOP now controls both houses of Congress in Washington, D.C., the vast majority of our good brothers and sisters are already all tucked in for extended hibernation. They will reemerge from under their blankets about three months before the general election in 2016 and start screaming their support for whomever the neocon candidate happens to be. Why, they are already ignoring the fact that the precious Republicans they just elected to the House and Senate a few weeks ago are already signaling that they will to do NOTHING to thwart Barack Obama's executive amnesty, which was the single most defining issue that helped give the Congress to the GOP. Republicans on Capitol Hill are famous for doing NOTHING to fulfill the promises they made on the campaign trail to their constituents. And Republican voters are famous for reelecting them anyway. Good grief! Republicans in South Carolina can't even get rid of Lindsey Graham; and Republicans in Arizona can't even get rid of John McCain.
Even the great Republican "conservative," Mitt Romney, is now on record saying that the GOP should "swallow hard" and pass a PERMANENT amnesty bill. And even though he says he is not running for President in two years, he continues to be the frontrunner in most of the GOP preference polls. What does that tell you?
See the report here:
Mitt Romney: Republicans Should 'Swallow Hard' And Pass 'Permanent' Amnesty Bill
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann had the guts to tell the truth about what the GOP plans to do regarding Obama's blatantly illegal executive amnesty decision. Bachmann told Breitbart.com that House Speaker John Boehner and the GOP leadership have "no intention" of resisting Obama's executive amnesty. And she is right.
'We Will Not Engage': Michele Bachmann Reveals GOP Plans To Ignore Executive Amnesty
Staunch anti-amnesty senator, Jeff Sessions, said this past Tuesday that the GOP House was about to break their 2014 campaign promises to stop Obama's executive amnesty. Also on Tuesday, Breitbart.com reported that House Speaker Boehner appears ready to deal with Democrats in order to cut a deal to SAVE amnesty. See the report here:
Boehner Poised To Deal With The Devil To Avoid Shut-Down?
Oh, we can expect Boehner and Company to blow a lot of smoke and pass some frivolous and toothless legislation or resolutions that will be designed to placate a gullible and naïve Republican constituency, but that will do absolutely NOTHING to stop Obama's amnesty. The only thing John Boehner and his ilk in Congress don't like is Obama beat them to the punch by issuing executive amnesty to illegals. GOP leaders were hoping to pass legislative amnesty. So, now that Obama has beaten them to the punch, Boehner and his fellow establishment Republicans will quickly fall in line.
But what the U.S. House of Representatives ought to do (if they had any guts, which they don't) is impeach this President for his executive amnesty.
Barack Obama's executive amnesty is the worst kind of abuse of power and illegal conduct. The President of the United States is charged with "executing" the laws of our country. He has no lawful authority to set those laws aside with an Executive Order, which is exactly what he did. Compared to the crimes of Barack Obama, the impeachment charges against Bill Clinton look pale. Then again, compared to the Congress of 1994, this Congress looks pale.
The effect of our government's refusal to respect our nation's borders and laws over the next several years will be devastating consequences to the very fiber and fabric of this once great republic. The toll on State and local budgets, education quality, crime rates, employment opportunities, and quality of life will be incalculable. And this is just one menace that the miscreants in Washington, D.C., are inflicting upon us.
For much of the Twentieth Century (and now into the Twenty-First Century), Americans repeatedly choose to elect irresponsible, power-hungry, egotistical, self-centered sycophants (from both major parties) to public office. In addition, most of our churches are little more than glorified social clubs, entertainment centers, playgrounds, and government corporations. Our major media, in both the national and most local markets, are largely government propaganda outlets--as are most of our educational institutions. Furthermore, Christians and unbelievers, pastors of all stripes, Republicans and Democrats, and conservatives and liberals alike, are sitting back passively and indifferently as our country is being turned into a humongous Police State. Absent a significant shift in the hearts and minds of the American people, our liberties cannot long endure.
However, with all of the above said, I still refuse to join the ranks of Chicken Little.
For some reason, known only to God, we still have a semblance of freedom in this land. Granted, it's only a semblance, but the curtain has not yet fully fallen on liberty. God knows we don't deserve even the semblance of freedom that we still enjoy. Over the last sixty-plus years, we have been doing our best to throw America into the garbage heap of history. But, for some reason, the curtain has not yet fallen completely.
I would like to proffer five suggestions as to why the curtain has not yet fallen on liberty.
1. I believe God is still honoring the faith, courage, commitment, and sacrifice of America's Founding Fathers. If God would bless Old Testament Israel for the sake of Abraham, Moses, and David, I believe He would bless the United States for the sake of George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Samuel Adams.
From the days of the Pilgrims through the days of the Patriots, several generations of men and women were willing to pay, many times, a horrific price for liberty. There is no doubt in my mind that these modern generations of Americans are still clipping the coupons from the extraordinary faith and courage of our forebears.
2. More than one hundred million American citizens possess over three hundred million firearms. And a good percentage of these people not only possess a gun; they possess the mental, emotional, and spiritual resolve to use those weapons against any government that would seek to take them. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the deeply-rooted heritage of the American people to keep and bear arms has been largely responsible for the preservation of whatever liberties we have left. Without a heavily-armed populace within this country, there is absolutely no doubt that America (and the rest of the "free world") would have been totally enslaved decades ago.
3. The Internet. For all of the baloney, malarkey, and rubbish that can be found on the Internet, there is absolutely no question that the Internet has very successfully circumvented and shattered the monopoly of the government shills of the mainstream media. For all intents and purposes, the Internet is to America today what the "Committees of Correspondence" were to Colonial America.
Many are even predicting that the major television news networks will be out of business within the next couple or three decades--as will many of America's newspapers. CNN was once a cable dynasty; now it is barely broadcasting. MSNBC's ratings are so poor that its days are also numbered. And while FOX NEWS is currently enjoying the zenith of its existence, more people are getting their news and newsworthy information from the Internet than from all of the above combined. For all of its negatives, the Internet is a huge net positive for freedom.
4. There is still a host, and I mean a huge host, of liberty-loving people in this country who have not (and will never) accept the shackles of tyranny around their hearts. Big-Government toadies can impugn them all they want, but people such as Ron Paul, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Senator Mike Lee, Congressman Justin Amash, and millions like them, are keeping the torch of liberty burning.
The media would have us believe that old-fashioned, red-blooded freedomists have gone the way of the Brontosaurus. Or, that if any do yet exist, their numbers are so small as to be placed on the list of endangered species. Don't you believe it!
In every occupation and vocation--including in our U.S. military and federal police agencies--in virtually every village and hamlet dotted across the fruited plain, and in every age bracket, reside innumerable freedom-loving Americans in whose hearts the love of liberty reigns. Before the chains of tyranny can be placed around a person's neck, they must first be placed around their hearts. And the people I'm talking about will NEVER allow those chains to be placed around their hearts.
5. I believe the curtain has not completely dropped on liberty in this country because of the grace and sovereignty of our Creator-God. Thomas Jefferson (himself an unbeliever in the traditional sense) was exactly right when he said that liberty is the gift of God. That we still enjoy a semblance of freedom in this land indicates that His divine protection still rests upon us.
Those of us who have a Christian perspective realize that Holy Writ tells us: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) This means that the deeply-seeded love of liberty in our hearts was planted there by our Creator. Our WILL for liberty is God-breathed. That fact, by itself, demonstrates that it's not over.
There is a line from the 2012 version of the movie "Red Dawn" that I really love. A U.S. Marine fighting with the "Wolverines," said, "I'm still breathing, so, it's not over." Indeed. You and are still breathing, folks, so, IT'S NOT OVER.
P.S. We are currently shipping THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS. These are the great historic documents of American history IN ONE BEAUTIFUL VOLUME. These make fantastic Christmas gifts for any freedom-lover. Our supply is limited and will not last long; plus, in order to receive them before Christmas, orders need to be place NOW.
A few days ago, a lady from Montana ordered a copy of THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS and told us, "My husband will love this gift." I believe many of your loved ones would love this gift, as well. It is truly a gift that a person could enjoy for the rest of their lives.
For more information, or to order THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS, go here:
The Freedom Documents


text:
There's lots of good Trop Rock and PHIP Chapter events going on. Check back often, we'll add more events as they arise.
Pardi-Gras 2010 - January 14-17, 2010 in New Orleans, LA.
Puerto los Somewhere Trop Rock Caribbean Cruise - January 16-21, 2010 departing Tampa, FL
Havana Daydreamin' 2010 - January 23, 2010 in Quad Cities - More Info
Fruitcakes in the Alley - January 29 – 30, 2010 in Altamonte Springs, FL (Orlando Metro area)
Midwinter Meltdown 8 - January 29-31, 2010 in Manassas, Virginia (Washington DC metro area)
Tails of Love Island Bash - February 5-6, 2010 in South Bend, IN
Southern Illinois Parrot Head Club Birthday Party - February 6, 2010 in Marion, IL
15th Annual New England Parrot Head Convention - February 26-28, 2010 in Holyoke, MA - More Info
10th annual Island Beach Bash - February 27, 2010 in Rockford, IL - More Info
Stars Fell on Alabama - March 4-7, 2010 in Orange Beach, Alabama (between Pensacola, FL and Mobile, AL) SOLD OUT
Parrot Heads of the Prairie "Make a Difference 2010" - March 5th, 2010 in Sioux Falls, SD.
Parrothead Cruise 2010 Bon Voyage Party - March 11, 2010 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Parrothead Cruise 2010 - March 12-20, 2010 departing Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Sold out, but openings do come up.
St. Minnesomplace in Paradise PHC This Hotel Room - March 20, 2010 in Brooklyn Park, MN (Minneapolis metro)
Trop Rocks the Smokies - March 26-27, 2010 in Pigeon Forge, TN
Parrot Heads of Blue Ridge Beach Bums and Bar Stools - March 27, 2010 in Roanoke, VA
Magic on the Water - April 8-11, 2010 in Punta Gorda, FL
Central Texas PHC Pirate Ball - April 9-11, 2010 in Austin, TX
Flipperstock '10 April 9-11, 2010 in St. Louis, MO.
Panama City Parrot Head Rendezvous - April 16-17-18, 2010 in Panama City, FL
Chicago Parrot Head Club Party in ParrotDise - April 17, 2010 in Gurnee, IL
Goodman Center Jimmy Buffet Night at the Harmony Bar - April 17, 2010 in Madison, WI
Phlock of South Jersey Birthday Bash - April 17, 2010 in Somerdale, NJ
Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club Island Fever Phlocking - April 24, 2010 in Cedar Rapids, IA
Heart of Virginia Parrot Head Club Phins on the James 2010 - April 24, 2010 in Lynchburg, VA
Phins to the West - April 30 - May 2, 2010 in Laughlin, Nevada
East Coast Spring Phling - April 30 - May 2, 2010
Dubuque Phlockers One Particular Harbor - May 1, 2010 in Dubuque, IA
FloriDaze Beach Music Festival - May 7-9, 2010 in Ruskin, FL (Tampa metro area)
Blue Hen PHC Parrot Heads Party for Paws - May 8, 2010 in Wilmington, DE
Delaware Seashore PHC Boat Drinks Bacchanal 2010 - May 15, 2010 in Lewes, DE
Sharkstock - May 21-23, 2010 in Grapevine, TX (Galvaston Metro Area)
Palmetto Parrot Head Club Finfest XI - May 22, 2010 in Columbia, SC
Gators in Paradise PHC Tropical Night Rocks the Suwannee - June 5, 2010 in Gainesville, Fl
Coastal Jersey PHC 7th Annual Feeding Frenzy - June 6 in Hazlet, NJ
Phlocking of the Phaithful - June 10-13, 2010 in Put-In-Bay, OH
Pelican Coast Daze - June 11-12, 2010 in Lake Charles, LA
Mid-Michigan PHC 8th Annual Phun Phest - June 19th in East Lansing, MI
Naples Parrothead Club Red, White and Tunes - July 2-5, 2010 in Cape Coral, FL
A1A Parrot Heads Betty Teague Memorial Beach Bash - July 16-17, 2010 in St. Augustine Beach, FL
Parrotheads of Puget Sound Laid Back Attack - July 17, 2010 in Kingston, WA (Puget Sound)
Parrotheads in an Amish Paradise Summer in Paradise - July 17, 2010 in Manheim, PA
Two Seasons Bowl's Buffett Bash - June 25, 2010 in Elkhorn, WI
Parrot Heads on the St. Clair Phlock to the Dock - June 25-26, 2010 in Sarnia, Ontario
Milwaukee Area Parrothead Association Beach Party - August 7th, 2010 in Waukesha, WI
PHC of Richmond 14th Annual "Stars On the Water" - August 20-22, 2010 in Richmond, VA
Migration 2010 - August 27-28, 2010 in Irvine, CA
PHIP Meeting of the Minds 2010 - "Gypsies In The Palace" - November 4-7, 2010 in Key West, FL.
St. Minnesomeplace Holiday, Anniversary and Member Appreciation Party - December 4th, 2010 in Minneapolis, MN
The Black Swamp Parrotheads Jimmy Buffett Birthday Bash - December 4th, 2010 in Toledo, OH
Milwaukee Area Parrothead Association Annual Holiday Luau and Toys for Tots Party - December 11, 2010 in Waukesha, WI
Christmas in the Caribbean Cruise with the Coral Reefers - Jimmy Buffett Tribute Cruise - December 12-19, 2010 departing Ft. Lauderdale, FL
TropStock in the Village - December 31, 2010-January 2, 2011 in Cocoa Beach, FL
Latitude Cruise 2011 - January 22-30, 2011 departing Ft. Lauderdale, FL
..Gathered from around the web. Particularly useful sites:
The Margarita MAFIA (Musicians Artists and Fans In Alliance) - Trop Rock coalition
Tropicast Radio Network
Nearby Local Chapters and other PHIP Chapters
Labels: Event, Events, Music, TropRock


This activity took place on a related bill, S. 2176 (113th).
This activity took place on a related bill, S. 1908 (115th).
S. 1996 (114th) was a bill in the United States Congress.
Commonsense Reporting Act of 2015, S. 1996, 114th Cong..


text:
package blasd.apex.server.spark.main;

import java.io.BufferedWriter;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
import java.nio.file.Path;

import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
import org.junit.Assert;
import org.junit.Assume;
import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

import com.google.common.io.Files;

import blasd.apex.core.io.ApexFileHelper;
import blasd.apex.hadoop.ApexHadoopHelper;
import blasd.apex.spark.run.RunCsvToParquet;

/**
 * Split Parquet files from HDFS and transcode columns in a Spark job
 *
 * @author Benoit Lacelle
 */
public class TestTranscodeCSVToParquet {

	protected static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(TestTranscodeCSVToParquet.class);

	@Before
	public void assumeHaddopIsReady() {
		Assume.assumeTrue(ApexHadoopHelper.isHadoopReady());
	}

	@Test
	public void testCSVToParquet() throws IOException {
		Path csvPath = ApexFileHelper.createTempPath("TestTranscodeCSVToParquet", ".csv", true);

		Path tmpParquetPath = ApexFileHelper.createTempPath("TestTranscodeCSVToParquet", ".parquet", true);
		// Ensure the file does not exist, else Spark fails writing into it
		tmpParquetPath.toFile().delete();

		try (BufferedWriter writer = Files.newWriter(csvPath.toFile(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)) {
			writer.write("A|2");
			writer.newLine();

			writer.write("B|2");
			writer.newLine();
		}

		RunCsvToParquet.csvToParquet(csvPath, tmpParquetPath);

		// TODO: it is unclear if delete on exit will delete the folder recursively
		csvPath.toFile().delete();

		if (tmpParquetPath.toFile().isDirectory()) {
			LOGGER.info("Parquet files are in {}");
			FileUtils.deleteDirectory(tmpParquetPath.toFile());
		} else {
			Assert.fail("The parquet folder is empty");
		}
	}

}


In our experience, there's no resisting the beautiful craftsmanship of the Ford models you'll find in our showroom. If you happen to hail from North Aurora and are in the market for a new or used car, then you have come to the right place. Because if there's one thing we love more than our lineup of new and used cars, it's serving customers like you here at Gerald Ford.
You have preferences. You also want to find the vehicle that grabs your attention. Thankfully, at Gerald Ford we have many Ford options to choose from. That's because our online inventory is always changing in order to reflect the latest arrivals in our showroom, including the likes of the Ford F-150, Escape, Explorer, Edge and Fusion. When looking for that ride that screams 'you' it should be stress-free. That's why we always encourage drivers to relax, and try all the options until you've found the right fit.
When it comes to the used car selection at Gerald Ford, our vehicles don't have to be fresh off the production line to be high quality. That's because we go the extra mile in making sure that each and every model that gets slated for sale undergoes a thorough inspection first. You may be looking at a used car, but it's certainly new to you. We want to make sure that it looks and drives that way, too.
We know full well that buying a Ford F-150, Escape, Explorer, Edge or Fusion is one of the biggest and most important investments you can make. Here at Gerald Ford, our financial experts will guide you every step of the way to get you behind the wheel in a way that you're completely comfortable with. Thanks to our wide selection of car loan and lease options to choose from, owning the car of dreams has never been easier.
Whether you're researching a new car, seeking service for you current one or exploring finance options, we hope that you'll these simple directions to Gerald Ford in North Aurora where you'll always be well taken care of!


Operation Varsity Blues has captured the nation's imagination for the past few weeks. The headlines conjure images of parents who have lost faith in their children's ability to stand on their own two feet—images of colleges as "Pay to Play" institutions, auctioning off admissions to the highest bidders.
Watching and reading the news coverage might lead us to question the authenticity of the entire college admissions process, but while this scandal has rightly exposed loopholes in a few broken systems, it is important to remember that, despite the wide spread footage, these are isolated incidences. For the most part colleges and universities maintain standards that are immune to the influences of fame and fortune.
Although it is true that the acceptance rates at the nation's top tier colleges are well under 10 percent, it is also true that there are thousands of colleges around the country that provide a quality education in an environment and for a cost that meets a student's intellectual and financial needs. Getting to your top choice college is no guarantee for life-long success and neither is attending your "safety school" a mark of lifelong failure. According to an essay published by College Success (Stanford University based Research and Advocacy Group), students who study hard at college are the ones who learn the most, regardless of whether they attend an Ivy League school or a local community college. Similarly, a 2014 Gallup-Purdue Index found no correlation between college selectivity and future job satisfaction or well-being.
If that is the case and it sounds like common sense, then why do we find ourselves asking the question: What Are Colleges Looking For?
How many times have you heard this question being asked by parents and students alike in college fairs/ tours, etc.? To me, this question is at the heart of what is wrong with the college admissions process and the start of where things go wrong. It is as if once we get a laundry/check list of things that the college(s) are looking for, we can program our kids around this set of criteria and thus ensure that they get accepted into their dream colleges. It is easy to forget that being accepted into the 'dream college' is not an end in itself.
If our goal is to help our students achieve success in college and in life, we need to start asking different questions when touring campuses. Will the coursework challenge our students? Do the class sizes accommodate our students' learning needs? Are there recreational and extracurricular outlets that match their interests? What resources are available to help them overcome the obstacles they will inevitably face?
But before we can ask these questions, we need to have honest conversations with our kids. We need to find out who they are and what they really want from a college experience—not what they think they should want. The answers will help our kids make the right decisions—the decisions that will put them in a position to succeed.
Operation Varsity Blues exposes as many institutional fault lines as parental fault lines. As parents, we can reflect on our own journeys through college and into our early professional lives. We can remember the things that had the most impact, the lessons we learned that stay with us years later. If we are honest, we will admit that our career graphs have not been straight lines to the top—that the twists and turns along the way required us to redefine and reimagine our paths.
Chances are, the college environments and the people we interacted with influenced us as much as the classes we attended. Chances are that over the course of our careers, we have had to question ourselves, what is important to us, what interests us, and what we really want to do. If all that is true, shouldn't we view our kids' journeys through college with the same lens? Shouldn't we view the admissions process as a way to discover which college is best for our children and not how we can make our children fit a college?


I am really enjoying blogging again, knee deep though I am in work that I cannot yet share. I recently had the pleasure of a Burst into Bloom coaching session with Mary Lunnen, whose work has inspired me since I first attended a workshop with her a couple of years ago at a local Mind, Body and Spirit event.
I am slowly learning that no matter what your creative practice is, letting it fall by the wayside is bound to make you feel very out of sorts. To reconnect with a creative practice is to reconnect with ourselves, on some subtle level.
The effect of my recent work with Mary has been more subtle, but I am finding it easier to commit to practices and stick to them, knowing that a creative practice is above anything else an act of self-love.
Until the end of August 2018, Mary is offering Burst into Bloom coaching sessions at a rate of £20 per 20 minute session. If this is something that feels like it might be right for you, you can find more information here.
This entry was posted in Personal, Writing and tagged Dare to Blossom, developing creative habits, Mary Lunnen, writing practice.