For us, Big Data is an articulate emerging framework which allows a different way to improve knowledge and understanding of social and economic phenomena. [...] Data-driven economy is not only changing consumer behaviour and business models, but will increasingly affects society and our interaction with real and digital world.
Despina is the lab on Big Data Analytics at the Department of Economics and Statistics of the Università degli Studi di Torino. We conduct exploratory and applied research into collection, integration, management, and analysis of data related to business, economy, and society.
Despina merges different expertise able to explore data on the verge of ICT, social sciences and mathematical sciences to provide first-class theoretical and applied research.
Despina has implemented collaborations with its four main constituencies. We promote research cooperation and exchange with scholars and universities in Italy and abroad; we facilitate spillovers with companies and business partners; we support public administrations in policy formulation; and we stimulate public debate and dissemination of good practices in data management and analytics.
With the fast-evolving technological reality we live in, interest in an area called "Big Data" has increased exponentially, yet no clear definition of what "Big Data" is took shape. For us, Big Data is an articulate emerging framework of Machine Learning applications which allow a different way to improve knowledge and understanding of social and economic phenomena.
Over the last decade, advances in the collection, analysis, and application of data have transformed the way decisions are made in a wide variety of fields. Data-driven economy is not only changing consumer behaviour and business models, but will increasingly affects society and our interaction with real and digital world.
Marco Guerzoni is associate professor of applied economics at the University of Turin (Department of Economics and Statistics "Cognetti de Martiis"), where he teaches Principle of Economics, Data-Journalism, Economics of Culture, Economics of Innovation and Technology policy.
Full Professor of Statistics at the Department of Economics and Statistics of the University of Turin (since 2004). Previously: Associate Professor at the University of Turin, 1998-2004, Assistant Professor at the University of Pavia, 1991-1998, Professore a Contratto and Research Assistant at the Bocconi University of Milan (1986-1991).
Mario Aldo Cedrini is assistant professor of economics at the University of Turin (Department of Economics and Statistics "Cognetti de Martiis"), where he teaches macroeconomics and economic anthropology.
Luigi Di Caro obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2011 from University of Turin, and in 2014 he has been employed as Assistant Professor after having spent 3 years of PostDoc positions. In his years of experience he diversified his interests in the Artificial Intelligence area.
Magda Fontana is assistant professor of public finance at the Department of Economics and Statistics of the University of Turin, Director of the Master in Economics and Complexity of the Collegio Carlo Alberto, and member of the Faculty of the Vilfredo Pareto Doctoral School, University of Turin.
Fabio Montobbio is associate professor of Economics at Catholic University of Milan. He is also contract professor at Bocconi University, Milan and Fellow at CRIOS (Bocconi University, Milan).
Aldo Geuna is Full Professor at the Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti De Martiis, University of Torino and Fellow of the Collegio Carlo Alberto. He has published several books and articles in refereed journals in the area of economics of science, economics of innovation and science and technology policy.
Since 2014 Nadine Marmai is a PhD student at the Vilfredo Pareto Doctorate in Economics at University of Turin and the Collegio Carlo Alberto. After finishing her studies at the University of Jena, she has been involved in different projects exploring the link between environment and development.
Consuelo is Assistant Professor in Statistics at the University of Valle d'Aosta. In 2014 she obtained a Ph.D in Economics - Applied Mathematics and Statistics at the Vilfredo Pareto Doctorate with a thesis in Bayesian statistics. In 2009 I received a Master degree in Economics from the University of Torino and in 2007 a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from the University of Valle d'Aosta (Italy).
Ph.D. researcher at Vilfredo Pareto Doctorate in Economics. Academic career started in the Kiev National Economic University. By virtue of strong theoretical background and vocational training in the sphere of health care, gained practical skills related to the monitoring of international markets and strategic planning of international economic activities.
PhD in Economics and Researcher at UdA University, he was founder of 2C , a spin-off of a research center of CNR , today iBe LTD part of Be Spa (bet.mi at Milan Exchange) specialised in the development of solutions of Computational Intelligence and Advanced Analytics following a Big Data approach.
Tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Torino and affiliate at Collegio Carlo Alberto. Pieluigi studied Political Science at Bachelor's and Master's level at the University of Napoli Federico II. He then received his MSc in Development Economics and the PhD in Economic Theory & Institutions at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata".
Professor of International Law at the Department of Law, University of Torino, among the others he is member of: PhD Board (Law and Institutions), Department of Law, University of Torino; Steering Committee of the Master of Laws Comparative Law, Economics and Finance .


Some come because they feel unhappy with the direction their life is heading.
Some are struggling with anxiety, stress or depression, or because they feel they are reaching breaking point and are no longer able to cope.
Some are having difficulties in relationships, either at work or at home.
Some have big decisions to make, and want to ensure they're making them for the right reasons.
Some come to deal with the impact of addiction, phobias or other mental health issues.
Some have a physical health condition that is making their life difficult to live well.
Some come to talk about the present, some the future, and some the past.
You may recognise yourself in the descriptions above, or you may not.
Either way, counselling is a space where you can explore what's troubling you with someone who won't judge you or give you advice, but can help you to make sense of yourself and your world.
In our first session, which I offer at a reduced rate, we will discuss what is troubling you, and what you hope to achieve and change in your life. We will also talk about whether I'm the right person to help you, and if I'm not, I can help you to find that right person.


Olfactory family: Chypre. "He has the art of reinvention; he lives his dreams and leads his own life." Head notes: grapefruit. Heart notes: spices, cedarwood, patchouli. Base notes: moss, musk.
Olfactory family: Woody Chypre. "A glorious beach, the delicate feel of the sun on bare skin, and waves that envelop me in a vibrant fragrance." Head notes: mandarin, lemon, neroli, cardamom, mint, cinnamon.Heart notes: rose, petit-grain, orange blossom, clove.Base notes: patchouli, sandal, amber.
Olfactory family: Floral Woody. The liquid interpretation of Sabé Masson Georges et Moi Soft Serfume. "Very few men really count in a woman's life. Georges, a devil with my soul in his hands, my inescapable destiny. " Head notes: bergamot, lemon leaf. Heart notes: rose, ylang-ylang, ginger, magnolia. Base notes: vetiver, cedarwood.
Olfactory family: Floral Orange Blosson. The liquid interpretation of Zaxou soft perfume. "My angel, my marvel, on your tiny wrist I trace a heart in perfume, and your smile illuminates this caress." Top notes: citron, lemon, grapefruit. Middle notes: neroli, cypress, ginger, orange blossom. Base notes: cedarwood, musk, amber.


I am trying to get the EXE name from a Class/ID, but I am having issues. Anyone around that can help? I am on Windows 10 64bit. I need something that works on both 32 and 64.
tasklist /FO CSV /NH /FI "WINDOWTITLE eq temp*" > "a.txt"
I have tried that also, but it doesn't work very well and doesn't like window titles that have spaces. I would like to be able to use the class of the window.
I guess I think this is usable, because you can use the class to get the hwnd, and then use the hwnd in the call.


text:
/**
 * =======================================================================================================
 *
 * Seezoo dashboard blog category Controller
 *
 * @package Seezoo Core
 * @author Yoshiaki Sugimoto <neo.yoshiaki.sugimoto@gmail.com>
 *
 * =======================================================================================================
 */
ClassExtend('Controller', function() {

	var sortHandle;

	/**
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 * constructor
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 */
	this.__construct = function() {
		this.load.ajax();
		this.load.module('ui');
	}

	/**
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 * default method
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 */
	this.index = function () {
		this.currrentEdit = null;
		DOM('ul.sz_blog_category_list li[class!=ttl]')
			.event('mouseover', function (ev) { DOM(this).addClass('hover');})
			.event('mouseout', function (ev) { DOM(this).removeClass('hover');});

		this.event.exprLive('a.toggle_edit', 'click', this.toggleEdit, this);
		this.event.exprLive('a.li_del', 'click', this.liDel, this);
		this.event.exprLive('input.category_edit_button', 'click', this.ajaxEdit, this);

		DOM.id('add_category').event('click', function (ev) {
			ev.stopPropagation();
			DOM.id('additional_body').toggleShow();
		});

		DOM.id('additional_body').event('click', function (ev) {ev.stopPropagation();});

		this.event.set(document, 'click', function (ev) {
			DOM.id('additional_body').hide();
		});

		DOM.id('add_cat').Cevent('click', this.addCategoryMaster);

		Module.ready('ui', function() {
			sortHandle = new Module.sortable({
				sortClass : 'sz_cat_sortable',
				animate : true,
				callback : function() {
					var orders = {},
						FL = getInstance();

					DOM('li.sz_cat_sortable').foreach(function(num) {
						var e = DOM(this);
						// make order data
						orders['order' + ++num] = this.getAttribute('data-catid');

						// update odd-even
						e[num % 2 === 0 ? 'addClass' : 'removeClass']('odd');
					});

					FL.ajax.post('dashboard/blog/categories/ajax_sort_order/' + FL.config.item('sz_token'), {
						param : orders,
						error : function(resp) {
							alert(resp.responseText);
						},
						success : function(resp) {
							if ( resp.responseText !== 'complete' ) {
								alert(resp.responseText);
							}
						}
					});
				}
			});
		});
		DOM('li.sz_cat_sortable a, li.sz_cat_sortable input').event('mousedown', function(ev) { ev.stopPropagation(); });
	};

	/**
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 * toggleEdit
	 * toggle show/hide edit category form
	 * @access public
	 * @execute event handler
	 * @param Event ev
	 * @return void
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 */
	this.toggleEdit = function (ev) {
		var e = DOM(ev.target), p = e.parent().parent(), f;

		if (e.readAttr('rel') == 1) {
			if (this.currentEdit) {
				this.currentEdit.getOne('span').show('i');
				this.currentEdit.getOne('form').hide();
				this.currentEdit.getOne('a.toggle_edit').attr('rel', 1);
			}
			this.currentEdit = p;
			p.getOne('span').hide();
			f = p.getOne('form').show('i').getOne('input').method('focus');
			e.attr('rel', 0);
		} else {
			this.currentEdit = null;
			p.getOne('span').show('i');
			p.getOne('form').hide();
			e.attr('rel', 1);
		}
	};

	/**
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 * ajaxEdit
	 * send category edti data to server
	 * @access public
	 * @execute event handler
	 * @param Event ev
	 * @return void
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 */
	this.ajaxEdit = function (ev) {
		var form = DOM(ev.target).parent();
			states = form.parent().detect('span'),
			that = this;

		states.get(1).show('i');
		DOM(ev.target).hide();
		this.ajax.post('dashboard/blog/categories/ajax_update_category/' + this.config.item('sz_token'), {
			param : form.serialize(),
			success : function (resp) {
				if (resp.responseText === 'error') {
					alert('更新に失敗しました。');
					return;
				}
				form.prev().html(resp.responseText)
					.parent().first().show('i');
				form.getOne('input').setValue(resp.responseText)
					.rollBack()
					.hide()
					.getOne('input[type=button]').show('i');
				states.get(1).hide();
				states.get(2).show('i')
				setTimeout(function () { states.get(2).hide();}, 1500);
				that.currentEdit.getOne('a.toggle_edit').attr('rel', 1);
				that.currentEdit = null;
			}
		});
	};

	/**
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 * liDel
	 * delete category and fade out
	 * @access public
	 * @execute event handler
	 * @param Event ev
	 * @return void
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 */
	this.liDel = function (ev) {
		ev.preventDefault();
		if (confirm('削除してよろしいですか?')) {
			var that = this, p;

			this.ajax.get(ev.target.href + '/' + this.config.item('sz_token'), {
				success : function (resp) {
					if (resp.responseText === 'error') {
						alert('削除に失敗しました。');
						return;
					}
					p = DOM(ev.target).parent(2);
					p.animate('fade', {speed : 30, callback : function () {
						p.remove();
						DOM('ul.sz_blog_category_list li[class!=ttl]').foreach(function(num){
							if (num % 2 === 0) {
								DOM(this).removeClass('odd');
							} else {
								DOM(this).addClass('odd');
							}
						});
					}});
				}
			})
		}
	};

	/**
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 * addCategoryMaster
	 * add category
	 * @access public
	 * @execute event handler
	 * @param Event ev
	 * @return void
	 * =======================================================================================================
	 */
	this.addCategoryMaster = function (ev) {
		var c = document.getElementsByName('category_name_master')[0],
			that = this, ul, li, html, json;

		if (c.value == '') {
			alert('カテゴリ名は空欄にできません。');
			return;
		}

		this.ajax.post('dashboard/blog/categories/ajax_add_category/' + this.config.item('sz_token'), {
			param : {'category_name' : c.value},
			success : function (resp) {
				if (resp.responseText === 'error') {
					alert('カテゴリの追加に失敗しました。');
					return;
				}
				//eval('var json=' + resp.responseText);
				json = that.json.parse(resp.responseText);
				ul = DOM('ul.sz_blog_category_list').get(0);
				li = DOM.create('li');
				if ( ! ul.last().hasClass('odd') ) {
					li.addClass('odd');
				}
				li.addClass('sz_cat_sortable')
					.attr('data-catid', json.sz_blog_category_id);
				html = [
				        '' + c.value + '',
				        '<form class="init_hide" method="post" action="' + that.config.siteUrl() + 'blog/ajax_category_edit">',
				        '<input type="text" value="' + c.value + '" name="category_name" />',
				        '<input type="hidden" value="' + json.sz_blog_category_id + '" name="sz_blog_category_id" />',
				        '<input type="button" class="category_edit_button" value="変更" />',
				        '</form>',
				        '変更中...',
				        '変更しました。',
				        '
',
				        '編集 ',
				        '削除',
				        '
',
				       ];
				li.html(html.join('\n'))
					.event('mouseover', function (ev) { DOM(this).addClass('hover');})
					.event('mouseout', function (ev) { DOM(this).removeClass('hover');})
					.appendTo(ul);
				li.detect('a, input').event('mousedown', function(ev) { ev.stopPropagation(); });
				sortHandle && sortHandle.addSortElement(li);
				DOM(c).setValue('').parent(2).hide();
			}
		});
	};
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


LinkedIn today introduced a new feature for content marketers called Showcase Pages. These dedicated content hubs will give companies the ability to create segmented marketing channels, in turn helping businesses to deliver the right message to the right audience.
No longer just a career development tool, more than three million companies leverage Company Pages to promote content and build relationships. By sharing relevant information, encouraging vibrant discussions, and publishing useful insights, LinkedIn members are becoming more productive and successful.
Showcase Pages are the next step in LinkedIn's new content-based focus. Now companies can extend their presence by creating dedicated pages for their more prominent brands, businesses, and initiatives. Content can be segmented to specific audiences who are interested in different aspects of your business.
Discoverable through search, Showcase Pages can be followed the same way people follow Company Pages. Additionally, you can expand your reach by promoting content through Sponsored Updates. Doing so enables you to directly share from a Showcase Page to members' feeds on desktop, mobile, and tablets.
To create your own Showcase Page, visit your Company Page and select "Create a Showcase Page" from the "Edit" menu. Admins can monitor the new page through dedicated analytic tools, as well as assign additional team members to help manage it.
For more information about Showcase Pages, check out LinkedIn's FAQ. You can also view the new pages in action through the company's pilot program with Adobe, Cisco, Microsoft, and HP.


[PATCH 1/1] wined3d: Complain when the hardware may not be able to	run a shader.
Previous message: [3/3] msi: Avoid a null pointer dereference in MsiGetFileVersionW	(clang).
+                        ERR_(winediag)("The hardware does not support enough uniform components to run this shader,"


text:
You are here: Home / Archives for Sandy Koufax
The Toughest (and Easiest) Sandy Koufax Cards to Find in High Grade
September 13, 2022 By Horacio Ruiz
He remains the standard by which other pitchers are measured. Sandy Koufax had a 12-year career, but he didn't really have a standout season until his seventh campaign, and only the last five years of his career got him into the Hall of Fame. But what an amazing five years they were. From 1962-66, he led the National League in ERA, three times leading the majors. He … [Read more...] about The Toughest (and Easiest) Sandy Koufax Cards to Find in High Grade
1959-1962 Bell Brand Dodgers Baseball Cards Were Snack Food Bonus
June 20, 2022 By Rich Mueller
They said goodbye to Brooklyn and moved across the country and for residents of southern California, the Dodgers were now all that and a bag of chips. Make that in a bag of chips, as in literally. One of the franchise's first endorsement deals was made with a snack maker. Bell Brand made potato chips and corn chips and for four seasons the company gave Dodgers … [Read more...] about 1959-1962 Bell Brand Dodgers Baseball Cards Were Snack Food Bonus
10 Great Sandy Koufax Cards
May 19, 2021 By Rich Mueller
He was a bonus baby, snared by the Brooklyn Dodgers out of high school as a pitching prospect of enormous proportion. His big league debut came 60 years ago next month at age 19 and was over by age 30. Any list of the best Sandy Koufax baseball cards has fewer standard issues to choose from than you'd find of virtually any other Hall of Famer, but that would sell … [Read more...] about 10 Great Sandy Koufax Cards
Notes: SGC Lowers Costs; Koufax Selling Direct; ATL Show; Big Brady Pull; Panini on Retail Situation; Cubs Love Cards
After being inundated with orders earlier this spring after PSA suspended most services, SGC raised the base rate for trading card authentication and grading from $25 to $75 per card. Fast forward a little over five weeks and they say they're not only caught up but have lowered the cost to $30 with a turnaround time of 20-25 business days. Cards valued at $1,500-$3,499 … [Read more...] about Notes: SGC Lowers Costs; Koufax Selling Direct; ATL Show; Big Brady Pull; Panini on Retail Situation; Cubs Love Cards
The Original Dodger Bulldog – A Look at 5 Classic Don Drysdale Cards
January 14, 2021 By Lyell Marks
Don Drysdale pitched during an era where intimidation was as much a part of the game plan as video rooms and data analysis are now. Today, the sheer admission of intentionally throwing at a hitter can land a player a suspension--one reason it's a question that is often side-stepped in press conferences by both players and managers. During Drysdale's career, he embraced this … [Read more...] about The Original Dodger Bulldog – A Look at 5 Classic Don Drysdale Cards
Analyzing the Population of High-Grade Sandy Koufax Cards
October 11, 2018 By Rich Mueller
His mainstream cards are easy to track and the checklist isn't a long one. The lingering, painful arm injury that ended his career also kept his cardboard to a minimum but he remains one of the most popular post-War Hall of Famers. You know his rookie cards can be pricey but how about the career run of Sandy Koufax cards? Which of the primary cards from his … [Read more...] about Analyzing the Population of High-Grade Sandy Koufax Cards
Sandy Koufax 1963 Game Jersey Sells for $429,625
May 7, 2018 By Rich Mueller
A game-worn 1963 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers road jersey sold for $429,625 on Saturday night in Goldin Auctions' 2018 Spring Online Auction. "The rarity of Koufax game-worn memorabilia combined with its impeccable authenticity and the fact that it was from perhaps his greatest season when he captured the Cy Young, N.L. MVP Award and the World … [Read more...] about Sandy Koufax 1963 Game Jersey Sells for $429,625
Lost Childhood Collection of All-Star Autographs Discovered
December 14, 2017 By Rich Mueller
He thought they were gone forever, tossed out or lost with other childhood keepsakes. Then Al Mead got a phone call. A cousin in Florida was going through some boxes and discovered a pair of old notebooks that he knew belonged to his baseball-loving relative. Inside were autographs Al had collected as a young boy in Boston back in the early 1960s. "I … [Read more...] about Lost Childhood Collection of All-Star Autographs Discovered
Collector Gives Hundreds of World Series-Related Items to Alma Mater
In 1943, baseball World Series programs featured cover photos of soldiers and sailors overseas listening to baseball games. In the 1968 series, Cardinals' center fielder Curt Flood was blamed for a misplayed ball but went on to change the game forever with his campaign for player free agency. And in 2004, the Cardinals' loss seemed inevitable against the curse-busting … [Read more...] about Collector Gives Hundreds of World Series-Related Items to Alma Mater
2018 Topps Tribute Baseball Preview and Checklist
August 22, 2017 By Rich Mueller
Topps has announced 2018 Topps Tribute Baseball, which they are describing as "the first premium trading card release of the MLB season." Once again, Tribute will include a mix of current players, legends, and rookies with a March release date. Here is what you can expect in a pack, box, and/or case. 2018 Topps Tribute Basics Each pack will contain two … [Read more...] about 2018 Topps Tribute Baseball Preview and Checklist

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
A 27-year-old G2P1 at 38 weeks' gestation is admitted in active labor. She has had one prior uncomplicated vaginal delivery and has no medical problems. She reports an allergy to penicillin, and says she had a rash. Her vital signs are normal, and the fetal heart tracing is category I. Her prenatal record indicates that her group B Streptococcus (GBS) culture at 36 weeks was positive.
What is the best choice for antibiotic prophylaxis during labor?
A. Cefazolin
B. Clindamycin
C. Erythromycin
D. Desensitization then treatment with penicillin
E. Vancomycin
GBS is an important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Implementation of national guidelines for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis since the 1990s has resulted in an 80% reduction in the incidence of early onset neonatal sepsis due to GBS. The Gram-positive organism can colonize the lower gastrointestinal tract, and secondary spread to the genitourinary tract is common. Between 10% and 30% of pregnant women are colonized with GBS in the vagina or rectum. Universal prenatal screening is recommended between 35 and 37 weeks. Penicillin G (5 million units IV initially, then 2.5-3 million units/4 hours until delivery) remains the agent of choice for intrapartum prophylaxis, although ampicillin is an acceptable alternative. Data show that GBS isolates are increasingly resistant to second-line therapies. Up to 32% of isolates are resistant to erythromycin, and therefore, this is no longer recommended. Clindamycin is only recommended if the isolate is susceptible to both clindamycin and erythromycin. A patient with a penicillin or cephalosporin allergy should be asked about her specific symptoms. If she has had anaphylaxis, angioedema, respiratory distress, or urticarial, she should receive vancomycin 1g IV every 12 hours until delivery or clindamycin as described earlier. If she has not had these symptoms, and perhaps just had a mild rash, she should receive cefazolin 2 g IV as an initial dose, then 1 g IV every 8 hours until delivery.


Ryan Murphy wants to bring back his Coven witches. Comicbook.com reports that in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, the 'American Horror Story' creator promised, "the witches will be back!" Last season, 'Apocalypse' brought back the witches for the first time since their season, aptly titled 'Coven.' The witches, led by Sarah Paulson as Cordelia, also include Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe, Taissa Farmiga, and other recognizable actresses. The theme of the upcoming season of 'American Horror Story' has yet to be revealed, and will hit TVs during the latter half of 2019.


Daniel Reed (5th grade student at Southeast Elementary) and Olga Shumovskaya (8th grade student at Sky View Middle) were recent recipients of two scholarships awarded by the American Youth Football League.
Daniel is on Team 2 as the recipient of a $200 scholarship and Olga received an honorable mention and a $50 scholarship.
Both students are members of the LEAP program. Requirements for receipt of the scholarship included retaining an average of 97% or better in all subjects for the full year prior, and participation in school and community events.
Olga is a cheerleader for Leominster Youth Football's 8th grade team that recently won the State Championship.
Daniel plays quarterback with the 5th grade Leominster Youth Football team that made it to the playoffs, plays baseball for Leominster American Little League's Quality Masonry team, was a member of the 10-year-old Jimmy Fund Champions and plays Leominster Recreation Basketball.
Both students also volunteer their time for fundraising. Olga raised money for her football league and Daniel raised money for the Jimmy Fund and the 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer.
Congratulations to both students we are proud of your accomplishments both academically and in athletics!


text:
Envoy builds out Californian footprint
News07 Aug 2018by SmartCitiesWorld news team
Envoy vehicles will also be available at several additional to-be-announced Los Angeles and Bay Area properties
Envoy aims to empowers community-based sustainable transportation model
Envoy Technologies, a provider of shared, all-electric mobility as an amenity, has announced seven new deployment partnerships across California. The new alliances are from the real estate and technology sectors.
Since its founding in April 2017, Envoy said it has grown from two electric vehicles deployed at partner sites to more than 30, and it claims to have a confirmed pipeline of hundreds more vehicles and thousands of charging stations across the US.
Electric vehicles (EVs) in Envoy's community-based fleet are now available as an on-site amenity for residents and guests at a number of California apartment complexes, workplaces and hotels, including Equity Residential's Marina 41, Related Real Estate's Argyle House, Hackman Capital's Culver Studios and the Sixty Beverly Hills Hotel.
Additionally, Envoy said Maximus Real Estate's Parkmerced development in San Francisco will host 16 vehicles by the end of this year. Argyle House, Sixty Beverly Hills Hotel and 33 Tehama will host Tesla vehicles, with 33 Tehama housing the platform's first Tesla Model X.
Envoy vehicles will also be available at several additional to-be-announced Los Angeles and Bay Area properties.
Earlier this year, Envoy secured $1.5m in grant funding from the California Energy Commission to deploy a shared mobility program for disadvantaged communities in the greater Sacramento metropolitan area and in the Bay Area.
The company was also recently named as a major participant in Electrify America's green city initiative, a $44m deployment of EV infrastructure in Sacramento. Envoy's initial rollout will provide 142 vehicles, each with its own EV charger, available across 71 locations throughout the city.
"Envoy empowers a fully sustainable transportation model that is wholly community-based. Our rapid growth is a testament to the future of electric mobility as an amenity and points to exciting developments on the horizon in the on-demand public transit sector," said Envoy co-founder Aric Ohana.
"While we are gaining an early foothold with luxury apartments and hotels, our true passion is equitable transportation – over 50 per cent of our vehicles will be deployed in disadvantaged communities in the years to come."
Envoy vehicles will be integrated with technology from key partners. All vehicles in the fleet feature digital license plates provided Reviver Auto, which allow drivers to easily pay for tolls and parking meters in select cities.
TransitScreen, a multi-screen transportation display, will offer real-time information about Envoy branded vehicles and other points of interest.
If you like this, you might be interested in reading the following:
Sacramento gets charged up in green deal
Announcement comes in the wake of California's approved $738m budget designed to speed up the electrification of transportation in the state
Electrify America chooses ABB to power EVs
Terra HP 350kW chargers from ABB are the first public sites of their kind to launch across the US
Greenlots to deploy 'fuelling stations of the future'
The nationwide community-based electric vehicle charging initiative is focusing on workplaces, apartment buildings, and condos
Aric OhanaBatteriesBay AreaDataelectric mobilityelectric vehiclesElectrify AmericaEnvoy TechnologiesFeaturedgreen cityLos AngelesOri SagieParkmercedReviver AutoRoadSan Franciscoshared mobiltySmart MobilityTeslaTransitScreenTransport


text:
World Cup Qualifiers - CONMEBOL
Messi not included in Argentina squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers
Lionel Messi has not been included in Lionel Scaloni's latest Argentina squad as he continues to recover from coronavirus.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward has not played a match in almost a month, with the 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at Lorient on December 22 being his most recent outing.
He contracted COVID-19 while back home in Argentina during the mid-season break, forcing him to return to France later than initially planned.
Messi seemed all set to return to action against Lyon on January 9, but PSG said he needed to continue his recovery and then he also missed the 2-0 win over Brest on Saturday.
While he said last week that "I have almost recovered", Messi did reveal on social media that getting over the illness took "longer than I thought".
Given his situation, Argentina have seemingly deemed it pointless risking Messi or further disrupting his recovery given they have already secured qualification for this year's World Cup.
Argentina travel to Chile on Thursday before hosting Colombia five days later, with both opponents still desperately fighting for the right to play at Qatar 2022.
La Albiceleste's other remaining qualifiers are against Venezuela and surprise-package Ecuador in March.
Rumour Has It: Atletico's Suarez wants Gerrard reunion at Aston Villa
Luis Suarez's future at Atletico Madrid is unclear with his contract to expire at the end of the season.
Suarez helped Atleti win LaLiga last term with 21 goals.
The Uruguayan joined Atletico from top-flight rivals Barcelona in 2020 on a two-year deal.
TOP STORY – SUAREZ WANTS GERRARD REUNION AT VILLA
Suarez wants a reunion with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, reports Gerard Romero.
The Atletico Madrid forward's contract expires at the end of this season and has been sounded out by numerous Brazilian clubs.
Suarez has had offers from Palmeiras, Corinthians and Atletico Mineiro but wants to link up with Gerrard who took over at Villa in January.
- ESPN claims Paris Saint-Germain have opened talks with Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Milan's Franck Kessie, as part of their effort to convince Kylian Mbappe to stay in the French capital amid interest from Real Madrid.
- Juventus have made an enquiry for Borussia Monchengladbach's Denis Zakaria according to 90min as they prepare for Arthur Melo to join Arsenal .
- Arsenal's bid to sign Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic looks to have hit a roadblock with the Serbian only interested in joining Juventus, reports the Mail.
- Milan want to bolster their backline and are interested in a loan deal for Tottenham's Japhet Tanganga, claims Fabrizio Romano.
- Leicester City and Newcastle United may rival Brentford to sign Inter's Christian Eriksen, reports the Times.
Rumour Has It: Real Madrid ready to go all out for Haaland and Mbappe
The futures of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, arguably the two most sought-after players in world football, could be determined by the end of the January transfer window.
While the forwards look set to stay at Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain respectively this month, moves away at the end of the campaign look increasingly likely.
And despite intense competition from fellow heavyweight clubs, Real Madrid are determined to win the race for both players.
TOP STORY – MADRID TO PUT ASIDE €350m FOR HAALAND
Madrid had two bids knocked back for Mbappe last year but, according to Marca, they remain in pole position to sign the France international in six months' time.
Landing Haaland could prove to be a little more complicated, though, given he will still have two years to run on his contract at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
However, the Spanish publication reports that Madrid are willing to spend big on the prolific striker, who is thought to have a €75million release clause in his deal.
On top of triggering that, it is claimed that Los Blancos will have to set aside cash for Haaland's father, agent Mino Raiola and a hefty salary for the player himself, which could total around €350m.
- Madrid may be considered the frontrunners to sign Mbappe and Haaland, but they already have a back-up plan in place should either of those moves fail to materialise. According to El Nacional, Fiorentina's in-demand Dusan Vlahovic is also on the Spanish giants' radar.
- CalcioMercato reports that Milan have joined the queue to sign Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen. Christensen, who comes out of contract at the end of this season, is being chased by Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
- Newcastle United could beat Manchester United in the race for RB Leipzig's Amadou Haidara, with The Mirror reporting that the newly-rich Magpies are set to make an offer.
- The Everton board got together on Saturday to discuss manager Rafael Benitez's future in the job, according to Sky Sports. Everton have won one of their past 13 league games and lost to bottom club Norwich City 2-1 on Saturday.
- PSG, Bayern and Madrid are among Kalvin Phillips' suitors. El Nacional reports that Leeds United have a battle on their hands fending off interest in the midfielder, who has been capped 19 times by England.
- The Mirror reports that Chelsea are considering a move for Inter's Ivan Perisic. The Blues are in the market for a versatile player who can play at left-back while Ben Chilwell recovers from a long-term injury.
Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Brest: Mbappe strikes again as leaders ease to victory
Kylian Mbappe and Thilo Kehrer were on target as Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 2-0 Ligue 1 win over Brest at Parc des Princes.
Mauricio Pochettino's side headed into Saturday's meeting on an 11-game unbeaten league run, albeit with four draws in their last five, and were ahead when Mbappe struck in the 32nd minute.
That strike was the 23-year-old's 10th in Ligue 1 this term, meaning he has hit double figures in six straight seasons – in the same period, no other player has done so more than three times.
Kehrer extended PSG's advantage after the interval as the hosts coasted to three points to move 11 clear of second-placed Nice at the summit.
Irvin Cardona twice forced smart stops from Gianluigi Donnarumma in the opening stages, while Mbappe drilled narrowly wide at the other end.
But there was no stopping Mbappe after 32 minutes when he fired through Brendan Chardonnet's legs and into the bottom-left corner, before Mauro Icardi saw his header disallowed for an apparent foul on Marco Bizot.
Marco Verratti almost added a second immediately after the break, only to be denied by the post, though the hosts doubled their lead soon after.
Nuno Mendes danced past Ronael Pierre-Gabriel to find Kehrer, who applied a first-time finish into the top-right corner from near the penalty spot.
Bizot then denied Marquinhos with a fantastic reflex save before making two fine stops from Mbappe to keep the scoreline respectable for Brest.
Messi: COVID-19 recovery 'took me longer than I thought'
Lionel Messi has revealed that it took him longer than he expected to recover after recently testing positive for COVID-19.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward tested positive for COVID-19 while back home in Argentina during the mid-season break and subsequently missed his team's 4-0 victory over Vannes in the Coupe de France.
However, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner returned a negative test last week and was set to be available to face Lyon, only for the Ligue 1 leaders to confirm that he would "continue his post-COVID individual recovery protocol for the next few days."
Addressing his 300 million followers on Instagram, Messi issued his appreciation for the support during his recovery, and hopes it will not be long until he returns to action.
He posted: "Good afternoon! As you know I had COVID and I wanted to thank you for all the messages I received and to tell you that it took me longer than I thought to be well, but I have almost recovered, and I am really looking forward to getting back on the pitch.
"I have been training these days to put myself at 100 per cent, very nice challenges are coming this year and I hope we can meet again very soon. Thanks!!!"
Messi has been directly involved in 10 goals in 16 appearances across all competitions since his switch from Barcelona, scoring six and assisting four. He has created 32 chances for his team-mates, and averaged a goal every 219 minutes.
However, he has only found the net once in 11 Ligue 1 games so far under Mauricio Pochettino.
Rumour Has It: Arsenal dealt Vlahovic blow as Man Utd eye up Lamptey move
Mikel Arteta may be confident that his side can still recruit any player in the world, but Arsenal may have to wait if they are to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina.
The in-demand Serbia international is the joint-fourth highest scorer in Europe's top five leagues this term and is wanted by an array of clubs across the continent.
While a January move has been touted, however, Fiorentina appear to be playing hardball when it comes to the future of the 21-year-old striker.
TOP STORY – FIORENTINA DEMANDS PREVENTING ARSENAL'S VLAHOVIC PURSUIT
Arsenal are reportedly willing to match Fiorentina's €75million (£62.62m) asking price for Vlahovic, which would make him the second-most expensive player in their history.
However, The Independent reports that the Serie A side want the majority of that money paid upfront, whereas Arsenal intend to spread the cost over the next four years.
The Gunners may therefore have to wait until the end of the campaign, at which point Vlahovic will have a year to run on his contract, before renegotiating with Fiorentina.
– It is shaping up to be a busy conclusion to the January window for Arsenal as Goal reports that the Premier League side have made contact with Juventus over a loan move for midfielder Arthur Melo, while Leicester City's Youri Tielemans is another potential target.
– L'Equipe claims that Paul Pogba remains a target for Paris Saint-Germain as he nears the end of his Manchester United contract. The midfielder has not featured since November due to injury and is not expected to return until next month.
– According to The Mail, Man Utd are eyeing a move for Brighton and Hove Albion's Tariq Lamptey as an upgrade on Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot. Interim boss Ralf Rangnick is said to be a big fan of the right-sided player's versatility.
– Sticking with Rangnick and United, the German coach has put Ajax boss Erik ten Hag's name forward as the best option to replace him when his interim spell at Old Trafford ends in June. That is according to Le Parisien, with the French outlet also suggesting PSG's Mauricio Pochettino still remains in the frame.
– Ambitious Newcastle United have already brought in Kieran Trippier this month and more players look set to follow. Tuttomercato suggests that Roma's Chris Smalling could be lured to St James' Park as the Magpies desperately attempt to strengthen at centre-back.
– Freiburg's Nico Schlotterbeck is attracting plenty of interest this month, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid among those being linked. Bayern appear to be leading that particular race if reports from Spain are anything to go by, with the defender supposedly keen to stay in the Bundesliga.
Rumour Has It: Decision time for Dortmund's Haaland amid interest from top clubs
Erling Haaland is the hottest property in football right now.
It is expected that Haaland will leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of this season although that is not confirmed.
The 21-year-old Norwegian forward is being chased by several big clubs.
TOP STORY – HAALAND SET TO DECIDE ON CLUB FUTURE
AS claims that Haaland is set to make a definitive call on his future as several top clubs circle for his signature.
Borussia Dortmund are set to meet with Haaland's representatives next week to discuss his plans according to Marca.
Haaland is being pursued by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City.
- Roma head coach Jose Mourinho has reached out to Tottenham's Tanguy Ndombele about a potential switch to Italy, claims Telefoot. Mourinho worked with Ndombele during his time at Spurs.
- Football Insider reports PSG midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has no interest in a move to cashed-up Newcastle United having been linked with his former club.
- The Telegraph reports that Burnley's New Zealand international forward Chris Wood will undergo a medical with Newcastle on Wednesday ahead of a move to the Magpies.
- Tottenham have contacted Jesse Lingard's representatives to discuss a free agency move in the off-season from Manchester United, claims Football London.
- Sevilla's interest in signing Manchester United's Anthony Martial is fading given the Red Devils' demands for the French forward, reports Marca.
- The Mail claims that Marcus Rashford and Manchester United are set to open talks before the end of the season on a new contract.
Pochettino responds after Wijnaldum struggles in PSG draw
Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino defended his selection after fielding Georginio Wijnaldum in Lionel Messi's usual role – as the former Liverpool star toiled in the 1-1 draw at Lyon.
Wijnaldum was deployed in an attacking right-sided role, with Messi ruled out after his recent COVID-19 positive test.
The runaway Ligue 1 leaders managed just three shots on target in a frustrating game, having 68.4 per cent of possession but struggling to make their dominance count, and Pochettino lamented their slow start after the final whistle.
PSG required a late strike from substitute Thilo Kehrer to take a point, having trailed for over an hour after Lucas Paqueta's early goal.
Wijnaldum had only one shot, which did not hit the target, while on the opposite flank Kylian Mbappe failed with five shots, although two hit the goal frame.
Netherlands international Wijnaldum, who signed for PSG last June, had a 95.6 per cent passing accuracy rate, but he struggled to pose a substantial attacking threat to mid-table Lyon.
Asked after the game to assess Wijnaldum's struggles, Pochettino defended his decision to field the midfielder in such an advanced role, and in a variety of positions during his short PSG career.
Pochettino, quoted in L'Equipe, said: "It is also a question of balance, of players available. I don't think it's a question of position but of states of form.
"Wijnaldum has a lot of experience, he has been at great clubs. He is used to playing in different positions."
PSG mounted their recovery after substituting central midfielders Leandro Paredes and Ander Herrera on the 69-minute mark, with Wijnaldum following them off the pitch late in the game.
"When we changed, we were looking for freshness. The introductions of Thilo Kehrer, Xavi Simons and Edouard Michut brought energy and enthusiasm," Pochettino said.
"They played part in the equaliser and they carried the team, so I'm happy."
PSG remain 11 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table, but have now drawn four of their last five league games.
Lyon 1-1 PSG: Kehrer rescues a point as below-par Parisians miss Messi
Paris Saint-Germain struggled their way to a point at Lyon, with substitute Thilo Kehrer cancelling out Lucas Paqueta's early goal to earn a 1-1 draw.
PSG were missing a number of stars, with Lionel Messi joining the injured Neymar on the sidelines after a recent positive COVID-19 test, and the league leaders produced a limp performance on a largely frustrating night in Lyon.
Lucas Paqueta fired the hosts into an early lead, while Kylian Mbappe went closest for the visitors in a disappointing first period.
Lyon were content to hit their opponents on the counter after the break, but they were hit by the blow of Kehrer's soft second-half strike.
The home side needed just seven minutes to take the lead, with the returning Paqueta firing a low strike across Keylor Navas and into the far corner, after he was expertly released by Brazilian compatriot Bruno Guimaraes.
Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes saved solidly from Leandro Paredes' drive on 20 minutes, before visiting skipper Marquinhos lobbed onto the roof of the net as PSG looked for a leveller.
Mbappe hit the side-netting, then clipped the outside of the post with a deft strike as the break approached, but Lyon ended an impressive first half with more shots on target than their lacklustre visitors.
Mauro Icardi missed a decent volleyed chance shortly after half-time, before Navas made a huge one-on-one save from Moussa Dembele, as Lyon looked to hit their opponents on the break.
But PSG finally found a leveller with 14 minutes remaining, when Kehrer's attempt found the far left corner, a tame sidefooted shot beating Lopes.
Mbappe again clipped the woodwork, this time with a late free-kick, as PSG pushed in vain for a winner.
Rumour Has It: Real Madrid target Mbappe may still re-sign with PSG
Kylian Mbappe is widely expected to join Real Madrid at the end of this season.
The 23-year-old attacker has stalled on a new contract offer at Paris Saint-Germain.
Madrid have been circling for Mbappe's signature for a long time and had multiple bids rejected in 2021.
TOP STORY – MBAPPE COULD STILL RE-SIGN WITH PSG
Mbappe could spring a surprise and renew his current PSG deal prior to the end of this season, claims Le Parisien.
The 2018 World Cup winner had been expected to become a free agent when his contract expires on June 30 and join Madrid .
Le Parisien claims that PSG have hope that Mbappe may pen an extension to force a transfer fee from Los Blancos, should they pursue a move. Mbappe is still undecided on his future, according to the report.
- Manchester United 's superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo has held crisis talks with his agent Jorge Mendes as he considers his future with the Red Devils, according to The Sun. Ronaldo reportedly may leave United depending on their choice of a new permanent manager.
- El Nacional claims that Liverpool are ready to offer Barcelona teenager Gavi a deal worth £80,000 (€96k) per week to secure his signature, while Manchester City are also interested. Barca have a £42m (€50m) release cause in the 17-year-old's contract.
- Arsenal want to sign a new midfielder in January with Lyon's Bruno Guimaraes on their radar while a loan deal for Arthur Melo was discussed but has not advanced to talks with Juventus yet, claims Fabrizio Romano.
- Argentinean forward Dario Benedetto is set to return to his homeland to join Boca Juniors from Marseille although the deal may take several days to complete, reports Cesar Luis Merlo.
- Nicolo Schira claims that Newcastle United have opened discussions with Sevilla on a four-year deal to sign Brazilian defender Diego Carlos .
- West Ham United and Newcastle may be priced out of their pursuit for Marseille's Boubacar Kamara, who wants a £150,000-per-week (€180k) deal according to The Sun.
PSG without Messi for trip to Lyon
Paris Saint-Germain will be without Lionel Messi for Sunday's Ligue 1 trip to Lyon.
Messi tested positive for COVID-19 while back home in Argentina and subsequently missed PSG's 4-0 victory over Vannes in the Coupe de France on Monday.
However, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner returned a negative test on Wednesday and was set to be available to face Lyon.
Yet Ligue 1 leaders confirmed on Saturday that the 34-year-old will "continue his post-COVID individual recovery protocol for the next few days."
PSG also revealed that Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Danilo Pereira, Layvin Kurzawa and Gianluigi Donnarumma remain in isolation after recently returning positive tests.
Meanwhile, Neymar is resuming his rehabilitation and is scheduled to return to training in three weeks' time.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino acknowledges that PSG must adapt in the absence of players, but insists that every team is in the same boat.
During his pre-match press conference, he said: "All teams have absent players; so do we. We have to adapt to everyday life. Sometimes, we have to change our plans.
"It's the same every game, we always have to make choices. We have to put the players in the best conditions."
On the prospect of facing Peter Bosz's Lyon side, he added: "They are one of the best teams in France.
"There is a very great coach. In the end, they will be fighting for the first places.
"It will be difficult, but we are optimistic."
PSG pair Di Maria and Draxler test positive for COVID-19
Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler have tested positive for COVID-19.
The pair are the latest in a spate of recent positive cases at the Ligue 1 club, with Layvin Kurzawa, Danilo Pereira, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sergio Rico also self-isolating.
Lionel Messi was ruled out of Monday's 4-0 win over Vannes in the Coupe de France after testing positive, though he has since given a negative test and is clear to resume training.
But Mauricio Pochettino will now almost certainly be without Di Maria and Draxler for Sunday's Ligue 1 clash with Lyon as PSG aim to consolidate their 13-point lead at the top.
A statement posted by the Parisians on their official Twitter account on Thursday read: "Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler tested positive this morning for Covid-19.
"They have been placed in solitary confinement and are subject to the appropriate health protocol."
Di Maria has featured 16 times for PSG in all competitions this season and has been directly involved in seven goals, a tally bettered only by Messi (10) and Kylian Mbappe (30) among his team-mates.
Draxler, who had only just returned from an injury lay-off, has two goals and two assists from 14 appearances.
French president Macron hopes Mbappe continues to 'enchant'
Kylian Mbappe has received the glowing praise of France's president Emmanuel Macron, who hopes the star continues to "enchant the public".
Mbappe has enjoyed a sensational rise and, at just 23, is already considered one of the world's best players.
Having burst onto the scene at Monaco in 2016-17, Mbappe has gone on to win four Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de France crowns, the Coupe de la Ligue twice and the 2018 World Cup.
Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Mbappe has scored 150 goals in 196 appearances, ranking him third out of players across Europe's top five leagues within that timeframe, behind Robert Lewandowski (208 goals) and new PSG team-mate Lionel Messi (162).
This week, Mbappe was placed at number one on French sports newspaper L'Equipe's list of "30 who make French football".
President Macron, who last year expressed his desire to see Mbappe remain at PSG amid interest from Real Madrid, provided a glowing appraisal of the Parisian forward.
"Kylian Mbappe may be so young, but he espoused the excellence of his sport for [his] club and national team, he lived the most extreme experiences and he demonstrated the qualities of the greatest: lucidity, courage, resistance. I am sure of one thing: he will continue to amaze us," Macron wrote.
"Everyone obviously wishes him to make this promise come true by building the best track record in European football and above all to continue to enchant the public with his jubilant gestures, his brilliant passes and his magical goals. We know that he can.
"But if Kylian Mbappe has taken a special place in the hearts of the French, it is also through his attitude on and off the field."
Mbappe may not be in Ligue 1 for much longer. He does not seem to intend to sign a new deal with PSG and, from this month, he is eligible to sign pre-contract agreements with teams from other countries.
Madrid, who had multiple bids rejected by PSG in August 2021, are the frontrunners for his signature.
Rumour Has It: Newcastle United, Burnley and Everton target Ramsey to exit Juventus in January
Aaron Ramsey has not had the best of times since moving to Juventus.
The Wales midfielder joined Juve from Arsenal in 2019 on a four-year deal.
Ramsey has only managed 70 appearances in an injury hit two and a half years with Juventus.
TOP STORY – RAMSEY TO LEAVE JUVENTUS IN JANUARY
Aaron Ramsey is set to exit Juventus in the January transfer window, reports Sky Sports.
Italian transfer supremo Gianluca Di Marzio claimed that Ramsey is likely to return to the Premier League, having already turned down an offer from Burnley .
Newcastle United have been linked with Ramsey, along with Everton.
- Bayern Munich will consider swapping Kingsley Coman with Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele in the off-season, reports L'Equipe. Coman's contract expires in 2023 and negotiations on a new deal have stalled.
- Sky Sports have reported that Newcastle are contemplating a bid for Lucas Digne. The full-back is set to leave Everton this month after a falling out with Rafael Benitez, though supposedly prefers a move to London, with Chelsea and West Ham also said to be interested.
- Everton, meanwhile, hold an interest in Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff and have already made a bid, according to the Daily Mail and Sky Sports.
- Paris Saint-Germain may look to sign Lyon's Lucas Paqueta next off-season, so say L'Equipe.
- Manchester United are determined to secure Wolves' Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves in January, according to The Sun.
- Lazio have opened talks with Liverpool on a deal for Belgium international forward Divock Origi, claims LazioNews24.
- According to Sky Sports, five Premier League clubs have held talks with Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho.
Messi available for PSG after returning negative COVID-19 test
Lionel Messi is set to return to Paris Saint-Germain after testing negative for COVID-19.
The Ligue 1 leaders announced on Sunday that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had returned a positive test while back home in Argentina.
Messi subsequently missed the commanding 4-0 win over Vannes in the Coupe de France on Monday, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick at Stade de la Rabine.
But the club has revealed the Argentina international tested negative on Wednesday and could be available for this weekend's trip to Lyon.
Mauricio Pochettino will be without Layvin Kurzawa, who returned a positive test and has been placed in isolation.
Messi has struggled to find his feet in Ligue 1 since making his sensational switch from Barcelona in August.
While he has been directly involved in 10 goals (six goals, four assists) from 16 appearances across all competitions, the 34-year-old has only found the net once in 11 games in the French top flight.
Milan 1-2 Spezia: Wasteful Rossoneri miss chance to go top i…


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Art Punk: Culturcide on Point Zero, Tacky's Pop Propaganda Dubs (1987)
"The underlying aim is to produce music that successfully opposes the social system within which we are all immersed. To produce music that is a particular style is to invite the system to use your music for its own ends. We've seen that happen with punk music. But if you take the system's own propaganda as your 'style,' it defeats that process. Dubs also make use of the massive conditioning of the population. Between today's alienated individuals, no real dialogue exists…any non-mainstream attempts to communicate have to start from the zero point." – Perry Webb/Mark Flood in SICKO #1 (January 1987)
Formed in 1980, experimental noise rock band Culturcide and their version of performance art converged with the early punk and underground music scenes. By 1987, the year SICKO magazine covered the release of "Tacky Souvenirs of Pre-Revolutionary America"– the band's controversial, now classic, LP featuring comedic dubs of overplayed mass media songs–Perry Webb/Mark Flood had already created a distinct surreal/cut-up language of his own using sardonic humor and satire to create a new noise that opposed "the social system within which we are all immersed."
Mark Flood: Gratest Hits is an artist interpretation/reflection spanning a 30-year history. The exhibition, which includes ephemera from Culturcide, is on display at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston through Aug. 7, 2016.
CULTURCIDE ALBUM REVIEW: "Tacky Souvenirs of Pre-Revolutionary America" LP (SICKO #1, January 1987)
Posted in Art Punk, From the Archives, Gulf Coast Punk, Houston Punk Rock, Houston Underground, Original Zines, Sicko, Texas Punk and tagged Culturcide, Houston Punk, Mark Flood on April 30, 2016 by Wild Dog Archives. Leave a comment
Sicko #4: Wild Dog 'Psychs-Out' with The Flaming Lips at the Axiom (1989)
Interview by Henry Wild Dog & Dave Roadhouse
Purveyors of modern psychedelia, the FLAMING LIPS are Norman, Oklahoma's latest & greatest rock export. During their first stay in Houston, we spoke to Wayne Coyne, guitarist & vocalist, outside the AXIOM.
H: The sound tonight, the hard fuzz psych guitar, and the jamming reminded me a lot more of the first record than the other two.
W: We're a lot more psycho live. We get out of hand. We love to play with each other, cuz [sic] we're all into the same thing, just to psycho-out.
D: What would you want everyone to go away with?
W: I wish they would go away after seeing us and know that they can do whatever they want. If they wanna start a band, they can go out and start a band tomorrow. We just do what we want, and that's a lot.
"We're a rock band, we're people who should have no limits. The people who are building nuclear weapons should have limits. But we shouldn't. We should be as creative as we can get…on records we try to present a lot of ideas." – Wayne Coyne
(Sicko #4 courtesy of Wild Dog Archives.)
Posted in From the Archives, Houston Underground, Original Zines, Sicko, The Axiom and tagged Houston Zines, Original Zines, Psychedelic Rock, Sicko Zine, The Axiom, The Flaming Lips on March 19, 2015 by Wild Dog Archives. Leave a comment
Sicko #2: Houston's Culturcide Plays Amsterdam with Bad Brains (1987)
Culturcide in Europe
The first of Houston's underground bands to play in Europe, Culturcide received a warm welcome from Dutch and Belgium audiences. They landed in Den Hague and went on to play a government-sponsored rock festival in Amsterdam at the Paradisio theatre, with such acts as Bad Brains, Nick Cave, SPK, and many other bands. They also played in Eindhoven, Vin Ray, Nijmegen (Holland) and Ghent and Antwerp in Belgium. Another week of dates in Germany unfortunately fell through, but Culturcide made lots of new contacts and friends in the cities where they played.
They received coverage in the Dutch magazine 007 and Britain's SOUNDS. While in Antwerp, they caught an art-video installation about violence in America which featured Ed Gein and replicas of some of his gruesome "leather" crafts.
Upcoming Culturcide projects include recording their live set for release, tunes like "Pizza Hut," "Death Speaks," "Feeling I Was Gonna Die," "Pass for Normal" and all of their other great songs which until now have been heard by a lucky few. Dan Workman, their guitarist, will do a solo performance at Lawndale as part of the "On the Edge" series on September 26. Be there.
Posted in From the Archives, Houston Punk Rock, Houston Underground, Original Zines, Sicko, Texas Punk and tagged Culturcide, Houston Punk, Houston Underground, Houston Zines, Sicko Zine on March 11, 2015 by Wild Dog Archives. Leave a comment


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Corporate Governance CorpGov.net: improving accountability through democratic corporate governance since 1995
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Challenges of Pension Fund Chiefs: #CIIFall2015
James McRitchie, November 19, 2015 ,
This session was a transition between #ICGN15 and #CIIFall2015 conferences in Boston. Deborah Goldberg, the Treasurer of Massachusetts, provided the opening remarks. She was followed by a panel discussing the priorities and challenges of pension fund chiefs. Please feel free to point out any corrections, counterpoints and additional points using the site's comment feature.
Opening Remarks by Deborah Goldberg, Massachusetts Treasurer
Goldberg noted that MassPrim will vote against a company's board nominees if less than 25% of the board is female or from a racial minority. She initially wanted to set that rate at 30% but that would have meant voting against most board nominees.
MassPrim's proxy voting guidelines require the fund to vote in favor of shareholder proposals seeking reports from companies related to renewable energy use, energy efficiency, tobacco advertising and recycling. The guidelines urge companies to lead on the issue of wage equality and to link executive pay to non-financial factors such as customer and employee satisfaction, human rights and performance on social and environmental goals.
She noted that we can do this together. Gathering data, sharing ideas. That's what the conference is all about.
Pension Fund Chiefs: Transatlantic Prospectives on Current Priorities and Future Challenges
Chris Hitchen, Pension Fund Chief
Chris Hitchen, CEO, Railpen
Retirement systems in the UK are different than Europe's. UK is moving toward simplification. Basic shift from 'paternalism' to 'do it yourself.' Railpen has taken more of management inside the organization. They have a representational board that sounds difficult to work with it provides him with greater legitimacy.
The board disbanded their own investment committee. Long-termism comes in more through engagement. Three years is the main metric for performance. Well-managed companies will produce better returns. Mentions Roger Martin's Fixing the Game: Bubbles, Crashes, and What Capitalism Can Learn from the NFL (That book keeps coming up; maybe someday I'll read it). Paying with stock options is like allowing quarterbacks to bet on the game.
Greg Smith, CEO, Colorado's Public Employee Pension System
Greg Smith, Pension Fund Chief
Discussed movement by pension funds in shifting from DB to DC formats. State auditor hired an expert to review the Colorado PERA system. DB provides bigger bang for the buck, better income replacement in retirement. Outperforms DC by 140%. 140% more dollars are required to get same retirement for full career employees. Found plan design even outperformed for those who were only public employees for a few years.
Targeted funds for DC fund assisted retirees in the distribution phase. If you have to borrow the money to invest, it is no where near as efficient. Like DB plans, DC plans don't measure their unfunded liabilities for individuals coming into retirement. Being in the state of Colorado helps attract better internal managers. Evolution in CO is focused on maximizing returns with a reasonable risk.
Role of public pension plan trustee is evolving to where they have less of a role in picking investments. Value add is in overseeing process.
During Q&A of Pension Plan Chiefs
We love to talk about being long-term investors but we're still trading every day. Robust incentives of 1-3 years.
If company is a bottom quarter earner for 3 years in row, Colorado will vote against the entire board.
Litigation has a deterrent effect. Serious lines in sand for accountable conduct.
Colorado is big on G but hasn't been as big on E and S factors of ESG.
Acceleration of vesting os problematic. There should be consideration of what gets accelerated.
Chaired by Mike McCauley, Senior Officer, Investment Program & Governance, Florida SBA
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Honey bee on a blackberry flower.
Most fruit and vegetable growers depend on pollinators to successfully produce their crops. Although most people think of honey bees when they hear "pollinators," many insects and other animals pollinate flowers, including mason bees, bumble bees, flies, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
All of these animals serve an important function as pollinators. They all visit flowers to feed on pollen or nectar. In the process, pollinators move pollen from one flower to another, eventually helping the flower produce seed and fruit. This pollination process is central to the well-being of our fruit and vegetable crops.
Crop plants vary in their dependence on pollinators. Table 1 summarizes the dependence of selected fruit and vegetable crops.
Table 1. The importance of pollinators in selected fruit and vegetable crop production.
Today, honey bees and other pollinators face a number of stresses that are reducing their numbers. For honey bees, some of these stresses include Varroa mites, tracheal mites, small hive beetles, several diseases, and (in some cases) the stress from being transported long distances to provide pollination services to various crops.
Native pollinators suffer from the stresses of habitat loss from both agriculture and development. Habitat loss reduces the availability of suitable nesting sites and host plants to feed on.
Pesticides can harm all pollinators.
Figure 1. A dead honey bee on a blackberry leaf.
Figure 2. This illustration shows the major ways foraging bees are exposed to pesticides and transmit them to the hive.
A wide variety of insect pests attack fruit and vegetable crops. These pests can affect yields and consumers commonly demand blemish-free produce. So growers usually require insecticides to manage those pests.
Almost all insecticides used on fruit and vegetable crops have some toxicity to pollinators, and many of them are very toxic. For a fairly complete list of pesticides and their relative toxicity to pollinators, see Protecting Honey Bees from Pesticides (Purdue Extension publication E-53-W), available from the Education Store (edustore.purdue.edu). Although this publication specifically addresses honey bees, most insecticides have similar toxicity for other pollinators.
Even organic products come with risks. Some OMRI-approved organic insecticides (including neem and spinosad) are highly toxic to honey bees and other pollinators, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Applicators apply insecticides to fruit or vegetables when pollinators are present, resulting in direct exposure. This can be true for crops that require pollination services and for crops where pollinators are only feeding on pollen.
Applicators apply insecticides to fruit or vegetables when pollinators are not present, but the insecticide residues persist long enough to potentially harm pollinators when they visit the crop.
Applicators apply systemic insecticides to fruits and vegetables. These products move through the plant to flowers in quantities that could harm pollinators.
Applicators apply insecticides outside the fruit or vegetable production field that move (in some manner) into the field in sufficient quantities to harm pollinators.
The residues of systemic insecticides remain in the soil from a previous crop. The fruit or vegetable crop then takes up the insecticide, which moves to flowers in quantities large enough to harm pollinators.
Figure 3. A honey bee foraging sweet corn pollen.
Figure 4. A spray boom applies pesticide in sweet corn.
To minimize the potential damage to pollinators, consider these seven best management practices.
Insecticide labels contain specific instructions to help you reduce risks. The labels commonly require you to wear protective equipment and avoid bird baths, ponds, streams, and toys. All insecticides that are toxic to pollinators have warnings on the label. These warnings are often hard to find on some older insecticide labels (Figure 5). However, many newer insecticides have special bee icons on their labels that draw attention to the potential for harm to pollinators (Figure 6). They often have specific instructions for minimizing the risk.
Figure 5. This older pesticide label has a pollinator warning that is difficult to find.
Figure 6. This example of a newer pesticide label includes pollinator warnings that are easy to spot.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a system that combines different methods. Its aim is to keep pest populations low while allowing for profitable production and minimizing adverse environmental effects. To reduce the risk of harming pollinators, IPM principles guide producers to take advantage of noninsecticidal practices that can reduce pest damage. For example, you might rotate crops to control Colorado potato beetle or conserve predator mites to control European red mites.
Figure 7. To follow IPM principles, scout fields or orchards to get a sense of the severity of the pest infestation.
The DriftWatch website (driftwatch.org) is a place where specialty crop producers and apiaries can register their production sites on a map. Pesticide applicators can access this data before applying anything to nearby fields. The rationale behind this site is to provide applicators with the locations of sensitive sites, so they can take precautions to avoid overspray or drift to locations where they are not wanted.
Some crops, like apples, have a very well-defined bloom period. For such crops, it is relatively simple to avoid spraying insecticides during bloom. All apple growers should avoid insecticide applications during the bloom period — roughly 10-14 days.
Other crops, like cantaloupe, bloom throughout the growing season. If melon growers stopped applying insecticides when the first flowers appeared, striped cucumber beetles would feed unabated and likely vector the bacterium that causes bacterial wilt of cucurbits to a large percentage of the plants in the field.
However, a cantaloupe flower only opens for one day and it closes in the late afternoon. This means pollinators are unlikely to be in fields after the flowers have closed. This knowledge provides melon growers an opportunity to spray their fields with an insecticide in the late evening without harming pollinators. However, growers still need to use a nonsystemic insecticide so that the residue will only be on the outside of the new flowers that open the next day. In that way pollinators will not contact the insecticide and no harm will ensue.
Some vegetable seeds are sold with a coating of a neonicotinoid insecticide, usually thiamethoxam. If you direct-seed a crop (such as pumpkins), the insecticide in the seed coating will control insects such as aphids and striped cucumber beetles for up to three weeks. However, because neonicotinoids are systemic insecticides, they move into the flowers and will be present in the pollen in levels that could harm pollinators.
If you grow transplants in a greenhouse for four or five weeks before planting them in the field, the insecticide from a coated seed will not control any insect pest in the field. But residues may be present in the pollen, which would harm pollinators.
Growers who are direct-seeding crops may decide that the insect control that treated seed provides outweighs the potential harm to pollinators based on field history. However, growers who are transplanting crops will receive no benefit from insecticide-treated seeds but still risk harming pollinators. If you are planning transplant production, request seeds with no insecticide treatment from your seed dealer.
Figure 8. Avoid applying insecticides when pollinators are actively foraging in the area (like this bumblebee on blackberry flower).
Figure 9. Cantaloupe flowers only open once and close in the late afternoon, so time pesticide applications to avoid harming polllinators, like this honey bee.
Figure 10. Bacterial wilt can devastate cantaloupe plantings if you do not control striped cucumber beetle, which carries the bacterial wilt pathogen.
Figure 11. Seed companies often apply pesticides as a coating on their seed, as with this sweet corn seed.
Figure 12. Choose your seed carefully to match your production practices. If you are transplanting your crop, then using a treated melon seed (like the seeds on theleft) will not control pests but could harm pollinators.
If you rent bees to pollinate your crops, be sure to talk with your beekeeper about the pests that you have to deal with and the need for any insecticides you may apply. Coordinate the arrival and departure of the bees with your insecticide applications to ensure you minimize any potential harm to the bees.
Pollinators, both domesticated and feral, are important to the production of many fruits and vegetables. By following these few suggestions, fruit and vegetable growers can do their part to preserve the health of all of our pollinators, as well as maintain the goodwill of beekeepers.
Figure 13. A honey bee yard.
All photos were provided by and are the property of John Obermeyer. All illustrations by Purdue Extension.


Situated in one of Stockwell's premier roads, is this well presented two bedroom maisonette. This property comprises of a bright and airy reception room, dining room, fully fitted kitchen, two double bedrooms and bathroom. Furthermore there is a communal garden with a communal swimming pool and also the benefit of a private garage. There are excellent transport links and local amenities close by including Stockwell Underground Station a 0.3 mile walk away, the Oval Cricket stadium, Albert Square, Oval theatre, Saturday farmers market at St. Mark's Church, and numerous shops, bars, restaurants and deli's.


NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Echidna, a leading digital agency that provides expertise around building digital strategy, user experience and e-commerce systems, has announced the promotion of Michael Braun to the newly-created role of Chief Experience Officer effective January 1, 2019. Michael has been with Echidna since its inception in 2010, during which time he has held positions as the Director of Experience and Vice President of User Experience.
Mr. Braun will expand his current role to include driving innovation through Echidna's Digital Journey Maturity Model differentiation and further building upon a best-in-class user experience service organization. He will continue to focus on driving methodology and delivery around user experience and helping clients find measurable success to improve upon their digital presence, according to Echidna.
Michael has a background of twenty-two years in various user experience roles. Prior to Echidna, Michael worked at Accenture leading the Usability and Design team for Best Buy to guide and design their digital experiences. Before that, he managed a team at Best Buy that conceived and designed the brands omni-channel digital experiences. He previously led Damark's inaugural commerce site, which resulted in annual sales increases from $250k to $57 million annually. Michael has worked with numerous clients such as Coca-Cola, Mall of America, Target and American Express consulting and creating mobile, web and print media solutions.


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What Does It Mean To Be A Bilingual Call Center?
April 1, 2003 Peter DeHaan
By Michele M. Ringwood
To be bilingual means being able to use two languages with equal fluency. In our Spanish/English language call center, Pronto Connections, we perform a vital function for our clients. We enhance our clients' ability to communicate with their customers in their preferred language at a cost that is significantly less than that of traditional translation services. We treat callers with the respect that our clients expect by addressing them in their preferred language. It is simply another option, no more or less attractive than allowing a customer to email, mail, or call in for customer service.
There are many staffing models for bilingual call centers. Is English your center's primary or secondary language? And is English the primary or secondary language for your clients? Do you talk to callers in their native language and then communicate with your client in English or in a different language?
All of these things affect how you recruit, train, and perform quality assurance on your bilingual staff. Our model is that English is the first language in our center and the first language of most of our clients. Our policy manual and computer skills training are in English. These choices will influence the culture and business practices at your call center.
To recruit, we place ads in both Spanish- and English-language newspapers and websites. We have scripts allowing our own customer service representatives (CSRs) to screen our applicants, but some centers instruct applicants to leave their information on a dual-language voice mail system.
"It's all in the employment screening," said Gary Blair, Vice President of Tele-page in Quebec, a French- and English-language service. Blair explained that the interview process at his company averages 45 minutes to an hour. The interview would consist of verbal questioning, reading scripts aloud, reading questions and answering them in writing, and a spelling test. All of these tests are done in both languages!
The company also asks prospective employees questions that they must then translate into the other language on the spot. "After all," Blair said, "Isn't this what they have to do?"
At Pronto, we develop our training programs in both English and Spanish. And then we conduct the training sessions and role-plays in both languages. But since English is the language of most of our clients, CSRs communicate with them in English. The CSR picks a script based on which language the caller is speaking. By scripting in both languages Pronto ensures that CSRs don't have to translate scripts on the fly.
CSRs do, however, translate caller information into English for client documentation. But we don't ask them to translate scripts on the fly for the same reasons we wouldn't prompt an English-speaking CSR on a script with, "First Name," but we prompt the CSR to ask, "May I have your first name please?" To maintain quality we require that scripts be read verbatim.
In Quebec, Blair has his system prompts in the same language as what the CSRs should use to document the call (as requested by the client).
According to the US Census Bureau, here are 37 million Hispanics in the United States. This population segment is increasing more rapidly than any other segment. We are located in Chicago, and being bilingual 24 x 7 x 365 for the past 17 years, weare at the heart of this Hispanic cultural mix.
When I think of the bilingual services we provide, I think of diversity. For each of us that word has a different meaning. For me, it means being exposed to a completely different lifestyle each day in the office.
In December, on one of our busiest days of the year, we had a CSR who called to say she could not come in to work. Her explanation? "My niece is in the hospital. I have to be there with my family." In the culture of our business, family comes first. I think 15 family members went to the hospital to see this niece. There was no question that this employee should be allowed to go. We are fortunate that this loyalty exists within our corporate culture as well. Our team is dedicated to helping each other and several people volunteered to stay and cover for this employee.
Our company performs a wide range of interpretation and translation services in different languages, as many bilingual call centers do. Frequently a worker will stay on the line for the one person in the business who can't speak Spanish. The complexity of interpreting another language this without being fluent in it is incomprehensible to me. It is also a huge risk to the caller, your client's business, and your business. When someone on our team handles a call from a Spanish-speaking caller from a different background, the worker will occasionally ask a co-worker what certain words mean. Many terms differ in meaning to Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Cuban callers.
An important requirement in a bilingual call center is to perform quality monitoring on the actual translation. We have quality assurance personnel who are assigned the specific responsibility of monitoring and scoring calls. They are specifically trained to listen for the special nuances of the translations. These team members coach workers on vocabulary, usage, and translation of Spanish/English calls to ensure that our team is consistent across all our services.
Our goal is to be diverse and communicate with Hispanic callers in their language of preference. Many of our callers speak English but prefer to speak in their native language. You can't communicate complex ideas if you don't have the vocabulary to express them. Bilingual call centers bridge this gap for customers and their callers.
Pronto Connections is a bilingual English/Spanish call center in Chicago, Illinois that is owned and operated by Michele M. Ringwood. Pronto specializes in medical dispatch services, employment and credit screening, order processing, and insurance clients.
[From Connection Magazine – April 2003]
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