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p.t. | photography
Ukraine (Kyiv)
Infamous in the mainstream (scripted, yawn) and alternative (real) media, Ukraine is now a country that many people are at least loosely aware of, if not for the right reasons. I've been reading about Ukraine and geopolitics for some time, so why not visit and see what it's like on-the-ground.
On the day I left Sofia it was blanketed in a thin layer of snow, something this winter has produced little of in countries that should be covered. The view from the plane window on the descent into Kyiv (Kiev) was also white. Finally! My trip to Eastern Europe was partly because I wanted to do street photography in stereotypical 'east bloc' winter scenes. Sadly the thicker snow only lasted a few days, how far north/east do I need to go!
Kyiv how it should be seen
A week in Kyiv
I haven't had any proper culture-shock for a long time. The 40km drive into Kyiv in an un-roadworthy car, passing snow covered rubble, old Lada's skirting about dangerously on the motorway, and endless Soviet-era apartment blocks did it's best to enliven a shock to my nervous system. I also didn't get my usual Vodafone "Welcome to X country" mobile message because Ukraine isn't covered; strange how much more comfortable you feel with mobile internet in a new place; most of my previous, more challenging travel was in the pre-mobile era with Lonely Planet maps and making calls meant buying international phone cards. I am old. This type of arrival in a new place is always much more intense alone, I felt it, but like the snow it melted away pretty fast.
Kyiv is a hugely interesting place, home to two UNESCO sites, and gaining popularity with tourists, mainly the British thanks to a TV documentary shown in the UK about Chernobyl (100km north of Kyiv) and how it's now accessible by means of a tour (requires advanced booking). Still, there are very few tourists in the city in the depths of winter, and this obviously makes me a prime target for every tout, beggar and scammer (I only married twice).
Pechersk Lavra Monastery - UNESCO
Soviet era building - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
So some facts I found interesting about Kyiv:
One of Eastern Europe's oldest cities: human occupation here dates back to the Stone Age with the city founded between 480 and 900 AD (a debated topic). In 1982 it celebrated its 1,500th anniversary.
The name stems from Kyi, one of its legendary founders, with Kyiv/Kiev meaning to belong to the family of Kyi.
Historically affiliated with Kievan Rus (9th-14th century, a loose federation of modern Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine), Lithuania (14th-16th century), Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (16th-17th century), Russian Empire (17th-20th century), Soviet Union (20th century) and various periods of independence, including now obviously.
In the 12th century it was one the largest cities in the world (population 100,000) but it wouldn't be Europe without then being attacked and destroyed at least a few times; the Mongols completed its destruction in 1240.
Prospered during its time under the Russian Empire until independence in 1918, then like so much, completely ruined during WWII although recovered quickly as part of the USSR.
Now the most pro-Western part of the country, Kyiv was the centre of a bloody, US sponsored overthrow of the elected Government in 2013/14; the fallout continues. The US has significant geopolitical interests here as part of its renewed focus on poking the Russian bear.
St Sophia's Cathedral - UNESCO
There were a number of highlights during my stay, but first a low-light. On the first day, nearby Maidan Independence Square I was encircled by three drunken men dressed as giant bears, forced to take photos with them and then unable to get away until finally handing over 200 Hryvnia ($12) in "thanks" for the photos. Beware these unsavory bears.
Kyiv has two UNESCO sites, both extraordinary and must-visits. The 11th century St Sophia Cathedral, named after Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, is Byzantine and I spent a while wandering around its various structures and climbing the bell tower, which has steps so exposed it's guaranteed to give vertigo. Great views from the bell tower and the snow cover really added character to the city vista.
Looking down from bell tower of Pechersk Lavra Monastery
Bohdan Khmelnytsky Monument
Undoubtedly my best day for photography was one that alternated between blizzard conditions and sunny spells. It was a maximum of -4c (-12c with wind chill) so for the first time I wore thermal leggings. I chose to visit the enormous UNESCO listed Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, you could spend a day here it's that big. Exploring the monastery during a blizzard with only a few monks and elderly people getting about in heavy winter gear including traditional fur coats/hats etc felt I was taken back a thousand years.
Within the complex there's also an underground Monastery of the Caves which you must navigate with a candle, the passageways are just over 1m wide by 2m high. Along the way you pass small cave-chapels, one was filled with worshipers chanting, and also burial tombs that were being kissed by Orthodox pilgrims. Intense experience that was, definitely no photography allowed here. The following photos are all from the Monastery complex.
Getting to/from the Pechersk Lavra monastery involves using the Kyiv metro (30 cents /ride), built during the Soviet years. It is exquisite (unlike the apartments built during this time) with some beautiful stations and also the world's deepest (105 m) requiring two steep escalator rides that each take over 2min! While exquisite, don't expect even a hint of smile or customer service from the ultra grumpy ticket/service ladies. In general, customer service isn't Ukraine's strong point.
Grand Soviet era metro stations
I tried to find them but unfortunately it seemed the Lenin statues have been removed from the metro as part of a recent 'decommunization' law in the city. Speaking of statues. Kyiv is home to the Motherland Monument, one of three mega Soviet statues (the others in St Petersburg and Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad). Including the base it's over 100m tall and the sword alone is 9 tonnes. The shield still retains the Soviet emblem. It now contains the Ukrainian museum of WW2 history.
Scattered around the statue are many tanks, planes and missiles including a mounted (nuclear capable) Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) ready to drive off in. The Motherland statue also acknowledges Soviet Russia's key role in defeating Nazi Germany; quite a few Soviets died in the Battle of Kiev. When I say a few, the encirclement by Germany of the Soviet forces here is considered the largest encirclement in the history of warfare (number of troops). Over 700,000 Soviet troops died in this battle..... need I say more?
My international drivers licence didn't cover this
Motherland Monument with Ukrainian flag coloured tank
Monument to the unknown soldier
From Kyiv I took a 7hr train ride to the city of Lviv, in western Ukraine near the Polish border. Kyiv train station is a monster, the entry hall one of the grandest I've ever seen with two enormous chandeliers. There are 4 ticket halls here and uncountable platforms each with a west and east designation. Finding the train is an ordeal, ticket/ information ladies here are also the grumpiest of humans; no information given. I ended up stumbling on the correct platform while trying to find a toilet. Each train door, on each train is attended by a ticket inspector to ensure a) you have a ticket b) you're on the right train c) you're in the right carriage. Ukrainian State Railways has 700,000 employees!
The display in Kyiv station was full of trains destined to seemingly old-world Agathie Christie destinations: Vienna, Moscow, St Petersburg, Budapest, Warsaw. My train was an enormous Soviet style train with booths (4 person) that included beds, pillows, blankets, power sockets, and drinks service. Note this was a day-train. My cabin companions were two Ukrainian bankers (eek!) and a Serb-Ukrainian of dubious background. The most comfortable train ride I've ever done.
End of part 1 in Ukraine, next Lviv. More photos below.
July - Summer escape to Syracuse, Sicily
June - things start to ease
May - Spring in full swing
Pepijn Thijsse


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Othar Turner, né dans le comté de Rankin, Mississippi, le  et mort à Gravel Springs, Mississippi, le , est un chanteur et musicien de blues américain et l'un des principaux représentants du style fife and drums.

Son album Everybody Hollerin' Goat en 1998 se classe à la  des meilleures ventes d'albums aux États-Unis. Il est l'un des cinq Essential Blues Records of the Decade selon Rolling Stone. Turner reçoît également le Miscellaneous Artist of the Year Award de l'année en 1998.

Biographie
Othar Turner, de son vrai nom Otho ou Otha Turner, naît le  (ou 1908) dans le comté de Rankin, près de Canton, Mississippi. Il grandit dans la petite communauté de Gravel Springs (traduction : « sources de gravier »), dans le Nord du Mississippi, près des villes de Como et de Senatobia. C'est un fermier qui passera la majeure partie de sa vie dans la même région. Adolescent, il apprend à jouer du fifre auprès de son voisin R. E. Williams et découvre le répertoire lors de pique-niques dans la région. Williams lui enseigne le fifre les jours de pluie, quand il est impossible de cueillir le coton, et lui offre son premier instrument, un fifre fait maison dans une tige de canne à sucre. Turner jour également du tambour, de la guitare et de l'harmonica.

Il joue dans les fêtes locales avec Sid Hemphill et Napoleon Strickland, puis finalement avec son propre groupe appelé Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, qui est principalement composé de membres de sa famille, dont sa fille, de ses petit-enfants et de son neveu. Turner organise lui-même un pique-nique dans sa ferme à l'occasion du Labor Day (Fête du Travail), qui se termine par une danse sur la musique du groupe. Au fil du temps, cet événement passe d'une réunion familiale à un rassemblement local, pour enfin attirer des fans du monde entier.

Dans les années 1950, c'est Othar Turner qui présente le guitariste de blues Fred McDowell à Alan Lomax, avant d'être lui-même enregistré par Lomax pour son documentaire The Land Where the Blues Began,  en 1978. Mais c'est le folkloriste George Mitchell qui effectue les premiers enregistrements de Turner, tout comme ceux de Napoleon Strickland, dans les années 1960. Dans les années 1970, Turner et son Rising Star Fife and Drum Band commencent à se produire en dehors du Mississippi, d'abord dans des festivals de blues à la Nouvelle-Orléans et à Chicago. En 1982, Turner, avec Jessie Mae Hemphill et Abe Young, jouent le rôle du « Mississippi Fife and Drum Corps » dans l'épisode 1509 de la série Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

En 1993, Othar apparaît pour la première fois sur le disque Mississippi Delta Blues Jam in Memphis, Vol. 1, enregistré lors d'un festival à Memphis en 1969. Il interprète le morceau  Otha's Piece et accompagne Strickland au tambour. Il n'était pas vraiment célèbre jusque-là. En 1995, il enregistre plusieurs titres pour un E.P. intitulé Everybody Hollerin' Goat, tandis que d'anciens enregistrement réalisés par George Mitchell apparaissent sur deux albums, Traveling Through the Jungle (Fife And Drum Band Music From The Deep South) et It Came From Memphis. En 1996, le groupe joue au 13th Annual Chicago Blues Fest. Turner participe également chaque année au Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, où le Rising Star Fife and Drum Corps fait l'ouverture.

1998 est sa plus grande année parce qu'Othar sort Everybody Hollerin' Goat, un CD enregistré dans sa ferme de Gravel Springs. Il s'agit du premier disque entièrement consacré à la musique de Fife and drums. Cet album se hisse à la  dans les charts américains. Il est désigné comme l'un des cinq Essential Blues Records of the Decade par le magazine Rolling Stone. Turner reçoît également  le Miscellaneous Artist of the Year Award. Son second album, From Senegal to Senatobia, combine son Fife and drums bluesy avec des musiciens dénommés Afrossippi Allstars. Les deux albums parus sur Birdman Records sont produits par Luther Dickinson, un élève d'Othar Turner et guitariste du North Mississippi All-Stars, un groupe musical populaire du Mississippi.

Une de ses chansons, Shimmy She Wobble, figure sur la bande originale du film Gangs of New York en 2002. Le réalisateur Martin Scorsese présente Othar Turner dans la série de films documentaires The Blues, à propos du lien entre les rythmes africains et le blues américain. Le concept sera poursuivi sur l'album Mississippi to Mali de Corey Harris en 2003 dédié à Turner, avec la participation de Shardé Thomas, sa petite-fille âgée de 12 ans.

Othar Turner meurt à l'âge de 95 ans, le 26 ou le , à Gravel Springs, le même jour que sa fille Bernice Pratcher. Le cortège menant les deux corps au cimetière est accompagnéé par le Rising Star Fife and Drum Band avec, à sa tête, Shardé Thomas jouant du fifre.

Honneurs et récompenses
En 1992, Turner reçoît le National Heritage Fellowship du National Endowment for the Arts, ce qui représente la plus haute distinction décernée par le gouvernement des États-Unis dans le domaine des arts et traditions populaires. Il reçoit également le Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement Award et le Charlie Patton Lifetime Achievement from the Mississippi Delta Blues.

Il est nominé deux fois, en 2000 et 2003, aux W.C. Handy Blues Awards (actuels Blues Music Awards) de la Blues Foundation dans la catégorie « Autres instrumentiste de blues ».

Discographie
 1998 : Everybody Hollerin' Goat
 1999 : From Senegal to Senatobia

Références

Voir aussi

Bibliographie
 , entretien avec Othar Turner.

Liens externes

 Site officiel de Othar Turner

Compositeur de blues
Naissance en juin 1908
Décès en février 2003
Article dont des informations diffèrent sur Wikidata
Décès à 94 ans
Musicien afro-américain

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Hasselbaink confirms he will be making changes for AFC Wimbledon trip
Cobblers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jeremy Casey
Boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will be making changes to the Cobblers starting line-up for Saturday's crunch Sky Bet League One clash at relegation rivals AFC Wimbledon.
The Town manager was deeply disappointed by his team's performance in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at the hands of second-from-bottom Rochdale.
I don't think there is too many options, because some (players) are in your plans and some are not. Obviously you have to provide for them all, but the team will have to pick themselves
He described the performance as 'flat', and insisted the Cobblers got exactly what they deserved, which was nothing.
Well, it seems some players will be paying for that with their starting place at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
Asked if he will switch things up for the Wimbledon trip, Hasselbaink said: "Yes, after that performance, I need to change one or two things."
Pressed on exactly what the team needs to improve on, the Dutchman added: "The energy and commitment. We need more."
Options for the changes certainly aren't a concern for the Cobblers boss, as he has a first-team squad that is almost 30-strong.
But he insists he won't be confused by having too many players to pick from, and that his selection thinking is clear as he attempts to drag Town away from the bottom four.
"I don't think there is too many options, because some (players) are in your plans and some are not," said Hasselbaink.
"Obviously you have to privide for them all, but the team will have to pick themselves.
"If you have been picked then you have to try to keep that shirt, and you have to do the right thing for the team.
"That is what is going to make us strong."
One player who could get a first start for the club is striker Kevin van Veen, who made his Town debut as a second-half substitute in the loss to Dale, following his transfer from Scunthorpe United.
"The good thing is that Kevin is versatile," said Hasselbaink.
"He can play as the one behind, he can also play as a number nine, and that is why he was brought into the club.
"He is here to give pressure and to score us a lot of goals."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Breaking: Fmr. Staffer Suing Trump, Charges Non-Consensual Kiss, 'Credible Witnesses' Denying Story
Joe Raedle / Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump is pictured speaking in Tampa, Florida, in October 2016, shortly before his election. A woman who worked on Trump's campaign in Florida in 2016 claims the then-candidate kissed her without her consent. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
By Jack Davis
Published February 25, 2019 at 10:05am
A woman who worked on President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign claims that in a "super-creepy and inappropriate" incident, Trump tried to kiss her without her consent.
However, two witnesses cited by the woman disagreed with her account, and one said it "absolutely did not happen."
On Monday, The Washington Post published an article detailing the claim from Alva Johnson, 43, as well as comments from women Johnson said were witnesses who contradicted her story.
In addition to talking to the Post about the alleged incident, Johnson has also filed a lawsuit.
Johnson claims Trump tried to kiss her on Aug. 24, 2016, just before a rally in Tampa, Florida.
Johnson's claim is that Trump exited an RV, grabbed her hand, and tried to kiss her on the mouth. She said she turned to avoid the kiss.
"I immediately felt violated because I wasn't expecting it or wanting it," she said. "I can still see his lips coming straight for my face."
She told the Post how the scene unfolded.
"Oh, my God, I think he's going to kiss me," she said. "He's coming straight for my lips. So I turn my head, and he kisses me right on corner of my mouth, still holding my hand the entire time. Then he walks on out."
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Johnson said the incident still haunts her.
"I've tried to let it go," she said. "You want to move on with your life. I don't sleep. I wake up at 4 in the morning looking at the news. I feel guilty. The only thing I did was show up for work one day."
The Post reported that Johnson told her boyfriend, mother and stepfather about the incident back in 2016. It also reported that in October 2016, she consulted a lawyer, who did not take her case.
Johnson said she tried to get jobs in the Trump administration, to no avail, but insisted those rejections were not her reason for the lawsuit.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called Johnson's claim "absurd on its face."
RELATED: Report: Letting Pences Down Was Trump's Greatest Regret After 'Access Hollywood' Tape
"This never happened and is directly contradicted by multiple highly credible eye witness accounts," she said in a statement, according to the Post.
Two women who Johnson said witnessed the incident — Karen Giorno, director of Trump's Florida campaign, and Pam Bondi, who was the attorney general of Florida at the time — both said they never saw Trump kiss Johnson.
"Do I recall seeing anything inappropriate? One hundred percent no," Bondi told the Post.
"I'm a prosecutor, and if I saw something inappropriate, I would have said something."
Giorno called Johnson's account "ridiculous," and added "that absolutely did not happen."
Contributor, News
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
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Tags: 2016 Election, Florida, sexual harassment


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Gardening Wild Birds
Why Are Robin's Eggs Blue?
Discover Why Bird Eggs Come in a Rainbow of Colors
Kathleen Miller
Reviewed by Kathleen Miller
Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
The Spruce / Krystal Slagle
Spring is filled with lovely colors, from the season's blooms and new growth that include the pretty pinks of tulips and trees that blossom, sunny yellows of daffodils and baby chicks, and the soft, beautiful blues of robin's eggs. But why are robin's eggs blue, and what can colors reveal about different wild bird eggs?
Eggshells can be a rainbow of hues, from simple white, cream, buff, and tan shades to lavender, mint green, yellow, teal, gray, red-orange, pink, and blue-green. Eggs may be plain, or they may have markings in different colors, such as red-brown, deep purple, black, gray, or green. Spots, flecks, specks, splotches, blotches, and squiggles can all be marked on eggs and add to their color variations.
The bile pigment biliverdin is responsible for blue tones in bird eggs, including robin's eggs. The color of an eggshell is determined by these pigments as they are deposited as the shell is formed in the shell gland. The shell gland is the avian equivalent of a mammal's uterus and is near the end of the oviduct, just before the cloaca. The shell is formed just before the egg is laid.
Depending on the concentration of the bile pigment, the coloration can range from bright, bold blue or blue-green to pale ice blue and every shade in between. Smaller eggs and those laid first in a brood are usually more intensely colored than larger eggs or those laid later in the nesting cycle.
In addition to coloring eggshells, biliverdin is also responsible for blue tones in moth and butterfly wings, and is the same pigment that makes bruises turn bluish-green.
Colors as Camouflage
Robin's eggs are not colored for camouflage as are certain breeds of hens that are genetically wired to lay creamy-brown chicken eggs meant to blend into the wild, for example. In many cases, color helps camouflage an eggshell from hungry predators that are happy to raid nests for an easy meal. This is especially true for eggs with neutral tones or those that have markings that help them blend into nesting material. Many birds that lay eggs in the open, such as in a scrape nest or directly on the ground in open areas, have such camouflaged eggs. The birds with those camouflaged eggs will often decorate their nests as well, to provide an additional layer of protection and concealment.
Colors Protecting Eggs From the Sun
The color of a bird's egg can also protect it from harmful sunlight. The radiation and heat from the sun can easily damage delicate eggs, both by influencing chick development and impacting the incubation period. A very dark egg, for example, will have better protection against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, but it can also heat up too quickly in direct sunlight and the extreme temperature could kill an unhatched chick. A lighter egg is less subject to the stress of overheating, but more at risk for developmental problems caused by UV radiation. When an incubation period is strongly affected by heat from the sun, chicks are subject to greater mutations and higher fatalities because their development is rushed.
Because of the connection between sunlight and eggshell color, shell colors vary based on the geographic range of a bird species and where they lay their eggs. Birds that typically lay eggs in open, exposed areas likely to see more sunlight often have lighter-colored eggshells. Eggs laid in concealed locations sheltered from the sun are more likely to be darker hues.
Ultimately, birds need to strike a balance between the best color for their eggs and the environmental conditions where they lay those eggs. This is an evolutionary process that can take many generations to perfect, and even birds in the same species may have slightly different eggshell colors based on their range and habitat preferences.
More Clues in Eggshell Colors
In addition to giving a clue about a bird's nesting habits with regards to the sunlight that reaches a nest, the colors of eggshells can indicate:
Health of parent and chicks: Brighter, more colorful eggs (within the proper colors for the species) are typically a sign of good health and a nutritious diet for the mother bird. Those hatchlings are more likely to be strong and healthy as well.
Nest care habits: While not a universal characteristic, it is typical that heavily camouflaged eggs are often part of nests that are often left untended as parent birds forage. Plain, more conspicuous eggs, on the other hand, may be guarded more carefully by watchful parents and have less need for camouflage.
Mismatched siblings: Dramatically different eggs in the same nest can indicate a brood parasite. These birds, such as brown-headed cowbirds and common cuckoos, lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, and let other species raise them as "foster" chicks. An egg that is a vastly different size, shape, or color in the brood may be from a brood parasite.
Other Birds That Lay Blue Eggs
Robin's eggs aren't the only blue wild bird eggs. Many other species also lay eggs in various shades of blue, teal, turquoise, and blue-green, including:
Black tinamous
Dunnocks
Eastern bluebirds
European robins
European starlings
Gray catbirds
House finches
Snowy egrets
Song thrushes
Regardless of the species, however, the same principles that explain why robin's eggs are blue explain the bluish coloration of all different wild bird eggs. Birders who understand egg coloration can more easily identify wild bird eggs and appreciate all the special qualities of each nest they see.
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We know consumers love texts.
8.3 trillion text messages this year alone.
16 million messages per minute.
So we can be pretty clear on that point. What's more interesting, and unlike what is happening in the app economy where value is shifting away, text is now accepted as a truly powerful business tool and an effective method of bulk one to-many or A2P SMS communication.
221 time per day is the average amount of times a person looks at their phone.
80% of people are currently using texting for business with over one third of business professionals saying they can't go 10 minutes without responding to a text.
64% of respondents would rather text than call for tech support.
40% higher conversion rate of sales prospects who are sent text messages compared to those that aren't.
Adding SMS to your communications stack will not only save you time, keep your communication costs down and boost sales. It's also a tried and tested way of staying in touch with customers in a way we know they love, have access to and is guaranteed to be seen.
1 - Your customers love it.
98% of SMS get opened, putting it heads and shoulders above any other communication method in terms of read rate.
Most people send and receives text messages on a daily basis so we know customers like, have access to and know how to use SMS.
2 - It's cost effective.
Low cost with no monthly contract, an SMS campaign won't cost you the earth but you could see fantastic return on investment.
3 - Keep up with competitors.
With smartphone users increasing daily, most businesses are using SMS in some ways. Using it to communicate with customers will ensure you business keeps up with market trends whilst using a reliable method.
4 - Save valuable time.
Sending an SMS to all your customers takes no longer than sending a text on your own phone. So, not only will you free up some precious time, with over 90% of messages read within 3 minutes of being received you could see results in minutes.
Send order confirmations for deliveries using SMS or push notifications.
Notify sales agents via SMS or push when a lead comes in, so they can engage with the customer right away.
Let volunteers and supporters sign up for upcoming events, and notify them according to their preferences.
Notify on-call engineers on their preferred channel when an incident occurs. Use many different channels to make sure everyone gets the message in time.
Reduce no-shows by sending confirmation messages from CRM and reservation systems.
Make sure employees out in the field always have up-to-date information. Send dispatch notifications via push notifications or SMS.
Despite the growth in other communication channels, SMS remains one of the primary channels of communication because it is proven to be the most effective way to reach users with a 90% read rate in minutes.
SMS maintains the highest engagement rate in comparison to emails and OTT apps. In effect, if you have any kind of mobile phone – you can receive and send SMS. This makes its global reach soar as there are no pre-existing connections required, such as accepting friend requests or requiring two parties to download the same app. The lower barriers to communication let users receive messages quickly, making it ideal for sending short, time-sensitive content. The one-size-fits-all solution makes anybody with a mobile number reachable and the technology for sending and receiving SMS is not reliant on high speed internet, essentially making anyone in modern society accessible.
TTNC wins Best VoIP Vertical Solution at the 2018 ITSPA Awards!


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William Innes Homer (November 8, 1929 – July 8, 2012) was an American academic, art historian, and author. Homer was an expert in the life and works of painter Thomas Eakins.

Academic career
Homer received his B.A. from Princeton University in 1951.  From Harvard University, Homer received his M.A. in 1954 and his Ph.D. in 1961. In 1961, Homer was hired as an assistant professor in the Art and Archaeology Department at Princeton.  In 1964, he became an associate professor of Art History at Cornell University.  In 1966, Homer came to the University of Delaware where he served as Chairman of the Art History Department from 1966 until 1981 and again from 1986 until 1993.  He established the department alongside E. Wayne Craven. Homer retired from the department in January 2000 and was awarded a professor emeritus position with the university.

Homer authored  numerous books and articles, including Alfred Stieglitz and the American Avant-Garde, Albert Pinkham Ryder: Painter of Dreams, Thomas Eakins: His Life and Art, and The Paris Letters of Thomas Eakins.  He also served as a consultant for various exhibitions and film projects.

Homer died on July 8, 2012.

References

External links
 William Innes Homer's website

1929 births
2012 deaths
American art historians
Princeton University alumni
Harvard University alumni
Cornell University faculty
University of Delaware faculty
People from Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Historians from Pennsylvania


today we went to the 2nd sample food festival in bangalow. all local producers, local catering companies and restaurants with a few added market stalls selling homewares and fresh produce. just so you know robert and i managed to eat a few sample plates………..seaweed cuisine new venture, hungry wolf, we loved the onion rings and spicy chicken burgers and their tent , harvest restaurant, we loved the curry that had beautiful spicy flavours with loads of meat and the best tapioca with fresh fruit and coconut. robert also managed to eat a shredded pork roll with fab potato salad from smoke house barbecue…….going home to lie down now………..


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jared grimes
Broadway is Back: Funny Girl taps Jared Grimes to play Eddie Ryan
Sarah LaDuke
The first ever Broadway revival of "Funny Girl" since its original run closed in 1967 opened on Sunday night featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, a revised book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, choreography by Ellenore Scott, and direction from Michael Mayer. The production stars Bean Feldstein as Fanny Brice, Ramin Karmiloo as Nick Arnstein, Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice, and Jared Grimes as Eddie Ryan.Jared Grimes is a quadruple threat - excelling at singing, dancing, acting, and choreographing. He has danced alongside Wynton Marsalis, Gregory Hines, Ben Vereen, Jerry Lewis and toured with Mariah Carey, under the choreography of Marty Kudelka, and danced for artists such as Common, Salt-n-Pepa, Envogue, Busta Rhymes and the Roots. He choreographed "After Midnight" on Broadway and served as co-choreographer on "Holler if You Hear Me" - the Tupac musical. He most recently appeared on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company production of "A Solider's Play" by Charles Fuller.When I recorded this conversation with Jared Grimes, the company was in rehearsals. "Funny Girl" opened this past Sunday.


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Q: React-router: Create routes from higher-order-component I'd like to specify some special properties for my routes, namely: asyncLoad= true/false, pregenerate static html: true/false and some other.
For this, I'd like to create own createRoutes script, which would look very simmilar to classical react-router definition, but would loop through routes and return the classical react-router createRoutes file. Do you have any ideas/resources how to do that? Thank you.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Longmont's Becky Piper competes in first…
Longmont's Becky Piper competes in first half-Ironman despite partial paralysis
Becky and Sam Piper were delighted that Becky finished the swim portion of the Boulder 70.3 Ironman under the time deadline on Saturday at the Boulder Reservoir.
Becky Piper was thrilled to be in the water for the start of her first triathlon on Saturday. The Longmont woman competed in the Boulder 70.3 Ironman four years after suffering serious injuries during a home invasion in Guam which left her with partial paralysis on her right side.
Sam Piper helps his wife, Becky Piper, make the transition to the bike portion of the race the Boulder 70.3 Ironman on Saturday.
By Karen Antonacci |
Becky Piper, 31, gingerly splashed into the water Saturday morning at Boulder Reservoir as she warmed up for her first-ever Ironman 70.3.
After swimming a few laps, she launched herself out of the water, threw both arms up in the air and yelled back to her husband Sam "Yes! No freakouts!"
Piper, who is semi-paralyzed on her right side of her body, is incredibly positive.
The incident
Although she and Sam Piper now live in Longmont, they were living in Guam four years ago because Sam was active-duty military.
There, Becky Piper said, she and her husband loved to go trail running or hiking and complete triathlons. She had just qualified for the World Championships in XTERRA, an off-road triathlon.
One day, when she was home alone, she went to answer a knock at the door.
"I answered the door, being the naive, friendly person I am and here there were three not so friendly guys and they were all much bigger than me," Becky Piper said in a Wednesday interview. "They intended to do a home invasion and not just a robbery because they didn't care if I was home or not. I tried to defend the homestead of course but there were three of them and they kind of, beat me."
She doesn't remember the beating, but later learned that she was hit over the head with a gun so hard that it caused her brain to bleed.
"And of course, go figure, it was the part that had to do deal with motor coordination," Becky Piper said.
Sam Piper found her and rushed her to the hospital and doctors said she had been beaten so severely, she was in an hour of dying. She was put into an induced coma for three days, one week before she was supposed to run a 48.6 mile race.
Instead, she said, she ran the race in her mind, inside the induced coma in a Guam hospital.
When she woke up, some of her first questions were about when she could compete again.
"Actually I clearly remember that I was asking about running again and they were like 'We don't know if you ever will' and I said without missing a beat 'that's OK, there's a Paralympics for a reason,'" Becky Piper said.
Because of the incident (her preferred term for the attack, since it wasn't an accident) she was paralyzed on her right side, leaving her to re-learn how to walk, eat and speak again.
Doctors outfitted her with a plastic brace that allowed her to walk, but she couldn't run or compete in the sports she had enjoyed before.
Foot drop is a symptom of full or partial paralysis where a person can't use their muscles to keep their foot in a neutral position. When walking, the foot drags, which can make it easy to trip over toes and difficult to walk.
Fortunately, Becky Piper found a different kind of brace that is more dynamic and made of carbon fiber and kevlar rather than plastic. She wears an Allard BlueROCKER brace, which feeds information to her brain and supports her foot when she walks, so it doesn't drop as she takes a step.
That relatively simple innovation took her from barely being able to walk, to learning to run again. Through physical therapy, she regained movement of her quad and her hip, but her hamstring and her calf don't have a lot of movement.
Becky Piper can move her right shoulder, but has limited movement in her right elbow and no movement in her right wrist or fingers.
In June, she completed her first XTERRA triathlon after her incident. The brace allows her to run and bike and she swims without it.
She found TeamUp, which is an Allard-sponsored national team of people with foot drop to raise awareness about the condition and the braces.
Beth Deloria, 51, of North Carolina founded the team. Deloria collapsed on her kitchen floor in 2004 with unbearable back pain. She later found out that she had several birth defects that required extensive surgery and the fusing of many of her vertebrae. After the eight-hour surgery, she found that she could no longer feel her left leg. She had foot drop.
Deloria was an ad executive and she was first outfitted with a plastic brace and oversized shoe that contributed to a spiraling depression.
When Deloria found that there were other types of braces on the market, she jumped at the chance. She was able to complete three Boston Marathons with her Allard brace and she started TeamUp, to spread the message.
Beecky Piper read about Deloria when Deloria completed the Denver Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and was inspired to join TeamUp. Deloria said Piper is a huge help in letting people know that foot drop doesn't have to be the end of an active lifestyle.
"There's this idea that you might think your life is over and you're no longer the person you were," Deloria said. "What we're trying to communicate is that you're always who you are and life is never over. Of course, at some point it will be, but it's not over before then. You can live 100 percent your quality of life and do things you never thought possible, and your new normal will be the new normal."
Deloria said she is very proud of Becky Piper for doing her first Ironman.
"She might come in last. But she'll be doing it and she'll be so proud of herself. Her normal is doing something she couldn't do yesterday," Deloria said.
Becky Piper said on Wednesday her goal for the Ironman 70.3 was to "finish alive" within the 8.5-hour time limit.
When the final portion, the 13.1 mile run was completed, the race website showed her with an unofficial finish time of 9:05:18.
Sam Piper watched his wife warm up in the water Saturday morning, a huge smile across his face.
"Oh, I'm not nervous in the slightest. I know she's been working her ass off for this and so I think she'll be fine," he said.
Becky Piper said her husband's tough love is a big part of what got her back to the sports she loves.
"We've developed a weird system where if there's something I'm struggling with, he just comes out and is like 'You gotta do it this way,' and he doesn't feel sorry for me because of that injury," Becky Piper said.
Because she doesn't swim with her brace, Sam Piper helped his wife to the starting line on the uneven sand. She scrambled into the water for her starting wave and when the cannon sounded, she was off.
Becky Piper described swimming with her condition as "swimming with one-and-a-half arms instead of two."
"My left side can do it really well and the technique is there, but my right side however is just kind of flopping over," she said.
Becky Piper had planned to use the entire 70 minute time-limit for the 1.2 mile swimming portion. But only 53 minutes later, she made her way to the swim finish, as her husband waded into the water to help her onto the pavement and into her brace.
Becky Piper said she gets it, when people call her an inspiration for her extreme sports.
"What I don't like is when I'm in a grocery store and someone says 'Oh, you're such an inspiration' for buying a loaf of bread," she said. "I can't understand that."
Becky Piper said she hopes news of her first Ironman 70.3 reaches someone who is living with a mobility issue.
"I just want to get the word out that if you have foot drop, then your life and your quality of life isn't over," she said. "There's tools out there and there is technology out there to improve your quality of life. And not to give up. Don't give up."
Karen Antonacci: 303-684-5226, antonaccik@times-call.com or twitter.com/ktonacci
Karen Antonacci
Rapids fall, 3-0, at home to Premier League power Arsenal


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Die Pazifik-Allianz oder Pazifische Allianz (spanisch: Alianza del Pacífico) ist eine lateinamerikanische Freihandelszone, die im Jahr 2012 von Chile, Kolumbien, Mexiko und Peru gegründet wurde, um den regionalen Handel und die wirtschaftliche Integration zu fördern sowie eine Zollunion, Reise- und Visafreiheit und einen gemeinsamen Börsenplatz zu garantieren.

Geschichte

Am 28. April 2011 wurde in Lima (Peru) auf Initiative des damaligen peruanischen Präsidenten Alan García ein Abkommen zur Gründung von den vier Ländern Chile, Kolumbien, Mexiko und Peru unterzeichnet. Am 6. Juni 2012 wurde die Allianz gegründet.

Die vier Gründungsmitglieder Chile, Kolumbien, Mexiko und Peru erzielten 2011 etwa 39 % des gesamten BIPs Lateinamerikas. Mit mehr als 2 Billionen US-Dollar war ihre Wirtschaftsleistung größer als jene der weltweit neuntgrößten Nation Indien. Laut Welthandelsorganisation exportierten die vier Länder Waren im Wert von mehr als 445 Mrd. US-Dollar, und übertrafen damit den Wirtschaftsbund Mercosur um fast 60 %.

Costa Rica und Panama sind derzeit Kandidaten für die Aufnahme als Vollmitglied.

Experten bezeichnen die Pazifik-Allianz als wirtschaftsstrategische Allianz, mit der die gemeinsamen Interessen ihrer lateinamerikanischen Mitgliedsländer gegenüber den USA und Europa sowie insbesondere in Asien geltend gemacht und gefördert werden sollen. Sie betreibe sehr erfolgreich ein so genanntes "Nation Branding".

Während der Konferenz im chilenischen Viña del Mar im März 2017 wurde auch die Möglichkeit des Status eines assoziierten Mitglieds geschaffen. Im März 2018 fand die dritte Gesprächsrunde statt und Australien, Kanada, Neuseeland und Singapur wurden als assoziierte Mitglieder aufgenommen.

Mitglieder und assoziierte Staaten
Die Pazifik-Allianz hat derzeit vier Vollmitglieder und vier assoziierte Mitglieder. 54 Staaten haben Beobachterstatus, von denen 41 außerhalb des amerikanischen Doppelkontinents liegen.

Vollmitglieder

Assoziierte Mitglieder
 In Amerika

 Außerhalb Amerikas

Beobachterstatus
 In Amerika

 In Europa

 In Asien

 In Afrika

Weblinks

 Offizielle Homepage (englisch, spanisch)

Siehe auch
 Mercosur
 CELAC
 Andengemeinschaft

Einzelnachweise

Internationale Wirtschaftsorganisation
Amerikanische Organisation
Gegründet 2012


Hey! How's is going? Thanks for popping in.
My group home ladies wanted to create something for Valentines and they LOVE making 3D items, so this is what I came up with. They'll have these beautiful flowers as decorations for the next few weeks and then come the big day, they can give them away to 1, 2 or 3 recipients!
To create the flowers, I used the "Sending Love DSP". I love the classic red and white of this DSP.
Each flower takes 20 hearts and believe it or not, you can get 18 hearts from one 6" X 6" piece of DSP. The trick: cut your DSP into 2" strips. Punch a heart, from one side of the strip and then punch the next one from the opposite side, alternating back and forth. Of course, punching them as close together as possible. Then all you need to do is fold all the hearts in half and glue them together!
Thanks for stopping in today, I hope you like what I've done with the beautiful Sending Love DSP. Until next time: Happy Creating!


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North Point Water Tower, Milwaukee Wisconsin
Date added: November 17, 2009 Categories: Wisconsin Special and Unique
Part of the complex erected for the Milwaukee Water Works over one hundred years ago, the lofty Victorian Gothic Water Tower stands on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan and encloses an iron standpipe that originally served to relieve city water mains of pulsations from pumping engines housed in the lake-front pumping station. Modern equipment has made the facility unnecessary, but tower and standpipe have remained, little altered through the years. Long a notable feature of the city's skyline and often praised for its beauty, the Water Tower has been accorded official landmark status by the Milwaukee Landmarks Commission and the American Water Works Association.
Work on the foundation had begun by May, 1873; and on September 14, 1874, the tower was put in service, though work continued through the end of that year. Total cost of the tower, including the standpipe, was $53,017.93.
The similarity between the North Point Water Tower and its more elaborate counterpart in Chicago, completed in 1869, may he noted here. There is no reason to suppose that Gomhert was unaware of the celebrated Chicago tower, and one reliable source reports that his colleague Moses Lane, city engineer and chief engineer of the Milwaukee Water Works, had been, earlier in his career, an associate of Ellis Chesbrough, city engineer of Chicago.
The structure is 24 feet 9 inches square, with buttresses at the four corners, From center line to center line of the buttresses, the structure, measures 29 feet 6 inches square. The base rises 65 feet and from it rises the circular tower to a total height of over 175 feet.
The floor plan is a single circular compartment 13 feet 9 inches in diameter. The walls are more than six feet thick in this area. The tower tapers slightly upward to the level of the wooden observation deck 134 feet 7 inches above the floor level. An iron, spiral staircase wraps around the standpipe to the upper levels. The lower windows in the circular shaft (about 65 feet 3 inches above base level) are connected to the steps by an iron catwalk and brace. An iron-plate floor with a brace to the pipe is located 17 feet below the observation deck and 2-1/2 feet below the grill cap of the standpipe.
The wrought-iron standpipe is four feet in diameter and rises 120 feet above the floor level. According to a Water Commission report of 1875, the pipe has a total height of 130 feet, with a base of cast iron. The size of the base is unknown, but the report indicated that it has three openings 36 inches in diameter, one for the force main connection, one for the main leading to the reservoir, and the other capped.
Built: 1873-1874
Architect: Charles A. Gombert
Location: East end of East North Avenue
State: WI


GG Collection Acanthus Tall Cup w/ Saucer – Why Whine? When you can shop online!
GG Collection Acanthus Tall Cup w/ Saucer - GG Collection's set of 4 cups with saucers are handmade of high quality chip resistant ceramic & have scroll designs encircling the center of each mug & around the edge of the saucers. The cups have a large 16 ounce capacity.


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Contra Proferentem's Applicability to ERISA Insurance Claims
By: Patrick D. Wright
Ambiguity in plan terms, or how courts have (in)consistently applied the doctrine of contra proferentem to ERISA litigation.
Courts across the country have been consistently inconsistent in applying the "ancient" common law doctrine of contra proferentem to ERISA plans. As most attorneys learned in their first year contracts class, contra proferentem is the common law doctrine that contracts and other written instruments should be construed against the drafter.[1] [2]ERISA is the body of law that governs employee benefit plans. One small, but important, piece of the ERISA statutory scheme applies to disability benefit insurance offered by an employer. Often, insurers acting as plan fiduciaries improperly deny claims, which is typically where a firm like Eric Buchanan & Associates steps in to help. Once the claimant has exhausted her internal appeals with the insurer, the last option is to file a civil suit. In litigation, the terms found in the claimant's "plan documents" or, essentially, her disability insurance policy, control how a court can review a claim and which standard of review is appropriate.
Congress drafted ERISA with the intention that courts would help fill in the statutory gaps. One such gap was how a court should review an ERISA case. The Supreme Court stated that a denial of benefits under Section 1132(a)(1)(B) is to be reviewed under a de novo standard unless the benefit plan gives the administrator or fiduciary discretionary authority to determine eligibility for benefits or to construe the terms of the plan.[3] If there is a clear grant of discretion, courts will apply the Firestone Tire arbitrary and capricious review. Under the arbitrary and capricious standard, courts will essentially only look at whether the fiduciary had a reasonable basis for denying the benefits.
This issue presents itself several ways, but one classic ERISA fact pattern involves the plan document's definition of disability. Sometimes, a plan will define disability as, "your inability to perform all of the substantial and material duties of your regular job." Does this mean that a claimant must be disabled from performing every single duty of his material job? Or does it allow a claimant to perform a few duties, but not all of them? Although an insurance company might interpret the policy term in the claimant friendly manner without much of a fight, contra proferentem can be a powerful tool for a plaintiff's attorney.
Before fully diving into the topic, contra proferentem generally applies to ERISA claims arising from an insurance policy insuring employee benefits. Still, there are two arguments that courts have accepted which can limit that general application. The first is the argument that under the Firestone Tire arbitrary and capricious standard of review, when the plan terms give an administrator specific deference to construe the terms of the plan, such discretionary authority trumps the common law rule. On the other hand, some plans only give the administrator the discretion to determine eligibility, which typically will not trump the use of contra proferentem. The second argument is that the doctrine contra proferentem is preempted by ERISA itself because it is not a law regulating insurance.
Contra Proferentem's General Applicability
The consensus is that contra proferentem applies to cases decided under the de novo standard of review.
The leading case in the First Circuit laid out the principle nicely in a de novo standard of review case. Stating, thus, "straightforward language in an ERISA-regulated insurance policy should be given its natural meaning." Hughes v. Bos. Mut. Life Ins. Co., 26 F.3d 264 (1st Cir. 1994). Similarly, in keeping with the rule of contra proferentem, ambiguous terms should be strictly construed against the insurer. Id.; see also Lee v. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, 10 F.3d 1547, 1551 (11th Cir.1994) (collecting cases to establish that contra proferentem rule "has been widely adopted" among circuit courts for resolution of ambiguities in ERISA-regulated insurance contracts); cf. Allen v. Adage Inc., 967 F.2d at 701 n. 6 (holding that contra proferentem principle does not apply to ERISA contracts beyond the insurance context).
Some courts, typically in the past, have even applied contra proferentem to cases when the administrator held a clear grant of discretion. In University Hospitals of Cleveland the Sixth Circuit explained, "to the extent that the Plan's language is susceptible of more than one interpretation, we will apply the 'rule of contra proferentum' and construe any ambiguities against Defendants/Appellees as the drafting parties." University Hospitals of Cleveland v. Emerson Elec. Co., 202 F.3d 839, 846-7 (6th Cir. 2000) (citing Perez v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 150 F.3d, 550, 557 n. 7 (6th Cir.1998)). There, the Employee Benefit Committee, the administrator, had "the discretionary authority to determine eligibility for benefits or to construe the terms of the Plan." Id. at 845. While University Hospitals is a very plaintiff friendly case, it was effectively overruled by the Sixth Circuit in the 2018 Clemons v. Norton Healthcare Inc. Retirement Plan case discussed below.
So while the doctrine generally applies to de novo review cases, it may be worth a search through your own jurisdiction to find case law also applying it in the arbitrary and capricious context.
Contra Proferentem Curtailed by Discretionary Authority
The Sixth Circuit's most recent case on the issue makes clear that contra proferentem should not be applied when the administrator has clear discretion to interpret plan terms. See Clemons v. Norton Healthcare Inc. Ret. Plan, 890 F.3d 254 (6th Cir. 2018). There the Sixth Circuit stated,
Faced solely with a mountain of dicta, we move from law to reason. And we think that contra proferentum is inherently incompatible with Firestone deference. Thus, we hold that when Firestone applies, a court may not invoke contra proferentum to "temper" arbitrary-and-capricious review. However, when it is not clear whether the administrator has, in fact, been given Firestone deference on a particular issue, we think the doctrine still has legitimate force.
Id. The Clemons court seems to make clear that if the plan administrator has discretion to interpret the terms of the plan, contra proferentum does not apply; but, courts could apply the doctrine when the administrator does not have that clear discretionary authority. This also seems to be the trend across the country in recent years.
In line with the Clemons excerpt above, other courts have also held that contra proferentem can be used to argue that discretionary authority doesn't exist in the first place where the plan terms are less than clear. See Sandy v. Reliance Standard Life Ins. Co., 222 F.3d 1202, n. 6 (9th Cir. 2000) (citing Heasley v. Belden & Blake Corp., 2 F.3d 1249, 1254-58 (3d Cir. 1993) (stating that the Third Circuit (like the Ninth) follows that rule of "contra preferentem" and has stated that the grant of discretion should be "clear and unequivocal"). This line of reasoning is perhaps on par with the Supreme Court's after its decision in U.S. Airways, Inc. v. McCutchen. There, the Supreme Court, discussing whether equitable rules might help construe a reimbursement provision, found that where the plan was silent on the issue of attorney's fees, courts should use the common-fund doctrine as a default. 569 U.S. 88, 101 (2013).
Although the issue in McCutchen had little to do with contra proferentem, the Supreme Court's second holding is instructive. The Court first held that equitable rules do not overcome plan terms. Id. at 106. "But second," the Court held that where a plan term did not "advert to the costs of recovery," it was properly read to retain the common-fund doctrine. Id. The Court reasoned that,
Ordinary principles of contract interpretation point toward [the use of the common-fund doctrine]. Courts construe ERISA plans, as they do other contracts, by "looking to the terms of the plan" as well as to "other manifestations of the parties' intent." The words of a plan may speak clearly, but they may also leave gaps. And so a court must often "look outside the plan's written language" to decide what an agreement means. In undertaking that task, a court properly takes account of background legal rules—the doctrines that typically or traditionally have governed a given situation when no agreement states otherwise. See Wal–Mart Stores, Inc. Assoc. Health & Welfare Plan v. Wells, 213 F.3d 398, 402 (C.A.7 2000) (Posner, J.) ("[C]ontracts … are enacted against a background of common-sense understandings and legal principles that the parties may not have bothered to incorporate expressly but that operate as default rules to govern in the absence of a clear expression of the parties' [contrary] intent"). Indeed, ignoring those rules is likely to frustrate the parties' intent and produce perverse consequences.
Id. at 102 (citations omitted). Essentially, the Court's reasoning endorses the idea that contra proferentem, an ordinary principle of contract interpretation, should be used to help courts fill in the gap where plan terms are ambiguous.
Contra Proferentem Does Not "Regulate Insurance" And Therefore Is Preempted
As the United States Constitution lays out:
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the Supreme law of the land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in this Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
The basic rule is that a federal law that conflicts with a state law will "preempt" that state law.[4] ERISA, being a federal law containing a broad preemption provision, therefore preempts a large body of law across the country. That said, Congress embedded within the statute "savings" and "deemer" clauses essentially stating that nothing within the preemption subchapter will be construed to exempt or relieve any person from any law of any State which regulates insurance, banking, or securities.[5] [6]
Some courts have held that because the common law doctrine of contra proferentem is not a "law regulating insurance" it is preempted by the ERISA statute. See McMahan v. New England Mutual Life Insurance Company, 888 F.2d 426 (6th Cir. 1989). There, the Sixth Circuit stated that the general principle of contract construction (speaking specifically about contra proferentem) does not affect a spreading or transferring of policyholders' insurance risk and found it "clear beyond cavil" that such general principles do not "regulate insurance" even where applied to an insurance context. Id.
The same issue was also discussed by the Eighth Circuit in Brewer v. Lincoln Nat'l Life Ins. Co. There, the court needed to determine whether Missouri's rule of construction requiring that ambiguities in insurance contracts be resolved in favor of the insured, which they called the "contra insurer rule," was properly applied. 921 F.2d 150, 153–54 (8th Cir.1990) cert. denied, 501 U.S. 1238, 111 S. Ct. 2872, 115 L.Ed.2d 1038 (1991). The court found that while Missouri's rule affected pension plans, it did not regulate the insurance industry, and was thus preempted by ERISA. Id.
The Eighth Circuit also raised another interesting point in Brewer to bolster its opinion. It stated that in Firestone Tire, the Supreme Court "injected principles of trust law into ERISA and decided that a denial of benefits was to be reviewed de novo unless the plan specifically granted the plan administrator discretion to determine eligibility." Id. (citing Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch, 489 U.S. 101, 114 (1989)). It interpreted this to mean that "unless the plan language specifies otherwise, courts should construe any disputed language 'without deferring to either party's interpretation.'" Id.
While courts have done this analysis, these cases seem to be fewer in number and dated. The general trend across the country tends to be that contra proferentem applies in de novo cases, but not in arbitrary and capricious cases, especially where the plan administrator can interpret plan terms. As shown by the collection of cases above, courts historically were all over the place, although there are really only these three main holdings. The Sixth Circuit itself has cases stating all three arguments presented in this newsletter (although the issue seems settled as of the Clemons decision). As always, the best practice will always be to check your jurisdiction's decisions, using these major arguments as a guide.
End Notes:
[1] United States v. Seckinger, 397 U.S. 203, 210 (1970).
[2] That said, it seems apparent that most attorneys did not agree on how to spell the doctrine. This paper will attempt to consistently use "contra proferentem".
[3] Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch, 489 U.S. 101, 115 (1989).
[4] Altria Group v. Good, 555 U.S. 70 (2008).
[5] 29 U.S. Code § 1144(a)-(b).
[6] For a larger discussion on which plans are saved and which plans are deemed, see FMC Corp. v. Holliday, 498 U.S. 52, 58-65 (1990).


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Hispanic Media
In an effort to promote their energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs, ComEd has launched a Spanish-language campaign highlighting the cost-effectiveness of their use and a special discount program that they are offering. The television and radio campaign to support the effort was created by ComEd's Hispanic advertising agency of record, the San Jose Group (SJG). ComEd frequently advertises in Hispanic newspapers.
Taking advantage of the chisme (gossip) that regularly takes place at beauty shops, the :30 executions feature a hairdresser gossiping to a client about how a man left her for something younger, that lasts longer and even saves money. Needless to say, the amusing banter reveals that the "her" they are gossiping about is the new CFL bulb. CFL bulbs use 75% less energy than traditional light bulbs and last up to 10 times as long.
The San Jose Group was recently reappointed as the Hispanic advertising agency of record for Exelon and its operating companies, ComEd and PECO. As a result of the decision, SJG will continue to develop branding strategies and advertising executions for the company. This marks the continuation of a 12-year relationship between Exelon and SJG.
To get access to Portada's Media Buyer Directory, please click here.
Highly Popular Football Video Game to Launch en Español
McClatchy's Results: A tale of Two Markets? (Part II)


In The Zone paste is formulated for fractious minded, young, nervous or hot horses. The In the Zone paste is designed to coat the gut while giving nutrients to help your horse stay focused and calm. This is a broad spectral formula to assist your horse's health while competing.
For gate issues, nervous behavior, and pawing give 20cc 1-2 hours out from riding.
For young horses when first hauling give 20cc before loading in the trailer, 20cc when you arrive, and 20cc 2-3 times a day while at the event. This will maintain the gut and reduce stress on the young horse.
For reduction in feed or water, give 40cc, then 4-6 hours later give another 40cc.
Can be given on race day to assist with digestive issues, WILL NOT TEST.
Aloe vera, Calcium bentonite, Apple cider vinegar, Coconut oil (unrefined), Sodium chloride, Shilajit, Rose hips, Spirulina, Fenugreek, Raspberry leaf powder and Mixed tocopherols (as preservative).


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Books of Furnass
Get to Know the Series and the Town
Some Rise
Across the River
The Pattern Maker
A Book of Days
Furrow and Slice
There's Something in the Back Yard
An Uncommon Field
Images from a Small Space
The House with Round Windows
Everything Ends or Changes
When There Was Steel
Erieville
Tailings
Richard Snodgrass
Author and Photographer
An Uncommon Field:
The Flight 93 Temporary Memorial - Carnegie Mellon University Press
An Uncommon Field is a celebration and a unique interpretation of the Flight 93 Temporary Memorial that sprang up after 9/11 at the crash site near Shanksville, PA. The dramatic, evocative black-and-white photographs capture the power and magic of this special place as well as the unplanned beauty of the arrangements of personal items that visitors felt compelled to leave behind. In addition, brief prose meditations provide background information on the site and the events of that fateful day, and tell the stories of the author's experiences as he took the photographs over a two-year period in all seasons and weathers. The book is a testament and tribute to the heroes of Flight 93 as well as to the outpourings of support and American spirit from those who came to pay their respects to what happened here. Though the temporary memorial was dismantled in 2009 to make way for the permanent National Memorial, its spirit lives on in this book of uncommon beauty.
PURCHASE AT AMAZON
© 2022 Richard Snodgrass. All rights reserved. Website by My Blue Robot.


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Marshall ready for milestone
Benji MArshall is one of the game's great entertainers.
by Paul Crawley
THIS is the Benji Marshall you don't see on the footy field. But it's every bit as magical as watching the player widely regarded as rugby league's greatest entertainer of the 21st century at his most brilliant - because it goes to the heart of what drives the legend.
Every Tuesday night, like clockwork, we'll be sitting around the table at Fox Sports debating topics for NRL 360 when Benji's phone will light up.
On the other end is a little boy staring down the barrel at his dad on FaceTime. Without a hint of embarrassment, Benji does his routine with his son before returning to the conversation.
"I usually put him to bed every night when I am home," Benji says.
"So when I am not at home, my wife will call and let me say goodnight."
To this day, Benji has never met his own father, yet he holds no regrets about his upbringing.
"My mum had me when she was 15," he says.
Marshall continues to dazzle more than a decade after making his debut. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) DAN HIMBRECHTS
"So it was tough in that way, financially. But what we lacked in money got made up with love.
"And all the things I learned back then have probably helped me get to this point.
"I didn't get officially adopted but in New Zealand it was quite common to get looked after by other families.
"So I had another set of parents who were a bit older who I call Mum and Dad as well. And I was taught discipline at a young age, and respect."
THE MAKING OF BENJI
From a scrawny 17-year-old who made his debut for Wests Tigers in July, 2003, 17 seasons have passed in the blink of an eye.
Everyone has their own thoughts on who has been the best of this generation, but what can't be disputed is that no one has put more bums on seats than Benji.
Which is a monumental achievement when you consider as a young boy he was never classed as an athlete.
"Back in New Zealand when we were growing up everyone used to practise their side step," he says.
"And when I was young I was always small and slow, so I had to try and find a way to fit in."
Benji Marshall is one of the NRL's greatest entertainers. Picture: Getty Images
So Benji practised his step every day for hours on end until it landed him on the Gold Coast. And without ever playing a game of competitive rugby league he was thrown into a trial game at famous Keebra Park High. And after a dazzling performance, they offered to pay for his schooling.
"For Mum that was a pretty big deal," he says.
"So she sort of kicked my arse and said, 'Get on the plane'."
Within two years, Benji got another phone call that changed his world forever.
"I will never forget that day, I was 17," he says.
"The man on the other end said, 'Hey mate, it's Tim Sheens here. I am going to use you this week against Newcastle. You will be playing against Andrew Johns'. But I thought it was one of my mates playing a prank, so I hung up. Sheensie rang straight back and said, 'Don't hang up or you won't be playing first grade'. I was like, 'shit'.
17 seasons have passed in the blink of an eye. Picture: Getty Images
"Looking back, I don't know if I had any other coach if I would have been as successful because he actually embraced my style. He saw something that a lot of people were turned off by. He encouraged me to do flick passes and sidesteps and play sideways. He just encouraged me to be the player that I was."
It was also Sheens' revolutionary coaching that ultimately delivered Benji's most celebrated moment. That 2005 grand final flick pass that will be forever remembered in rugby league folklore.
"I played 11 games in 2004 before I did my shoulder the first time," he said.
"I think I had five weeks out and I tried to come back and did it again. So I missed the rest of the season. Then I did my shoulder again in a trial the following year.
"So Tim came up with a plan to defend me on the wing and in the grand final with the flick pass, that was where I was defending. I wouldn't have been in the position to do that had Tim not come up with that plan."
Benji Marshall's brilliant flick pass to Pat Richards lit up the 2005 NRL grand final.
'I'M GIVING IT AWAY'
"My uncles used to have a saying, 'Go hard or go home'," Benji says, reflecting on some of his darkest times.
But at the end of 2007, after five shoulder surgeries, Benji was ready to go home.
"I actually disappeared and didn't tell anyone," he says.
"I headed back to New Zealand. I had given up. I was just sick of the constant injuries and let-downs and I said to my adopted dad, 'I'm giving it away'.
"But he made me promise I would go back and give it one more crack and thank God I did because I wouldn't be here now."
From there, Benji helped inspire New Zealand to a World Cup victory in 2008 and in those next few years was regarded as the game's best player, culminating in the 2010 Golden Boot award.
'I GOT PUSHED OUT'
But from 2013 through to when he turned up at Brisbane in 2017, Benji's career looked finished.
After leaving the Tigers, he had a brief stint in Super Rugby before returning to play for St George Illawarra.
Ultimately it was a phone call to Wayne Bennett that again changed the course of his career.
"It is disappointing that I had to leave the Tigers in the first place but everything happens for a reason," he says.
"If it was up to me I wouldn't have left but there are so many details that a lot of people don't know. They just assume I wanted to leave. I actually got pushed out. For sure, there were a few tough years.
"I really enjoyed my time at the Dragons but when I got to Brisbane something clicked. No clubs wanted me and I had to make my own calls to Wayne. I was asking for advice and he sort of said, 'Why don't you just come here and enjoy yourself?'
"Even though I wasn't playing much first grade, it just helped me find that hunger and passion again.
"That gave me the opportunity to meet up with Ivan (Cleary) and make my way back to the Tigers.
"When I signed I said to Ivan, 'Look, I know there are no guarantees of playing first grade but I am going to convince you through my actions.
"I don't know if he believed me but I got to that point and then Madge (Michael Maguire) came along.
"I think what I have got from Madge this year is probably the most I have learned in the last six years about myself, about leadership and where it can take me.
"I just feel like I can still take my game to another level."
IS THIS THE END?
Even though Benji is still to make up his mind about next year, it sounds like he's not ready to retire.
"I don't know," he says.
"Obviously that conversation has to come soon. But I just want to get through this week and I want to make the semi-finals this year.
"And getting another chance to play for New Zealand this year, it was a dream come true.
"I feel like I am a different player to when I was younger. I feel like I am contributing more to the outcomes of games now than ever before.
"I am very lucky. Without rugby league, I would be nowhere. It has just given me everything and I have tried to give everything back."
BENJI MARSHALL Q&A
Career highlight?
Winning the grand final, for sure. The World Cup (in 2008) was big, too. But 2005 was crazy. The thing was, that year, the chances of me dislocating my shoulder again were high (Benji had suffered three shoulder injuries in the previous 12 months). So Tim (Sheens) came up with the plan to defend me on the wing and in the grand final with the flick pass, that was where I was defending, on the wing. So without that I wouldn't have been in the position to actually do what I did.
Benji Marshall celebrates the 2005 premiership.
Toughest opponent?
I would say Preston Campbell. Not all is determined by how big you are. Tough can be defined in many ways but the way Preston fought for his size and how much heart he showed, to me that is tough. He used to make the big tackles and have the courageous runs.
Most influential teammate?
Robbie Farah. We have always challenged each other at training and in the games to want to be better. Whenever we played together I always thought we were a better team.
Hardest to tackle?
There are some guys who when you tackle just leave bruises on you. I did my shoulder on Paul Rauhihi (former North Queensland prop) once but there are so many athletes these days and they are getting bigger and stronger. (Viliame) Kikau is also up there as one of the hardest.
Most influential person on career?
Tim Sheens. I don't know if I had any other coach if I would have been as successful as I am today because he embraced my style. He saw something in me when I was 16 or 17 that a lot of people were turned off by. He encouraged me to do flick passes and sidesteps and play sideways. He just encouraged me to be the player I was.
Childhood hero?
When I started supporting rugby league it was Stacey Jones. He was the biggest star out of New Zealand at the time and just how small he was and the way he influenced games made me want to be like him.
Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah have been through plenty together.
Most admired opponent?
I have played against so many but I will say Darren Lockyer. I took a lot of things from him, especially as he got older, just how he influenced games. I thought he was more influential late in his career without actually even getting tackled than he was back in his prime. I took a lot from that in what I am doing now.
Is the game better now than when you came through?
It is very different. I won't say tougher but the defence is a lot more organised and structured and tactical. The professionalism is also at another level.
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benji marshall
benji marshall nrl rugby league wests tigers
AFL St Kilda will ramp up its search for a new coach this weekend, and some famous names are lining up to help the club find the right candidate.
News THE 29-year-old will face a string of charges, including damaging a property with intent to endanger a life.
Pets & Animals YOU need a licence to drive a car, and one to own a firearm — so why is it OK for anyone to keep, and take into public spaces, an animal capable of killing?
Rugby League Brisbane have been dealt a blow after star backrower Matt Gillett was ruled out of Thursday night's clash with Canterbury after failing a fitness test.
Business INSIDE the world of Anton Blass, who had some bizarre advice for a prosecutor in Southport Magistrates Court this week.
Crime A construction apprentice was a bullying victim for more than a year before his site supervisors set him alight with flammable liquid, a court has heard.
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If you stroll about any city centre late at evening then you will see lengthy queues of celebration-goers attempting their luck to get into the latest exclusive nightspots that known to be extremely tough to enter, unless you are in the know, possessing lots of money or ideally both.
Korea scored a few runs early, but the wheels really fell off for China in mistake-stuffed fifth and sixth innings that noticed Korea rating five in every frame.
The three victims, who had been to the Room Services Lounge, arrived at the Waffle Home and sat in a booth at the back of the cafe by the restrooms, in accordance to Atlanta police.
Kim bounced back again from a steady decline over the past three months to publish a strong August. His power figures dipped a little bit, but otherwise this is a great signal for Doosan. The Bears have a great cushion on their pursuers, but they'll need Kim to remain hot to progress in the playoffs. If they can climb back again up in the standings, Kim may satisfy the MVP hopes he'd kindled earlier this season.
The initial timepiece for scuba was produced in the yr of 1932. We call it Omega "Marine". After the great success of this one, more and much more manufacturers began to produce this type of sports activities watch. A fantastic amount of them had been produced by Hamilton, Elgin or Waltham and other producers during the 2nd Globe War. Following it has finished, they ongoing to produce more. Following that, the Rolex rolex submariner copy came into being in 1954. There are much more manufacturers create this kind of timepieces as they are turning into well-liked as time passes by.
Sun started to settle down and display much more manage, hanging out Ki-hyuk Park. Jong-wook Lee flied out to right on the initial pitch, ending the inning. China , Korea two.
This is a primary way of discovering out whether or not a watch is a fake watch. All genuine Rolex watches are quite heavy since they are produced of strong gold, metal or platinum. Affordable duplicate Rolex, on the other hand, will be light-weight.
Damien Oliver's story is not just that of a fantastic jockey, it's also that of huge determination and commitment to his activity. That's why, against all odds, Damien Oliver usually bounces back.


I don't usually wear a lot of brightly colored patterns, and if I do they usually play a supporting role in the form of a scarf or other accessory, but this patterned jacket had me thinking otherwise. Lately, as I look towards spring, I can't seem to get enough of bold patterns and bright pops of color, which has me itching to get out of my comfort zone. Patterned pants aren't something I've ever tried, but pairing them with a neutral blazer and black pumps makes this trend seem less intimidating.
Shop These Items: H&M Pants // Topshop Strappy Cami Top // Bauble Bar Gold Chain Necklace // Piperlime Nine West Black Pumps // J. Crew Factory Suiting Blazer. Inspiration Images: Kate Lewis Poppy Painting // Antonio Andrade Photograph.


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Q: Change Hash Function in CakePHP 2.2.1 Can someone explain to me how to change the Hash Function in CakePHP 2.2.1 ?
Thanks for the help.

A: You would use Security::setHash() to set the default or you can use the second argument to Security::hash() for the hash type.
API for setHash
API for hash


conclusion of the re-run governorship election in Ekiti State.
Bankole made the call yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, he addressed newsmen.
He asked that people should pray for peace and the conclusion of the election so as to enable that nation move forward.
and the entire world a few weeks ago is what is happening now," he said.
It will be recalled that a re-run governorship election was held in 10 local government areas of Ekiti State on April 25, following an order by the Court of Appeal.
The election was, however, inconclusive, as there was no polling in some wards of Oye Local Government Area due to insecurity.
Mrs Ayoka Adebayo, the state's Resident Electoral Commissioner, who disappeared after her alleged resignation, later resurfaced, pledging to conclude the election at a later date.


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We are Liberty Preparatory
Imagine a school that reinvents education, restores the relationship between
parent and student, and rekindles the desire to learn.
University-Model® School
Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy is a University-Model® school that blends the best attributes of traditional public and private schools, as well as independent study, into one unique model. By using a university-style course schedule, students will receive professional instruction from highly qualified instructors on campus three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday), and do course work under a parent's guidance at home on Wednesday and Friday. The result is a quality, cost-effective, college preparatory education, set in a Christian environment. The key to school and student success is professional classroom instruction partnered with caring parenting at home.
Developing Responsible Students of Character
Our mission at Liberty Prep is not only to provide an academically challenging environment but to also develop responsible students of character. The classical Christian style of education teaches students to pursue wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, instills in them a love of learning, and encourages them to develop their God-given talents and abilities to their fullest potential. Liberty Prep equips students through academics, athletics, visual and performing arts, and a variety of engaging activities.
Liberty Prep was founded in 2010 and opened its doors to our new campus at 229 Midway Lake Road in Mooresville, NC in August 2020. Liberty Prep currently has over 325 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Read About Our Academics
Lake Norman and Surrounding Areas
Our campus is conveniently located to anyone in the Lake Norman and surrounding areas. We are one of the few private, Christian preparatory schools in the region and the only private Christian school in Mooresville. We are truly a Lake Norman Christian School serving Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville, Denver, Statesville, Troutman, and Charlotte.
Contact Liberty
Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy is a University Model School®, certified by the National Association of University-Model Schools®. Liberty Prep is also a fully accredited school through AdvancEd. Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy is also NCAA Eligibility Center Approved.
Liberty Prep uses a modified classical approach with a focus on critical thinking skills and developing the love of learning.
The classical method of education is a three-stage approach to instruction with the goal of producing students who can apply knowledge and think independently. Students taught using the classical approach can be characterized as creative, inventive, and thoughtful problem solvers. They are capable of logical debate and meaningful expository writing.
The three-part approach of classical education is known as the Trivium which consists of the grammar, logic, and rhetoric stages. These three parts of the Trivium can also be synonymously described as knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Grammar (knowledge) is the first and developmental stage of the Trivium which covers the core subjects of math, science, history, and English, and also includes art, music, Latin, and methods of logical analysis as a foundation for learning.
During the Elementary years, students in the grammar stage accumulate and memorize information about each subject while forming a knowledge base to be used in the second and third stages of instruction, logic, and rhetoric.
During Middle School (logic stage), students synthesize this foundational information to reason, realize principles, and gain an overall understanding of each subject.
At the High School level (rhetoric stage), students utilize the accumulation of knowledge and understanding through wise expression and communication skills both written and oral.


Thanks to the plentiful sunshine, Australia enjoys an enviable abundance of natural resources. However, overexposure to sunlight is also a major threat to our skin. Luckily, the local natural ingredients in our products have an outstanding power in terms of moisturising and antioxidant.
Being an industry leader and the world s first facial mask targeting the 'stay-up-late' skin problems, Lellure Illumination Gel Mask revolutionarily combines resveratrol, a magical antioxidant ingredient, and the Australian landmark product – the sheep placenta extract in its purest form.
Australians are proud of their peaceful society. They believe that change should occur by discussion, peaceful persuasion and the democratic process. They reject violence as a way of changing peoples' minds or the law.
In addition to these values, Australians also pursue the public-good and have compassion for those in need. There is a strong community spirit in Australia and Australians seek to enhance and improve the society in which they live.
Many Australians contribute to the community in their daily lives. They may demonstrate this through caring for the environment, lending a hand and working together in times of need in pursuit of the public good.
Australia has a strong tradition of 'mateship', where people provide help to others voluntarily, especially those in difficulty. A mate is often a friend but can also be a spouse, partner, brother, sister, daughter or son. A mate can also be a total stranger. There is also a strong tradition of community service and volunteering.
The values outlined above have been promoted and discussed by Australians over many years. They have helped Australia to welcome and integrate successfully millions of people from many ethnic groups and cultural traditions.
Australia's cultural diversity is a strength which makes for a dynamic society. Within the framework of Australia's laws, all Australians have the right to express their culture and beliefs. But at the same time, all Australians are asked to make an overriding commitment to Australia – its laws, its values and its people.


This module provides rudimentary support for using Edge Side Includes in PSGI applications.
<esi:include src="..." /> - Include the contents of a remote or a local URL. Please note that the alt and onerror attributes are not supported.
<esi:remove>...</esi:remove> - Remove a section of the document.
<!--esi ...--> - Unhide whataver is inside the HTML/XML comment (which is normally the result of applying an ESI include tag).
The module only filters responses with a Content-Type of text/*, application/xml, or application/xhtml+xml. This obviously means that the Content-Type output header must have been set further down in the middleware stack (or, of course, in the original PSGI app itself), before the ESI middleware is applied.


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All-new Mercedes-Benz EQC priced from $67,900
The introduction of the all-new Mercedes-Benz EQC marks a new era of mobility for Mercedes-Benz.
As the first fully electric Mercedes-Benz vehicle to launch globally under the new EQ brand, the EQC 400 4MATIC seamlessly combines 100% electric power, torque and smoothness with all the comfort, confidence, and composure of an all- wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz SUV.
Arriving in U.S. dealerships in early 2020, the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC will start from $67,900 (excluding a $995 destination fee).
The EQC features an all-new advanced drive system with compact electric drivetrains at each axle. To reduce power consumption, the electric drivetrains are configured differently: the front electric motor is optimized to achieve the highest efficiency in the low to medium load range, while the rear motor is designed to create a sporty driving experience. Together, they generate an output of 402 hp and a peak torque of 561 lb-ft.
The centerpiece of the Mercedes-Benz EQC is the lithium-ion battery housed in the vehicle floor. With a total capacity of 80 kWh, the battery employs a sophisticated operating strategy to supply the vehicle with power. To ensure that the technical operating range is used to the maximum, the Mercedes-Benz EQC charges its batteries when on the move. When coasting or braking, the mechanical rotation is converted into electrical energy and used to charge the high-voltage battery (recuperation). During this process, both electric motors are used as generators. This achieves the maximum recuperative deceleration.
The EQC is equipped with the innovative multimedia system Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) as standard, with numerous EQ-specific functions such as the display of range, charge status and energy flow. MBUX utilizes the standard EQ Optimized Navigation and Mercedes me Charge to calculate the most efficient route for any trip. MBUX recommends the shortest amount of time needed to get to your destinations and uses online services to find available DC Fast Charging stations to use if the operating range is insufficient, while Mercedes me Charge provides drivers access to the largest charging network in the United States – municipalities, carparks, highways and shopping centers giving them access to over 80% of networked charging stations in the United States.
Thanks to optimized navigation, Mercedes-Benz customers can also easily find charging stations and gain convenient access anytime via the Mercedes me Charge card, the Mercedes me App, or directly from the car, providing a truly seamless and integrated payment function and simple, monthly billing. The onboard charger makes the most from available external power, with the battery able to recharge from 10% to 80% in just 40 minutes. EQ-optimized navigation, driving modes, charging current and departure time can also be controlled and set via MBUX.
As the first Mercedes-Benz EQ, the EQC showcases many trailblazing design details and color highlights typical of the brand. The high-quality interior of the EQC also pioneers an avant-garde electro-look. One example is the louvered trim in the upper dashboard and door panels, which resembles the cooling fins of a hi-fi amplifier.
At launch, there will be three available tiers customers can choose between – Progressive, Premium and Advanced. The Progressive and Premium tiers offer two uniquely curated paint and upholstery options, while three selections will be available for the Advanced tier. Each tier builds upon the prior with Progressive as the entry point. Standard feature highlights include DYNAMIC SELECT with EQ optimized drive modes, the revolutionary Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) multimedia and infotainment system with EQ optimized navigation, dual-10.25" digital displays with touchscreen, Mercedes Me Charge with 3 years service included, 64-color ambient lighting with "EQC" illuminated door sills, Active Brake Assist with autonomous emergency braking, Car-to-X Communication and LED Intelligent Light System Headlamps with adaptive highbeam assist.
The Premium tier further builds upon the Progressive platform by adding the AMG Line Exterior Package, Parking Assistance Package with 360-degree surround view, wireless charging with NFC pairing, Natural Grain Wood Trim and Aero Package. The Aero Package includes aluminum-look running boards that improve aerodynamics and add extra aero elements under the body of the car to help reduce the coefficient of drag, thus improving the range. The Advanced tier offers the highest equipment level, including all Premium tier content, and also adds leather upholstery, heated outboard rear seats, ventilated front seats and the Driver Assistance Package. The Driver Assistance Package offers the latest suite of Mercedes-Benz driver assistance systems. This include new functions such as Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC® predictive speed adjustment that can reduce speed as a precaution when approaching traffic.
Production of the EQC started in 2019 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen. The new EQC will be integrated into ongoing series production as a fully electric vehicle, and the very latest production technologies will be employed. The all-new EQC will go on sale in the U.S. in early 2020.
EQC 400 4MATIC
Motor 2 asynchronous motors, all-wheel
Battery Lithium Ion
Battery Capacity (kWh) 80kWh
Charging time, wallbox
(240V/32A) 10 hours (10 – 100%)
Charging time, DC Fast Charging
(110kW, 10%-80%) 40 min (10 – 80%)
Widthw/mirrors
(w/omirrors) 82.5"
Curb Weight (lbs) TBA
Fuel Economy (MPGe)
(city/hwy/comb) TBA
Drive Config. Fully Variable 4MATIC
Performance 402 hp
561 lb-ft
Transmission Single-speed
0-60 mph (sec) 4.8
Top speed (mph) 112 (electronically limited)
Main Competitors Audi e-tron quattro SUV, Jaguar i-PACE, BMW iX3
*Prices excludes $995 destination and delivery charge.
Nov 20, 2019 Blagojce Krivevski
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Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL Fuel Cell Vehicle Cracks 300,000 km Mark
Mercedes-Benz at 2018 Geneva Motor Show
November 20, 2019 Electric Car NewsEQC, EQC 400 4MATIC, mercedes benz, Mercedes-benz EQ, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC


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US midterms 2018
Blue wave or blue ripple? A visual guide to the Democrats' gains in the midterms
The Democrats made inroads into Trump country to take the House, but how significant was this election for them?
Follow our live coverage
Wed 7 Nov 2018 08.19 EST Last modified on Wed 7 Nov 2018 09.45 EST
Josh Holder, Cath Levett, Daniel Levitt and Peter Andringa
Congress heading towards deadlock, again
The big news of the night came in the race for the House of Representatives, where the Democrats took control for the first time since 2010. The Democrats gained more than the 23 seats needed for a majority, and could increase their lead further with some races yet to be decided. With the two chambers of Congress now split, policy making could be heading for deadlock.
choro2
The 'blue wave' led to a surge in Democratic vote share across much of the country
Much was made of the blue wave entering the election, and the Democrats will have reason to be optimistic. They increased their support in large areas of the midwest and the Rust Belt, regions where Donald Trump dominated in 2016, most notably in Oklahoma's fifth district and Kansas's third, where they flipped control.
Blank counties either have no results at the time of publishing or had an uncontested House race in 2016 or 2018.
Democrats took back some of Trump country
The Democrats defended most of its districts that voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, frustrating Republicans, who failed to make further inroads. A larger concern for Trump is that the Republicans lost several districts in states that voted for him two years ago.
Most notable is Iowa, where the Democrats flipped two of the four districts, and shaved Republican incumbent Steve King's majority by 16 points to a little more than 3%.
clinton / trump
Democrats in suburban districts saw some of the biggest victories
Democrats campaigned heavily in suburban districts that traditionally voted Republican. Increasing diversity and a general distaste for Trump put many of those seats in play, and the Democrats capitalised on it.
The Democrats' gains were concentrated in the centre 20% of districts by urban population – mostly suburban regions with a mix of high-density and lower-density areas. The party failed to take back many rural seats, which Trump won overwhelmingly in 2016 and Republicans held onto during this election.
urban2
The districts where Democrats succeeded were also more wealthy: they gained 16 seats in the highest income districts but their momentum tapered off in lower income brackets.
income2
Democrats did similarly well in educated districts, with 17 of the Democrats' 26 new seats coming in districts with the highest density of bachelor degrees.
Data sources: AP for election results, Daily Kos for presidential results by congressional district, American Community Survey for demographic information
Results as of 10.00 GMT on 7 November