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Win FREE Tickets to the Holly & Evan Band @ Newberry Music Hall on Saturday
Giveaways/Contests
By Greg Haymes	 On Oct 19, 2016
The Holly & Evan Band
Photograph by Timothy Reidy
They started out as a blues duo, Holly Taormina on guitar and Evan Conway on bass. Then they added Bob Morris behind the drum kit. Eventually they signed on veteran saxman Josh Greenberg, and the Holly & Evan Band expanded to a quartet, rounding out their sound with elements of funk, jazz, soul and rock.
If you haven't heard them in a while, you can catch up with them at 9pm Saturday (October 22) at the Newberry Music Hall in Saratoga Springs, where they're throwing a dance party/concert, the Funk Soul Initiative. DJ Intell Hayesfield of Chill Smith opens the show.
Tickets are available online or at the door for $10.
BUT WAIT… Have we got a deal for you! We're giving away a pair of FREE TICKETS for the show to a lucky Nippertown reader! To enter the contest, just post a comment below. Please leave your email address, too. We won't publish it, but we'll use it to contact you if you win. The deadline to enter is 12:30pm on Friday (October 21), and the winner will be selected at random and notified on Friday afternoon. Enter today! And good luck!
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wanda callagy says 5 years ago
Looks like a fine gig…ENJOY!!!
Mary Wheeler says 5 years ago
LOVE LOVE LOVE this band!!!!!!!!
"Downtown's Shop & Savor smAlbany" to…
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We got the cold weather but not the snow and rain, other than a brief shower and hail on Friday night. I"m not complaining! I don't believe the temperature got above 28 degrees or so yesterday.
Temperature is supposed to get to 46 degrees today, which might seem almost balmy.
Walked in fitness center yesterday. Walked in two stages with exercise in between.
My "pace" is improving as I get used to walking on an indoor track.
What surprised me about my Apple watch was I was using the "rowing machine", which I wasn't going to record on my Apple watch, when the watch asked me if I was on a rowing machine and recorded it when I said yes!
Amazing what the iWatch can do. Probably I know about 10% (if that) of what it can do.
Still working on "Siri Shortcuts". I am probably making it more complicated than it actually is, but it is not user friendly to say the least.
Still having some wild dreams, don't remember most of them long enough to record. Here is a recent one.
Dreamed Aliene and I were in a huge mall, I believe in Indianapolis, but it could have been somewhere else.
We went in and almost immediately we get lost from each other. I though Aliene had gone into a display in a huge truck trailer, but looked in and realized she probably wouldn't have gone in since it was so high.
Walked around the mall, went to the cafe to see if she was eating and reading. There were a bunch of off duty clowns in the cafe, whom I tried to ignore while I looked for Aliene. (I tried to look like it was common to have a bunch of off-duty clowns around).
Some of the clowns were fully dressed, others were partially dressed (in their clown costumes), all looked very sad or in despair, none looked funny or happy..
Walked around the mall and started wondering what Ciy I was in I got a map of the mall.
There were several critters running around (I thought of them as "wombats' in the dreamI) that were small and running around, falling down, jumping down stairs etc. like a bunch of clowns.
Wondered if w could ever figure out how to get out after I found her.
That's it for now, Sunday, June 20, 2019.


George Washington was the United States' first head of state who served Americans from the year 1789- 1797. Washington was one of the 'Founding Fathers' of the U.S. He was appointed as a chief officer of the Continental Army in the course of the American struggle for independence. George Washington was born in a prosperous family which owned tobacco farms and slaves which he later possessed. Washington was the firstborn of his parents Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington. In his youth, he was nominated as the senior captain of the colonial militia in the first stages of Indian and French War. Moreover, during the Second Continental Congress in 1755, George Washington was appointed as the commander in chief, and in that command, he helped to drive out the British from Boston. Accordingly, the paper discusses the early life of George Washington including his surveyor career. The paper likewise discusses his political life.
According to the Julian calendar, George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, U.S on February 11 in 1731. However, in 1752, after the Gregorian calendar was approved by the British Empire, George Washington's birth date was changed to February 22, 1732. However, in his childhood, Washington spent much of his life on a Ferry Farm, an estate that was in Fredericksburg, Virginia. However, his father died in April 1743 when Washington was at the age of 11, and therefore, his step-brother Lawrence took over as the surrogate father and also as Washington's mentor. His father's death prevented him from attending school at Appleby School, England, although he is believed to have received teachings from private tutors and also from an institution run by an Anglican clergyman in Fredericksburg. Washington excelled in mathematics and also learned about basics of surveying but he did not learn any Greek or Latin and other foreign languages like other gentlemen's sons. However, his formal education concluded when he was the age of 15.
George Washington traveled to Barbados in 1751 with his step-brother Lawrence whose condition was not well. He was suffering from tuberculosis. They had high expectations that relocating to a warmer climate would help him recover. Lawrence was very educated and he was Washington's mentor, his condition failed to improve and he died in 1952 and George Washington inherited his estate, Mount Vernon which was near Alexandria, Virginia.
George Washington surveillance career began at an early age when he learned surveyor basic in school. However, his first experiences started in 1748 when he was invited by George Fairfax in a survey organization in Belvoir. Fairfax had structured a professional surveying organization to expend tracks of land in the western Virginia border, and this is where Washington got his invaluable experience of surveillance. At the age of 17, George Washington started his professional surveyor career in the College of William $Mary and he got his commission and surveyor's license. He continued working as a surveyor for four years in Ohio Company, Western Virginia. By 1752, George Washington had completed nearly 200 surveys on various properties and continued with his career until in late 1799. His experience made him more prominent and ignited his interest in the western land holdings. George Washington worked hard and bought more lands where he expanded Mount Vernon estate from 2000 acres to 8000 acres of land (Allen, 2008). Then, he grew different crops that include bred mules, wheat, and corn and also retained fruit orchards.
By 1960s, George Washington was concerned by the effects of the raised taxes by British on American colonists. He, therefore, felt that it was the right time for the Americans to claim their independence. Although he was irritated by the British Proclamation Act of 1963 to prohibit settlement outside Alleghenies, George Washington did not take part in leading the colonial battle until during the widespread demonstration of Townshend Acts in 1767. In 1769, Washington presented resolutions to the House of Burgesses which asked the people of Virginia to boycott all British products. George Washington, therefore, served as the First Continental Congress delegate in Philadelphia in 1774. He then held a meeting where Fairfax resolves were implemented calling to convey the Continental Congress and use armed force against the British. However, a year later, the Second Continental Congress was conveyed and the American War for independence began. Washington was hence appointed as the chief officer of the Continental Army. During this period, George Washington was a better leader than being a military policy maker. However, his mission was to keep struggling and to keep his troops together. Through Washington's leadership, the American colonial forces won several battles, and in 1781, together with French, the Continental forces conquered the British army and this activity effectively ended the American Revolutionary War. Following this, George Washington was acknowledged as the national hero.
However, George Washington felt that he was done with the command obligation after a peace treaty was endorsed between the United States and Great Britain in 1783. Washington went back to Mount Vernon to resume on his farming and his family. In 1787, he was called in Philadelphia to attend a Constitutional Convention meeting because his impressive leadership convinced members that Washington was fit to be the nation's president. Although he did not want to engage in leadership again, the public demand was so high and therefore he gave in. The first American presidential election was carried out on January 7, 1789, where George Washington acquired the highest votes. The second aspirant, John Adams who held the second position became America's first vice president. On April 30, 1789, George Washington was sworn in and become the first American president. During this period, the United States was not a big nation, it only consisted 11 states with nearly 4 million citizens. This made it easy for the new president to carry out foreign and domestic affairs. Moreover, George Washington's leadership determined how the future presidents in the U.S were expected to carry out their leadership. He set a good example of prudence, fairness, and integrity and also maintained cordial connections with foreign nations. Washington appointed the first U.S chief justice John Jay, also structured his presidential cabinet and signed up a bill that developed the first national bank. George Washington served the U.S for two terms and then returned to Mount Vernon to continue farming. Washington died on December 14, 1799, following a severe throat infection. He died at the age of 67.
George Washington was the United States first elected president who left one of the most acknowledged legacies in the history of the U.S. The American citizen consider Washington as the 'Father of His Country' who dedicated to serving his people. Moreover, George Washington is considered as the man of great integrity and a patriot who helped to liberate the United States. He was also a great leader who chose to save the republic.


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Don't count out Tesco
Neil Stern 2 | Aug 22, 2014
Tesco has been in the news a lot recently, with the high profile replacement of their current CEO Phillip Clarke with a Unilever executive Dave Lewis. Lewis will inherit a company searching for direction, with slumping sales in their home U.K. market as well as struggles in most of their foreign outposts. And, of course, there have been the well covered stories of their failed U.S. venture and a similar story in China. Clearly, this is a company with its share of troubles.
At the same time, it was not long ago when many (including myself) considered Tesco to be the best run retailer in the world. And, with sales of over $100 billion (U.S.), this is not a company to take for granted. We keep a close eye on the leading international retailers for a simple reason: trends starting in one country can quickly migrate to another. And U.S. retailers, while still world class, can certainly learn a lot from their global counterparts. In fact, as recent visits to several Tesco stores outside of London will attest to, this is a company with considerable assets and opportunities.
• Its private brands program continues to be among the best in the world and recent revamps to the entry-level Value line, an upgrade to its premium Finest brand and refinements to several key lifestyle brands reveals a company with considerable brand building strengths. An example of a new initiative My Fit Lifestyle shows one such example.
• Their Clubcard program remains world class but requires new innovation to keep up with changing market demands. But, Tesco has great data to work with.
• Visits to their prototype store in Watford shows interesting experimentation with new brands, like the Euphorium Bakery, Giraffe restaurant and Harris & Hoole coffee.
There is much that needs to be fixed at Tesco. It begins with creating a clear sense of direction and regaining market leadership which they have relinquished to others. But there is also a lot to work with.
Do you believe Tesco can turn around its business? And are there lessons worth learning from their recent stumbles abroad? What's your view?
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John T. Conway: A Remembrance
February 18, 2016 by Llewellyn King Leave a Comment
By Llewellyn King
John T. Conway, who died on Feb. 12 at the age of 92, was a force. And he triumphed in many things — as a Navy engineer, an FBI special agent, an attorney, a congressional staffer, a presidential appointee, a utility executive, a husband and a father.
I am glad to say that John was my friend, and that I was the beneficiary of his joy and generosity.
I knew him for more than 40 years. And I knew him to be a man for whom everything was an adventure. He sought it and it sought him.
If you were lucky enough to know John, you were swept along in his adventure. I was swept along in the corridors of the Capitol, which he knew inside out from his days as a staffer on the storied Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. I was swept along in the labyrinth of offices at Consolidated Edison Company in New York, when he was executive assistant to the chairman. I was swept along into the arcane and essential work of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, when he became its first chairman, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, in 1989.
And I was swept along on K Street in Washington, when John was headed for a favorite watering hole. He was an Irishman from New York, where his father was a policeman for 30 years. John was Irish in the best sense of that: He enjoyed a drink and loved the companionship that went with it.
John was a raconteur who took time to ask questions. You always felt he knew a lot more than you did — and this was for the simple reason that he did. An evening in his company was a time to laugh, but also a time to learn.
A 42-page interview that FBI historians conducted with John in 2009, as part of an oral history of the agency, can be found online at http://www.nleomf.org/assets/pdfs/nlem/oral-histories/FBI_Conway_interview.pdf In this remarkable document, John discusses his attempts to see active duty in World War II and his extraordinary career at the FBI.
John had told me a lot about his life as an FBI special agent, including how close he had come to turning a Soviet spy. He said he felt cheated not to have closed the deal.
He was both an engineer and an attorney – with degrees from Tufts University and Columbia University School of Law — so he was well-suited to the nuclear business in Washington. From the 1950s, the nuclear world was populated with giants. John stood tall even among that august company.
He joined the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy in 1958 as an assistant staff director, and became its executive director in 1968. It was the only joint committee of Congress that has ever had the power to introduce legislation — and as such, it was something of a law unto itself. It had very private offices in the Capitol, accessed by a discreet elevator that was almost under the dome.
All the committee members were there because of their devotion to nuclear energy. They sought their assignments because they believed in nuclear energy for defense, electricity generation and medicine. Democrat and Republican were as one where nuclear was concerned. The chairmanship switched between the House and Senate every two years, but the committee's policy of collective aims never varied. Many of its members were national figures such as Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson (D-Wash.), Sen. John Pastore (D-R.I.), Sen. Clinton Anderson (D-N.M.), and John Anderson (R-Ill.), who ran for president as an Independent.
Because of the secrecy which surrounded it and the depth of knowledge among its members, Congress was usually swayed by the committee. In short, it got what it wanted.
Making sure that happened was John Conway. As staff director, his influence in Congress and in its vassal agency, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), was considerable. He was at the right hand of members during an expansion of nuclear power and in dangerous days of the Cold War. He circled the globe as the quiet man who smoothed things out — some critical, as in Moscow with Sen. Jackson, or in Rome with Sen. Pastore.
When Pastore was chairman of the committee, he took John with him on a trip to Rome. Now Pastore was a short man, and John was a tall, raw-boned one. They traveled together at a time when Europe was littered with what were called "counterpart funds." This was local currency that had accumulated in U.S. embassies in payments, but could not be repatriated and converted into dollars.
At the U.S. Embassy in Rome, John was given a big roll of lira — a common practice at that time when congressmen visited European countries. With the roll in his jacket pocket, John accompanied Pastore for an audience with the Pope. Pastore was a devout Catholic, and John told me he thought this was the highest point of the senator's life.
The audience began in curtained room in the Vatican, and involved Pastore, John, the Pope and his aide. Before they left the room, the Pope handed a glass-and-metal crucifix to Pastore, who clutched it to his chest, profoundly moved.
Then the Pope indicated that he and Pastore should go to another room where, presumably, the senator received a papal blessing. John and Pope's aide stood looking at each other in the curtained room. He was so grateful for his boss's audience with the Pope and the gift of the crucifix that he felt some reciprocation was needed. Having brought no presents, John handed the Pope's aide the roll of lira.
Then the aide, who thought this generosity required major reciprocity, threw back the room's curtain to reveal a great tub of identical crucifixes. He grabbed a bunch and handed them to John. Big problem. If Pastore had found out that they were given to all, he would be devastated. And if John declined the offer, there might be an international incident. So he stuffed them into his shirt and crossed his arms over his chest to keep them from clinking.
Soon, John was reunited with Pastore. The two left the Vatican — with John suffering painful pricking from his burden.
When they were back on a Roman street and Pastore was distracted, John unloaded his burden into a trash can. "Ask John. He will know what to do," they used to say all over Washington. And he always did.
A truly great man has passed, paid up in full in the human club.
Llewellyn King, executive producer and host of "White House Chronicle" on PBS," was the founder and publisher of "The Energy Daily" for 33 years.
Filed Under: King's Commentaries Tagged With: Atomic Energy Commission, Consolidated Edison, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, John T. Conway, Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, U.S. Congress, U.S. Navy
White House Chronicle on Social
IRENA Panel Urges Youth To Move from Anger to Action on Energy Transition
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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate change canary, didn't participate in the 13th assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), held in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 14 to 15. Perhaps it was because she was otherwise engaged in protesting against the razing of the German village of Lützerath for […]
Big Tech First Cornered the Ad Market, Now Practices Censorship
Llewellyn King
Big tech has siphoned off advertising and wants to be a global censor. The Department of Justice has filed suit against Google for its predatory advertising practices. Bully! Not that I think Google is inherently evil, venal or greedier than any other corporation. Indeed, it is a source of much good through its awesome search […]
Going Green Is a Palpable Need but a Tough Transition
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — I first heard about global warming being attributable to human activity about 50 years ago. Back then, it was just a curiosity, a matter of academic discussion. It didn't engage the environmental movement, which marshaled opposition to nuclear and firmly advocated coal as an alternative. Twenty years on, there […]
My Adventures With Classified Documents
It is easy to start hyperventilating over classified documents. It isn't the classification but what is in the documents that counts. Much marked classified is rubbish. I have been around the classification follies for years. In 1970, I did what might be called a study, but it was just a freelance article on hovercraft use […]
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Voters should demand more than 'law and order'
By Rebecca Neusteter, Opinion Contributor — 11/05/18 08:20 AM EST
On Nov. 6, voters across the nation will head to the polls to choose candidates for office at the federal, state, and local level who they feel most represent their values and priorities.
For many voters, one of these priorities is public safety. Traditional notions of public safety are dominated by "tough on crime" and "law and order"-style policies—largely enforced by police departments nationwide. But our current reliance on police to deal with all of society's problems does not make us safer. Instead, it pushes millions of people into the justice system and exacerbates poverty and racial inequality. Further, it makes the jobs of officers both difficult and frustrating, given that they do not have the resources, skills, and training needed to solve many of the problems they encounter.
Rather than looking to candidates who espouse these failed policy views, voters this year should look for candidates who support additional training and resources for officers beyond enforcement, as well as the allocation of resources outside of the justice system for individuals in need of assistance.
The term "public safety"—used broadly by candidates, activists, experts and ordinary civilians alike — is typically synonymous with low crime rates, few public order offenses—such as disorderly conduct, drug and prostitution crimes — and an overall feeling of safety among local residents. Yet not everyone agrees on how to achieve these public safety goals. For decades, local governments have relied on police departments to maintain a "law and order" approach, and officers have become the default response to crime — large and small — as well as other issues that are not criminal in nature. In fact, over 240 million calls are placed to 911 systems nationwide each year, the vast majority of which are unrelated to emergencies or crimes in progress.
Part of this problem is the fact that people often have nowhere else to turn when faced with various crises. Police officers, as a result, have become the first responders to nearly all of society's ailments — including family and mental health crises, conflicts in schools, and "quality of life" offenses such as public intoxication and panhandling.
Even when the underlying problem is minor or not criminal in nature — for example if someone is having a mental health crisis — police officers often respond using the tool that is most familiar to them: enforcement. Often, it's the only tool — other than doing nothing — available. This leads nationwide to almost 10 million arrests annually, primarily for low-level, non-serious offenses, contributing to millions of jail admissions each year.
This enforcement takes an especially heavy toll on poor communities and communities of color — who are typically more likely to be party to 911 calls — and for whom even a single day in jail can have lasting consequences, including the loss of an individual's job, home and children. What's more, studies have shown that even small stints in jail can make an individual more susceptible to return to crime and incarceration in the future, making our communities less stable and less safe.
Our over reliance on police enforcement for these types of situations puts an unnecessary strain on police resources, prevents officers from fighting serious crime, and hinders their ability to build positive relationships with the communities they serve. It also exposes countless individuals to avoidable criminal justice system contacts.
This approach is inefficient and ineffective. We must develop a better understanding of the types of situations that warrant a police response and those that don't. Further, we should be investing not only in the development of alternatives to enforcement for police officers but also in the availability in alternative service options, especially for individuals with mental health and substance use issues.
Voters in jurisdictions that are holding local elections — namely for mayor, city council, sheriff, and district attorney — should pay close attention to the criminal justice and public safety policies being put forward by candidates for those offices. Relying on the status quo responses of police enforcement and incarceration to all of society's problems is not a viable solution.
At the Vera Institute of Justice, we are actively working with police departments across the country to develop alternatives to enforcement. One of these initiatives includes our partnership with local police departments in Tucson, Ariz., and Camden, N.J., to conduct an extensive analysis of their 911 call data and develop a suite of alternative responses for dispatched officers.
Communities across the country should be pushing for similar conversations among their elected leaders and local police and social services officials. Only by embracing the need for alternatives to police enforcement — and holding our leaders accountable for reform — can we truly make our communities safer and more equitable.
Neusteter is policing program director at the Vera Institute of Justice.


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Home » General Health » Surgery checklist proven to save lives: Study
Surgery checklist proven to save lives: Study
The longer you live, the more likely you are to have had surgery for some sort of ailment. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2012, approximately 312.9 million operations were performed globally, which had increased by 38 percent over the previous eight years. This is about 4,469 surgical operations for every 100,000 people per year. These are surgical operations that are performed in an operating room and require general anesthesia, according to WHO. Patients undergoing surgical operations are at risk for a multitude of complications, with death being one of them.
After an operation, patients are at higher risk of complications and death from hemorrhage, infection, organ failure, and other various causes. This has led the WHO to spearhead a five-year voluntary checklist-based study—a 19 item list highlighting key points of attention in three phases of surgery: sign in (before the administration of anesthesia), timeout (before incision), and sign out (before the patient exists the operating room). This program began back in 2008, and eight hospitals in eight different cities around the world participated, demonstrating nearly one-third fewer deaths and complications from non-cardiac surgery in a diverse population of adult patients as a result.
"When done right, the Surgical Safety Checklist can significantly improve patient safety at large scale," said lead author Dr. Alex B. Haynes, a surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital.
In a similar study that took place in South Carolina, a modified Safe Surgery program was implemented, with a total of 14 hospitals completing the program. It consisted of a 12 step implementation consisting of a customized checklist for the particular hospital. It was observed that nearly 40 percent of South Carolina's inpatient surgery volume participated in the study, which was done from 2010 to 2013. The results showed that in these 14 hospitals, post-surgery death rates fell from 3.38 before checklist implementation to 2.84 percent after implementation.
Of note is that the South Carolina hospitals who did not complete the program saw no such decrease in post-surgery death rates, which were 3.5 percent in 2010 and 3.71 percent in 2013. This represents a 22 percent difference in post-surgery mortality between these two groups.
"Safety checklists can significantly reduce death in surgery. But they won't if surgical teams treat them as just ticking a box. With this work, South Carolina has demonstrated that surgery checklists can save lives at a large scale—and how hospitals can support their teams to do it," said co-author Dr. Atul Gawande, executive director of Ariadne Labs who also led the international team that developed the WHO Safe Surgery checklist in 2008.
Related: Heart disease mortality or hospitalization reduced by 32 percent with vegetarian diet
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316965.php
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As a former legislator, I know well the challenges that lawmakers will face when they convene on Jan. 5. With the COVID-19 pandemic and its profound damage to our economy, education system and way of life as the sobering backdrop, Republicans and Democrats in Minnesota's divided Legislature will have to work together if they hope to accomplish much.
Lessons learned in 2020 should serve as guideposts to a successful outcome in 2021 for all Minnesotans.
Lesson 1: Minnesotans chose divided government. This is a diverse state with divided government. Now more than ever it is critical for lawmakers to find common ground and de-emphasize division.
While President-elect Joe Biden won Minnesota by a comfortable margin, Republicans performed well in state legislative races, retaining a slim majority in the Minnesota Senate and gaining a handful of seats in the DFL-controlled Minnesota House. With a DFL governor and divided Legislature, neither party will have total control of the state's policy agenda.
This dynamic should encourage legislators to set aside the more dogmatic elements of their agenda and focus instead on regaining our state's equilibrium.
Lesson 2: The budget situation is volatile. When the 2021 legislative session convenes, the governor and Legislature will begin crafting the state's biennial budget to fund E-12 education, public health programs, public safety, and other state programs and public services. This is never an easy task, but fortunately the latest forecast shows the state budget situation improving, with a manageable $1.3 billion deficit expected for the fiscal year 2021-22.
With the state on stronger fiscal footing than previously projected, the next budget should not require a massive overhaul. Given the uncertain economic conditions and the ongoing impact of COVID, this is not the time for drastic permanent changes in spending or state tax policy.
Lesson 3: Minnesota businesses stepped up in a time of need. Although the pandemic has impacted Minnesota businesses in varying degrees, 2020 was a challenging year for all Minnesota businesses. Employers have been focused on responding to the pandemic, adapting to a changing work environment while keeping employees and customers safe, and navigating state and federal directives. Furthermore, we learned this year that public-private partnerships can help address major challenges facing the state.
In April, as Minnesota struggled to acquire the personal protective equipment needed for health care workers and others on the front lines of the pandemic, companies like Ecolab, Donaldson, C.H. Robinson, 3M, Toro, Polaris and Target stepped up to utilize their supply chains to help the state.
Target and Best Buy gave their employees pay increases. UnitedHealth Group pledged $100 million to COVID relief.
These are just a handful of examples of the ways Minnesota employers stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic to ease the suffering of Minnesotans.
On the technology front, innovative initiatives led by Best Buy, Land O'Lakes, and others have helped deliver high-speed broadband and tech devices to underserved communities, which has been especially critical for students in an era of distance learning.
If 2020 taught us anything, it's the value of having large employers based in Minnesota and invested in our state's future. 2021 is not the time for the Legislature to add new mandates on employers or employees, which would hamper our state's ability to emerge from the pandemic successfully.
Lesson 4: Educational and technology gaps require urgent attention. The death of George Floyd shined a spotlight on the challenge of racism and racial inequities in our state. The governor and Legislature began the work of addressing this challenge with their passage of landmark police reform earlier this year. But the work is far from complete, especially as it relates to educational inequality.
It is becoming clear that the state's already-massive learning gaps that particularly plague students of color are being exacerbated by the pandemic.
Lawmakers should fearlessly attack the state's persistent achievement gaps with reforms that have proved successful, even when those reforms meet resistance within the education establishment. Minor adjustments are not enough. To change the trajectory for thousands of students of color for whom the current system is a failure, bold and transformational action is required.
The proposal of Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari and former Supreme Court Justice Alan Page is just such a measure. The Legislature should embrace this proposed amendment to Minnesota's Constitution that would provide that all children are entitled to a "quality" education.
Additionally, beginning with early childhood education, the state's focus should be on helping the children who need it most. That means prioritizing scholarships for low-income families, a cost-effective approach that has been proven effective.
As we reflect on the end of a traumatic and exhausting year, we should learn from the past and commit to achieving a better future. Is that possible? Filled with the hope that a new year brings, and aware of the proven ability of state leaders on both sides of the aisle to pull together in challenging times, my answer is an optimistic "yes."
Charlie Weaver is executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership.
Keeping Sirhan Sirhan in prison
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Editorial cartoon: Dave Granlund on Djokovic
Clive Crook
Biden is adding to democracy's dangers
He was supposed to help us return to normal; instead he is further dividing this country.
Attack on synagogue is a sad reminder
Anti-Semitism persists, creating the need for congregations to prepare.
Biden's unexpected walk on the supply side
Administrations have long believed the market would handle supply, and Biden is left with a government that isn't ready to take those reins.
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The Story of the Welsh Country House
Discovering Historic Houses in Wales
Lost Houses
50 Buildings that Built Wales, 2016
Plas Brynkir, Dolbenmaen, 2014
Margaret Sandbach: A Tragedy in Marble and Ink, 2013
Y Plas: The Story of the Welsh Country House, 2013
Welsh Country Houses Illustrated, 2008
Forgotten Welsh Houses, 2008
Llwynywormwood: A Royal Home in Wales, 2008
Abergele and District: A Pictorial Past, 2007
Myths and Legends of the Gwrych Castle Estate, 2006
Plas Teg: A Jabobean Country House, 2006
Baron Hill, Beaumaris and Garthewin, Llanfairtalhaiarn, 2006
Hafodunos Hall: Triumph of the Martyr, 2005
Gwrych Castle and Winifred, Countess of Dundonald – A Biography, 2003
Gwrych Castle: A Pictorial History, 2000
The Rise and Fall of Gwrych Castle, 1999
Marc Rees
Antonia Dewhurst
Ceri Leeder
This is one of my favourite books. Margaret Sandbach (1812-1852) is a lost heroine of the Victorian age – an early survivor of breast cancer and mastectomy, whose close relationship with John Gibson produced some of the most celebrated sculpture of the age. Her several volumes of poems, together the letters and diaries of Margaret, her husband and Gibson, reveal a complex and tragic story of love, patronage and grief in the genteel surroundings of her home at Hafodunos. Margaret was a woman of remarkable ability, whose relatively fleeting life is preserved through her extensive writing and patronage of Gibson. The book tells the story of the relationships between Margaret, her husband and the famous sculptor John Gibson in their own words, using letters, diaries and poetry. Fragments of Margaret Sandbach's life of achievement and tragedy survive, scattered across the country. The book takes the form of a meandering pilgrimage to Hafodunos, Margaret's beautiful, but derelict North Wales home. The sculpture gallery she inspired there is under restoration, following the recent fire that threatened to obliterate her greatest legacy.
Back in September 2013, Manuel Vason was commissioned by Cardiff-based production company Truth Department to create images specific to the site of the ruins of Hafodunos in Wales. This was for the publication 'Margaret Sandbach – A Tragedy in Marble and Ink', by Mark Baker & Dewi Gregory. The project was based on the life of Victorian poet Margaret Sandbach, who was modelled by the artist Michelle Outram.
Find out more more about the project and order a copy of the book here
Publisher: Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust (8 Nov. 2013)
Language: English and Welsh
Product Dimensions: 29.7 x 15 x 21 cm
Mark Baker
Dr. Mark Baker is an architectural historian based in Wales. He read History and Archaeology at Bangor University, and Medieval British Studies at Cardiff University, where he also completed his doctoral thesis on The Development of the Welsh Country House in 2015. As a freelance architectural historian, researcher and writer, Mark has worked with organisations such as the National Trust, Cadw, Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, building preservation trusts and private house owners.


text:
EU Funds Botswana E-Commerce Strategy
Gaborone – When 29 year old Christopher Benn first set up his e-commerce business, Skymart Botswana, there was no blue print on how to tackle the world of e-commerce, in Botswana. However, five years down the line the entrepreneur has succeeded in setting up a market based business that connects local sellers with buyers from all over the world.
The site now boasts, 120 sellers, selling over 4000 different products and receives between 2000- 3000 visitors daily.
Despite these business successes Benn is quick to point out the many challenges that come with running an e-commerce enterprise in the country. The first being the need to convince buyers that e-commerce is a safe way to shop.
This challenge was also reflected in the 2014 Botswana Household Access and Individual Use of Information & Communication Technologies Survey which showed that e-Commerce is still very small in Botswana.
Of the total population, only 4.6 percent of people in Botswana were found to use e-commerce. E-Commerce Purchases were mainly done with sellers in SADC, Europe and America. With 37.1% of purchases being made from sellers in the SADC region while 36% were from sellers in Europe and 20.5% from sellers in America and only 8.4% were from local sellers.
Benn also highlighted other challenges he currently experiences, which include unreliable internet connections and working in a business environment where e-commerce is not yet fully understood. He concluded that new legislature and policies are needed to cater for e-commerce entrepreneurs and consumers.
"We need new laws to cater for online merchants. If you just look at the current business licensing procedures in the country, they are not relevant to online businesses. Right now to operate a business legally you need a trading license from the city council, and they require you to have premises. This is not relevant for us because we are online we are not trading on the street like other businesses with physical premises. So there should be a new license for online merchants," he said.
He further added that they also need more laws to protect sellers. As currently "the Department of Consumer Affairs focuses on protecting consumers but they do not have laws in place to protect the seller and market-place from fraudulent transactions."
Luckily for Benn and other e-commerce entrepreneurs the Botswana Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry has also taken note of the many challenges that come with e-commerce, and plan on developing a national e-commerce strategy.
The Project is one of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) projects funded by the European Union (EU) under the SADC Trade Related Facility (TRF).
The facility was set up to provide financial and technical support to SADC member states to assist them to implement their commitments under the SADC Protocol on Trade and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the SADC EPA group.
The TRF consists of two windows of funding. The SADC Protocol on Trade window where member states who have ratified the Protocol on Trade can access up to 1.4 million Euros, and the EPA window where member who have signed the SADC EPA can access up to 1.2 million Euros.
As a signatory of the SADC EPA and one of the states that has ratified the Protocol on Trade, Botswana has access to both windows (up to 2.6million Euros) under the TRF.
Mr Fudzai Pamacheche, the SADC Secretariat EPA expert, confirmed that the financing agreement for the project was signed by the SADC Secretariat and the Government of Botswana in July 2017 and Botswana has been granted 398 400 Euros to develop the strategy.
Pamacheche further explained that the project will include the development of the strategy and the accompanying legal framework, and will help to make online transactions more widely acceptable.
He added that with most transactions now happening online this is a key project that will help to facilitate the trading process and directly benefit the citizens of Botswana.
"E-commerce is looking at building platforms that allow individuals to do online transactions and currently most people are making money transfers online, using their phones. So in essence individuals would actually benefit as Botswana does not have clear cut policies on e-commerce and this project will allow the country to introduce key policies that will make electronic transactions more widely acceptable," he said.
Source – https://www.zambezian.com/eu-funds-botswana-e-commerce-strategy/
EU Trade Partnership to Strengthen Swazi Private...
E2.4bn EPA Boost from EU to SADC
Botswana Develops Comprehensive Plan for the EU-SADC...
SADC and EU Intensify Efforts to Combat Human...
EU helps Lesotho combat Trafficking in persons
L'Union Européenne finance un nouveau projet du CIFOR...


text:
// Generated from /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_144.jdk/Contents/Home/jre/lib/rt.jar

#pragma once

#include <fwd-POI.hpp>
#include <java/lang/fwd-POI.hpp>
#include <java/util/fwd-POI.hpp>
#include <java/util/function/fwd-POI.hpp>
#include <java/lang/Object.hpp>
#include <java/util/ListIterator.hpp>

struct default_init_tag;

class java::util::LinkedList_ListItr
    : public virtual ::java::lang::Object
    , public virtual ListIterator
{

public:
    typedef ::java::lang::Object super;

private:
    int32_t expectedModCount {  };
    LinkedList_Node* lastReturned {  };
    LinkedList_Node* next_ {  };
    int32_t nextIndex_ {  };

public: /* package */
    LinkedList* this$0 {  };

protected:
    void ctor(int32_t index);

public:
    void add(::java::lang::Object* e) override;

public: /* package */
    void checkForComodification();

public:
    void forEachRemaining(::java::util::function::Consumer* action) override;
    bool hasNext() override;
    bool hasPrevious() override;
    ::java::lang::Object* next() override;
    int32_t nextIndex() override;
    ::java::lang::Object* previous() override;
    int32_t previousIndex() override;
    void remove() override;
    void set(::java::lang::Object* e) override;

    // Generated

public: /* package */
    LinkedList_ListItr(LinkedList *LinkedList_this, int32_t index);
protected:
    LinkedList_ListItr(LinkedList *LinkedList_this, const ::default_init_tag&);

public:
    static ::java::lang::Class *class_();
    LinkedList *LinkedList_this;

private:
    virtual ::java::lang::Class* getClass0();
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A comprehensive Business Directory for companies and businesses to disclose their image. A search engine, easy, fast and intuitive to all users search companies and businesses.
We hope you enjoy this easy software.


This handsome handmade in Montana, genuine leather keychain was designed by Julia Schwarz from Atomic 79 in Dillon, Montana. For those who may not want to wear a bracelet, this is the perfect alternative suitable for male or female. What better way to hang on to all your keys and be reminded at the same time that kindness matters and does make a difference.


This magnificent home was built in the 1900's and has been extensively renovated. The property now enjoys modern comforts while still retaining its original features and country charm. Hathaway Bed & Breakfast rooms are appointed with exquisite furnishings while the one bedroom cottage provides modern comfort for short or long stays. Set in delightful tranquil gardens on a quiet street, it is the perfect place for an escape for couples, families with children and groups of friends. Hathaway welcomes pets of many shape and sizes, and we are fully fenced for a secure stay.
Hathaway Bed & Breakfast prides itself on creating peaceful homely accommodation for all guests and their pets.
There are a number of restaurants, eateries and take-away shops within walking distance from Hathaway Bed & Breakfast..
Hathaway welcomes all pets of many shape and sizes, we are fully fenced for a secure stay.


text:
package April2021Leetcode;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.TreeSet;

public class _0539MinimumTimeDifference {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		System.out.println(findMinDifference(new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList("23:59", "00:00"))));
		System.out.println(findMinDifference(new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList("00:00", "23:59", "00:00"))));
	}

	public static int findMinDifference(List<String> timePoints) {

	}
}


"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery everyday. Never lose a holy curiosity."
I know I've been noticeably absent from the blogosphere in recent weeks. My profound apologies.
But it has been an intensely creative period as I have ordered yarn, searched for inspiration, and begun construction on the first six patterns in the LotR Series.
I can't believe how your mind works! I am in total awe, and can't wait to see it all. I just have to figure out how I'm going to get it all done.
I could wallow in that stash too, love the colours, can't wait to see what you come up with!
Dangling that Ringwraith stole (if I remember from the swatch correctly)in the first picture is just too spooky.
I think my favorite thing from the pictures is that little colorwork swatch. It is so simple but so pretty. I love the colors you chose.
Squeeee! I can't wait to knit all of these. I am so happy that I found your blog and that I have a chance to knit so many cool LOTR things. Keep 'em coming!


After the successful relaunch in 2018 of the historic Monte Rosa SkyMarathon in the Italian Alps, the next edition will take place on June 22, 2019.
The 2018 event attracted some of the world's top athletes in a field of 300 participants from 23 countries. They included skyrunning superstars Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg, the men's winners Franco Collé and William Boffelli and women's winners Hillary Gerardi and Holly Page.
It is Europe's highest race reaching the Margherita Hut at 4,554m altitude. A "mere" 35 kilometres long, it boasts a gruelling 7,000m ascent and descent over moraine, snow fields and glaciers. Due to the high altitude and challenging conditions, the event is open only to athletes with mountaineering experience. Above the snow line, they must wear harnesses, rope up and wear crampons.
Incredibly spectacular scenery is one of the attractions of the race, where from the summit of Europe's second highest mountain, Monte Rosa, the 360° view takes in the major 4,000m peaks, including the Matterhorn.
The Monte Rosa SkyMarathon retraces the original course dating back to 1993. It was here that the sport of skyrunning was born and here where it will continue to thrive.
Stay tuned for entry dates and join us on June 22, 2019 for the race of the century!
For Marino Giacometti, it was a dream come true. The tears in his eyes showed it. It was here in Monte Rosa that a new sport was born just over 25 years ago, and in 2018 it was re-established – the sport of skyrunning. Start low, go high, reach a summit and then return as fast as possible. A sport free from the clutter of mountaineering equipment, a sport that is fast and light.


text:
This Nov. 12, 2020 selfie photo provided by the Renown Regional Medical Center shows Dr. Jacob Keeperman, the Renown Transfer and Operations Center medical director who snapped the photo on the opening day of the Renown Regional Medical Center's alternative care site located in a parking garage. Keeperman's photo was being misrepresented online to support the false narrative that the coronavirus pandemic is a scam. (Jacob Keeperman/Renown Regional Medical Center via AP)
Reno doctors selfie used to clean COVID-19 is a hoax
A photo of a hospital's alternative care site in Reno, Nevada, is being misrepresented on social media to fuel the false narrative that the coronavirus pandemic is a hoax, even as cases surge in the state. Renown Regional Medical Center has been the primary target of renewed conspiracy theories...
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar leaves the White House Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
CDC to shorten Covid-19 quarantine to 10 days, 7 with test
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to shorten the recommended length of quarantine after exposure to someone who is positive for COVID-19, as the virus rages across the nation. According to a senior administration official, the new guidelines, which are set to be released as soon...
Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic? AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin
Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic?
Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic? There are ways to reduce risk, but health experts advise avoiding it when possible. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says holiday shopping in crowded stores is a "higher risk" activity and that people should limit any in-person...
Nurses check on the status of rapid COVID-19 tests at a drive-through testing site in a parking garage in West Nyack, N.Y., Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. The site was only open to students and staff of Rockland County schools in an effort to test enough people to keep the schools open for in-person learning. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Americans Face New Covid-19 Restrictions After Thanksgiving
Americans returning from Thanksgiving break faced strict new coronavirus measures around the country Monday as health officials brace for a disastrous worsening of the nationwide surge because of holiday gatherings over the long weekend. Los Angeles County imposed a stay-at-home order for its 10...
FILE - In this July 27, 2020, file photo, nurse Kathe Olmstead prepares a shot that is part of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., in Binghamton, N.Y. Moderna Inc. says it will ask U.S. and European regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
Moderna Asking Us, European Regulators To Ok Its Virus Shots
Moderna Inc. said it would ask U.S. and European regulators Monday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection — ramping up the race to begin limited vaccinations as the coronavirus rampage worsens. Multiple vaccine candidates must...
Director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center Steve Francis, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Beware of COVID-19 scams has vaccine approaches FDA approval
WASHINGTON (AP) — The coronavirus vaccine inching toward approval in the U.S. is desperately anticipated by weary Americans longing for a path back to normal life. But criminals are waiting, too, ready to use that desperation to their advantage, federal investigators say. Homeland Security...
FILE - In this Nov 18, 2020, file aerial photo, motorists wait in long lines to take a coronavirus test in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County has announced a new stay-home order as coronavirus cases surge out of control in the nation's most populous county. The three-3 week order take effect Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. The order advises residents to stay home "as much as possible" and to wear a face covering when they go out. It bans people from gathering with people who aren't in their households, whether publicly or privately. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)
Los Angeles Issues Stay-Home Order As Coronavirus Surges
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County announced a new stay-home order Friday as coronavirus cases surged out of control in the nation's most populous county, banning most gatherings but stopping short of a full shutdown on retail stores and other non-essential businesses. The three-week "safer at...
Pedestrians walk past a COVID-19-themed mural outside a boarded up business Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
California official: Just say 'no' to family Thanksgiving
LOS ANGELES (AP) — With Thanksgiving two days away, California's health secretary on Tuesday urged people to say "no" to family and friends who want to gather, joining other officials in issuing dire warnings about the spread of the coronavirus. Dr. Mark Ghaly said it's not too late to cancel or...
FILE - In this Wednesday, June 24, 2020 file photo, a volunteer receives an injection at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg, as part of Africa's first participation in a COVID-19 vaccine trial developed at the University of Oxford in Britain in conjunction with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca says late-stage trials of its COVID-19 vaccine were "highly effective'' in preventing disease. A vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford prevented 70% of people from developing the coronavirus in late-stage trials, the team reported Monday Nov. 23, 2020. (Siphiwe Sibeko/Pool via AP)
Astrazeneca: COVID-19 vaccine shown to be 'highly effective'
LONDON (AP) — AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90% effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of its rivals. The results are based on interim analysis...
In this undated image from video provided by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, scientists work with a bioreactor at a company facility in New York state, for efforts on an experimental coronavirus antibody drug. The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020 authorized the use of the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. drug to try to prevent patients with mild-to-moderate disease from worsening and needing hospitalization. It's given as a one-time treatment through an IV and is still going through more testing to establish its safety and effectiveness. (Regeneron via AP)
FDA allows emergency use of antibody drug Trump received
U.S. health officials Saturday agreed to allow emergency use of a second antibody drug to help the immune system fight COVID-19, an experimental medicine that President Donald Trump was given when he was sickened last month. The Food and Drug Administration authorized use of the Regeneron...


text:
Ca-Ch
Willa Cather Biography
Born: December 7, 1873
American author
The American author Willa Cather is noted for her strong and thoughtful descriptions of prairie life in the last years of the midwestern frontier. Her poetic style was greatly different from other kinds of writing at the time.
Willa Sibert Cather was born in Winchester, Virginia, on December 7, 1873 (although she often lied about her year of birth and other things). She was the first of Charles Fectigue and Mary Virginia Boak Cather's seven children. Her father moved the family to Red Cloud, Nebraska, when Cather was nine years old, where he ran a farm loan business. Her immediate love for the prairie and her involvement in the lives of Bohemian and Scandinavian immigrants provided her with both the material and a simple manner of expression for her novels.
Although Cather was educated mainly by her mother, she had enough knowledge of English literature and Latin to do excellent work at the University of Nebraska. At this time she became interested in a career in journalism. She began working as a drama critic for newspapers in Lincoln, Nebraska, while still in school. After receiving a degree in 1895, she moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and found employment as an editor, drama critic, and high school teacher.
First efforts
In 1903 Cather published a collection of poems, April Twilights. In 1905 a collection of short stories, The Troll Garden, was issued. Neither collection really displayed her talent. Her first novel, Alexander's Bridge, the story of an engineer's love for two women, was published in 1912.
With a moving story of the prairie, O Pioneers! (1913), Cather at last discovered her subject matter. This tale of Alexandra Bergson, daughter of Swedish settlers, whose devotion to the land and to her younger brother interferes with her own chance for happiness, is a major novel and an important source for Cather's later work. In Song of the Lark (1915), she presents the story of a young woman's attempt at artistic accomplishment in a small town. My Antonia (1918), generally considered her finest novel, is based on a successful city lawyer's memories of his prairie boyhood and his love for Antonia Shimerda, a bright Bohemian girl.
Willa Cather.
Reproduced by permission of the
Corbis Corporation
Cather's next novel, One of Ours (1922), about a man who goes to war in order to escape his midwestern farm environment, won the Pulitzer Prize. A Lost Lady (1923) tells the story of an educated, thoughtful young woman faced with the materialism (desire for wealth and material goods) of the post-pioneer period. The Professor's House (1925) is a study of the problems of youth and middle age. These three novels differ from Cather's earlier studies of prairie life in that the midwestern atmosphere is now described as a force working against the artistic dreams and intellectual development of the characters.
With the passing of the frontier, Cather permanently left the Midwest, both physically and as a source of subject matter for her novels. She lived off and on in New York and Europe until the late 1920s, then she discovered the Southwest desert, which came to serve as a substitute for the prairie. Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927) describes the dedicated missionaries (religious workers who travel around to spread the word of their faith to others) in Mexico during the 1850s. Shadows on the Rock (1931) is a description of French-Catholic life in seventeenth-century Quebec. Both novels represent Cather's interest in Roman Catholicism and her admiration for the qualities of courage and endurance that she observed in her life.
Willa Cather's devotion to the land and her respect for those rooted to it are key elements of her work. Man and nature are viewed as characters of equal importance in a cosmic drama. Despite her love for the prairie, she realized that neither frontier life nor its people were perfect. She was aware of, and described honestly, the intellectual stagnation (failure to move forward) and small-minded prejudice that existed side by side with the good qualities of frontier life.
In her last years Cather devoted herself to nonfiction and criticism. Not Under Forty (1936) contains an expression of her ideas about writing. Partly in order to devote herself to her writing, Cather never married. She died on April 24, 1947, in New York City.
Keene, Ann T. Willa Cather. New York: J. Messner, 1994.
Lee, Hermione. Willa Cather: Double Lives. New York: Pantheon, 1989.
Stout, Janis P. Willa Cather: The Writer and Her World. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2000.
shondra
Aug 11, 2013 @ 12:12 pm
i.d theft shondrafuller@yahoo.com fraud alert nt thrid world ingnore shondra2 fraud email
Willa Cather Biography forum
Castro, Fidel Catherine of Aragon


text:
type NestedRecord<V = any> = {
  [k: string | number]: NestedRecord<V> | V;
};

/**
 * This function create an object from keys, value and then assign to target
 *
 * @param {Object} obj : the target object to be assigned
 * @param {string[]} keys
 * @param {string | number} value
 *
 * @example
 * const source = {}
 * assignNestedKeys(source, ['palette', 'primary'], 'var(--palette-primary)')
 * console.log(source) // { palette: { primary: 'var(--palette-primary)' } }
 *
 * @example
 * const source = { palette: { primary: 'var(--palette-primary)' } }
 * assignNestedKeys(source, ['palette', 'secondary'], 'var(--palette-secondary)')
 * console.log(source) // { palette: { primary: 'var(--palette-primary)', secondary: 'var(--palette-secondary)' } }
 */
export const assignNestedKeys = <Object = NestedRecord, Value = any>(
  obj: Object,
  keys: Array<string>,
  value: Value,
) => {
  let temp: Record<string, any> = obj;
  keys.forEach((k, index) => {
    if (index === keys.length - 1) {
      if (temp && typeof temp === 'object') {
        temp[k] = value;
      }
    } else if (temp && typeof temp === 'object') {
      if (!temp[k]) {
        temp[k] = {};
      }
      temp = temp[k];
    }
  });
};

/**
 *
 * @param {Object} obj : source object
 * @param {Function} callback : a function that will be called when
 *                   - the deepest key in source object is reached
 *                   - the value of the deepest key is NOT `undefined` | `null`
 *
 * @example
 * walkObjectDeep({ palette: { primary: { main: '#000000' } } }, console.log)
 * // ['palette', 'primary', 'main'] '#000000'
 */
export const walkObjectDeep = <Value, T = Record<string, any>>(
  obj: T,
  callback: (keys: Array<string>, value: Value, scope: Record<string, string | number>) => void,
  shouldSkipPaths?: (keys: Array<string>) => boolean,
) => {
  function recurse(object: any, parentKeys: Array<string> = []) {
    Object.entries(object).forEach(([key, value]: [string, any]) => {
      if (!shouldSkipPaths || (shouldSkipPaths && !shouldSkipPaths([...parentKeys, key]))) {
        if (value !== undefined && value !== null) {
          if (typeof value === 'object' && Object.keys(value).length > 0) {
            recurse(value, [...parentKeys, key]);
          } else {
            callback([...parentKeys, key], value, object);
          }
        }
      }
    });
  }
  recurse(obj);
};

const getCssValue = (keys: string[], value: string | number) => {
  if (typeof value === 'number') {
    if (['lineHeight', 'fontWeight', 'opacity', 'zIndex'].some((prop) => keys.includes(prop))) {
      // CSS property that are unitless
      return value;
    }
    return `${value}px`;
  }
  return value;
};

/**
 * a function that parse theme and return { css, vars }
 *
 * @param {Object} theme
 * @param {{
 *  prefix?: string,
 *  basePrefix?: string,
 *  shouldSkipGeneratingVar?: (objectPathKeys: Array<string>, value: string | number) => boolean
 * }} options.
 *  `basePrefix`: defined by design system.
 *  `prefix`: defined by application
 *
 *   the CSS variable value will be adjusted based on the provided `basePrefix` & `prefix` which can be found in `parsedTheme`.
 *
 * @returns {{ css: Object, vars: Object, parsedTheme: typeof theme }} `css` is the stylesheet, `vars` is an object to get css variable (same structure as theme), and `parsedTheme` is the cloned version of theme.
 *
 * @example
 * const { css, vars, parsedTheme } = parser({
 *   fontSize: 12,
 *   lineHeight: 1.2,
 *   palette: { primary: { 500: 'var(--color)' } }
 * }, { prefix: 'foo' })
 *
 * console.log(css) // { '--foo-fontSize': '12px', '--foo-lineHeight': 1.2, '--foo-palette-primary-500': 'var(--foo-color)' }
 * console.log(vars) // { fontSize: '--foo-fontSize', lineHeight: '--foo-lineHeight', palette: { primary: { 500: 'var(--foo-palette-primary-500)' } } }
 * console.log(parsedTheme) // { fontSize: 12, lineHeight: 1.2, palette: { primary: { 500: 'var(--foo-color)' } } }
 */
export default function cssVarsParser<T extends Record<string, any>>(
  theme: T,
  options?: {
    prefix?: string;
    basePrefix?: string;
    shouldSkipGeneratingVar?: (objectPathKeys: Array<string>, value: string | number) => boolean;
  },
) {
  const { prefix, basePrefix = '', shouldSkipGeneratingVar } = options || {};
  const css = {} as NestedRecord<string>;
  const vars = {} as NestedRecord<string>;
  const parsedTheme = {} as T;

  walkObjectDeep(
    theme,
    (keys, value: string | number | object) => {
      if (typeof value === 'string' || typeof value === 'number') {
        if (typeof value === 'string' && value.match(/var\(\s*--/)) {
          // for CSS variable, apply prefix or remove basePrefix from the variable
          if (!basePrefix && prefix) {
            value = value.replace(/var\(\s*--/g, `var(--${prefix}-`);
          } else {
            value = prefix
              ? value.replace(new RegExp(`var\\(\\s*--${basePrefix}`, 'g'), `var(--${prefix}`) // removing spaces
              : value.replace(new RegExp(`var\\(\\s*--${basePrefix}-`, 'g'), 'var(--');
          }
        }

        if (
          !shouldSkipGeneratingVar ||
          (shouldSkipGeneratingVar && !shouldSkipGeneratingVar(keys, value))
        ) {
          // only create css & var if `shouldSkipGeneratingVar` return false
          const cssVar = `--${prefix ? `${prefix}-` : ''}${keys.join('-')}`;
          Object.assign(css, { [cssVar]: getCssValue(keys, value) });

          assignNestedKeys(vars, keys, `var(${cssVar})`);
        }
      }
      assignNestedKeys(parsedTheme, keys, value);
    },
    (keys) => keys[0] === 'vars', // skip 'vars/*' paths
  );

  return { css, vars, parsedTheme };
}


text:
Best. Book. Ever.
(Part II: 21 cool things inside)
I hope y'all weren't underwhelmed by the first "Best. Book. Ever." post last week.
I realize, though, that it might have been hard for you to share my enthusiasm for this tome, given that I only showed you its exterior and didn't share any of the goodies inside — the stuff that really catapulted it toward the top of my list.
(Regarding that list, some of my other favorite books have included a 1900 Grimm's Fairy Tales, a doodle-filled geography book, a book with mystery photos tucked away inside, and a different geography book that was filled with pins and thread.)
The book in question, as we move into Part 2 of this post, is the school textbook A Brief History of the United States, which was published in 1885 by A.S. Barnes & Company.
And now it's time to crack it open and divulge all the cool secrets with this 130-year-old volume. We'll go through the book from front to back.
1. Homemade endpaper
When A Brief History of the United States was crisp and new (during the first Grover Cleveland administration), the inside front cover was blank and white. At some point, it was the recipient of a good bit of artwork. The side-by-side color waterfront scenes, now half striped away, appear to be a kind of ink or watercolor image that was applied directly to the page. Then there's the dramatic pencil drawing of a man firing a shotgun at a bear (or werewolf?) standing on its hind legs. The page, with its mixed media and decay, reminds me of some of the Brooklyn graffiti I documented in 2012.
2. Introduction to the former owner
The second page features another of the color images that were applied directly to the page. And we're introduced to one of the members of the family that used this textbook so many decades ago. Written in cursive are references to Charley Bryson of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Charles Brison of Columbia. This is a recurring theme — the spelling of the last name as both Bryson and Brison at times. There might be a logical explanation for this. Or it might simply be that many American families didn't start taking the spelling of their names seriously until the late 19th or early 20th century.
3. A butterfly flutters by
Also on Page 2, below Charley Bryson's name, there is a colorful image of a butterfly, with the "tongue" labeled in pencil. Disturbingly, it appears as if a rudimentary skull and crossbones has been scratched into one of the butterfly wings. Agree?
4. Indian Head cents
On Page 3, someone took an Indian Head penny rubbed it with pencil lead or perhaps charcoal, and made impressions of the coin on the page. That's pretty nifty, especially because it was an Indian Head that was used.
5. Charley Bryson, in lovely script
On Page 4, this appears to be the official spot where Charley Bryson of Columbia was recorded as the owner of this textbook. The letters are slightly over a half-inch high. (Also note that the book was once for sale in a used-book store for $10.)
6. The artistic version
Also on Page 4, Charley attempted to get a bit artistic with his name. But he didn't plan well. There was no room for the "N" in Bryson.
7. The bizarre artistic version
And finally on Page 4, underneath the first two versions of the name, is this oval-shaped illustration/doodle featuring what are presumably the owner's initials.
8. Contents
This textbook is well illustrated, quite elaborately in some spots, and this design atop the table of contents is one good example.
9. Willie Brison and an Indian
On a blank page (the reverse side of a color map) toward the front of the book, we find the name Willie Brison and a light sketch of a Native American. I think it's safe to assume that Charley and Willie Brison/Bryson were brothers and this textbook was a hand-me-down at some point.
10. An odd doodle
This small doodle with a touch of color appears on the same page as #9.
11. Textbook illustration of Puritans
As I mentioned, the book has excellent illustrations. This is a mauve-ish full-page plate showing "Puritans Going to Church."
12. Steal not this book...
On the back of a color map illustrating the routes of the British Army during the Revolutionary War, William Brison has written a common (for the time) warning to those who might snatch his textbook. (I will say, though, that this is probably the last place a book thief would look.) The text states:
Steal not this book my honest
friend for fear the gallows
will be your end and God will
say on judgement day where
is that Book your stole and
if you say I do not know then
God will say go down Below
For more, see Papergreat's February 2011 "Steal not this book..." post.
13. Man on horse
This is one of the more impressive doodles in the book. It shows a man on horseback, wearing a backpack labeled "US." He is holding up a small flag labeled "truce."
14. Willie H. Brison
These students just liked writing their own names. Here, Willie wrote his name and hometown in elaborate fashion. He did have some trouble with the letter "N," though, getting most of them backwards. Or did he just do that on purpose to be silly? This page, randomly, also features a small color doodle of a turtle.
15. Nice beard and moustache
Here's another large sketch featuring a foreign-looking soldier with a sword. His hat is labeled "CORPAL," which I'm guessing is supposed to be corporal.
16. Some silly graffiti
On an illustration featuring "Federal Leaders of the Civil War," someone has added a pipe and a cigar to the mouths of David Farragut and David Dixon Porter, respectively. Maybe this chapter was a bit dry.
17. Deep thoughts
I don't think these are original, but here's a page of deep thoughts provided by Willie Brison. My favorite: "May your life have just enough clouds to make a beautiful sunset."
18. Odd-looking character
I'm not sure who this doodle is supposed to represent. He has spectacles, a curled mustache, a pointed beard, an umbrella, a top hat and tails, a murse, and cross-hatch pantaloons. (He looks a little like Kenneth Branagh's character is the execrable Wild Wild West.) It's certainly creative!
19. Random sketches
OK, now someone was really bored. This page just contains random sketches of everyday objects. I wonder if one of the Brison/Bryson boys ventured into a career in art.
20. One more signature...
Here's another Willie H. Bryson (with a "Y"), dated 1893.
21. And one more sketch...
Finally, here's the sketch that appears on the next to last page of the book, under the name Willie Brison. I have no idea what's going on here, or what words were supposed to be coming out of those cartoon balloons. But it's just one more thing that adds to the charm of this 130-year-old textbook.
I could have probably scanned and posted another 10 illustrations or inscriptions. But I think you get the picture. Obviously, we shouldn't encourage students to scribble in their textbooks while they're still in use. But, if they do happen to get a little overzealous with the with their pens and pencils, maybe we should tuck those books away for future generations. We couldn't have had all this fun if this history book had gone into the garbage 70 years ago.
Labels: Best of Papergreat, History, Illustrations, Inscriptions, Pennsylvania, School Days
Vintage postcards of a couple historic American sites
Blue Hill Observatory, Massachusetts
The site: Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory is, according to Wikipedia, "the foremost structure associated with the history of weather observations in the United States. ... It is home to the oldest continuous weather record in North America, and was the location of the earliest kite soundings of the atmosphere in North America in the 1890s, as well as the development of the radiosonde in the 1930s. ... The observatory remains active to this day, continuing to add to its data base of weather observations now more than one hundred years old, and stands as a monument to the science of meteorology in the United States."
The postcard: This never-used card might be pre-1907, as it does not have a divided back. It is marked as E.9026 and was published by "The Metropolitan News Co., Boston and Leipzig, Manufacturers of Souvenir Postal Cards." Metropolitan was in business from 1905 until 1916, according to the (unrelated) Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City. That website states that it was "a major publisher and printer of view-cards in color, black & white, sepia, and with hand coloring in both halftones and in collotype. They captured views throughout the American Northeast but postcards of New England scenery were produced in greatest number. Many of their cards have a heavy look resembling early chromolithographs."
The Sea Wall, St. Augustine, Fla.
The site: St. Augustine, Florida, is one of the oldest cities in the United States. And so it would naturally follow that its seawall is quite historic, also. According to the website of The Avenida Menendez Seawall Project: "The historic St. Augustine Seawall has long been an integral part of the city's fabric — a coquina sentinel from rough waters, a promenade for romantic strolls and waterside socials. The Spanish first began building the original seawall in 1696 south of the Castillo de San Marcos fort. The section now being improved was built between 1833 and 1844 by graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point. But it has been battered by time and tide, from a devastating hurricane in 1846 that partially collapsed it to Tropical Storm Fay in 2008."
The postcard: This never-used postcard also has a back that is for the address only, making it pre-1907. The small type on the front states: "E.C. KROPP, PUBL., MILWAUKEE NO. 1640." According, again, to the Metropolitan Postcard Club, that company "began producing chromolithographic souvenir cards and private mailing cards in 1898 under the name Kropp. These cards were of much higher quality than those that would printed under the E.C. Kropp name. They became the E.C. Kropp Company in 1907 and produced large numbers of national view-cards and other subjects."
On a final note, the closest building in this postcard has a sign stating "THE VEDDER COLLECTION." Underneath that, a small sign states "MUSEUM FOR [?] ST. AUGUSTINE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY."
Labels: Buildings, History, Postcards
Board for Parker Brothers' 1936 version of the game Finance
(Huggles not included.)
A while back, I came across a well-worn board and set of rules for Finance, a board game with an interesting history that's tangled together with the beloved and ubiquitous Monopoly.
The very short version of that history goes something like this:
1904: Game designer Elizabeth Magie (1866–1948) receives a patent for The Landlord's Game. It is designed (ironically) to specifically show the dangers and ill effects of monopolies and champion the adoption of land-value tax.
1910: The first edition of The Landlord's Game is published by Economic Game Company.
1912 or 1913: A Scottish adaptation of The Landlord's Game, titled Bre'r Fox and Bre'r Rabbit, is published.
1921: The original patent on The Landlord's Game expires.
1924: Magie receives a patent on a revised version of The Landlord's Game.
1932: The second edition of The Landlord's Game is published by Adgame Company.
1932: The game Finance is released. It was created primarily by Dan Layman, who based his game directly on The Landlord's Game.
1933: The game Monopoly is first "created" by a group of Parker Brothers game designers working in tandem. (But not solely by Charles Darrow.)
1933: Layman sells Finance to Knapp Electric for $200.
1935: Magie sells her patent to The Landlord's Game to Parker Brothers for $500, plus an agreement to have Parker Brothers publish some of her other games.
1935: Parker Brothers purchases Finance from Knapp Electric for $10,000. Changes are made to the game to make it less like The Landlord's Game/Monopoly.
1935: Monopoly is first published and sold by Parker Brothers.
1936: Finance is first published under the Parker Brothers name.
For a more exhaustive detailing of this tangled web, check out the Wikipedia article History of the board game Monopoly.
The board featured in today's post, then, is from the 1936 edition of Finance, as published by Parker Brothers. It still, however, retains a great deal of similarity to its inspiration, The Landlord's Game, and what we now know as Monopoly. It features groups of properties, starting with Goat Alley, Central Street and Main Street, and ending with Silver Circle and Union Square. In between there are place such as Boomtown, Lonely Lane, Hollywood Terrace, Peachtree Street and Fifth Avenue. There are four railroads — Boston & Maine, Union Pacific, New York Central and Santa Fe. There are also Chance spots on the board.
Here is a look at the board's four corners:
As you can see from the Goat Alley space, there are also rents and the buying of houses (to increase land value) associated with each property on the board. According to the rules pamphlet, players could put up to six houses on each lot. Six houses made the rent worth 32 times the printed price.
Also according to the rules:
Players receive $200 (their salary) each time they pass "Cash Here."
Railroads cannot be bought or sold.
When there are no more natural wood (uncolored) Houses left unused, a Building Shortage occurs. A Player may, at private trading, buy natural wood houses from some other Player who will charge him a profit, or he must wait until some Player, in order to raise money, sells his Houses to the Bank.
Much of the fun of the game and some of the skill comes in Private Trading. A Player, at any time, may offer to sell any Lot, including Houses, he owns to any other Player as a private transaction and at a price agreed upon between the Traders.
Players may not borrow money from another Player for any reason during this game.
In the Course of the Play, Players will eventually be retired from the game [through bankruptcy], leaving only One Player, who will, therefore, be the Winner of the Game.
Finally, there's also this fun spot on the Finance board...
Labels: Best of Papergreat, History, Illustrations
Best. Book. Ever. (Part II: 21 cool things inside)...
Vintage postcards of a couple historic American si...
Board for Parker Brothers' 1936 version of the gam...


Recently several members of Iron Workers Local 725 went down to Matthew Halton High School, in Pincher Creek, to participate in Exponential Learning Week put on by the school.
The kids were split into 3 groups, so they could see all different aspects of iron working. They were treated all different aspects of iron working, including a simulator for the windmills, how to rescue someone if the base catches on fire.
The students even earned two tickets, that certified them for some of the skills and knowledge learned during the week.


It was one of those utterances that sparkled -- the very daring! Could you see us? Canoe shrugged, to be expected. After all, Canoe was our local recovering; it was she who left those pamphlets in the clubhouse next to the men's Nineteenth Hole.
Canoe cracked her knuckles, lit a cigarette. We sat by her swimming pool absentmindedly pulling weeds from around the flagstones. The ice of our iced tea had already melted into water and it was too cold to swim, besides.
"It's obvious," Canoe said, blowing. "He's going to kill himself in less than a month. I don't want that blood on my hands."
He was someone we loved. Someone we could not help but love. A colleague of our ex-husbands, a past encounter. We had known Him since before we were we, from our first weeks in this town, early summers. We loved His hair. Golden. The color of that movie actor's hair, the famous one. Sometimes we caught just the gleam of it through the windshield of his BMW as He drove by. Sporty. Waving. Green metallic, leather interior. Some sort of monogram on the wheel. You've seen the license plate? SOLD. A realtor, but never desperate. Yes, He sold our Mimi Klondike's Tudor on Twelve Oaks Lane with full knowledge of her rotting foundation. But desperate? No. Just thirsty.
"Intervention," Barbara repeated. Canoe flexed her toes as if she had invented the word.
This a late summer day, a fallish day. Ricardo, the pool boy, swept maple leaves from the pool water, in this light a dull, sickly yellow. We watched him; we couldn't take our eyes off. Canoe interrupted.
"Actually, I shouldn't be the one explaining. There's someone from the group who's our expert. Pips Phelp, actually."
Pips Phelp? The lawyer? Pips Phelp?
We spoke in whispers. Who knew who lived in trees?
Besides, He might drive up any minute. He often did. You'd hear the crunch of His tires on the gravel, see the flash of blond hair behind the windshield. These times you'd dry your hands on your shirtfront, check your face in the toaster. You wouldn't want to be caught, what? Alone? You let Him in. He'd ask you to. He would stand at your door, behind your screen, wondering if He could. Of course, you'd say, though you looked a mess. If you were unlucky, the dishwasher ran. One of the louder cycles. If you were lucky, all was still -- the house in magical order, spotless, clean. He surveyed; this was his job. You never knew, He told you, when He might be needed.
You shivered. Him a handsome man. A man with the habit of standing close, His smell: animal, rooty -- your hands after gardening. His straight teeth were white, though He didn't smile that way. His was a better smile, toothless, brief, as if He understood He had caught you with more than a wet shirtfront. You obliged the suspicion. You were always guilty of something.
Still, you showed Him what you had done, were attempting. Recent renovations. Whatnot. A fabric swatch laid on the back of your couch. A roll of discount wallpaper for the powder room, shells of some sort. You'd been trying, you'd explain, to fix the place up. But things had gotten behind; the contractor's attentions divided, et cetera, et cetera.
He nodded, or did not. His was a serious business: assessing value. Worth.


Swatcher ~ Collection ~ Shadow and Dark Chocolate Tiger!
This poor little guy is amazing!!! I love the depth of the colour and how evenly it painted on with no streaks and full coverage in two coats...not to mention amazingly fast drying between each coat!!
This amazing untried is Collection - Shadow! Personally I think the name dark chocolate would have suited it more, it seriously looked like dark chocolate and I could eat my fingers all up!
I luffie how it looks on my nails!!


BLUE SKY HATS - BEKLEIDUNG - schnittmuster-shop.ch über 7000 Schnitte!
On the beach or in the garden, the Sun Hat combines a classic look with a modern attitude. Urban in character, the Skull Cap is the perfect accessory to embellish your everyday looks.
Zusätzlich mit Zentimeter-Tabelle, Futterstoff-Tabelle und 5 Seiten Tipps und Tricks.


The Physician Insurers Association of America (PIAA), a national organization representing professional liability insurance companies, routinely assesses claims and identifies areas that generate the most frequent or expensive claims. What they found should get our attention – because claims against neurologists had the highest average indemnity and payment ratio. In fact, the average claim payments for neurologists were the highest of all specialties – $289,513 versus an overall average of $183,961 – when evaluating claims closed between 1985 and 2003 by specialty group.
Twenty-four companies participating in the Neurology Data Sharing Project reported 300 cases – all were claims in which an indemnity payment was made, all involved patients with a neurologic problem, and 266 involved a neurology defendant. The PIAA and representatives of the AAN Patient Safety Subcommittee designed the data collection instrument that was completed by the member companies.
Among their major findings, the encounter most frequently leading to the malpractice claim – in 52 percent of the cases – involved a physician seeing the patient for the first time. The incident occurred in a hospital in 60.3 percent of the cases, followed by the physician's office (36.5 percent).
In addition, the primary medical misadventure – an omission or error that contributed to the cause of loss – most often identified in this study was error in diagnosis – in 55.6 percent of all cases and 42.4 percent of claims against individual physician defendants. Conditions included malignant brain tumor, intracranial and intraspinal abscesses, headache, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and fracture of the vertebral column.
Thomas H. Glick, MD, Chief of Neurology at the Cambridge Health Alliance, Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, and a member of the AAN Patient Safety Subcommittee, has studied the PIAA data closely. He believes that they provide an opportunity to learn about higher-risk areas and to consider ways to modify our practice behaviors.
"Clearly, the fact that the physician (usually the neurologist) was seeing the patient for the first time in 52 percent of cases means that one of the main positive risk-management factors – a prior patient-doctor relationship – was lacking," he said. "'One-shot' consultations without ongoing communication or follow-up places an extra burden on the neurologist to earn the trust of the patient at the very first contact and establish and maintain a relationship that will promote patient safety and obviate suits." He recommends that neurologists adhere to the slogan, Once involved, stay involved.
Dr. Olson has created an AAN Task Force for Risk Management to discuss ways in which to help members decrease the threat of medical liability.
Dr. Glick said the findings relating to "failure to diagnose" can be addressed systemically and through education. Pathways that lead to these failures, he said, include "inadequate examinations (or histories), lack of sufficiently articulated differential diagnoses and recommendations to address the most likely causes, lack of contingency plans in follow-up, as well as problems with ordering, interpreting, or reporting neuro-images or other laboratory tests." Furthermore, the reports of communication problems among caregivers – representing two-thirds of the complaints – probably contribute to inadequate diagnoses or documentation, he said.
Dr. Glick noted, however, that there are limitations to the analysis by PIAA. The cases are all paid claims, he explained, and therefore not representative of all claims; all claims are not representative of errors, nor do all claims signify adverse events, or are they necessarily due to error. Thus, he said, these paid claims provide only a narrow view of the problem of neurologic patient safety in an epidemiologic sense. In addition, the paid claims – by virtue of settlement or jury opinion – may not reflect actual negligence.
Finally, he said, since the analysis of the initial data, changes have occurred – such as the dissemination of MRI technology – that may have been affecting – and will continue to affect – these types of problems and solutions in the field of patient safety.
This analysis will undoubtedly disturb many of us in clinical practice who already wonder just how much more financial stress and emotional challenge we can bear. But it does provide invaluable insight into the genesis of a lawsuit and affords us a rare opportunity for reflection and examination.
For some, this may mean concentrating on communication, making certain that we acquire relevant and meaningful data during the history and physical examination. For others, it may mean focusing on open, clear, and appropriate exchange of information among all those involved in a case, including family, other involved physicians, imaging facilities, laboratories, and hospitals. This requires assessment of medical literacy, with education of patients and families appropriate to that level.
For all of us, it means a commitment to ensuring complete, accurate, and legible medical records, and sharing copies of these notes, as well as lab and imaging results, with other medical providers involved in the case. It also means taking the time to make phone calls – even conference calls – with other providers when necessary.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CLAIMS DATA?
Do you have suggestions or response to the analysis of claims data on neurology? In what areas can neurologists improve? Feel free to write – 400 words, maximum – Neurotoday@LWW.com. Space-permitting, we'll publish your response in the next Neurology Today.


Byteball (Obyte) is a decentralized cryptocurrency platform which allows people to make deals using smart/conditional payments (smart contracts). Examples of such deals can be hedging against negative events, sports betting, crypto exchange or cryptocurrencies price prediction.
Byteball (Obyte) data is stored and ordered using a directed acyclic graph (DAG) rather than blockchain. This allows all users to secure each other's data by referencing earlier data units created by other users and also removes scalability limits common for blockchains, such as blocksize issue.
Despite all its advantages, I can't call this platform intuitive, because in the process of installation and the subsequent work with the application one sometimes have to deal with quite technical terms like 'conditional payments', 'children' (=/= kids), 'smart voucher', 'node' etc.
Helping the average user understand them is the aim of the Byteball wiki. And I'm going to translate it into Russian.
A lot of events happened to this platform from the time I wrote my previous translation report about it. The main one is its rebranding. Now Byteball is called Obyte. You can check this post about the Byteball Rebrand for more details.
Obyte is a promising project. I hope the new name will help the platform to get the world adoption. And maybe Russian localization can contribute to this process.
As you can see, the Byteball (Obyte) wiki project consists of 4 chapters.
Two of them, the Main Page and Overview, were translared in my previous contribution post. In this part, I started translation of the 3rd one called Glossary. It contains an explanation of terms related to cryptocurrencies and blockchains in general, as well as to the Byteball (Obyte) wallet in particular.
The project has 6293 words and was partially translated by another contributor before I started working on it.
This is my second contribution to this project that contains 1356 words. The number of links and repetitive words in this part: about 5% or 68 words.
Вкратце для русскоязычных. Тэг #ru использован, потому что речь идет о переводе на русский язык опен-сорс криптопроекта под названием Byteball (теперь Obyte), в частности его Wiki, где объясняются многие термины, каасающиеся как самого проекта, так и мира крипты в целом. Это отчет о проделанной работе для Utopian/DaVinci, платформы, которая вознаграждает участие в проектах с открытым кодом.
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This is your second contribution to the Byteball project.
Your translation is consistent with the previous part of the project.
The translation is accurate and easy to understand. There were just a few mistakes found there.
I am looking forward to seeing more your contributions.
Thank you for your review, @tata-natana! Keep up the good work!
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There's a lot going on when Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. One of the things that amazes me is how he heads right into the belly of the beast.
It's interesting that while the Last Supper was an event that so obviously happened in the evening (it is a supper, after all), most of our commemorations of that event occur in the morning. On the night before Jesus died, he took bread…after supper he took the cup. But, the context in which we say those words and celebrate that meal today is usually far closer to breakfast. Brunch, at best.


18-gauge aquamarine colored Artistic Wire, 30ft (10 yard) spools. Because it's dead soft, aquamarine Artistic Wire in this gauge remains malleable and easy to work with. The exact color of this wire may vary. Use 18-gauge wire for chunkier jewelry and craft projects that still require a soft, malleable material that's easy to bend.