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2020 Lincoln Aviator Standard RWD
- in SUVs
2020 Lincoln Aviator Standard RWD Review
2020 Lincoln Aviator review: Soaring to new heights. Lincoln's reborn Aviator is a compelling and, more importantly, competitive offering in the three-row, luxury-SUV segment.
The 2020 Lincoln Aviator is quiet inside, goes down the road smoothly, is unexpectedly fleet and comes with a spacious, high-quality interior.
It's by no means sloppy, but this Lincoln is still is a boulevard-cruiser, not a canyon-carver. Also, the steering and transmission tuning could be improved, plus it's not necessarily a value.
Lincoln's reborn Aviator is a compelling and, more importantly, competitive offering in the three-row, luxury-SUV segment.
2020 Lincoln Aviator review: Soaring to new heights
2020 Lincoln Aviator Standard RWD Overview
Pay attention. We're witnessing the rebirth of an automotive brand. After decades without a path or purpose, Lincoln is poised to make a comeback, with the new Aviator three-row utility vehicle taking it to heights unimagined just a few years ago.
In the recent past, if you thought of Lincoln -- assuming you spent any time at all contemplating Ford's luxury division -- things like airport shuttles, podiatrist appointments and Lawrence Welk reruns likely came to mind. It was a brand that appealed to fleet customers, geriatric drivers and just about nobody else. But what a difference some time and a little attention can make.
Lincoln's latest crop of vehicles is nicely differentiated from rivals, provides a unique luxury experience and brings real substance to the market. The Aviator is a perfect example of Lincoln's new direction. This nameplate may not be quite as familiar as Navigator or Continental, but it is one Lincoln has used before.
In the early 2000s, Aviator was applied to an upscale, Ford Explorer-based SUV. Today, the automaker is following that same strategy, but with a twist. Instead of featuring traditional, body-on-frame construction, the foundation of Lincoln's latest and greatest is an unflinchingly rigid unibody platform, Dearborn's brand-new, rear-wheel-drive CD6 architecture.
Those underpinnings also grace the Aviator with upscale proportions. To this, designers applied clean, tasteful styling, including the brand's signature rectangular grille and a roofline that gently tapers at the back. No, this SUV doesn't break any new ground, but it does fit in nicely with the rest of Lincoln's lineup.
Grab one of its electrically operated door handles -- they're oh-so cool and make a satisfying ca-chunk sound when used -- slide inside, and you're treated to a cabin that's just as thoughtfully crafted as the exterior. Its overall layout is simple and straightforward, with a low, broad dashboard, tablet-inspired infotainment screen and more than a hint of mid-century design recalling Lincoln's glory days of the mid-1960s. While toned down compared to the Continental sedan, there's still a bit too much chrome inside, even for my, admittedly, eclectic taste.
Satin-finished, brushed-metal accents would look more appropriate and reduce glare in bright sunlight. Still, all this vehicle's primary and secondary controls are of high quality, with the tape deck-inspired, electronic gear selector feeling particularly premium. Even dressed in midlevel Reserve trim there's plenty of low-gloss, soft plastic and premium leather, but this isn't the limit.
Spring for a top-shelf Black Label model and you're treated to more, including special, themed interiors and a raft of unique owner benefits, like complimentary car washes at participating dealerships, no-charge vehicle maintenance, and free annual detailing for the first four years of ownership. The Aviator's available Perfect Position front bucket seats adjust in a whopping 30 directions, they're also heated, ventilated, offer a range of massage options and are totally worth the standalone $7,730 upcharge on Reserve-trim models. Sure, they take a minute or five to get dialed in just right, but once you do, they're all-day comfortable.
The available second-row buckets are also cushy, with plenty of support and nicely angled lower cushions. They, too, can be heated and ventilated for maximum comfort. It's only in steerage where the Aviator falls short.
You'd best reserve the third-row bench for kids because even average-sized adults are going to face a serious legroom deficit if forced to sit there. At least the backrests power fold at the push of a button, significantly increasing the Aviator's cargo-hauling capability. With all three rows in their upright and locked position, this vehicle offers more than 18 cubic feet of luggage space.
Drop the third row and that figure swells to nearly 42. Fold the second row down and the full Monty is yours, just shy of 78 cubes. In keeping with its overall theme of smooth and quiet, this SUV can be fitted with Lincoln's Air Glide Suspension with Dynamic Lower Entry, which is bundled with adaptive steering and a road-scanning system in the $3,000 Dynamic Handling Package.
This nifty feature enables the Aviator to absorb and digest even the nastiest road imperfections without perturbing passengers. Delivering that buttery-smooth ride, this system features a forward-facing camera that reads the road ahead. It can detect surface imperfections anywhere between 2 and 8 inches high and compensate accordingly so the vehicle just glides along.
I first drove the Aviator in Napa Valley several months ago and wasn't terribly impressed by this air suspension arrangement. It didn't seem to do much on California's generally well-maintained highways. But after testing this vehicle in Michigan, where our roads are more bomb-cratered than the streets of Berlin in the spring of 1945, I quickly grew to love it.
The system irons out major bumps and dips all while keeping the body on an even keel. My test vehicle's ride quality was especially impressive when you consider it rolled on massive, 22-inch wheels wrapped in relatively low-profile rubber: 275/40 R22 Goodyear Eagle Touring tires. About the only downside to that air suspension is the price.
Nabbing the system requires you get an all-wheel-drive, Reserve-trim model or higher. On top of that, a couple of pricey options packages are also mandatory. All in, this increases the price tag by more than 15 grand compared to a standard Reserve model.
In motion, the Aviator is pretty much always silky smooth but never sloppy as you might expect. Handling is buttoned down, though, regrettably, the steering is devoid of feel and the wheel reluctant to center itself after making turns, which is a bit annoying. Speaking of the wheel, for some reason, the voice-activation button for the infotainment system is mounted on the rim at roughly the 10-o'clock position.
Even though it's slightly recessed, I inadvertently hit it on multiple occasions. While nowhere near as colossal as the Navigator, there's no mistaking it, the Aviator is still a generously portioned vehicle. The wheelbase measures 119.
1 inches while its overall length is 199.3. Size-wise, this puts it right in line with other upscale SUVs like the Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GLE and Cadillac's brand-new XT6, however, the Aviator has more giddy-up, torque and gears than all these competitors, save the most potent AMG versions of that Benz. Motivation is provided by a smooth-running, 3.
0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6. With direct fuel injection and other high-tech goodies, it delivers 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. Maximizing performance and efficiency, this powerplant is matched to a standard 10-speed automatic gearbox. For the most part, this transmission is refined, smoothly slurring shifts while dawdling along in rush hour and, without hesitation, dropping a handful of ratios when you bury the accelerator.
Occasionally, the one-two upshift is a bit jerky, but otherwise, the transmission is pretty much on point, with none of the shifting business you might expect from a gearbox overflowing with ratios. If you need more than the already-ample performance offered by the Aviator, you can also get a Grand Touring model. It features a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that cranks out 494 hp and 640 lb-ft of twist.
Given its size, and nearly 4,900-pound curb weight, you might be surprised by the Aviator's acceleration, which is effortless in nearly every situation. Whether idling or at redline, the engine is always refined and softly spoken. According to the EPA, rear-wheel-drive Aviators are rated at 18 miles per gallon in city driving, 26 on the highway and 21 mpg combined.
Specimens fitted with all-wheel drive should return 17 around town and 24 on interstate slogs, figures that make for an average of 20 mpg. After a week of real-world, and heavy-footed driving, I averaged around 19. 5 mpg, better than expected.
As you might imagine, the Aviator offers plenty of tech. Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 is standard, the automaker's suite of advanced driver aids. Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 Plus, which brings extra functionality to the table, comes with the $4,930 Reserve I package.
This includes things like active park assist plus, lane-centering tech and speed-sign recognition as well as evasive steering and brake assist. Adaptive cruise control is also included. While not the smoothest system on the market today, it, nonetheless, does a decent job of keeping the vehicle in the center of its lane and of adjusting speed according to traffic conditions.
It will bring the Aviator to a safe stop as required, though it often feels like the vehicle is charging too quickly at the car ahead, which can be a little disconcerting. The Aviator's lane-keeping assist system has the opposite problem. It feels a bit too soft, almost to the point of being ineffective, though it does still keep the SUV corralled roughly in the center of its lane.
It's just not as assertive as rival systems on the market today. At first, I thought something was seriously wrong with my test Aviator's adaptive cruise control. Whenever it recognized a new speed-limit sign the velocity I had chosen would shoot up by 14 mph.
Understandably, this unpredictable switching was highly disagreeable, but after digging through a couple settings I got to the bottom of what was going on. It turns out there's an intelligent cruise-control feature that, when set, dynamically alters the vehicle's velocity as speed limits change. This feature also has a tolerance setting that allows you to pick how much faster or slower than the posted limit the vehicle will go.
And guess what? Someone had increased this to 14 mph. Dropping it to zero or just putting the cruise-control system in standard adaptive mode fixed the issue.
One high-tech feature that audiophiles are sure to love is the Aviator's Revel Ultima 3D sound system, which is available on Reserve models and standard on Black Label trims. With a whopping 28 speakers, it will blast your favorite tunes without any distortion, even when the volume is cranked to irresponsible levels. The $2,200 Convenience Package brings a few interesting features to the table including soft-close doors, so you no longer have to slam them, wireless device charging, a head-up display and Lincoln's new Phone as a Key system.
As its name implies, this last feature enables you to enter, start, drive and lock your Aviator with only a smartphone. Phone as a Key uses Bluetooth to communicate with the vehicle, allowing you to access it without the fob you'd normally have to tote around. If your handset is lost, stolen or its battery gets depleted, backup passcodes can be entered to gain access to the vehicle and start it.
With the new Aviator, Lincoln has really found its groove. It's deftly moving forward while keeping an eye on the rear-view mirror, offering a modern, luxury-vehicle experience that still tips its hat to the smooth-riding, subtly designed cars it's most famous for. In a world where Lexus is offering track-focused coupes, Lincoln seems to have picked up the mantle of building quiet, comfortable machines.
Dressed in Silver Radiance paint and fitted with a sandstone-hued interior, the Aviator evaluated here checked out for just a few bucks less than $75,000, including $1,095 in destination fees. Eschew many of its niceties and you can drive home in a base model for about $53,000. Check every options box on a Grand Touring Black Label variant and you'll be spending nearly six figures.
In a world obsessed with Nurburgring lap times and novelty features like gesture controls or perfume dispensers, cars that offer a real luxury experience have almost become something of a novelty, but the Aviator delivers. Comfortable, quiet and smooth, it's a rockstar in the Lincoln lineup and will play a huge role in reviving this brand.
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Why Does Obama Fear Netanyahu?
When Speaker of the House John Boehner invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress on Iran's nuclear weapons program, one might have thought that America's politicians could benefit from participating in a serious discussion about a menacing global threat from the leader of a gravely endangered U.S. ally.
Instead, controversy erupted over the propriety of the speaker's invitation, the etiquette of when he or Israel's Washington embassy should have informed the State Department, whether President Obama would receive Netanyahu at the White House and, most frivolously of all, whether Boehner's invitation violated the Constitution. Rather than discussing potentially mortal risks for the United States, Israel, our Arab friends and, indeed, the whole world, we witnessed a cat fight, instigated embarrassingly by America's president, over whether everyone was using the right fork.
In short, this "debate" has been the very embodiment of placing process and style over substance in the making of foreign policy. And like all such distracting exercises, it is at best a waste of breath. Ask the ayatollahs in Tehran, who surely find this misallocation of American time, attention and resources to be totally amusing.
Unfortunately for the United States and all other countries concerned with the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the consequences of White House petulance are far more serious. The very pettiness of the dispute, moreover, actually underscores that Obama is unwilling to debate the underlying merits of his policies.
There was controversy in Israel, from a strictly domestic political perspective, whether Netanyahu should be speaking to Congress so close to the March 17 Knesset elections. Not surprisingly, Netanyahu asked that his address to Congress coincide with the annual Washington convention of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, an event every Israeli political leader wants to attend.
Whether Israelis criticizing Netanyahu were jealous of his scoring a "twofer" in America, whether he violated some unwritten protocol or whether his speech might actually backfire politically, Israeli voters will sort out on March 17.
For Americans, debating substance must replace critiquing style. America (together with the other four Security Council permanent members and Germany) is negotiating over Tehran's nuclear-weapons program in a fashion almost certain to produce a tragically flawed agreement that will leave Iran with the upper hand and the world in peril.
The stakes are as high as they come. But Obama cannot be candid about the terms of the ongoing discussions, especially now. The inevitable consequences of his dangerous position already are provoking widespread bipartisan disapproval in America.
The White House most fears the effect Netanyahu will have on congressional consideration of further Iran sanctions if no deal is reached. Obama is worried with good reason. Although Iran and the West have been negotiating since 2003, only Obama has made the massive concessions to Tehran that have brought a deal close at hand. And it is not just what Netanyahu will say in Washington but also his timing that set off Obama and his acolytes.
Ironically, Obama touched off the current controversy when he persuaded or allowed British Prime Minister David Cameron to lobby members of Congress against the pending Iran sanctions proposals. At a joint Obama-Cameron news conference in Washington, the British leader answered forthrightly that he had spoken with senators and would likely speak to more, to convey "the opinion of the United Kingdom" that sanctions legislation would impair the ongoing negotiations.
Although publicly admitting Cameron's lobbying efforts was highly unusual, they were hardly shocking in a day when foreign countries hire Washington lobbying firms to influence Congress, the executive branch and even U.S. public opinion. And even less shockingly, we do the same to foreign governments.
What likely irritated Obama more was that Netanyahu's star power will almost certainly eclipse Cameron's and that the arguments in favor of sanctions legislation are more persuasive than the Obama-Cameron view has been thus far. Moreover, British parliamentary elections are set for May 7, so Cameron's timing obviously does not differ in principle from Netanyahu's.
In short, Boehner outgunned and outmaneuvered Obama politically, a presumptuousness that could not go unchallenged from the heights of Mount Obama. In America, plain speaking remains a virtue. That's what Netanyahu will bring to Congress — and what Obama fears.


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Comics Movie Reviews
Birds of Prey the Movie
Studios: DC Films, LuckyChap Entertainment, Kroll & Co. Entertainment, Clubhouse Pictures
Writer(s): Christina Hodson
Starring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ewan McGregor, Ella Jay Basco, Chris Messina
Directed by: Cathy Yan
Produced by: Sue Kroll, Margot Robbie, Bryan Unkeless
Release Date: 7 February 2020
Rating: R (Restricted)
Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures
Harley Quinn has broken with the Joker and seeks her emancipation from the Prince of Crime. Embroiled in a diamond heist stolen by Cassandra Cain, a young pickpocket, the villainess is trying to stay alive long enough to serve her new boss, Black Mask. But other slighted women in Gotham City are also trying to rebuild their lives. Will Black Canary, the Huntress, and Detective Renée Montoya stop Harley Quinn or join her?
This movie is a sequel of sort to 2016's Suicide Squad featuring mostly Harley Quinn while the other Birds of Prey are merely supporting characters. This is different from the comic book's Birds of Prey where at most, Harley Quinn has been an opponent, not a member of that group. Calling this movie, the Gotham Sirens after Gotham-based female group in the Batman universe might have been a better bet. Harley Quinn, along with Poison Ivy and Catwoman are the core members of the Gotham Sirens and are usually opposed by Batgirl and Zatanna, mostly in the Bruce Timms comics and cartoon universe. As the characters in this film, except for Montoya were presented as villains a movie titled around the Sirens or featuring them would have been a better fit.
While in the comics, Black Canary started out as a villainess too, it was revealed pretty early on that this was a sham played by the character who used a modus operandi similar to the Green Hornet and Robin Hood, She pretended to be bad so that she could get close to her villainous target and defeat them. But this is something the senior Black Canary did. The Birds of Prey in the comics are good gals. The core of their team is indeed composed of Black Canary and Huntress. For various reasons, the third seminal member, Oracle/Batgirl was not available for this film. This is not an issue.
The real issue is the misuse of Black Canary and Huntress in the film to highlight Harley Quinn. Some reviewers have argued that Black Canary and Huntress are minor characters in comics. That is incorrect. While they are not A-listers, they are certainly not C or D-listers. Both have had series of their own, years before Harley Quinn was unveiled to the public in the Batman Animated Series. Black Canary is one of the few female characters at DC Comics who is not modeled after a male character. She is like Wonder Woman, while not having the same stature. She was a member of both the Justice Society of America in the original 1940s comics and an early member of the Justice League of America in the 1960s. She was the second woman to Wonder Woman in those comics. The Huntress was created at first as the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, and newer versions made the daughter of a crime family in Gotham.
Both Black Canary and the Huntress have appeared extensively in the Arrow television series and the universe build around that series on the CW television network for several years. These characters are not unknown or minor, as some reviewers have argued. They have extensive fanbase and followings in comics, cartoons, and television. In the Birds of Prey movie, they were nothing but accessories. Black Canary faired better but the Huntress was barely in the movie and had few lines or things to do.
Instead of burning the name Bird of Prey, Margot Robbie and Warner should have named the film Harley Quinn. It's really what it was. The movie's revenge fiction against male characters will destroy opportunities for the characters to have their own solid film without Harley Quinn. I dislike revenge fiction be they about taking it out on men like in Birds of Prey or evil Nazis, like in Inglorious Bastards. These are gratuitous and unpleasant. Margot Robbie fell in a typical trap in fiction featuring women trying to stand alone against their related male characters. Often, the big mistake is to feature the male characters as absolute jerks and the women as Mary Sues. Funny enough, Black Canary's first mini-series published in 1991 did just that. In that comics, writer Sarah von Byam transformed Black Canary's boyfriend, Green Arrow into a jerk that pushed away the heroine. This ploy was out of character for Green Arrow but was seen as useful to establish independence from the male character. Well such attempts at independence are in name only as the characters emancipating herself does so only in opposition to the male character. Hence, she continues to be defined by that male character even as she defies him. She is but a shadow of this character.
This conundrum is well known in social theory and why feminism, much like Marxism are often referred to as being critical approaches who criticize an orthodoxy and a hegemony as opposed to just charting their own path. What's worse in the movie is that the Joker's presence was only hinted at. I understand that Jared Leno did not want to be used in this film but there were no real threats or consequences of him trying to dump Harley Quinn from his life.
This kind of weak narrative is found in other aspects of the film. Black Canary was not a singer in Black Mask's club because she was undercover as a double agent, which would have been in continuity with her past. Actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell said in interviews that her character, Black Canary did not want to help the police or use her powers because of what had happened to her mother, presumably, the first Black Canary. Well, this motivating factor was not apparent in the movie and it felt like she was more afraid of Black Mask and Victor Zsasz. This of course, did not make much sense as Black Canary is supposed to be a superior martial artist and hand to hand combatant. In the comics, she's one of the best.
But that aspect of her character was not apparent in the film. Margot Robbie reserved all the best fight moves to herself, and to follow the film, you would think she is the better fighter of the two. Margot Robbie was selfish as a producer and barely allowed the other characters to shine while allowing men to be bashed at every turn. I lost count of the number of crotch shots taken during the various fights. Crotch shots are often a test of poor, uninventive, and anti-male action moves in films. Speaking of hand to hand combat, it seemed that Harley Quinn's only move was to flip a guy around on his back during a fight, when he wasn't being shot in his crotch.
The colours and the cinematography were much better but they were often reserved to highlight Harley Quinn instead of the other cast members. I was unsure about viewing this film. I went to the first showing available as I had time to kill that Friday afternoon. While the movie is not boring and has enough action, it seriously delegitimizes men and barely use the rich characters it featured, except for Harley Quinn. I read that this was supposed to be DC's answer to Deadpool. Well, I dislike Deadpool for much the same reasons. I dislike revenge movies where the main character thinks she or he is too smart. Such films make transform their characters into Mary Sues who cannot get hurt (permanently) and always win. If you resisted seeing this film, I cannot blame you.
Review: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #22
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #15

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Four Poems for Robin (1999, revised 2006) for Soprano and Viola was commissioned by, and is dedicated to, soprano Kathryn Hallor who premiered the work with violist Franklin Alvarez on 1 May, 1999 in Beall Concert Hall, University of Oregon School of Music and Dance (Eugene, Oregon).
Gary Snyder's beautiful poems, chosen by Ms. Hallor, weave together memory, lore and landscape; they are full of musings about young love lost, but they also explore how distance — physical, temporal and emotional — can distort our perception of an earlier time. As the poems progress, the language hardens, eventually leading to a realization that despite his efforts, he cannot regain the past. These pieces were written during a point of transition in my own life that was full of regret, natsugashi, and excitement about beginning anew.
Four Poems for Robin by Gary Snyder, from BACK COUNTRY, copyright © 1968 by Gary Snyder. Used by permission of New Directions Publishing Corporation.
"Four Poems for Robin" by Gary Snyder, from BACK COUNTRY, copyright © 1968 by Gary Snyder.
Copyright © 1999 Andrea L. Reinkemeyer (BMI).
Reinkemeyer, Andrea L. and Snyder, Gary, "Four Poems for Robin" (1999). Music Department Scores. 3.


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Active Campaign Contact Didn'T Get Automation Email
To begin building an automation in ActiveCampaign, begin with a "trigger." There are a number of methods you can set off an automation, including: When a tag is included When a contact subscribes to a list When a contact submits a kind E-commerce and on-site choices (available in the "Pro" plan) When the contact reaches a specific point in another automation.
From there, you can start developing the actions in your automation. Some actions that are available in ActiveCampaign's automations are: Send an email Inform an employee Wait conditions If/then conditionals Split traffic for screening Skip to other parts of the automation Track objectives (The contact can avoid to the goal's place in the automation.) Start or end another automation, or end the current automation Post a webhook Subscribe or unsubscribe the contact to/from lists Update contact details Add and eliminate tags Add a note Lead scoring, SMS and website messages, and Facebook Custom Audience management are all "Pro" features – Active Campaign Contact Didn'T Get Automation Email.
Contrast with ConvertKit's Automations, which are more restricted. On ConvertKit, you can set off an automation when: The contact sends a form The contact makes a purchase A tag is contributed to the contact A custom-made field is upgraded with a particular worth From there, you can produce Conditions, to inspect whether the contact has a specific tag or customized field worth.
You can also produce Events, which are a bit like ActiveCampaign's Goals, however without the reporting. You can track an Occasion when: A tag is included or removed The contact purchases A date occurs A custom-made field is updated with a particular worth You do not produce emails in ConvertKit's Automations.
For more on how ActiveCampaign compares to ConvertKit, read my ConvertKit vs ActiveCampaign contrast. The primary way I build my list is through an email course. ActiveCampaign makes it simple for me to develop my e-mail course precisely how I want to construct it. Many marketers develop very basic e-mail sequences for their "e-mail courses." A contact register, and after that that contact instantly starts getting lessons.
It was simple to develop with ActiveCampaign, but impossible when I was with MailChimp. I do not do that technique. My email course is by hand synced with this countdown timer on my site. You need to register by Friday night, and a new course begins each Monday morning. When I initially tried this method, I was on MailChimp.
Here's the automation I use to invite brand-new trainees to my Design Pitfalls course. There's a few things going on here: The automation sends out all contacts a "welcome e-mail (Active Campaign Contact Didn'T Get Automation Email)." The automation verifies that it's not Friday. If it's not Friday, the automation waits until it is Friday. At 11am, it sends out a "pump up" email to get the students all set for next week's course, and motivate them to share it with pals.
The contact will start getting lessons the following Monday morning. If it is Friday and after 7pm, the contact missed out on enrollment for next week's class. They'll get the pump up email the following Friday morning, and lessons the Monday after that. It was impossible for me to automate this with MailChimp.
When I run a webinar, I don't wish to send out the same email to every individual on my list. I wish to send them the proper e-mail for their level of engagement – Active Campaign Contact Didn'T Get Automation Email. Active Campaign Contact Didn'T Get Automation Email. Here's the automation I use to promote an evergreen webinar: First it validates that they have not currently acquired the product I pitch in the webinar.
Then it sends a series of emails to get them thinking about the webinar, and to encourage them to sign up. If they register, they instantly struck the "Objective" toward the end of the webinar, and the automation ends. If they don't register, they get added to an automation promoting a rebroadcast of the webinar. Active Campaign Contact Didn'T Get Automation Email.
This enables me to tailor my messaging, in other automations, based upon the contact's engagement with the webinar. Here's the WebinarJam combination panel: I can include tags based upon whether the contact signed up, attended, missed out on, or based upon how long they remained in the webinar. These tags can then activate automations within ActiveCampaign.
It costs me money, and it makes it more most likely that my emails go to spam or Gmail's promos tab. People who don't open my emails make it harder for other e-mails to get to individuals who truly desire them! The "Pro" strategy of ActiveCampaign has lead scoring integrated in.
Here's an automation I obtained from ActiveCampaign's library of automations, which I utilize to tell which contacts aren't engaging with my e-mails. When a contact subscribes, this automation includes a "0 days" tag. As time passes, it adds new tags for 7 days, 30 days, 60 days, etc Each time they open an e-mail, a different automation eliminates them from this automation, removes all of those tags, and begins this automation over again.
This automation can be frustrating initially, and this is among those cases where I wish ActiveCampaign had a more out-of-the-box solution. But, because you can do anything with ActiveCampaign, in some cases you need to construct things from scratch. ActiveCampaign has an option to erase non-active subscribers, which I don't suggest.
Some customers do not have tracking switched on, so their opens aren't recorded. Others still want to be subscribed but have actually been hectic. Here's my reactivation series: I send out one email asking if they still want to be subscribed, and briefly discussing why I keep my e-mail list clean. In one week, I send them another email (if they currently clicked on the verification link in the previous email, they've currently been gotten rid of from the automation using a different automation) – Active Campaign Contact Didn'T Get Automation Email.
The automation then unsubscribes them. My emails also have a link to a type where they can enter their email address to let me know that they don't have tracking enabled. This kind adds a tag that I utilize to filter those contacts out. Active Campaign Contact Didn'T Get Automation Email. I used to add this tag when they clicked on a link, however when people don't have tracking on, it makes those links not work so reliably! I only send an easy "do you still want my e-mails?" confirmation.


Manual Lymph Drainage is a gentle soft tissue technique that targets the Lymphatic system of the body. The techniques used focus on moving interstitial and lymph fluid into the lymph capillaries, through the lymph vessels and nodes. The "lymph fluid" is made up of metabolic and muscular wastes created by red and white blood cells, lactic acid through muscle contractions and other chemical reactions that occur within the body. Rhythmical, light, circular movements direct the fluid to the lymph nodes and vessels which are carried to the kidneys and eliminated through the urinary system.
WHO SHOULD RECEIVE THIS MASSAGE?
HOW OFTEN SHOULD SOMEONE HAVE MLD TREATMENTS?
When treating a condition, the client should expect to go every day for 2 – 4 weeks. Although with most schedules and benefits plans, this treatment protocol is usually not a viable option for most.
4 Elements Massage Clinic recommends 1 – 2 sessions per week for the first 4 weeks, with a re-assessment after the 4 weeks.


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Q: Continuous surjection from $[0,1] \rightarrow [0,1]^2$ I am currently exercising on the Cantor set $C$, and I know the following facts from previous examples. The Cantor set is constructed in this case recursively, such that $C_{n+1} := (\frac{1}{3} C_n) \cup (\frac{1}{3}C_n + \frac{2}{3})$ and $C := \bigcap_{n\in\mathbb{N}_0} C_n$. The function $g: C \rightarrow [0,1]$, $\sum_{k=1}^{\infty} (a_k+1) 3^{-k} \mapsto \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} (a_k+1) 2^{-k-1}$ is a surjective, monotone increasing function. By Urysohn's lemma and Tietze extension we can construct a continuous extension of $g$, which I'll denote by $G$ on $[0,1]$. From this, I have proven, that there must exist a continuous surjection $h: C \mapsto [0,1]^2$. I could also extend $h$, and then I'll get the function
$$H:[0,1] \mapsto [0,1]^2, \quad t \mapsto \frac{1}{b-a} (h(b)(t-a) + h(a)(b-t)).$$
$(a,b) \subset [0,1]$ should be an interval removed by the construction of $C$. I would like to proof, that this function is a continuous surjection, I actually should be able to apply the previous proofs as long as I can show that it is continuous on $\frac{2}{3}$.

A: You know that there exists a continuous surjection $h: C \to I^2$. Now you can again apply the Tietze extension theorem:
Let $h_1, h_2 : C \to I$ denote the coordinate functions of $h$, i.e. $h(x) = (h_1(x),h_2(x))$. Both have continuous extensions $H_i : I \to I$. Take $H(x) = (H_1(x),H_2(x))$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


With the new Philips Zoom QuickPro whitening varnish, your patients can get noticeably whiter results in minimal time. QuickPro uses a breakthrough two-layer technology to whiten teeth up to four shades* – and takes just five minutes to apply. After 30 minutes, the patient simply brushes or wipes off the varnish.
Thanks to the convenience of a five-minute application, any dental appointment can become a whitening appointment as well – especially prophys. With the new Philips Zoom QuickPro whitening varnish, your patients can get noticeably whiter results in minimal time. Once you're done, send the patient on their way and instruct them to simply brush or wipe off the varnish in 30 minutes.
QuickPro's innovative sealant layer keeps the whitening varnish from getting onto soft tissue, while the low volume formula leads to virtually no sensitivity. You apply the treatment yourself, so you can rest assured your patients will get high-quality professional whitening results that will keep them coming back again and again.


text:
Q: How to left align multiple line text literal in TABLE label of graphviz dot node? I have such a graphviz dot file test.dot, contains a node with TABLE label:
digraph {
    node [shape=none, fontname="Courier New, Courier"]
    edge [fontname="Courier New, Courier"]
    graph [fontname="Courier New, Courier"]

    id2765 [label=<

literal	"""--- multiple line string literal with unicode ---
here we begin with some comments \\u0020 \\U00000000 \\u1234 \\u20AC \\U00008000:
multiple string literal begins and ends with triple quotes \\"\\"\\",
then newline are enabled in it.
here we test back slask \\r\\n \\' \\" \\? \\a \\b \\f \\n \\r \\t \\v \\\\.
"""

>]
}

Please notice that I want the node contains multiple line text literal:
"""--- multiple line string literal with unicode ---
here we begin with some comments \\u0020 \\U00000000 \\u1234 \\u20AC \\U00008000:
multiple string literal begins and ends with triple quotes \\"\\"\\",
then newline are enabled in it.
here we test back slask \\r\\n \\' \\" \\? \\a \\b \\f \\n \\r \\t \\v \\\\.
"""

Compile with dot -Tpng test.dot -o test.dot.png, its output:

You can see that there's no new line in text literal. So I updated test.dot with ALIGN="LEFT" and
:
digraph {
    node [shape=none, fontname="Courier New, Courier"]
    edge [fontname="Courier New, Courier"]
    graph [fontname="Courier New, Courier"]

    id2765 [label=<

literal	"""--- multiple line string literal with unicode ---
here we begin with some comments \\u0020 \\U00000000 \\u1234 \\u20AC \\U00008000:
    multiple string literal begins and ends with triple quotes \\"\\"\\",
    then newline are enabled in it.
    here we test back slask \\r\\n \\' \\" \\? \\a \\b \\f \\n \\r \\t \\v \\\\.
    """

>]
}

Compile again, its output:

There's new linebreak, but the text is center aligned, while I want left aligned.
How to left align multiple line text literal in TABLE label of graphviz dot node ?

A: add ALIGN="LEFT" to each
 and BALIGN="LEFT" to the  like so:
digraph {
    node [shape=none, fontname="Courier New, Courier"]
    edge [fontname="Courier New, Courier"]
    graph [fontname="Courier New, Courier"]

    id2765 [label=<

literal	"""--- multiple line string literal with unicode ---
here we begin with some comments \\u0020 \\U00000000 \\u1234 \\u20AC \\U00008000:
    multiple string literal begins and ends with triple quotes \\"\\"\\",
    then newline are enabled in it.
    here we test back slask \\r\\n \\' \\" \\? \\a \\b \\f \\n \\r \\t \\v \\\\.
    """

>]
}

giving:


text:
Q: Is there a way to disable the picture 'bloop' in Pokemon Go? In pokemon go it annoys me that even if you disable all sound, when you need to start the camera for a scan it will always do a loud bloop.
Is there a way to disable it? Kinda annoying when you are listening to music only to be blasted by it when you get a poffin scan quest.

A: If you're using a Samsung device you may be able to run Sound Assistant, which is an official app that let's you control volume on a per-app basis.
Otherwise App Volume Control or a similar app may work, as long as its Service works.


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Pennsylvania won't mandate face masks in public despite rising COVID-19 rates
Aug 2, 2021 | 2021, News
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has no immediate plan to reinstate face mask mandates or other restrictions despite new updated federal health guidelines and rising COVID-19 infections in the state.
Amid slowed vaccination rates, public health and medical communities continue to push vaccines as the most effective way to prevent the spread of COVID among people who are under or unvaccinated, who account for the vast majority of new infection cases.
Pennsylvania saw nearly 1,000 more new COVID cases confirmed between Monday and Tuesday, the highest one-day jump since
mid-May. The prior week, 569 new cases were reported between July 20 and 21.
So far this month, more than 9,700 new COVID cases have been reported in the state compared to 8,844 for the first 28 days of last month.
Pennsylvania is not currently examining vaccination status among newly infected residents, but it intends to do further analysis of the impact, health department spokeswoman Maggi Barton said.
"We have no reason to believe that Pennsylvania would differ significantly from the national trend cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the vast majority of new cases are among unvaccinated or partially vaccinated," she added.
The number of confirmed COVID cases in the state jumped from 1,542 to 2,393 in the last two weeks. Positive rates increased from 12 per 100,000 residents to nearly 19.
The number of residents testing positive for COVID-19 with PCR tests — considered the most accurate testing measure — jumped from 1.7% to 2.6% in seven days, according to health data.
Story continues below graphic
The medical community and scientists maintain that the vast majority of new infection cases are among individuals who indicated they are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. Estimates are 97% of COVID-related hospitalizations are among people who are unvaccinated, according to the CDC.
While available studies suggest people who are fully vaccinated are at a low risk of contracting COVID, even the highly contagious and widely circulating delta variant, they can spread the illness.
Fully vaccinated people who test positive for COVID — a phenomenon known as breakthrough illness — typically experience mild or no symptoms, according to scientists.
But they have a similar viral load to infections in unvaccinated people and they can spread the illness, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has said.
Available scientific data has shown a correlation between increased vaccination rates and lower COVID-19 case counts, according to the CDC. Create Account
As of this week, 61% of Pennsylvania residents eligible for a vaccine were fully vaccinated, health data shows. The number reflects only residents who were vaccinated in the state.
Most scientists consider herd immunity, which slows opportunities for virus spread and mutation, is achieved when 70% of the population is fully vaccinated.
The closest Pennsylvania counties to reaching that threshold are Montour, Lehigh, Chester, Allegheny, Lackawanna and Forest counties, which each have at least 60% of residents fully vaccinated.
As of July 22, the counties with the highest percentage of positive PCR tests for COVID are Crawford (16.2%), Cameron (12%), Lawrence (7%), Wyoming (6.4%) and Monroe (6.4%), according to health data. Wyoming County is the only one of those counties with more than 50% of residents fully vaccinated.
While the Wolf Administration is not considering mandating face masks in public places, that doesn't prevent local public and private sectors from requiring them. The CDC now is recommending even fully vaccinated individuals where masks indoors.
"Businesses, and local governments may adopt stricter COVID prevention strategies," the health department's Barton said.
Some businesses across the state already are doing so.
Earlier this month Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, the parent company of hospitals in the Philadelphia region, including St. Mary Medical Center in Bucks County, joined a growing number of health care providers in announcing it would require most employees and those doing business in its facilities to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
COVID infection rates among Pennsylvania health care workers have more than doubled this month, according to an analysis of health data. Among all health care workers, there were 192 new positive cases reported over the last two weeks compared to 68 in the first two weeks of July.
St. Mary Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Trina Abla confirmed the hospital has seen an increase in COVID-19 patients this month, which it attributes to the spread of the delta variant. The number of positive COVID patients has more than tripled in the last six weeks, though the hospital did not provide numbers.
"An overwhelming majority of these patients are unvaccinated, and while the increase is small, it is concerning," Abla said.
In Bucks County, a little more than half of residents are fully vaccinated as of this week. The county saw the number of new cases more than double from 169 the first two weeks of July to 430 for the most recent two weeks, according to county data. The county had 309 new cases of COVID for all of June.
The number of residents with positive PCR tests increased from 1.7% to 2.3% in a week.
Under age 18 are averaging two to three new COVID cases a day, a slight increase from one to two new cases daily last month, said county spokesman Larry King.
Bucks County has no immediate plans to require face mask requirements be reinstituted.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronak Bhimani of Lower Bucks Hospital in Bucks County said there is no question that vaccinations have reduced COVID-related hospitalizations and ventilator use.
"We can't say this enough — everybody needs to be vaccinated," he added.
Bhimami anticipated more private and public employers may require workers to get vaccinated, if the rate of transmission doesn't slow down.
In the southern U.S., where Bhimami said he has colleagues, fewer than 50% of residents are vaccinated and hospitals there are getting slammed with new COVID patients, he said. He has heard stories about unvaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID requesting the vaccine.
"It totally shows people we're not done with this yet," he added. "It's certainly come a long way and we're not out of the woods yet."
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Put your time in on stand during the peak rut period and plan on dragging some venison and antlers out of the woods.
The sound of a rutting buck chasing a hot doe through the fall woods is unmistakable. It's much noisier than the sound of deer running simply to escape from a person walking through the woods or a hungry coyote.
When a buck is chasing a doe in heat near your tree stand, you'll hear leaves rustling, brush and twigs cracking and lots of grunting. It's an exhilarating racket that will raise the blood pressure in even the most stoic bowhunter. This is the sound of the peak of the rut – the most revered time of year for any avid whitetail hunter.
The sun was sinking low on the horizon one evening in mid November 2006 as a deer hunter was sitting guard in his tree stand overlooking a small clearing that separated a food plot of neatly-planted pine trees from a rectangular tree stand of mostly tall, tulip poplars. The air was cooling as fast as the shadows were racing across the ground, andheI zipped up his jacket to the top of the collar to better trap his body's heat.
This deer hunter hadn't seen a deer during the previous two hours he'd been on stand, when, all of a sudden, he heard an awful commotion coming from the stand of tulip poplars. It took a second or two for his brain to process the noise he was hearing and determine that it was the sound of animals running. When he heard a series of loud, guttural grunts, he knew he was listening to a buck chasing a doe.
Through small breaks in the trees and brush, he caught glimpses of two bucks running a doe in circles and figure-eights. Neither of the bucks impressed him, but it was thrilling to listen to the pursuit. The deer ran around that stand of tulip poplars for a couple of minutes before he spotted a small eight-pointer emerge from a creek bottom off to the left and make a beeline toward the timber. That buck obviously was attracted by the racket. "This is getting good, now," the deer hunter thought to myself.
Hang your tree stand in areas frequented by does and the bucks will show up. Hunter shown wearing Mathews Lost Camo.
He was following the chase through the timber by tracking the noise, when he caught deer movement out of the corner of his right eye. He turned his head and watched a beautiful eight-pointer plodding 50 yards away along a path that ran from the planted pines, through the opening he was watching and into the tulip poplars.
He whipped out my can-style doe-in-estrus bleat call and turned it over, creating a sheep-like bawl. The buck stopped dead in his tracks and snapped his head sideways to look in his direction. He only paused for a second or two before he left the trail and began walking stiff-legged toward the deer hunter's tree stand. When he put his nose to the ground to sniff the buck lure he'd squirted on the ground in the middle of a deer scrape 10 yards from his tree, he drew back his bow.
The deer hunter's 10-yard sight pin danced around the deer's chest, before coming to rest in the crease behind the buck's left front shoulder. The arrow made a hollow "thwack" as it zipped straight through the buck. The deer kicked its hind legs up high in the air, made two bounding leaps and then collapsed in full view, barely 30 yards from the spot where he shot him. No tracking required. Just like that, this deer hunter cashed in on the peak of the rut.
There is arguably no more productive time to be in the deer woods than the peak of the rut. At this time of the season, bucks roam far and wide at all hours of the day and night in search of hot does. The buck of your dreams – one that you might never have seen before in your deer hunting area – can walk by any second that you are on stand or in a ground blind during the peak rut. Given that possibility, it's easy to see why deer hunters would do well to maximize their efforts during this period.
The first step in deer hunting the peak rut is knowing when it occurs. Generally speaking, count on the peak of the rut in the northern half of the United States arriving in early to mid November.
Some deer hunters believe the rut is directly tied to lunar cycles – that it peaks shortly after the second full moon following the autumnal equinox in late September. Basically, you're looking at early to mid November under that guideline. That's certainly a good bet for the peak rut, but it's not a sure thing year in and year out.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission studied pregnant, road-killed does in late winter and early spring of 2000 to determine, among other things, when those does were bred. Based on the data collected, the rut of 1999 in Pennsylvania lasted from early September through mid February. Naturally, most of the does were bred during the traditional rutting period from late October through mid November. But the point is, you shouldn't count on a calendar to tell you exactly when the rut is on. Instead, look to the woods.
The use of a grunt tube can be a deadly peak-rut tactic.
The best way to know if the rut is on in your area is to be out there deer hunting, watching and scouting. "In your hunting area," because the peak rut can vary from one part of your state to the next.
What you need to do to pin down precisely when the peak rut is occurring is to track the progress of fall deer activity in your hunting area. In late September and early October, count on seeing bucks and does mingling with one another, feeding and acting very predictably.
You might find deer scrapes on field edges and buck rubs scattered throughout the woods in no discernible pattern. Think of deer scrapes and buck rubs this time of year as a buck's practice markings. They tend to be placed haphazardly and their makers might or might not return to them after they're made.
After about a week or two, the scraping and rubbing will slow and your encounters on stand with deer will dwindle. You'll think the resident herd crawled into a hole.
Toward the end of October, you'll start seeing bucks, usually by themselves, cruising through the woods looking for hot does. There may be a few hot does in your deer hunting area, but probably not many just yet.
As the days pass, the rubbing and scraping activity will pick up again. This time, the buck rubs will be in fairly defined lines or clusters, as a buck marks his territory. The deer scrapes will move into the woods, or they'll be on field edges where deer trails head into the woods. These deer scrapes will have a strong, musty odor and they'll be freshened up time and again.
Finally, when you see bucks hotly pursuing does through the woods, it's time to start the clock on the peak of the rut.
So now that you know the rut is raging in your deer hunting area, where should you hunt? Earlier in the season, you probably keyed in on feeding areas and travel routes between bedding and feeding areas. You should still keep these places in mind when you're deer hunting during the peak rut, but your main focus should be on the areas where the resident does spend the bulk of their time. Find the does during the rut, and the bucks will show up.


As additional data models gained favor, relational database vendors responded by expanding their products to support a variety of data models, including multidimensional, document, in-memory, NoSQL, graph and others. Our research over the past five years shows widespread acceptance of multiple data model deployments. During this time, our research shows that the percentage of enterprises using different types of database technologies has remained relatively steady, and 40 percent of organizations have adopted a multi-model approach to their data processing needs involving two or more database technologies.


How could the drop in the lending rates that was expected to grow in credit through affordable loans be counterproductive?
Recently, news sources have been awash with stories of how borrowers are struggling to repay their loan facilities. Some sections of the media have intimated that even the dreaded auctioneers are no longer at ease. It is becoming increasingly difficult for them to sell some of the property offered to the market at auction prices. If such information is factual, this is a harbinger of tough times ahead. The question therefore remains: What happened? Why the sudden spike in the non-performing loans (NPLs)? Are non-performing loans a product of tough operating business environment or weak credit risk management practices? It is evident that institutions that have crafted a robust and reliable credit risk management system stand a better chance in facing the daunting challenge.
The latest quarterly report by the Central Bank of Kenya indicated that the levels of nonperforming loans continue to soar. As at end of October 2018, the ratio of the NPLs to the total gross loans was 12.3 per cent. The International credit rating agency, Moody's in a recent report attributed the huge levels of NPLs in the Kenyan banking sector and the deterioration of the asset quality to weak credit risk management practices and noted that delays by government in paying contractors and suppliers has aggravated the situation. Equally, key changes in the international financial reporting set by International Financial Reporting Standards (IFSR) effective January 2019 will impact the financial system even further, thus, an agile lender must prepare for the worst-case scenario. The expected increase in loan provisions will lead to lower profits and increase in NPLs will lead to an increase in risk-weighted assets, which leads to a lower capital adequacy ratio.
Increased NPLs challenge not only faces the local financial system. It is not even regional. It is global. Mid last year, the World Bank Group organised a two-day conference in Vienna, Austria whose only agenda was to devise a comprehensive approach in resolving NPLs. The conference attracted enormous attention from many countries that acknowledged that high levels of NPLs is a challenge that must be addressed. Such conferences and meetings demonstrate how significant the issue of the asset quality is to the performance of the individual banks and the entire financial system – nationally and globally.
Various stakeholders including the central banks take keen interest in the performance of loan assets and related credit facilities. This is because a properly-functioning banking system translates into a stronger financial system and ultimately demonstrates the solidness of the economy. If the banking system is bullish, the general economy is exposed to huge economic and infrastructural developments. A strong economy is home to decent employment numbers and leads to better economic growth.
Loans or credit facilities are the major "stock-in-trade" of many commercial banks or lending financial institutions. A lender faces several challenges in the business such as raising sufficient funds to ensure they remain in the trade, and perhaps the toughest is to ensure the loaned funds are repaid and within the pledged timeframes. Banks or lenders experience the sharpest of the pounding of tough economic environment and therefore must take great interest in the economic changes in the environment where they are operating. Different countries will face different economic times at a specified period. Changes in the inflation rates, GDP growth rates, levels of interest rates, foreign exchange rates amongst other key economic fundamentals could change the business environment.
However, according to the CBK figures, the real estate sector continues to be generator of the biggest chunk of NPLs in the banking sector. This changes from one market to another. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the oil and gas industry accounts for about 30 per cent of the total gross loans and about 47 per cent of the NPLs in the entire banking sector. May factors have been attributed to the undesirable situation of real estate business in Kenya. Some analysts have opined that the capping of interest rates that was introduced in 2016 could be one of the major reasons. But how could the drop in the lending rates that was expected to grow in credit through affordable loans be counterproductive? Why would such a change so hugely impact the real estate in a country whose total stock of mortgages is a paltry 30,000? Others have attributed the slowdown in the real estate market to oversupply of housing units. But how, in a country whose annual deficit in housing units, according to the World Bank, is estimated at 2 million units? Of course, these figures must be more granular. When one discusses housing deficit, it is important to indicate which segment of the market is affected by the oversupply. Is it the high-end, middle or lower segments of the pyramid?
Undoubtedly, construction business is highly sensitive to many changes in the market. Proper appraisal of a real estate project is paramount, and all the cost parameters need to be itemised and properly assessed. Projected revenue from such a project need not be as totally conservative but must be as realistic as possible. These estimates must also be stress tested to ascertain how the worst-case scenario would look like in case of adverse changes in the business environment. Failure to adhere to these simple procedures will guarantee a 'white elephant' project that will end up being a non-performing loan.


If you're looking for a St. Louis Metro East, IL landscape company that can help bring your landscape ideas to life, look no further than Breck Outdoors. We invite you to explore our site and imagine the possibilities of your outdoor living space. Check out our Landscape Planner and learn about the variety of landscape services we offer that can transform your space. Finally, take advantage of our free consultation and learn how realistic it is to have the landscape you have always wanted.
This project features two separate boulder walls, a Belgard paver patio, dry creek bed, flagstone seating area, front and back landscape complete with boulders and plantings. Stay tuned!


When Stephen Paddock opened fire Oct. 1 on concertgoers in Las Vegas, killing 59, the city became the unfortunate host of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Investigators are still trying to piece together the events that took place that evening, and why.
Like other recent mass shootings, the events in Las Vegas were quickly followed by demands for change to gun control policy.
But which policy do we choose? Following the Las Vegas shooting, debate has focused on bump stocks, accessories that allow a semiautomatic weapon to fire more rapidly. Will restrictions on them help prevent another mass shooting? Is there a better policy option?
Unfortunately, the research we need to answer these questions doesn't exist – and part of the problem is that the federal government largely doesn't support it.
1. Why do we need research about guns?
Gun violence is a public health issue. It's a leading cause of premature death in the United States, killing more people each year than diseases like HIV, hypertension and viral hepatitis.
While violent crime has generally been on the decline since the mid-1990s, the latest reports from the FBI suggest crime rates may be starting to increase. Gun crime has been a persistent problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33,594 individuals were killed by firearms in 2014 alone. That's only about 200 less than the number of people killed in motor vehicle accidents. In 2015, roughly 85,000 people were injured by firearms, including nearly 10,000 children.
In order to prevent gun injuries and deaths, we need accurate information about how they occur and why. While police reports and FBI data can provide some detail, they don't include the thousands of cases that go unreported each year. Between 2006 and 2010, the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated that more than a third of victims of crimes involving a firearm did not report the crime to police. The National Crime Victimization Survey, which collects victimization data from about 90,000 households each year, helps to fill in this gap. However, even this survey has its drawbacks. It doesn't collect data from youth younger than 12, it doesn't include murder and it doesn't help us fully understand the offender's motivations and beliefs.
Social scientists like me need more research in order to get the level of detail we need about gun crime. There's just one major roadblock: The federal government won't fund it.
2. How much federal money is there?
In 1996, Congress passed the Dickey Amendment. The legislation stated that "none of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control." While that wording did not ban CDC gun research outright, the legislation was accompanied by a US$2.6 million budget cut. That amount happened to match the amount the CDC had spent on firearms research the previous year. The message was clear. From 1996 to 2013, CDC funding for gun research dropped by 96 percent.
The CDC wasn't the only federal agency affected. In 2011, Congress added a similar clause to legislation that regulated funding for the National Institutes of Health. However, due to a directive from the Obama administration, the NIH continued to provide funding for gun research. That push faded as the Obama administration left office.
Earlier this year, the NIH discontinued its funding program that specifically focused on firearm violence. While firearms researchers can still apply for funding through more general NIH funding opportunities, critics say that makes funding for gun research less likely.
3. What prompted these funding restrictions?
The Dickey Amendment was passed after a CDC-funded study led by physician and epidemiologist Arthur Kellerman found that having a gun in the home increased homicide risk. After the results were published, the National Rifle Association pressured lawmakers, arguing that the CDC was inappropriately using its funds to advocate for gun control.
Opposition from the NRA is serious business for lawmakers. The NRA is one of the most powerful special interest lobbying organizations in the U.S. In 2014 alone, the NRA spent more than $3.3 million on lobbying activities – things like meeting with politicians, drafting model legislation and advertising.
The NRA also spends additional millions to advocate or oppose political candidates. In 2016, the NRA spent nearly $20 million on efforts opposing Hillary Clinton and nearly $10 million on efforts supporting Donald Trump.
Not surprisingly, the NRA has successfully blocked gun control legislation in the past, including renewal of the 2004 assault weapons ban.
4. Can state or private sector dollars fill the gap?
Another potential option for research is to seek out funding from private agencies or philanthropists. But few of these opportunities are available.
According to Garen Wintemute, director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, fewer than five private organizations are willing to provide gun research funding.
Private funding is also somewhat risky for researchers. If a funder has a political leaning on gun-related issues, the researcher may be under pressure to produce the "right" results. Even just the implication that a researcher could have a conflict of interest can undermine a study's results and perceived legitimacy.
State funding may be another option. In 2016, California announced its intent to fund the University of California Firearm Violence Research Center. This is the first time a state has stepped forward to fund a research center focused on guns. California remains the only state to take this step.
5. Has gun research stopped?
Lack of funding leaves some researchers, like myself, limited to small-scale studies with a low budget. The problem with studies like these is that they are often based on samples that are not nationally representative. That means we can't generalize from the findings or address all the questions we might have.
Without increased funding for gun research, it will be extremely difficult for researchers to provide accurate answers to the gun policy questions currently under debate.
This article has been updated with the correct name of the Las Vegas suspect.


Congratulations to Catherine Smith for winning the trip to Mt. Washington and the $100 gift certificate. Thanks go to DragonFly Suites and all those who contribute their spirit points to senior housing at the Heriot Bay TruValu store. Our summer raffles have raised a few thousand badly needed dollars, to help advance our project.
Advances are being made in firming the plans & layout for the first duplex, and we look forward to obtaining the blessing of the Regional District for the improvements. Thanks to Bill O'Connor for mowing the lot….. A decision was made to begin installing drain pipe and washed rock, and filling in the trench through the middle of the property. Grant Hayden and Rolf Kellerhals have kindly offered to supply machinery to accomplish this work, at fuel cost only. A big thank you! to them both. It appears that Quadra contractors and businesses are continuing to generously volunteer.
It is sometimes hard to see any progress, but it is happening. A reminder that fundraising of a least $75,000 is needed to start construction, so philanthropists are still needed to come forward.
The Society has applied to the Quadra Section of Coastal Community Credit Union for some of the annual $50,000 available in the legacy fund set up during the merger between QCU and CCCU. Our project will certainly be a big benefit to the community, so we are hoping for the generosity of the Legacy Committee at decision time.


When teen lovers Gaspard and Marion stumble upon a cell phone, they decide to track down the owner – and find him, dead, in a mysterious suicide ceremony. Next to him lies a half-conscious girl, Audrey. Possessing femme fatale looks and an enigmatic tattoo, Audrey lures Gaspard into Black Hole, a dangerously addictive online game. Gaspard's avatar encounters beautiful but poisonous singer Sam, who attracts victims in the virtual world and seduces them to commit suicide in real life. Could Sam's alter ego in the real world be Audrey? Could Gaspard be her next victim? He will have to journey deeper into Black Hole to learn the terrible truth.


Electron energy loss spectroscopy enables the identification of elements and determination of the binding state of these elements to their environment on a very local scale. The arrows in the figure show that measurements on a bunch of carbon nanotubes polluted with amorphous carbon give a different signal than measurements on a clean single nanotube. XANES (X-ray absorption near-edge structure) is only capable of measuring large quantities.


text:
Krow's c-blog
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LONG BLOG
The Destructoid Community Pok�mon Adventure: Humble Beginnings
8:46 AM on 08.07.2009 (server time) 0
Journal Entry #1, September 30th, 1998:
Today began like any other. I woke up, did my share of household chores, and then sat around playing my NES. Something was different though. Adventure was in the air and my young legs were craving the open road. When Mother told me that Professor Oak wanted to see me, I knew my time had come. I trudged over to old man Oak's lab to see what was up.
Unfortunately, the face I met in the lab wasn't that of Professor Oak, it was the face of his snotty Grandson Aborto. Man, that guy really gets to me. He's always looking at me down the brow of his nose; he thinks I'm beneath him. Someday, I'll prove him wrong. With nothing better to do, I decided to go for a walk on Route One. Just as I'm about to enter the tall grass, Professor Oak comes out of nowhere and tackles me off the road. Apparently he's worried I can't take care of myself. He told me there are wild Pokemon out there, that I'd get hurt.
Whatever. I followed him back to his lab to hear him out. I was thinking, "This had better be worth it." What he told me far surpassed my expectations. He was going to give me my very own Pokemon! Hell, he even gave me first dibs over that brat Aborto. I gave them all a good once over and finally settled on the Squirtle. Turtles are cool, right? I decided to name him after my long lost childhood friend Mikey.
Aborto ran up and grabbed Bulbasaur without even giving it any thought. Everything this guy does really gets to me, I don't know what it is. As if on cue, as I'm trying to leave the room, he challenges me to a battle. A battle? Are you kidding me? I just got this thing! Still, it's not like I could turn him down. He'd never let it go if I did.
Being the sensible man that he is, Professor Oak gave me pointers during the fight. It made taking Aborto down a lot easier than I thought it would, and to my amusement, the punk had to give me his allowance when it was all said and done. Mikey and I were off to a great start, and I knew that we were destined to kick some serious ass together. With my first battle behind me, I set off down Route One towards Viridian City. The adventure I had always longed for was finally upon me, and nothing was going to keep me from getting to the top and beyond.
Mikey and I made our way up Route One, fighting the wild Ratata and Pidgeys. Sometimes I wonder who came up with the names for these creatures, but I think it's best that I keep those thoughts to myself. I wouldn't want to offend anyone.
We eventually made it to Viridian City. I'd never been out of Pallet Town before, and after a quick stop at the Poke Center to rest up Mikey, I went by the general store to browse their wares. Wouldn't you know it, but the clerk recognized me and asked me to deliver a parcel to Professor Oak. Really? Had I come all this way just to be someones errand boy?
I almost turned the clerk down, but I figured I owed Professor Oak for Mikey and I'm one of those people who doesn't want to rub the karma Gods the wrong way. Back down Route One I went, parcel in hand. When I got to Oak's laboratory he looked like he'd been expecting me. I handed him the parcel and he gave me his thanks. He started to speak when Aborto burst into the building, shouting something about being bothered and that this had better be good.
Oak started up again. He told us that he wanted us to catalog the Pokemon we came across. The Pokedex would automatically store the name and appearance of every Pokemon we encountered, but if we wanted detailed info, we'd have to catch them. The idea of collecting every type of Pokemon in the world danced around my head, but I shoved the thought aside. Right now I needed to focus on getting out of Pallet and seeing the world.
Aborto and I said our farewells to Oak and left the lab. He said some snide comment about getting a map from his sister and how he'd make sure she wouldn't give me one, so of course the first thing I did was head to his house. She graciously gave me the map; I knew I'd always liked her for a reason. Back up Route One I went, training Mikey in the art of battle.
Eventually we hit Viridian City yet again, and this time, the cranky old man from before was feeling helpful. He showed me how to properly throw a Pokeball to catch a Pokemon and then pointed me in the way of the Viridian Forest. After giving him a courtesy thanks, I set off.
The forest was much bigger and more confined than I had hoped. I got about fifteen feet in before a wild Weedle decided to attack me, and with the help of Mikey, I made that Weedle my newest asset. I gave it the name Mid3vol and decided that it would be best to rest up in Viridian City before I tackled the forest. I stopped by the Pokemart to stock up on supplies, healed Mikey and Mid3vol at the Pokemon Center, and set up a camp just outside the city to rest for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a great day, I knew it.
It's been an interesting start for our young hero. What new obstacles will stand in his path? Will he survive the mysterious forest? Tune in next time for; Episode 2: Forest of Mystery!
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About Krowone of us since 6:05 PM on 08.15.2008
Favorite games:
Breath of Fire III
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
Mega Man series
Mega Man Legends
Mega Man Legends 2
Mega Man X series
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Phantasy Star II
Pikmin II
Pokemon Gold
R-Type III
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
An assortment of other games I'm forgetting
I'm an aspiring writer, musician, and artist. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm very talented in any of those fields, but that won't stop me from throwing the titles around. I'm presently a high school graduate who has no idea what he wants to do with his life.
Contact me. I'm bored.
AIM: clumsybigfoot
MSN: [email protected]
Gtalk: [email protected]
(Last Updated Saturday October 2nd, 2010)
Xbox LIVE: Clumsybigfoot
PSN ID: Clumzibigfoot
Steam ID: clumzibigfoot
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There are two important questions for the skilled trade in Berlin: Given the threatening shortage of skilled labour, how is it possible to make trade as an occupational field more attractive? How can the mutual acknowledgement of training qualifications and the realization of EQR in the border regions make progress? The project "3 F for Future", coordinated by the BGZ, dealt with these issues. Professionals in vocational education and skilled trade training met for three one-week transnational experience exchanges (Flows) in Poznan, Wroclaw and Warsaw. They discussed topics such as the implementation of the EQR in border regions, European trends in vocational education, know-how transfers in vocational education practice and concepts for reforms and comparability.
The guilds of the Berlin Chamber of Small Business and Skilled Crafts have made the results available as Good Practice for other trades. Furthermore, there were approaches for further cooperation, such as internships for trainees. The project strengthened the partnership between Berlin and Warsaw, and the cooperation in the Oder region.


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