text:
Snowdonia. Image : snowdoniamountainguides.com
Snowdonia National Park in North West Wales is a beautiful wild and rugged location. Carved by glaciers 20000 years ago it has v-shaped Valleys cut steep and wide by the retreating ice, beautiful Valleys such as the LLanberis pass,Conwy Valley, Ogwen Valley and Nantlle Valley. Each of these is a spectacle in itself and has its own mountain ranges that surround. Snowdonia in North Wales its famed for its walking and hiking. There are more than 14 Peaks over 1000m in height. Snowdon is the highest mountain in England and Wales. Snowdonia is the only mountain in the UK that has a railway steam train that takes visitors to the summit where there is a wonderful open-plan visitor centre with panoramic views over Anglesey and beyond. From the summit of Snowdon on a clear day you can see the mountains of Mourne in Ireland, the Isle of Man and Scotland. You can also see across into England. It's a fantastic day's walk and there are many different walking paths and hiking paths up to the summit of Snowdon (see our previous blogs on this). Snowdonia, however is not just famous for its walking and hiking, it is also famous for its adventure. Snowdonia has become the centre for adventure in Europe and it was crowned The adventure capital of Europe just a couple of years ago. It boasts fantastic outdoor activities such as climbing, paddle boarding, surfing, zip wiring, cycling, mountain biking, hiking, winter climbing, fell running, motorbiking paragliding, sailing and many other outdoor sports besides.
There are many flagship outdoor centres that have opened up in the area in and around Snowdonia. Providers like Zip world, Surf Snowdonia, Plas y brenin, Plas Menai, Rib ride, One planet adventure, Beacon Climbing Centre, the Indefatigable Climbing Centre, white water rafting centres and many more. Zip world within Snowdonia have been expanding dramatically in the past five years, opening a further five centres including underground trampolines at their flagship centre, Bounce below, a Zip World Forest roller coaster centre, a Treetops Adventure centre, two of the most amazing zip lines in the world, both velocity and Titan and also the slate caverns adventure tours. Surf Snowdonia which began their fantastic beginnings as a inland surf centre Lagoon in the Conwy Valley have now also expanded to include Zip line's indoor climbing centres and activities Park. With more and more activity centres and providers sprouting up, you will never be short of anything to do here on your stay.
There are some very beautiful and quaint towns throughout Snowdonia to visit on your stay, towns such as Beddgelert, Betws-y-Coed, Portmeirion, Llanberis, Bethesda, and Llangollen famous for its Eisteddfod an hour's drive East of North Wales. Each one has its own charm, character and beautiful surroundings.
Snowdonia is an important location for conservation of habitat and wildlife in the region, as approximately 20% of its total area is protected by UK and European laws. Snowdonia is located on the western coast of Britain and covering an area of 823 sq. miles. Snowdonia houses the highest mountain peak in England and Wales and the largest natural lake in Wales. Bethesda near Snowdonia is the wettest area in the entire UK, with an average rainfall of 4,473 mm for the last 30 years. So with all that rain comes a healthy lush green landscape that echoes life and vibrancy in the valley.
Image : WalesOnline.com
Snowdonia is renowned for its rich history. It is full of prehistoric sites like Tre'rCeiri also known as the Town of Giants. It is a significant Iron Age monument that is prominent in the Llyn Peninsula and is located on the slopes of Yr Eifl, 400 feet above the Irish Sea. Snodownia was under the Roman Empire and after they left there were other invaders. Snowdonia was invaded by the Romans who were able to eventually overpower the Celtic tribes and took control of the land. It was invaded by the Vikings, Anglo Saxons, and later by the Normans. Each of these invaders left their mark on the history and society of Snowdonia over time. The Princes of Gwynedd built many castles to protect their lands from invaders and also from each other. Edward-I built the mighty ring of castles in North Wales. The Caernarfon Castle is located on the banks of river Seiont and the Menai Strait, and is a World Heritage Site.
As Christianity started to spread its roots, many churches and monasteries were established in Snowdonia. Bangor Cathedral is one of the oldest cathedrals near Snowdonia and can be traced back to the Celtic times. Beuno Church, another popular monument in Snowdonia is also believed to have been built during the Celtic times and it was an important resting place for pilgrims travelling to Bardsey Island.
Image : snowdonia.gov.uk
Snowdon Mountain is the highest point in England and Wales standing tall at 1085 meters. It is the busiest mountain in the UK and third most visited attraction in Wales. The Snowdon Mountain is a popular tourist attraction and active outdoor spot for for rock climbing. There are different ascent routes to the summit of Snowdon Mountain with the Llanberis path being the gentlest of them with the shallowest gradient. It is also the longest path-14km long- to the summit. The view from the summit of Snowdon Mountain is mesmerizing. You get some of the best views of the British Isles and on clear days of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. You can also view the 24 counties, 29 lakes, and 17 islands from the summit on a clear day.
Snowdon Mountain Railway
Image : Tripadvisor
The Snowdon Mountain Railway is a narrow-gauge mountain railway. The train departs from Llanberis station and goes all the way to the top of the mountain- Yr Wyddfa- which is 1085 meters high. This train route was officially opened on 6thApril 1896 and since then more than 12 million people have enjoyed its ride. You start your journey from Llanberis and experience the Ceunant Mawr waterfall which falls beautifully into the gorge below. You pass through the Waterfall station and get the first view of the Summit of Snowdon. The train stops at the Halfway station for refilling its water tanks before beginning its final ascent. You can see the black volcanic rock face of Clogwyn du'r Arddu in the distance. You pass the beautiful and lush green valleys as the train approaches the Rocky Valley station. The views of the Llyn Peninsula become visible in the distance as the train continues its journey to the top. During early spring season when ice and snow prevent the train to go further, the train stops at Clogwyn station. Once you pass through Clogwyn station, you finally arrive at the summit of Snowdon. Hafod Eryri is the highest visitor center in the UK and provides you with breathtaking panoramic views of the surroundings. The Snowdon train ride and the view from the summit is a lifetime memory and experience for visitors.
Slate Mountains
Image : Snowdoniapass.co.uk
Snowdonia is blessed to have some of the highest quality slate mines in the world, some of these mines are no longer active, however, they have become sites of activity providers who have tuned the sleeping mountains into a hub of activity.
Slate Mountain Adventure tours is one of the must-do visits in Snowdonia. It takes you a journey across a 2,000-acre site. You start your expedition with an off-road trip in an ex-military truck to heights of over 1500 feet. On your route, you will experience some old mining sites at Llechwedd, some of them dating back more than 300 years. You will then make a brief stop and continue to head underground on the steepest cable rope in Britain to experience the caverns and tunnel systems that miners used to work regularly during the Victorian era. Once you arrive back at the surface, your adventure tour will conclude with a slate splitting demonstration by your tour guide. During your visit to the Slate Mountains, you can enjoy three amazing and thrilling zip lines and fly down Europe's largest zipping zone. You will remember the adventure to the Slate Mountains for a long time to come.
Snowdonia – Places to visit and things to do
Image : Snowdoniamountainguides.com
Those who visit Snowdonia will find that it is a perfect blend of natural sight-seeing spots and man-made attractions. The major attractions are the 14 peaks including Snowdon which is 3560 feet high. Crib Goch, Garnedd Ugain, Lliwedd and Yr Aran are some of the other peaks. They are all set in the spectacular Snowdonia National Park. The peaks can also be viewed from the Nantlle Valley and Porthmadog. Capel Curig village provides the most awe-inspiring views of the peaks. The lengthy hiking trails and the enchanting scenic beauty all around make the visit the most enjoyable as well as exciting for visitors. The Mountain Railway, rock climbing, white water rafting, paragliding, ziplining and the National Slate Museum are some of the man-made places of interests and activities. Those who plan their holiday in Snowdonia have various options for accommodation. There are campgrounds, hostels, inns run by families, bed-and-breakfast and more. Apart from the natural beauty Snowdonia is also known for its world-famous historical sites. Six million people visit Snowdonia every year and the visitors enjoy the magnificent scenery, delicious food, comfortable accommodation and the various outdoor experiences.
Mount Snowdon
Image : Tripsavvy
Snowdonia National Parks top attractions
Image : msm.com
This park covers an area of 823 square miles and is spread between Penmaenmawr and Caernarfon. The most popular part of the park can be comfortably reached by Snowdon Mountain Railway. This park has more than 50 lakes and the Welsh hill farms, the historic stonewalls, the ancient circles and the Roman ruins illustrate the rich cultural heritage of the area.
Image : Snowdoniarailway.co.uk
The 100-year-old Snowdon Mountain Railway starts from Llanberis and takes the visitors up through the five-mile narrow gauge to the summit. It has a maximum speed of a little more than 5 mph and passes through Hebron, Halfway and Clogwyn stations. The passengers enjoy the scenery and views of the flora and fauna along the way. Refreshments are available at Llanberis station. It is advisable to book the train journey in advance and discounts are offered for online booking.
The National Slate Museum
At Llanberis you can visit the National Slate Museum, the largest working waterwheel of Britain and the 19th-century workshop as well as machinery here.This museum, located at the Dinorwig quarry on the Elidir Mountain reminds visitors about an industry on which Wales and the people of Wales depended upon once upon a time. There are demonstrations of quarrying and slate splitting Some of the features displayed here reveal the miserable conditions which the workers here had to endure.
Image : Berddgelerttourism.com
Quaint Beddgelert is a tiny, beautiful village which is at the confluence of the two rivers – Colwan and Glaslyn. This village is one among the loveliest in Wales. From this place one can reach Moel Hebog after a two hour's climb. The panoramic view across the Cardigan Bay from here is really awe-inspiring. The road northeast from here proceeds to Nant y Gwynant which is one of the most beautiful valleys in Wales. Beddgelert is on the route of the Welsh Highland Railway that connects this directly to Porthmadog and Caernarfon. There is an abundance of accommodation in the area from quaint hotels to guest houses and B&Bs.
Caernarfon Castle
Image : Caernarfon.com
This castle was constructed in the year 1283 on the orders of King Edward I. The castle is a symbol of new English rule in Wales. The castle is known for its series of murder holes and advanced arrow slits. During the English Civil War this castle resisted three sieges. The first son of Edward I, who was the first Prince of Wales was born here in the year 1284. In the year 1969 Prince Charles was invested as Prince of Wales. Caernarfon Castle is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Waterfalls in Snowodnia
Image : dioni.co.uk
When visited after heavy rains the waterfalls in Snowdonia appear highly impressive. Among them the most popular waterfalls are Swallow and Conwy which are close to Betws-y-Coed. Swallow is the longest continuous waterfall in Wales and is on river Llugwy. Conwy Falls are at the confluence of Conwy and Machno rivers and feature a fish pass.
Image : Tripadvisor.ie
This small, beautiful village on the estuary of the River Dwyryd was built by Sir Clough Williams – Ellis in fifty years. Visitors come to this village to experience its mild climate, peaceful surrounding and the exciting Mediterranean colours. The famous television series The Prisoner was filmed in Portmeirion in 1967. There is a 4-star hotel with 53 rooms, spa, shops, tea-room, restaurant, beach and 70 acres of open grounds. Portmeirion is a popular attraction of Snowdonia.
The Glyders
Image : trailman.co.uk
The Glyders – the 994 metre Glyder Fach and the 999 metre Glyder Fawr are among the most beautiful mountains of UK. These glyders provide the most spectacular views of Snowdon and its surrounding mountains in the south-west. To the north-east one can view the front ridge of the Cameddau.
Betws-y-Coed and The Ugly House
Image : Tripadvisor.co.uk
Betws-y-Coed is a highly preferred holiday spot in Snowdonia and during summer this place attracts thousands of visitors. This is a beautiful small town located in the Gwydyr Forest and is at the junction of three valleys – Conwy, Lledr and Llugwy. The very beautiful surroundings consist of the Fairy Glen and Swallow as well as Conwy waterfalls. The picuresque 15th century stone cottage known as The Ugly House in Capel Curig, Legend has it that there was a time when, if you could build a house in a day and send smoke up the chimney, it would give you the right to throw an axe as far as you could from each corner of the house to claim the land as yours. It was said that it was also a place used by robbers to hide. Apart from eating at the fine restaurants the visitors can enjoy the exciting shopping of original products of Welsh craft, artworks and souvenirs at the galleries and the boutique shops.
National Whitewater Centre
Image : Visitbala.org
All visitors can enjoy a variety of paddle sport adventures at the National Whitewater Centre near the town of Bala. The rafting and the training centre for kayakers are the major attractions.
Dolwyddelan Castle
Image : betws-y-coed.com
This castle was built between 1210 and 1240 by Llwelyn the Great, who was a very powerful prince in the Welsh history. This castle was used during the wars between Edward I and the Welsh before falling to English forces in 1283. The small village of Dolwyddelan is also very interesting to walk around and beautiful 500-year old St. Gwyddelan Church is also situated here.
Bala Lake
The market town of Bala and the awe-inspiring Bala Lake are on the eastern edge of Snowdonia. This popular holiday spot is at the foot of Aran and Berwyn Mountains. The 4-mile long Bala Lake is the major attraction. This is the longest lake in Wales and is ideal for sailing, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. The narrow-gauge Bala Lake Railway runs along the shore of this lake and also passes through a picturesque part of the Snowdonia National Park.
Image : Dayoutwiththekids.com
The Electric Mountain which is a major attraction for the young as well as old is on Padarn Lake in Llanberis. Visitors enjoy the fun experience at the Dinorwig Power Station which can provide power to entire Wales. The hour-long journey by minibus starts from the visitor center and goes through one of the world's largest manmade caverns. The indoor playground can be used by children over the age of 4 years.
Sygun Copper Mine
This underground fun adventure provides the opportunity to explore different types of winding tunnels in Snowdonia. Visitors can view the magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations and a lot of colourful, well-lit caverns. The other attractions are the visitor centre and museum, the abandoned mines and the play area for children.
Cadair Idris
Image : graigwen.co.uk
Cadair Idris which is 893 metre high is one among the most beautiful mountain peaks of the Snowdonia National Park. This peak is known for its beauty. According to legend this peak was used by the Welsh giant Idris as a chair for star-gazing. It is believed that this mountain has many bottomless lakes and it has been said that those who spend a night on the mountain will wake up either as a poet or as a madman.!


text:
National western stock show. national stock show
western stock show
The National Western Stock Show in Denver
A History of Denver's Finest
The Longhorn Parade
For two weeks each January, Denver, Colorado comes alive as the premier showcase of American heartiness and culture. Cattlemen from across the West descend on the town to showcase the finest breeds of their stock, where top-tier animals demand a premium price for breeding. It has been this way for over 100 years, after the first show was held in 1906.
The First National Western Stock Show
This inaugural event saw a shorthorn as grand champion, weighing at an astonishing 1,150 pounds. The animal was sold at an unheard of price of .33 per pound to the highest bidder, perhaps in the heat of the moment, but more likely due to the historic atmosphere of the first show. Four breeds were shown that year, and including the shorthorns, there were Herefords, Aberdeen-Angus, and Galloways. 336 animals in all were presented for judging.
After the initial success, Denver's plans for rivaling Chicago as the top-class stock town in the US was coming close to reality, as the National Western Stock Show was quickly becoming the go-to event of the season. Visitors to the show were charged .25 for the first time to enter the big top center tent where the majority of the action took place. However, the show nearly didn't happen, as Mother Nature had her way a few days prior, knocking down the first tent's construction with a front range gale.
The Show Grows With The Times
By quarter century, the show was placing and viewing nearly three and a half million head of livestock. There remained cattle of course, but other farm livestock began to enter the tents in Denver as well. Sheep, chickens, hogs, horses, and even rabbits were taking on their share of national interests. In 1929, two pigeons, descendants of messenger birds from World War I, were auctioned off at an astounding price of $1000. That same year, a homing pigeon was released from Trinidad, and made news by arriving in Denver in a time of 5 hours and 48 minutes.
Modern Evolution
The National Western Stock show maintained composure through the years of the 20th century by focusing on the right way to showcase livestock - set rules attempted to eliminate cheating. However, in 1972, scandal erupted on the stock floor as champion bull, 'Big Mac' was ruled ineligible by the judges. It seems the bull had been shown previously in Kansas City as a white steer, but upon arriving in Denver, it was black. It's owners had dyed the animal in a attempt to fool the judging panel - no such luck.
A banner year for the stock show, as for the first time in the show's history heifers were showcased in the market division. Grand champion heifer 'Lidy' went one step further when she was selected as the show's overall grand champion. 2010 was also a record breaking year for the rodeo circuit, and Clint Craig set a professional rodeo rider's record score of a 92 while riding 'Ole Yeller.'
Labels: Denver co Denver Colorado National western stock show. national stock show western stock show
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Throwing Together a Last Minute New Year's Eve Party
3 DIY Projects for the New Year
Reflections of Sustainability Everyday
Daddy Homemaker and the Great Sewing Machine Search
Simple Make Your Own Tacky Christmas Sweater

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package edu.uci.jforestsx.eval;

import edu.uci.jforestsx.sample.Sample;

/**
 * @author Yasser Ganjisaffar <ganjisaffar at gmail dot com>
 */

public abstract class EvaluationMetric {

	private boolean isLargerBetter;

	public EvaluationMetric(boolean isLargerBetter) {
		this.isLargerBetter = isLargerBetter;
	}

	public abstract double measure(double[] predictions, Sample sample) throws Exception;

	public boolean isFirstBetter(double first, double second, double tolerance) {
		if (Double.isNaN(second)) {
			return true;
		}
		if (isLargerBetter) {
			return (first * (1 + tolerance)) > second;
		} else {
			return (first * (1 - tolerance)) < second;
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Columns & Features
BlogBeat
Guest Voz
Palabra Final
NewsMundo
Latina Lista: News from the Latinx perspective > Palabra Final > Immigration > Young voices from the border: Fear and unaccompanied migrant children
Young voices from the border: Fear and unaccompanied migrant children
inImmigration
By Larissa Converti
Council on Hemispheric Affairs
"Do not send your children to the borders. If they do make it, they'll get sent back. More importantly, they may not make it."[1]
– President Barack Obama
The past few years have brought a sharp upturn in the numbers of unaccompanied children arriving in the United States, and most have come from Mexico and the Central American countries which make up the Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Of the 15,647 unaccompanied minors apprehended by U.S. authorities from October 2014 to March of this year, 5,572 were from Mexico, 5,465 from Guatemala, 2,788 from El Salvador, and 1,549 from Honduras.
Of the children apprehended in the past two years, more than three quarters were caught in Texas, crossing the Rio Grande. The majority of these are children, who are usually between ages 15 and 17, but younger ones, and especially girls, have been arriving in increasing numbers within the last year. In fact, new data by Pew Research indicates a 117 percent increase in the number of unaccompanied children ages 12 and younger caught at the U.S.-Mexico border this fiscal year compared with the year before.
With crossing the border comes high costs. Young migrants, as well as most adult migrants, are shepherded by "coyotes," or human smugglers, who are paid, according to Francisco Pacheco, East Coast Coordinator of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), "anywhere between $5,000 to $8,000 dollars per person. The deal made between the coyote and migrant," Pacheco reported, "is referred to as 'el combo.'" Under this contract, the coyote will make up to three attempts for the migrant to reach the U.S. border." Now, with increased U.S. border enforcement, the price of human smuggling is rising.
Yet people keep coming, driven in large measure by conditions of poverty that continue to plague much of the region. Half of Central America's population exists below the poverty line, and in rural areas two out of three people are poor.
Desperate, family members attempt to migrate to the United States to earn money and send it home. Often, after some time has passed, the children they left in their wake travel north.
Central American Kids get Court Dates — Mexican Kids get the Boot.
Although unaccompanied minors from Central America and Mexico may face similar circumstances and motivations for migrating, the two groups are unquestionably treated differently once they set foot on U.S. soil. According to the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, children coming from Central America have been given opportunities to apply for asylum, while significant numbers of Mexican children have been summarily deported back to Mexico.
Why the Distinction?
In 2008 the U.S. Congress passed the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act to protect child migrants from "non-contiguous countries" from being pushed across the border and back into the clutches of the trafficking networks. The act exempted children arriving from these countries from immediate deportation. Instead, these children were transferred into the custody of the Office of Refugees and Resettlement and given a future court date to make a case for remaining in the U.S.
The three criteria in determining if a child would be exempt from deportation are: 1.) whether the child has been a victim of severe forms of abuse, 2.) if he/she would be returned to mistreatment if deported; and 3.) if the child lacks the ability to make an independent decision regarding his/her application for admission to the United States.
For youths from non-contiguous countries, the U.S. Border Patrol has 72 hours to transfer children to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). But for Mexican children, U.S. officials are given just 48 hours to process the repatriations back across the border.
Moreover, there has been a pattern of expediting the process of deporting Mexican children, greatly reducing their chances of obtaining relief by applying for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) visas under U.S. law, an immigration classification that allows abused, abandoned, or neglected children to immediately apply for lawful permanent resident status. Unfortunately, Mexican children, in contrast to Central American children, rarely are able to have contact with the Office of Refugees and Resettlement.
Screening is supposed to be performed to determine whether refugees have a credible claim for being granted permission to stay in the country, but U.S. border agents do not always review circumstances of each detainee with care.
Worse, immigrants without legal status do not have the right to government-appointed legal counsel in any removal proceedings. Most unaccompanied children appear in court without a lawyer, where their young age and inability to speak English proficiently preclude them from really comprehending what is happening to them. The U.S. legal system appears ill-equipped to offer adequate legal protection to youthful migrants. As a result, the present system is failing to protect vulnerable child populations.
Most U.S. shelters are filled with Central American youths, individuals who can stay in protective custody for months—and in some cases, years—until their court date arrives. Of course, staying in the shelters can be rough; while they are supposed to provide safe and humane conditions, the American Immigration Council reported 809 abuse complaints against the Border Patrol from January 2009 through January 2012.[7]
Some of the youthful migrants are picked up by family. But, "because of [the vast legal] backlog, which is growing greatly with the recent influx, in essence a kid released tomorrow could stay in the U.S. for up to three years waiting for their court date," explains NPR's Carrie Kahn.
When the day in court arrives, many unaccompanied migrant children often fail to show up for their court dates; the lengthy period of time between apprehension and hearing leads some to drift off, moving away to live with family members already in the country. Some skip their court date due to the threat of a negative outcome and immediate deportation.
Juan Osuna, Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review at the Department of Justice, reported that 46 percent of all children, whether accompanied or unaccompanied, fail to be present at their hearings. And as these children fade into the shadows, they lose any real opportunity of gaining the legal status to remain in the United States.
Violence is undeniably one of the most important reason people decide to leave their homes in the Northern Triangle and Mexico. Homicide rates in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are, respectively, ranked the first, fourth, and fifth highest in the world.
One migrant from El Salvador, 26-year old Rolan, a manager of a Mexican restaurant in Northern Virginia, had a typical experience. At the age of 17, Rolan pursued the dangerous trek across the U.S.-Mexican border in the hope of attaining a better education. But apprehensions drove him too, as gang predations near his home led him to flee his homeland.
"Families live in fear that if they became too successful in their businesses or work, the gangs will obtain information and threaten them at their house," Rolan said. "For kids," he continued, "if they are studying, the gangs will tell them not to study and try to force them to join the gangs. If they refuse, then that just leads to something worse."
The dire economic conditions of rural people in Central America and Mexico serve as another important push factor, as the region's relative lack of jobs leads many adults to come to the U.S. in search of work. As a consequence, much of the migration of young children is motivated by the desire to be reunited with family members who now work in the United States. In fact, 36 percent of all unaccompanied children surveyed prior to 2014 had at least one parent already in the United States.
Acting on Misleading Information
Many families were under the impression that it had become lawful for children to migrate to the U.S. Interviews by Border Patrol agents with young migrants and their families revealed that there was a commonly held perception that the United States had relaxed its policies and would grant them permisos, or free passes, to stay.
One migrant, Carmen Avila, 26, who came with her 4-year old son, said, "I heard in Guatemala that people were caught by immigration, but then they let them go and gave them a permit. The word got around and that's why so many people are coming."
These views gained further credibility as a result of intentional misinformation campaigns by migrant smugglers advertising their services. Many coyotes convinced migrants that they would have a clear path to U.S. citizenship if they made it into the United States. However, permisos are actually presented to minors at U.S. immigration hearings while they are placed with relatives to await court dates. Nonetheless, the misconception of lax policies and guaranteed permission for unaccompanied minors to remain in the United States spurred increased youth immigration in recent years.
Adolfo F. Franco, a former official at the U.S. Agency for International Development overseeing Latin America and the Caribbean, condemns the Obama Administration's deportation amnesty, arguing that it entices Central Americans to believe they can stay as long as they reach U.S. territory. This "pull factor" of the U.S. has been deeply criticized and referred to as a fundamental catalyst not only for the high number of unaccompanied minors, but also for adults.
A Temporary Decrease
The summer months slow down the pace of immigration as people realize that setting out across the desert could be fatal if it gets too hot. It is not humanly possible for a person to carry enough water to survive the length of the trip. Tighter enforcement on the U.S. border and aggressive public-relations efforts to disabuse potential migrants of misconceptions about easy permisos have also contributed to recent decreases in migrations.
The best numbers do record a drop. An analysis by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C., makes plain how much the numbers have dropped. The flow decreased from 21,402 a year ago to 12,509 from October to February of both years. This decline is corroborated by the Department of Homeland Security, which saw 28 percent lower total apprehensions during the same period. As Ana Gonzalez-Barrera, a Pew research associate, summed up, "the broad conclusion is that the increase in deportation is having an effect on the flow of unaccompanied minors."
Meanwhile, in response to pressure by the United States, Mexico has stepped up law enforcement on its southern border. Mexican "officials returned 3,819 minors to their home countries in the period studied (October to February), a 56 percent increase over the previous year," according to the New York Times.
The Mexican government has also increased enforcement on its southern border with Guatemala, making it harder for migrants to board the freight train routes through Mexico. The train, known as La Bestia, or Death Train, follows the route from Guatemala north into Mexico. Annually, almost half a million migrants hop aboard these moving cargo trains, suffering the severe heat and lack of water and facing physical dangers that range from amputation to death.
Mexico is, at long last, taking a few steps to make conditions less dangerous for the migrants passing through its territory.
Despite the drop in numbers of unaccompanied children crossing into U.S. territory in the past several months, the debate surrounding the issue is far from finished. Lamentably, however, we still have not come to the shared conclusion that these unaccompanied children deserve humanitarian assistance.
President Obama has been urging Congress since July 8 last year to authorize $3.7 billion USD in emergency funds, but would spend much of the money on border security and on quicker deportations. Still, too little attention and resources are being directed to dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Central America.
The president is doing too little, and the U.S. Congress is doing almost nothing at all.
The poverty and violence of Central America and Mexico must be addressed. "There are not many opportunities for these kids. The violence and presence of the gangs have had a significant impact," said Pacheco, referring to his home back in El Salvador. "Creating more cultural and extracurricular programs would also be useful for the children. These kinds of enrichment would at least expose them to positive experiences in the midst of violence," Pacheco said.
The nations of Latin America must take responsibility for dealing with the crises that are driving people beyond their borders, but the U.S. government must also join Central America and Mexico in tackling the root causes of the immigration crisis.
Immigration policy in this hemisphere is failing. The United States must begin providing adequate visas for legal immigration programs, offer more opportunities for family reunification and normalize unaccompanied children's' status. Whether these children are confronted by border patrol agents or land in detainment centers, they must be treated humanely and respectfully, regardless of their legal status.
The U.S. must provide an authentic case-by-case review of every immigrant's claim for humanitarian relief. And finally, non-contiguous countries should move to adopt Mexico's more stringent law enforcement and repatriation policies, for only this will help to stem the flow of unaccompanied children.
The circumstances surrounding these young migrants must be dealt with now. If we do nothing, the children will continue to suffer unjustly.
Larissa Converti is a research associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs
child migrants, featured, immigration, Latin America, Mexico
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Our coulter kits come in heavy duty single and double coulter assemblies. These robust units can be mounted to existing toolbars or 'in-frame' using an offset mount system also supplied by K-Line Ag.
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Use of the coulter will decrease soil scatter/spray, helping to maintain accurate seed depth and retain trash residue. This allows you to benefit from increased moisture retention and less soil erosion. In addition, retained trash residue will maximise nitrogen for future crops.
Save the cost of purchasing a new seeder – upgrade your old one!


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Q: When a star become black hole, does it attain a low entropy state? When a star goes supernova, its net entropy increases.
If the left over neutron star then collapses into a black hole, does it attain a lower entropy state?

A: There is the Bekenstein entropy bound that states a black hole is the maximum entropy that can be contained within a bounding surface of some area. Here the bounding surface is the event horizon
This is exactly what happens to a vacuum when observed from an inertial frame and from an accelerated frame. The transformation adjusts the vacuum to a vacuum with particles. For a temperature $T~=~ g/2\pi$ for $g$ the acceleration of the frame a change in the acceleration changes the temperature and thus the particle number. This is a form of $T~=~1/8\pi M$ for the temperature of a black hole.  The emission or absorption of a quanta of radiation adjusts the temperature with $M~\rightarrow~M~\pm~\delta M$.
The emission of a Hawking radiation particle is the transfer of entanglement phase from the black hole to particle states. The green hyperbolas are constant time surfaces and the other hyperbolic curves are constant distance. The red loop is an $O(\hbar)$ loop with the Hamiltonian $H$. The propagator for this is $e^{-iHt/\hbar}$ and we assign the euclidean time $t~\rightarrow~iħ/kT$, and around the loop the time sums to $t~\rightarrow~2\pi$. The partition function is then $e^{2πH/kT}$, and the Hamiltonian is defined by the radius of the loop, which is given by the hyperbola it intersects at distance $d~=~c^2/g$ above the horizon. The generation of the Hawking radiation, seen as the two red dots connected by a segment reduces the size of the horizon and the entanglement between the black holes in  two regions I and II. The observer in region I only witnesses one of the EPR pair and has no access to the other pair in region II. Hence this appears as a thermalization of the vacuum into vacuum plus radiation. The exact equation for the temperature is
$$
T~=~\frac{\hbar g}{2\pi kc}
$$

The equation for heat energy and entropy $dQ~=~SdT$ is used with $dQ~=~c^2dM$. The surface gravity of a black hole is
$$
g^2~=~-\frac{1}{2}\nabla^aK^b\nabla_a\nabla K_b
$$
where the Killing vector $K_r~=~\sqrt{1~-~2m/r}\partial_r$ and $m~=~GM/c^2$ are used. This gives $g~=~c^4/4GM$ and so the temperature of a black hole is
$$
T~=~\frac{\hbar c^3}{8\pi GM}.
$$
We now compute the entropy and this is
$$
S~=~k\frac{\pi GM}{\hbar c}~=~k\frac{A}{4L_p},
$$
for $A$ the area of the event horizon and $L_p~=~\sqrt{G\hbar/c^3}$ the Planck length.
This illustrates that the entropy of a system contained within its Schwarzschild radius is the largest that can be contained in that area. One can think of this as meaning the complex information which made up the material contained in the black hole is now hidden and can be shuffled around within the black hole with no measureable change from our outside perspective.

A: No, it attains a much higher entropy state.
At least according to current understanding, black holes have the highest possible entropy for a given mass.
If the entropy of the core material decreased upon gravitational collapse into a black hole, it would be thermodynamically favourable for it to convert back into a star. But of course this never happens.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Congregation Shaare Tefilla is bounded by an eruv, our quiet, tree-lined neighborhood is conveniently located just minutesfrom all types of shopping, downtown and Dallas' northern suburbs.
Download a map of our Eruv HERE.
Download a map of our South of Forest Eruv HERE.
Download info about our South of Forest Eruv HERE.


I was thinking about my 100th blog post, and to be honest, I couldn't decide what I would do for this momentous event! So with no idea in my head, I went on my daily walk, and then I found the most brilliant inspiration.
The man in the photograph is Maurice Collins, he is 94 and he walks the mountain everyday, sometimes 2-3 times. He is a great man and apart from a little difficulty of hearing at times, and arthritis in the knee, he is probably healthier than myself.
It is great to talk to Maurice, because like the mountains he has been around for a very long time. We spoke today about the bit of frost in the air, and the snow of 1947 when there were 40ft snowdrifts, we also spoke about the people, the new ones, those that have been here for only about 20 years!
Maurice got married at the age of 45. His mother he says was a very good woman, and it didn't seem right to bring another woman into the house. But when Maurice did get married, he was blessed with 5 children.
As we walked down the mountain together, every now and then, he would throw a eye to his son's cattle, or wave to the odd mountain driver.
I asked him what his secret was, was it healthy living? He lived a hard life, he told me, but usually had enough to get by. Times could be tough, but you just had to get on with it. He misses being able to drive his car, but he misses driving his horse and cart more, despite often getting soaked through, often 3 or 4 times a day, hence the arthritis.
Maurice remembers a time when Fridays was the day that folk, including his mother and father would travel into town, Camden Street, and sell eggs or buy seeds from Bolands. They would make a day of it, he told me.
The only time Maurice left Ireland, was when he went to London for his honeymoon. He has a sister in America, a member of the Sisters of Mercy I think. When he talks about London and America, you just know that he has no call to worry about either, his world is his life on the mountain, and there isn't an ounce of regret that this is the case.
I enjoy talking to Maurice, he has a good outlook on life, and a gentleman for sure. He loves everything about the mountain, and takes life as it comes with an appreciation that tomorrow is promised to no one.
We left each other at the corner of Piperstown Lane, both going our separate ways for a cup of tea to bring warmth back after the chill of the mountain air.
I am sure I will write about Maurice again, he is just one of those folk that always brings something new to the conversation, but for now, thanks Maurice for my 100th post!
...tomorrow is promised to no one. I like that. Thanks for sharing this.
Great post, and thank you for the introduction.


Browse-a-while Limited provides a House/Property Clearance Service with an initial FREE Site Visit providing Advice and a General Initial Valuation Service on items to all clients.
We clear any size property from modest terraced houses to country estates, including garages, sheds and business premises.
We have a client base of reputable auction houses, collectors and antique dealers that allows us to quickly find potential buyers and avenues for disposal of the items. This enables us to provide you with a speedy service and reduces the costs associated with the services we provide.
The clearances can be as a result of down sizing, just moving home, disposal as part of Probate following the death of a relative, assisting the Executor of a will, disposal following divorce or Family Division Settlements, clearance of items subject to Insurance Claims following a fire or flood or simply where a client is looking to dispose of a collection.
Our initial FREE Site Visit, providing you with advice and a general valuation service, allows you to choose how you want to proceed.
Browse-a-while Limited offers four types of clearance.
1. If you have items that are re-saleable Browse-a-while Limited will buy them from you. This may include the whole contents of a property.
2. If there are re-saleable items but they are of a lower value these can be used to off-set any or all fees involved in the clearing of the property. This may involve Browse-a-while Limited locating buyers for the items or assisting you place the items at the most suitable auction where we will negotiate lower auction fees on your behalf.
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Rehearsal Log: Week 2 — A.B.L.E.
Week two was full of swordfights, storytelling, and lots of fun!
As always, we got started with a dance party and warm ups and then were ready for check in. Check in is an important time for us to get to know each other better, but also to think critically about the show we're creating. Act 1 of Cyrano de Bergerac ends with Cyrano running off to fight 100 men to protect his friend, Ligniere. This week for check in, we asked our ensemble "What would you fight to protect?" We heard some really interesting conversations. In the Friday ensemble, Sam would fight for his mom, Alena and Maria would fight for their sisters, Natalia would fight for her dog, and many of our actors would fight for love. Our Monday ensemble members were willing to fight for civil rights and justice. Ben, Hannah, and Emily K would fight for their families. And Anna would fight for the CUBS!
You might remember, last semester, our ensembles were lucky to particpate in guest artist workshops with UK-based Frantic Assembly. We put some of the skills from these sessions to work this week. For our ensemble game, we played "Center". Everyone moves around the room but has to keep their ears open for a variety of different directions. On "Go" we walk around the space. "Freeze' you might guess means we freeze in place. "Center" means everyone runs into the center of the room and packs together as tight as possible. We also added some swordfight appropriate cues including "En Garde" and "Die" (the hams in our group loved staging big dramatic deaths!). This game is great fun and helps us build listening skills, reaction time, and physicality.
We used all of these to move on to the next section of class: Devising. In addition to scenes and monologues, every A.B.L.E. show features a few group numbers that showcase the ensemble as one big team. For Cyrano, each ensemble will have a group song and a giant swordfight. This week we started choreographing these fight sequences. Working in partners, we developed short combinations that will serve as the basis for our fights. We'll keep building on these in the weeks to come.
Our actors get experience playing multiple characters throughout the rehearsal process. This Friday, Alena was our Cyrano, Sam P was Le Bret, and Mila played Ligniere.
After a round of Musical Characters, we learned the story of Act I. Play plots are written like a storybook, with a few lines from each character popped in. One of our teaching artists reads the narration, and the rest of the ensemble works to act out what we hear. It helps us to learn and retain the story by acting it out rather than just listening to it our reading it to ourselves, and also gives everyone an opportunity to practice our dropping in skills. Over the next few weeks, we'll learn each act of the story by acting out these play plots, with each actor getting a chance to play several different characters.
After check out and "I Take..." we headed home for the night!
Next time: we'll continue with our play plots to learn Act II, and will also have a visit from guest artists Kendra and Peter to learn our ensemble songs!
You can see us in action Thursday May 17th at 7pm at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.


Considering a pre-owned vehicle as your next car, truck, or SUV? Used vehicles are a great choice when looking for your next ride. Reliable and usually less expensive than a brand-new car, used cars are many drivers' go-to buys.
But when looking at your financing options, you might be wondering if leasing your used vehicle is an option. In short, the answer is yes! You can certainly lease a pre-owned vehicle—it's just not as common as leasing a new vehicle. However, it certainly has many benefits.
To give our drivers in Miami, Hialeah, and Doral the scoop on leasing a pre-owned car, our team at Braman Honda in Miami has compiled the pros and cons of this financing option right here. Let's get started!
One of the terms of leasing a used car is that it has to be considered a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle. In short, this means that the car is no more than four years old, and has 48,000 miles or less on it. However, just like leasing a new car, you can trade this vehicle in when your lease term is up, and trade it in for a newer model, or a different CPO model.
And when you choose to lease a used car, you're more than likely going to be paying less monthly for it. Leasing a vehicle ultimately means paying the rate of the car's predicted depreciation, not the total worth. That's why buying a vehicle will immediately up your payments, while you could lease a vehicle that may not normally be in your budget.
If you think leasing a pre-owned car, truck, or SUV is the way to go for you, you'll want to first consider the vehicle you're interested in, and weigh out if it'll cost you more in the long run. Certified pre-owned cars come with warranties, but might not cover certain damages, and you'll have to put money out of your own pocket for a car that's essentially not yours.
With a pre-owned vehicle, the depreciation value will be higher, as well, which essentially raises your monthly payments. Additionally, it's been shown that a vehicle that's three years old has twice the amount of issues as a vehicle that's just a year old, and it may be more worth your while to take the jump and buy the car.
If you're looking to save on monthly payments, while still getting a reliable vehicle, equipped with a warranty, leasing a pre-owned vehicle is the way to go—not to mention, you won't find many differences between your leased vehicle and a brand new one.
Our team at Braman Honda in Miami can help you find the pre-owned car that's right for you. Start by checking out our extensive used inventory, and then feel free to contact us when you've found the ride that's right for you!


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Comesaña announces tumble in Independiente Medellín: Ricaurte returns, Vueltich, Reina and more leave | Colombian Soccer | Betplay League
Julio Comesaña is by no means on vacation. While the others rest after the elimination of the homers, he takes very firm steps towards the Independiente Medellín model 2022. And what he announces is a complete tumble!
"I want a well-designed squad, that has no excuses, with players for the team," announced the DT. And in that line, the first thing will be news that will make many followers of red happy: the return of a benchmark!
"I spoke with Andrés Ricaurte, I wanted to know what he felt and if he wanted to return to Medellín. I also asked him about what role he saw that he could give us the best. I need to build partnerships that invite each other to play games. He will be with us the next year ", said the DT in a press conference.
And alternately, the DIM announced four important outings on its social networks: Robert Harrys, Javier Reina, Leonardo Castro and Agustín Vuletich.
Regarding the case of the attacker, who did not clash dressed in red, beyond some physical problems, the DT explained: "Vuletich is leaving because I am looking for something else and we also have to play with the quota of foreigners. I am thinking of other variants of offensive game that does not happen to have a man 9 of area ".
And watch out for the other news: "Bryan Castrillón made merits to return to the club, Ever Valencia did not have much participation but it was important. Matías Mier is not in the plans at this time, I have to meet Walter Rodríguez. Diber Cambindo will continue in the We lowered four youth players to their category, I do not want to elaborate on the issue of the inferiors, we are going to see what players serve us … Agreements are being reached with Mármolejo, Germán Gutiérrez has already renewed Arboleda, "he added.
Comesaña does not want to sell illusions: "You have to speak the truth to the fans. It may hurt a little, but a repeated lie is worse. We are looking for multi-functional players. Here it is not the one who spends the most that wins, but the one who builds the best, having expensive players they create difficulties.
It does not mean that it is not ambitious, after being left out of the current finals: "If I believe that with the squad I have it is not to classify among the eight, I am able to say that ko is not enough for me and I am leaving. In the meantime I'm going to be here, "he concluded.
Topics: eatana, heavy, Medellin, Referrer, returns
FC Barcelona wins at Basketball Girona by 73-84
Roosterse ends season with a draw against Smashing
BASKETBALL (Betclic Elite): The JDA Dijon comes back against Paris
Conor McGregor was hit by a car while riding a bicycle and said he was close to death | News from Mexico


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2019 Jan.11
How To Avoid Misunderstandings with an Effective Anonymization Tool
Bitext / GDPR, Entity extraction, Anonymization, NLP for CX
Has your name or surname ever been mocked? In many languages, people are really embarrassed to have unusual names that make other people laugh. Some names and surnames are treated even as insulting or offensive in some cases.
Some users were denied access to online registers because their names were identified as offensive words. Natalie Weiner, writer and editor from New York, tweeted the moment when she wanted to create an account with a website and her last named was deemed offensive. Plenty of people replied to her Tweet with similar stories showing compassion for her. Mike Dickman and James Butts, among others, sympathized with Natalie since they also knew that situation first-hand.
The same happened to Bernhard Dick when he tried to register on the website of a software company. As you can see in the image below, when he entered his surname, the following warning message appeared:
There is no doubt that the use of profanity is prohibited in many websites but something is failing, at least in cases like those mentioned above. Detecting offensive words in registration dialog boxes or messages posted online is a process relying on keyword-matching techniques. Generally, websites make use of supervised ML-based classification methods to learn the target pattern through labeled training data.
Nevertheless, such procedures are not suitable for a correct language detection since they do not take into account the context in which an offensive word appears, for instance. Likewise, they ignore any linguistic characteristic or sentence structure that may be helpful to avoid any name misunderstanding.
A tidy solution here would be applying an anonymization method to entities previously recognized. Data anonymization is a process of detecting and removing sensitive data from a document while keeping its original format.
The Bitext anonymization services, including GDPR, are based on an entity extraction technique in which each entity is classified according to its grammatical attributes and position in a sentence. There is a tool that extracts the relevant named entities (personal names, places, companies, addresses, dates, phone numbers, etc.) and offensive language (insulting, rude, vulgar, swear words...) replacing them with an expression.
If performed correctly, anonymization is definitely the best method to ensure the safety of data collected on the net. To do that, not only must the spelling of a word be considered, but also its linguistic attributes which make it different from its homographs, avoiding such blunders.
Do you want to see how it works? Check our API.
GDPR, Entity extraction, Anonymization, NLP for CX


text:
Clothing Products
REINDEER Trademark Information
Trademark by LA MARAVILLA S.A.
shoes, sandals and sneakers
shoes sandals sneakers
This is a brand page for the REINDEER trademark by LA MARAVILLA S.A. in *********, **********, ***** ****.
Write a review about a product or service associated with this REINDEER trademark. Or, contact the owner LA MARAVILLA S.A. of the REINDEER trademark by filing a request to communicate with the Legal Correspondent for licensing, use, and/or questions related to the REINDEER trademark.
On Friday, August 20, 1999, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for REINDEER. The USPTO has given the REINDEER trademark serial number of 75781747. The current federal status of this trademark filing is ABANDONED - FAILURE TO RESPOND OR LATE RESPONSE. The correspondent listed for REINDEER is GOTTLIEB, RACKMAN & REISMAN. P.C. of ********,********, ***** **** . The REINDEER trademark is filed in the category of Clothing Products . The description provided to the USPTO for REINDEER is shoes, sandals and sneakers.
Intent to Use Trademark - Applicant has not submitted proof of use in commerce the the USPTO.
Clothing, footwear, headgear.
Word mark: REINDEER
ABANDONED - FAILURE TO RESPOND OR LATE RESPONSE
Goods and Services: shoes, sandals and sneakers
LA MARAVILLA S.A.
Circles as carriers or as single line borders (Geometric figures and solids - Coding and searching guide) see more design...
Heads of deer, elk, reindeer, fawns, antelopes, moose, gazelles (Animals - Bovines, deer, antelopes, goats, sheep, pigs, cows, bulls, buffalo, moose ) see more design...
GOTTLIEB, RACKMAN & REISMAN. P.C.
Trademarkia-Network law firms can help you incorporate a business around your REINDEER trademark in less than 5 minutes. Trademarkia makes the process easy and convenient, so start now!
GOTTLIEB, RACKMAN & REISMAN. P.C. is a correspondent of REINDEER trademark.
Please Rate and Review for REINDEER
REINDEER is providing shoes, sandals and sneakers.


4 Bollywood movies posters released today on Eid 2016. All these movies are creating enough curiosity since first day of its public existence. The movies are A Flying Jatt starring Tiger Shroff in lead role, M.S.Dhoni untold story starring Sushant Singh Rajput in lead role, Happy Bhag Jayegi starring Diana Penty in lead role, and Great Grand Masti of Riteish-Vivek-Aftab-Uravshi.


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Skype Group Video Calling Coming to Android, iOS, and Windows 10 Mobile
January 17, 2016 adminComments Off on Skype Group Video Calling Coming to Android, iOS, and Windows 10 Mobile
Marking its 10-year anniversary, Microsoft's Skype team on Tuesday announced that it has introduced the group video calling feature to everyone on Android, iOS, and Windows 10 Mobile. Skype already supported group video calls but only for those who opted for Skype for Business. The feature is now available to non-subscribers as well.
The feature can be used free of cost and will be rolled out to users in the 'coming weeks'. However, for those who want to preview the group calling feature, they can sign-up by submitting some details.
The Skype group video calling service lets up to 25 users share a video call on desktop. However, the popular VoIP service is not the only one sporting such kind of feature. Rival apps such as GoogleHangouts also supports group video calling for up to 10 users. Line (with Popcorn Buzz), Viber, WeChat, and other popular chatting apps also have the feature. Hike in September last year introduced group audio calling feature, letting up to 100 people to talk to each other in a group call. Other popular chatting applications such as FaceTime and Facebook Messenger are yet to receive the feature.
Gurdeep Pall Singh, the Global Corporate Vice President of Skype in the company blog post added that in 10 years Skype users have generated nearly 2 trillion minutes of free Skype video calls. "In fact, with that amount of time, you can use Skype to read to every child in the world for 10 hours, every family can be together over Skype for more than 7 hours and there's still time left for the entire world's workforce to have an hour-long interview via Skype," he said.
Tagged Android, iOS, Skype, Windows 10 Mobile
2019 Elections: Facebook to Check Indian Political Ads in Build-Up to Vote
December 17, 2018 December 17, 2018 admin
Indian advertisers wanting to run political ads on Facebook will have to confirm their identity and location to help prevent abuse of the system in the build-up to national elections, the company said on Thursday. Facebook – under increasing scrutiny following the Cambridge Analytica scandal – said it would start verifying ads from Thursday and, from next year, […]
Bharat Net Broadband Infrastructure Under-Utilised in Most States: Sundararajan
Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan on Monday said most of the states have not utilised the infrastructure for Bharat Net broadband project. Speaking at a seminar on National Digital Communications Policy, Sundararajan, however, noted the Union government has invested heavily in the project. "If you look at the utilisation, I think Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan are […]
World Bank Says Concerned About Facebook Free Basics' Model of Internet
The World Bank has said net neutrality should ensure greatest possible Internet access to users and not undermine their fundamental rights and freedoms, voicing concern over moves by companies globally including Facebook in India to provide people free Internet with restricted access. "Care should be taken to ensure that users have the greatest possible access […]
Google IO 2016 Dates and Venue Announced
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Dual SIM Launched


text:
Benger Rushes for 204 Yards in Carnegie Mellon's 42-10 Win at Thiel
Carnegie Mellon (7-1) 0 28 7 7 42
Thiel (1-6) 3 0 7 0 10
Pa: Ronald Brown - 32
Ru: Nick Barca - 165
Rec: Ryan Rowland - 33
Pa: Alex Cline - 84
Ru: Sam Benger - 204
Rec: John Prather - 77
(GREENVILLE, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team traveled to Greenville, Pennsylvania on Saturday to play the Tomcats of Thiel College and left with a 42-10 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) victory. Carnegie Mellon is now 7-1 and 5-1 in PAC play, as Thiel moves to 1-6 and 1-4.
Senior running back Sam Benger (Hingham, Mass.) led the Tartans with 204 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. It marked the second time this season that the back rushed for 200 yards in a game and eighth for his career. Junior quarterback Alex Cline (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) passed for 84 yards and two touchdowns while senior wide receiver John Prather (Olney, Md./Our Lady Of Good Counsel) led the Tartans with seven catches for 77 yards and a score. Prather now has 11 receiving touchdowns on the season and is tied for the single-season record that Graham Schilling set in 2015.
Carnegie Mellon totaled 399 yards of total offense with 300 coming by way of the rush attack. Thiel totaled 278 yards and was led by Nick Barca with 165 yards on 36 carries. Senior outside linebacker Kyle Brittain (Largo, Fla./Clearwater Central Catholic) led the Tartans defense with 10 tackles and an interception. Junior cornerback Ethan Anderson (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) recovered two fumbles for the Tartans and added four tackles.
Thiel took the opening kick and put together a 13-play, 65-yard drive that resulted in a 29-yard field goal by Chris Rosales to give the Tomcats the early 3-0 lead five minutes into the contest.
Carnegie Mellon got on the scoreboard at the 14:24 mark of the second quarter when Benger capped off a 10-play, 57-yard drive with a 5-yard scamper up the middle. Benger's touchdown run made the score 7-3.
The Tartans pushed the lead to 14-3 on an 1-yard run by junior Rory Hubbard (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) on the visitor's next possession. The score was setup with a forced fumble by sophomore Michael Lohmeier (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central) which was recovered by Carnegie Mellon's Anderson on Thiel's 44-yard line nine plays prior.
Carnegie Mellon added two more scores before the end of the half to take a 28-3 lead into the locker room. Cline connected with Prather for a 12-yard score and then found Hubbard for a 5-yard strike in the closing minute of the half. The latter score was setup with an interception by Brittain that gave the Tartans the ball on the Thiel 47-yard line.
With 6:13 on the clock in the third quarter, Benger ran around the right side and darted for a 40-yard touchdown to make the score 35-3. On the ensuing possession, Thiel marched 67 yards and brought the score to 35-10 on a 1-yard run by Charles Debose.
Sophomore Chris Haas (Coronado, Calif.) closed the scoring with a 6-yard run which made the score 42-10 with 2:14 to play.
Carnegie Mellon will travel to New Wilmington, Pennsylvania on Saturday, October 28 to play the Titans of Westminster College. Kick is set for 7:00 p.m.


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Narrative project switches from Ethereum to NEO
January 13, 2018 in General
On January 12, 2018, Narrative, a social media network that rewards users who provide quality content, made an announcement about making a switch from the Ethereum blockchain to the NEO blockchain, for both their Token Sale and to operate their platform.
What is Narrative?
Narrative is a "social media network that rewards content creators, moderators and everyone who positively influences the quality of content." 85% of all revenue will be distributed to users who participate on Narrative. The 'Content Economy' is governed by users through their contributions and actions, which is influenced by their reputation on the service. Narrative uses blockchain as a basis for content currency, to provide compensation for the user-generated content.
Narrative wants to be the "World's Public Journal" and describes itself as a "mashup between Medium, Instagram and Twitter, but with more focused subject-matter." The new service aims to disrupt the top-down forms of compensation utilized by current content providers, and puts its members in control through:
Reputation and content scoring;
Member governance through user-owned content, elected moderators, and a user-elected Tribunal;
Transparency of all revenue-related transactions and a public audit of the organization; and,
Compensation through either the Narrative token (NRV) or fiat currency.
Narrative's Token Sale will allocate 50% of the genesis tokens to those who purchased through the crowdsale, which will provide 300 NRV tokens per NEO. 20% of the tokens will be allocated to the Narrative team, and 30% allocated for marketing.
Narrative will require Know Your Customer (KYC) information to whitelist Token Sale registrants. The minimum contribution to reach "Founder" status will now be 60 NEO (previously 10 ETH). Despite the switch to NEO and minor changes to the details of the Token Sale, the timeline still remains nearly the same as before the platform switch:
The Private Pre-Sale is on-going, and will end on February 9, 2018, and
The Public Sale will begin February 13, 2018 and end on March 22, 2018.
The roadmap for Narrative has the Token Sale ending in Q1 of 2018, the launch of the beta platform in Q4 of 2018, advertising added to the platform in Q1 of 2019, and the launch of Narrative in Spanish, German, and French throughout 2019. The leadership and adviser team is comprised of individuals who have vast experience in online content and community spaces.
Why did Narrative switch from Ethereum to NEO?
Narrative saw issues of transaction bottlenecks, high transaction fees, and unclear enhancement plans with Ethereum. Ted O'Neill, the Founder of Narrative and Social Strata, said there are other promising blockchain platforms they were looking to develop on, but NEO is the most advanced and developed.
Some of the qualities of NEO highlighted by O'Neill as reasons for choosing the platform are as follows –
Narrative aims to be a large social media network that has lots of transactions recorded on the blockchain. NEO can handle up to 10,000 transactions per second, and will have less scalability issues.
NEO charges no transaction fees. As there will be accounting systems built into Narrative that will occur internally, between the system and members, there are huge potential savings over time.
There are many programming languages that can be used on the NEO blockchain, which reduces costs associated with training new developers.
NEO's consensus mechanism, delegated Byzantine Fault Tolerance, will lead to more stability for the platform, and won't have the possibility for any contentious forks down the road.
There's an additional level of security added into NEO, that a lot of other blockchains have not yet included in their development. The Quantum Computer Resistance adds a level of security Narrative finds of value, because they are dedicated to protecting anyone who uses their platform.
Lastly, Narrative witnessed the successful launch of two token sales – Red Pulse and DeepBrain Chain – through the NEP-5 protocol that sets a standard for NEO tokens. O'Neill stated, "with Ethereum anyone can launch their own token at virtually no cost. This has led to a flood of projects, many of them scurrilous. One thing we like about NEO, on the other hand, is that there is a significant system fee for deploying a new token."
Ultimately, Narrative made the switch to NEO from Ethereum for two primary reasons. First, to minimize the risk of regulatory compliance required by KYC (it should be noted Chinese investors will not be allowed to participate). Secondly, the leadership team finds the NEO platform to be able to meet their current demands and future needs.
Tags: NRVE
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FACTUAL IDEAS
TRENDING CELEBRITY NEWS
Ade Samuel Bio-Wiki, Age, Family, Boyfriend, Height, and Net Worth
This article will answer every question you have about Ade Samuel. Below are some of the frequently asked questions about her.
What does Samuel do for a living?
Who are Samuel's parents and siblings?
What are Samuel's interests and hobbies?
Is Samuel married or does she have a boyfriend?
Does Samuel have any children?
Where is Samuel now?
How tall is Samuel?
How much money does Samuel earn?
What is Samuel's net worth?
N/B: Please read the entire post to have all your questions answered.
Who is Ade Samuel?
How Old is Ade Samuel?
Ade Samuel Family
Who are Ade Samuel's parents?
Does Ade Samuel have siblings?
Ade Samuel Education
Ade Samuel Husband – Boyfriend
Ade Samuel Height
Ade Samuel Net Worth
Ade Samuel is an American celebrity stylist, and shoe designer who started off as an intern at Teen Vogue and W magazines and later trained with stylists Cher Coulter and Simone Harouche.
Ade has dressed "grown-ish" teen star Yara Shahidi in playful, color-rich red carpet pieces by Bibhu Mohapatra, Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh, and Dolce & Gabbana. She helps rapper Big Sean think outside the T-shirt-and-jeans box and glams up singers Jhené Aiko and Kelly Rowland. She also worked behind the scenes on Beyoncé's "Formation" video, styled the "Black Panther" cast for the March 2018 double-issue covers of Essence magazine, and outfitted "Insecure" star Yvonne Orji.
Ade launched her shoe label in 2016. She describes her line of high-end heels as "edgy but also sleek, classic, and comfortable." Her designs include a pointed-toe pump reminiscent of spectators and a vampy black leather number with six buckled straps.
Ade Prepped Angela Rye for a red-carpet moment where the political analyst wore a velvet and Ankara print ball gown by Nigerian-born designer Queen E. to attend WACO Theater Center's "WACO to Wakanda"-themed Wearable Art Gala in Los Angeles in March 2018.
Samuel is 32 years old as of 2020 having been born on September 6, 1988, in New York City, New York. She shares her birthday with other famous people such as Idris Elba, Lauren Lapkus, Pipa Middleton, Roger Waters, Naomie Harris, Kiyoshi Hikawa, among others.
Samuel was born to Nigerian immigrants and raised in the Bronx. Ade has shared that her family's African roots have made a lasting impression on her styling eye. "My aesthetic is to always build textures, layers, and prints. It comes from being of Nigerian descent." She has also shared that she look up to her grandma and mother in terms of dressing. "Being able to take a piece of fabric and create a look that wasn't for walking the runway or for a major fashion show, it was just for a party or wedding, that's just so inspiring to me," she said.
Samuel's secretive nature has shown up in her personal life. She has managed to keep her family background very private. In case there is news regarding her parents and siblings, we shall update it here as soon as possible.
Samuel attended Buffalo State College earning a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Textile and Technology. She has shared that the degree has been very helpful for her because she is well-versed in different leathers and fabric compositions and how they work together.
On her love life matters, Ade is seen as a person who hates drama and loves her privacy. She has managed to keep her marriage/dating life low key and leaving many with a lot of unanswered questions. In case there is any news regarding this matter, we shall update it here as soon as possible.
Samuel's height is not yet disclosed.
Samuel has earned greatly through her styling and designing career. However, her net worth is not yet disclosed. In case there is any news regarding her net worth, we shall update it here as soon as possible.
*Famous People in USA
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The World's Most Famous
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Our Display Garden and Nursery are OPEN EVERY WEEKEND in April and May from 10-5, including out very special Mother's Day celebration.
May 4th & 5th Sat./Sunday.
Demonstrations throughout the day, starting at 10 am.
♥ EXPERIENCE an authentic, behind the scenes peek at the ancient process of rose water and rose oil extraction.
Staff will be on hand to explain the process and why only a hand full of roses are good enough for rose oil production. You can also see the fields the roses are harvested from.
♥ VISIT Our Gorgeous Gardens in Full Bloom.
and 200 kinds of irises.
the 'Hollywood and Vine' Roses, and so much MORE.
NURSERY OPEN 10-5 & filled with fragrant roses, irises & perennials.
Garden and NURSERY OPEN 10-5.
Enjoy this special day in honor of our wonderful Mothers. Wander through the rose garden AT FULL BLOOM! Many families have made a Mother's Day visit to our garden a family tradition. Allow yourselves this day to really "Smell the Roses"!
Maybe even select a rose plant for Mom to take home!
Experience the beauty and fragrance of 650 verieties of roses as you stroll down the Rose Allee with huge rambling roses billowing down from 12'x12' arches.
Also, enjoy our secret garden treasures: "the Purple Playground", the "Humming Bird Wall", "Hollywood and Vine", "7 Dwarves", "Children's Garden" and the "Kitchen Garden" collections and see California's ONLY Perfume Rose Fields --- in Full Bloom!.
Nursery open and brimming with roses and hummingbird/butterfly attracting annuals & perennials.
Check out our gift shop with many unique items such as our ultra-fragrant, estate produced Rose Water. The Rose water comes in a gift bag with 14 simple and delicious recipes and a blurb about its unique origins.
Garden & Nursery Open 10-5 $2 donation.
Visit our Enchanting Gardens - Inhail the scent of 650 varieties of roses perfuming the air. Wander down the 400 ft. 'Rose Allee', explore the Butterfly Garden, Hummingbird Wall and many other delights.
Meet and Enjoy Angela Sage Larsen, author of the famous Petalwink the Fairy book series, reading her stories in her cheery way (Sat. @ 11 & 2/ Sunday @ 2). Following the reading, she will be available for book signing. Click HERE for more about Petalwink.
Peek into our NEW Children's Fairy Garden, an enchanted village of special fairy houses, flowers, cottages, streams and sparkles.
Visit California's only Perfume Rose Fields- Immerse yourself in the scent of hundreds of specially selected roses from Bulgaria, France and Persia. Planted, en masse, for the production of rose water and rose oil.
Sample: our ESTATE grown and produced rose water and rose oil perfume "Rose Embrace". Treat yourself to a taste our wonderful rose water sorbet -- Yum.
NURSERY OPEN and fairy full of gorgeious roses, irises and perennials for sale.
"Tea and Memories in the Rose Garden"
$4 Donation includes Tea Service. No reservations required.
Sip a cup of organic TEA as you enjoy the scents and sights of our beautiful Rose Garden, with its collection of 650 varieties of antique and modern roses, surrounded by the lovely, rolling vineyards of Dry Creek Valley.
Tables and chairs will be set out throughout the garden, so you may 'sit and sip' while watching butterflies and Hummingbirds flit and hum around you.
The tree will slowly fill with hundreds of these beautiful fluttering messages. Absolutely Lovely!
Enjoy the 400 ft. 'Rose Allee', a series of 8 - 12' x 12' arches covered with billowing roses. Explore the 'Butterfly Garden', Hummingbird Wall and much more.
Sample: Estate made rose water, Perfume and rose water sorbet. Limited quantities will also be available for purchase.
perennials for birds, bees and butterflies.
End of Season Plant Sale !!!


These diagrams show how data flows through an information system, which processes or external entities create or consume the data, and where it is stored. They do not detail the sequencing between processes, which would be represented by process models. Enterprise Architect provides a Data Flow Diagram that modelers can use to create expressive diagrams with click-through drill-down from the Concept diagram right through to the lowest level diagram.
The Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is part of the Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method and is used to show the way that data flows through a system including the Processes, Data Stores and Entities that relate to the data.


You can display or change the value of the SDI variable by typing SDI on the command line.
• Mapping Autodesk Cloud (AutoCAD WS) as a network disk drive.
• How to open another DWG file from LISP?
• The CLOSE command stops to work after loading an add-on application.
• The CLOSE command does not work from my command line.


Iecenu Delikateses gourmet shop offers not only our own produced top quality meat products and sausages but also selected wines, our own baked fresh bread, cheese, greens and sweets from local producers as well as real Italian espresso for our early clients. The log house concept of our shop is unique, as it has been built valuing the traditional building elements. The interior contains hand made wooden furniture, shelfs, lamps, tables and by combining these simple yet elegant elements with our Italian designer counters and tiles, we offer a shop as sincerely put together as our own produced meat goods.


Last week Lavinia performed during the Days & Nights festival of Philip Glass in Carmel, California. Philip Glass wrote a special harp part for her in his new piece "Is Infinity Odd or Even" with texts by Arturo Bejar. She also performed together with Laurie Anderson, one of her great inspirators. An unforgettable week!


text:
import Radio from './Radio'
import { default as Group } from './RadioGroup'
import { default as Button } from './RadioButton'

Radio.Group = Group;
Radio.Button = Button;

export { Button, Group };
export default Radio


A circuit which limits the rate at which a signal can increase or decrease in value. This circuit, or a software simulation of it, is most often used to produce portamento by processing a control voltage which is subsequently used to control the frequency of a VCO. In the analog synthesizer world, two types of lag processor exist: the more common type is basically a low pass filter with a below-audio cutoff frequency. It exhibits an exponential transfer curve; that is, if the gap between the input and output voltage is large, the ouptput will rise/fall more rapidly, and if the gap is small, the output rises or falls slowly. A second, less common type is known as "slew rate limiting"; it simply imposes a hard upper limit on the slope of the output.


This is a shot of my inspiration wall.
the hat I wore to Texas Bowl where Arkansas decisively beat Texas at the Texas Bowl in Houston, where I was the passenger in a car for 10 hours one way while 6 months pregnant. Woo pig.
art from my friends Emily Jeffords and MJ of Good in Store.
my 2016 vision board I made with my friend Terra. Two weeks after I pasted those scissors onto that canvas I cut all my hair off.
the business cards of the wonderful Memphis-based artist Maggie Russell and the oh-so-talented Funlola Coker.
an out-take of the photo-booth I had set up for The Late Bloomer show.
a piece of Late Bloomer art as well as several abstract pieces that have not seen the world until today.
And tucked away, in the middle of it all, my family's holiday card for 2015.
It says "happy holidays" in beautiful rose gold script but really it should say, "happy everything. I'm so grateful for this crazy life."
I stuck it in the middle of all the art and inspiration as a reminder that life without those two guys in the picture with me isn't imaginable.
As I've said before, I was creative before I met my husband but I didn't become "a creative" with a blog until I started dating my husband. I made art before my son was born but I didn't become an artist until he came along.
It's a holiday card - yes.
It was something that I was proud to send to friends and family scattered all over the country. It was something they most likely stuck on their fridge or have saved in some box that their kids will rifle through on a rainy day.
But it's more than a holiday card too.
It's a snapshot of my small family and our first thanksgiving as three.
It's the image I will measure all holiday cards against for the rest of my lifetime, perhaps.
And it's a reminder to be thankful for what I have, day after day after day.
As a part of The Hello Sessions, Minted offered the attendees a special offer for their holiday cards if they would write about their experience. I was wonderfully impressed with their service and product and would say so even if they weren't offering me a great deal.
p.s. I sent these as "Happy New Year!" cards because I was late getting them into the mail. Feel free to use that trick too if it seems too hard to make it to the post office before Christmas.
is they believe in you so when you tell them something awesome they are like, "Of course you are."
This exact thing happened when I shared with my friends that I had gotten my first illustration assignment. They were excited for me but there were no exclamation points. No expletives of celebration. No "That's amazing!" or "No way! I don't believe it!"
"Of course you are. Congratulations."
They knew I was capable of this thing all along, even if I wasn't sure of anything myself.
What else do these people know? What else do I need to approach with the same confidence of my friends?
The answer, I'm learning is: Lots.
So starting today, I'm going to do my best to start listening to the smart people with whom I choose to surround myself.
When my son was four months old I started a podcast.
"Can motherhood and creativity coexist?" was the catchy sub-title. I set out to talk to the most creative moms I had access to and ask them how they made it happen. I would be able to talk about the business of creativity, the secret of productivity and learn how these smart women found time to do their creative work while being an awesome mom.
It was a project that felt very glamourous. I remember the feeling of seeing the icon I had designed pop up in the iTunes window the first time and felt a surge of pride and excitement that was invigorating. I quickly racked up a list of women who's title and accomplishments were, without doubt, impressive. I landed on the iTunes "New and Noteworthy" list and cheers went up throughout social media.
Backstage of all this glamor? Almost constant feelings of fear (for my son, for myself,for my marriage, for my extended family) as well as feelings of inadequacy and angst that were fueling this drive to create this show. I was a woman who not only worried about the loss of her creativity (which I showcased via the podcast) but, underneath it all, was also struggling to come to terms with the brevity and beauty, the seriousness and the sillyness of life.
As I explained in a recent Instagram post, I didn't "feel sad". Yes, I would find excuses to get out of my house around 5:30 every day because I didn't want my husband or mom to see me cry. But I blamed this on the upcoming night - Would I sleep? Would Sam sleep? Would my husband see me as a good mom?
More than anything, I just felt like a mess.
I couldn't tell the difference between my son's "hungry cry" and his "wet cry"; wasn't this a skill all good moms' possessed? Yes, I took an inordinate number of pictures of my sweet child but other than that I didn't really know what to "do" with him; his disinterest in books as a newborn was infinitely disheartening. I took on the weird reality of being simultaneously bored (no interaction from the baby) but busy (because, except when he napped, he kept me busy).
So I became a closet work-a-holic.
"Closet" in the figurative "no one knows" sense and in the literal "I have a podcast space in my guest bedroom closet" sense.
I recently read an article that stated, "Workaholism is a form of emotional self-estrangement," and I cried out in recognition. Having exhausted myself of asking hundreds of unanswerable questions during the first few months of my child's life (Is my son going to be smart? Is my son going to be successful? Is my son going to be a good human being? Is my son going to be healthy? What if he has a learning disorder? What if he has a life-threatening illness? What if he gets put in jail? *You know, the most negative thoughts I could possibly find.*), I was only too happy to disconnect from the weight of the unknown. Instead, I plunged into the inevitable consternation that comes from learning a new process from the beginning. And in that consternation I found bits of accomplishment, moments filled with an energy and light that continued to evade me in the seeming non-stop drudgery of newborn-ness.
Reading over this sounds like the most pitiful tale, doesn't it?
However, I have come to realize that the podcast was my own personal life vest. It was the thing that kept my head above water so I could continue swimming through what was a mentally and emotionally challenging period of my life.
And now, thankfully, that high water has begun to recede.
There are still bad days: Nights where no one in the house is able to sleep or meals where hardly anything is consumed and everyone is cranky as a result. But the majority of this "bad" is in the moment. A temporary cloud in an otherwise sunny forecast. The existential angst and innumerable unanswerable questions? They're still there. Mostly because that's how I'm stitched up and will forever be working toward silencing. However, the volume of that negativity no longer pushes me to keep my mind and hands as busy as they were a few short months ago.
So this is a thank you note.
To all of the podcast guests who graciously said, "Yes." : Thank you for allowing me to take up your time and inbox space with a process and procedure I am still working to perfect. I wanted to talk to you because you have a strength and tenacity that I admire and hope to replicate.
To all of the listeners who choose to plug in those earbuds and press the play button : Thank you for giving me an external reason for working through the rough times.
And to myself : Thanks for fighting even when it felt like flailing.
I'm publishing this on Tuesday, May 24 and I hope to have a new episode up with Marissa Huber of Carve Out Time for Art this coming Memorial Day, Monday, May 31st. (The business / marketing side of my brain is screaming in protest right now because "every knows" that launching something on a holiday is stupid. But oh well.) I work best on public deadlines so there it is.
I was totally and completely apathetic.
But I was also not terribly happy.
Not, "oh there's definitely something wrong here" frightening, just an "under the surface 'What the hell is wrong with me?'" frightening.
The fact that my OB was more excited and joyful than I was during that first visit made something click. Watching the joy come over her face made me realize something was missing on my end so I made an appointment with my therapist.
When I explained that I was worried that I wasn't "feeling the right things" she assured me that feelings aren't "right" or "wrong". They just are. She encouraged me to talk through the apathy through. The "diagnosis", and I say that loosely because this is by no means a medical journal, was "emotional constipation".
And like most things that happen in the mental health sphere I just kind of nodded and smiled while inwardly shaking my head and thinking, "Yeah right."
"I don't experience feelings? That's bull. I feel feelings all the time. Like when the grocery store don't have the lettuce I'm looking for or when that one guy I work with knows everything or anytime I'm on I49. I definitely have and experience feelings."
But the longer I sat with the emotional constipation diagnosis, the more I realized it was true. Yes, I did get flares of frustration and moments of happiness but, when it came to anything more pertinent than shopping for salad, I kept fairly neutral.
My "why", like most things that have to do with mental health, is complicated and unpretty.
Maybe it had to do with my past and my view of God as an all-knowing, all-judging being who would undoubtly punish me for being ungrateful even in times of struggle.
Maybe it had to do with my present and the fact that I felt like I was juggling. All. The. Things. Knowing that if I was to take a minute to rest / cry / laugh it would upset everything else in the cycle.
Maybe it had to do with being a first child and all the self-imposed restrictions and standards that come from there.
Maybe it was my inner saboteur constantly whispering, "You're not good enough," and feeling as if a poker face facade was my only weapon.
Maybe it was my inner optimist who's long view of life managed to continually chide me, "You have it better than 95% of people on this big 'ol planet. Cheer up!"
Maybe it was the fact that I was (and continue to be) hyper aware of people and their perception of me and the thought of being vulnerable and real was intensely scary.
Or maybe it was all those things rolled up and combined with the fact that emoting takes energy and in that first trimester I had none.
a fairly decent cure for emotional constipation.
After literally being torn apart (episiotomy be damned) by the small human who had been living inside of me all of my emotions came out with him. The grief of losing my grandmother, the anxiety of keeping this child alive, the hope of the life I wanted for him, the affection for the people around us who did everything they could to help- all of it felt like a wall had been broken down from the inside and I could do nothing but watch the waves roll by.
and almost two years out from my diagnosis of emotional constipation, I have a bit more perspective. I'm grateful that I'm no longer living on the swells of the emotional tide (because that is totally exhausting) but I'm also glad the wall has come down as well.
I still have to remind myself that it's okay to cry.
That's it's okay to enjoy a particularly good moment.
That's it's okay to be sad about the fact that my husband's dog is sick even though there are probably much sadder things happening in the world at this very moment.
I'm slowing learning and slowly being okay with feeling.
This drawing is part of the #100daysofprettyplants series which you can follow on Instagram.
The particular drawing comes from a challenge to "intertwine your flowers with something that makes you feel raw and vulnerable" comes from a friend who I've known since the third grade. Her challenge scared me and took me off guard, which is how I knew I needed to pursue it. Thank you Ann.
When I started blogging in 2011, I was a confused 20-something who, in the midst of juggling grad school and a long distance relationship with the man who would eventually be my husband, decided to start a blog*.
*Not this blog, another one called Approaching Joy.
That blog had horrible photography, recipes that would make Martha Stewart mad (undercooked homemade poptarts anyone?), and absolutely no real direction. That blog came from the whisper of a young woman who had not yet learned the power of her own voice and the amazing energy that comes from following one's internal compass. That blog never garnered massive critical acclaim but through it I met some amazing people who I now consider some of my most dear friends. That first blog post, through the crazy winding road that is creativity, lead to this first blog post, the first of what I hope to be many blog posts as an artist and mom and lover of love and community and kindness and creativity.
Moral of the story: Do that thing you want to do. It could be the thing you look back on in five years and say, "I'm so glad I did that."