text:
Portland hotel employees who asked black guest to leave fired
Posted 1:36 PM, December 29, 2018, by CNN Wire, Updated at 03:59PM, December 29, 2018
PORTLAND –Two employees seen on video asking a black guest to leave a Portland, Oregon, hotel after he took a phone call in the lobby have been let go, the facility said Saturday on Twitter.
We have terminated the employment of the two men involved in the mistreatment of Mr. Massey. Their actions were inconsistent with our standards & values. We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again.
— DoubleTree Portland (@doubletreepdx) December 29, 2018
The incident took place December 22 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland.
Jermaine Massey was in the hotel lobby when a security guard informed him that police were on their way to escort him off the property.
Massey accused the guard of "harassing" him, and in a statement provided to CNN by his attorneys, characterized the incident as "calling his mother while black."
"We have terminated the employment of the two men involved in the mistreatment of Mr. Massey," the hotel said on Twitter.
"Their actions were inconsistent with our standards & values. We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again."
The move comes a day after the hotel apologized to Massey. On Friday, it placed the employees on leave during an investigation and said it would take "the appropriate measures to ensure this does not happen again."
"We have a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination of any kind, and do not tolerate behavior of that nature," the hotel said then on Twitter.
In a series of Instagram videos recorded by Massey and obtained by CNN, he is heard asking the guard, "But why? But I'm staying here." "Not anymore," the security guard replies.
Massey then told a hotel desk staffer he was taking a personal phone call in the lobby when the guard began to question why he was there. At one point in the videos, he shows the two men his keycard envelope with the room number and date written on it.
Hotel staff contacted the Portland Police Bureau and asked an officer to speak with Massey after employees asked him to leave the property, according to a police statement.
The officer then escorted Massey back to his room to collect his belongings and offered him assistance to a different hotel, but he declined, police said.
Massey's attorneys told CNN that hotel staff demanded he be arrested for trespassing if he did not leave the property at that time.
In addition to reaching out to the hotel, CNN has also sought comment from the two employees shown in Massey's Instagram videos.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Friday condemned the incident.
"It is deeply troubling to hear about Mr. Massey's experience with discrimination," he tweeted. "No one should be treated this way, and I hope this serves as a catalyst for necessary changes that address the systemic nature of discrimination of all forms."
DoubleTree's general manager, Paul Peralta, called the incident "unfortunate" and said the hotel had tried to contact Massey.
"We are sorry that this matter ended the way it did and have reached out to the gentleman in order to resolve this matter," Peralta said in a statement this week. "We are a place of public accommodation and place a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion and our hotel does not discriminate against any individual or group. We look forward to speaking with him."
"We sincerely apologize to Mr. Massey for his treatment this past weekend, and deeply regret the experience he endured. It was unacceptable and contrary to our values, beliefs and how we seek to treat all people who visit our hotel."
The DoubleTree said it will ask a third party to investigate the incident and review its "internal processes, protocols and trainings to ensure we are creating and maintaining a safe space for everyone."
Through his attorneys, Massey has asked the Portland DoubleTree to explain why they considered him a threat to hotel security, and why security even questioned him in the first place.
WATCH LIVE: Officials address capture of alligator in Humboldt Park Lagoon
Wrong family takes man off life support after mistaken identity
Chicago rapper AAB Hellabandz shot and killed outside Miami nightclub
OJ Simpson on Twitter: 'I got a little gettin' even to do'
WGN Investigates
Couple warns others after they say they were drugged, robbed in Las Vegas
No bail for man accused of murder inside Chicago Walgreens
Lyft passenger says her pride flag bag sent her driver on Islamophobic, anti-LGBTQ tirade
Another American tourist died in her hotel room in the Dominican Republic
Phoenix mayor apologizes to family detained at gunpoint after daughter took a doll
Woman died days before Maryland couple at same Dominican Republic hotel
Early autopsy results released after 3 Americans die at Dominican Republic resort
Early autopsy results are so far inconclusive for 3 Americans who died at a Dominican Republic resort
Woman on honeymoon becomes 10th US tourist to die after Dominican Republic vacation
Video shows boy begging his father not to call 911 to report black man 'trespassing'


bpr are bringing architecture to life for students at Middlesex University by supporting a student-led project to design and build a Pavilion that will provide a test bed for new technologies.
For the first time in five years, students are reporting an improvement in their perceptions of value for money - according to 2018 HEPI/ Advanced HE Student Academic Experience Survey. This is up 3 points on last year's 32% who perceived 'good or very good' value from their course.
Adding value, a theme very close to our hearts here at bpr, is dedicated to a whole section of the report entitled 'value for money'. With the shift to students becoming consumers, how their money is being spent is increasingly considered in determining if their course represents 'good value'. At the same time universities are trying to diversify their offer to differentiate themselves from other courses available on the market.
Everyone at Middlesex will have the opportunities and tools to chart their path to success in a community where the experiences we create together are life-changing and our diversity is a strength and inspiration.
• We put students first.
• We collaborate, achieving more by working together.
• We act fairly, with integrity, respect and purpose.
Middlesex University's BSc in Architectural Technology has taken these University-wide themes and made them a reality, through the collaborative 'Pavilion Project'.
Academics Dr Tong Yang and Dr Homeira Shayesteh identified the potential of a 'real life' construction project as a way of applying the theoretical knowledge that students are receiving as part of their architectural technology degree. The initial concept plans included a treehouse learning hub which had been developed by students. The academic team approached the University's Estate Projects Team which has embraced the project, providing links to industry professionals such as bpr to enable the concept to come to fruition. The course is now in its third year with each cohort having an opportunity to experience the development of the construction of the Pavilion. The premises is that this is an evolving project over a 5 year period.
As a physical embodiment of the work ongoing at Middlesex, the Pavilion Project draws together industry and academia embracing the opportunities available for both parties to learn from each other.
Launched in 2018, the Pavilion Project formed a live project for the second year students enrolled on the architectural technology course. The students were given the opportunity to collaborate with industry to help make their proposals come to life. In doing so, they face the very real challenges of the planning process, value engineering and programme management. Their proposals were reviewed by Barnet's Planning Department, bpr architects and the framework consultants for the University along with the Estates and Executive Teams.
bpr are supporting the project to pull together the formal planning application for the Pavilion in collaboration with course students and framework consultants. Our director, Paul Beaty-Pownall will add further value to the project by giving his time to tutor the second year students on the course from 2018 to 2019.
We have also had the privilege of providing a summer work placement for one of the students from the course, increasingly closing the links between education and practice. The links between the project and industry have been strengthened by the project attracting backing from suppliers in industry. Bauder have offered to provide green roof supplies to the project and CLT fabricators could also support the construction along with the Middlesex University Framework Contractors. The final structure will be used by students and local community alike.
Middlesex University have existing strong links with the surrounding community. Local school children have attended site during the construction of our Ritterman Building, taking part in workshops to understand the new green walls, and the artist Drew Edwards sculpture 'Children of the Mediterranean', was the first piece to be located on one of the plinths outside the new science and technology facility.
It is hoped that the new Pavilion, which will be open to the public and situated along one of the main thoroughfares through the Hendon Estate, will provide a structure owned equally by both academic and local community. Other courses at the University are keen to collaborate and take ownership of Living Architecture. From the Business School who want to use it for community engagement events through to other faculties who wish to use the space as an outdoor classroom and exhibition space. The facility will become a physical embodiment of the theoretical work being undertaken by the university's students.
Linking directly back to the University's value 'to shape the future, continuously improving on what has gone before', the phased delivery of the Pavilion allows the architecture to come to life and to develop in line with the student curriculum and latest technologies.
The first year will deliver strategic enabling works including a foundation, timber frame, roof structure and connecting services to the location. The design of these has developed directly from student proposals and will provide an exciting statement at the heart of the campus.
The second year cohort will develop the detailed design of the works and start the onsite installation of the Pavilion. They will consider options for material specification and detailing and take part in the management of the construction process.
Homeira's intention for the third year of the project will provide students with an opportunity to review how well the building operates for users. Additionally, developing the design brief and deliver alterations to the structure and to enhance the interior space.
Throughout the project, students will be encouraged to explore new technologies and test sustainable solutions in a live environment. The longevity of the strategy enables students to experience first-hand how well materials perform.
We are delighted to be among the team members collaborating on the project and excited to join the students in watching their architecture come to life.


text:
Musicians Get Into Gaming: New Tunes From Trent Reznor & Beck
Following on from last week's report that Paul McCartney was working on music with Bungie, the makers of the blockbuster Halo videogames franchise, two more high-profile artists...
Following on from last week's report that Paul McCartney was working on music with Bungie, the makers of the blockbuster Halo videogames franchise, two more high-profile artists have also jumped on board two equally profitable videogame institutions.
First up is (sometime) Nine Inch Nails frotnman Trent Reznor, who's already earned his soundtrack stripes for his scoring for David Fincher films, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Social Network. The latter even nabbing Reznor and musical partner, Atticus Ross, an Oscar.
Reznor is now turning his hands to scoring videogames, with Consequence of Sound reporting that he's producing "aggressively sounding" music for the latest Call Of Duty game, November's Black Ops II.
Reznor's intense, sophisticated tunes seem a perfect fit for the game's near-future militaristic setting that "envisions a new Cold War between the US and China." Reznor remarked of his themes for the game, "there is a lot of reservations and angst and sense of loss and regret and anger bubbling under the surface. So it didn't make sense to have a gung ho patriotic kind of theme song. It has to feel weighty."
In a new promotional video for the latest entry in the blockbuster franchise, Reznor discusses his involvement with Call Of Duty: Black Ops II along with the game's developers and Hollywood writer David S. Goyer (most well-known as the scribe for Christopher Nolan's Batman films), the clip also containing some brief samples of his contributed score.
As the sequel to the biggest selling videogame of all-time (with over 25 million copies sold worldwide), there's an obvious financial gain for Reznor's involvement, but it certainly adds to his already impressive soundtrack CV and fruitful music career. "I look at videogames as a true art form," says Reznor. "It's every bit as viable as film work or music." It's not the first time he's made the leap to the medium either, back in 1996 he created original music and sound design for the iconic shooter, Quake.
Musical chameleon Beck however, is going for something a bit less moodier.
The upcoming Harvest headliner was last spotted tooling about with the likes of Donald 'Childish Gambino' Glover and Jack White, is now collaborating with music and electronics juggernaut Sony. Specifically on a new music-based videogame for Sony's Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita called Sound Shapes.
Rather than providing a full score, like Reznor, Beck is instead contributing three brand-new tracks to the game called 'Cities', 'Touch The People' and 'Spiral Staircase'. Each song acts as its own level in the game, which is a blend of traditional platform/action gameplay with a digital musical creation utility.
Beck's new music will feature alongside Deadmau5 and composer Jim Guthrie, and his portion of the game was designed by developers Pyramid Attack.
You can get your hands on your Sony's Beck-featuring game in early August, while Reznor's music will be soundtracking Call of Duty: Black Ops II come its traditional, annual worldwide release in November.
You can check out Reznor talking COD below, followed by a musical demo of Sound Shapes.
Do you own these 12 Aussie albums? Because they're worth a lot
James Blundell will marry "Rebecca" from his 1992 hit 'Down On The Farm'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Bananarama @ Arena Birmingham, UK – 23rd November 2017
Posted by Bianca on Thursday Nov 23, 2017 Under 80s, Pop
Gig Review by Zyllah Moranne-Brown with Photography by Bianca Barrett
To Arena Birmingham on a Winter's evening to spend the evening in the company of three friends who formed a band in the early 80's. They went on to massive success – including a listing in the Guinness World Records as the all female group with the most chart entries in the world! With 10 top #10 singles in the UK, they went on to sell over 40 million records. Being in the right place at the right time paid of for them and the friends are reformed in their original line up – welcome Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward and Siobhan Fahey – hey hey it's Bananarama.
So, Bananarama first came to attention in '82 with The Fun Boy Three on their Top #5 hit 'It Aint What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)' followed by their lead top #5 hit 'Really Saying Something' and Top #4 'Shy Boy.' Bananarama's kooky tomboy looks and slightly bedraggled look, with back-combed hair, checked shirts and dungarees and braces, was the total antithesis of the New Romantic over the top ostentatious glamour, and their 'girl next door' vibe, plus singing in unison rather than harmony. Their second album took on more serious subjects including 'Rough Justice' about social apathy and 'Robert De Niro's Waiting' about date rape.
By '86 they'd hooked up with influential 80s pop and high-NRG svengalis Stock, Aiken and Waterman (SAW) after they heard Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)'which saw the girls get dancier, more commercial and far more glam and hey, hey, gave them massive international success.
In '88, Fahey decided the direction of the band was not for her, and she left, going to form Shakespears Sister with Marcella Detroit. Woodward and Ballin continued, initially recruiting Jacquie O'Sullivan to take Fahey's place, and then dropping back to a twosome. They continued recording as a duo and re-released previous albums and singles with various differing remixes. For the last decade or so, they have been an active part of the 80s retro scene appearing at the increasing number of festivals and events celebrating the music of that moment in time.
So this tour marks several things. Firstly, Fahey is back in the fold for the first time since '88 (bar a rare couple of occasions over the past 30 years), and remarkably it's the first time the original line-up has put on a full tour. It's is also 35 years since the band had their first hit, and the lasses are now in their mid-fifties…
The crowd tonight at the arena are up for a party. It's not a full capacity gig, but several thousand have turned out tonight, mostly female, and many wearing red flashing teeny-bop horns on their heads (which when the band take to the stage the notices saying they'll return to that at a later time in the set). The music in the lead up is classic 80s and Prince's 'Let's Go Crazy' is blasting from the speakers (what a great track!), getting the punters in the mood to party.
Set starts off, with full band in tow, with 'Nathan Jones' (he's been gone too long you know), and dressed in black glittered suits, the trio make a grand entrance from the rear of the stage. Woodward announces "How you doing? Bananarama at your service – she's (Fahey) back. Finally. After 30 years. Didn't take you long then…. "
Tonight's set is one of all their hits. Next up the duo of more series hits, albeit delivered in a non-serious way 'Robert De Niro's Waiting' and 'Rough Justice.' Their first ever song (in Swahili) 'Aie a Mwana'. The hits keep coming ' Cruel Summer', 'Shy Boy', 'Really Sayin' Something'. A nod to Shakespeares Sister with 'Stay', sees Dallin and Woodward no match for Marcella's Detriot's vocals; however it does give Fahey and opportunity to make a grand entrance mid song, with that deep dark segment of the song that was hers. We then get SAW high-NRG Bananarama with 'I Heard A Rumour', 'I Want You Back' and 'Venus' (with the massive screen behind them emblazoned with flames, and an encouragement from Fahey to 'scream' at the appropriate time). Then a sing-a-long a chorus to 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye' and quick break and encore to an early single 'It Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)' and another massive SAW produced hit 'Love In The First Degree'.
So. I wasn't sure what to expect tonight. It could have been a car crash; previous reviews had so no, they were actually good fun. And indeed in lots of ways they were. Full respect to the three girl-friends, who formed a group and had (unlikely) massive success. And they paved the way for the likes of The Spice Girls and every girl group that followed, that all female acts can have massive success. The trio have always been kooky, and there was an element of them mucking around between them. Their support band were tight; the on screen graphics behind them taking glimpses of videos from the past, or feasting full on OTT graphic regalia; and there was certainly some practice that went into the trio's choreography tonight. I like my music on the alternative side, so I found their early hits more 'produced' and less quirky and while SAW pop machine factory did indeed produce a couple of great hits with a number of artists, what I was reminded off was sadly how much I disliked their high-NRG take. Take a Bananarama show for what it is, sing the tunes, party with the trio and dance away. For those who love the 80s, you'll have a blast on this re-kindled Bananarama tour.
Robert De Niro's Waiting
Aie a Mwana
Trick of the Night
Shy Boy / Boy Trouble
Really Sayin' Something
Preacher Man
I Heard A Rumour
More Than Physical
I Can't Help It
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
It Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)
Love In The First Degree


text:
Q: What's wrong with this pseudocode for the synchronization barrier? What's wrong with this pseudocode for the synchronization barrier?
global (shared) count : integer := P

procedure central_barrier

  if fetch_and_decrement(&count) == 1

     count := P

  else

    repeat until count == P

What is wrong with the above code?
p= number of threads

A: One issue is that it depends on the precise semantics of fetch_and_decrement.  And of other aspects of the (assumed) memory and execution models.  These things would need to be specified before one can confidently reason about the behavior of your pseudo-code.
A 2nd issue is that the threads will be busy-waiting.
A 3rd issue is that there appears to be a race condition.   Suppose that a thread immediately calls central_barrier after returning from a central_barrier call.  It could then execute the fetch_and_decrement(&count) before all of the other threads have had a chance to end their repeat until count == P loops.  If it does, then some of those threads will keep on looping and the barrier will deadlock.
Here is an example sequence with P == 3 threads that illustrates the race condition.

*count starts at 3

*Thread A calls central_barrier, count <- 2, enters loop.

*Thread B calls central_barrier, count <- 1, enters loop.

*Thread C calls central_barrier, count <- 0, resets count <- 3, returns.

*Thread C immediately calls central_barrier again, count <- 2, enters loop.

*Thread A, B and C are now all stuck in the loop because count == 2 and no other threads can change it.  They are all waiting for count == 3, and that will never happen.

Now if threads A and B are both able to test count between steps 3 and 4, then they will break out of the loop ... and all will be well.  But we can't guarantee that.  One or both may have been preempted or  descheduled.  (Imagine the case where there are more threads than physical cores to run them all.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


(1) "Engage in a call" means talking or listening on a cellular telephone.
(2) "Wireless telecommunications device" means any type of instrument, device, or machine that is capable of transmitting or receiving telephonic, electronic, radio, text, or data communications, including but not limited to a cellular telephone, a text-messaging device, a personal digital assistant, a computer, or any other similar wireless device that is designed to engage in a call or communicate text or data. It does not include citizens band radios, citizens band radio hybrids, commercial two-way radio communication devices, or electronic communication devices with a push-to-talk function.
(3) "Write, send or read a text-based communication" means to use a wireless telecommunications device to communicate by using a text-based communication referred to as a text message, instant message, or electronic mail.
B. Except in a driver emergency as provided in Subsection C of this Section, no person who is seventeen years of age or younger shall operate a motor vehicle on any public road or highway in this state while using any wireless telecommunications device to engage in a call or write, send or read a text-based communication. Such device shall not include citizens band radios, citizens band radio hybrids, commercial two-way radio communication devices, or electronic communication devices with a push-to-talk function.
(2) Report a situation in which the person believes his personal safety is in jeopardy.
(4) Engage in a call or write, send or read a text-based communication while the motor vehicle is lawfully parked.
D. Any violation of this Section shall constitute a moving violation.
E.(1)(a) A first violation of the provisions of this Section shall be punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars.
(b) Each subsequent violation shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars and a suspension of driver's license for a sixty-day period.
(c) If the person is involved in a crash at the time of violation, then the law enforcement officer investigating the crash shall indicate on the written accident report that the person was using a wireless telecommunications device and the fine shall be equal to double the amount of the standard fine imposed in this Subsection.
(2) It shall be an affirmative defense against an alleged violation for the person to produce documentary or other evidence that the wireless telecommunications device that is the basis of the alleged violation was used for emergency purposes as provided in Subsection C of this Section.
Acts 2008, No. 666, §1, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 203, §1; Acts 2016, No. 472, §2, eff. June 13, 2016.


I updated the post, carefully rewriting the first paragraph to reflect the new reality of Google's revenue. I did my best to make the change user-friendly, adding valuable information but not disrupting the original post. I did, however, completely replace the old text that Google was scraping.
Within less than a day, Google had re-cached the content, and I just had to wait to see the new answer box. So, I waited, and waited… and waited. Two months later, still no change. Some days, the SERP showed no answer box at all (although I've since found these answer boxes are very dynamic), and I was starting to wonder if it was all a mistake.
Interestingly, Google also added the publication date of the post, perhaps recognizing that outdated answers aren't always useful. Unfortunately, this doesn't reflect the timing of the new content, but that's understandable – Google doesn't have easy access to that data.
You'll notice that the #1 result is also my Moz post, and that result has an expanded meta description. So, the same URL is essentially double-dipping this SERP. This isn't always the case – answers can be extracted from URLs that appear lower on page 1 (although almost always page 1, in my experience). Anecdotally, it's also not always the case that these organic result ends up getting an expanded meta description.
However, it definitely seems that some of the quality signals driving organic ranking and expanded meta descriptions are also helping Google determine whether a query deserves a direct answer. Put simply, it's not an accident that this post was chosen to answer this question.
Let's start with the obvious – Yes, the v2 answer boxes (driven by the index, not Freebase/WikiData) can be updated. However, the update cycle is independent of the index's refresh cycle. In other words, just because a post is re-cached, it doesn't mean the answer box will update. Presumably, Google is creating a second Knowledge Graph, based on the index, and this data is only periodically updated.
It's also entirely possible that updating could cause you to lose an answer box, if the new data weren't a strong match to the question or the quality of the content came into question. Here's an interesting question – on a query where a competitor has an answer box, could you change your own content enough to either replace them or knock out the answer box altogether? We are currently testing this question, but it may be a few more months before we have any answers.
This answer box also triggers "Related topics" that use content pulled from other sites but drive users to more Google searches. The small, gray links are the source sites. The much more visible, blue links are more Google searches.
Sites offering this data aren't going to have a chance to get attribution, because Google essentially already owns the answer to this question as part of their core Knowledge Graph.
Sorry, Food Network, but making a grilled cheese sandwich isn't really that hard, and this answer box doesn't leave much to the imagination. As these answers get more and more thorough, expect CTRs to fall.
For now, I'd argue that it's better to have your link in the box than someone else's, but that's cold comfort in many cases. These new answer boxes represent what I feel is a dramatic shift in the relationship between Google and webmasters, and they may be tipping the balance. For now, we can't do much but wait, see, and experiment.
Very interesting Pete. I've tested this with similar results. It is strange that Google maintain the "fact" even after re-crawling the answer page.
I suspect Google is creating a second database for these index-based answers, and maybe that data just isn't getting updated very often. Unlike your experiments with the core Knowledge Graph, it doesn't seem like Google should have to validate the new answer against other sources, but I suppose that's possible, too. They may have some time period or process for determining if the new answer is trustworthy.
Yes I agree, a second data corpus seems he most likely solution. Although I'm still interested in how they'll respond to conflicting data from different databases. I.e if the "freebase-index" still had George Bush as president which data would be prefered?
Such an interesting element of SEO at the moment.
Probably you are right !
It's interesting that they might not be updating these answer boxes as often as possible, as they are almost always the source of information for the user, when available. It would be beneficial to Google and Google users for the algorithms and equations for the answer boxes to be updated.
We have been working very hard in the last few months to get into the "Answers Box" and we have had some success, but its very hit and miss.
We have noticed though, that our rankings have increased when we get into the answers box - not always to position 1, but there has been an increase.
It has affected Organic traffic to them pages - but as you mentioned - its you or your competitors.
Interesting - I don't have a lot of before/after data on rankings, unfortunately, but we are starting to dig into some of that.
(1) As STAT's research showed, try to match your format to the current snippet. If it's a list or table, for example, you may want to write toward that format.
(2) Consider using the "reverse pyramid" approach journalists use. Summarize the page at the top and then dive into details. Write a short paragraph that would work well in a Featured Snippet. I think this is also good for web users, who often skim and needed to get the "scent" of your content as quickly as possible.
That's fascinating but I'm wondering, did this happen because of MOZ's domain power? I'm pretty sure, if any other site did it, they might not clinched that sacred spot again.
So far, every 2nd-generation answer box I've seen comes from an organic result on page 1, so yes - it does take a fair amount of authority. After that, it seems to be a pretty crude matching process right now. Your title/text have to be well aligned with the question. I suspect that will get more sophisticated over time.
That is funny although to be honest I always find it funny when someone causes Google to look silly.
For those who know how to make a grilled cheese, there isn't much to it. Those who don't know however, will be stumped by step two. [What sandwich are they talking about!!!] There will always be room for fuller explanations.
Informative and Nice post to read on answer search results.
I wasn't even aware at first that the answers box that Google uses was supplied by what a specific author may have written. I had always assumed that it was taken from Google's index of data stored or even it's own knowledge base. I might be interested to see if there are any questions I can hope to answer which Google would post in that style.
Yes, this style of answer box is coming directly from indexed pages. It's a combination of authority and matching the question well. At the moment, they don't just accuracy very well, but I think your "reward for being accurate" statement is very aligned with where Google wants to be over the next 2-3 years.
Is this the way Google is trying to generate answer boxes based also on user generated content authority signals? Maybe that could also play a major part in caching of a webpage. Recently Bill Slawaski wrote a post on recent Google patent on "How Google May Rank Users In Streams". What do you think?
Well I have been seeing these answer boxes for quite a while, the only thing that bothers me is Google is scraping content from other websites and asking webmasters not to do so, isn't it a bit diplomatic approach? What I have observed in this regard is that Google does not want users to leave their platform to fetch information from other websites but remain intact and find all the information right there.
It is interesting that having your answer in the box is better than having a competitor's answer. The likelihood being that in order to have your answer in the box you need to provide the most relevant and comprehensive answer for the user, which could in turn give them all the information they need and therefore they would not visit your site. It all depends on the complexity of the question and the inquisitiveness of the user...horses for courses! Quite the predicament.
You bring up an interesting point Dr. Pete! Since Google's algorithm will begin ranking pages based on factual information, index-based answers could be a testing ground for fine-tuning the process. If so, that process is most likely being tweaked even as we speak, which would possibly account for the delay in posting the new content. Information contained in the knowledge graph will likely be determined by how an infinite number of users search and what they're searching for. That process may not always get me to my destination as quickly as I'd like though. Thanks for another insightful article.
We're working on take a SERP where someone else has their URL in the answer box and trying to replace them - that seems like the logical next step. It's a bit hard to force an answer box to exist. Right now, Google has to decide that the query is the kind that can be "answered", in this sense. If they don't think the query can be answered, I doubt you can force that.
The only answer to your first question is authority and Trust Rank, if your website qualifies for both of them you can be the part of this prime spot. As a matter of fact both these factors need time and lots of it.
I often feel that knowledgebase answers are not very satisfying - they work well for simple raw facts like what day is mothers day and the like but even for simple recipes like say 'how to make pancakes' whilst there is a knowledgebox I don't really see Google as an authority, I may want a video or some more information to expand upon the initial question / answer. The credit score example in Eric's post is a great example - Google's high level answer is just not cutting it for me and I would want way more and to know more about the source.
In my mind there will always be the need for subject matter experts so the 'jack of all trades master of none' phrase springs to mind which ironically pops up a knowledgebox definition of the phrase itself if searched in Google.
Very interesting information, I'm looking for the day when submissions are updated in real time. Perhaps updated could be based on your historical contributions. I know Google attempted this to some degree with authorship but maybe there's an alternative route they will pursue (or are already) in the future. I think it would be nice if the listed results in knowledge/answer box contained branding of the business providing the information deemed most relevant or useful. Hmmm, it will be interesting to see where this goes over the next couple years. It would be awesome if local businesses could tap into these listings to connect better with local customers.
To answer the question "do you want to be an answer?" Yes, because you don't want to not be an answer.
Very interesting post. i also tried the same by searching on various topic and i found the same..


text:
Pingstreet
By Stephen DaskoEvents, Issues, Resources
Report a problem using Pingstreet – a free mobile app!
Have you noticed long grass that needs cutting on private property? Perhaps you've noticed litter, tall grass or washroom facilities not functioning properly in one of our Parks? You can now report these issues and many more using Pingstreet – a free mobile app.
Using a smartphone or tablet, residents can now report lighting concerns and long grass/weeds on private property.
In addition, they can also report on the following for City parks:
Litter and dumping
Grass cutting (height exceeds 3 inches (7.5 cm))
Washroom maintenance (hand dryer malfunctions, plumbing issues)
Sports field maintenance (debris clean up, supplies replenishment, irrigation issues)
Overflowing garbage cans
Residents will easily be able to identify these issues within a park by either entering the park name or selecting it from a map.
With the addition of these new services, residents can now report on 28 service areas in total. In addition to using the reporting feature, the Pingstreet app also provides news updates, access to Mississauga's Twitter feed, Mayor and Council contact information, waste collection schedules from the Region of Peel and much more. Including, requesting a temporary parking permit to park on a residential street for more than 5 hours.
Pingstreet is available for download at the following stores: Apple Store, Google Play and BlackBerry World.
For more information, visit mississauga.ca/pingstreet
Be Alert and Drive Safe as Students Head Back to School
With school starting next week, there will be a lot more traffic on the roads and thousands of students commuting to and from school. The City of Mississauga wants to remind all residents to be alert and cautious when using roadways.
"Back to school brings excitement to our students and parents. However, it is very important to be aware that higher levels of vehicle traffic, pedestrian and cycling activity on the streets will increase. Please be mindful of everyone's safety." says Councillor Stephen Dasko, member of the Road Safety Advisory Committee.
Safety tips for students and drivers:
CURRENT CITY ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVES:
Crossing Guards:The City has more than 200 school crossing guards who will be ready on the first day of school to help students at designated crossings around Mississauga.
Please Slow Down Lawn Signs:Residents are encouraged to post a Please Slow Down lawn sign to encourage safe driving habits and lower vehicle operating speeds on neighbourhood streets. These signs are available at the Customer Service Counter at 3185 Mavis Rd. or through Councillors' offices, free of cost.
Traffic Calming:City staff are currently planning the construction of traffic calming projects in five neighbourhoods to change driver behaviour, with additional traffic calming projects anticipated this fall. Staff are also implementing a number of passive traffic calming techniques in the form of white painted edge lines and a yellow centreline. These markings have been successful in other areas by visually reducing the travelled width of the roadway, making it less comfortable for motorists to increase their operating speeds.
Pedestrian Crossovers: The City installed five new pedestrian crossovers in various neighborhoods last year. Apedestrian crossover is a type of crossing where by law, drivers are required to stop for pedestrians intending to cross the road. Crossovers allow pedestrians to cross roads safely, and all have specific signs and pavement markings. Pedestrian crossovers have proven to be an effective way to assist pedestrians in crossing the road safely.
Vision Zero:In early 2018, Council approved Vision Zero, a framework which focuses on the prevention of fatalities and injuries due to motor vehicle collisions. It is based on a system of shared responsibilities among all partners involved in the road system, including governments, planners, police and community organizations.
Transportation Master Plan: The City's firstTransportation Master Plan (TMP) was endorsed by Council this year. The plan outlines a vision, six goals and over 90 action items to guide the future of the City's transportation system from today to 2041. Inherent in the plan is a commitment to advancing Vision Zero, a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and injuries.
The City has two safety advisory committees: Road Safety Committee and Traffic Safety Council. Students are encouraged to walk to and from school, which is a great form of daily exercise and helps to ease traffic congestion in school zones.
For more road safety information or additional safety tips, please visit: mississauga.ca/roadsafety.
The Community Foundation of Mississauga is looking for volunteers
By Stephen DaskoEvents, Issues
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS
The Community Foundation of Mississauga is looking for volunteers to help us with our signature events. Whether you're interested in getting more involved with the Foundation, looking to give back to the community, or just want to join in on a day of fun, we have many opportunities tailored to fit you!
All of our volunteers play an important part in the success of the Community Foundation. Our work would not be possible without the dedicated and talented volunteers that give themselves and come to assist with various aspects of our operations. Volunteers share their talents, skills, and passions to enhance the services we provide for our community. They participate in conversations that help us to fulfill our mission—to create sustainable support for community needs in Mississauga by building partnerships with donors and stakeholders who establish endowed and other related funds, to maximize our community impact by ensuring that we identify and understand community needs, and to invest in solutions.
By working alongside qualified and trained staff, volunteers augment the services provided by our staff team. Whether you can volunteer a few hours a day, a week, a month, or a year, your contribution will be of great value towards realizing our vision—a strong, vital community that has the resources it needs to ensure quality of life for everyone.
SIGNATURE EVENT PLANNING COMMITTEE
Volunteers on planning committees attend regular meetings over the course of one year and many continue their stay, for many years. Our volunteers are essential to the success of the events by identifying and enlisting the support of local businesses and organizations, and are active participants in all facets of the event from acquisition of silent auction items, procurement of sponsorship, ticket sales, coordination of print materials, assisting in documentation, spreadsheets, and presentations, event day set-up, post evaluations, and thank-you cards.
Planning and organizing events takes time, passion, and creative thinking. With support from other volunteers and the organization's staff, you will be a part of something truly extraordinary in your community. With your community insight, you will raise awareness, encourage participation, and drive fundraising results.
EVENT DAY VOLUNTEERING
Special event day volunteer opportunities are "one-offs," in which volunteers are required to only commit for the event day. Despite having a much shorter commitment, they are vital to ensure the success of the event. Volunteers will be assigned various roles which will collectively ensure that the event runs smoothly such as greeting guests, working at our registration desk, and/or other activities unique to each event. If you are comfortable working with others or independently, can problem solve effectively, are friendly, outgoing, and have an approachable personality, we want to hear from you!
The benefits of becoming an event volunteer are not just for the event and the general community, but also for the volunteers themselves. Volunteering is a great way to give back to our community and meet a variety of people from all walks of life. As a volunteer, you can see behind the scenes of events, get closer to the action, and play a role in making the event possible. Other benefits include:
· Developing professional skills, including event planning, logistics, and donor development
· Obtaining experience in building and working with committees
· Gaining personal satisfaction in knowing you have supported a great cause
· Having the opportunity to meet new people
· Gain visibility in the community
Please join us—if you or someone you know is interested in volunteering for one of our signature events, please respond below. We look forward to hearing from you!
Corporate Partners are instrumental to the success of the Community Foundation and its work. Not only do our community champions support the Foundation financially, but they also volunteer with us, advise us, and provide their valuable expertise. Our Partners stand firmly beside the Foundation as we journey to expand our capacity, to support our community, and increase our impact each and every year. Join them, and join us, in volunteering and helping to make a difference.
MiWay Honours Veterans with Free Transit to Warriors' Day Parade
By Stephen DaskoIssues
On Saturday, August 17, MiWay will offer free transit for Canadian Armed Forces veterans and their companions heading to the Warriors' Day Parade at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).
Held annually since 1921, the Warriors' Day Parade recognizes those who have served in the Canadian military and those who continue to serve. This year's parade commemorates the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion and 76th anniversary of the beginning of the Italian Campaign.
"We are proud to honour our country's veterans and their companions with complimentary MiWay transit to this year's parade," said Geoff Marinoff, Director, Transit. "Veterans will be able to ride from anywhere in Mississauga and transfer onto the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and GO Transit to travel to the CNE grounds, free-of-charge."
Veterans are asked to identify themselves to the transit operator by wearing their uniform, showing a medal or their Veteran's Service Card. A companion accompanying a veteran may also ride for free.
For more information about the Warriors' Day Parade, visit thewarriorsdayparade.ca.
Those travelling to the CNE grounds are encouraged to use triplinx.ca to plan their trip, as a transfer between service providers is required. TTC and GO Transit is also offering free service to veterans and a companion.
City Hosts Consortium with Leading Experts to Strengthen Life Sciences Sector Across the Province
Today, the City of Mississauga hosted a Life Sciences Consortium with the Province of Ontario, industry leaders and top executives in the Life Sciences field. Discussions included the advancement of the sector, attracting experienced talent, fostering a collaborative ecosystem, and creating an internationally competitive environment for companies in Canada.
Speakers at the Life Sciences Consortium included:
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie
Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade
Honourable Nina Tangri, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development Job Creation & Trade
Jason Field, President, Life Sciences Ontario
Bonnie Brown, Director, Economic Development Office, City of Mississauga
Jackie O'Connor, Life Sciences Business Consultation, Economic Development Office, City of Mississauga
"I would like to thank Minister Fedeli and MPP Tangri along with members from our City's life sciences community for offering their time, expertise and insight on how we can work together to strengthen this sector and ensure it remains a major economic driver across the province," said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. "It's clear that life sciences play an integral role in advancing our cities, province, and nation and we are pleased that as the second-largest Life Sciences cluster in the country, Mississauga is at the centre of these discussions. Our local economy has greatly benefitted from our thriving life sciences sector, which has been recognized globally as a place where researchers can not only make medical breakthroughs but where products can be commercialized and brought to market."
The meeting also highlighted the benefits of having coordinated regulations, policies and programs between the municipal and provincial government to foster growth and success within the Ontario Life Sciences Sector.
Mississauga has hosted Life Science Consortium meetings since 2017, bringing together industry leaders and key stakeholders to discuss the life science sector in Canada.
"Every consortium meeting that we have held to date continues to gain traction. Gaining support from the various levels of government and industry experts proves there is worth in creating an environment with coordinated policies, regulations and programs for companies to grow," said Bonnie Brown, Director of Economic Development. "Our Life Sciences sector is successful because we have provided the support and guidance that companies need to reach the next level."
Mississauga is Canada's second largest Life Sciences Sector, featuring 490 companies and employing more than 24,000 individuals. The City's five year Life Sciences Cluster Strategy and Action Plan, the first of its kind for a Canadian municipality. The plan focuses on establishing Mississauga as the premier Canadian destination for the commercialization of life sciences products, technologies and services. The plan aims at increasing the number of established life sciences companies within the region to influence job creation, investment capital and attracting life sciences related business expertise and services Ontario.
For more information about Mississauga's Life Sciences Cluster, visit thefutureisunlimited.ca
Mississauga has a robust and diverse business community that makes up some of the largest knowledge-based sectors in Canada. These sectors include Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing (Aerospace, Automotive, Clean Tech and Food and Beverage), Information and Communications Technology and Financial Services and Real Estate.
[Mayor Bonnie Crombie delivers remarks at the Life Sciences Consortium]
[DOWNLOAD HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO]
[Mayor Bonnie Crombie with Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade and
Honourable Nina Tangri, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade with
members of the life science community at the Life Sciences Consortium]
Get Ahead of Winter with the Driveway Windrow Snow Clearing Program
By Stephen DaskoEvents, Issues, Resources, Uncategorized
Some Mississauga residents can get ahead of winter and start applying for the City's Driveway Windrow Snow Clearing Program. The program provides snow clearing assistance by clearing a space in the windrow for residents 65 years or older and for people with physical disabilities.
A windrow is a pile of snow left at the end of a driveway after a snow plow has cleared a road. Eligible residents have until 9 p.m. on November 8, 2019 to apply for this year's program.
"We encourage eligible residents to take advantage of this opportunity so that snow clearing and getting out of their driveway is made easier for them this winter," said Mickey Frost, Director, Works Operations and Maintenance. "As this program only accepts a maximum of 300 applicants on a first-come first-serve basis, residents should apply as soon as they can to secure their spot."
More details about the program:
The program will run from December 2, 2019 to March 27, 2020.
Windrow snow clearing will be completed up to 36 hours after a snowfall has ended.
A space in the windrow will be cleared (about three metres or 10 feet wide) to allow one car to get in and out of the driveway.
Free for eligible residents who require financial assistance and $200 for those who don't.
Only one person per address can apply.
Visit mississauga.ca/windrow to download the application form. Completed applications can be submitted to any community centre, the Mississauga Seniors' Centre or the Recreation Customer Service Centre located at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre.
For more information, visit mississauga.ca/windrow.
The Compass needs your Help!
City of Mississauga's Driveway Windrow Snow Clearing Program
Please be advised that the City of Mississauga's Driveway Windrow Snow Clearing Program will be accepting applications on Tuesday, August 6, 2019 until Friday, November 8, 2019 at 9:00 p.m.
Driveway Windrow Snow Clearing Program
The program will provide windrow snow clearing service after every snow plowing operation from December 2, 2019 to March 27, 2020. A space approximately three metres (10 feet) wide will be cleared in the windrow to allow room for one car to pass.
Windrows will be cleared after active snow plowing operations have been completed. Residents should allow up to 36 hours after the end of a snow storm for their windrow to be cleared. Clearing to bare pavement cannot be guaranteed.
Eligible Residents
Residents who are 65 years and older in 2019 and individuals who are physically disabled can apply for the Driveway Windrow Snow Clearing Program. The cost to participate is $200. This amount is non-refundable. Applicants who qualify for financial assistance may be eligible to receive the service at no cost.
Residents can visit the City's website www.mississauga.ca/windrow to download an application form. Application packages are also available at Community Centres, Recreation Customer Service Centre and the Mississauga Seniors' Centre.
Program Promotions
The program will be promoted through community centres, libraries, community directories, the City's website, social media, a news release, digital/print ads and other digital channels.
Mississauga Business Improvement Areas Benefit from Ontario's Main Street Revitalization Initiative
The City of Mississauga received $667,953 in funding through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) as part of the Government of Ontario's Main Street Revitalization Initiative.
"I'd like to thank the Government of Ontario for recognizing that main streets are at the heart of well-planned, complete cities. It's important that we continue to invest in enhancing these thriving pockets in our city for the benefit of residents, tourists and local businesses," said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. "Small businesses help empower and strengthen our neighbourhoods, create jobs and support the growth of our economy. These investments will help boost the BIA's efforts to draw tourism, promote small businesses and attract investment. When small businesses thrive, Mississauga thrives."
"On behalf of the residents of Ward 1 and our exceptional Port Credit BIA Administration and Board members, I would like to also thank the Government of Ontario and AMO's contribution to our community" said Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko.
The Main Street Revitalization Initiative is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and administered by AMO. The funding is being distributed among Mississauga's four Business Improvement Areas (BIAs): Clarkson, Malton, Port Credit and Streetsville as well as the downtown.
"I'd like to congratulate Port Credit on the completion of their Main Street Revitalization project. Vibrant main streets in Mississauga help attract visitors, create jobs and increase the competitiveness of small businesses, which are the backbone of our communities," said Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "The Main Street Revitalization Initiative helps communities enhance and revitalize main streets and demonstrates that Ontario is open for business."
"We've identified priority projects through consultation with ward councillors and the BIAs. Projects will focus on Mississauga's downtown core and key neighbourhoods," said Paul Mitcham, Commissioner, Community Services. "Continued partnerships with our BIAs are imperative in order to enhance our streetscapes and drive economic success."
The first beautification project to be completed in Mississauga was the installation of new waste receptacles in Port Credit, aimed at keeping its main streets clean. Other beautification projects being managed by the City's BIA's include enhanced signage, benches, new planters and flowers.
Mitcham added, "These enhancements will help create a cleaner and greener city that will attract residents and visitors to Mississauga's diverse neighbourhoods, while benefiting its robust small business community."
Program guidelines state that the funding must apply to work that has been endorsed through a Community Improvement Plan or municipal physical infrastructure priorities that involves construction, renewal, renovation or redevelopment. The City is not required to contribute or match funding for this initiative and will have until March 2020 to use the funding.
BIAs are vibrant networks of community members dedicated to Mississauga's unique neighbourhoods and villages. As valued City partners and champions of the communities they serve, BIAs oversee the beautification and maintenance of neighbourhoods, promote and support local businesses and implement programs and activities that benefit both residents and visitors. The City supports the BIAs in advancing their projects and creating a world-class city where people can live, work and play.
The Main Street Revitalization Initiative provides $26 million in funding to help municipal governments undertake main street revitalization activities that support and benefit small businesses. All municipalities are eligible for funding and the funding formula was established without the need for an application or matching funds.
For more information on the Main Street Revitalization Initiative, visit amo.on.ca/MainStreetRevitalizationInitiative.
[Download hi-res image]
Pictured: Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko, MPP Mississauga-Malton Deepak Anand, MPP Mississauga-Lakeshore Rudy Cuzzetto, MPP Mississauga-Streetsville Nina Tangri and representatives from Mississauga's four BIAs.
Council Endorses Proposed Port Credit West Village Redevelopment Plan
By Stephen DaskoIssues, Resources
The vision for the Port Credit West Village has moved closer to reality. At yesterday's Planning and Development Committee, Council endorsed the proposed development of the former Imperial Oil Lands at 70 Mississauga Rd. S. and 181 Lakeshore Rd. W. The proposed redevelopment plan will go to Council for formal support on July 31.
The proposed multi-phase community includes 2,995 new residential units (townhomes, mid-rise and high-rise up to 29 storeys), retail, parkland and campus (employment, recreation and education) uses on the 72-acre property.
"I am pleased that we are moving forward with next steps to revitalize these former brownfield lands into a vibrant waterfront destination that will attract residents from Mississauga and beyond," said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. "As an important City-building initiative, this redevelopment will drive tourism, create jobs and boost economic growth, helping put Mississauga on the international map. We will continue to work together to ensure our vision to transform the waterfront becomes a reality."
"Working collaboratively with the residents and key stakeholders has created a vision for this dynamic addition to our waterfront. I look forward to continuing open dialogue as this development evolves and we have a waterfront for the entire City of Mississauga second to none," said Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko.
As next steps, City Staff will attend the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) hearing scheduled for August 7, when a final decision will be made. If LPAT approves the matter, construction is anticipated to start in 2020.
"Over the past several years we've engaged extensively with the community," said Andrew Whittemore, Commissioner, Planning and Building. "The comments received from the public and key stakeholders have helped shape the vision for this dynamic addition to our waterfront. We will continue to engage with residents and ensure we have strong land use policies that align with our goal of creating an accessible and sustainable waterfront."
Visit the City's development information webpage to learn more.
Port Credit West Village is one of Mississauga's three key redevelopment projects, together with 1 Port St. E. and the Lakeview Waterfront.


Do you know any natural remedies to keep chooks healthy?!
Question: Do you know any natural remedies to keep chooks healthy!?
If you have used these with success, with your own chooks, or know someone who has, please share what you know!.
I am especially interested in something that will get rid of scaly feet (is that mites!?) because the chooks I just inherited seem to have very roughly scaly feet!.
Here's a really good link about keeping your chooks healthy: http://forums!.permaculture!.org!.au/viewto!.!.!.


Published May 30, 2012 @ 8:59 p.m.
Star is an older, Border Collie mix. She is the oldest dog at the shelter and has been there the longest - almost 2 years. She is a very loving dog, but she does not like other dogs - only people. If you want a full-time 4-legged companion, she's your girl. She is very well behaved, doesn't dig and loves attention. For adoption information, contact Post Animal Refuge Center on Facebook at Post Arc or email at postarc@yahoo.com.


text:
Hacking Oakland's Budget
by Ellen Cushing
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 1:13 PM
Remember Azeen's (awesome) story from a few months ago about how civic-minded hackers are using data to try to fix some of Oakland's stubbornest problems? WELL, a new project that aims to use data visualization to give average people the tools they need to understand — and, in turn, get involved with — Oakland's budgeting process, just went live a few days ago (in beta at least) and it's pretty sweet.
According to Adam Stiles, a member of the small, all-volunteer group working on the project, dubbed Open Budget Oakland, the first germ of the idea came at a hackathon last July, when Shawn McDougal, a UC Berkeley math teacher and community organizer, pitched the idea. From there, it snowballed into a full-blown website and civic project — one with legitimate buy-in from the city, no less: Stiles and the rest of the team will present the site at tonight's City Council meeting, at the request of city officials.
An Open Budget Oakland visualization of the Mayor's proposed spending for 2013-15.
"Shawn saw a need, which is that people have very little understanding of the city's budget," Stiles said. "In the interest of getting people involved in local politics, we tried to visualize the city's budget. And we realized that the only way to understand it was in a 300-page PDF. Even for people like us, who are really interested in this stuff, it's not easy." The budget, at least as it emerges from City Hall, isn't easily searchable or visualizable; the format isn't particularly conducive to making comparisons between various slices of expenditures. At first, the hackathon team built a simple pie chart; after that, though, they — along with city staffer Bradley Johnson, and in collaboration with the Code for America brigade Open Oakland — began meeting weekly to take the project further. And last week, when Mayor Quan proposed the city's 2013-15 budget, the Open Budget Oakland team produced several data visualizations in the space of a few hours.
Tuesday Must Reads: Oakland Unions Denounce Quan's Proposal; DeSaulnier Schedules Hearing on Bay Bridge Bolt Scandal
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 6:56 AM
Politics / Law Enforcement & Crime / Transportation
News stories that East Bay progressives and environmentalists shouldn't miss:
1. Oakland's public employee unions are protesting a contract proposal by Oakland Mayor Jean Quan that would require them to pay a higher share of rising healthcare and pension costs, while cutting some sick-leave benefits, the Chron$ reports. Quan's proposal also calls for the elimination of fifteen unpaid furlough days, but unions are demanding no more concessions after several years of givebacks to the city. The city is in better financial shape now because of the recovering economy, but as the Express previously noted, Quan is proposing to steer $24 million in new expected tax revenues to the police department in the next two years to hire more cops.
Monday Must Reads: Bay Bridge Bolt Scandal Widens; Berkeley to Consider Raising Minimum Wage
Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 6:54 AM
Politics / Environment / Transportation
1. Caltrans officials circumvented the agency's own regulations, along with state and federal standards, when establishing specifications for the giant bolts that snapped on the Bay Bridge, the Chron$ reports. As a result, the huge bolts were made to be too hard and then broke because they were brittle. So far, 32 bolts have snapped, but there are a total of 1,200 pieces on the new bridge that are at risk of breaking as well. One expert told the newspaper that Caltrans' jury-rigged system for designing bolts was, at minimum, "irresponsible," and possibly fraudulent.
Marcie Hodge's Very Bad Day
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 10:03 AM
Media / Politics / Law Enforcement & Crime
Former Peralta colleges trustee Marcie Hodge had a very bad day on Thursday, as a pair of legal rulings made clear that her unsuccessful run for mayor of Oakland in 2010 was ill-considered. First, the state's primary political watchdog agency, the Fair Political Practices Commission, voted unanimously to fine her $5,000 for violating campaign election laws during the 2010 mayor's race. And then, a few hours later, a three-judge appellate panel released a unanimous decision against her. The appellate court denied her appeal of lower court's decision to toss a libel suit she had filed against the Express, concerning its coverage of her 2010 mayoral campaign.
Friday Must Reads: Brown Admin. Official Admits Water Tunnels Won't Save Delta; Brown Urges Feds to Fast-Track Tunnels Despite Concerns They Will Harm Fish
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 6:56 AM
News stories that East Bay environmentalists and progressives shouldn't miss:
1. A top official in the Brown administration has admitted that the governor's controversial plan to build two giant water tunnels in the Sacramento area won't help save the collapsing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the LA Times$ reports. Congressional Democrats, who strongly question the multi-billion-dollar tunnel plan, have responded to the comments made by Jerry Meral, deputy director of the state Natural Resources Agency, by demanding that he resign. Meral's comments also directly contradict claims made by Brown that his plan would help save the Delta. Many environmentalists believe the real reason Brown wants the tunnels is to send more freshwater to Southern California.
Lacking Police Presence, Oakland Residents Take Control of Their Streets
by Kyung-Jin Lee
Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 11:26 AM
A couple of years ago, Sonny Le and his five-year-old son were approaching their front gate in Oakland's Glenview neighborhood after school when Le saw two men running towards them.
"One was trying to go behind us — the maneuver trying to corral your prey, basically," he says. "The other one started coming right at me, at us. He put his hoodie on. It was like, OK, these kids gonna rob us."
His fatherly instincts kicked in as the young men approached.
SF Examiner Co-Owners Buy A Portion of Leading LGBT Publication
Media / Business
Todd Vogt and Pat Brown, who operate the San Francisco Examiner, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and the SF Weekly, are purchasing a 49 percent stake in the Bay Area Reporter, the region's leading LGBT publication, according to a report in the Bay Area Reporter. Under the deal, the current owner of the Bay Area Reporter, the Bob Ross Foundation, along with the paper's general manager, Michael Yamashita, will own a 51 percent stake in the paper and will control its editorial direction.
Thursday Must Reads: Brown Pushes for More Funding for Low-Income Students; Oakland School Board Member Gary Yee Becomes Superintendent
Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 6:58 AM
Politics / Education / Transportation
1. Governor Jerry Brown vowed to fiercely battle for more funding for K-12 schools in low-income areas of the state, calling it his "cause" of 2013, the LA Times$ reports. Brown wants to steer $2 billion toward educating low-income students, but some legislative Democrats want to spread the money around the state, a move that the governor argued would be unfair to the schools that need the money the most. "If people are going to fight it," he said of his plan, "they're going to get the battle of their lives. Everything we have to bear in this battle, we're bringing it."
The United States of Debt
by Jen Chien
Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 3:54 PM
Upon entering the Eastside Arts Alliance in East Oakland, it's clear that this a special kind of conference. On the welcome table is a stack of name tag stickers, the kind that usually read "Hello, My Name Is…" But these stickers read: "Hello, My DEBT Is…"
These badges are stuck onto the shirts of many of the seventy-some people here, filled in with dollar amounts or words like "terrifying." They're participating in something called a Debtors' Assembly. It's organized by Strike Debt Bay Area, the local chapter of a larger movement that came out of Occupy Wall Street.
Wednesday Must Reads: Expert Warns that More Bridge Bolts Will Snap; US Postal Service Decides to Sell Historic Berkeley Post Office
Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 6:58 AM
Politics / Business / Transportation
1. A respected longtime metallurgist has concluded that more giant bolts on the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge will likely snap in the years ahead and that Caltrans should replace them, the CoCo Times reports. Yun Chung, who specializes in high-strength steel analysis and was a longtime engineer for Bechtel, also blamed CalTrans for the fact that more than thirty of the massive bolts, which are designed to help the new bridge withstand a major earthquake, have already failed — rather than the bolt supplier Dyson Corporation of Ohio. However, it's unclear whether CalTrans can replace the big bolts as Chung recommends because the bridge's roadbed has already been installed.


text:
Q: How can I apply a CSS class to an element with a given id, without modifying the element? I have a page that looks like:
...

...
 similar for body and footer.
I'd like to use a grid system to style the page, all of which seem to rely on giving the divs mentioned a class based on their presentation. But I don't want to do this (and can't because of the way the markup is generated)
Is there a way to do this, without just putting a class on the divs? I could copy the details of the class desired to a stylesheet mentioning the divs by id, but that feels wrong.

Edit to clarify:

The OP wants to avoid adding class="grid_3" etc. to the HTML, but also doesn't want to add #header { width: 960px; margin: 0px; } (which I think is okay) – Rory Fitzpatrick 3 hours ago

Exactly, I don't want to put presentation information in my HTML, but I hoped I wouldn't have to just take the css classes that make up the grid system apart, and apply the relevant parts (like margin:0px and width:960px), since that is bad from a maintenance and reuse angle.
So, I'll look at an automated system for doing what I need, unless there is an answer to how do you apply a css class to an HTML element, using css, without adding class="blah" to that element? Because that doesn't seem like a crazy thing to want to do to me.

A: I'm not sure I understand the question. Why don't you want to put styles in a stylesheet and reference them by id?
#header{
  position:relative;
  ...
}

A: Well if you use blueprint-css as your grid system you can use the compress.rb to assign the rules for given bp framework classes to a specific selector of your choice like #footer or what have you. for example in your project yaml you could have:
semantic_styles: # i dont think this is the right key definition but you get the idea
  '#footer,#navigation': ['span-12','clearfix']
  '#footer': ['push-1']
  # etc...

Then when you call compress.rb on the project file it will roll up the necessary declaration from the array of selectors on the right into the selector on the left producing:
#footer,#navigation{ /* composite delcalrations from .span-12 and .clearfix */}
#footer {/* declarations from .push-1 */}
But all in all this is essential an automation of copying the declarations to a separate file that you say seems "wrong". But i mean other than doing this (automated or manually) i dont see what the possible options could be.

A: I have the same reservations about grid systems, adding class names just goes against separating markup and style (but is often sacrificed for productivity).
However, I don't see what's wrong with setting the right column widths and margins using your own CSS. You could have a specific site.grid.css file that contains only selectors and widths/margins for the grid. I think this is perfectly okay, it's just a way of using CSS like variables. For instance, all 3-column elements would appear under
/* 3-column elements, width 301px */
#sidebar, #foobar, #content .aside {
    width: 301px;
}

Then rather than adding class="grid_3" to your HTML, you just add the selector to the CSS.
You might want to consider using the class names initially, until you're happy with the layout, then convert it into CSS selectors. Whichever works best for your workflow.

A: If you don't have access to the markup you must either copy the styles, referencing the ids, or maybe you can apply the class to the ids using javascript?


text:
Cameron Diaz opens up about being a new mom: 'It's the best part of my life'
She also gushed about how great Benji Madden is as a dad.
Benji Madden and Cameron Diaz are parents to a baby girl.Donato Sardella / Getty Image
April 15, 2020, 2:14 PM UTC / Source: TODAY
By Lindsay Lowe
Cameron Diaz loves being a mom!
The actress opened up about parenting during quarantine in an Instagram live chat with her friend Katherine Power, founder of the fashion website Who What Wear.
The good friends caught up during a live chat on Instagram.Katherinepower/ Instagram
Diaz and her husband, Benji Madden, announced the birth of their daughter, Raddix, in January. In the Instagram live chat, the 47-year-old actress gushed about what a great dad Madden is to their little girl.
"After we've done bath time with our baby and we put her down to sleep, Benj puts her to bed, he's so good. He's such an amazing father. I'm so lucky he's my baby's daddy," she said. "He's so incredible. He puts her down and I go into the kitchen and I start dinner and I pour myself a nice glass of red wine, and I start my cooking, I put on my show, whatever it is."
Cameron Diaz, Benji Madden welcome 1st baby girl
Jan. 4, 202000:45
She also talked about what it's been like parenting during the coronavirus lockdown.
"I've kind of been living a quarantine life anyhow because I have a 3-month-old ... so my life has been completely quiet and still for the last few months," she said. "But I was able to have all my friends over all the time, and now I don't see anybody. We just don't see each other. It's so crazy."
Diaz and Madden announced the birth of their baby daughter, Raddix, back in January.Donato Sardella / Getty Images
The couple has long been protective of their privacy, and they have not posted any photos of their baby daughter on social media. But in February, Madden shared a sweet tribute to Diaz and Raddix alongside a drawing of three red roses.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B82cTpmnXX6
"My Wife and Daughter fill me up with so much gratitude," he wrote. "Everyday, I feel so lucky Just wanted to say it out loud!!!"
Like millions of others right now, Diaz said she is concerned and stressed about the pandemic. She said she's managing her anxiety by staying in the present moment and remaining grateful for everything she has — first and foremost, her daughter and husband.
"I love being a mother. It's the best, best, best part of my life," she said. "I'm so, so grateful and so happy and it's the best thing ever and I'm so lucky to get to do it with Benj."
Lindsay Lowe
Lindsay Lowe has been a regular contributor to TODAY.com since 2016, covering pop culture, style, home and other lifestyle topics. She is also working on her first novel, a domestic drama set in rural Regency England.


My award was improperly downgraded; What can I do?
I am Trying to Get Mechanic Badges for my Soldiers. Is There a Website or a Way I Can Get a Formatted Memorandum?
My commander has directed we wear all of our awards from our recent deployments- I do not have orders yet for several of the awards, should I still wear them?


Try colors for meditation, using lovely memories to bring you to a place of peace.
Breathe in…Swwww, "Yellow." Breathe out, Whwww…glide to the next, yellow sunshine, lemons, lemon drops, sweet and sour all at the same time, yellow buttons, yellow raincoat, yellow shiny slicker boots, the color rises in swirling ribbons closing over me, holding me in an armor of golden light.
Lightness of being, I have an itch, "No not now, I'm meditating, go away, let me be, I love my time away from burden, life, matter." Breathe in…Swwww, "Green." Breathe out, Whwww…down again, green, clean green, healing green, blades of young grass against tender arches, scents of climbing trees, hot days, willow branches, children's laughter, "Higher Cee, come on you chicken!" Brother Bruce shouts to me. The color rises, a transparent mist closing over me, healing.
Down a step, Breathe in…Swwww, "Blue." Breathe out, Whwww…turquoise hues, ocean water against beaches of broken, jagged, "ouch" hurt your foot shells. Ahhh…but the comfort of blue, Easter eggs waiting to be found, just behind the bushes, "Look, look Cee, there…no don't give up. Ah! You've found it!" Filling my basket now with hues of blue. Come now, time for sleep, comfy stuffed lamb blue on the cheek, open-mouthed Hhhhhhhh, deep, deep into sleep…breathe out. The color rises, a cloud of blue, I am at peace, such quiet peace.
Feeling at peace, doors open, stepping into quiet, wraparound love, I rest.


text:
Andrew Costa
Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director, Investment Banking
Andrew Costa is the Chief Investment Officer & Managing Director, Investment Banking for Roth Capital Partners, LLC. Mr. Costa joined Roth Capital Partners in 2021. Prior to joining Roth Capital Partners, Mr. Costa was a Vice President in the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley where he led numerous landmark M&A and equity transactions in the retail and eCommerce sectors. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Andrew was an Investment Banker at J.P. Morgan, and prior to that, served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force.
Mr. Costa is the Chief Operating Officer of Roth CH Acquisition IV Co., a newly formed blank-check company.
Mr. Costa graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Systems Engineering Management and earned an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business.
U.S. Air Force Academy, USC - Marshall School of Business
Morgan Stanley, J. P. Morgan, U. S. Air Force


Exhibited around the world, Greg Gorman is an American portrait photographer of Hollywood celebrities. His work has been seen in national magazine features and covers, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, Life, Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Time, as well as in nine volumes of photography. These images are 13"x19", framed and signed by the artist. With this package you will also receive a copy of his retrospective book, Private Works.


Fill out the form below to receive more information, and help us support the housing, neighborhood stabilization, and wealth preservation for both Latino and low-income families.
Welcome to Hogar Hispano Inc!
Hogar Hispano Inc (HHI) is a District of Columbia non-profit organization dedicated to helping families/individuals prevent foreclosure and creating new housing opportunities in the United States and Puerto Rico. With offices in Arizona, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia we are able to serve homeowners, renters, distressed borrowers and others needing assistance. We work with socially minded public and private funds and socially minded investors interested in providing positive impacts on families and communities with their investments.
HHI is a non-profit organization that operates with limited public support. We operate an efficient and effective program models that delivers quality housing and related services nationwide. We are proud to partner with "UnidosUS" a national non-profit organization that provides multiple services, including "Housing Counseling and Financial Services" which greatly impact the families and individuals HHI serve's.
HHI has created home-ownership for more than 1,518 low-to-medium income families/individuals and have a established a portfolio of rental properties available/rented to income qualified families/individuals. We constantly have properties in the rehab process, in escrow to acquire and/or listed for sale or lease. We strive to acquire no less than 52 properties per month with a targeted goal of 70 acquisitions per month.
Hogar Community Reinvestment (HCR) is a District of Columbia LLC formed by HHI to acquire distressed REO to assist communities to rebuild, and residents to build, and preserve wealth. We currently acquire 20 to 50 properties per month with a targeted goal of 70 acquisitions per month. We purchase the home, renovate it to the highest standard and sell or lease it to income qualified families/individuals.
HHI makes a difference in financially distressed Hispanic communities and communities of color through alternative housing solutions and foreclosure prevention strategies that work and can be replicated, nationwide.
With more that 400mm dollars in investments nationwide we are successfully re-purposing distressed REO and preserve home-ownership for distressed borrowers.
Second Opportunity of America (SOA) is an Arizona LLC formed by HHI in order to purchase distressed mortgages with the intent to provide foreclosure prevention services to the borrowers. With the help of Socially minded private investors HHI has successfully acquired over 1200 loans in 31 states and Puerto Rico and is working to stabilize communities, one home at a time.
HHI's mission is to create opportunities for Latino low and moderate-income families to achieve economic self-sufficiency by initiating or supporting efforts that result in affordable rental housing, home-ownership opportunities, essential community facilities or services and small business formation and operation. These efforts will be achieved with s strong emphasis on engaging with partners at national, state and local levels.
HHI actively assists Latino and low income families and their communities by preserving home-ownership and creating new home-ownership opportunities. In order to achieve our mission we partner with other community based organizations, non-profits, like UnidosUS and its network of affiliates to support affordable housing solutions and craft sensible ways to preserve and create wealth for the under-served families.


A videographer taped a conversation between Harvard Professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (left) and Christina Hodge, the coordinator for Academic Partnerships at Peabody Museum, for a massive open online course.
Almost three-quarters of students who enrolled in the first year of online classes under a joint Harvard-MIT initiative were from outside the United States, demonstrating the global reach and growing popularity of the large-scale open courses.
But only 5 percent of students who registered for courses through the online learning platform edX completed their class and earned certificates, although far more were involved in classes and reviewed much of the material, according to a new study by a research team from the two universities.
The findings were included in a trove of data released last week that provides insight into the demographics of the students who use what are known as massive open online courses.
Of the 842,000 students who registered for the free online classes offered by the edX initiative in the 2012-2013 school year, just 28 percent were from the United States. About 13 percent were from India, followed by the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, and Spain.
The most typical edX student was a male with a bachelor's degree who is 26 or older. But less than 1 in 3 students fit that profile, researchers found, suggesting there is a broad array of different types of students.
Innovation Economy: Will MOOCs help you open career doors?
For example, one-third reported a high-school education or less, while 6 percent reported they were 50 or older.
Just 29 percent of the students are female, with predominately male enrollment in science, technology, engineering, and math classes.
Most attrition happened soon after students registered. On average, 50 percent left within a week or two of enrolling. But after that, students were far more likely to stick with it.
These open online courses "are reaching many nontraditional and underserved communities of students, very different from typical students on campuses at traditional universities," said Isaac Chuang, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.
Such open online courses have exploded in popularity over the past two years, giving people across the globe a chance to take classes at world-famous universities. At the same time, many education specialists doubt their staying power, pointing to low completion rates as evidence that most students will not follow through on their own.
Some students looked at every part of the course, others only read text or viewed videos, and others just took tests or completed problem sets. Many faculty members encouraged students to participate in the course however they chose, whether or not that led them toward a certificate, researchers found.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania also showed that many students abandon classes shortly after they begin and that relatively few will see them through to the end. Of a million students in 16 classes offered by Coursera, a California-based provider of online academic courses, just 4 percent completed their courses, researchers found.
Phil Hill, an educational technology consultant and analyst, agreed that completion rates are a misleading measure, given that many students know from the outset that they do not plan to finish. Students are also put off by the difficulty of the material, he said.
Lawrence Bacow, the former president of Tufts University, dismissed completion rates as a "red herring," given the wide range of student motivations.
Since many online students have jobs and other responsibilities, finding the necessary time may be difficult, he added.
So far, more than two-thirds of students taking online classes at Harvard and MIT have at least a bachelor's degree, a level consistent with other such programs.
Among edX students, several countries boasted above-average completion rates, led by Spain at almost 14 percent. Students from Greece, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland also had strong rates.
Completion rates also varied by course. Twelve percent completed a course on global poverty, while just 1 percent completed an introductory computer science course.
In some courses, as many as 20 percent of students enrolled even though it was too late for them to earn a certificate.
"That so many registrants register and participate in courses without hope of earning a certificate illustrates how limited certification and certification rates are at describing learning," researchers wrote.
• Will MOOCs help you open career doors?
• Can you MOOC your way through college in one year?


text:
View Job Opportunities
Completions Technologies
Scorpion™ Frac Plugs
Magnum Frac Plugs
MagnumDisk™
SmartStart PLUS®
MorphPackers
Flowgun™ Completion System
Swellseal Packer
Completion Services
Wireline Services
Optimized Performance
SkyVIEW Wireline Truck
EnviroLine Greaseless Wireline
Cementing & Drilling Solutions
Cementing Services
Blend 27
Rapid Set 1
Nine Lite
Breakthru™ Casing Flotation Device
Coiled Tubing Services
AllSight Live Jobsite Dashboard
TruSight Downhole Memory Tool Logging Services
Well Services
Nine Energy Service Completes Magnum Oil Tools Acquisition
New acquisition adds differentiated patented technologies to Nine's portfolio.
HOUSTON, TEXAS (Oct. 25, 2018) – Nine Energy Service, Inc. ("Nine" or the "Company") (NYSE: NINE) announced today that it has officially completed the acquisition of Magnum Oil Tools International, LTD. ("Magnum"), a market-leading downhole technology provider serving the global oil and gas industry for over a decade. Magnum has a broad offering of proprietary downhole completions products, including dissolvable and composite frac plugs, as well as a number of other patented consumables.
With the acquisition completed, Magnum will provide Nine with a strong, first-mover advantage in the dissolvable frac plug market due to its extensive track record of successful market penetration. The new partnership positions Nine as one of the premier providers of completion-focused technology combined with excellence in both service execution and conveyance capability. The addition of Magnum to Nine's portfolio will help operators reduce risk and cycle times as completions continue to become more complex with longer laterals, more stages and mega-well pads.
"We believe this deal will continue to differentiate Nine within the industry, and Magnum's capabilities allow us to create a more balanced profile of completion tools," said Ann G. Fox, Nine's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Ultimately, this acquisition delivers an oil field service platform that provides customers with even better service and aids Nine's continued growth."
"Magnum is excited to join Nine. This is a perfect next step, given the standards and culture that have made Nine a leader in the industry match so closely to our own," said Lynn Frazier, Chief Executive Office and founder of Magnum. "We look forward to working together to provide customers with the best quality products and services possible while furthering the development of Nine as an industry pioneer."
About Nine Energy Service
Nine Energy Service is an oilfield services company that offers completion and production solutions throughout North America. The Company brings years of experience with a deep commitment to serving clients with smarter, customized solutions and world-class resources that drive efficiencies. Strategically located throughout the U.S. and Canada, Nine continues to differentiate itself through superior service quality, wellsite execution and cutting-edge technology. Nine is headquartered in Houston, Texas with operating facilities in the Permian, Eagle Ford, SCOOP/STACK, Niobrara, Barnett, Bakken, Marcellus, Utica and throughout Canada. For more information about Nine, visit their website at www.nineenergyservice.com.
The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are those that do not state historical facts and are, therefore, inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements also include statements that refer to or are based on projections, uncertain events or assumptions. The forward-looking statements included herein, including those related to the Company's acquisition of Magnum and potential securities offering, are based on current expectations and entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the general energy service industry risks; volatility of crude oil and natural gas commodity prices; a decline in demand for the Company's services, including due to declining commodity prices; the Company's ability to implement price increases or maintain pricing of the Company's core services; the loss of, or interruption or delay in operations by, one or more significant customers; the loss of or interruption in operations of one or more key suppliers; the adequacy of the Company's capital resources and liquidity; the Company's ability to implement new technologies and services; the incurrence of significant costs and liabilities resulting from litigation; the loss of, or inability to attract, key personnel; and other factors described in the "Risk Factors" and "Business" sections of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and the subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update those statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of those statements to reflect future events or developments.
Nine Energy Service Investor Contact
Heather Schmidt
Director, Investor Relations and Marketing
investors@nineenergyservice.com
Nine Energy Service ® 2019
Design by Pennebaker
Nine Energy Service © 2019


text:
You are here: Home / Charter & Cruising / Largest-Ever Yacht Servant Keel Laid
Largest-Ever Yacht Servant Keel Laid
Yacht owners and crew around the world rely on DYT to transport their precious cargo across the oceans. In about 300 days from now, they will have a new, bigger Yacht Servant at their disposal. In fact, a recent keel-laying ceremony kicked off construction for what will be the biggest-ever DYT transport ship.
How big? The semi-submersible vessel measures 701 feet (213.7 meters) in length. Equally notable is the beam, nearly 151 feet (46 meters). Just like the previous Yacht Servant ships, the semi-submersible configuration means that yachts can float on and float off in the transportation process. For comparison, other companies use cranes to lift the yachts onto and off of their carrier ships. Some owners and crew prefer the convenience of staying in the water.
The new Yacht Servant keel-laying ceremony took place on July 30 at Yantain CIMC Raffles Offshore shipyard in China. Just like a ceremony for a yacht, the DYT team put a commemorative coin under the keel, welded in place, for good luck. Actually, the team placed two coins: one a dollar, and one a Euro. Although the ceremony couldn't be the typical celebration due to social distancing, still several people were on hand to observe.
"This is not just the laying of a keel, but it is also the start of a new era in yacht transport," Laura Tempest, DYT's general manager, says. "This will be the largest semi-submersible vessel dedicating to transporting yachts ever built."
When this new Yacht Servant launches—which you can track via a dedicated page on DYT's website—the yachts will load and unload from the customary locations for the company. The company has not said yet what route this specific vessel will take. Regardless, DYT schedules routes from Palma de Mallorca, Spain to Fort Lauderdale and from Genoa, Italy to Papeete, Tahiti. Other routes exist, too.
DYT Yacht Transport yacht-transport.com
Category: Charter & Cruising, Charter & Cruising News Tags: DYT


quarters at Comfort Suites Rochester. When the sun is out you can always have a nice picnic at the picnic area, and there are irons offered at Comfort Suites Rochester to keep your garments smooth. Candy and soda vending machines are offered at Comfort Suites Rochester, so you could get a bite any time you want, and there is a handy business center, so you could keep your business running from Comfort Suites Rochester.
These are some other hotels near Comfort Suites Rochester, Rochester.
These outdoors activities are available near Comfort Suites Rochester.


text:
Fort Worth mayor says the city is 'broken' after the killing of Atatiana Jefferson
Mayor Betsy Price says citizens are scared, tired and hopeless after tempers flare inside City Hall
Author: Eric Alvarez (WFAA)
Published: 7:41 PM CDT October 16, 2019
Updated: 7:41 PM CDT October 16, 2019
FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth is "broken," Mayor Betsy Price said as tensions rose following the shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson by a white police officer who shot and killed her during a welfare check.
Former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean is charged with murder after he shot and killed Jefferson in her home on East Allen Avenue early Saturday morning. A neighbor called a non-emergency line asking for a welfare check. The officer did not identify himself, went into the back yard and shot Jefferson through a window.
More than 100 residents disrupted Tuesday's city council meeting, calling for changes in leadership at city hall.
"The tragic death of Ms. Jefferson has left this city broken," Price said in a statement Wednesday. "Some of the sentiments we heard last night – Citizens don't feel safe, they are scared, tired and hopeless."
On Monday, Price apologized to Jefferson's family on behalf of the city, and promised to bring in national experts to review the Fort Worth Police Department from top to bottom.
That didn't quell the anger at Tuesday's council meeting, in which an overflow room was created for the excess crowd and tempers flared as citizens addressed the council and the mayor.
"At some point, this city's going to have to realize, it's not us that are going to start a riot," Rodney McIntosh said in one of the night's more passionate comments to city leaders. "Y'all are going to start a riot. We are tired of seeing our children, tired of seeing our women, and our sons gunned down in the city that y'all say belongs to us."
"We will continue to listen, and we are taking immediate action," Price said Wednesday. "My focus remains on healing this city and pushing forward to see that we make progress."
According to Price's statement, the independent, third-party panel will be in place by November 19 and will provide updates to the city every week.
She also outlined what she calls continued implementation of the Race and Culture Taskforce recommendations, including hiring an independent police monitor, and a diversity and inclusion officer.
Black faith leaders say killing of Atatiana Jefferson part of larger policing problem
Funeral plans announced for Atatiana Jefferson
Who is Aaron Dean and what might his attempted defense be?
'I'm devastated,' says neighbor who called police before Atatiana Jefferson was shot, killed by officer
6 people killed by Fort Worth police officers in 2019, records show