I'm a tall person. I have a tendency to hunch over at my desk and my posture is not ideal. But I have recently acquired something that helps. And now about six other people in my office have them, too. As I write this, I am sitting on a big, red, exercise ball.
Sitting is the new smoking, so they say. The jury is still sort of out on the benefits of exercise balls, but it certainly makes me more conscious of the way that I sit. I also find myself bouncing up and down on it, which surely burns more calories than just sitting.
And as it turns out, my exercise-ball-for-a-chair also provides a great illustration of a theory called Diffusion of Innovation (or DOI). Everett Rogers describes an innovation as "an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption." In this case: using an exercise ball instead of a desk chair. Diffusion, then, is "the overall spread of an innovation, the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system." Again, in this case: the growing number of people in my office who are getting their own exercise balls.
Clearly, not all innovations get diffused effectively. Some neat ideas never take off, and amazing advances in public health can take years to be widely accepted. There are certain characteristics of innovations that make them more likely to diffuse within a social system. The more of these characteristics an innovation possesses, the more likely it is to diffuse.
Relative advantage: Is the innovation better than what was there before?
Compatibility: Does the innovation fit with the intended audience?
Complexity: Is the innovation easy to use?
Trialability: Can the innovation be tried before making a decision to adopt?
Observability: Are the results of the innovation visible and easily measureable?
Let's examine the use of an exercise ball as a chair in light of these characteristics.
Relative Advantage: As mentioned, the jury is still out on whether an exercise ball is better than a chair, but for me, it at least makes me more conscious of the way I am sitting and for how long.
Compatibility: In our office setting, which is in a health-promoting field, using a chair that is healthier fits with the intended audience.
Complexity: Other than the occasionally difficult inflation of an exercise ball, it's pretty simple to use. If you start bouncing while trying to type (as I'm doing now), the complexity increases, but it is not required for use!
Trialability: This characteristic is especially important when it comes to exercise-ball-chairs. It was and is very easy for any of my co-workers to borrow my exercise ball to try it out, especially because you aren't supposed to use it non-stop throughout the day ( it can fatigue your tender back muscles). As this innovation spread through the office, I think that trialability was the #1 factor in its diffusion.
Observability: As it turns out, I was not the first person in the office to use an exercise ball chair. However, the first user works in an area of the office that is rather isolated, so few people could observe the balls in action. My cubicle is more central (and near the kitchen!), with many people coming and going, so my ball was easily observed while in use.
So what does this mean for health communication? Well, although diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated among members of a group, dissemination is the planned, systematic efforts designed to make a program or innovation more widely available. So when we create dissemination plans for our projects or products, we should keep in mind how they will be picked up by innovators and diffused throughout a social system.


Global Hydrogen Peroxide Market report provides key information about the industry, including invaluable facts and figures, expert opinions, and the latest developments across the globe.
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Russia's telecom conglomerate AFK Sistema is buying a 25% stake in the fixed-line holding Svyazinvest via its fixed-line operator Comstar, according to Reuters. The cost of the deal is $US 1.3 BLN.
The blocking stake in Svyazinvest will give AFK Sistema a veto at board level and an advantage in the re-organisation of the telecoms giant. AFK Sistema won't yet comment on the deal.
The government has repeatedly delayed the privatisation of Svyazinvest, in which it has a 75% controlling stake. It is now considering an option to merge the company with its subsidiaries, as an alternative to privatization.


Innovation in banking often results from the convergence of three key domains: financial services, technology, and regulations. The regulatory framework is a crucial aspect of innovation. When crafted in a balanced, proactive way, regulations can directly drive positive innovation and market competition.
This is why Ripple has been an active participant in key policy discussions, advocating for policy that supports innovation and participating in industry initiatives such as our role on the Steering Committee of the Federal Reserve's Faster Payments Task Force.
Read the full article at Ripple Insights.
Thoughtful regulation assists in ensuring the safety and security of financial products and the technologies that enable them as well as engender customer trust, which is probably most critical to the success of any new technology.
Another critical aspect in earning customer trust is providing transparency. By enabling control and insight into transaction processes, users can confirm for themselves that they are getting what they asked for, when and how.
One company that has taken transparency to heart, is Sydney based FlashFX, a cutting edge fintech startup, engineered from the ground up to deliver transparent foreign exchange transfer services, without hidden fees.
FlashFX provides fast, secure and very competitive foreign exchange conversion services as an alternative to the existing opaque, siloed and inefficient banking networks.
Coupled with an exceptional user experience by delivering extraordinary user control built into the latest technology, FlashFX is setting a new level of service standard.


Thursday evening. The kids are asleep or the day is simply over. The TV is poised for action. The snacks are out. When it's me-time, say Hello to Gallo and its range of delicious and refreshing white wines, to be enjoyed chilled.


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Songs, Poetry, and Miscellany
Dusty Quotations
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We Wear the Mask
Posted on December 22, 2020 December 22, 2020 by dustyreviewer
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
Who is Paul Laurence Dunbar?
Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and playwright of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio to parents who were enslaved in Kentucky before the American Civil War, Dunbar began writing stories and verse when he was a child. He published his first poems at the age of 16 in a Dayton newspaper, and served as president of his high school's literary society.
Much of Dunbar's more popular work in his lifetime was written in the "Negro dialect" associated with the antebellum South, though he also used the Midwestern regional dialect of James Whitcomb Riley. Dunbar's work was praised by William Dean Howells, a leading editor associated with the Harper's Weekly, and Dunbar was one of the first African-American writers to establish an international reputation. He wrote the lyrics for the musical comedy In Dahomey (1903), the first all-African-American musical produced on Broadway in New York. The musical later toured in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Dunbar also wrote in conventional English in other poetry and novels. Since the late 20th century, scholars have become more interested in these other works. Suffering from tuberculosis, which then had no cure, Dunbar died in Dayton, Ohio at the age of 33.
Understanding this poem, to some extent, requires the context of knowing who Dunbar is.
There are fifteen lines in this poem, separated into three stanzas. The first is five lines, the second is four lines, and the third stanza is six lines.
Let's look at the first stanza:
The first line gives us the title of the poem. The first line also lets us know that the mask is negative by telling us that it lies. The poem also uses the word "we." The Speaker might be referring to all of humanity but it is more likely that his "we" was tailored to his audience. Dunbar was African-American, and the poem was written in the late 19th century. It may be that "we" is specifically intended to refer to African-American readers.
The lie told by the mask is its grin. Beneath the mask we are told the wearers have torn and bleeding hearts.
In the second stanza:
This starts with a question. Wisdom would be looking below the mask and seeing tears and sighs in great enough numbers that they merit counting. The Speaker asks why should the world do this? This is a serious question, deserving a serious answer, but it is apparent that the Speaker does not expect an answer. In any case, the Speaker – for reasons possibly inferable though unstated – does not want the world to be wise.
Sharing emotional hurt and grieving together over it – or failing that attempting to address those grievances – confers a sense of emotional intimacy or closeness. In the same vein, seeing emotional hurt and ignoring that hurt confers on the world an even greater villainy. The mask represents a barrier between truth and ignorance. It is a barrier between "we" and "the world." The Speaker tells us that "We wear the mask" but we do not know who made the mask. Is ignorance something crafted by the world and worn by the "we" or is it made by the "we" to shield against the indifference of the world?
In the third stanza:
The final stanza starts with a pair of contrasts between outward appearance and the truth beneath. Smiles are contrasted with the cries of tortured souls. Singing is contrasted with hard roads and a long journey. The Speaker defiantly concludes that "we" keep the truth hidden and the world in ignorance. "But let the world dream otherwise" is a call for the world to remain in ignorance.
What is the source or motivation of that desire? That is left up to the interpretation of the reader. One might speculate that the sentiment comes from a belief that "we" don't need "you" (i.e. "the world" so often referred to throughout the poem) and that "we" will endure and eventually overcome anyway. In that regard, the mask may represent a desire for the "we" group never to be part of "the world" even after eventual victory.
The poem is dark and it calls its readers to be reflective. At the time of its writing, it applied to a specific group of oppressed people at at specific time in history. The barrier between the two sides of a class struggle, though, is universal.
Is wearing the mask the right decision?
What do you do if you identify with the world and begin to notice masked people around you?
Tags: Paul Laurence Dunbar, We Wear the MaskCategories: Poems
One thought on "We Wear the Mask"
Paul Lawrence Dunbar is one of my favorite poets, and I'm happy that you chose one of his poems to review. If the world were fair, he'd be much more widely read than he is.
I just wanted to add that all of his works are in the public domain, and can be accessed for free at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/6269
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I'm just a guy writing about some things.	View all posts by dustyreviewer
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Frederic Chopin is of course one of the most beloved of all piano composers, and many players are eager to play his music as soon as they possibly can; in the case of adult learners, often when they have only been learning for a few months.
PWM Edition offer several collections and anthologies that provide the perfect introduction to the music of Poland's most celebrated composer, as well as two revered complete editions.
In this post I will give a quick overview of this range, together with tutorial videos from PWM's Music from Chopin's Land series…
Four Easy Preludes
Among the pieces that can be attempted by the early advanced player, some of the easier Preludes from the famous collection Opus 28 quickly come to mind, and four of them have been collected in a small book Four Easy Preludes, which appears in the famous Paderewski edition.
Included in the short collection are the ever-popular reflective Preludes in E and B minors, as well as the hope-filled Prelude in A major, and dramatic C minor Prelude.
In my PWM tutorial video below, I take a quick look at these latter two and pinpoint a few particular areas where teachers might want to bring some focus with their students learning these pieces…
Four Easy Preludes is one of a series of introductory books which also includes:
Three Easy Nocturnes
(Bb minor Op.9/1; Eb major Op.9/2, F minor Op.55/1)
Three Easy Waltzes
(Db major Op.64/1; C# minor Op.64/2; E minor, posthumous)
These little collections offer a lovely way of first encountering Chopin's music as a developing player, using the revered edition still held by many to be the most helpful performing edition.
PURCHASE • Musicroom
The Easiest Chopin
The Easiest Chopin is a more extended collection bringing together 18 of the composer's easier works in one superb 56-page album:
Polonaise in G minor Op.posth
Polonaise in B flat major Op.posth
Polonaise in A flat major Op.posth
Prelude in E minor Op.28 no.4
Prelude in A major Op.28 no.7
Mazurka in C major Op.24 no.2
Mazurka in A minor Op.59 no.1
Mazurka in F major Op.68 no.3
Nocturne in E flat Op.9 no.2
Nocturne in F minor Op.55 no.1
Nocturne in C minor Op.posth
Waltz in A minor Op.34 no.2
Waltz in C sharp minor Op.64 no.2
Waltz in B minor Op.69 no.2
Cantabile in B flat major Op.posth
Feuille d'album in E major Op.posth
Largo in E flat major Op.posth
Fugue in A minor Op.posth
This judicious selection, including evergreen pieces in several of Chopin's most popular miniature forms, is beautifully presented within a flexible matt card cover that glows with its gold embossed writing.
The high quality paper is in soft ivory white, and again the edition itself is that of Paderewski, Bronarski and Turczyński, carefully reproduced here and complete with fingering throughout.
The Most Beautiful Chopin
In a similar vein but for the more advanced player, The Most Beautiful Chopin is a superb 80-page collection that includes many of Chopin's most popular gems:
Etude in A minor Op.10 no.2
Etude in A flat major Op.25 no.1
Prelude in B minor Op.28 no.6
Prelude in D flat major Op.28 no.15
Prelude in A flat major Op.28 no.17
Prelude in C minor Op.28 no.20
Polonaise in C sharp minor Op.26 no.1
Polonaise in C minor Op.40 no.2
Mazurka in C sharp minor Op.6 no.2
Mazurka in B flat major Op.7 no.1
Mazurka in G minor Op.24 no.1
Mazurka in F minor Op.68 no.4
Waltz in D flat major Op.64 no.1
Waltz in E minor Op.posth
Waltz in E flat major Op.posth
Nocturne in E flat major Op.9 no.2
Nocturne in E minor Op.72 no.1
Here, again, the book is a beautifully presented volume, the scores within reproductions from the seminal Paderewski, Bronarski and Turczyński editions.
The Complete Chopin
So what of this Paderewski, Bronarski and Turczyński edition?
Most enthusiastic and serious classical players will eventually want complete editions of at least some of Chopin's miniatures, and there are of course many alternatives on the market. But of them all, the Paderewski Edition is famed for its clarity, selection of sources, decisions about musical phrasing, and well-judged fingering recommendations.
The edition is available in 27 volumes from PWM, of which the first 14 contain the core piano works as follows:
Ballades
Scherzos
Polonaises
Waltzes
Mazurkas
Fantasia, Berceuse, Barcarolle
Rondos
Concert Allegro, Variations
One might think that with such an acclaimed edition, PWM might rest on their laurels. But in the decades since Paderewski's edition became the benchmark by which all Chopin editions were judged, the new aesthetic of urtext editions has become the norm, with editions from Henle and others bringing fresh insight and scholarship, textual clarity and the latest typography.
The Definitive Chopin Edition?
Responding to the need for a new definitive edition, the Chopin National Edition was produced as a brand new urtext, edited by Jan Ekier and published for the 2010 bicentenary of Chopin's birth
Holding a copy of an Chopin National Edition from PWM one is immediately aware of being in possession of an object of rare class.
The gorgeous notation, printed on luxury cream paper, is among the cleanest and best engraved I've ever seen. But it is equally obvious that beyond the impressive aesthetics this is also the product of immense scholarly integrity.
One point to bear in mind though. The edition is spilt into Series A, which includes all the works published in Chopin's lifetime, and Series B continuing the posthumous works. This means, for example, that there is a volume for published Nocturnes in Series A, and another for the posthumous Nocturnes (which includes some of the most well-known) in Series B.
You can find out more from the edition's special website, where we read:
"The NATIONAL EDITION is the first source-critical edition of Chopin's complete works based on the entire body of available sources. The sources have been analysed with the use of up-to-date scientific methodology. The objective of the National Edition is to present Chopin's output in its authentic form.
If you can spare 16 minutes to watch this fascinating video about the edition, mostly an interview with Jan Ekier himself, I am sure you will find it rewarding:
Whatever the strengths of other editions on the market, I cannot imagine any serious performer wanting to be without the truly stunning Chopin National Edition of Chopin's music as their primary (or at least reference) musical text.
Using the Chopin National Edition and Paderewski Edition side by side, however, one really has the very best of both worlds!
In my tutorial video for PWM, I outline some of the features of the Preludes Op.28 in C minor and A major, drawing attention to those which are most likely to be novel or challenging for the late intermediate to early advanced player, and offering teaching tips.
The following tutorials were produced by PWM as part of the same filming project, featuring an international array of top teachers. English subtitles are available (press CC to activate them).
Polonaise in G minor presented by Ernestine Bluteau (France):
Preludes in E minor and B minor presented by Maddalena Giacopuzzi (Italy):
Waltzes in C sharp minor and D flat major presented by Marie Kiyone (Japan):
Nocturnes in B flat minor and E flat major presented by Hubert Rutkowski (Germany):
For pianists at any level who are keen to explore and discover the music of Chopin (and who isn't?), Poland's PWM Edition offer the definitive range of sheet music publications, from intermediate to early advanced anthologies through to the world's finest complete editions.
You can explore the range on the musicroom website (link below) and in music shops worldwide.
Discover Chopin at Musicroom
PIANODAO TEA ROOM members receive 20% DISCOUNT
on all sheet music purchases from www.musicroom.com
All products featured on Pianodao are independently selected by Andrew Eales.
However, when you buy something through the site's retail links, Pianodao may earn a small commission, without affecting the price you pay.
Andrew Eales is a widely respected piano educator, published author and composer based in Milton Keynes UK, where he runs a successful private teaching studio.	View all posts by Andrew Eales
Posted on November 15, 2020 January 5, 2022 Author Andrew EalesCategories Advanced Repertoire, Diploma Repertoire, Music from Chopin's LandTags 24 Preludes, Chopin, Chopin National Edition, Easy Chopin, Jan Ekler, Paderewski, Paderewski Chopin, Paderewski Edition, Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Preludes, PWM Edition
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In terms of design, Oppo Find X looks quite similar to the Samsung Galaxy S9 series.
Since previous year, a majority of flagship smartphones have switched from full metal unibody to metal and glass design.
The forthcoming smartphone from Oppo boasts a novel motorised camera slider mechanism featuring front as well as rear cameras. OPPO claims that the sliding operations of the camera are smooth and it takes only 0.5 seconds to pop-up.
The "Find X" is outfitted with the latest Google Assistant, activated with the voice command, "OK, Google", for voice assistance to find information, schedule, make phone calls, play music, listen to weather forecasts and find locations.
The second unique feature has to be its nearly all-screen design, which is something that Lenovo promised us with the Lenovo Z5 but failed to attain. At the launch event, I got a chance to spent some time with the Oppo Find X, and here's what I think about the high-end smartphone.
The third feature is not unique as we have already seen it on the iPhone X but it is the first on any Android phone. In the world of bezel-less displays with notches, you won't find anything except the display on the front of the Find X. The device comes with stealth 3D cameras which will slide out when required. With a premium price tag, comes premium features too. It touts cameras that pop up from the top when the camera app is activated - a design choice needed for its notch-less design with a 93.8% screen-to-body ratio, possibly the highest ratio today. Both the front and rear panels are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 technology.
The OPPO Find X runs Android 8.1 Oreo-based ColorOS 5.1.
The "Find X Automobili Lamborghini Edition" supports SuperVOOC "Flash Charge" technology and enables full charge in 35 minutes, has Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 mobile platform and a massive 8GB RAM and 512GB memory combination.
The Oppo Find X's rear dual camera setup features a 16-megapixel primary sensor camera with LED flash, OIS and f/2.0 aperture, and a 20-megapixel secondary camera with f/2.2 aperture. It is loaded with features such as AI portraits and AI Scene Recognition. On the front, the Find X has a 25MP selfie snapper with f/2.0 aperture. The AI-assisted 3D Camera also supports 3D lighting with artistic filters.
"'Find X' aims to offer our Indian consumers a premium, innovative and technologically advanced offering for an advanced smartphone experience", added Wong who is responsible for building the company's momentum in the domestic market. Connectivity options supported by the Find X include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5 LE, USB-Type C port, and Global Positioning System. It's worth noting that the phone ditches 3.5mm headphone jack, but bundles USB Type-C to audio jack adapter. The phone comes in two colours - bordeaux red and glacier blue - and will be available for preorders on Flipkart starting July 25.
Pre-orders for the Find X on Flipkart will start from Jule 25.
Company representatives said that with every pre-order, users will receive an INR3,000 gift voucher.
Doctors say the best way to stay heart healthy is to exercise, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and don't smoke . Multivitamins are popular, but they don't appear to boost your heart health , according to a new study .


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Radio For People
Grassroots Independent Media Groups and Concerned Individuals
Lesh, Weir Turn Out Short Set to Preview Grateful Dead Exhibit
October 22nd, 2009 by John Vilanova Leave a reply »
Photo: Todaro/FilmMagic
New York City Deadheads exchanged their tie-dyed shirts and electric kool-aid for suits, ties and wine glasses on Wednesday night as the New York Historical Society hosted a benefit gala for an upcoming exhibit honoring the history and legacy of the Grateful Dead. Approximately 300 donors munched on hors d'oeuvres while enjoying a first look at some of the items that will be featured in "The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New York Historical Society," a one-of-a-kind tribute that opens March 5th, 2010, and runs through July 4th, 2010.
The exhibit features iconic memorabilia including original artwork, photographs, backstage passes, hand-decorated fan mail, and much more from the band's career, which spans almost 50 years. Most of the items will be on loan from the recently opened Grateful Dead Archive, a special collection at the University of California Santa Cruz that houses thousands of pieces of memorabilia, each of which serves as what the Archive calls "evidence of the creative activity and integrity of the music of the Grateful Dead and the influence the band has had on contemporary social structure and music history."
Guests of honor Phil Lesh and Bob Weir were in attendance on Wednesday, signing a few autographs and posing for pictures before taking the tiny stage and delivering brief remarks to the assembled crowd. "Who knew we would ever be historic?" Lesh said with a wry smile before introducing "his brother and best friend" Weir, who came to the stage with guitar in hand.
Although the historical society, with its stained-glass windows, shelves of books, and paintings hanging from the walls, may have seemed like an odd place for a rock concert, Lesh and Weir laughed off the odd situation with their usual laid-back aplomb. Framed by two gigantic Greek...
Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily
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Washington, D.C. Should Support Algerian Churches
09/13/2019 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) –Algeria, a country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa, does not tend to make the headlines in Washington, D.C. But that lack of attention may be due more to Washington's inattention to the state of religious freedom than anything else—Algeria easily makes the top-25 list of the world's worst religious-freedom violators, and the situation in Algeria is only getting worse today.
One of the main ways that Algeria targets its Christian population is by shutting down their churches. Other tools are used to oppress Christians as well—laws regulating non-Muslim worship, anti-conversion and anti-blasphemy laws that shut down religious free speech, and a culture of animosity towards Christians all make it difficult to practice one's faith in Algeria. Some of these tools of oppression are coded into the law, some are merely de facto, but they all combine to make the life of an Algerian Christian extremely difficult. The shutting down of churches, though, is an increasingly common tool being used by the Algerian government.
When the Algerian government goes in to shut down a church it doesn't necessarily use police force, although that does happen. Algeria uses a variety of pretenses to shut churches down, including the innocuous-sounding claim that they need to conduct safety inspections—and seal the church building off in the meantime.
In other cases, the authorities will demand that the church produce a license authorizing the building for use as a place of non-Muslim worship. The license that the authorities demand in these cases is one created in 2006 and issued by an approval committee assigned to the task—a committee that has never met in the decade-plus that has elapsed since it was created. This reality means that the license demanded by the authorities does not exist, and authorities could have a blank check to shut down churches if this technique continues to be used. The authorities demand these licenses despite the fact that the Protestant Church of Algeria is a legally recognized entity, and the fact that its churches shouldn't have to obtain the elusive licenses in order to operate in the first place.
Some churches in Algeria have managed to resist the recent crackdown in recent weeks, but the overall outlook for the church in Algeria will not be pretty if the Algerian government does not choose to stop its systematic harassment of churches. ICC has long worked in and with the Algerian church, and this is not the first time since our work there that the government has targeted Christians through the guise of building codes and licenses.
In previous incidents in Algeria where ICC has been involved, we have found the Algerian government responsive to US pressure. It is important that our policymakers in Washington, D.C. understand the very real positive impact that they can exert around the word, even in a country as far away as Algeria. The Algerian government listens when members of Congress, the State Department, and the international community choose to stand up and protest the religious oppression of the Algerian people. We must not let the Algerian church struggle alone, but should stand with them against the systematic harassment that they are facing from the Algerian government.


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His eyes were sad in a way that made you think he'd done things he wasn't proud of. His hair was cut just the tiniest bit uneven. I imagine it was done at home, alone in his cramped bathroom with the toothpaste splatter on the mirror and a pair of clippers he bought on sale five years ago. He was the kind of man a woman knew to stay away from but often didn't. The smile that was nearer a sneer wasn't quite charming, but it drew them in.
He let his long-gone Alabama drawl slip through sometimes. I think that helped. It made his admirers feel safe like maybe just being born south of the Mason-Dixon made him a gentleman. He spent a few years up north, though; that's where he got the ice in his veins. He doesn't talk much about what happened there but, if he lets you stay the night, you'll hear him wake up whimpering.
Those agonized moans on the darker side of midnight always made me wonder what sins put that sadness in his eyes. The ghosts that waltzed there were old and wizened — they knew just how to torment him. It should have been a warning, but I never thought I'd see fire in the depths of the blue. Never thought he had a spark like that in him.
He was a plain man, handsome enough, but not outstanding in any way. Until I witnessed it for myself, he didn't strike me as particularly ardent. I wouldn't have thought he would make a good lover or advocate or any of the things you need intensity for.
A certain set of circumstances bring it roaring to life, though. A woman with tan skin and a short skirt walking home from a concert, a coed with blonde hair and big, doe eyes darting across town to see her boyfriend at another school, a young rebel girl sneaking out of her overbearing parents' house. He sets his sights on them and the spark is ignited. A passion is lit, one that's so bright and burns so hot that to look upon it is terrifying.
It seethes beneath his skin and his laughter becomes a sick snarling sound. A mouth more suited to smiling twists into something grotesque. The sorrow in his eyes becomes fury and a shiver slides over your skin. Some prehistoric instinct screams Warning! He looks at you and you know without a doubt that he's going to do something horrible to you.
When he does you'll be able to feel his joy alongside your agony. Pain is his passion. He loves it the same way your diabetic grandmother loves hershey kisses, with guilt and disregard for consequences in equal measure. It'll become a palpable swirl of happiness in the air, rising up like a baby's laughter. He craves the smell of your fear and the way it mixes with the scent of excited sweat on his brow. He thrives on the way your body quakes as he brushes his hands across it. He wants to capture your screams with his mouth and replay them in his mind late at night like a sweet lullaby.
A strange, cold light will flicker in his eyes. It will scorch the sadness to ashes. All that will be left is his rage, and it will be directed at you.


On the Spot Photos was on site for The Sizzling Hot Pink Saratoga Hat Luncheon, sponsored by Vineyard Vines and NYRA. The luncheon was hosted At the Rail Pavilion, Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation® on August 10, 2017. Johnny Miller, a professional special event photographer, from On the Spot Photos was on location for the step and repeat photo shoot with lots of lovely ladies to support the event and instantly print 4×6 magnetic event photos, compliments of the underwriters.
View and Share your photo from the 2017luncheon here.
View and Share your photo from the 2016 luncheon here.
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I experienced a weird problem related to the clock functions recently (June 2007, MY2008 S320CDI, European version). First I thought this was caused by old and weak batteries, but swapping both the engine bay and trunk batteries (original parts from MB dealer) did not help unfortunately.
The analog clock does not synchronize with Comand time any more. After disconnecting and reconnecting the power in the trunk, the pointers move to 12.00 and it starts running like a "stand alone" clock. Yes, if I reconnect the power at 12.00 exactly it will show time approx. correctly (at least for a while I guess).
The Comand system receives the correct time by GPS as it should but does not seem to transfer this time to the analog clock anymore. Moreover, the date in the Comand system is incorrect (March 2003) and it cannot be corrected manually before it receives GPS signal. If I try to correct it manually, it will change the year to 2018 but hop back from November to March, when it receives GPS signal.
The official MB dealer's workshop made a software upgrade in order to solve the problem, but that did not do any difference unfortunately. They are clueless regarding this phenomenon and suggest a new Comand unit (a hefty 4000 EUR).
I posted about this the other day and someone replied to try and change the time on key position one. Mine was glitched for a few days but I kept messing with it and ultimately fixed it. The clock on mine just changed by itself one night. Keep trying to change the time back to normal. Also odd, but totally not related, after having these glitches I was driving on the highway and got a "cruise control inoperative" message. It went away after cycling the computer (turn off car->open door->close door->start car.) What's odd to me as that many people are starting to experience this glitch. My date was going back to March 22,2018. Which seems to be the date others were going to.
Wow that's odd, thanks for sharing your experience! EXACTLY, March 22, 2018 it is.
Could updating the map data help in any way? My map data is a couple of years old so it's due for an update anyway.
I going to open another thread regarding the annoying Distronic Plus / Park Assist issues.
Exact same issue for me, EXACTLY. March 22, 2018 it is.
My clock as well did not update at first, but eventually did. Date is still wrong, but that does not bother me as it is not visible while inside the car.
There must be some kind of glitch somewhere that we all get the same date.
Actually, today it had reached April 3 2018. It just seems to go on running from the day the power was reconnected.
Noticed today that Comand will show the manually entered time and date correctly after it loses GPS signal (car is parked garage over the night). As soon it receives the GPS signal, the date hops back again. Extremely odd.
Yes, that makes sense, good point! Not unusual that memory starts getting problems after a decade or so. Is all that memory (including seats etc.) located in the Comand unit?
unfortunately this is still a question for me too.
Do you also encounter issues with the memory seats?
Only the odd coincidence with the Distronic Plus system ( https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...st-issues.html ) after the Comand software was updated. Seat memory and everything else work without any issues.
In this case, I am afraid that I am not really right considering that some memory can be the root cause.
I see that the date is actually evolving every day, but it still have the offset(today-2003 some month). When I park the car in some underground parking lots, the car loses the GPS signal and the date can be then manually adjusted. When the GPS is reconnected, the date is again automatically adjusted to year 2003.
I can't figure out why do I have this date offset, and how to "adjust" it.
Yeah, it's so weird. Got the 2003 year first too after I reconnected power in the trunk. But after manually adjusting the date without GPS signal it only went back to march 2018 and is now running from there. I think it's April 6 today. Very odd. Maybe your trunk battery is worn out so that it starts similar to a reconnection of the power?
I think it still could be a memory issue. Depending on where the memory has gone bad, different things are affected.
Found out that lots w221 (and even 211) owners have the exact same problem in Germany since a couple of weeks.
They have not been able to fix this problem. They just have come up with a couple of workarounds to correct the displayed time and arrival time.
So wait until the car had a "good night's sleep" and give it a try.
Yes, that works. In my car something is so oddly wrong that the analog clock won't accept the input from the Comand anymore. As the analog clock always starts at 0.00 when power is connected, I disconnected the power in the trunk, waited until it was exactly midnight and reconnected the power. Since then the analog clock shows the correct time.
If you cycle power at midnight as I described, the analog clock should show the correct time. Mine has shown the correct time for more than a month, and time for Comand navigation is working without an issues too. No problems at all (until next DST I guess).
Sure, no problem at all!
I put the car in a my garage (not sure if it's necessary, if the weather is fine). At least 15min before midnight I open the trunk and lift the floor. To the right you will find a thick black cable that is bolted to the metal chassis of the car. By loosening the bolt and bending away the cable you will cut the power from the accessories battery. Secure the cable to make sure it doesn't touch any metal surfaces.
30 seconds or so before midnight, reattach and bolt down that cable again. Do not wiggle it unnecessarily so that it loses contact again during the tightening process, make sure it gets one good contact, hold it against the metal and tighten the bolt.
My car was affected by the same problem on past Saturday. The analog clock was off (slow) about three and a half hours. I tried to set the correct time and the date. It did not allow me to save the new and correct data.
I turned for help to this Forum and I found your suggestion/solution.
I "gave it a try" "first thing in the morning". I adjusted both the time and the date via Command in less than 40 seconds after entering the car. I saved them.
It still held the new settings after work in the afternoon. I have just checked it again (about 14 hours later since the morning), and it is still correct. Let's hope it will stay that way. I am crossing my fingers.
Just a quick update. The correct and newly set up time is still correct on the analog clock.
However, the date reset itself to the previous and incorrect date. I tried, again and again, to set it up. It resets itself overnight.
I have just checked the date today in the morning. It correctly shows the correct date: December 24, 2018. It corrected itself overnight.
Ran into the same issue about a week ago. Glad I ran into this thread. Will give it a try myself as well.


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NBA Opening night and Christmas National TV schedule announced for 2020-2021 season
December 3, 2020 /in NBA /by Baseline Times
The holidays are here and so is the NBA! Christmas week will feature some of the biggest NBA stars during the holidays as the NBA starts its 2020-2021 season on December 22, 2020.
The NBA released the first week of National TV games on December 2, 2020. The remaining teams' schedules for the first half of the season have yet to be released.
Tuesday, Dec. 22: Opening Night
Golden State Warriors vs. Brooklyn Nets (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET, TNT)
Wednesday, Dec. 23
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns ( 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Friday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Golden State Warriors vs. Milwaukee Bucks (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics (5:00 p.m. ET, ABC)
Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers (8:00 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)
LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Eastern Conference Early Off-Season 2020-2021 Power Rankings
Western Conference Early Off-Season 2020-2021 Power Rankings
Listen to the Shoot or Pass Podcast – Baseline Times NBA dedicated podcast for all of your latest NBA news, predictions, and coverage!
More NBA Coverage from Baseline Times
https://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/NBABT1-1.png 423 1210 Baseline Times https://baselinetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BTheader.png Baseline Times2020-12-03 13:38:442020-12-03 13:38:46NBA Opening night and Christmas National TV schedule announced for 2020-2021 season


Top journalists at The Economist certainly think so, arguing the move would smash the north-south divide and save taxpayers millions on Westminster repair costs.
The argument over whether Manchester or Birmingham is the UK's second city could finally be laid to rest.
Brummies may soon have to argue it out with Londonders.
Economist journalists reckon making Manchester the country's capital would 'change British politics for the better', making it more affordable and accessible.
They say the move would 'drive urban integration', raise productivity and boost living standards.
Politicians on our patch have long argued the need the burst the establishment bubble. Economist bosses agree, insisting leaders would be much closer to 'ordinary voters' if our city took over from London.
Repairs to the Palace of Westminster are long overdue. The Victorian complex is crumbling, with at least £4bn needed to bring it up to scratch.
Moving both houses of Parliament out for up to eight years would be a massive undertaking.
Economist bosses say creating a 'modern political centre' has nothing to do with the state of Westminster, but about fixing the country's traditional divide.
They argue the 'establishment' in many countries is split between multiple locations – Berlin and Munich, Toronto and Montreal, Sydney and Melbourne, Barcelona and Madrid.
That, they argue, makes the establishment 'less complacent, blinkered and self-regarding'.
The Economist says Manchester could be the perfect counterbalance to London, capable of attracting government staff, the media, think tanks, investors and business leaders.
The magazine's Bagehot column reads: "Manchester clearly has the edge. Its position as Britain's de-facto second city is well-established.
The Manchester Central Convention Complex is suggested as the place to house the two houses of Parliament, with nearby rundown mills and warehouses perfect for offices for MPs and government departments.
The Prime Minister could work from Central Library, the column suggests.
"Perhaps moving Britain's cockpit from the pompous, forbidding, Oxbridge-college air of Westminster to these airy Victorian temples of manufacturing and entrepreneurial ingenuity would improve politics, making it more optimistic, accessible and ambitious," the column adds.
Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese said addressing the north-south divide isn't about where the capital is, but where cash is invested.
He said: "While it's encouraging that Manchester's strengths and potential are being increasingly recognised both nationally and internationally, we see our role as complementing London rather than competing with it.
"We know most Mancunians would consider our city the capital anyway. This is a bit of fun, but there is an important message behind it.
"If the government is serious about rebalancing the national economy and reducing the dominance of London, what matters most is not where is designated the capital city, but where the investment takes place.


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Google to roll out About this Result in search to tackle fake news: All you need to know
Tech giant Google announced a slew of new features at its I/O 2021 event to help users navigate the Internet in an easy way. Among them is About this Result in Search feature which can help in tackling fake news.
When a user searches for something on Google, the result cards that appear will also have About this Result which will present information about a given website, what other sites have to say about it and a Wikipedia page with information about it. Google said this will help users make a more informed choice.
The feature will begin rolling out to devices across the world in a few months.
The company has already given the option to use voice search and image search options in the widget it provides on Android phones. These will be augmented with an update to Google Lens, the AR-powered camera. The update will first roll out on Android devices, followed by iOS.
At the Google I/O 2021 conference on Tuesday, CEO Sundar Pichai and other executives of the company also laid out the roadmap for tools and features that will be rolled out through the year.
For enhanced privacy, Google is introducing a new "quick delete" option that will help delete the last 15 minutes of search history with a single tap from the Google Account Menu. It is also introducing location history reminders in Maps timeline.
The tech giant also announced the release of the first beta of Android 12, featuring the biggest design change since 2014. The latest version will include features that will give more transparency around which apps access user data, and offer more controls to users, said Google.
Google will start rolling out the new mobile operating system for over three billion Android devices globally later this year.
I/O is normally held outdoors near Google's Silicon Valley headquarters, with thousands of software developers from major companies to startups attending to learn about new programming options to jazz up their apps. But the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to be held as a digital event, like many others across the globe.
The event was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. – Hindustan Times/Tribune News Service
Originally Appeared Here
Filed Under: TECH/SCIENCE
Huma buys digital health firm iPLATO Healthcare
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Terry Smith, the man behind the UK's largest retail fund, launched a blistering attack against Unilever's management as its bid for GlaxoSmithKline's … [Read More...] about Terry Smith launches scathing critique of 'dead' Unilever-GSK deal
Downtown Bay City's historic Knepp building to be redeveloped starting later this year
5Bay City's Historic Knepp BuildingBAY CITY, MI — A plan to bring new life to downtown Bay City's historic Knepp building is in the works.A group of … [Read More...] about Downtown Bay City's historic Knepp building to be redeveloped starting later this year


text:
On the TownEntertainment
Norah Jones Jazzing Up Juan-les-Pins this July
Norah Jones is back on the piano and back on the road. Following the release of her latest album, Day Breaks, in 2016, the 9-time Grammy winner will perform at Jazz à Juan this July, alongside the likes of Sting, Carla Bruni and Earth, Wind & Fire.
The worldwide sensation who made a name for herself in 2002 with her first solo effort, Come Away With Me, which sold more than 20 million copies has decided to return to her roots. Trained as a jazz pianist, Jones has always had music in her blood. Born in New York to sitar legend Ravi Shankar and concert producer Sue Jones and raised in Texas, the young artist soon developed a love for Billie Holiday and learned playing alto saxo and the piano.
Come Away With Me, released on the legendary Blue Note jazz label, was sultry and soulful, and launched a new musical trend, inspiring many copycat singers. But Norah Jones has proved that she was not afraid to be adventurous, incorporating country, pop, rock and even trip-hop elements into her compositions for her four subsequent albums, all certified platinum. She has even collaborated with artists as different as Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, OutKast and Foo Fighters. While some critics simply saw her as a new Carol King, the American singer has successfully demonstrated that she had her own personal sound and did not need elaborate stage shows to enchant the public for an entire evening.
In Day Breaks, the singer has surrounded herself with many jazz lunimaries to produce nine originals and cover three masterpieces by Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, and Neil Young. Using the simple formula of a singer in front of a piano, she still has what it takes to create a jazzy and country atmosphere, both confessional and playful, thanks to her beautiful voice, exquisite melodies, and sensitive song-writing.
Norah Jones plays the Jazz à Juan festival at the Pinède Gould in Juan-les-Pins on Saturday, 21st of July 2018. Tickets range in price from €20 to €125 and may be purchased online.
Lead image by Giulia Ciappa (Flickr: Norah (1)) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Carla BruniEarth Wind & FireJazz à Juanjuan les pinsNorah JonesSting
How to Support Monaco at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Ostinato: A Candid Peek into the World of Violin Virtuoso Tedi Papavrami
The Wolf and the Lion: Peeking Behind the Scenes of The New French Blockbuster


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Game of Thrones: "The Bells"
Honestly, I don't know what I'm supposed to tell you about this week's episode. I had to watch it again immediately after it was over. There's so much to process, so much to go over, and I only get one article to do it in. It feels patently unfair, but God still hasn't read any of the letters I've written to his 'complaints' box so I'm just going to have to give it my best go.
Yes, people all over-hated this episode. The fundamental criticism that D&D (David and D.B, the producers) are ruining the show with season 8, just driving it into the ground as they laugh over all the money they've made, has some merit to it. The fine line between writing a good conclusion with satisfying endings for all parties involved and just rushing to wrap everything up has become less distinct. The reality of the show, as one of my friends put it, is similar to what Battlestar Galactica fans used to say: "everything you want in the worst possible way."
I say similar, because it's not a perfect analogy. Cleganebowl was true fanservice, predestined from earlier seasons but in full fruit in this episode. Whether or not everyone was ready for The Hound to die, you have to admit, it was a heck of a stage for a fight – collapsing towers, a stairway to nowhere, fire and death all around. It was pretty much perfect, the little sequence it occupied. Euron's death was also pretty finely done. Even if Daenerys didn't get to burn him alive, with his fleet gone and no more ballistas to fire, his character arc got wrapped up nice and bloody by Jamie. Their arcs also intersect in an interesting way – one of the most recent arrivals to the show (and one of the most hated characters) is killed by a 'hateful' character from the very beginning, on the road to completing his redemptive arc.
Of course, what follows is not even close to remarkable. Jamie and Cersei being buried alive, while dramatic, is not exactly what people were expecting. Arya's decision to leave without killing her sparked some hate, but the bigger issue is that Cersei dies without saving her child, that she dies on someone else's terms. D&D made the decision to validate Jamie's death wish, to die in the arms of the woman he loved. Bronn's question from season five, asking if that's what she wants, too, isn't even taken into account. So Cersei dies to make Jamie's arc complete, without any regard for her character arc. That she was going to die is and has been certain. That she should die on someone else's terms is unwarranted and out of character.
And, if we're talking about female characters being put through the worst ringer imaginable, we can't leave the Mother of Dragons off the table. We all wanted to see Drogon flying over Kings' Landing, to fulfill the promise of the vision Dany had in the House of the Undying. Maybe tearing down the Red Keep would have been cool, too, if it hadn't been preceded by the complete and utter ransack of the city. Whether the choice was made to paint Dany like the Mad King, or the SFX department had some extra time on their hands and played 'what if?' scenarios with a dragon, wildfire caches and the city, Dany's decision to burn it all down sparked more controversy than nearly anything else Game of Thrones has thrown our way.
Whether or not she wanted to be queen of the ashes, whether or not her mercy was exhausted by the consistent and continual loss of friends and dragons, whether or not she made the choice for fear over love, whether it's her seeing the castle her family built and the rats that have taken it over, Dany snapped. I don't have any answers or explanations, save that D&D wanted to create parallels, which they love, and controversy, which everyone loves. Parallels, as the wildfire detonated in the secret tunnels, echoing back to the Mad King's promise to destroy everyone and everything. Controversy, as Dany's character is sacrificed so Jon can be forced into kingship. It's poor timing, yes, with what's happening in the political landscape regarding the lineup of female and male presidential candidates. I have to remind myself that they started filming this final season in 2017, that no one then knew we'd have the gender politics landscape we do now. And yet, regardless of the current climate, the larger part of me believes they should have known. Trading a female ruler for a male one is contentious at best, and in a fantasy series so obsessed over by fans, truly precarious. To say that it's all part of a larger picture, that everything's falling apart in the show and in the real world, is to make a cheap attempt at art imitating life or vice versa.
The truth is, if you think this show's going to have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention. What it will have, all we have been promised, is an ending. Frothy as our collective rage is, it's all we have, all we can do, to hold on, dig in, wait, and watch.
Written by: Vyasar Ganesan
Published: Tuesday, 2019/05/14 - 16:11


My Son was around 3yrs and 4months old.He used to suffer from a terrible dry cough.My husband and I would have sleepless nights not knowing what to do,and to see that little child suffer was painful.He would cough every 30 seconds, and the worst part is this cough would trouble him the most when he would sleep.Numerous errands to the doctors, bottles and bottles of cough syrup but none helped.Finally when I was talking about this to one of my apartment friends, she told me about Setuhealthcare –Dr.Sejal.I spoke to my husband and said we have tried all kinds of medicines why don't we try homeopathy as well, and the best part is Dr.Sejal at that time was residing in the same apartment as us.And so I finally went to her, she patiently listened to my sons problem .She spent almost 2hrs with me asking me a hundred questions.I left her house with a few bottles of white pills.Little did I know that those medicines would do miracles..Honestly they did "WONDERS".They really helped.Dr.Sejal would ask me to call her each day to give a feedback on his progress.If I missed calling her a single day she would call me.
Today she has moved to Baroda, and I was so depressed when she told me she was leaving, but before she left she prepared medicines for my son to last me for 3months.I call her often and trouble her on the phone to ask her what medicine to take whenever he falls sick, and I MUST SAY she is extremely patient and is never in a hurry.
After my sons experience I advised my mom also to go to her, as she would frequently get a cold due to sinus.She is completely recovered now.
For what she has done to my son I would bow at her a 100 times.Thank you Dr.Sejal once again.


Does your business require you to transport property? If so, inland marine coverage is crucial to ensure your equipment is safe. Inland marine insurance covers items that are not kept or stored at a regular location. This can include mobile equipment, specialty equipment and property that is shipped.
We advise all business owners to protect their assets with inland marine insurance because a property policy does not encompass offsite incidents.
Allow the independent agents at HSGW Insurance to provide unparalleled protection for your business needs and protect your important investments.


-County health department offers options at several sites.
SOUTH BEND -- There will be a drive-through clinic to get your flu shots from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Clay Fire Department, 18776 Cleveland Road. It's the first among several flu shot clinics the St. Joseph County Health Department will conduct through mid-November. The shots will cost $20 each, payable by cash or Medicare Part B only. At the Clay drive-through, you'll be able to get your flu shot without leaving your car. You'll be able to approach the fire station only from the west. That's because, to accommodate flu-shot visitors, the county highway department will restrict traffic in the right lane heading east on Cleveland between Juniper Road and the fire station. Here are the other flu shot clinics: -9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 17 at the American Red Cross, 3220 E. Jefferson Blvd. -2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 24 (a drive-through clinic) at the central fire station at 1222 S. Michigan St. -3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the North Liberty Community Building, 300 S. Main St., North Liberty. -3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the New Carlisle United Methodist Church, 300 Compton St., New Carlisle. Also, shots are available from 8 to 11:45 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the health department on the ninth floor of the downtown County-City Building. Call (574) 235-5056 for more information.


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apple, Apple Desktop, iMAc, iMac Pro, M1 Pro, M1X, Mac, Software
New details about Apple's rumored 27-inch iMac Pro surface online
According to Apple tipster Dylan, Apple is readying a 27-inch iMac Pro for a launch in the first half of 2022. Dylan's claim is also in line with what Ross Young said a few days ago. This time, however, we're getting some additional information about the specs of the new iMac.
If the tipster is to be believed, the new iMac Pro will replace the 27-inch Intel iMac and will feature Pro Motion and mini LED technology, both of which are already present in the latest MacBook Pro devices. The base variant of the desktop will have 16GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
Other features will include HDMI, SD card slots, USB-C. Interestingly, the Cupertino tech giant is also testing Face ID on the upcoming iMac, though it's not clear whether the technology will be included in the final product.
The tipster also says that the new iMac Pro will use the same M1 Pro and M1x chip used in the latest MacBook Pro. As per the tipster, Apple is internally calling it a "Pro" mainly for two reasons: to better distinguish it from the existing 24-inch iMac, and the fact that it uses a more powerful chip.
In an interview with Wall Street Journal, Apple executives told that touch ID is more convenient than Face ID because "your hands are already on the keyboard." While Apple may or may not include the option to unlock your Mac with your face, users won't mind if they get the best of both worlds—the ability to unlock their Macs using both hands and face.


A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration, the first use of the Soyuz-2 variant on a crewed launch.


New York, NY – October 9, 2018 – Mazars USA LLP, a leading accounting, tax, and consulting firm, today announced that effective September 1, 2018, Stacey Barbaro, Michael LaMantia, Christopher Lieto, Jeremy Rice and Jennifer Safran had been named Partners and Chris Moore and Laura Peth had been named Principals. All seven were previously Senior Managers or Directors at the firm.
Stacey Barbaro is in the Entrepreneurial Services Group and Jennifer Safran in the Real Estate Group, both in Long Island; Michael LaMantia is in the New York City Real Estate Group; Christopher Lieto is in the New Jersey Private Client Services Group; Chris Moore is in the Maryland Management Consulting Group; Laura Peth is in the Sacramento Healthcare Consulting Group; and Jeremy Rice is in the Chicago Manufacturing & Distribution Group.
[email protected] is a long-term effort supporting the full potential of women leaders at Mazars through education, awareness, and improving visibility of and access to role models. It actively engages all men and women at the firm, building diverse teams to enhance the growth of the firm and the individual.
Stacey Barbaro is exemplary at working with owner managed businesses. She specializes in the areas of real estate, distribution and service businesses. Stacey has been featured in Long Island Business News's, Who's Who in Women in Professional Services and honored as one of the Long Island top 50 Women in Business.
Michael LaMantia specializes in providing assurance services to clients in the real estate industry, including residential, commercial, developers and operators and real estate investment advisors.
Christopher Lieto serves as a trusted advisor to financial executives, individuals, entrepreneurs and family groups.
Chris Moore a business and technology specialist with experience helping clients across a wide range of industries develop and execute their strategies.
Laura Peth is a management consultant delivering operational leadership, support and project management to a variety of healthcare organizations.
Jeremy Rice provides audit and advisory services to a wide variety of local, national, and international organizations. He is a leader in the Automotive and Industrial Manufacturing.
Services and honored as one of Long Island's 50 Top Women.
A video of our new Partners and Principals, describing what Mazars means to them, can be viewed here.


The publication ISBN 978-3-902842-11-4 reports on the performance of colour-difference formulae based on the results of experiments to evaluate colour differences visually. The report addresses small colour differences in adjacent colours. Visual responses (ΔV) are compared with calculated colour differences (ΔE) using five colour-difference formulae: CIELAB, CMC, LABJND, CIE94, and CIEDE2000. A power-function (PF) correction is also included. Using the STRESS index, the performances of the colour-difference formulae are tested without and with the PF correction.
In addition to the COM dataset used for the development of CIEDE2000, nine new datasets (with particular emphasis on colour differences below 2 CIELAB units) are included in this study. The datasets can be downloaded from the CIE server. In comparison to the original CIEDE2000 formula with no power-function correction, the CIEDE2000 formula with power-function correction (CIEDE2000_PF) gave the better overall performance. For that reason this report recommends the use of CIEDE2000_PF to predict colour differences within the range 0,0 to 5,0 CIELAB units. The LABJND colour-difference formula with power-function correction (LABJND_PF) also gives good results for visual datasets with average colour differences below 1,0 CIELAB units. The members of TC 1-81 urge for more research and further datasets in addition to the three VTCD datasets used in this report.
The publication is written in English, with summaries in French and German. It is readily available from the CIE Webshop or from the CIE National Committees.


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Don't miss magical production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at King's Ely
Alison Powell
One of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream, is being staged at King's Ely in June.
The Lord Chamberlain's Men, who are celebrating their 15th birthday this year and an amazing 425 years since the original company was first created, are bringing the hugely popular open-air production to the picturesque gardens of King's Ely's Old Palace on the evening of Wednesday, June 5th.
With audiences encouraged to bring picnics, a chair or blanket and a glass of something chilled, the show promises to be another authentic and magical treat from the company that brought last year's spellbinding production of The Tempest to King's Ely.
Artistic Director, Peter Stickney, said: "To honour Duke Theseus' wedding, a group of rustic artisans – and would-be thespians – rehearse a play. Meanwhile, feuding lovers flee the city and seek solace in an enchanted forest alive with warring fairies and the meddling sprite Puck. As the clash between the fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania, catches everyone in its cross-fire, confusion abounds and makes asses of them all. This supernatural comedy of mischievous fairies, confused lovers and rude mechanicals is an intoxicating tale of clarity found from chaos as tangled love gives way to happily ever-afters. A play like this, set outdoors and in our trademark style bursting with song and magic, makes for an evening not to be missed!"
Founded in 2004, The Lord Chamberlain's Men are the modern incarnation of Shakespeare's original company of the same name. Performing with an all-male cast, they present authentic and magical productions of Shakespeare's finest plays bringing to vivid and accessible life the greatest works of drama, as they would first have been performed. Peter Stickney took over the company as Artistic Director and Chief Executive in 2016.
The production starts at 7pm, although doors open at 6pm to allow people to set up their picnics etc. Tickets are £15 for adults and £10 for children. To book your tickets, please call (01353) 653931 or visit www.kingsely.org/boxoffice
Press release from King's Ely
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Tour de Cluck aims to promote healthful eating while raising funds for the Davis Farm to School Connection. The group has been able to make Davis school lunches more nutritious, with a large proportion of locally grown foods.
The tour will cover 16 chicken coops in Davis, where residents may keep up to six chickens. "Each coop has unique features and solutions that will be interesting to people who have chickens and to those who don't," Clemens said. Experts along the route will answer questions about maintaining a healthy chicken coop.
Admission: Tickets are limited and advance purchase is required; $15 general; $10 for ages 65 and over, and students ages 11 and older; free for younger children. For tickets, go to www.davisfarmtoschool.org or these Davis locations: Davis Food Co-Op (620 G St.), Hibbert Lumber (500 G St.) and the Avid Reader (617 Second St.).
Information: www.davisfarmtoschool.org or (530) 758-5005.


I recently returned home from Comic-Con in San Diego and it was AMAZING!
Sorry to drop this on top of Chelsea's Con envy AI post but yeah, Comic-Con was AWESOME!
Seriously, I had no idea what I was in for. I had never been to Comic-Con. I mean, I had friends like A.Real.Girl tell me it was the biggest convention of its kind in the country and that I should attend but I guess I didn't fully grasp how completely freakin' wild it was going to be. Comic-Con made every other convention I have been to fizzle when compared to the explosive-awsomeness of geekdom that I was exposed to! There is no way that I can give you a complete rundown of everything that happened over the 4 days of the con because the event itself was HUGE but I will give you a quick recap of what really was amazing to me.
First of all, I left town on a train to San Diego all alone. I was feeling rather sad and disillusioned as of late. I have been exposed to a lot of unnecessary negativity online and in skeptical circles and I really felt a need to reevaluate what I was doing here. Was I making a posative impact? Did I want to stay? And if so what should I do next? So I packed my bag, I kissed the wonderful, Mr. Surly goodbye and hopped the 'Surfliner' train to San Diego to help clear my head.
We attended a lot of panels. My favorite panel (no big surprise) was the MythBusters panel. It was moderated by the Nerdist, Mr. Chris Hardwick. He is funny, witty and charming and I was lucky enough to shake his hand! If you are not familiar with his work, do check him out!
That comment was very simple but encompassed a lot of why I am interested in science and skepticism today. I am not a scientist, nor am I an academic but I am naturally curious. In fact that curious nature is what led me here to Skepchick. A simple and honest curiosity about the world can lead to wonderful projects like television shows and art and blogs and more. And sometimes, if pursued with a genuine love for knowledge, the results of that curiosity can ripple outward and impact the world in wonderful ways. Yay MythBusters!
We walked the floor at Comic-Con. The 'floor' is a giant room filled with art and exhibits and items for sale and books and art and it was overwhelming and packed with people. It was so big and crowded that I never even made it to the booth that was selling some of my Surly jewelry. Seriously. But I did see a giant Bart.
Every production company had issued a giant bag that you could have for free. The SyFy Giant Bag vs Giant Backpack was very popular.
All in all Comic-Con was very cool. But perhaps a bit ironically my very favorite part of the entire experience was a fringe event that I attended on the very first night. It was an event I was at the time unfamiliar with but now am officially a GIANT fan of. A little fringe event called Wootstock. Yes, Wootstock was my giant bag.
Wootstock is a concert event for geeks hosted by Wil Wheaton, Paul and Storm and Adam Savage. Participants in this particular Wootstock also included, Phil Plait, Chris Hardwick, Molly Lewis, Marian Call, Comic book legend Matt Fraction, live art by Len Peralta, all the fellas from Rifftrax, Jamy Ian Swiss and more. Dudes. It. Was. AWESOME! You know the saying, the geek shall inherit the earth? Not only do I now believe that to be completely true, I now think that when it happens Wootstock will be our Sunday mass. At the very least it should be! I laughed almost the entire time except for when I almost cried during Matt Fraction's presentation. Needless to say, I was inspired by the wonderful sense of community and by the amount of talent and the wonderful gracious geekiness of it all. If you are not familiar with the event please do search youtube for it. Wil Wheaton is better at explaining the event than I am so here is a a clip of his intro from that evening.
The rest of Wootstock (it lasted more than four hours) can be found on youtube thanks to the audience members who recorded it and for Wil Wheaton and others for allowing for it to be shared. And guys, I will be honest here. I never watched the Star Trek episodes he was in and I was not a Wil Wheaton fan before this event. I am now a fan. He is funny and smart and the fact that he has a hand in an event like Wootstock makes him cool as hell in my book.
So what is the moral of this story? What did I find while on my journey to the land of the geek?
I realized that there is a wonderful fringe community that is verging on the mainstream and we all, every single person who embraces curiosity, science or any of the geek-arts has a right to be a part of it. Regardless of what college degree you have or do not have, or what your job title is or what your qualifications are, if you have a talent or something positive to contribute to this community or simply a desire to learn more you should feel welcomed into it. This community that I self identify with encompasses much more than just skeptics. Skepticism is a part of it but that is simply one aspect of it. It is a collective that celebrates ideas and the sharing of empirical knowledge and science-based information. It is a world-view that I want to be a positive and productive part of.
So to all of the negative ninnies who have been squawking in the sidelines of my world as of late, I say sianara. I can no-longer hear you over the AWESOME that was Comic-Con and Wootstock!
Science is inspiring. Life is amazing. There is much information to share, much good to do and much to create. And we, all of us, have a lot to learn.
Life is grand! I'm off to make my own tiny ripples.
That, my dear Amy, is awesomeness.
Awww, I'm so glad you had such a great time! I did too. Loved w00tstock so much and was very proud of my Surly/Bad Astronomy pendant all weekend. Very excited about Phil's new show, too, which I learned about from you!
Oh, I"m so jealous! Wil Wheaton is a God (if there could be one).
You should watch The Guild. He's in season 3 & 4 and like totally rocks.
Thanks Amy! I've never wanted to attend Comic-Con until I read this. Sadly it would boil down to Comic-Con or TAM until the offspring are fully sprung.
Your epiphany on curiosity being at the heart of it all just hit me in the gut.
It is so true. I wonder if we all shifted our focus from "get critical thinking into schools and culture" to "get everyone more truly curious" whether we could get all of silliness solved.
I think the Nonsense Peddlers win because people want a quick answer AND aren't curious enough to notice when the quick answer doesn't make sense.
I'm glad you had such a marvelous time.
straight up love the surfliner train, cruises right past over 1000 a class surf breaks. i'd rather be in the water at ocean beach or la jolla than comic con (or summer blockbuster movie con as it should be titled).


1967 House Bill 0205. An Act Providing For The Certification Of Titles Of Motor Vehicles And Trailers.
Title 1967 House Bill 0205. An Act Providing For The Certification Of Titles Of Motor Vehicles And Trailers.


Creating animated videos is a long and arduous process. Even with the introduction of computers and software in the animation industry, the task still takes quite a lot of time to accomplish. But with the advancements in AI, this time problem might just have been solved.
Researchers from the University of Illinois and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence have developed an AI model, called CRAFT (Composition, Retrieval, and Fusion Network), that takes text descriptions (or captions) from the user and generates scenes from 'The Flintstones' cartoon series. And unlike pixel generation approaches, this model is based on text to entity segment retrieval from a video database.
The final model was developed by training it on set of more than 25,000 video clips, each three seconds and 75 frames long. As you can imagine, each video had to be labelled and annotated with which character(s) was in the scene and what the scene was about.
The AI matches videos to the words descriptions and builds a set of parameters. CRAFT can convert the provided text descriptions into video clips of this animated series, featuring characters, props and location, as it learned from the videos. It can not only put the characters into place, but also parse objects, retrieve the background, etc.
The results produced are still raw in nature. As you'll see in the video posted below, the AI does get things right most of the time but when it gets it wrong, the video looks like a mess. Safe to way this is a work in progress, albeit with a massive amount of potential.
I would recommend reading their research paper here to gain a deeper understanding of the algorithm.
The Flintstones comes from an old school animation line, with relatively static backgrounds. Animation has since come a long way – the style of generating videos is far more dynamic in nature. And this will be a challenge for researchers in the video generation field going forward.
One thought is that by providing the mode more complex video frames, it could be made to adapt to the dynamic parts of the video as well. What do you think is required to improve this algorithm? Let us know in the comments section below!


Click for Race Directions & Event info for the race and more event info!
Pits are open to public.
FM Transmitter is on for your convenience in your vehicles. Channel will be posted race day.
Bikes & Competitors May leave the track at any time during the race. Please pay attention at all times.
Watch & Keep Pitlanes FREE at all times as competitors are entering/leaving track during the entire day.
Tech inspection is MANDATORY, Front/rear guards & Snell 2005 or equivalent are required for competition. All refueling MUST be on a tarp or enviro pad.
You MUST be on deck & on the line when your class is ready, officials will NOT wait for you.
Listen to the FM Channel 97.3 & watch your Race schedule!!
Race location: Follow directions to Rocky Mountain House. From the East, travel on hwy 11 towards RMH, turn left onto hwy 752 Access road (west of hwy 22 intersection and just before entering RMH). Continue on hwy 752 Access road approx 3km, you will come to the t-intersection of hwy 752, turn left and continue on hwy 752 to Cow Lake. 13km. You will be turning left into Cow Lake. If you miss the turn off, you will end up at Grandview Stage gas station (1km past Cow Lake entrance).
Awards location: Hardendell Hall 1 1/2 miles east of Cow Lake entrance (hwy 752).


text:
West London News
Music festival blamed for pollution in Hounslow that led to no jogging warning
It was so bad that runners were told to avoid running through Boston Manor Park
Ged CannLocal Democracy Reporter
13:08, 6 JUN 2019
Updated 13:17, 6 JUN 2019
(Image: PA)
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Air pollution in Hounslow that led to people being warned not to go jogging outside has been blamed on one very specific source - the Junction 2 music festival being set up.
The amount of particles in the air reached as high as 135 micrograms per metre-cubed at Boston Manor Park in Brentford this week - well above the WHO (World Health Organization) upper limit guideline of 40.
However, the most recent readings from the Air Quality England website show the 24-hour average was back down to 27 on Wednesday. That's classed as "low".
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Despite the number of particles in the air having come back down, Hounslow Council still advised residents on Tuesday to avoid the area while work is taking place.
A spokesman said in a press release: "We are advised that this is likely due to the large-scale set-up for the Junction 2 music event, taking place on June 7 and 8.
"Organisers have been using power generators and heavy goods vehicles to set up for the event, giving rise to large-scale dust."
Tuesday's rainfall would have remedied a lot of the increased pollution, too, the council added.
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Witnesses saw 'a lot of dust'
Independent air quality monitor Tim Webb was the first to flag the increased air pollution, and warned residents not to exercise in the park earlier in the week.
He agreed with the council that the festival set-up was likely a big contributor.
He said: "According to one of my sources who has been down there to the park it looks like there is a festival being set up, and there was an earth mover moving crates near the air monitoring place and stirring up a lot of dust.
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"This explains the rise in PM10 (dust particles) over the past few days."
Mr Webb had previously said he only saw pollution levels so high "once in a blue moon".
Hourly spikes in PM10 particulate matter is very concerning, one air quality monitor said (Image: airqualityengland.co.uk)
A graph from airqualityengland.co.uk shows air pollution increasing on May 30, with spikes being recorded at around midday in the days since.
Junction 2 (J2) is held under the M4 motorway in the park, and will run this weekend.
J2 has been contacted for a comment.
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