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Miami Madness as Murray Manhandled by Maria's Ex
by Staff | March 28th, 2016, 10:54 pm
With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal out, it looked like Andy Murray's event to challenge Novak Djokovic in Miami — but now only Djokovic stands of the former "Big 4."
ADHEREL
The No. 2-seeded Murray, who maintains a training base in Miami, was stunned on Monday at the Miami Open, losing to No. 26 seed Grigor Dimirov 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-3.
"To be honest I just played better in the big moments today," Dimitrov said. "Even though I lost the first set, I kept good composure. I had to stay in the match and I had to be really focused. I think when I was 3-1 down in the third set, I knew I was going to get another chance because I was returning well, playing well in the key moments."
Murray slipped to 6-3 in his career head-to-head with Dimitrov.
"A lot of unforced errors in the third set," Murray said. "Obviously, I didn't start the second set particularly well. After winning a close first set you want to try and put your opponent under pressure. I think I lost my first two service games to love, so that wasn't very good. Then in the third set, he managed to get up a break and then I made a lot of unforced errors. Credit to him. He was more solid than me."
Dimitrov's next match will be another showcase against the entertaining No. 16 seed Gael Monfils, who on Monday beat No. 23 Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-4.
Another upset-maker was No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut, who toppled No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(3). He will next face No. 6 Kei Nishikori, who was the lone Top 10 winner on the day, easily handling No. 27 Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-2, 6-2.
"Everything worked well," said Nishikori who has never lost to "The Dog" in four career meetings. "Not many easy mistakes and I served well today, so that was the key."
No. 12 Milos Raonic beat back a challenge from No. 22 Jack Sock 7-6(3), 6-4, next meeting unseeded Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who defeated Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. It was Raonic's seventh win in a row over Sock.
No. 24 seed Nick Kyrgios and Andrey Kuznetsov also lined up a meeting, with the Aussie topping American Tim Smyczek 6-4, 6-4, and the Russian beating Adrian Mannarino 2-6, 7-5, 6-0.
Tuesday's highlights in Miami will be (10) Richard Gasquet vs. (7) Tomas Berdych, (1) Novak Djokovic vs. (14) Dominic Thiem, and (16) Gael Monfils vs. (26) Grigor Dimitrov.
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Tags: Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori, Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic
44 Comments for Miami Madness as Murray Manhandled by Maria's Ex
apparently genie was there watching…does that mean grigor and genie?! ;)
i'm quite surprised andy loses, given he was up 3-1 in the final set! didn't see it, so can't comment.
Glad I didn't watch that cos it sounds as if Andy was playing really poorly. Always thought Miami was his "second home" tournament too. Jeez.
Thanks Kimberly for your on site news and thanks for you insight into the conditions.
Jeez Says:
Mikhail Kukushkin is from Kazakhstan not Russia !!!
Wog Boy Says:
TX really has a problem with geography, every now and then they put players in the wrong country, are you by any chance Americans;)
@Wogboy
Actually he was born in former U.S.S.R played 2006-08 for Russia
before moving to Kazakhstan in 2008
Jeez, I know, he is ethnic Russian but is officially from Kazakhstan, that's the country he represents and belongs, like so many other players who are Canadanians, Americans, Danish, Germans, Aussies … but not even born in those countries.
Two days ago Damir Dzumhur was Serbian:)
Green Lady Says:
I think what tennis boils down to these days, is whos playing for the privalege of getting their backsides kicked in the final by Novak, there really is nobody whos up to the challenge, Stan and Andy blow hot and cold, nobody knows about Rogers form, Rafas on a continued downward spiral, Delpo meh forget it ?? , he and his fans must be busting their buttons, and also suffering from jaw ache from smiling too much, tennis is his, he owns tennis and everybody at the moment ….
Tennisfan Says:
I hope Grigor/Genie happens- they would be such a good-looking couple lol
Okiegal Says:
Green Lady……It is now the "big one"……the other three, like Elvis, have left the building…….LOL………
Van Persie Says:
Grigor/Genie would be a sort of Barbie/ Ken of tennis world :)
This time around Grigor's girlfriend is younger than him..for a change..
BTW, How many top10 players (WTA) Griša has slept with so far..three…four…? Country boy is doing well in that department;) that reminds me on this:
http://youtu.be/Dz6GzKWiIAs
Lol WB,
Dimitrov is the Red bull of ATP
VP,
I love him, but I think he got his priority list mixed up somehow.
On the other note, I am watching highlights of his match today, just now, and I noticed that Andy's team was sitting in separate boxes on two sides of stadium, Amelia was in the man free box (I am not joking) and his entire male part of the team plus Kim and her father was on the other side, strange?
I really like Andy's fans here, but are they going to admit that Amelia was mistake , big one?
WB,
I am not a big fan of Dimitrov, have to admit this. Do not like him and not sure why…
Regarding Andy, I have noticed that about Amelie yesterday…I am sorry for Andy. If Nole would not be there, Andy would be my 1 favorite…
I guess, Amelie is a bit to soft, but Andy knows better what he's doing
I haven't watched Andy since AO final, but I have impression that he put some weight on?
Travis Bickle Says:
As a big proponent of the "equal pay", I hope Murray pays his current coach (Mauresmo) the same as he was paying his previous coach (Lendl).
They both do/did the same job, … with slightly different results, but who cares about that – equal pay rules!!!
Also, the poll on the front page of Tennis X asks who will win Miami – Federer got second most votes :-) You've got to love those ballerinas/federinas. They are keeping the faith despite harsh reality…
Giles Says:
Dimitrov doesn't like you either VP :(
Nice to read you:)
Wogboy not a fan of Grigor, but thanks for the Midnight Cowboy highlights love that film, i actually thought he was still dating the gorgeous but extremely irritating Nicole Sherzinger ….
Hehe, TB is vigilant as always :)
I do not like Dimitrov, because he behaves like a male doll…
Marat Safin was something else ;)
Tennis Vagabond Says:
Another deep run by Monfils, as well as Kei and Milos. Aside from the softness of the Other Three in terms of consistent results, I think this is the big story right now. Those three are putting themselves into a position to challenge for titles more and more often, and will supplant, or at least challenge, the Other Three.
I will call them the Alt-3.
Murray really is not Grand slam or No. 1 material. He got lucky with his two slams facing an off form and tired Djokovic. And he's almost 29 now, so his best days are behind him.
Looks like Djokovic will do another clean sweep in 2016. who will stop him??
i had thought maybe amelie was in a different box because she was on baby duty (i.e., her own), but andy said it was done to improve his focus:
"Murray, who received a violation from the umpire for smashing his racket during the second set, insisted that Mauresmo was sat elsewhere in a bid to curb his on-court tantrums."
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/29/andy-murray-amelie-mauresmo-miami-open-grigor-dimitrov
@TV
Gael, whom I love to watch, is 30 this year and endlessly injured. There's James writing off Andy because he's nearly 28 and obviously well past it. You really, really think Gael is suddenly, with a single bound, leaping free?
Kei 26, frequently injured, Milos younger true but that shoulder seems highly suspect to me.
OK in fact to me,Milos is the most likely. He is very fortunate in being an inbetweeny. But he better hurry cos Kyrgios, Thiem and co are overtaking on the outside lane.
^ agree about thiem, kyrgios and co, margot…
Sure Margot, rain on the parade. All three of those guys have been fragile.
But right now, in the Race, those three are strong, top-10 (and Milos is #2 in 2016), and if you add in last fall, I think overall, they are making a move.
Its all predicated on remaining injury free. I think Monfils' has never had consistent deep runs– anytime he has been doing well, he's been interrupted by injury. He just hasn't had the late-round match experience in one season to break through. Maybe this is it.
All in all, I agree that Milos is the most promising, but I am just trying to call TXers attention to this Monfils dark horse.
If we're lucky, we could get Monfils/ Kei and Raonic/Kyrgios quarters which would be a very entertaining sifting of these wanna-be challengers.
Incredible that Rog, Rafa, Murray and Stan are all gone this early. Really unprecedented.
Its a huge opportunity for those Alt-Challengers (i.e. those not named Rog, Rafa, Murray and Stan).
As with a heavyweight championship, you don't want to see the same customers get shot after shot at the champ.
@Wog Boy…….Regarding Midnight Cowboy, he would be called a "drugstore" cowboy in Oklahoma! Good movie, Hoffman was the star in that one! Loved The Graduate too………Mrs. Robinson……the original "cougar"……and not Maria!! Lol
Sean is a huge fan of Monfils.
RZ Says:
Speaking of the young guns – any one know about Kokkinakis and his ongoing injury? He's been out for a long time. He was one of the young guys I liked watching as he stayed calm, kept trying, and didn't have tantrums/behavior issues on court.
James @9.36am, so does it make everybody elses GS wins and other titles less legit, simply because Novak was not at his best, and is everyone of his losses down to him not being at his best, just to be clear ?? ….
Green Lady – there are grand slam wins and there are grand slam wins. Nadal beating Fed at Wimbledon in 2008 – that's some victory (however close it was).
Murray got lucky at the Olympics in 2012 – Delpo really tired out Federer, so he was washed out when he faced Murray in the finals. Same thing happened at Wimbledon 2013 – Delpo really tired out Djokovic in a tough 5-setter, and then Murray beat a washed out Djokovic.
USO 2012 – I'll give Murray that. I think he beat Djokovic fair and square.
But overall, yes, Murray has won several 1000 tournaments in the last 5 years – but he really hasn't been even close to Fed, Djokovic or Nadal in the slams or the YEC. This whole Big 4 moniker is ridiculous. Stan has as many slams as Murray. And neither has been No 1 ever.
Going forward – tough to see Murray doing much. Especially if he is losing to Dimitrov on his home turf in Miami (he boasted last year or the year before that he knows every single part of that court better than anyone since he practices there all the time). And he will be 29 years old in less than 2 months.
That's what is so lucky for Djokovic. He has a 34+ year old Fed as his main opponent on hard or grass, Nadal is almost 30 and washed out on any surface (he is 12-6 this year so far already). Murray is murray. Stan is almost 31. And none of the young guns really seem to be stepping up. Nishikori and Raonic both have potential, but fragile bodies.
By James' reasoning, Djokovic can't lose, can he? If he wins because he's great and if he losses it's because he was tired. Djokovic's greatest strength is that never looks for a cheap excuse for his losses. Instead, he uses them to improve his game.
As long as someone hooks up with more WTA players than Radek Stepanek I'm fine with it. That dude must have had serious game. Or something.
Nole having a tough serving day today.
@BBB – Radek Stepanek's appeal with the ladies is the biggest mystery in tennis. :-)
My Daily Report.
I did not go to the Miami Open today. I am a real estate agent and I had too many commitments. My husband went at the end of the Berdych match. I thought he would be there five minutes and he is still there. It truly looked all day like it would pour any second, which is probably a relief for the players even though it is still extremely humid.
CHristian arrived at the beginning of Bascinsky/Halep and not a big fan of womens tennis I was certain he would go see Kyrgios, but no he was worried it would rain and he would be stuck out at grandstand so he stayed. I got multiple texts from him shocked at the moonballs, slice forehands and lack of power from Bascinsky game. He doesn't understand how a player of this caliber could not step in and crush the moonballs except he thought maybe Halep too small.What he did say was even without the sun in the third set Halep, known for being strong and fit, looked totally sapped.
Next he watched Djokovic Thiem and he said he sat near thiem family, who seemed very serious, angry he will losing, very very intense. He also said level of play excellent despite Thiem appearing tired and very frustrated toward the end.
He is currently enjoying Monfils and Dimitrov.
My thoughts on Murray. I thought he was fast, clearly you see the amazing amazing talentI also thought he was much more likeable in person than previously thought. I think he has a great great backhand, a full arsendal of tools, amazing passing shots, good court awareness, a great first serve. I think for whatever reason he was unconfortable from the start of the tournament he usually likes. ANd because he was unconfortable I saw magnified some of the weaknesses discussed on this site, particularly the second serve. Also I thought he was not aggressive anough returning second serves. My ten cents. Disappointed he lost as the tournament needs all the stars possible and I am going to the final.
AndyMira Says:
@RZ..do you think there's a possibility that andy lost yesterday due to the rumours that he and amelie has a rift at the moment?
@AndyMira – no, I read an article (and Jane posted one somewhere too) that Andy asked her to sit elsewhere to help him keep his focus. As we know, he likes to direct his yelling at either himself or his coach/team, so he might have wanted her elsewhere for that reason – more places to yell!
Kimberley, thanks as always.
I'm glad to see Monfils through, bolstering my theory that this is his time. Looking forward to Milos/ Nick as well.
But Simon/ Goffin- there's a slobberknocker for you. At least, someone will have to work to earn that win.
@Kimberly
Thanks for your input on Andy. Hope whatever's bothering him doesn't hang round for the clay season.
RZ @7.13PM March 29th, lol to your post, Grendel once told me Radeks appeal is because he listens and cares about women and what they think, i know its beyond me too ….
@GL – there must be aspects of his personality that we fans don't see on the tennis court but the ladies of the WTA tour do see. :-)


Two members of Midland's Fleet Feet Track Club placed in the top 20 at the National Junior Olympics in Hampton Roads, Va., recently. The meet featured the top young track and field athletes from around the country.
Luke Hickman finished 17th in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:20.49 and 18th in the 1500 with a time of 4:52.28, while competing in the 13-year-old boys division. Hickman's time in the 800 was a personal best, beating his previous personal-best by five seconds which he set three weeks earlier at the Amateur Athletic Union regional.
Also, Allison White took 14th in the 800 with a time of 2:31.31 and 20th in the 1500 with a time of 5:09.88, while competing in the 14-year-old girls division.
Meanwhile, Fleet Feet's Rachel Stadelmaier took 24th in the 400 dash (1:02.23), while competing in the 14-year-old girls division; and Nick DuBois placed 37th in the 1500 (6:04.60), while competing in the 10-year-old boys division.


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why eating plants is justified in the context of animal rights. "Peter Singer: Moral arbiter of life and death". 49 In 2010, Singer signed a petition renouncing his 'right of return' to Israel, which called it "a form of racist privilege that abets the colonial oppression of the Palestinians". 57 Singer has clarified that his "view of when life begins isnt very different from that of opponents of abortion." He deems it not "unreasonable to hold that an individual human life begins at conception.
Holger Dorf, "Singer in Saabrücken Unirevue (Winter Semester, 1989/90.47. We must eat plants to survive-it is our instinct. Yes, fruits are intended to be eaten.
He is the Ira. "Steve Forbes Declines Princeton Financial Backing Due to Singer Hiring". Peter Singer's university website Centre for the cellist of sarajevo essay Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics Peter Singer. Given that vegans don't eat eggs because they think it's wrong, this argument makes no sense. 80 On, Singer was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for "eminent service to philosophy and bioethics as a leader of public debate and communicator of ideas in the areas of global poverty, animal welfare and the human condition." 81 Singer received. Doi :.1177/. The same is true for a pastured chicken or hog. Effective altruism and world poverty edit Main article: Effective altruism Singer at an effective altruism conference in Melbourne in 2015. 11 He received an MA degree for a thesis entitled "Why should I be moral?" at the same university in 1969. 83 The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007.
On April 18, 2011 Astrud Gilberto Wrote to Fans And.
Vegetarians and vegans must develop a better answer to that age-old meat-eater question-but you kill plants don't you?


Never let the gas in your car go below a quarter tank during cold weather, especially if your ride isn't garaged at night. Any void above the fuel in your tank is filled with moist air. During cold weather, moisture condenses to water. Since water is denser than gasoline, it settles in the bottom of your tank.
If enough accumulates, it'll be delivered through the fuel line to the engine, which can cause hard starting or, worse, an ice clot. Avoid this problem by simply keeping the tank more than half full-three-quarters is preferable. You can also add "dry gas" once or twice each winter. It lowers water's freezing point. Make sure the active ingredient is isopropyl alcohol, not methanol, which can deteriorate seals and plastic components.
Anyone stupid enough to use cruise control on slippery roads needs remedial driver training. Cruise might induce momentary wheel spin, but the car isn't going to accelerate--if anything, it'd slow down.
If a rock chips your windshield, you can stop the crack from spreading. Act fast and you'll avoid the $200 to $500 cost of a windshield replacement. Car washes, intense sunshine, and frigid temperatures all stress the glass. If the chip can be covered by a dime, a glass shop can fill the crevice with an optically matched resin that should forestall the spread of cracks. Most insurance companies waive the deductible and cover this cost-saving procedure. Anything larger and you might need a new pane of glass.


Mark Cerny sure sounds excited.
We may not know much about Death Stranding, but we all have one piece of information that's been enough for over a year to keep us giddily excited about the game- it's being made by Hideo Kojima. Mark Cerny of Sony, who's also been assisting with the development of the game in some capacity, feels the same way, and he's come out with a statement that will surely make us all excited.
Cerny was asked in an interview with the PlayStation Blog about the development of the game and how it is utilizing Guerrilla Games' Decima Engine, which was also used for 2013's Killzone: Shadow Fall and this year's Horizon: Zero Dawn. Cerny said that the development of the game has helped develop the engine a lot more too, almost to the point where it can be said that it is a collaboration between the studios that are involved, adding that it was thanks to the Decima Engine that Mads Mikkelsen's face looked as detailed and awesome as it did up close in the last trailer that was released for the game.
Death Stranding was notably absent from this year's E3, but we expect to hear more of it in the near future. As such, stay tuned to GamingBolt, and we will keep bringing more updates your way.


I'm kind of obsessed with breaded or "crusted" food lately. Why? Because the new kitchen has a new microwave/oven that has a "Crisp" feature. It even comes with a special "crisp"-ing pan and the way it works (I think) is that it microwaves, pilule convects and broils at the same time. So food comes out as crispy as if it were deep fried but without any of the grease. Oh, treatment and a pork cutlet only takes 12 minutes, shrimp only 8 minutes, etc.
I used the leanest pork I could find, and I brined it beforehand to keep it nice and juicy. In lieu of homemade breadcrumbs, which I didn't have time to make, I used whole wheat Panko made by a brand called Ian's, which I thought were fantastic. The meat was juicy and the breading was really crispy. I served the cutlets with a nice green salad, homemade croutons made from stale cibatta and some sauteed bok choy. Cutlet recipe below.
First, brine the pork by throwing the water, salt and pork in a large (gallon-sized) Ziploc bag. Let the pork sit for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°. Once the pork has brined, remove it from the bag, rinse it thoroughly and pat dry.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and mustard. In another medium bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and some non-stick spray.
Start breading the pork by dipping it first in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs. Repeat the process twice for each cutlet then place them on the baking sheet. Once they're all breaded, place them in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pork. They're ready when the breadcrumbs are browned and crispy and the inside is juicy and a bit springy.
Mmmmmm. I'm trying this some time in the next few weeks. I actually have some pork cutlets in my fridge right now.


How the Art of Storytelling Can Help Marketers With Brand Positioning - SEOptimer: SEO Audit & Reporting Tool. White Label Option.
Creating a strong brand positioning strategy is not an easy task in today's highly saturated markets. People's attention spans are shorter than ever before and running a company website is not enough anymore to stand out from the crowd. The art of storytelling has been used for millennia to win and influence people. Therefore, it's not surprising that marketers also frequently use it to create an appealing brand identity that differentiates them from their competition and engages their target audience on an emotional level.
The art of storytelling is the oldest cultural activity in human history. People have been telling and sharing stories for entertainment and educational reasons since the beginning of times. In fact, storytelling is much more ancient than writing. Well before written text, people had conveyed their stories through cave painting, rock art, ritual chanting, and oral narration. It seems human beings have an inherent need to weave narratives to understand the surrounding world and their own lives.
The first written story was the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia, written around 2100 B.C. in the Sumerian language. The story was carved on several stone tablets and this way it could have spread to different parts of Asia and even Europe relatively quickly. In fact, every culture is based on a set of stories we commonly refer to as mythology—Greek and Roman mythology being the most famous ones. Religions also use the art of storytelling to make morality accessible and appealing to ordinary people.
But, why are people so attracted to stories? According to a research published by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, stories do affect the human mind. As they are able to bring us to a different place mentally, their narratives influence our existing beliefs and make us embrace ideas we would reject otherwise. The mental shift in the perceptions and beliefs of the research participants wasn't solely triggered by the plot and narrative, but also by the manner in which the stories were told. What's even more interesting: it didn't matter if the stories were labeled as fact or fiction, emotional responses were similar in both cases. The art of storytelling is a powerful thing, indeed.
It's not just writers and religious leaders who make use of the art of storytelling. The most successful brands and companies approach their audience through well-thought-out stories as well. Brand positioning aims to construct the story of a brand or product, with all the necessary elements from the narrative to imagery. If you want to position a brand in a market niche efficiently, you need to create a brand story that sticks to the mind of consumers and engages them on the emotional level.
According to the most well-known definition penned by Philip Kotler, brand positioning is "the act of designing the company's offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market". Or, in other words, marketers need to differentiate a brand from its competitors so that customers can instantly recognize it.
The goal of brand positioning is not only to make the audience know how a brand is different from the competition but also to make them perceive it in a specific way. The art of storytelling can greatly help you achieve that objective. If you properly design the narrative, plot, and characters of a brand story, it will trigger an emotional response from the audience and make them engage with the product. The emotion you need to target depends on the nature of the brand—purchasing a bank loan is usually preceded by a different kind of emotion than ordering from a French restaurant.
Before you embark on building up a brand story, it's crucial to make a brand positioning statement. It's a direct and concise declaration that summarizes the unique value of the brand in comparison to the competition. A brand positioning statement is not a slogan or a tagline; it's only for internal use. It shouldn't be more than one or two sentences and it needs to clearly define how you wish to establish the brand in the mind of the audience.
Before anything else, you need to decide which emotion the story intends to trigger. It can be either a positive emotion such as joy, interest, amusement, freedom or passion. Alternatively, a negative one such as worry, anxiety, jealousy, or anger to which the brand provides a solution. You can also target a complex set of emotions instead of just one or two. For instance, fair trade products frequently make their customers emotionally identify with a specific, well-defined goal.
When you have the brand positioning statement and the key emotion you want to target, you can begin to build up the story. Don't only think of written stories but also audiovisual content such as music, video, imagery, animations, 3D graphics, or infographics. Even graphical elements such as the logo and website typography will become parts of the brand story.
In this day and age, marketers have more tools and resources at hand to unfold a story than ever before. However, most brands don't require a complicated story, especially because too much complexity can make it hard to follow the storyline. Below, you can find five proven storytelling formulas you can successfully incorporate into a branding strategy.
Before: First, you present the audience with the problem the brand intends to solve.
After: Then, you show them how their lives will improve after the brand solved their problem.
Bridge: After they saw both the "Before" and "After" scenarios, you demonstrate how the brand can help them get to the solution.
Features: First, you show the main characteristics of the brand, using facts and data.
Advantages: Then, you present the advantages customers can achieve by making use of the features of the brand.
Benefits: Finally, you demonstrate why the audience should care about the advantages offered by the brand.
Problem: First, you present a problem the audience frequently encounters.
Agitate: Then, you unfold the problem by showing its different aspects. The goal here is to intensify the problem so that the audience gets into an emotional state.
Solve: Finally, you show how the brand can provide a solution to the problem.
It's also known as Dale Carnegie's Magic Formula.
Incident: First, you tell an authentic story with which the audience can identify on an emotional level.
Action: Then, you show them the specific action they need to take to resolve the incident. They can take that action with the help of the brand.
Benefit: Finally, you demonstrate the benefits customers can gain if they take the action you recommended.
Hero's Journey is the most ancient storytelling formula, used by religious scriptures such as the Bible and ancient epic stories such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. This formula has different versions based on the complexity of the hero's journey. However, all follow a similar script: a hero embarks on a journey, encounters a crisis, solves the crisis, and finally wins a prize or becomes a better person.
These days, successful inbound marketing is unimaginable without making use of the art of storytelling. It's not only important because of brand positioning but it can also help marketers directly increase conversion rates. You don't necessarily need to use the same story across all marketing channels. However, the stories need to be coherent, for instance, they shouldn't claim contradictory things. In fact, you can incorporate storytelling into any type of digital marketing—it all depends on which marketing channels you use and what goals you aim to achieve.
The art of storytelling can greatly help marketers create a brand story consumers happily interact with. The most important thing is to use diverse content types (text, imagery, audio, video, memes, polls, etc.) where each functions as a pillar of the story. Strong, interesting headlines and first sentences can hook in customers and move them emotionally—which is the ultimate goal of storytelling. You can also strengthen the narrative by using local stories, stories about famous people, and supporting the stories with figures and facts.
According to ;The Power of Storytelling' research by Facebook IQ, storytelling on social media has a direct impact on purchases. The Refinery29 brand, as a participant in the experiment, experienced a 10% increase in online purchases and a 7% increase in in-store purchases when they sequenced their Facebook ads like stories. If you add call-to-actions and high-impact visuals to a story you can further increase view-through rates on social media sites.
Viral marketing is all about storytelling. Essentially, you need to create a short-form content piece such as a blog post, meme, or video that you spread across as many marketing channels as possible within a short period of time. The goal is to make the content spread like a virus across the internet. As for most people, emotional engagement is the sole motivation for sharing viral content. A well-crafted story can do wonders for the success of a viral marketing campaign.
The art of storytelling can help both smaller and larger brands position themselves on the market. Here are some examples of successful brand stories you can use as an inspiration to create a winning brand positioning strategy for any kind of business.
Airbnb, the number one online vacation rental marketplace, heavily uses of the art of storytelling to position its brand across all marketing channels, from its website to its quite popular Youtube channel. In the stories, the hosts and holidaymakers are the main characters who interact with each other through Airbnb's services. The stories follow the Features-Advantages-Benefits formula and intend to gain customers' trust so that they won't be afraid of staying at a stranger's home while traveling.
Family brands can excellently use the art of storytelling for brand positioning as well. Silver Oak, a family-owned winery in California tells the personal story of the brand, with the founders being the protagonists. The intimate narrative humanizes the brand and evokes the emotions of familiarity and togetherness from the audience. The story also vividly describes the hardships the founders encountered and shows how their struggles helped them improve the quality of their products.
The Evernote note-taking app combines the art of storytelling with cartoon stories to establish its brand identity. In fact, well-designed cartoons work very well when the target audience is the younger, tech-savvy generation. On Evernote's homepage, each feature is linked to an embedded Youtube video in which an animated character shows how that feature helps them out with their everyday problems. The problems are typical and well-selected so that the target audience can easily identify with them.
The Travelocity online travel agency chose a unique way to make use of the art of storytelling in their social media strategy. They created a small mascot called the Roaming Gnome and made a profile for him on social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram, and even the Tinder dating app. The stories are told by the Roaming Gnome himself. They follow a complex version of the Hero's Journey storytelling formula. The friendly Gnome has been traveling around the world for more than 10 years; he started his social media journey on MySpace back in 2007.
Threads 4 Thought is a sustainable, eco-friendly fashion brand that targets socially conscious customers. They use the art of storytelling in numerous ways on their website, with the models being the characters of the stories. When visitors first land on the site, they are presented with a "Letter from the Founder" that highlights a current social issue and describes how customers can help solve the problem by using the brand (e.g. 10% of their purchase will be donated for the cause). Threads 4 Thought's narrative is an excellent example of the Incident-Action-Benefit storytelling formula and resonates very well with the audience of the brand.
The art of storytelling can be a great help in creating a successful brand positioning strategy for any business. Well-crafted stories don't only engage first-time visitors but can also make them fall in love with the brand and become loyal and long-term customers. Thanks to the advance of technology, these days marketers can spread stories through a plethora of marketing channels from blogs to newsletters to social media sites. Using the art of storytelling in brand positioning is one of the best techniques to create and implement a successful inbound marketing campaign.


Fancy meads? Join us for a masterclass with Tom Gosnell from Gosnells Mead as we learn and taste meads with the mead-maker himself.
Tom Gosnell has revived a centuries-old brewing practice in the heart of London by creating a mead that carries his name.


Taxis and especially Yellow Cabs are an important part of the city of New York. Since the early 20th century already Yellow Cabs are driving in the city (NPR, 2007). In May 2011, Uber announced that it will also start operating in New York (Uber, 2011). However, like many other cities, New York is currently facing severe traffic congestion. This year, New York's mayor released a plan to reduce problems related to car traffic (Nir, 2017). To improve urban mobility, it is really important to understand when and how people travel within the city. Therefore, New York's transportation companies have to publish their data (Flegenheimer, 2015).
Public transportation datasets can help to understand urban mobility and help to plan transit service, and thus a city can improve their bus routes or add bicycle lanes if necessary (Li, 2016). This report, analyses Yellow Cab data from January to March 2015 which is available at the New York City official homepage (NYC, 2015). In addition, a dataset from Uber covering the same period is used to have a more integral understanding of New York's taxi landscape (FiveThirtyEight, 2016). The Yellow Cab dataset provides much more information than the one from Uber, which is why this report mainly focuses on the Yellow Cab dataset. The Uber dataset only highlights pickup dates and location, whereas the Yellow Cab dataset delivers more detailed information about pick-ups and drop-offs. The latter also reveals details about how many passengers travelled in a taxi. Therefore, the focus lays on the Yellow Cab data, but the Uber dataset is used as an add-on to compare both services. While the raw Yellow Cab dataset has over 38 million trips, Uber has nearly 6.5 million rides in the same period.
Taxi data analysis can help to improve the lives of citizens, political decisions and policy- (Ferreira et al, 2013). However, due to the size and complexity of the data, it is hard to perform comparative analyses. The goal of this report is therefore to get an overview of the behaviour of taxi trip in New York. By answering the questions when and where traffic occurs, it is pos- sible to find interactions between neighbourhoods. Consequently, this analysis detects where most traffic occurs and which routes are used most often. These insights reveal places where traffic caused by taxis can be reduced. Often, a high use of taxis implies poor public transport (Jiang et al, 2015). Therefore, the data helps to discover where this could be improved and thus reduce traffic congestion in cities.
The first part of this report investigates New York's traffic behaviour using taxis' GPS data. In a next step, more complex visualisation maps the data to highlight typical routes. Insights de- liver details where and when the most pickups take place. The dataset was also merged with weather data (NOAA, 2017). The weather data helps to understand if there are any relationships between taxi rides and weather conditions. To map the coordinates of the pick-ups and drop- offs, the dataset was furthermore merged with census data from New York (FCC, 2017). This dataset has the coordinates with the corresponding neighbourhood names.
This report was a Visual Analytics coursework during my MSc Data Science. Let me know if you want to read the entire report.


Well, 2 weeks and 5k later and this is what you get. Progress it is true. But where is the sence of urgency? The steps are not good, need an official overhang, want the first tred to be a step down not flush with the deck (and hence making the railings a nightmare, do not want the side stringer (needs to overhang 1" there also) and want the riser to be made of cedar. Got that? The bathroom is coming aloong and they did tile and stain the railings again. Also the creek side of the house was washed/stained/sealed. Looks great.


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The Knicks have officially been eliminated from playoff contention
It's not what you want.
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The writing was on the wall for weeks, but Thursday night it became official: The New York Knicks have been eliminated from playoff contention. Annoyingly, it was the Atlanta Hawks who put the final nail in the Knicks' coffin, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 131-107.
And so that's all, folks. New York has five games remaining, but they don't mean diddly, outside of draft positioning, that is. The biggest game on the schedule now is probably Friday, April 8, against the Wizards. Washington sits just a half game behind the Knicks in the standings. Losing that one could help their draft odds.
How did it all go so wrong? The team came into the season with such immaculate vibes. They had shocked the basketball world a season earlier. Native son Kemba Walker was coming on board to solve the point guard problems. They even went 5-1 to start the season, with wins over Boston, Philly and Chicago. Oh well. We'll get into the reasons behind the collapse in the end-of-season post-mortem. The Knicks have now missed the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons. It sucks.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Photography: Zest Images Photography
Home > Wedding Ideas > Wedding Symbolism
Origins of some of our wedding traditions
The Wedding Ring
Traditionally a plain, gold band, is the oldest surviving symbol of marriage. The circle represents eternity and never-ending love, while the gold represents purity of intent. It is placed on the fourth finger of the left-hand as it was believed that a vein called the Vena Amoris ran straight from it to the heart.
The Garter
The throwing of the Garter by the groom to unmarried men and the Bouquet by the bride to unmarried girls is believed to bring good luck and marriage to whomever they are caught by.
The White Wedding Dress
The conventional white Dress is said to be a sign of purity and high virtues. Green signifies youth, hope and happiness. Red denotes vigour, courage and passion, while violet symbolises dignity, pride and high ideals.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
Something Old could be a piece of jewellery or something from a happily married woman as a blessing of matrimonial bliss. This represents the married woman's links with her family and her past.
Something New depicts the new life that the bride is starting - usually this is her dress or shoes.
Something Borrowed is to remind the bride of the need to rely on others for help. This is normally gold, representing the sun, the source of life.
Something Blue, usually the garter, denotes faithfulness and is a compliment to the moon, protector of women.
Honeymoon - about 4000 years ago in Babylon it was the accepted practise that after a wedding the bride's father would supply his new son-in-law with all the beer he could drink for a month. The beer, called mead, was a honey-based beer, and because the Babylonian calendar was lunar-based the period became known as the honey month, or as we know it today, the honeymoon.
Ringing of the wedding bells after the ceremony. This was meant to scare away the evil spirits that could destroy the couple's happiness.
The Bridal Bouquets. In ancient times, the first bridal bouquets were made of not only flowers but special herbs and spices. This was done to ward off the evil spirits. They also used particular herbs that symbolized fertility.
Throwing Rice (Confetti)
Throwing rice (or birdseed) as the couple departs. The birdseed was thrown to promote fertility.
Cutting the Cake
Bride and groom cut the cake and then feed each other. Feeding each other the cake symbolizes how the couple will "feed" and nourish the relationship for the rest of their lives. Now, this was meant as loving and caring symbol for each other. As for the "smearing" and pushing cake into each other's faces? No one knows how that started... Hopefully, that's a "tradition" that will die out!
Giving Almonds
Giving almonds at a wedding symbolises the bitter and sweet aspect of married life. The five almonds represent Love, Happiness, Loyalty, Prosperity and Virility.
Nine sips of sake
Did you Know, in Japan, the bridal couple takes nine sips of sake, taking care to put down the cup at the exact same moment. Tradition has it that the partner whose cup hits the table last will be the first to die. So much for happily ever after ...
The Receiving Line
The Receiving Line - In ancient times, it was believed that the bride and groom were blessed. Those who touched them would have good luck.
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OPINION: Let's talk about money and wind farms
On April 29, The Daily Republic published my column, "Wind Farms: The Worst Idea Since Cash for Clunkers." Since then, there have been several local responses to both my article and to criticism of wind energy in general. Allow me to briefly focu...
Opinion by Dr. Jamin Hubner
On April 29, The Daily Republic published my column, "Wind Farms: The Worst Idea Since Cash for Clunkers." Since then, there have been several local responses to both my article and to criticism of wind energy in general. Allow me to briefly focus on two items.
I reminded readers that (all things considered) government programs cost greater than what such programs "produce." Subsidies equal (inherently inefficient) income redistribution. The government cannot "pull a rabbit out of a hat." In a May 14 column for The Daily Republic, Anthony Rezac essentially reached into a hat and proclaimed, "oh yes it can." I will leave him to that imaginary world.
By June 8, the CEO of American Wind Association finished crafting a remarkably misleading piece of political prose for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Like Rezac and others, the majority of anti-wind concerns were casually dismissed while strings of dollar bills were lowered into readers' faces and swung repeatedly (perhaps this would silence the critics). But, no-no fires were put out, and I might suggest that waving a dismissive hand at South Dakotans as if they were too gullible to care is not a particularly good strategy.
So, since all that pro-wind advocates seem capable of consistently conversing about is money, let's talk about money and wind farms.
First, to repeat, wind farms have to be subsidized because they generate such a huge financial loss, and no one in the free market is silly enough to build them from their own resources. In Buffett's words, "they don't make sense without the tax credit." It is precisely because of this monetary loss that pro-wind advocates have to resign to exaggerated estimates, numerical figures, and macro-level statistics (absent of micro-level realities) in the first place. They are on the defensive for good reasons.
Second, by comparison, wind energy is the most financially wasteful government-sponsored energy program in existence. This was ably demonstrated in a 2010 study conducted by Simmons et. al. for Utah State University. One key finding was, "In 2010 the wind energy sector received 42 percent of total federal subsidies while producing only 2 percent of the nation's total electricity. By comparison, coal receives 10 percent of all subsidies and generates 45 percent and nuclear is about even at about 20 percent."
These figures have not significantly improved today. And yet we are supposed to believe Tom Kiernan's claim that wind energy will soon "compete" with other sources of energy? Like a tricycle in Nascar.
Third, claiming American wind energy helps the American economy by being distinctively "local" is absurd. Between 75-90 percent of wind farms are owned by foreign corporations/investors, and more than 60 percent of wind turbines are manufactured by foreign companies, according to Choma. American wind energy is as American as a pair of shoes labeled "Made in China."
Fourth, property owners who have sold their wind rights may never earn their royalties fast enough to cover the loss in property values from owning them. In other words, those who are supposed to be making millions, don't. (You can find this out yourself simply by asking around.) None of the financial figures produced by the AWA or - to my knowledge, by any pro-wind advocate - takes into full account this central negative factor: depreciation of land. This is significant not only because of the amount of depreciation for land near and under wind farms (which is high), but because of the ever-increasing value of land (amplifying the losses).
More than a half-dozen independent studies conducted by appraisers and university-sponsored groups in the last decade found a 15-59 percent decrease in property values on or near wind farms (see McCann Appraisal LLC, summaries). (Predictably, pro-wind studies creatively generate data with lower estimates).
Combined with 30-40 percent income tax on earnings from wind royalties, shoddy contracts often not inflation-adjusted and dependent on Washington's empty wallet (and irrational politics), certain land-owners with wind farms ultimately earn pennies instead of millions over the long haul. (This is what you won't hear when signing a 30- or 60-year contract.) Even for the lucky few in better situations, the profits still don't add up to the glorious estimates because of these losses.
Fifth, because of this liability, investors will go elsewhere to invest their money (as will families in local communities). Few want to live on or near a wind farm, and no investor wants to invest in land that has any potential for significant depreciation. (And this is true whether land actually depreciates or not; ambiguity is enough to stop investors).
Sixth, as mentioned above, wind-farm developers' numbers (whether royalty estimates, long term sales, "bringing money to the community," etc.) are so out of touch with reality that it's hard to even keep a straight face. Speaking of, Kiernan in his article even claims wind energy will contribute to the prevention of "a total of 22,000 premature deaths by mid-century" via cleaner air. What's next? The vibration from turbines will cure constipation? Happy day, Farmer Joe.
Space does not allow for seventh, eighth, etc. But, wind energy advocates should at least pause before mindlessly regurgitating monetary figures in public and proclaiming everyone a financial winner with wind farms. Nothing is free, and the monstrous costs of wind energy are coming to the light year after year.
Woster: Hockey — South Dakota's growing winter sport
A regular opinion piece by columnist Terry Woster
By Terry Woster
Guebert: In the heat of the night
An agriculture-focused opinion piece from agriculture columnist Alan Guebert
By Alan Guebert
Letter: People should have freedom to choose vaccines
I don't think it is just to force people to get the vaccine because of their profession
By Robbie Hine
Letter: Hyperinflation
The economic gurus who drove the world into the current disaster are filling the pages of the Western media with wild "explanations" for rapidly expanding inflation.
By Ron Wieczorek
Wrestling summaries for Jan. 21: Wildkats sweep duals at Winner Area quadrangular
Balanced effort helps Dakota Wesleyan men to road win at Hastings
Area basketball roundup for Jan. 21: Hanson earns fifth-straight victory with win over Canistota
South Dakota high school basketball scores for Jan. 21


This piece was originally published in the American Spectator Online on August 24, 2005.
WASHINGTON — In 1999, President Bill Clinton, at the behest of Republican leaders in the Senate, nominated Bradley A. Smith to the Federal Election Commission. The nomination did not receive universal praise.
The politicians echoed the editorial pages. Senator John McCain began his long war with Smith by saying, "sending Brad Smith to the FEC is akin to confirming a conscientious objector to be secretary of defense." Vice President Al Gore argued that Smith was "unfit for public office" despite the fact that Clinton had nominated Smith.
Senators have the right to put a hold on nominees to the FEC, and McCain did so in Smith's case for several months. Eventually Republican leaders traded five judgeships for Smith's ascension to the FEC.
Smith was not a typical nominee to the commission. He had not practiced election law in Washington while forming strong ties to party leaders. Instead he had pursued an academic career: a law degree from Harvard, a position at Capital University School of Law, several articles in leading law reviews, and (full disclosure) policy analyses for the Cato Institute. While his nomination lingered in the Senate, Smith finished his book Unfree Speech.
Smith took on a powerful but small lobby. Since Watergate, the campaign finance issue has been the exclusive property of the "reform community" composed of groups like Common Cause (which claims 200,000 members) and organizations like Democracy 21 and the Center for Responsive Politics, which are largely funded by foundations rather than members. The reformers won big in 1974. Common Cause founder John W. Gardner managed to redefine Watergate as a campaign finance scandal. Two months after Nixon resigned, Congress passed comprehensive controls on money in elections, and the courts upheld most of these restrictions.
No new legislation followed, but the reform community remained influential inside the Beltway. Just as Smith began publishing his analysis of campaign finance laws, reformers began a new push for more restrictions. Several wealthy foundations led by the Pew Memorial Trusts decided to devote enormous sums to passing new restrictions on campaign finance. The movement also found its voice in Senator McCain, a Republican trying to atone for his part in the Keating Five Scandal of the early 1990s. This coalition succeeded in passing McCain-Feingold in 2002.
SMITH'S EXPERIENCE MIRRORS the struggles of conservatism in general. He went up against an entrenched establishment with money and a sympathetic media. His reflections on his time at the FEC may tell us something about the future of the conservative cause.
Years in Washington have sharpened Smith's awareness of a few key facts. With particular opprobrium reserved for the New York Times, he charges that reporters come to the issue of campaign finance with overriding biases, and those biases are shared by their editors. Many reporters are willing to fire off preconceived pro-campaign finance reform stories, he says, even if they know the story is wrong, or absurdly oversimplified.
The ink-stained wretches are naive in Smith's opinion. They refuse to consider the possibility that campaign finance laws might suppress political activity in favor of the interests of incumbent members of Congress. Though deeply cynical about politics, journalists are somehow never cynical about the motivations behind the latest proposals to restrict money in politics.
The people who work in Washington, he says, have little idea of the consequences of the rules they make. In particular, campaign finance regulators do not worry much if complex rules make it harder for average Americans to engage in politics.
Members of the campaign finance coalition judge the political process by its outcomes. Since they all lean left, Smith argues, they believe that a political process reflecting the will or the people will lead to leftist results. When conservatives win elections or legislators lean right, these groups conclude the system has been corrupted by money. Corruption has thus lost all meaning apart from sheer political advantage.
Nearing the end of his run, Smith confesses to feeling "sorry" for his arch nemesis McCain. The senator, he argues, was less important in passing McCain-Feingold than the backing provided by the liberal foundations and front-page coverage contributed by the New York Times. The final draft of legislation led to the very 527 groups that McCain now rails against.
But Smith argues that those loopholes do not make the legislation a toothless tiger. Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, a movie that attacked President Bush, would have violated the law had it been shown on television two months before an election. McCain-Feingold prohibits "electioneering communications" mentioning a presidential candidate and sponsored by a corporation. For a time it seemed the FEC would have to go after Moore's movie, but according to Smith, the agency decided to stay clear of the issue out of fear of losing in court while generating terrible publicity. Concerns about free speech have been banished to the furthest reaches of the agency's thinking.
After my exit interview with Smith, I solicited comments from several colleagues. Some Republicans complained he did not effectively create a coalition to counter the reformers. His friends say that Smith's temperament was not apt for political success. They note he is not especially sociable or accommodating, and something of a bookish and diffident intellectual.
Smith became more politically skilled over the course of his term. This year, for instance, he managed to bring to the public's attention the question of campaign finance law and free speech on the Internet. For two memorable days in July, the FEC heard bloggers from the left (Markos Moulitsas of liberal blog Daily Kos) and the right (Mike Krempasky of RedState.org) and other points along the political spectrum demand protection for their speech on the Internet. The hearings would not have happened without Smith's warnings about the implications of McCain-Feingold.
FOR NOW, THE RESISTANCE offered has complicated if not stopped the FEC drive toward restrictions. Smith argues that the Internet fight is a classic example of the irresponsibility of Congress. Members want regulation of speech on the Internet, but they are afraid to propose such controls directly. They hope that the FEC will do their dirty work in the name of preventing circumvention of the current law.
Smith was a de facto Republican appointee to the FEC but many Republicans have been frustrated by his refusal to defer to his party. When he began his term, partisanship and libertarian principle in campaign finance went well together from the top to the bottom of the GOP. Senator Mitch McConnell had led a long fight against campaign finance regulation. Eighty percent of Republicans in Congress voted against McCain-Feingold.
As the 2004 election approached, however, party leaders decided McCain-Feingold could help the cause. By 2003, the Democrats had concluded that the soft money ban in McCain-Feingold would hurt their prospects for the upcoming election. They began forming 527 groups (entities created by that section of the tax code) to raise and spend soft money. The Republicans might have done the same, but party leaders decided instead to persuade the FEC to prohibit fundraising by the 527s.
Smith refused to go along with the about-face in Republican policy. In a March 2004 speech to the Republican National Lawyers' Association, he urged the GOP to embrace its deregulatory roots in campaign finance. The alternative, Smith avowed, would be contributing to an "anti-freedom, pro-big government intellectual environment for some perceived, but wholly uncertain, political gain." An op-ed and congressional testimony followed, in defense of the right of 527s to spend money on politics.
According to Republican election lawyer Cleta Mitchell, some Republican leaders thought McCain-Feingold would prevent the flow of money to outside groups like the 527s. It is hard to understand why Republicans would have assumed that. In late 2002, everyone familiar with campaign finance expected 527 groups to replace soft money fundraising. Republican leaders expected Smith and the FEC to "fix" the problem.
Smith is now philosophical about his problems with the Republican leadership recalling Harry Truman's view about friends, Washington, and dogs. But last year he plausibly argued that Republican support for prohibiting 527s had prevented the real possibility of liberalizing McCain-Feingold. Their about-face will make it harder to allow more free political speech in the future.
Campaign finance is now more regulated by the federal government than it was when Brad Smith took office. Congress passed McCain-Feingold, and the Supreme Court then upheld the law's incredible restrictions. Many would take that as cause for despair.
BUT SMITH THINKS the worst might be over. The House GOP now seems unlikely to support prohibiting 527 groups even though doing so might well serve the party's interests. Smith's writings have persuaded Republicans to be wary of regulation. Many Democrats are chafing under the current campaign finance regime and would like to loosen up some of the more onerous McCain-Feingold restrictions.
That combination of principle and enlightened self interest speaks well of Smith's willingness to argue with Received Wisdom — to lay out the case again and again against unfair and unwarranted limits of free speech. Brad Smith refused to grow in office and we are all a little better off for it.
John Samples is director of the Center for Representative Government at the Cato Institute and co-editor of The Republican Revolution 10 Years Later : Smaller Government or Business as Usual?


This webcam is currently assigned to webworldcam.com. It was originally added on 15 octobre 2012 and has been viewed 19 980 times since then. The current picture above was taken il y a 2 mois, thereby the webcam seems to be currently inactive. So far, it was added to their personal favorites on webcams.travel by 0 people.


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Lorraine Bracco Bought an Italian Villa, but She Can't Escape "The Sopranos"
On HGTV's "My Big Italian Adventure," Bracco, best known for her roles in America's fictional mobster ecosystem, sets out to renovate her new Sicilian villa.
Sunday Reading: The Electrifying Critical Mind of Pauline Kael
From The New Yorker's archive, a selection of pieces by the celebrated film critic, including her reviews of "Taxi Driver," "Citizen Kane," and "Star Wars."
By The New Yorker
Richard Brody
Scorsese's Achievement with "GoodFellas"
Violence obviously repels Scorsese, but also makes him want to know: What is a person like who can do such things? How does it feel?
By Richard Brody
Takes: Henry Hill and "Goodfellas"
By Jon Michaud
June 4, 2007 Issue
The end of "The Sopranos"
By David Remnick
June 17 & 24, 2002 Issue
By Mark Leyner
September 24, 1990 Issue
By Pauline Kael


I know what you're thinking! "How can I not take it personally when my wife/husband wants a divorce?" or "How can I not take it personally when I just got fired?" or "How can I not take it personally when my sister won't even talk to me?".
I admit it's tough. It is not, however, personal.
"Whatever happens around you, don't take it personally… Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. All people live in their own dream, in their own mind; they are in a completely different world from the one we live in. When we take something personally, we make the assumption that they know what is in our world, and we try to impose our world on their world.
Even when a situation seems so personal, even if others insult you directly, it has nothing to do with you. What they say, what they do, and the opinions they give are according to the agreements they have in their own minds … taking things personally makes you easy prey for these predators … They can hook you easily with one little opinion and feed you whatever poison they want, and because you take it personally, you eat it up.
Warriors, don't think for a minute that you can read this text, snap your fingers and stop taking everything personally. I've been studying these teachings for a while, and I still struggle – sometimes on a daily basis. But if you can begin the process of thinking outside of the voices and opinions in your own head, you'll be well on your way.
We are all brainwashed early on to over-think life! The voices in our heads literally never shut the hell up! Our own opinions bombard us constantly. And you know what?
Most of the time our opinions are wrong!
We don't know why other people do and say what they do. We can't. We haven't lived their life experiences. We may think we know where they're coming from, but in truth, we don't. We don't know what their own point of attraction in life is.
As a Warrior Spirit, I don't advocate ever allowing anyone to physically, emotionally or spiritually abuse you. Consider though (if the situation isn't dangerous) what would happen if you didn't take it personally. How would you react? How would you feel? What would you do or say differently? What would Love do in your situation?
What I have also come to understand is that sometimes all we can do is bless them and walk away. If someone decisively wants to cut you off or go another direction, LET THEM! Bless them and let them go!
Will it break your heart? Maybe. It did mine. It broke my heart, but it didn't kill me. I'm still standing – strong, worthy, humble, and sharing everything I can.
Will it drop you to your knees? Maybe. You'll get up again. I promise. I have.
Will it change you? Absolutely! And you get to choose whether or not you change for the better. No one else gets to choose for you. How cool is that?
Will you ever fully understand what happened to make them choose to walk away? Nope. It doesn't matter. Trust me on this one. When you fully make peace with it, understanding every single piece of the puzzle doesn't matter.
Bless them and let them go. Then bless yourself and let it go. You're probably going to need to let it go a lot! And I mean a lot. Sometimes 100s of times a day for maybe weeks or months. You'll get there. I know you will!
Life is not happening to you. It is happening FOR you. Spend some time considering that nothing that happens in your life is personal, and that life is happening just perfectly to conspire to move you forward toward your dreams.
I promise you, if you do, you're life will change dramatically. But don't take my word for it. Experiment with it for the next 30 days. Think about this every morning, and set an intention to look for the ways in which the Universe is conspiring on your behalf.
Read the book – it's so full of gold!


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package org.zeropage.causcheduler.adapter;

import android.content.Context;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.ListAdapter;
import android.widget.TextView;
import io.realm.RealmBaseAdapter;
import io.realm.RealmResults;
import org.zeropage.causcheduler.R;
import org.zeropage.causcheduler.data.Lecture;

/**
 * Created by Donghwan on 3/23/2016.
 */
public class LecturesAdapter extends RealmBaseAdapter<Lecture> implements ListAdapter {
	private static class ViewHolder{
		TextView item;
	}

	@Override
	public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
		ViewHolder viewHolder;
		if(convertView == null){
			convertView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.list_item_lecture_notice, parent, false);
			viewHolder = new ViewHolder();
			viewHolder.item = (TextView)convertView.findViewById(R.id.lecture_notice_item_text);
			convertView.setTag(viewHolder);
		} else {
			viewHolder = (ViewHolder) convertView.getTag();
		}

		// TODO 데이터 소스에서 해당 위치의 결과값 받아오기
		// Object obj = realmResults.get(position);
		// viewHolder.item.setText(obj.get());
		Lecture lecture = realmResults.get(position);
		viewHolder.item.setText(lecture.getName());

		return convertView;
	}

	public LecturesAdapter(Context context, RealmResults<Lecture> realmResults, boolean automaticUpdate) {
		super(context, realmResults, automaticUpdate);
	}

	public RealmResults<Lecture> getRealmResults() { return realmResults; }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


North Carolina's labor federation is looking for young people with imagination, smarts, energy, grit, and the skills and drive to learn more about the labor movement and to help us build power for working people in this state as our paid intern. Pay is $16/hour. The summer internship period runs May 1st through July 31st, depending on job performance and budget. We encourage women and people of color to apply. The deadline to apply for Summer 2019 is Friday, March 29th.
Qualified applicants will be in the process of completing their postsecondary education or be a recent college graduate, have reliable transportation, and be able to work 10 hours a week out of our office in Raleigh. Well qualified applicants will be familiar with Microsoft Office, G-Suite, and/or Adobe Creative Cloud.
To apply, email your cover letter explaining why you want to intern for the labor movement and your resume to Jeremy Sprinkle at jeremy@aflcionc.org, and be sure to put "internship" in the subject line by the deadline, Friday, March 29th. No calls, please.
This is a well-established, historic, and dynamic workplace where projects evolve and develop continually. If you are flexible and adventurous and if you want to learn new skills while honing existing ones, we welcome you into our congenial family of change makers.
Depending on current projects and your own skill set, you may find yourself creating videos, helping to produce earned media or other events, interviewing workers, writing articles, drafting or proofreading publications and website content, doing online research, or developing social media content – and performing various administrative tasks as needed.
Come grow yourself with us! We're dedicated to helping you thrive, too!


Radha waited patiently for Arti to perhaps say something. To bring up more queries because her angel like face did contort into various expressions.
"Mumma what happens to such people? Can they be cured? This must be a disease because they cannot live a normal life. They cannot get married and you know do things humans like to do," Arti started her question with some hesitation.
Radha was surprised to see how Arti's questions resembled many of her own doubts in the beginning of her friendship with Sangeeta. She too before being exposed to Sangeeta as she is always thought this could be cured with professional help. Its a mockery of her own maturity, she thought that at twenty seven she had the comprehension of a thirteen year old.
"Love. Arti in life many things will change for you. Your goals, the journey to reach them your values but you know what will never change? Definition of love. Love is what equates us all as human beings. It nullifies us in all aspects. No poor, no rich not even woman or man. I love you a lot if you had been a son perhaps I would have loved just as much. All sorts of discrimination are man made. We decide what's right or wrong. But then does the heart know that honey?" Radha spoke very calmly. She knew that Arti needed time more than words to understand this new way of thinking.
"Can I tell you something mumma? Will you not judge me?" Arti spoke haltingly.
"I don't like Sangeeta aunty any more now. I feel she is evil," Arti replied with tears in her eyes.
Radha had no idea what could bring about such a change in her daughter's behavior. She was always quite a loving person, such statements unnerved Radha but she knew better than to say anything to Arti.
"I wonder why you people never joined us for safari. It was great fun," Sangeeta exclaimed at the dinner table.
"It was Arti, she was feeling sick from the long road trip to the hotel and I thought some rest might do her good," Radha spoke courteously.
Sangeeta only had to hear Radha's voice to know something was not right. She had an inking of it the moment Radha had cancelled the plan but now all her doubts were coming to be true.
"Its alright she is after all just a child. She might have gotten more sick if she accompanied us," Kavita cut in with a sharp remark.
Radha noticed how Kavita hadn't left Sangeeta's side ever since they had come to the resort. She was consistently finding reasons to sort of guard Sangeeta.
"Here let me pour it out for you," Kavita took the jar of milk rather abruptly from Radha's hands.
Radha was sitting quietly in the porch outside her room. She wondered what her life had in store now. Divorced at forty one and perhaps deemed to be a single mother for life, she could see many roadblocks. Bringing up a child was easy but the loneliness that accompanies it was preying on her mind. She hadn't thought this through, she thought. The divorce was an impulsive decision. Shikhar had been a great husband and more importantly a fabulous father. Why did she happen to rush out of the marriage so soon? His affair was like a welcome break for her.
"No matter how many times you think about that question, the answer will not change over a minute," it was Sangeeta's usual saracastic voice that cut across Radha's thoughts.
Sangeeta drew a chair next to her and settled down slowly.
The place was completely dark, it was a moonless night.
"The beauty of a place is either in full moon light or in absolute absence of it," Radha remarked.
"I wonder which one you prefer?" Sangeeta replied.
"Would you believe, absolute darkness. Something about not knowing the obvious works out for me. I don't like to know the truth. Why do you think my marriage worked for fourteen years? It was the sudden moonlight which did the damage," Radha spoke smoothing the tone of her voice.
"I wondered where you would be, what would you be doing. Whether you are happy or not? Do you think about me? Have you forgotten me? There wasn't a day I never thought about you," Sangeeta spoke in a rush.
Keep it coming now…Ab toh ho jaaye…we need more clarity. Sangeeta is as confused in life as maybe Radha . Let us also know how Radha handled Arti after her outburst! Good work, Richa!
Well time can tell better if she could even handle her at all..
This could well be included in the textbooks of little kids to teach them and make them aware about sexuality and orientation (if our government ever has a broad mentality)!
wow Bhavya you have really complimented me in the most wonderful way. Thank you sooo much!!
the turmoil that kid must e goign thru!!
yes turmoil she must be undergoing..
One of these days..heart attack guaranteed and next to me would lie your blogpost..
difficult for the kid to accept it… our perception of things often shapes our behaviour!
yes it does, and we elders our responsible for our kids perception..
Arti seems to b so mature and sensible for her age!


text:
Sorry, the Zimmerman Case Still Has Nothing to Do With 'Stand Your Ground'
Video via The Orlando Sentinel
The story that George Zimmerman told about his fight with Trayvon Martin, the one that yesterday persuaded a jury to acquit him of second-degree murder and manslaughter, never had anything to do with the right to stand your ground when attacked in a public place. Knocked down and pinned to the ground by Martin, Zimmerman would not have had an opportunity to escape as Martin hit him and knocked his head against the concrete. The duty to retreat therefore was irrelevant. The initial decision not to arrest Zimmerman, former Sanford, Florida, Police Chief Bill Lee said last week (as paraphrased by CNN), "had nothing to do with Florida's controversial 'Stand Your Ground' law" because "from an investigative standpoint, it was purely a matter of self-defense." And as The New York Times explained last month, "Florida's Stand Your Ground law…has not been invoked in this case." The only context in which "stand your ground" was mentioned during the trial was as part of the prosecution's attempt to undermine Zimmerman's credibility by arguing that he lied when he told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he had not heard of the law until after the shooting. During his rebuttal on Friday, prosecutor John Guy declared, "This case is not about standing your ground."
So how did Benjamin Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, respond to Zimmerman's acquittal last night? By announcing that "we will continue to fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state." And how did the Times, the same paper that last month noted Zimmerman's defense did not rely on the right to stand your ground, describe Florida's self-defense law after he was acquitted? This way:
The shooting brought attention to Florida's expansive self-defense laws. The laws allow someone with a reasonable fear of great bodily harm or death to use lethal force, even if retreating from danger is an option. In court, the gunman is given the benefit of the doubt.
While it's true that Florida has eliminated the duty to retreat for people attacked in public, that provision played no role in Zimmerman's defense or his acquittal. And contrary to what the Times seems to think, giving the defendant the benefit of the doubt is not unique to Florida. It is a basic principle of criminal justice in America.
NPR likewise keeps insisting that the Zimmerman case somehow casts doubt on the wisdom or fairness of "stand your ground" laws. In a story that summarized the events leading to Zimmerman's trial, correspondent Gene Demby said Florida's "stand-your-ground self-defense law…figured to be a major pillar of Zimmerman's defense." No, it didn't, given his description of the fight. And once the trial started, it was obvious that "stand your ground" had nothing to do with Zimmerman's defense. Yet Greg Allen, the NPR reporter covering the trial, said this last week: "Under Florida's Stand Your Ground law, Zimmerman need only convince the jury that he was acting in self-defense and was in fear of death or great bodily harm to win acquittal." Allen forgot to mention that the fear must be reasonable, and he implied that the jury had to be fully convinced by Zimmerman's story to acquit him, when in fact it only needed reasonable doubt regarding the prosecution's version of events, in which the shooting was not justified. Most important, Allen conflated "stand your ground" with the general principle, accepted even in states that impose a duty to retreat in public places, that a reasonable fear your life is in jeopardy justifies the use of lethal force.
You might think that, given all we now know about Zimmerman's actual defense, critics of "stand your ground" laws would have to find a different, more apposite case to illustrate their concerns. Instead they just barrel along, citing the same phony example again and again, without regard to the facts. It does not inspire confidence in their argument.
Addendum: A few commenters note that the jury instructions in Zimmerman's case included "stand your ground" language:
If George Zimmerman was not engaged in an unlawful activity and was attacked in anyplace where he had a right to be, he had no duty to retreat and had the right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he reasonably believed that it was necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.
That language is part of the standard jury instruction [3.6(f)] in cases where the defendant claims his use of deadly force was justified. But it is hard to see how it applies to the facts of this case, since Zimmerman claimed he was unable to retreat and therefore did not base his defense on the right to stand your ground. The fact that a legal provision was mentioned in the instructions does not necessarily mean it was relevant in reaching a verdict. For example, the instructions also mentioned accidental killings and attacks on dwellings, neither of which applies to the circumstances of the encounter between Zimmerman and Martin.
[Thanks to Robert Woolley for the NPR links.]
Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason.
Trayvon Martin Stand Your Ground Criminal Justice


text:
Citigroup, Inc. New York Salary
Sample size: 16
The average total compensation for the Associate position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $175,000.
10Balance Flexibility
9%Percent Male
Vice President (VP)
The average total compensation for the Vice President (VP) position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $150,000.
3Co Worker Quality
The average total compensation for the Analyst position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $127,500.
Aug, 2017 McKinsey & Company, Inc. Associate $169,333 $113 $10,928
The average total compensation for the Assistant Vice President position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $99,900.
Investment Banking Analyst
The average total compensation for the Investment Banking Analyst position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $132,500.
2Training Development
Management Associate
The average total compensation for the Management Associate position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $165,000.
The average total compensation for the Summer Associate position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $127,000.
5%Percent Female
Investment Banking Associate
The average total compensation for the Investment Banking Associate position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $127,000.
Financial Management Associate
The average total compensation for the Financial Management Associate position at Citigroup, Inc. for people working in New York is $170,000.


text:
Crime scene (Photo: Politie) Crime scene (Photo: Politie)
Croeselaan
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 - 07:34
Rabobank worker, mom of 2, fatally stabbed by bank's headquarters
A 41-year-old mother of two was stabbed almost in front of the Rabobank headquarters on Croeselaan in Utrecht where she works on Tuesday morning. She died in hospital later in the day. A 31-year-old suspect was immediately arrested, AD reports.
The police can not yet say whether the woman was specifically targeted by her attacker, or was just a victim of opportunity.
One eyewitness told RTV Utrecht that he saw the stabber running along in front of Rabobank. At the Moreelse bridge he ran into the woman and stabbed her in the abdomen. The victim initially did not seem to notice that anything was wrong until she collapsed.
The suspect was arrested in front of Knoopkazerne, not far from the scene of the crime, eyewitness Herman de Vette said to newspaper AD. "He walked calmly towards Rabobank, when four officers with drawn guns shouted that he was under arrest and that he had to lie down. He calmly cooperated with them. It is crazy that he walked back to where it happened."
An air ambulance landed in the Jaarbeurs' parking lot to give the woman medical treatment before rushing her to hospital. There she underwent surgery in critical condition, but later died of her injuries.
Many of the woman's colleagues witnessed the incident and were collected by Rabobank's emergency response team. "Occupational health and safety staff and psychological aid workers were also quick to help shocked employees", a spokesperson for the bank said to AD. "It's really horribly tragic what happened."
The victim worked for Rabobank for almost 20 years. Se was a knowledge specialist and helped local banks with questions. The spokesperson described her as a beloved colleague.
Rabobank set up a condolence register at the entrance of the headquarters on Wednesday. People who do not work for the bank can also sign the register if they want to, the spokesperson said to the newspaper.
Verslag van @MarcvRdCh over steekpartij Croeselaan vanmorgen in #Utrecht. Een vrouw raakte daarbij ernstig gewond. https://t.co/7PJZGSlnDf pic.twitter.com/kuxEMQdiff
— RTV Utrecht (@rtvutrecht) February 28, 2017
Slachtoffer steekpartij Croeselaan verkeert in kritieke toestand https://t.co/dzLrxthBUL #utrecht pic.twitter.com/1pXmw4E2XE
Almere man arrested for stealing €130,000 in phishing scam
Dutch Cabinet collapses over childcare allowance scandal


The Telestria is a heavy cruiser that was designed by the ASF right after the exploration of Sol. Unfortunatly one scientist stole the blueprints for this and other ships and sold them to the CSF. The Telestria project was a try to get rid of CSF forces once and forever. Today we know that this plan failed.Heavily armed this cruiser can deal even with a group of smaller cruisers such as the Midnight Hammer.


Many say the most versatile places you can rearrange are the walls. If your tastes changes frequently and you've ever thought it would help to have an easier way to change the theme of a room quickly, this is the most popular temporary fix. Your walls are capable of holding a variety of creations and the pieces can be shifted around to your heart's content and with Moon wall art, you can hang as many as you want and never wonder if you'll have to leave behind style for coverage. Often hung at eye level, the decor on the walls is the first to catch the eye and can establish the atmosphere for any room. Reveal your style and accentuate it with Moon murals. Using Moon wall decor is the perfect way to keep consistency with the other pieces of your decor and articulate your style, all without giving up any ground space.


Liverpool survive Fulham scare to go top of Premier League Liverpool: Alisson , Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho , Wijnaldum, Lallana, Mane, Salah, Firmino. Liverpool have 76 points from 31 games, two more than champions Manchester City who have a game in hand.
Trump attacks John McCain over dossier. Meghan McCain swipes back McCain's closest friends, chose to praise his friend rather than criticize the president. McCain casting the deciding vote against a skinny repeal and replacement of Obamacare.
People Dead Following Mass Shooting In New Zealand Mosque Khan said that increasing Islamophobia after 9/11 was responsible for this act of terror and Muslims were demonised deliberately. One male in his late 20s has been charged with murder and will appear in Christchurch court tomorrow morning.
March 2019 - China ready to help economy under 'pressure' - News - SHOWCASE But President Xi Jinping did not rule out the use of force during a January speech on cross-strait relations. It will prevent zero-employment families and provide more policy support to companies that hire more people.
In its statement on the Ericsson payment, Anil Ambani thanked his billionaire brother "for standing by me during these trying times, and demonstrating the importance of staying true to our strong family values by extending this timely support".
On August 3, the matter reaches the Supreme Court which orders RCom to pay Rs 550 crore to Ericsson towards the dues by September 30. Ericsson refuses and files contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court against Anil Ambani.
The Swedish firm signed a deal in 2014 to manage and operate RCom's network and a year ago approached the court over the unpaid dues.
At least 50 million songs were uploaded by 14 million artists over the period. In 2006 it was the most visited site in the United States - beating Google.
It could not be immediately ascertained from where the company raised the funds, or whether it was paid from Anil Ambani's personal accounts. Banks had opposed release of the tax refunds.
Reliance Group companies have sued HT Media Ltd, Mint's publisher, and nine others in the Bombay high court over a 2 October 2014 front-page story that they have disputed.
The Court sets March 19 as the deadline and says a default would result in Ambani facing three months imprisonment. The highest court of India had also found his two directors guilty for not clearing its dues of Rs 550 crore to the Swedish company. The top court had also told him to be prepared to go to jail if he failed to clear the dues of Rs 453 crore within the next four weeks.


text:
Search Compliance Today
Search Compliance Today Search All Cosmos Member Magazines Presentations & Recordings Newsletters Books Statutes & Regulations
Compliance Today - January 2022
The differences and similarities between American and Italian healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse laws: Part 3
Pamela Coyle Brecht
Paola Sangiovanni
Marc Stephen Raspanti
By Pamela Coyle Brecht, Esq.; Avv. Paola Sangiovanni; and Marc Stephen Raspanti, Esq.
Pamela Coyle Brecht (pcb@pietragallo.com) serves as Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti LLP's Practice Chair for the firm's global Qui Tam/False Claims Act Practice Group in Philadelphia, PA. Paola Sangiovanni (paola.sangiovanni@grplex.com) is a healthcare lawyer and partner in the law firm of Gitti and Partners, which is located in Milan, Italy. Her clients include med tech, pharma, and healthcare providers. Marc Stephen Raspanti (msr@pietragallo.com) is a name partner of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti LLP, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the founder of the firm's White Collar Criminal Defense Practice Group as well as the firm's Qui Tam/False Claims Act Practice Group.
Part 1 of this article series, published in the November 2021 issue of Compliance Today, outlined in general the American and Italian healthcare systems. Part 2, published in the December 2021 issue, outlined America's primary healthcare fraud laws. Part 3 of this series outlines the Italian healthcare enforcement regime, criminal law, and the Anti-Corruption Act.
Italian enforcement against fraud and corruption, including in the healthcare field, has traditionally been reserved to criminal courts, with no specific effort to coordinate or combine these actions through civil remedies. In light of the largely state-funded healthcare system in Italy, government corruption is in the foreground of efforts to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in healthcare. Egregious scandals erupted in Italian healthcare sectors, especially in the 1990s. Perhaps the most notorious case involved Dr. Duilio Poggiolini, the Ministry of Health's general manager of the pharmaceutical department whose fortune included gold, jewels, and paintings of enormous value.[1] Poggiolini was charged and arrested for using his position for personal benefit, and his sentence of seven and a half years in prison was reduced on appeal.[2] The scandal surfaced during an investigation, called "mani pulite," by a pool of public prosecutors operating out of the Milan criminal court. They were able to pierce the veil of silence that long protected government corruption. While its success resulted from significant cooperation and solidarity among the prosecutors, their coordination was not officially structured as an institutional team.
Italy's criminal law
Italian criminal law always has included crimes of government corruption. The Italian Criminal Code has been amended periodically, not only to increase the sanctions (as, for example, in the latest "Spazza-Corrotti" amendments in 2019), but also with the aim of criminalizing more subtle corruption than an outright offer of cash in exchange for favorable treatment by a public official.
The single most important criminal statute in Italian anti-corruption law is no. 190/2012 of November 28, 2012, titled "Provisions for prevention and repression of corruption and illegality in the public administration" (the Anti-Corruption Act).[3] First, the Anti-Corruption Act identified evolving and more nuanced conduct in order to combat ever more sophisticated corruption phenomena, such as the following:
Corruption forced by a public official ("concussione"): Section 317 of the Italian Criminal Code has been amended so that this type of corruption now applies to public officials and is no longer limited to persons in charge of a public service.[4] The revised Section 317 of the Criminal Code now sanctions both giving or promising money or other benefits and is no longer limited to the receipt of the inducement. The minimum period of imprisonment has been increased to six years from four years.
Corruption related to the exercise of official functions ("corruzione per l'eserciziodellafunzione"), pursuant to Section 318 of the Italian Criminal Code, sanctions the acceptance by a public official, in connection with the exercise of their functions or powers, of an undue sum of money or benefit. This provision is typically interpreted as applicable regardless of whether the official actually performs or refrains from a public duty and has been extended by the Anti-Corruption Act to the public official's "functions" (whereas before it was strictly linked to the public official's "office"). The period of imprisonment following conviction has been increased to the current range of one to five years.
Inducement to give or promise undue benefits ("induzione indebita a dare o promettere utilità"). The offence of corruption through inducement, which previously appeared under Section 317 of the Italian Criminal Code, has been completely recodified under the new Section 319-quarter. It sanctions public officials or persons in charge of a public service who induce a person to pay an undue sum of money or other benefit, as well as persons actually giving or promising such benefits to public officials or persons in charge of a public service.
Trade of undue influence ("traffico di influenze illecite"). A new criminal offence has been introduced under Section 346-bis of the Italian Criminal Code. It sanctions persons who take advantage of their existing or alleged relationship with a public official or a person in charge of a public service in order to receive an undue sum of money or other monetary benefits. The statute applies when such mediation is exercised to obtain a performance contrary to public duties, or an omission or postponement of any public duties. The sanction for violations is imprisonment of one to three years.
Additionally, the Anti-Corruption Act also has introduced criminal law sanctions for corruption among private parties ("corruzione tra privati"). Before the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act, only conduct involving public officers was criminally relevant. The Anti-Corruption Act introduces an entirely new crime of corruption where both parties are private parties. Paragraph 1 of new Section 2635 of the Italian Civil Code applies to companies' directors, general managers, or executives having the task to draw up financial documents, including auditors and liquidators. If upon receipt or promise of money or other benefits they breach the duties assigned to them and damage the company, they are subject to criminal sanctions (namely imprisonment of one to three years). In addition, as per Paragraph 2, companies' employees who, under the direction of the above subjects, engage in the same conduct (upon receipt or promise of money or other benefits that breach their assigned duties and damage the company) also risk imprisonment of up to one year and six months. Persons who give or promise any such benefits to any of the above-mentioned actors can also be sanctioned, according to Paragraph 3.
Meet Jim Passey: Inspire then instruct
Telehealth updates: 2022 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule and ongoing enforcement
[CEU] Leveraging CIAs and IAs as a compliance tool: Analyzing trends to identify and mitigate compliance risks for practitioners
[CEU] Improve member experience with real-time benefit tools and drug price transparency
Do we have a policy on that?
Stay factual and not emotional: 'Exhale'
Monitoring repayments under the 60-day overpayment rule
Training to-dos in 2022
The realm of research compliance navigators
[CEU] How to sail through a difficult conversation
Breach notification: HIPAA is not the only law to worry about
The Provider Relief Fund: Reporting unreimbursed expenses and lost revenue
Giving back helps our compliance profession move forward
Using SMART goals to measure the effectiveness of your compliance program
Patient access and the path to compliance
How to sail through a difficult conversation
Improve member experience with real-time benefit tools and drug price transparency
Leveraging CIAs and IAs as a compliance tool: Analyzing trends to identify and mitigate compliance risks for practitioners


text:
Alison Kellow  is a botanist and research scientist from Australia, and a lecturer at La Trobe University.

Kellow completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Melbourne, and postgraduate studies in environmental science at Monash University. She completed her doctoral degree in Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

Kellow is the joint author, with Michael Bayly, of An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes, which was a finalist in the 2007 Montana New Zealand Book Awards. The pair worked on the project while both were researchers for the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Kellow also held a position at Industrial Research Ltd, working on flavonoid chemistry.

References

Living people
21st-century Australian botanists
University of Melbourne alumni
Monash University alumni
University of Adelaide alumni
Academic staff of La Trobe University
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century Australian women scientists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia