Alair Homes is a fast growing, energetic company that is looking for driven and like-minded people to join our ever-growing team. Successful candidates are hungry to learn and take on new responsibilities. Our diverse organizational culture focuses on people coming together with unique backgrounds and experiences to continue the expansion of Alair Homes! The successful candidate will be engaged, driven, and enthusiastic in helping develop our franchise Partners businesses to new heights and successes. Since being founded in Nanaimo in 2007, we have grown exponentially across North America, while maintaining our family-oriented style of business.
'Living Better Starts Here' runs through all aspects of our business and focuses not only on our esteemed clients but all members of our team. Alair Homes thrives on a unique service delivery system combining custom contracting with a franchise business model and is the largest North American home building Franchise.
Our head office in Nanaimo, BC is seeking to fill an entry-level reception role in our Operations team. Hours of work at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. Reporting to the Operations Manager and the COO, this individual will be responsible for ensuring that operational standards are being met across the company. This will also involve answering a high volume of calls, website live chat, and general admin duties.


The benefits of massage are far reaching, from relieving tension to soothing overworked muscles; your whole body will feel revived and energized. At The Tranquil Moment, we have a diverse selection of massages for you to choose from including: hot stone massage, Swedish massage and scalp massage.
Whether you want to calm your nervous system with Swedish massage or achieve tranquillity through hot stone massage, we guarantee that you will want to come back again for more! Get in touch now to find out more.


Wayne, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/29/2018 -- Integrity Eye Associates, a leading provider of designer eyeglasses for the residents of Paoli, PA, Wayne, PA, and the surrounding areas, is proud to announce that the company, in partnership with Maui Jim, will be a vendor at the 2018 Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance on September 8 and 9. This marks the 7th year in a row that Integrity Eye Associates will be at the Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance. For this year's event, the company will be bringing over 140 different styles of Maui Jim sunglasses for attendees to view and/or purchase.
The Radnor Hunt Concours d' Elegance is a three day event that consists of activities beginning with a barbeque on Friday evening followed by the popular Road Rally through the picturesque countryside of Chester County on Saturday. The invitation-only event is one that showcases 100 of the most significant and interesting automobiles based on a featured automobile marque, vehicle type or coachbuilder and motorcycle class or marque. The 2018 Car Selection Committee for the event announced that this year's featured marques are Rolls Royce and Bentley, European Style/American Power and Fastbacks; while the featured motorcycles classes are Indian Motorcycles (1902-1953), Italian Motorcycles (1938-1988) and Superbikes (1970-1993).
Those who attend this exquisite three day event will have the chance to speak with the team from Integrity Eye Associates and learn more about their great selection of sunglasses and glasses, as well as their great eye care services. To contact Integrity Eye Associates, or learn more about their optometrist serving patients in Paoli, PA, and its surrounding areas, call 484-452-4314 or visit https://integrityeyes.com/.


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Review: Django Unchained
Tom Eaton
Quentin Tarantino has always had a knack for mixing genre motifs into unlikely new forms. His latest fad seems to be for historical "Retribution-Fantasy", transposing a sort of Alien vs. Predator paradigm to the goodies and baddies of the most sensitive historical subjects out there. Django Unchained picks up where the Nazis vs. Jews showdown of Inglorious Basterds left off, this time merging Spaghetti Western Comedy with Blaxploitation, creating a kitsch simulacrum of the American slave trade fit for pop corn and giggles.
Django (played by Jamie Foxx) is freed by dentist turned Bounty Hunter Dr Schultz (Christopher Waltz) in the hope that he can identify a slave owner wanted by Schultz as part of his flesh for cash business. They soon become brothers in arms, but what starts as a mercenary exercise transforms into a more righteous and personal mission objective: Django and Schultz blaze through the slave owning Deep South hoping to re-unite Django with his wife, Broomhilda, who is imprisoned at Leonardo Di Caprio's "Candie Land" plantation.
The question is, of course, whether Tarantino trivialises black history. Is Django Unchained, in its own ridiculous way, a film of catharsis and black empowerment? Or has the slave trade been used too cheaply as part of a Tarantino genre exercise? The problem with this film is that style so often feels like an end in itself rather than the means to something more critical. The sadness and brutality of the slave trade feel lost within a web of lovingly choreographed splat-violence and laugh-a-minute one liners. Funny violence overlaps serious violence. Serious violence overlaps light-heartedness. The horror and revulsion that should accompany such a subject emanates instead from a film maker presenting historical tragedy as a pantomime. Perhaps this is precisely the point; perhaps the entertainment is a foil, an inventive way of tackling a subject that is too painful to truly represent. That said, if the holocaust (Inglorious Basterds) and the American slave trade make for post-modern entertainment, they might be better off in the hands of a more thoughtful director.
Jamie Foxx cuts a fairly average, righteous Hollywood bad ass as Django, and although Dr Schultz is more playful, he comes across as affected, patronising and essentially annoying. There is no on-screen rapport between the pair, but a bromance ensues and Schultz's innate decency eventually triumphs over his smug, "cash for corpses" vigilantism. He joins Django as one the two heroes and thus proves (with Christopher Waltz having been the face of Nazi evil in Inglorious Basterds) that Germans aren't all that bad after all. Leonardo Di Caprio is convincing as the charming, psychotic Calvin Candie (even if his sprightly face isn't the most convincing facsimile of evil), providing one of the saddest moments of the film when he saws open the skull piece of a deceased slave to demonstrate some racist pseudo-science. Samuel L. Jackson takes the biscuit though as the wicked, hobbling Stephen, whose attempt to intercept Django's reunion with his wife is as harrowing as Calvin Candie's scholastic white supremacy
Django certainly doesn't take itself too seriously, and these are the terms on which the film is to be enjoyed, for sure. However, whether you're able open your heart to Tarantino's childish but well-meaning brand of fun will depend entirely on your sense of humour.
How We Moved the Goalposts (Part One): Bringing Scotland's role in slavery to the fore
Slave Free Campus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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AI UK 2023
The Turing Lectures
Event Section Page
AI UK
Tuesday 21 Mar 2023 - Wednesday 22 Mar 2023
A series of inspiring talks by leading figures in data science and AI
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The Turing works with a range of partners with far-reaching, real-world impact across sectors
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Simulating energy efficiency opportunities for households
Developing synthetic housing microsimulation tools for local authorities to explore inequalities in energy efficiency and target homes in need of retrofit and fuel poverty support
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Trustworthy Assurance of Digital Mental Healthcare
There is a culture of distrust surrounding the development and use of digital mental...
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Enrichment student Premdeep Gill is studying Antarctic seals and their sea ice habitats through satellite data, to better understand how they are coping with climate change
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As co-lead of the Turing's Women in Data Science and AI project, Research Fellow Erin Young's vital research maps the gendered career trajectories in data science and AI
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Digital twin of the world's first 3D printed stainless steel bridge
A revolutionary project to create the world's first 3D printed steel pedestrian bridge and understand how infrastructure can act as a living object
The 3D printed bridge is a cutting-edge architectural, engineering and data science experiment, pushing the boundaries of conventional infrastructure manufacturing processes and incorporating a state-of-the-art sensor network to monitor structural behaviour. This project is an interdisciplinary research endeavour for exploration and innovation in multiple scientific fields, drawing together experts from data sciences and statistics, engineering, materials science, industrial design, computer science and philosophy of technology, to collaborate on a project with revolutionary potential.
Printed by Dutch 3D printing company MX3D and developed as a collaboration between a number of industrial and academic partners, in addition to its unique construction, the 12 metre-long stainless steel bridge has been equipped with a sensor network designed and installed by Arup, Imperial College London, Autodesk, University of Twente and Force Technology, in collaboration with the Turing's data-centric engineering programme, sponsored by the Lloyd's Register Foundation.
Once the bridge is placed across the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal in central Amsterdam it will immediately become a living laboratory. As part of the fabric of the local urban infrastructure, everyone that crosses over the bridge will generate data that will inform the development of a digital twin of the bridge to measure, monitor and analyse the performance of the structure.
Explaining the science
Developing a digital twin
The Alan Turing Institute's involvement with the bridge began with the engagement of researchers on the data-centric engineering programme applying a data-centric approach to test the 3D printed stainless steel used to construct the bridge to ensure its safety, using statistical techniques in conjunction with materials science.
The novel 3D printing technique pioneered by MX3D represents a radical shift from conventional manufacturing, by making it possible to build new innovative large structures. Placing material only where it is essential makes for much stronger, more economical and unique structures. However, there are questions to be addressed about the steel's material properties, due to its inherent variability and how to guarantee safety standards for its manufacture and continued monitoring.
Researchers on the data-centric engineering programme performed detailed experiments to probe the material properties of 3D printed stainless steel and to analyse the sensor data gathered using novel statistical methods, leading to improved understanding of this advanced material. The load tests showed the bridge was capable to hold a 19.5 ton load, which was well over its ultimate design load. These experimental tests provided critical evidence to secure a permit from the City of Amsterdam for bridge placement.
The data from the sensors is being fed into an intelligent digital twin, which will learn from live data, including strain, displacement, vibration data and environmental factors such as air quality and temperature collected from the bridge while in operation. The digital twin builds on mathematical models and abstractions already widely used in structural engineering and blends them with recent statistical and machine learning techniques. The digital twin of the bridge will be a living computer model which is continuously learning to imitate the physical bridge with growing accuracy as the data comes in.
The performance and behaviour of the physical bridge will be tested against its digital twin, which will provide valuable insights for the design and certification of future 3D printed structures. It will also enable the current 3D bridge to be modified to suit any required changes, ensuring it is safe and secure for pedestrians.
Beyond the digital twin of the bridge, the overarching vision of the data-centric engineering programme is to develop the essential mathematical foundations and software engineering needed for intelligent digital twins for all kinds of engineering applications.
To enable these digital twin studies, the Turing is developing a data access platform that will integrate with Autodesk's software to enable researchers to access the large quantities of sensor data stored on cloud computing servers. The Turing is hosting the bridge data for the full two-year period covered by the bridge's current operating permit and has conducted a thorough ethics review of the project to ensure that the scientific goals of the project do not compromise the public's privacy. Using a custom data platform, the Turing supports researchers who require access to the sensor data stored in its secure cloud.
Predicted vertical deflections, under typical pedestrian loading, from the finite element digital twin model developed by the Steel Structures research group in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London.
Interacting with the community
The project has engaged with the University of Twente's BRIDE (BRIdging Data in the built Environment) project to use the bridge, its design and instrumentation to gather insight into how the city's population engages with the bridge. This will subsequently inform how designers, technologists, and citizens can utilise rapid urban manufacturing and IoT technologies for designing urban space. By developing an understanding of the interactions between people, place, activity and technology that contribute to a sense of 'cityness', the project will analyse how smart technologies such as those used to create and monitor the bridge might contribute to designing 'cityness'. Ultimately this aims to promote a feeling of ownership of the public space by the community.
The 'mini-bridge'
Researchers have also developed a smaller-scale model of the 3D printed bridge, complete with sensor network and digital twin. This 'mini-bridge' acts as a demonstrator that can be toured to public venues to demonstrate the concept of a digital twin.
With the improved knowledge from the statistical techniques from this project, the engineers and designers working on the bridge and future 3D printed steel structures, will have a richer understanding of how such structures can and will function.
Through multidisciplinary and collaborative working the project intends to demonstrate how taking a data-centric approach to design and construction of infrastructure – combined with ongoing monitoring – can richly inform the engineering processes, develop new techniques, and improve long-term safety.
The innovative statistical techniques applied to testing the advanced materials used to construct the bridge aim to contribute to the development of new standards for a new type of infrastructure with new materials. This has the potential to open up the construction industries to pioneering ways of working.
By involving a team of social science researchers, the project will inform the future development of urban infrastructure through gaining greater understanding of how a community interacts with smart technologies and innovative construction.
Read articles in The Times, The Engineer, and MyScience.
Video courtesy of Neil Bowdler.
Dr Craig Buchanan
Data-Centric Engineering Group Leader
Sage Cammers-Goodwin
University of Twente, BRIDE project
Dr Theo Damoulas
Turing AI Acceleration Fellow
Professor Mark Girolami
Chief Scientist, The Alan Turing Institute
Alec Shuldiner
Gijs Van Der Velden
MX3D
Jacky Bibliowicz
Josh Cameron
Dr Fehmi Cirak
Reader in Computational Mechanics, University of Cambridge
Dr Eric Daub
Principal Research Data Scientist
Professor Tim Dodwell
Turing AI Fellow
Professor Leroy Gardner
Professor Peter Gosling
Dr Nicolas Hadjipantelis
Farhad Javid
Roland Kromanis
Dr Pinelopi Kyvelou
Research Associate, Imperial College London
Dr Nikolaos Nikitas
Professor Chris Oates
Data-Centric Engineering Group Leader, and Turing Fellow
Kasper Siderius
Professor Rob Scheichl
Alex Tessier
Farid Vahdati
Zach Wynne
Pan Zhang
Dr Liam Butler
Assistant Professor, York University, Toronto
Dr Mohammed Elshafie
Professor Nial Friel
Dr Alastair Gregory
Dr Din-Houn Lau
Lecturer in Statistics, Imperial College London
Wing Wan
Opportunities for metal 3D printing in structural engineering
Gardner L., Buchanan C. and Wan W. (2018) Opportunities for metal 3D printing in structural engineering, Ninth International Conference on Advances in Steel Structures (ICASS 2018)
Testing of wire and arc additively manufactured stainless steel material and cross-sections
Buchanan C., Gardner L. and Wan W. (2018) Testing of wire and arc additively manufactured stainless steel material and cross-sections, Ninth International Conference on Advances in Steel Structures (ICASS 2018)
The statistical finite element method for coherent synthesis of observation data and model predictions
The increased availability of observation data from engineering systems in operation poses the question...
Girolami, M., Febrianto, E., Yin, G., & Cirak, F. The statistical finite element method (statFEM) for coherent synthesis of observation data and model predictions. arXiv:1905.06391.
Researchers working on the world's largest 3D-printed steel bridge celebrate another landmark
Since last summer researchers from The Alan Turing Institute-Lloyd's Register Foundation programme in data-centric...
The Alan Turing Institute to turn the world's first 3D printed steel bridge into a 'living laboratory' for research
A research team from The Alan Turing Institute are partnering with MX3D, a 3D...
World's first 3D printed steel bridge with digital twin technology unveiled at Dutch Design Week
Amsterdam, October 2018 – Amsterdam based startup MX3D has finalised the world's largest, single-span...
Sensing a 3D Printed Steel Bridge
Bridging the gap between physical and digital
The Turing's data-centric engineering programme and its collaborators are unlocking insights into the world-first 3D printed steel bridge, using innovative data science techniques and 'digital twin' technology
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Billie Joe Armstrong Covers Starjet's 'War Stories'
Written By Daniel Kohn
| April 27, 2020 - 3:19 pm
Home » News » Billie Joe Armstrong Covers Starjet's 'War Stories'
A new week, another No Fun Mondays cover by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. As he's done for the past month, Armstrong shared a new cover — Belfast power-pop outfit Starjet's 1979 song "War Stories."
"This is it, this is it… this is this week's No Fun Mondays: War Stories by Starjets," the post is captioned.
The video for the song is the first one that doesn't include footage from Green Day's live archive and is instead animated.
Last week, Armstrong shared a cover of The Wonders' "That Thing You Do!" from the 1996 film of the same out of tribute to the late Adam Schlesinger. Previously, he's covered of Tommy James & The Shondells' "I Think We're Alone Now," "Manic Monday" with Bangles singer Susannah Hoffs and Johnny Thunders' "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory."
Green Day Side Project The Coverups Go Covers Crazy at Halloween Gig
Listen to the tune below:
Daniel Kohn


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Justia Regulation Tracker Agencies And Commissions Election Assistance Commission Procedural Manual for the Election Assistance Commission's Voting System Test Laboratories Program Manual, Version 2.0, 22536 [2013-08832]
Procedural Manual for the Election Assistance Commission's Voting System Test Laboratories Program Manual, Version 2.0, 22536 [2013-08832]
Download as PDF 22536 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 73 / Tuesday, April 16, 2013 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES The Commission shall advise the President and the Secretary in the following areas: (i) Developing, implementing, and coordinating educational programs and initiatives at the Department and other agencies to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for Hispanics of all ages; (ii) increasing the participation of the Hispanic community and HispanicServing Institutions in the Department's programs and in education programs at other agencies; (iii) engaging the philanthropic, business, nonprofit, and education communities in a national dialogue regarding the mission and objectives of this order; (iv) establishing partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit stakeholders to meet the mission and policy objectives of this order. Agenda The Commission will review initial subcommittee ideas and plans for Commission activities for 2013, and have breakout sessions with the established subcommittees. Individuals who will need accommodations in order to attend the meeting (e.g., interpreting services, assistive listening devices, or material in alternative format) should notify Marco A. Davis, Acting Executive Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at 202–401– 1411 no later than noon EDT, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. We will attempt to meet requests for such accommodations after this date, but cannot guarantee their availability. The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Individuals who wish to attend the Commission meetings must RSVP by noon EDT, Wednesday, April 24, 2013, to WhiteHouseforHispanicEducation @ed.gov. Members of the public must RSVP by the due date. An opportunity for public comment is available throughout the day on Tuesday, April 30, 2013, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., EDT. Individuals who wish to provide comments will be allowed three minutes to speak. Those members of the public interested in submitting written comments may do so by submitting written comments to the attention of Emmanuel Caudillo, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW., Room 5W215, Washington, DC 20202, by Tuesday, April 23, 2013. Records are kept of all Commission proceedings and are available for public inspection at the office of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, U.S. VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:58 Apr 15, 2013 Jkt 229001 Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW., Room 4W108, Washington, DC 20202, Monday through Friday (excluding federal holidays) during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Electronic Access to the Document: You may view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at: www.ed.gov/fedregister/index.html. To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. For questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free at 1–866–512–1830; or in the Washington, DC area at 202–512– 0000. Martha Kanter, Under Secretary, Department of Education. [FR Doc. 2013–08903 Filed 4–15–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION Procedural Manual for the Election Assistance Commission's Voting System Test Laboratories Program Manual, Version 2.0 United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC). ACTION: Notice; publication of Voting System Test Laboratories Program Manual, Version 2.0, for 60 day public comment period on EAC Web site. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is publishing a procedural manual for its Voting System Testing and Certification Program. This manual sets the administrative procedures for becoming an EAC accredited test laboratory and guidelines for VSTL participation in the EAC Testing and Certification Program. The program is mandated by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) at 42 US.C. 15371. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background. HAVA requires that the EAC provide for the accreditation and revocation of accreditation of independent, non-federal laboratories qualified to test voting systems to Federal standards (Section 231(b) of HAVA (42 US.C. 15371(b))). Generally, the EAC considers for accreditation those laboratories evaluated and recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Voting System Test Laboratory Program Manual, published below, sets the procedures for this program. EAC is required to resubmit the Testing and Certification Manual for PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 renewal in accordance with Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 requirements. The Testing and Certification Division has updated sections of the manual to reflect proposed changes in certification procedures. These sections are highlighted for ease of review. Comments. Please submit comments consistent with the information below. Comments should identify and cite the section of the manual at issue. Where a substantive issue is raised, please propose a recommended change or alternative policy. Comments are also invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents. This notice is published in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, to request comments regarding the burden of responding to the information collection activities of the proposed manual; please refer to the EAC's Web site, www.eac.gov, for further information about the submission of comments regarding burden. DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on this draft procedural manual on or before 5:00 p.m. EDT on June 17, 2013. ADDRESSES: Submit comments via email to VotingSystemGuidelines@eac.gov; via mail to Brian Hancock, Director of Voting System Certification, U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 1201 New York Avenue, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005; or via fax to 202–566–1392. An electronic copy of the proposed manual may be found on the EAC's Web site http://www.eac.gov/ open/comment.aspx. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Hancock, Director, Voting System Certification, Washington, DC, (202) 566–3100, Fax: (202) 566–1392. Alice Miller, Chief Operating Officer and Acting Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance Commission. [FR Doc. 2013–08832 Filed 4–15–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6820–KF–P E:\FR\FM\16APN1.SGM 16APN1
Election Assistance Commission
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 16, 2013)]
Procedural Manual for the Election Assistance Commission's Voting
System Test Laboratories Program Manual, Version 2.0
AGENCY: United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
ACTION: Notice; publication of Voting System Test Laboratories Program
Manual, Version 2.0, for 60 day public comment period on EAC Web site.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is publishing a
procedural manual for its Voting System Testing and Certification
Program. This manual sets the administrative procedures for becoming an
EAC accredited test laboratory and guidelines for VSTL participation in
the EAC Testing and Certification Program. The program is mandated by
the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) at 42 US.C. 15371.
Background. HAVA requires that the EAC provide for the
accreditation and revocation of accreditation of independent, non-
federal laboratories qualified to test voting systems to Federal
standards (Section 231(b) of HAVA (42 US.C. 15371(b))). Generally, the
EAC considers for accreditation those laboratories evaluated and
recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST). The Voting System Test Laboratory Program Manual, published
below, sets the procedures for this program.
EAC is required to resubmit the Testing and Certification Manual
for renewal in accordance with Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
requirements. The Testing and Certification Division has updated
sections of the manual to reflect proposed changes in certification
procedures. These sections are highlighted for ease of review.
Comments. Please submit comments consistent with the information
below. Comments should identify and cite the section of the manual at
issue. Where a substantive issue is raised, please propose a
recommended change or alternative policy.
Comments are also invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents.
This notice is published in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, to request comments regarding the burden of responding to the
information collection activities of the proposed manual; please refer
to the EAC's Web site, www.eac.gov, for further information about the
submission of comments regarding burden.
DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on this draft procedural
manual on or before 5:00 p.m. EDT on June 17, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments via email to VotingSystemGuidelines@eac.gov;
via mail to Brian Hancock, Director of Voting System Certification,
U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 1201 New York Avenue, Suite 300,
Washington, DC 20005; or via fax to 202-566-1392. An electronic copy of
the proposed manual may be found on the EAC's Web site http://www.eac.gov/open/comment.aspx.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Hancock, Director, Voting System
Certification, Washington, DC, (202) 566-3100, Fax: (202) 566-1392.
Alice Miller,
Chief Operating Officer and Acting Executive Director, U.S. Election
Assistance Commission.
BILLING CODE 6820-KF-P


According to influenza surveillance reports compiled by the Department for the week of January 28 to February 3, influenza activity remains very high in the state. Reported cases of people with influenza-like illnesses are more than twice the activity seen in a typical flu season.
From January 29 to February 10, almost 4,000 flu vaccines have been administered to Louisianans at no cost to the public as part of the Department's efforts to make vaccines available to as many people as possible. Several thousand doses remain from the State's high-risk campaign.
"We want to make sure that we utilize every dose we have if there is someone who wants it," said Welch.


A conservation plan developed to protect natural habitat and wildlife in Orange County in exchange for accelerated freeway improvement projects was finalized in spring 2017.
Years in the making and requiring cooperation from multiple entities, the Final Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan ensures more than 1,300 acres of OCTA wilderness preserves will remain forever protected from development. In addition, the conservation plan provides a path forward for OCTA's OC Go, formerly Measure M, Freeway Environmental Mitigation Program. The program allocates funds to acquire land and fund habitat restoration projects in exchange for streamlined project approvals for the 13 OC Gofreeway improvement projects. Acquired properties are purchased and permanently preserved as open space. Funded restoration projects restore preserved open space lands to their native habitat and include the removal of invasive plant species.
The conservation plan demonstrates that sufficient conservation is being provided to address the biological mitigation related to the freeway projects; an accompanying agreement streamlines the environmental permitting process and will help freeway projects reach completion faster.
"This is an important effort to protect our environment that would not have been possible without the leadership of the OCTA board and the strong involvement of environmental and community groups," said state Sen. Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, who previously served as an OCTA board member and led the Environmental Oversight Committee. "I think that OCTA has created an ideal model for the mitigation of transportation projects that can be followed statewide."


No matter what style of kitchen door you're looking for – matt, gloss, Shaker, handleless, or simple slab doors - you'll find a wide range of made-to-measure doors here.
If you've got cabinets in non-standard sizes or just an unusual-shaped storage space, order made-to-measure doors from us and you can rest assured they'll be a perfect fit. All our made-to-measure doors come with a six-year guarantee, so no matter how hectic your kitchen, your new doors will withstand the daily wear-and-tear that comes with cooking, dining and entertaining.
Our Trends range offers a variety of made-to-measure door designs, so whether you're inspired by farmhouse kitchens and want a traditional Shaker door, or you're looking to create a minimalist space with handleless doors, you're sure to find your perfect style. Alternatively, choose made-to-measure gloss doors from our Visions range and give your kitchen an instant update. Fitting sleek, gleaming doors and drawer-fronts is an easy way to create a cool, contemporary cooking space.
To order your made-to-measure doors, all you need to do is tell us the heights and widths of the doors you require (in millimetres), and we'll get them made to your exact measurements. And there's no need to worry that having your doors made to measure will cost more than ordering standard-sized doors - if your measurements are within 10mm of a standard door size, you'll pay the standard door price.


London Stansted is now London's third-busiest airport, and serves around 19 million passengers a year. Stansted is in the county of Essex and is served by Essex County Council and Uttlesford District Council.
The Medieval Combat Weekend takes place at Mountfitchet Castle at the end of June and includes re-enactments, dancing, music and more. The Garden Show takes place at Stansted Park over three days in June and includes a fair, entertainment, displays, activities and more.
Mountfitchet Romeera Leisure Centre, on the outskirts of the village, includes trampolining, the Hall of Fun, tennis and badminton courts, gym, dance studio and more. Hatfield Forest is a National Trust site on the outskirts of the village containing ancient trees, walks, horseriding facilities and the Georgian Shell House.
Stansted Mountfitchet is situated just off the M11, giving good access to the north and south. The A120 runs to the east and west of the village, giving good access to the rest of the region. Stansted Airport is easy to reach and offers national and international flights. Stansted Mountfitchet train station has regular services into London and the rest of the region.
The Rhodes arts complex, in nearby Bishop's Stortford, is a venue offering a variety of live shows, workshops, exhibitions and more. Live music can often be found in the traditional pubs in and around the village.
Stansted Mountfitchet Windmill was struck by lightning on the August bank holiday of 2003, while it was full of visitors. The building's lightning conductor did its job and nobody was hurt in the incident.


Aha! Convincing people to see that he teaches not for money, or for prestigious but to better the country Athens.
I agree to the to the statement that men who invent discourse should be held in higher esteem, general those who create anything are always praised. Creating discourse may it be laws, or the court room, it has always been a way to resolve any and every problem with mankind till violence breaks out.
This is a convincing way to make the reader view iscorates differently in a good way.
If, therefore, I were to agree with my accuser and concede his claim that I am the "cleverest" of men and that I have never had an equal as a writer of the kind of speeches which are offensive to you, it would be much more just to give me credit for being an honest man than to punish me; for when a man has superior talents whether for speech or for action, one cannot fairly charge it to anything but fortune, but when a man makes good and temperate use of the power which nature has given him, as in my own case, all the world ought in justice to commend his character.
Hahaha! It seems that he is the "cleverest of men, this is a beautiful way of showing how his accuser has faults in his arguments, by showing how stupid his accuser is when the argument is made to attack a man who "makes good and temperate use of the power which nature has given him". No man would ever want to accuse this character because they would be deemed as bad.
This is what he is being charged for. This is going to be an interesting argument. What is odd to me, even though he states that they are envious. What any one accuse of him of this crime, if envious; why would one challenge such a figure who dedicated his whole life to studying, understanding and practicing discourse?
for the men who have chosen to neglect what is their own and to plot against what belongs to others do not keep their hands off citizens who live soberly and bring before you only those who do evil; on the contrary, they advertise their powers in their attacks upon men who are entirely innocent, and so get more money from those who are clearly guilty.
It seems Athens and like many other countries, cities, towns and village; there is always corruption involving money and evil.
again in the past Athens has so deeply repented18 the judgements which have been pronounced in passion and without proof that not long after the events she has become eager to punish her deceivers, and would gladly have seen the victims of calumny in happier circumstances than before.
It seems that in Athens many times the truth has been smothered. I suppose Rhetoric or the art of discourse was used unjustly, to deceive the truth.
it is as if one were to charge another with breaking into a temple, while showing in his own hands plunder stolen from the gods.
This is a good analogy to show attack the many points that accuse him of being a wrong character.
And as I kept thinking upon it, I came ever to the same conclusion, namely, that the only way in which I could accomplish this was to compose a discourse which would be, as it were, a true image of my thought and of my whole life; for I hoped that this would serve both as the best means of making known the truth about me and, at the same time, as a monument, after my death, more noble than statues of bronze.
It seems he was attacked for what he is and what he has done. Yet, I assume he did not care for other's opinions. But, he does care about what the future will think about him.
However, if it is my duty not only to rebuke others, but also to set forth my own views, I think all intelligent people will agree with me that while many of those who have pursued philosophy have remained in private life,(16) others, on the other hand, who have never taken lessons from any one of the sophists have become able orators and statesmen. For ability, whether in speech or in any other activity, is found in those who are well endowed by nature and have been schooled by practical experience.(17) Formal training makes such men more skilfull and more resourceful in discovering the possibilities of a subject; for it teaches them to take from a readier source the topics which they otherwise hit upon in haphazard fashion. But it cannot fully fashion men who are without natural aptitude into good debaters or writers, although it is capable of leading them on to self-improvement and to a greater degree of intelligence on many subjects.
This paragraph seems to be a good comparison to those who seek knowledge for its value of being used in a practical mean rather than seeking this knowledge for the value of money. Plato never enjoyed the idea of money existing because it has no functional value to be used. Thus those who seek philosophy in the private life seek this to become smarter or more intelligent for there own desire. It is like how many of us must go to college to obtain a degree to which the knowledge we obtain will be used to work and make money instead of using it to advance ourselves as human beings.
It seems Plato is attacking the fact that the value of sophists and their teaching are nothing of worth. Even though many pay for the knowledge of becoming a sophist, there is no knowledge given or taken. The only value or worth taken is money. Which Plato hates the fact that people are being taught nothing, yet they still pay for it.
It seems that it is being shown the Hypocrisy of these teachers and how they themselves are go against what they teach.
My question would be, if someone did state the facts would they have any one in the public left for them to use or educate?
I tried to put an end to the injustice of blame and ignorance of opinion; I wanted to write the discourse, Helen's encomium and my plaything.
Five arguments explained and proven both either right and wrong. I assume the author just wanted to understand, and explain each argument could be right and wrong. Even though, he gives every argument an opportunity; he still proves many of them wrong except Helena being persuaded. He argued for it by using all three: pathos how her opinion was persuaded. Ethos and logos were used by understanding the error of the soul.
I personally believed she was persuaded, because a great challenge for a man is to persuade a woman to fall in love with you, but if you are a prince and have a large sum of wealth that would help as well.
But if it is a human disease and an error of the soul, it ought not to be blamed as a sin but ought rather to be accounted a misfortune.
Again, he points out the error of the soul, which is being used in two different arguments. To which I am assuming it is going to be used again because love and stupidity go hand in hand for the, error of the soul.
For if all people possessed memory concerning all things past, and awareness of all things present, and foreknowledge of all things to come, discourse would not be similarly similar; hence it is not now easy to remember the past or consider the present or foretell the future; so that most people on most subjects furnish themselves with opinion as advisor to the soul.
This would be our error of the soul to which we, the mortal men, proceed to enjoy and despises this. "furnish themselves with opinion as advisor to the soul." This part is distinct that it tells me, human being look unto themselves and their memories to find answers. However, with the lack of not remembering the past and not predicting the future all humans are at an error; that which rhetoricians take advantage of and persuade.
Shapers of lying discouse, now I do know what I am going to specialize in. It seems after reading the "Two-Fold Argument" paper, it shows that rhetoric has a two sides good and bad.
for it can stop fear and assuage pain and produce joy and make mercy abound.
I had a good laugh at this written sentence proving it shows how rhetoric can be used in any way that it is required to inform or deceive.
Quite interesting that the author uses an ethos, or an emotional way to persuade you that she is a victim, so that you may pity her instead of reviling her.
Now in the first case, the responsible party deserves the responsibility. For the will of a god cannot be hindered by human forethought. For it is not natural for the superior to be hindered by the inferior, but for the inferior to be ruled and led by the superior--for the superior to lead and the inferior to follow. And a god is superior to a human being in force, intelligence, etcetera. Accordingly, if one must attribute responsibility to Fortune and the god, one must acquit Helen of infamy.
This is a logos argument using deductive logic quite tasty.
I myself wish to absolve this ill-reputed woman from responsibility, and to show that those who blame her are lying--and, having shown the truth, to put an end to ignorance.
This is what the author is going to argue about. Personal I think Helena made her own decision to leave, I disagree to believe that she was persuaded because given the time and events. Helena was royalty to a certain extent and has been tutored by many people; meaning she is educated. She must have had an understanding to what should have caused if she left. I then again am arguing from a logos point of view which would need more evidence.
-for it is equal error and ignorance to blame the praiseworthy and to praise the blameworthy.
An argument of morality is started off. How does one decide on what is the order of a city, or what is praiseworthy versus what to blame?


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Attention Champions Club Sellers While this provides information about the current sale prices, this does not give you a full report of what has sold on Tuscany Drive or in the complete Champions Club community for or 6 months prior. We can look at all the variables for you in Champions Club of Pasco and surrounding areas and do a comparable market analysis at no charge, just request it using our "selling" link above. If your property is currently listed by another real estate company, please disregard.
More Info on T2875750 We want to provide you with more information on the Residential property located at 1042 Tuscany Drive Trinity, Florda situated in the Champions Club community in Pasco. This particular property was constructed in 2017 and its exterior material is made of Block,Stucco. Our MLS listing data shown on this page is the most up to date information available as it is uploaded every day with an automatic feed; many other web sites on the Internet are out dated. Please note that this listing may not be our listing and we take no responsibility for the wording therein. MLS # T2875750 is a Single Family Residence with 3154.00 sq ft air conditioned and heated space. This property is offered for sale as of 04 26 2019 at $585,000. Its current status is either "ACTIVE" OR "ACTIVE WITH CONTRACT". We are happy to show you 1042 TUSCANY DRIVE in Trinity, FL as well as any other property that you may have an interest in. There is no charge to work with us at Lipply Real Estate our services are FREE as the sellers of the property will pay our fee and it does not affect your purchase in any way.
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text:
Q: message is not defined discord.js slashcommands I'm getting an error saying that I'm not defining message
content: `Latency is ${Date.now() - message.createdTimestamp}ms.`,
                                                              ^

ReferenceError: message is not defined

const Discord  = require('discord.js');

const client = new Discord.Client();

const prefix = '.';

const fs = require('fs');

const guildId = ''

const getApp = (guildId) => {
    const app = client.api.applications(client.user.id)
    if (guildId) {
        app.guilds(guildId)
    }
    return app
}

client.commands = new Discord.Collection();

const commandFiles = fs.readdirSync('./commands/').filter(file => file.endsWith('.js'));
for(const file of commandFiles){
    const command = require(`./commands/${file}`);

    client.commands.set(command.name, command);
}

client.once('ready', async () => {
    console.log('HenBot Is Online!');

    const commands = await getApp(guildId).commands.get()
    console.log(commands)

    await getApp(guildId).commands.post({
        data: {
            name: 'ping',
            description: 'Bots Latency',
        },
    })

    client.ws.on('INTERACTION_CREATE', async (interaction, message) => {
        const slashCommmand = interaction.data.name.toLowerCase()

        if(slashCommmand === 'ping') {
            client.api.interactions(interaction.id, interaction.token).callback.post({
                data: {
                    type: 4,
                    data: {
                        content: `Latency is ${Date.now() - message.createdTimestamp}ms.`,
                    },
                },
            })
        }
    })
})

client.on('message', message =>{
    if(!message.content.startsWith(prefix) || message.author.bot) return;

    const args = message.content.slice(prefix.length).split(/ +/);
    const command = args.shift().toLowerCase();

    if (command === 'ping') {
        client.commands.get('ping').execute(message, args);
    }
})

A: It's because message is not a valid parameter for interactionCreate.
As the discord.js docs implies, you can only pass in interaction in an interactionCreate event.
This should work for your code:
content: `Latency is ${Date.now() - interaction.createdTimestamp}ms.`,

A: interactionCreate event cannot have message parameter...
client.on('interactionCreate', async interaction => {
      // your code here
})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
County of
Type: Consent Calendar Item Status: Agenda Ready
File created: 8/19/2021 In control: Board of Supervisors
On agenda: 10/26/2021 Final action:
Title: Delegation of Authority For Obtaining and Managing Grant Assistance Provided by the State of California's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Mitigation Resilient Planning and Public Services program
Department or Agency Name(s): County Administrator, Emergency Management, Permit and Resource Management
Attachments: 1. Summary Report, 2. A. CDBG MIT-PPS Resolution
Action By
Action Details
To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Administrator's Office, Department of Emergency Management, Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nour Maxwell 707-565-1743, Chris Godley 707-565-2052, Tennis Wick 707-565-1925
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Delegation of Authority For Obtaining and Managing Grant Assistance Provided by the State of California's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Mitigation Resilient Planning and Public Services program
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a resolution authorizing the County Administrator and Assistant County Administrator, the Director and Deputy Director of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), and the Director and Deputy Director of Permit Sonoma to: apply for funding; accept allocations of funding; execute grant agreement(s), and any amendments thereto; and execute for and on behalf of the County of Sonoma, any actions necessary for obtaining funding provided by the State of California's Housing and Community Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Mitigation Resilient Planning and Public Services program (MIT-PPS).
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) appropriated $212 million in CDBG funds to the state of California to address the impacts of disasters that occurred in 2017. $162 million has been allocated to address unmet recovery needs (CDBG-DR) and $88 million for preparedness and mitigation needs (CDBG-MIT). The CDBG-MIT funds include $61 million for resilient Infrastructure Program (MIT-RIP), and $22.4 million for resilience Planning and Public Services (MIT-PPS).
The Mitigation Planning and Public Services Program (MIT-PPS) was developed to support projects and activities that reduce risk to communities impacted by the 2017 disasters. The goal of the program is to have projects and activities that address risks to community lifelines that support health and safety and mitigate future disasters. Community lifelines, as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are services that enable the continuous operation of critical government and business functions and are essential to human health and safety or economic security, build capacity for eligible jurisdictions, assist local entities with planning, and support public services. While the funding available will not address all hazards, the Planning and Public Services program is designed to support eligible applicants to reduce and mitigate future risks.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) manages the state MIT-PPS program and disbursement of the related CDBG funding. On January 8, 2021, HCD issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the approximately $22.4 million in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funding for the Resilient Planning and Public Services Program (MIT PPS). Following the NOFA, the County submitted notices of intent for the projects described hereafter.
On August 5, 2021, the County received notifications that it was eligible for $1,577,600 in MIT-PPS funds for the following projects: Disaster recovery plan, Sonoma County Ready Preparedness Education & Marketing Plan, Community Resilience Centers Needs Assessment, and General Plan Public Safety Element Update. On October 1st, 2021, the County also received notification that it was eligible for $500,000 in MIT-PPS funds for the Community Emergency Response Team Training (CERT) Programs project. No local match is required to receive these funds. As a next step, HCD requires the County of Sonoma to adopt a resolution approving the allocation of funding, the application for funding, and the execution of a grant agreement (and any amendments).
CDBG Mitigation funding is allocated by Congress in conjunction with FEMA Presidentially-declared disasters. Sonoma County was impacted by two Presidentially-declared disasters in 2017: disaster DR 4344 (October 2017), and disaster DR 4353 (December 2017). The CDBG Mitigation funding must be spent in the counties impacted by the two FEMA declared disasters. Within the FEMA impacted jurisdictions, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) determined Most Impacted and Distressed Areas (MID). These Most Impacted and Distressed Areas were determined by HUD as the hardest hit by the two involved disasters. For the 2017 disasters, Sonoma County was declared a Most Impacted and Distressed Area.
HUD requires that 50 percent of CDBG Mitigation funding be spent within the Most Impacted and Distressed Areas, and the remaining 50% must benefit the MID. Fifty percent (50%) of funding must benefit Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) Households. This can be derived through a LMI Service Area. Furthermore, for its Mitigation Planning Program, any planning activity must be connected to HUD's definition of resilience.
Eligible Activities under Planning: Several types of activities are eligible under the Planning activity, including the creation of new plans that examine hazards and establish actions for increasing resilience and preparedness, or the update of current plans to better align with mitigation principles. Other eligible activities include: capacity building for sub-recipients intending to submit a project to Round Two of the Resilient Infrastructure Program.
Eligible activities under Public Services: The eligible activities for Public Services include: performing additional services to inform the public on resilient-minded activities, capacity building through job training programs for LMI individuals to work on community mitigation projects, code enforcement activities, including training and staffing, outreach and educational campaigns regarding proper disaster evacuation, disaster preparedness, and risk reduction initiatives, as well as additional public services that serve to enhance critical lifelines of health and safety.
Considering the goals, requirements, and eligibility criteria of the Mitigation Planning and Public Services (MIT-PPS) Program, the County of Sonoma applied for the projects described below, and received notifications of eligibility for a total amount of $2,077,600 in MIT-PPS funds.
County of Sonoma MIT-PPS projects:
- Disaster Recovery Plan, $374,000: This project consists of conducting a gap analysis of Sonoma County's disaster response capabilities. The project will identify and convene a task force of stakeholders in the Operations Area (Op Area). The gap analysis will review existing emergency operations plans, operating procedures, and other pertinent documents from Op Area partners. The results of the gap analysis will allow Sonoma County to improve response, continuity of efforts, and availability of recovery resources. The anticipated completion date for this project is August 2024.
- Sonoma County Ready Preparedness Education & Marketing Plan, $500,000: the Sonoma Ready, Sonoma Listos! Preparedness Education and Marketing Plan for a Resilient Community 2021-2023, consists of an outreach and educational campaign as a public services project to inform Sonoma County residents of the results and recommendations from the July 2021-June 2023 Community Preparedness Outreach Plan. The Sonoma Ready project will align messaging across the Operation Area and will target those populations who are underserved, including through the creation of Spanish Language messaging, outreach to homeless communities, and targeted messaging for those with access and functional needs. The anticipated completion date for this project is August 2024.
- Community Resilience Centers Needs Assessment, $500,000: This project consists of developing a community needs assessment and feasibility study for the development of community resilience centers in Sonoma County communities that are the most vulnerable and often the most significantly impacted by disaster events. The project will engage community and operational stakeholder advisory committees to ensure representation across the county. The results of the community needs assessment will be used to prioritize needs and identify criteria for determining best location, configuration, and scope of services to be provided. The anticipated completion date for this project is August 2024.
- CERT Programs, $500,000: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs are developed in localities to upskill local neighborhoods to help and assist each other in a variety of ways. Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) Community Preparedness Program (CPP) will develop a network of volunteer leadership and partner with a Community Based Organization within Sonoma County Operational Area to create a program to train CERT Teams, maintain a roster of CERT volunteers countywide, and coordinate deployment of CERTS in response to disasters. Additionally, the CERT coordinator will focus on developing leadership within the CERT Teams so that the countywide effort can move toward self-organization. The anticipated completion date for this project is August 2024.
- General Plan Public Safety Element Update, $203, 600: This project consists of developing an update to the Sonoma County General Plan Public Safety Element to align with the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan five-year implementation strategy, and to create new programs and policies in response to the recent 2017, 2019 and 2020 wildfires, the 2019 Russian River flood event, and new vulnerabilities created by climate change and sea level rise. The anticipated completion date for the Sonoma County General Plan Public Safety Element Update is June 2023.
Projects received notices of MIT-PPS eligibility for the following amounts totaling $2,077,600 on August 9, 2021 and October 1st, 2021:
Project amount
Disaster Recovery Plan
Sonoma County Ready Preparedness Education & Marketing Plan
Community Resilience Centers Needs Assessment
CERT Programs
Permit Sonoma
General Plan Public Safety Element Update
Required documentation will be submitted through HCD's grant portal and will be evaluated for completeness by HCD. Any gaps in required documentation or eventual special conditions will be included in the Master Standard Agreements (MSA) that the County must agree to as a condition of receiving funding. HCD will provide a draft MSA after the Resolution proposed herein has been authorized.
Once the MSA has been signed, the full applications can be submitted. Now that the County has received notice of its allocation, there is an opportunity to revisit project scopes as needed. The County Administrator's Office will coordinate with County departments to reassess proposals and will come back to the Board of Supervisors to accept the award and program the funds.
In the interim, HCD requires formal authorization for the County, though its departments and agencies that are lead for the various projects and programs, to apply for and receive CDBG MIT-PPS funding as part of the full application.
As part of the HCD-required resolution (Attachment 1), the County acknowledges compliance with all state and federal public participation requirements in the development of its application(s). The CDBG MIT-PPS program policies and procedures manual, are available at: <https://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/disaster-recovery-programs/cdbg-dr/cdbg-mit-2017/docs/mit%20pps%20policy%20and%20procedures_508compliant_9nov20.pdf>
Staff have reviewed the State's CDBG MIT-PPS Policies and Procedures Manual, and other related materials, and are prepared to implement all program requirements should funding be awarded and grant agreements be finalized. Additionally, the resolution references a Standard Agreement that is required as a condition of funding. The terms of the Standard Agreement are contingent on the notice to proceed, at which point the County will decide whether to move forward with any portions of the grant. It is anticipated that HCD will require a master agreement for all of the contemplated projects (or groups thereof). As permitted by HCD and in accordance with County general requirements, County Counsel approval as to form, legality, and other agreement-specifics, will be required in conjunction with finalization of the actual agreement(s) to be executed with HCD. HCD also requires authorization for delegated signature authority for CDBG MIT-PPS funding, which would include modifying and claiming reimbursements, and amending and closing out grant documentation. The resolution will authorize the following position-specific titles to act on behalf of the County by executing any actions necessary for each application and sub-award:
- County Administrator and/or Assistant County Administrator
- Director and/or Deputy Director of Department of Emergency Management (DEM)
- Director and/or Deputy Director of Permit Sonoma
Departments will sign grant documentation relevant to their departments only.
Prior Board Actions:
5/11/2021 Board item on Delegation of Authority For Obtaining and Managing Grant Assistance Provided by the State of California's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery and Mitigation programs.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Staff will return to the Board with needed budget adjustments.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
A. CDBG MIT-PPS Resolution
Related Items "On File" with the Clerk of the Board:
Legislation Text
Legislation Details
Legislation Details (With Text)


The horse cruelty scandal at the Australian Turf Club has escalated after the nation's peak animal welfare body announced its own independent investigation into claims of mistreatment.
The ATC has been rocked by allegations that the stable of ex-racehorses that make up its mounted security division were subjected to a "deliberate program" of drugging by staff.
Aside from ceremonial duties on race days, the retired thoroughbreds are advertised as horses for hire at festivals, private functions and shoots on television shows such as Australia's Next Top Model.
But according to evidence aired at a Racing NSW inquiry, the horses were sedated through much of their work with drugs such as Sedazine paste and liquid acepromazine (ACE) – an injectable sedative that can only be legally given by a vet.
The turf club's mounted division consists of retired racehorses retrained for life after the track.
It is also alleged that anti-inflammatory drug Phenylbutazone – only recommended for short-term use – was routinely administered to mask ongoing pain caused by gruelling shifts, poorly fitting saddles and general ill-treatment. While Racing NSW is not expected to deliver its findings until next month, Fairfax Media can confirm the RSPCA is to approach the body for all investigation material – and has already established contact with some witnesses.
"RSPCA NSW has received information regarding very serious allegations of animal cruelty by Australian Turf Club employees," said the organisation's chief executive Steve Coleman.
"These allegations include claims of the systematic drugging of horses to mask pain and distress caused by overriding, being forced to perform for long hours and other mistreatment. RSPCA NSW considers these allegations could be a major breach of animal welfare and are making further enquiries ... to obtain information and evidence."
A spokesman for the ATC said: "Our staff have launched a strong defence and have denied a great deal of the allegations brought against them."
The ATC's mounted division has been closed since cruelty allegations surfaced in January.
For more than three months, mounted security horses have been noticeably absent from race days at Royal Randwick, Rosehill Gardens, Canterbury Park and Warwick Farm – all of which are managed by the ATC.
Racing NSW chief Peter V'landys said as soon as his organisation became aware of the "alarming" allegations in January, all six horses were removed from their base in Sydney's Centennial Park and transferred to a NSW farm, where they remain.
Former ATC employee Chantal Lunardon gave evidence at the Racing NSW inquiry.
After Fairfax revealed the allegations on February, 11 witnesses came forward to give evidence at the inquiry.
One was former employee Chantal Lunardon who told the hearing: "Every time the horses were deployed for a security job, photo shoot or ridden through Centennial Park, they were sedated."
She claimed the procedure was designed to "dumb down" the ex-racehorses during long, arduous shifts.
"I walked into the tack room and I observed them [staff] drawing up oral syringes of a liquid I knew to be ACE. I recognised ACE from my 20 years as a vet nurse. At this point, I observed one employee hold the head of the horse while another administered the ACE over its tongue."
Mr Coleman believes horse racing in NSW would benefit from an independent integrity commission like the model recommended for the greyhound industry, so as to avoid possible conflicts of interest and maintain community confidence in the sport. "Similar issues to those outlined in these allegations have been addressed by the establishment of tri-code racing integrity commissions in both Victoria and Queensland that cover greyhound, harness and thoroughbred racing industries," he said.


Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In very large bowl, stir together both cereals; set aside.
In 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan, melt butter and peanut butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows; cook and stir until completely melted and mixture is smooth.
Pour marshmallow mixture over cereals. Add peanuts; stir until cereal and peanuts are evenly coated. Using sprayed back of spoon or hands, press mixture firmly in pan. Cool about 1 hour.
Add a cup full of candy-coated peanut butter pieces to the top of your bars for a bit of color!
Store your cut bars in individual plastic bags for an easy-to-pack lunch snack!


text:
Home / Car News / Designer Walter de Silva leaves Volkswagen Group
Designer Walter de Silva leaves Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen is lost most of its important names after the Dieselgate scandal. And it is still loosing. The latest resignation comes from a men who designed most of the current fleet.
Walter de Silva joined the Volkswagen Group 17 years ago when he became Head of the Seat Design Centre in 1998. He was put in charge of the design of the Audi brand group, including the brands Audi, Lamborghini and Seat, in 2002. His new design language with Audi was materialised by the 6th generation of the Audi A6 and Audi A5 Coupe. He was appointed Head of Group Design at Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2007.
The range of vehicles created by de Silva include the Alfa 156 (1997) and 147 (2001), the Volkswagen up!, the Polo and the Golf 6 and 7, the Audi R8 and the Audi A5, about which de Silva said that it was "the most beautiful car" he had ever designed.
De Silva began his professional career at the Fiat Design Centre in Turin in 1972. He joined Studio R. Bonetto in Milan in 1975. De Silva was Head of the Industrial Design and Automobiles Area at the Instituto Idea in Turin from 1979 to 1986. After a short stint working for "Trussardi Design Milano", he switched to Alfa Romeo in 1986, where he was Head of Design until 1998. De Silva established a new design philosophy for the brand with the Alfa Romeo 156 (1997).
The CEO of Volkswagen Group, Matthias Müller, paid tribute to Walter de Silva's work by saying: "Walter de Silva succeeded in establishing a design culture and methodology across all Group brands that is unique in our industry. At the same time, he was the driving force in preserving a high degree of creative autonomy for the brands and their design departments."
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text:
Think country girls don't know how to party? "Keep Up," RaeLynn says in spunky new track
Round Here Records
Round Here RecordsRaeLynn's bold new release, "Keep Up," is an attitude-packed anthem for country girls who know how to work, play and party every bit as hard as their male counterparts. The singer also dropped a music video to match, which encapsulates the same high-energy fun.
"I want women to take away from 'Keep Up' that they can be just as rowdy as the guys can!" the singer explained to ET Online. "This is the country girl anthem that we need. From the moment I wrote 'Keep Up,' I had a vision for a fun video that incorporates my personality and all the bright colors."
In bringing that vision to life, RaeLynn enlisted plenty of sequins, some serious dance moves and even a cameo from her husband, Josh.
RaeLynn co-wrote her latest song with Corey Crowder, Steven Lee Olsen and Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard. She recently signed to FGL's newly-formed, artist-helmed label, Round Here Records, and has since been busily plotting her next musical chapter.
"Keep Up" is the second song she's dropped since becoming a Round Here Records artist; the new tune follows the empowering breakup anthem "Bra Off," a quirky and fun-loving tune that celebrates getting out of a relationship that just didn't fit right.


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Posts Tagged 'Balancing Acts'
Media Center: 'Balancing Acts' by Nicholas Hytner
WHO: Nicholas Hytner
WHAT: BALANCING ACTS:
Behind the Scenes at London's National Theatre
WHEN: Published by Knopf November 14, 2017
WHERE: The author lives in London.
WHY: "Well done, Sir Nicholas!
An unqualified rave for this book.
"London's Royal National Theatre, comprised of the venue triumvirate of the Olivier, Lyttelton, and Dorfman (formerly Cottesloe) Theatres, boasts a lineage of theatrical royalty. Sir Lawrence Olivier and Sir Peter Hall served as artistic directors of the National; Hytner's 12-year tenure saw unprecedented growth in audience development and artistic expression, success that has distinguished the National since 1963.
"This exquisitely written memoir of Hytner's time running the National (2003-15), when he produced more than 100 new plays, is a revelatory exegesis of finding balance at all levels of artistic, technical, philosophical, and commercial productions. The pages sparkle with luminaries with whom the author has worked, including Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Kenneth Branagh, Alan Bennet, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Stoppard, and Harold Pinter. The elements Hytner so adroitly strived for in his stewardship of the National is manifested throughout this memoir — the importance of new play development and classical, especially Shakespearean, theater; weighing working in film vs. theater; the relationship of producer with director, producer with playwright, producer as director with actor; and the precarious calibration of artistic and commercial achievement.
"The theater crowd is the obvious audience for this book but the intelligence, wit, and humor throughout expands the scope of readership to anyone interested in the arts."
–Barry X. Miller, LIBRARY JOURNAL
"A witty memoir.
A pleasant peek behind the scenes during a transformative period of British theater history." –KIRKUS REVIEWS
"Captivating.
Hytner's advocacy for creative and audience diversity, gender- and color-blind casting, televised plays, low ticket prices, and state-funded arts education is passionate and articulate." –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
From the beginning of the book:
At university, I realized I couldn't write and I couldn't act. I could time a laugh, though not always appropriately. As a tyrannical general in The Queen and the Rebels, an intense play by Ugo Betti, I brought the house down, to the despair of the director. There were legions of mediocre writers and actors in Cambridge, eager to insert themselves into the student theatre scene by calling themselves directors. That's all you had to do: call yourself a director. Drama wasn't on the curriculum, so the undergraduates had it to themselves, which may be why so many of them have thrived in the professional theater. If you had to the nerve, you pitched an idea to a committee of your fellow students, and you hustled them into giving you a show. The happy few were given a giant Meccano set.
About the book and author | Download the jacket | Download the author photo
To interview the author, contact:
Kathy Zuckerman | 212-572-2105 | kzuckerman@penguinrandomhouse.com
Tags: Balancing Acts, Knopf, London National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner, Theater
Posted in Media Center, Not on Homepage | Comments Off on Media Center: 'Balancing Acts' by Nicholas Hytner


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Controlled Opposition: From Goldstein to Soros and Beyond
by Gilad Atzmon / April 13th, 2013
Jewish power is the unique capacity to stop us from discussing or even contemplating Jewish power. It is the capacity to determine the boundaries of the political discourse and criticism in particular.
In his new book, The Invention Of The Land of Israel, Israeli academic Shlomo Sand, manages to present conclusive evidence of the far fetched nature of the Zionist historical narrative — that the Jewish Exile is a myth as is the Jewish people and even the Land of Israel.
Yet, Sand and many others fail to address the most important question: If Zionism is based on myth, how do the Zionists manage to get a way with their lies, and for so long?
If the Jewish 'homecoming' and the demand for a Jewish national homeland cannot be historically substantiated, why has it been supported by both Jews and the West for so long? How does the Jewish state manage for so long to celebrate its racist expansionist ideology and at the expense of the Palestinian and Arab peoples?
Jewish power is obviously one answer, but, what is Jewish power? Can we ask this question without being accused of being Anti Semitic? Can we ever discuss its meaning and scrutinize its politics? Is Jewish Power a dark force, managed and maneuvered by some conspiratorial power? Is it something of which Jews themselves are shy? Quite the opposite — Jewish power, in most cases, is celebrated right in front of our eyes. As we know, AIPAC is far from being quiet about its agenda, its practices or its achievements. AIPAC, CFI in the UK and CRIF in France are operating in the most open manner and often openly brag about their success.
Furthermore, we are by now accustomed to watch our democratically elected leaders shamelessly queuing to kneel before their pay-masters. Neocons certainly didn't seem to feel the need to hide their close Zionist affiliations. Abe Foxman's Anti Defamation League (ADL) works openly towards the Judification of the Western discourse, chasing and harassing anyone who dares voice any kind of criticism of Israel or even of Jewish choseness. And of course, the same applies to the media, banking and Hollywood. We know about the many powerful Jews who are not in the slightest bit shy about their bond with Israel and their commitment to Israeli security, the Zionist ideology, the primacy of Jewish suffering, Israeli expansionism and even outright Jewish exceptionalism.
But, as ubiquitous as they are, AIPAC, CFI, ADL, Bernie Madoff, 'liberator' Bernard Henri Levy, war-advocate David Aaronovitch, free market prophet Milton Friedman, Steven Spielberg, Haim Saban, Lord Levy and many other Zionist enthusiasts and Hasbara advocates are not necessarily the core or the driving force behind Jewish Power, but are merely symptoms. Jewish power is actually far more sophisticated than simply a list of Jewish lobbies or individuals performing highly developed manipulative skills. Jewish power is the unique capacity to stop us from discussing or even contemplating Jewish power. It is the capacity to determine the boundaries of the political discourse and criticism in particular.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not 'right wing' Zionists who facilitate Jewish power, It is actually the 'good', the 'enlightened' and the 'progressive' who make Jewish power the most effective and forceful power in the land. It is the 'progressives' who confound our ability to identify the Judeocentric tribal politics at the heart of Neoconservatism, American contemporary imperialism and foreign policy. It is the so-called 'anti' Zionist who goes out of his or her way to divert our attention from the fact that Israel defines itself as the Jewish State and blinds us to the fact that its tanks are decorated with Jewish symbols. It was the Jewish Left intellectuals who rushed to denounce Professors Mearsheimer and Walt, Jeff Blankfort and James Petras' work on the Jewish Lobby. And it is no secret that Occupy AIPAC, the campaign against the most dangerous political Lobby in America, is dominated by a few righteous members of the chosen tribe. We need to face up to the fact that our dissident voice is far from being free. Quite the opposite, we are dealing here with an institutional case of controlled opposition.
In George Orwell's 1984, it is perhaps Emmanuel Goldstein who is the pivotal character. Orwell's Goldstein is a Jewish revolutionary, a fictional Leon Trotsky. He is depicted as the head of a mysterious anti-party organization called "The Brotherhood" and is also the author of the most subversive revolutionary text (The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism). Goldstein is the 'dissenting voice', the one who actually tells the truth. Yet, as we delve into Orwell's text, we find out from Party's 'Inner Circle' O'Brien that Goldstein was actually invented by Big Brother in a clear attempt to control the opposition and the possible boundaries of dissidence.
Orwell's personal account of the Spanish Civil War Homage To Catalonia clearly presaged the creation of Emmanuel Goldstein. It was what Orwell witnessed in Spain that, a decade later, matured into a profound understanding of dissent as a form of controlled opposition. My guess is that, by the late 1940's, Orwell had understood the depth of intolerance, and tyrannical and conspiratorial tendencies that lay at the heart of 'Big Brother-ish' Left politics and praxis.
Surprisingly enough, an attempt to examine our contemporaneous controlled opposition within the Left and the Progressive reveal that it is far from being a conspiratorial. Like in the case of the Jewish Lobby, the so-called 'opposition' hardly attempts to disguise its ethno-centric tribal interests, spiritual and ideological orientation and affiliation.
A brief examination of the list of organisations founded by George Soros' Open Society Institute (OSI) presents a grim picture – pretty much the entire American progressive network is funded, partially or largely by a liberal Zionist, philanthropic billionaire who supports very many good and important causes that are also very good for the Jews. And yet, like staunch Zionist Haim Saban, Soros does not operate clandestinely. His Open Society Institute proudly provides all the necessary information regarding the vast amount of shekels it spreads on its good and important causes.
So one can't accuse Soros or the Open Society Institute of any sinister vetting the political discourse, stifling of free speech or even to 'controlling the opposition'. All Soros does is to support a wide variety of 'humanitarian causes': Human Rights, Women's Rights. Gay Rights, equality, democracy, Arab 'Spring', Arab Winter, the oppressed, the oppressor, tolerance, intolerance, Palestine, Israel, anti war, pro-war (only when really needed), and so on.
As with Orwell's Big Brother that frames the boundaries of dissent by means of control opposition, Soros' Open Society also determines, either consciously or unconsciously, the limits of critical thought. Yet, unlike in 1984, where it is the Party that invents its own opposition and write its texts, within our 'progressive' discourse, it is our own voices of dissent, willingly and consciously, that are compromising their principles.
Soros may have read Orwell – he clearly believes his message – because from time to time he even supports opposing forces. For instance, he funds the Zionist-lite J Street as well as Palestinian NGO organisations. And guess what? It never takes long for the Palestinian beneficiaries to, compromise their own, most precious principles so they fit nicely into their paymaster's worldview.
The Visible Hand
The invisible hand of the market is a metaphor coined by Adam Smith to describe the self-regulating behaviour of the marketplace. In contemporary politics. The visible hand is a similar metaphor which describes the self-regulating tendency of the political-fund beneficiary, to fully integrate the world view of its benefactor into its political agenda.
Democracy Now, the most important American dissident outlet has never discussed the Jewish Lobby with Mearsheimer, Walt, Petras or Blankfort – the four leading experts who could have informed the American people about the USA's foreign policy domination by the Jewish Lobby. For the same reasons, Democracy Now wouldn't explore the Neocon's Judeo-centric agenda nor would it ever discuss Jewish Identity politics with yours truly. Democracy Now will host Noam Chomsky or Norman Finkelstein, it may even let Finkelstein chew up Zionist caricature Alan Dershowitz – all very good, but not good enough.
Is the fact that Democracy Now is heavily funded by Soros relevant? I'll let you judge.
If I'm correct (and I think I am) we have a serious problem here. As things stand, it is actually the progressive discourse, or at least large part of it. that sustains Jewish Power. If this is indeed the case, and I am convinced it is, then the occupied progressive discourse, rather than Zionism, is the primary obstacle that must be confronted.
It is no coincidence that the 'progressive' take on 'antisemitism' is suspiciously similar to the Zionist one. Like Zionists, many progressive institutes and activists adhere to the bizarre suggestion that opposition to Jewish power is 'racially motivated' and embedded in some 'reactionary' Goyish tendency. Consequently, Zionists are often supported by some 'progressives' in their crusade against critics of Israel and Jewish power. Is this peculiar alliance between these allegedly opposing schools of thoughts, the outcome of a possible ideological continuum between these two seemingly opposed political ideologies? Maybe, after all, progressiveness like Zionism is driven by a peculiar inclination towards 'choseness'. After all, being progressive somehow implies that someone else must be 'reactionary'. It is those self-centric elements of exceptionalism and choseness that have made progressiveness so attractive to secular and emancipated Jews. But the main reason the 'progressive' adopted the Zionist take on antisemitism, may well be because of the work of that visible hand that miraculously shapes the progressive take on race, racism and the primacy of Jewish suffering.
We may have to face up to the fact that the progressive discourse effectively operates as Israel's longest arm – it certainly acts as a gatekeeper and as protection for Zionism and Jewish tribal interests. If Israel and its supporters would ever be confronted with real opposition it might lead to some long-overdue self-reflection. But at the moment, Israel and Zionist lobbies meet only insipid, watered-down, progressively-vetted resistance that, in practice, sustains Israeli occupation, oppression and an endless list of human rights abuses.
Instead of mass opposition to the Jewish State and its aggressive lobby, our 'resistance' is reduced into a chain of badge-wearing, keffiyeh-clad, placard-waving mini-gatherings with the occasional tantrum from some neurotic Jewess while being videoed by another good Jew. If anyone believes that a few badges, a load of amateur Youtube clips celebrating Jewish righteousness are going to evolve into a mass anti-Israel global movement, they are either naïve or stupid.
In fact, a recent Gallup poll revealed that current Americans' sympathy for Israel has reached an All-Time High. 64% of Americans sympathise with the Jewish State, while only 12% feel for the Palestinians. This is no surprise and our conclusion should be clear. As far as Palestine is concerned, 'progressive' ideology and praxis have led us precisely nowhere. Rather than advance the Palestinian cause, it only locates the 'good' Jew at the centre of the solidarity discourse.
When was the last time a Palestinian freedom fighter appeared on your TV screen? Twenty years ago the Palestinian were set to become the new Che Guevaras. Okay, so the Palestinian freedom fighter didn't necessarily speak perfect English and wasn't a graduate of an English public school, but he was free, authentic and determined. He or she spoke about their land being taken and of their willingness to give what it takes to get it back. But now, the Palestinian has been 'saved', he or she doesn't have to fight for his or her their land, the 'progressive' is taking care of it all.
This 'progressive' voice speaks on behalf of the Palestinian and, at the same time, takes the opportunity to also push marginal politics, fight 'Islamism' and 'religious radicalisation' and occasionally even supports the odd interventionst war and, of course, always, always, always fights antisemitism. The controlled opposition has turned the Palestinian plight into just one more 'progressive' commodity, lying on the back shelf of its ever-growing 'good-cause' campaign store.
For the Jewish progressive discourse, the purpose behind pro-Palestinian support is clear. It is to present an impression of pluralism within the Jewish community. It is there to suggest that not all Jews are bad Zionists. Philip Weiss, the founder of the most popular progressive pro-Palestinian blog was even brave enough to admit to me that it is Jewish self -interests that stood at the core of his pro Palestinian activity.
Jewish self-love is a fascinating topic. But even more fascinating is Jewish progressives loving themselves at the expense of the Palestinians. With billionaires such as Soros maintaining the discourse, solidarity is now an industry, concerned with profit and power rather than ethics or values and it is a spectacle both amusing and tragic as the Palestinians become a side issue within their own solidarity discourse.
So, perhaps before we discuss the 'liberation of Palestine', we first may have to liberate ourselves.
Gilad Atzmon, now living in London, was born in Israel and served in the Israeli military. He is the author of The Wandering Who and Being in Time and is one of the most accomplished jazz saxophonists in Europe. He can be reached via his website. Read other articles by Gilad, or visit Gilad's website.
This article was posted on Saturday, April 13th, 2013 at 7:48am and is filed under Israel/Historical Palestine, Prejudice, The Lobby, Zionism.


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Q: Azure "App Service" - Django and SQLite I have a django app (specifically django-rest). When I run the local copy of this site, my requests can be processed in 50-400ms.
Next, I managed to deploy to Microsoft Azure App Service. Now, under the most expensive tier I can buy, responses are coming back in the 800-2000ms range.
The app does simple queries on sqlite database. This database file is approximately 30 megabytes with the largest table is 12000 rows.
I should point out all access to the database is read only, so no contention issues.
Configuration:
DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, 'mydatabase.db'),
    }
}

web.config:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>

  <appSettings>
    <add key="WSGI_ALT_VIRTUALENV_HANDLER" value="django.core.wsgi.get_wsgi_application()" />
    <add key="WSGI_ALT_VIRTUALENV_ACTIVATE_THIS" value="D:\home\site\wwwroot\env\Scripts\activate_this.py" />
    <add key="WSGI_HANDLER" value="ptvs_virtualenv_proxy.get_virtualenv_handler()" />
    <add key="PYTHONPATH" value="D:\home\site\wwwroot" />
    <add key="DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE" value="myapp.settings" />
  </appSettings>
  <system.web>
    <compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0" />
    <!-- Required for websockets. -->
    <httpRuntime targetFramework="4.5"/>
  </system.web>
  <system.webServer>
    <modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true" />
    <handlers>
      <remove name="Python273_via_FastCGI" />
      <add name="Python FastCGI" path="handler.fcgi" verb="*" modules="FastCgiModule" scriptProcessor="D:\Python27\python.exe|D:\Python27\Scripts\wfastcgi.py" resourceType="Unspecified" requireAccess="Script" />
    </handlers>
    <rewrite>
      <rules>
        <rule name="Static Files" stopProcessing="true">
          <conditions>
            <add input="true" pattern="false" />
          </conditions>
        </rule>
        <rule name="Configure Python" stopProcessing="true">
          <match url="(.*)" ignoreCase="false" />
          <conditions>
            <add input="{REQUEST_URI}" pattern="^/static/.*" ignoreCase="true" negate="true" />
          </conditions>
          <action type="Rewrite" url="handler.fcgi/{R:1}" appendQueryString="true" />
        </rule>
      </rules>
    </rewrite>
  </system.webServer>
</configuration>

Python version 2.7.
I have narrowed it down to SQLite performance. Static files and API index pages come back in ~60ms while the heaviest query comes back in ~2000ms. This is Time Till First Byte, and not overall response times, and I have ruled out network latency (which is very low due to the geographic proximity). This is on P3 (Premium Tier) 4 core, 7GB ram (as Azure calls it).
Running on localhost, the response times are ~15ms for index pages, and ~380ms for the same requests on my Macbook 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3.
App "warm-up" is not the issue as this is after its already "hot" (timing is based on a few refreshes)
Update:
I installed Django Rest Toolbar for more information.
On macbook django DEV server (pure python?):
SQL time ~217ms
Total CPU time ~681ms

Resource    Value
User CPU time   662.771 msec
System CPU time 18.415 msec
Total CPU time  681.186 msec
Elapsed time    681.326 msec
Context switches    1 voluntary, 95 involuntary

On azure app service IIS and FastCGI (see config above):
SQL time ~854ms
Total CPU time ~2282ms
No CPU extended breakdown available.

Appreciate any insight!

A: Given that your local and Azure test runs show a similar multiple from best to worst case and that you only have a 30MB database file, my guess is that your Azure host is simply a much slower CPU.
This is backed up by the fact that they do throttling for some spec VMs.  It is also something that has been noted in comparison to AWS.  I imagine the same is true for your App Service platform.