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Everything You Need to Know About QR Codes
QR Codes Foundation
The small black and white 2D pixel pattern called the 'Quick Response Code' is prominently visible at the counters of most of the business set ups including small kirana stores, petrol pumps, tea stalls and even pan shops looking to accept digital payments.
Since 2017, QR code is being pushed by most of the B2C payment companies as the primary mode for digital payments, but it was the Japanese who invented it back in the nineties for their automotive industry.
Since then, QR codes have been used in greeting cards, airline boarding passes, shipping labels, luggage tags and printed flyers for promotional activities to name a few. Starbucks cleverly used QR code on posters inside its stores to test drive its new app and guess what 27% of in-store Starbucks customers downloaded the app using QR code. The leading social media platform 'Snapchat' introduced its very own 'Snapcodes' through which users could add each other.
So, What Makes QR Code So Special?
The best part of QR code is that its FREE and anyone can make use of it. Fast readability and greater storage capacity of QR code is the primary reason for its quick and rapid adoption. It is often misinterpreted as Barcode; however, both are different. Unlike a barcode, it stores a larger amount of data in a unique way. The best part – there's is no limit on the number scans on a QR code and they never expire.
Types of QR Code
Static QR Code – Here the actual destination website URL is placed directly into the QR code, so the content is not editable. These are non-trackable, which can be rectified by adding a URL. But, by adding more data, it becomes denser, and cannot be scanned.
Dynamic QR Code – This type of QR code is editable. It has additional features like password protection, scan analytics, access management and device-based redirection. You can find out the details of the number of people who have scanned the QR Code, their location, and the type of device they used to perform the scan. It contains a less dense QR code image that is more likely to scan.
Difference between Static and Dynamic QR Codes
While both the static and dynamic QR codes lead the user to a specific location it's the encoding of information that differentiates them. In static QR codes, once the content is encoded it cannot be changed as the data is stored directly in the QR code graphic. The QR codes displayed on a signboard to make payment is a static one and can't be changed. Dynamic QR codes are the advanced version, where the content changes dynamically. This enables to respond to any changes and saves reprinting costs and effort.
Benefits of QR Codes As Payment Methods
Easily make cashless payment transaction without swiping credit or debit cards
Stores more information compared to other modes
User can scan from any angle
Link with any bank a/c
Business owners don't need to invest in any additional hardware
Payment takes place instantly via IMPS
Additional layers of security without sharing card details
There's no need to share additional details like mobile number and CVV code
For payment companies the cost of setting up a QR code payment for the merchant is very less. Providing a printed QR code laminated sign or a sticker to the merchants does wonders. Customers can open their app, point to the QR and make the payment instantly. Especially for low ticket purchases, QR codes have been a boon. They continue to be quite popular with the younger generation. With the explosion of QR code payment options, shop owners don't hesitate in putting up multi-brand QR payment options in their counters.
QR codes continue to witness developments and the most prominent one of them all is the Bharat QR. NPCI along with MasterCard & Visa developed the Bharat QR – the world's first fully interoperable QR code payments. It overcomes the limitations of closed loop QR code-based acceptance.
Similarly, in Singapore, the leading acquirers and payment networks have announced their collaboration and formation of consortium to enable interoperable QR code payments. With all the leading smartphone manufacturers launching feature phones with inbuilt QR code reader functionality, the usage of QR codes among consumers will only gain popularity.


So I think it is time we talk about lighting! It is a huge topic that covers SO much, but I believe that it is one of the most important aspects of learning how to take beautiful pictures of people. Now just for the record, I do not claim to be an expert on this topic. I do however think it is important for me to share some things I have learned along the way in hopes that it might be helpful to someone else.
We are going to start with the very basics of outdoor lighting. I have found that the very best time of day for lighting is about 2 hours before sunset. I have shot and do shoot at all times of the day, but as far as the most beautiful and flattering light for skin tones I would have to say that the last hour or two before the sun sets are the best. I do 99% of my professional work during that time and I have had the most consistent results because of it. So that is what I am going to focus on today. I will show you through my own pictures different lighting examples and ways to achieve them.
Frontlighting is probably the easiest of all other lighting situations because it is a safe yet effective way to achieve beautiful skin tones. To help you visualize it, just remember that frontlighting is when the sun is in back of the photographer and the subject is facing the photographer and the sun. In all of these examples my subjects are either in the shade facing the sun or the sun is behind a cloud, but still facing the sun.
I had my subjects lay on a blanket and face the sun. We were in a large park with tons of tall trees so we had lots of shade.
The sun had gone behind the mountain at this point and so I had my subjects on a swing facing where the sun had gone down. Notice the catchlights in the little girls eyes.
These next 2 images were taken in such gorgeous light. Again, the sun had gone behind the mountain and I had them on the dock facing the light source.
The sun had gone behind a cloud in these next two shots. The first half of this shoot I shot mostly backlight, but once the sun went behind the cloud I turned them around to face where the sun would have been.
Let's talk about backlighting! Backlighting is probably the most difficult of all and requires the most practice. There are several ways to achieve backlighting. I will explain how I make it work for me. I love backlit images, but I don't like a lot of haze so I try to shoot so the sun is not directly coming into my lens. For example, I try to angle my camera so it is in the shade, but I place my subject in the sun with their back to the sun.
For this shot, I had the little girls sitting on a stool in the sun, but I was off to the right side and if you can see that tree behind them to the right? That was blocking the sun from my lens so I was able to capture them all lit up, but without all of the haze.
I used the same technique in the next 3 images. I placed my subject in the sun facing me and then moved around until a tree or bush or something was blocking the sun from my lens.
Another tip for backlighting. I try to place my subject so their back is completely in the sun and NO harsh light is hitting their face. See how her hair is all lit up, but there are no harsh sun spots on her face? This is a good backlit image.
These next two images are the same, but I wanted to show the image before I cropped it so you could see how she was positioned. She is laying on the ground looking up at me. I angled my camera so the sun was not coming into my lens, but she was still lit up.
Another example of shooting from above. When shooting from above you can still achieve backlighting, but if angled right it is without the haze.
Here are a few more examples of different lighting techniques.
The sun was to the right of them. This was more of sidelighting, but I love the effect of the light on both subjects.
I love this image. This is also sidelighting and I love the shadows and depth of this picture.
These next two pictures were taken in the shade and the sun was behind the building, but produced such a beautiful light setting.
I love this one too :) The sun was to the left of them, but they were in the shade.
I would say another backlit image. I love how they are all lit up, but there is no haze. It just takes standing in the right spot.
I am LOVING these Photography 101 lessons from Melynda! Now it is YOUR turn. Do you have any questions for her that you would love to have answered in a future post?
Do you have any tips for photographing birthday parties?
great tips! i love all the different segments kiki!
Thank you for such great tips! When it's all broken down like this it makes it so much easier to follow along and figure out what I've been doing (slightly) wrong. Thank you!


In Roman Ondák's More Silent Than Ever the viewer is confronted with a seemingly empty room. The piece's material composition is in fact listed as an 'eavesdropping device hidden [a] room'. Typical of Ondák's work - this subtle intervention at first seems innocuous though on closer inspection places the viewer in a precarious position.


Montana State University's Bobcat Committee will host a pep rally and brew fest celebration on Main Street in downtown Bozeman on Friday, Sept. 23, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the intersection of Willson Avenue.
In addition to rallying Bobcat spirit in preparation for the homecoming football game on Saturday, Sept. 24, a brew fest has been added to the event that will feature 25 local, regional and national breweries. Montana breweries include Big Sky Brewing, Madison River Brewing, Red Lodge Ales, Lewis and Clark Brewing, Draught Works, Uberbrew, Outlaw Brewing and Philipsburg Brewing, among others.
Regional and national breweries include Black Tooth Brewing, Snake River Brewing, Elysian Brewing, Deschutes Brewery and Stone Brewing.
The pep rally kicks off at 6 p.m. and features MSU football coach Jeff Choate and the 2016 team captains; volleyball coach J.J. Riley and players; and the 2016 homecoming royalty. The Spirit of the West marching band, MSU Spirit Squad and Bobcat mascot Champ will help rally the crowd.
Tickets are available for purchase at the Bobcat club office, The Bay Bar and Grille, Pour House Bar and Grill, Spectators Bar and Grill, Plonk, The Cannery and Burger Bob's, Copper Whiskey Bar and Grill, and Rocking R Bar. Tickets include 10, 3-ounce tasters, a Bobcat brew fest tasting cup, and food and retail promotions at many downtown Bozeman businesses. Tickets are also available at the event.
The pep rally is free and open to the public. Ride the Streamline bus to and from the event. Visit streamlinebus.com for bus routes and schedule.
This event is brought to you by numerous local organizations including Downtown Bozeman Association, Montana State University Bobcat Club, MSU Athletics, MSU Alumni Foundation and with the support of many local businesses. All proceeds from the brew fest benefit the Montana State University Bobcat Club.
For more information contact Downtown Bozeman Association at (406) 586-4008 or visit downtownbozeman.org. A full list of all 2016 MSU Homecoming events and activities is available at montana.edu/homecoming.


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EXCLUSIVE: Queen Latifah on A Possible 'Living Single' Reunion
It's been 20 years since we've seen the cast together. Is an onscreen reunion coming soon?
By Derrick Bryson Taylor	· September 5, 2013 October 27, 2020
This fall, Queen Latifah will jump back into the talk show game after a 12-year absence and her fans couldn't be more excited. (Remember 1999's Queen Latifah Show!?) Revamped version, The Queen Latifah Show, which will air on CBS, promises to be more of her own unique vision than the last. Plus, it just so happens, that her return to daytime TV coincides with the 20th anniversary of Living Single.
With a new platform on her hands, die-hard Living Single fans want to know, could the bubbly Brooklyn cast be planning to reunite to mark the occasion?
"Oh man! I would love to! I was just talking to Kim Coles the other day and Erika [Alexander] and I were texting. The Living Single cast is like family to me," Latifah told ESSENCE.com. "We spent five years together. I love all of them. Everybody is doing different things, all over the place. That will always be my family."
And while the Oscar nominee says "it's a good idea" to bring the gang back together again, she admits that doing a show this time around feels different. "I feel like I'm ready now," said Latifah. "It's been over 10 years since I did that last talk show. And when I did that show I still had so much more inside of me in terms of what I wanted to do with acting and producing."
Latifah said missing out on her other dreams bothered her. "And it was nagging at me," she explained. "I honestly could have continued that show for more years. It wasn't cancelled. But I decided that I needed to fulfill that side of me."
Even though her first talk show was only on the air for two seasons (1999-2001), Latifah says she's going to bring everything she learned from that experience to the table.
The Queen Latifah Show begins airing on September 16th.
Reporting by Charlene Cooper
TOPICS: Queen Latifah

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry) identified about 30 proteins with modified levels in these patients (increased levels of peroxiredoxin 6, apolipoprotein E, cyclophilin A and heat shock protein 90), suggesting that the oxidative damage in RBC and platelets potentially induces production of EVS with altered proteome that may facilitate thromboembolic DAPT chemical structure complications. State of the art of platelet proteomics has been recently reviewed , ,  and . A number of investigations focused on studies using subproteomic strategies to analyze specific platelet conditions (resting or activated), compartments (membrane, granules and MPS) or fractions (phosphoproteome or glycoproteome) ,  and . More specifically, the proteome of PEVS has been the object of proteomic studies. Gracia et al.
into 4 size classes to facilitate identification of active protein and lipid components, and proteins were separated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, liquid chromatography, and identified by tandem mass spectrometry. The authors observed that PEVS of different sizes significantly differ in the content of plasma membrane receptors and adhesion molecules, chemokines, growth factors and protease inhibitors. The thousands of platelet proteins and Org 27569 interactions discovered so far by these different powerful proteomic approaches represent a precious source of information for both basic science and clinical applications in the field of platelet biology. The protein characterization of LEVS is still largely unexplored. Furthermore, many preanalytical difficulties should be taken into account, because of the great diversity of leukocytes in blood circulation. It is therefore mandatory to purify each different type of LEVS using specific expressed CD antigens. A first attempt of deciphering the proteome of B-cell LEVS has been published by Wubbolts et al., ten years ago .
l'implantation d'unités de recherche ou le développement de celles qui existaient à l'ouverture de l'hôpital. Il a également été pour beaucoup dans la création en France de l'un des tous premiers Centre d'investigation selleck chemicals llc clinique (CIC). Ses principales contributions à la recherche ont porté sur la néphrologie pédiatrique, le métabolisme de la vitamine D et du calcium this website dans l'organisme en développement, la pharmacologie pédiatrique, l'infectiologie et l'écosystème intestinal microbien. Le Pr Édouard Bingen, chef du service de microbiologie – qui nous a quittés, il y a quelques mois – a été sur ce thème son principal collaborateur. Sa mort avait été ressentie très douloureusement par Henri Mathieu, comme par toute la communauté de l'Hôpital. Les responsabilités scientifiques et administratives de celui-ci dans la recherche ont été nombreuses.
de 1987 à 1992. Il a été fondateur, puis président, du Centre international de recherche médicale de Franceville (CIRMF) au Gabon de 1979 à 1996. Il a présidé la sous-section du CNU de pédiatrie de1983 à 1993. Au cours de ses mandats, il a contribué à renforcer la pédiatrie au plan national, notamment dans les universités sous dotées en pédiatres. Il faut encore citer ses très nombreuses responsabilités dans des sociétés savantes internationales – International Paediatric Association, European Society for Paediatric Research, International Paediatric Nephrology Association, European Society for Pediatric Nephrology – ainsi que le Groupe Latin de Pédiatrie qu'il co-anima avec le Pr Jean Claude Job.
seen at 200 μg/ml whereas, 50 and 500 μg/ml showed lower deposition rates. CNTs were assessed at 50 μg/ml. Cells were exposed for 1 h and a volume of 10 ml for FluoSpheres and 8 ml for CNTs was nebulized. The MicroSprayer® IA-1C aerosolizer (PennCentury Inc., Wyndmoor, PA) consists of a thin, flexible, stainless steel tube measuring 0.64 mm in diameter and 50.8 cm in length attached to the light, hand-operated, high-pressure syringe FMJ-250. A unique patented atomizer at the very tip of the tube generates the aerosol with a mass median diameter of 16–22 μm (http://www.penncentury.com/products/IA_1C.php).
The MicroSprayer was fixated at a distance of 11 cm between tip of the MicroSprayer and the rim of the 6-well plate. This distance was determined as optimal for a reproducible delivery of the aerosol. To deliver the aerosol in a reproducible way the syringe was actuated in one fast push. For safety reasons all exposures were performed in a HERAsafe® KS 9 clean bench (Thermo Scientific, Vienna) equipped with UPLA filters of both filter grades U15 and H14. Aerosols TCL with the MicroSprayer were generated with the same solvent as the VITROCELL/PARI BOY system (distilled water, PBS, 0.9% saline, DMEM, DMEM + 2% FBS) but in addition allowed aerosolization of substances in DMEM + 10% FBS. The maximum concentration of particles, which could be aerosolized without clogging of the aerosolizer tip and the maximum number of spray doses, which did not result in a continuous liquid layer on top of the cells, were determined. Polystyrene nanoparticles (1000 μg/ml suspended in DMEM + 10% FBS) and CNTs (500 μg/ml suspended in DMEM + 10% FBS) were applied in three spray doses (600 μl aerosol). For the exposures, transwells were transferred to another plate, the exposure plate, and subsequently replaced and cultured for additional 24 h.
PBS), incubation without ice, and an added 10 min recovery period were also evaluated (data not shown). Control samples were either electroporated Phospholipase D1 using an empty vector (pEF-(−)) or electroporated without pulse. Following electroporation, cells were centrifuged at 250 ×g for 5 min, resuspended in glia (Optimem I, 5% horse serum, 0.5% FCS) or slice (50% MEM/HEPES (Gibco), 25% heat-inactivated horse serum (Gibco/Lifetech, Austria), 25% Hanks' solution (Gibco), 2 mM NaHCO3 (Merck, Austria), 6.5 mg/mL glucose (Merck), and 2 mM glutamine (Merck), pH 7.2) culture medium without antibiotics/antimycotics, plated on pre-warmed 24-well or 6-well collagen-coated culture plates, and incubated for 1–7 days at 37 °C/5% CO2. After incubation, cell supernatants were collected for NGF ELISA and/or pooled for addition to organotypic brain slices or cells were stained for further microscopic analysis. Primary astrocytes were isolated as previously done ( Wiesenhofer and Humpel, 2000 and Zassler et al., 2005a) and used as a positive control. Freshly isolated rat monocytes were transiently transfected with pEF-NGF plasmid using the non-liposomal lipid reagent Effectene Transfection Reagent (QIAGEN) according to the manufacturer's instructions.
de l'activité, à l'évaluation médicale et à l'étude des coûts. Par delà les techniques, la rigueur scientifique, les exigences d'une organisation efficace, G. Huault donna au service une dimension humaine prenant en compte non seulement les difficiles problèmes d'éthique que pose la réanimation pédiatrique mais également la vie et le ressenti de l'équipe médicale et paramédicale. Ainsi, G. Huault est allé au-delà de la fondation d'une nouvelle activité et d'une véritable discipline universitaire : il a créé une école solidement attachée à la néonatologie et la pédiatrie. Depuis sa retraite, en 1997, il continuait de travailler tous les jours à la bibliothèque universitaire pour promouvoir la santé du nouveau-né et de l'enfant. Là encore, il montra le chemin aux jeunes étudiants qui le côtoyaient.
sustainable fisheries. Those involved in deep-sea fisheries should bear the burden of proving their sustainability if these fisheries are to develop, or continue. Ending deep-sea fisheries would be particularly appropriate for the high seas outside the EEZs of maritime countries, where fisheries from just a few countries are harming the biodiversity that is a vital interest for all humankind. The authors thank our colleagues Katie Holmes, Caley Anderson, Susanne Adamson, Liz Rauer, Fan Tsao, Jeff Ardron, John Guinotte, Nathaniel Paull, Aja Peters-Mason, Stephen Lutz, Tse Yang Lim, PRKACG Martin Smith, Pippa Gravestock, Ransom Myers, Ellen Pikitch, Beth Babcock, Matt Gianni, Murray Roberts, Tony Koslow, Gilbert Rowe, Colin Simpfendorfer, Sarah Fowler, Claudine Gibson, Sarah Valenti, Peter Kyne, Susanna Fuller, Harlan Cohen, Fikret Berkes, Alex Rogers, Graeme Kelleher, Gregor Cailliet and Colin Clark, who provided essential data, images or references, or read portions of the paper. The authors are deeply grateful to the patient and supportive Charlotte Hudson, Caroline Good and Margaret Bowman, who saw the importance of an interdisciplinary synthesis of this scope.
to routinely measure serum FLCs from an array of patient groups that includes oligosecretory myeloma (Drayson et al., 2001), light chain only myeloma (Bradwell et al., 2003), light chain amyloidosis (Lachmann et al., 2003), monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS) (Rajkumar et al., 2004), healthy individuals (Katzmann et al., 2002), and others (Drayson, 2012). Dual measurement of serum κ and λ FLC levels has also highlighted the importance of the κ:λ ratio in the diagnosis and monitoring of B cell malignancies. The κ:λ ratio represents a sensitive balance between the two light chain types, whereby over-production of one type by a malignant B cell clone leads to a perturbation of the normal κ:λ reference range (Freelite™ κ:λ ratio = 0.26–1.65 (Katzmann et al., 2002)). It is now possible to identify patients with a perturbed serum κ:λ ratio before disease has progressed to the extent that Bence Jones (BJ) protein appears in urine.
evaluations and provide refined information on www.selleckchem.com/products/lee011.html how nanoparticles interact with human cells in many ways. Such studies can be used to establish concentration–effect relationships and the effect-specific thresholds in cells. These assays are suited for high-throughput screening of an ever increasing number of new engineered nanomaterials obviating the need for in vivo testing of individual materials. They also serve as well defined systems for studying the structure–activity relationships involving nanomaterials. Some of the distinct advantages of in vitro systems using various cell lines include; (1) revelation of primary effects of target cells in the absence of secondary effects caused by inflammation; (2) identification of primary mechanisms of toxicity in the absence of the physiological and compensatory factors that confound the interpretation of whole animal studies; (3) efficiency, rapidity and cost-effectiveness; and (4) scope for improvements in design of subsequent expensive whole animal studies ( Huang et al., 2010). Other advantages such as reduction in variability between experiments; reduced requirement of test materials thereby leading to generation of limited amounts of toxic wastes; possibility of using transgenic cell lines carrying human genes etc.
describes being coaxed into fishing in Kamsar port (Guinea-Conakry). 'What he (a Sierra Leonean boat captain) didn׳t tell me was that he was returning to confront a debt of 150,000 CFA (£300). I was with other people from Cabuno. They later told me that if they had known I was to pay the debt of that man; they would never have advised me to leave Kamsar'. Some interviewees have engaged in SSF before leaving their natal birth countries.
This phenomenon is more common among those who joined early (during the 1980s and 1990s) and who largely lack non-fishing occupational experience. One trader, born in Port Loko (Sierra Leone) describes leaving school aged thirteen to travel and sell fresh-fish on ice between Koidu-Sefadu and Freetown with his Aunt. His cousin meanwhile had travelled to Virginia and his elder brother was sending out fish and vegetables to African Dynein communities in the United-States. As war broke-out, the trader crossed into Boffa (Guinea-Conakry) and started smoke-processing fresh bonga. His elder sister "made introductions up country" such that before long he was sending smoked fish 600 km into the highlands, around Gegedou and Kindia."Fish was cheap then" he explains "and money had value; you could build 3–4 baskets (each holding a tonne) for 500,000 Franc Guinée (£100). Today you need 5 million (£1000)". Other individuals describe traversing multiple national borders prior to entering commercial SSF.
Comets were visualized with an excitation filter of 450–490 nm and an emission filter of 515 nm and fluorescent images of single cells were captured at 200 × magnification. A minimum of 100 randomly chosen cells per experimental group were scored for comet parameters such as tail length and percentage of DNA in tail  using the Tritek CometScore Freeware v1.5 image analysis software. Results from the Alamar HDAC inhibitor Blue® assay showed that hydroquinone treatment reduced the viability of human primary fibroblasts and colon cancer HCT116 cells in a dose-dependent manner. As shown in Fig. 1, high concentrations of hydroquinone (227 μM, 454 μM, 908 μM, 2270 μM and 4541 μM) greatly decreased cell viability.
by the Alamar Blue® assay, we exposed fibroblasts cells to concentrations of 454.1 and 908.2 μM of hydroquinone (Table 1). DNA breaks were detected using the highly sensitive alkaline comet assay, an electrophoresis-based assay that allows detection of both single and double-stranded DNA breaks at the single cell level. As expected, etoposide induced significant DNA damage on fibroblasts and HCT116 cells with ∼50% and 80%, respectively, of the DNA leaving the nucleus and migrating as the comet tail (Table 1). Importantly, treatment of HCT116 cells with 227 or 454 μM hydroquinone induced DNA damage similar to that caused by sub-apoptotic levels of etoposide in the same cell line. In fibroblasts, however, exposure to 454.1 μM of hydroquinone induced a much higher % of tail DNA in comets compared to etoposide (Table 1). To investigate if the presence of a fungal strain capable of degrading phenols, P. chrysogenum var.


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La Pelotita
Guru of the Diagonals: Analysis of the decisions and the vacancies of coaches after another Black Monday
Analysis black Coaches decisions Diagonals Guru Monday vacancies
Guru of the Diagonals: Analysi ...
MIAMI — There are beautiful traditions and others not so much. "Black Monday" is an unavoidable day on the NFL calendar and sadly, year after year head coaches are fired.
In this space it has already become a custom to analyze decisions, vacancies and potential successors in each particular franchise.
So, let's go by parts, as "Jack The Ripper" would say.
Since they played on Saturday, the decision to fire Vic Fangio was made official on Sunday, although, in reality, it was something that had been predicted for quite some time.
I can't blame the Broncos for firing Fangio, who was desperately conservative at times throughout the season. The decision to go for a field goal, already eliminated and when facing a staunch rival like the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes behind center encapsulates Denver's offensive anemia and his stay with the Broncos.
There are great defensive coordinators who just don't measure up as head coaches. Wade Phillips was a great example and Fangio is another. He will have multiple offers to fill that role next season.
There is no doubt that Fangio is not the only culprit and since the departure of Peyton Manning, the Broncos franchise has made questionable decisions at quarterback and yet, it seemed that the offense had more potential and that the roster overall was poised to finish with a better record than 7-10.
Potential Successor: Eric Bienemy
Speaking of struggling to find their franchise quarterback, Chicago fired Matt Nagy to go in another direction with a decision that was expected weeks ago, but true to history, the Bears don't hire coaches in the middle of the season.
The roster is not well balanced, there is too much money invested on the defensive end and that is why they also fired general manager Ryan Pace and while he did Nagy no favors, the reality is that his own mistakes sealed his sentence.
I still think Nagy is an excellent offensive mind who will find work as a coordinator, but his season was going to be evaluated by how he handled rookie Justin Fields and he failed miserably on that front. They signed Andy Dalton despite already having Nick Foles and were stubborn about making him the starter and then overextending his stay behind center.
When Fields, who may end up being the franchise quarterback Chicago has longed for, was finally given the chance, Nagy was no help at all with his calls.
It is normal that Fields was a little green and Chicago decided not to give him extra protection and not help him with the running game; the result was one of the worst starts in recent memory.
Nagy guided the Bears to the playoffs with Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback, but the evolution just wasn't there and Fields' management was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Potential successor: Brian Flores
Another decision with which I agree after the firing of Zimmer. His record was positive (71-56-1), but he missed the playoffs in five of his eight years with the Vikings, including the last two, and the reality is that the team has too much talent to continue to disappoint. I understand they've had a negative history with kickers, but Zimmer's handling of games in crucial moments has been poor overall.
I also understand that Kirk Cousins is not the problem, but he is not the solution either, but the defense, his specialty, has taken a couple of steps back from what he did a couple of years ago and his conservatism and the direction that the league takes do not go hand in hand.
It's not that his work was bad, but it seems that the Vikings had reached their ceiling with him and that the cycle was complete.
Potential successor: Doug pederson
Due to the scandal surrounding Urban Meyer, the Jaguars are early in the hiring process for their next coach.
I'm not going to go into depth with the Meyer issue, because I already made it clear what I think of him a few weeks ago, but I am going to say that it is an attractive job. Trevor Lawrence did not develop as many expected and it was going to be difficult to do so in such a dysfunctional environment and he played his best game of the season last week against the Indianapolis Colts.
Shad Khan, despite the fact that Meyer didn't leave him much choice, is a patient owner and the franchise has had so much ineffectiveness in the last decade that surely the next coach will have time to work.
Consider that in the last 10 years, the Jaguars have had at least 10 losses in 9 seasons and only one first-round pick in that time signed his second contract with Jacksonville.
In other words, everything that is achieved, no matter how small, will be a step forward.
Potential successor: Todd Bowles
Without a doubt, the most surprising move on "Black Monday" was the firing of Brian Flores in Miami.
I understand the expectations may have been higher, but the Dolphins have won eight of the last nine games and had consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 18 years.
Personally, I think Flores is a great coach, but I can understand that his assertive and authoritative style is not for everyone. While there are players who had jumped on his ship, there are others with whom he collided internally.
I wasn't a fan of the offensive personnel he surrounded himself with, though, in the end, it's hard to blame him for Tua Tagovailoa's lack of development.
It's an amazing layoff and the first thing that came to mind when I heard the news was that owner Stephen Ross needs to have a succession plan in place.
Ross went to the University of Michigan, has a close relationship with Jim Harbaugh and has gone looking for him in the past.
Potential successor: Jim Caldwell
All signs pointed to Joe Judge surviving at least one more season in charge of the New York team, however, the Giants were such a mess in recent weeks that one day after general manager Dave Gettleman retired, Judge was fired.
With Daniel Jones injured, the Giants have scored more than 10 points just once in the last six games. Offensive anemia was historically bad, but still, it looked like Judge was going to stay in the job, however, some questionable press conferences, coupled with illogical decisions on the field of play, like the QB sneak on a third down and nine yards to go inside his 10-yard line and with the team already eliminated were the drops that broke the camel's back.
In this way, Judge became the third head coach fired after just two seasons in charge of the team, a clear sign that the Giants' problems are deeper than their coach.
Potential successor: Kellen moore
If Las Vegas hadn't qualified for the playoffs, Jim Harbaugh would surely be the Raiders' next head coach, however, after the unlikely qualification in a turbulent season that included drama with Jon Gruden and tragedy with Henry Ruggs III, it's impossible. remove Rich Bisaccia from office.
We can sit down and discuss at length whether he has the experience to be a head coach, but words are gone and actions tell us that his players love him and have been at their best with him in charge.
Will continue in office: Rich Bisaccia
Speaking of coaches, it's never a bad time to REMEMBER THE LEGEND JOHN MADDEN.
*Local teams are in second place
Come the postseason, we've chosen our two favorite bets for each weekend between now and the Super Bowl on February 13 in the city of Los Angeles.
1-BUFFALO BILLS
2-SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
teaser 3
I've always said that I'm not a fan of teasers, since they come from the word tempt and are called "sucker bets", but, at the request of several readers, we added this section. Here, as there are three teams, the line is modified by 6 points, but you must hit all three to collect. Below, I name the three teams with the altered lines in parentheses.
1-TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (-1 and a half)
2-KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (-5 and a half)
3-SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (+9 and a half)
At the request of several of our readers, we include a game of ups and downs for each week.
1-PATRIOTS-BILLS HIGHS (43 and a half)
2-LOWS OF 49ERS-COWBOYS (51 and a half)
Total Statistics (With+Without+Teaser+Ups and Downs): 376-219
With Bet Line: 169-103 (12-4)
No Bet Line: 181-91 (12-4)
Surprise of the Week (no line): 11-6 (1-0)
Fix of the Week (no line): 15-2 (1-0)
Fixed of the Week (with line): 10-7 (0-1)
Power 6 (with line): 65-37 (5-1)
Teasers 3: 9-8 (1-0)
Ups and downs: 17-17 (0-2)
Suicide Pool (no line): 13-4 (SF, CLE, DEN, BUF, NWE, LAR, ARI, cin, MIA, IND, TB, dal, PHI, GB, MIN, lac, SEA, bal)
Opinions or comments: Via Twitter/Instagram/Facebook @SebastianMCESPN Please read this legal notice before submitting your comment.
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The Debut Club: An interview with Becky Wallace, author of THE STORYSPINNER
Posted in 2015 Debuts, Fantasy, Interviews, The Debut Club, Young Adult Authors	by Laura Shovan
Sweet Sixteener Jessica Cluess recently spoke to Fearless Fifteener Becky Wallace about her YA fantasy novel THE STORYSPINNER (March 3, 2015 from Simon and Schuster).
In second grade, Becky Wallace had to sit in the corner because she refused to write anything except princess stories and fairy tales (and because she talked too much). Her time in isolation gave her plenty of opportunities to dream up the fantasy worlds she's been dabbling with ever since. She was lucky enough to find her own real-life Prince Charming. They have four munchkins and live in a happy little town near Houston, Texas.
Find Becky on: Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
About THE STORYSPINNER:
In a world where dukes plot their way to the throne, a Performer's life can get tricky. And in Johanna Von Arlo's case, it can be fatal. Expelled from her troupe after her father's death, Johanna is forced to work for the handsome Lord Rafael DeSilva. Too bad they don't get along. But while Johanna's father's death was deemed an accident, the Keepers aren't so sure. The Keepers, a race of people with magical abilities, are on a quest to find the princess—the same princess who is supposed to be dead and whose throne the dukes are fighting over. But they aren't the only ones looking for her. And in the wake of their search, murdered girls keep turning up—girls who look exactly like the princess, and exactly like Johanna. With dukes, Keepers, and a killer all after the princess, Johanna finds herself caught up in political machinations for the throne, threats on her life, and an unexpected romance that could change everything.
THE STORYSPINNER is available from Amazon, Powell's, Books a Million, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.
Jessica: I loved the world and culture of THE STORYSPINNER. It had a South American vibe, very different from most fantasy. What inspired you to create this unique setting?
Becky: I toured southern Brazil for a month after my freshman year of college. I didn't spend a single night in a hotel, always bouncing around to a new host family in a new city every couple of days. It was an incredible, unique experience! I knew when I started THE STORYSPINNER that I wanted to incorporate some of that setting into the book. The mango orchards, araucaria pine trees, dark sand beaches, and fabulous food were things I experienced first hand. The rest is just imagination.
Jessica: You have multiple points of view in this story, as opposed to telling the tale solely from Johanna's perspective. What led you to structure the book this way?
Becky: When I submitted the manuscript to publishers there were only three points of view—Johanna, Rafi, and the Keeper Jacare—and two distinct plot arcs that eventually converged. My editor suggested that I flesh out the secondary characters and add the additional story lines.
Jessica: Do you outline much, or are you a pantser? Or a combination?
Becky: I'm sort of a hybrid, I guess. I pantsed my way through THE STORYSPINNER, but all my subsequent books (so far) have been written off a very specific synopsis. I actually prefer pantsing! I love it when my characters surprise me, but my editors seem to like knowing what's coming before it lands on their desks!
Jessica: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Becky: Yes and no. I started writing books and plays when I was very young, and shared those stories with my closest friends. But when I got to college, I felt like I needed a degree that was guaranteed to lead to a career—and writing books wasn't it. So I got a degree in public relations, worked in minor league baseball, as a book publicist, and as a journalist for a long time before finally circling back to writing fictional stories. I guess I'm a little more pragmatic than some of my other author friends!
Lightning round questions:
Favorite snack?
Chocolate—as long as it's not American.
Favorite fantasy novel?
If I have to pick just one, I'll pick the originator of so many others: The Lord of the Rings.
Favorite music to write to?
I love acoustic covers of popular songs and have an entire Pandora station devoted to it!
If you weren't a writer, what else would you be?
A baker. I didn't really know how to bake until recently and had no idea how much happiness I could find in the kitchen.
Early bird or night owl?
Both? Neither? I have four small children and steal writing time whenever I can find it.
Dragon or unicorn?
Dragon for sure! If I'm going to be a mythical creature, I want to be able to fly and toast my own marshmallows.
About the Interviewer:
Jessica Cluess grew up in Los Angeles, moved to Chicago, and then moved back when the weather became too weather-y. She now lives and works in a place full of sunshine and traffic. A graduate of Northwestern University, she uses her education to analyze the subtle and intricate history of the Victorian era, then jams some monsters and sorcerers into the mix.
Her debut YA fantasy, A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING (Random House, Fall 2016) tells the story of a young girl who is selected as the first-ever female sorcerer, the Chosen One who must save the empire. But the glamour of her new life hides enemies who would love to know her dark secret—that she might not be the Chosen One after all.
Find Jessica on: Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
« Meet the Author: Gail Shepherd
The Debut Club: An Interview with David Arnold, author of MOSQUITOLAND »


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Oakland A's take series win over Angels with 5-4 extra inning victory
By MJ Hurley
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: Mark Canha #20 of the Oakland Athletics is congratulated by Robbie Grossman #8 after he hit a sacrifice fly that scored the winning run in the 10th inning against the Los Angeles Angels at RingCentral Coliseum on August 23, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
The Oakland A's continued their impressive run at home, and in extra innings, in their 5-4 victory over the Angels.
The Oakland A's have been on an incredible run while at home, with their 5-4 win over the Angels on Saturday extending their record to 13-4 on the home on the year. Oakland continued their domination over LA with an extra inning win that made the "Late Inning A's" 5-0 in extra inning contests on the year.
Frankie Montas gave the A's a decent outing on the mound, but was unable to make it through five innings and was pulled in the fifth after surrendering four runs on seven hits and three walks.
Once again, the Oakland bullpen continued their domination with 5.1 scoreless innings coming from J.B. Wendelken, Jake Diekman, Joakim Soria, and Liam Hendriks.
Shohei Ohtani provided the majority of the offense for Los Angeles. The lefty hit a towering three run shot 439 feet to left field in the third inning.
More from White Cleat Beat
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Dylan Bundy was solid for the Angels in a 5.2 inning start. Bundy allowed three runs and left in position to receive the win. Unfortunately, Mike Mayers immediately gave up a single to Stephen Piscotty which tied the game at four.
There was action early in the sixth inning other than the scoring spree, when Angels manager Joe Maddon was ejected by first base umpire Lance Barrett for arguing a check-swing call in the sixth inning. The other evening on Thursday, Maddon complained to Barrett after Giants pitcher Shaun Anderson up and in at Mike Trout for the third time in two contests.
With Maddon gone, the Angels were forced to maneuver an extra inning game without their veteran skipper at the helm.
After Matt Olson struck out to end the bottom of the ninth inning, Franklin Barreto started off the bottom of the tenth inning on second base.
The A's brought in closer Liam Hendriks in the tenth inning to deny the Angels any opportunity to score. Although conventional analysts are against using closers in non-save situations, Oakland was very happy to escape unscathed in the top of the tenth.
In the bottom half of the frame, a Matt Chapman single followed by a Mark Canha walk-off sacrifice fly gave the A's their 20th win on the season.
The Athletics have the best record in the American League and the second best record in MLB behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Backed by a powerful offense and an incredible bullpen, the A's hold a 4.5 game lead over the Houston Astros in the AL West.
Next. Finding a package for Mike Clevinger. dark
The Oakland A's will start a 10 game road trip on Monday with rookie Jesus Luzardo looking to continue his dominant ways against the Texas Rangers.


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Tell your lawmakers to repeal marijuana prohibition!
It's past time Virginia put an end to the wasteful War on Marijuana.
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Devin Nunes v. Twitter, Inc. et al (Amicus)
Shiyanbade, Brooks, and Lanham v. Executive Health Group, PC, and Dr. J. Rand Baggesen
Randall Mathena v. Lee Boyd Malvo (Amicus)
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ACLU Prepared to Mount Legal Challenge if Pro-Choice License Bill Fails to Pass as Introduced
Civil Liberties Group Says House and Senate Conferees Must Restore Planned Parenthood as Recipient of Revenues
Richmond, VA – The ACLU of Virginia is urging House and Senate conferees to restore Planned Parenthood as the recipient of revenues to be generated from the sale of a pro-choice specialty license plate under consideration by the General Assembly.
The plate, displaying the phrase Trust Women, Respect Choice, counters a law passed in 2009 authorizing a Choose Life license plate. Under recent court decisions holding that specialty license plates are a public forum in which viewpoint discrimination is prohibited, the General Assembly is required to pass a pro-choice plate once an anti-choice plate has been enacted.
Although the Trust Women plate bill has passed both the House and Senate, the recipient of revenues generated by the sale of the plate has become a sticking point. Planned Parenthood, as required by Virginia law, gathered 350 pre-paid applications for the plate and enlisted legislators to introduce the Trust Women bill in the House and Senate, with revenues to be directed to Planned Parenthood. But the House amended the bill to instead direct funds to the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund. The conferees must now decide which organization will receive the revenues from the plate and then refer the agreed-upon bill to the House and Senate for consideration.
The ACLU has informed conferees that the General Assembly must support a bill directing funds to Planned Parenthood or face a lawsuit.
"Removing Planned Parenthood as the revenue recipient has three possible consequences, all of which violate the right of free speech," said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis. "It could cause the bill to fail altogether. The bill could pass, but the license plate will not be produced because there are no pre-paid applications for the non-Planned Parenthood bill. The bill could pass, but the First Amendment rights of individuals who purchased the plate expecting their money to go to Planned Parenthood will be violated."
"This kind of mess is precisely why we have been telling the General Assembly for years to get out of the business of voting on specialty license plates and instead turn the whole process over to DMV," added Willis.
The ACLU memo sent to House and Senate conferees can be found online at: http://acluva.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/20100310ProChoicePlateMemotoConferees.pdf
Contact: Kent Willis, Executive Director, (804) 644-8022
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Why Does a Salad Cost More Than a Big Mac? Why Does a Salad Cost More Than a Big Mac?
Why does a salad cost more than a Big Mac? Part of the reason is that a huge proportion of our food subsidies go to meat while only 0.37 percent go to fruits and vegetables. That makes meat and dairy artificially cheap, so we end up consuming more of it than we should, and getting fatter.


Entertainment Earth is all about bringing a piece of Hollywood home to your house. You can choose from lifesize dolls and standups to sporting goods, to bobble heads, and action figures, among more. Select from your favorite themes, movies, and characters. Bring Hollywood home for less with an Entertainment Earth coupon code.
Receive FREE Shipping every day on in-stock orders of $79 or more and select pre-order items of $79 or more (U.S. only)!


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NCPV News
Zika virus - sharing data in public health emergencies
Zika fever is a mosquito-borne infection caused by Zika virus (ZIKV) (genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae). The virus was first isolated from a monkey in 1947 originating from the Zika forest in Uganda. In 2015, an outbreak of ZIKV infection began in the Caribbean and Central and South America; travellers returning from these endemic areas contributing to the spread of the infection outside of the Americas. Consequently surveillance for ZIKV infection has improved greatly, and increased numbers of cases have been reported both within the affected regions and in new epidemiological areas.
Zika Open
The WHO International Health Regulations Emergency Committee has met three times to discuss ZIKV; most recently on the 14 June 2016. Zika virus infection (and associated disorders) was initially declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in February 2016. Despite the world-wide public health response, it remains a PHEIC. In the context of the PHEIC, WHO has created 'Zika Open' an access area for researchers and scientists to share data. Data forms the basis for action in public health emergencies, and the ability to rapidly share information is crucial to ensure a timely, informed response. The data shared in zika open is freely available, can be used without restriction, and can be distributed and reproduced as long as the originating paper is cited correctly.
Zika infection is complex, and research into the virus covers a diverse range of areas of focus from disease pathogenesis to treatment and prevention. Zika open aims to encourage researchers from all disciplines to share their data quickly and widely, and highlights the advantages of sharing data generated globally from different geographical locations and various sources, to fight an infectious disease of global concern.
Strain variations
Genetic studies have shown that there are three distinct genotypes of ZIKV known as East African, West African and Asian. Research using these three genotypes can help to achieve a better understanding of the disease. There are currently three strains of ZIKV within the National Collection of Pathogenic Viruses (NCPV) collection:
MP1751 (cat no. 1308258v) - the first strain to the collection is a historical strain. From the depositor records it is thought that this strain is most likely to have been isolated from Aedes africanus mosquitoes captured in Zika Forest, Uganda, in 1962
PRVABC59 (cat no. 1604131v) - the second strain is a recent strain and was isolated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from serum of a patient who had travelled to Puerto Rico in South America in 2015, at the start of the outbreak
PHE_semen_Guadeloupe (cat no. 1609021v) - the most recently acquired strain in the collection was isolated by the Public Health England Virology and Pathogenesis group in 2016. This strain was isolated from the semen of patient from Guadeloupe.
It is hoped that by sharing data from research using historical and emerging strains, as well as strains isolated from various clinical sample types, a better understanding can be gained about ZIKV, its modes of transmission (including sexual transmission), treatment and prevention.
PHE ZIKV: country specific risk
WHO Zika Open
NCPV ZIKV strains
Dye, C., Bartolomeos, K., Moorthy, V., & Kieny, M. (2016). Data sharing in public health emergencies: A call to researchers. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 94(3), 158
Lanciotti, R., Lambert, A., Holodniy, M., Saavedra, S., & Signor, L. (2016). Phylogeny of Zika Virus in Western Hemisphere, 2015. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 22(5), 933-5.
Atkinson B, Graham V, Miles RW, Lewandowski K, Dowall SD, Pullan ST, Hewson R. 2016. Complete genome sequence of Zika virus isolated from semen. Genome Announc 4(5):e01116-16
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You have heard me gush about the talents of both Emily McCarthy and Lee Cox more than once on the blog. I adore both of them as business owners and precious friends. They have come together to create an exclusive limited edition tablescape collaboration, which is soon to be THE "new tradition for your table". Their collaboration combines incredible china, glassware, essentials, and table linens with a fabulous Thanksgiving crest that can be personalized with your monogram. Think of it as timeless, custom pieces to be used during the fall, and with the addition of a monogram, all year long.
I only have sneak peek of the collection at this time, but the sneaks alone will draw you right in! I truly can not imagine a better collaboration of all things table + entertaining. Emily is the leader in the design of custom pieces and this crest is a perfect combination of her incredible and boundless talent and Lee's love of all things classic design, tradition, paired with quality products. The leaves and greenery in the crest combines the low country where Emily lives and the red hill region where Lee resides. The bob white quail was a must have for the crest as it is the top economic producer for hunting in Thomasville. The connection for Emily + Lee goes so much deeper than just friendship and business as they both have such a love of traditional transitions of the seasons with a modern twist. The fabric for the table linens show one these modern twists with the addition of gold chain.
I was excited to hear from Lee what this collaboration meant to him. I only had two questions since I knew exactly what I wanted to ask him.
What inspired this collection for you? Tell me how your life and history in Thomasville, Georgia transitioned into the design.
My grandparents and their love for tradition and entertaining inspired me to create this collection with Emily. Through their entertaining and appreciation for aesthetic pleasure, my maternal grandparents taught me the joy of always welcoming friends an family into my home. I wanted to create a unique and bold china that inspires others to create traditions of their own. Thomasville, Georgia embodies a perfect combination of the quintessential small town community +high value of the traditional hunt in the all in the pursuit of the 3 oz bird.
Why Emily McCarthy for this project, what about her work and her brand made this a perfect collaboration for you.
Emily is a true artist. If I was a graphic designer I would want the style of Emily McCarthy .. posh and timeless, manipulated with bold and bright colors. I aspire to create similar interiors with traditional bones but contemporary accessories and elements.
You can pre-order the collection here. You can also see it in person at one of the stops on Lee's Trunk Show Tour. The tour starts on October 10th in Macon, Georgia and ends on the 18th in Savannah. You can most definitely find me there. I can't wait to squeeze both of them and celebrate this excitement with my precious friends. I love seeing those I care about grow and try new things. I have no doubt at all this collection will be loved and treasured by so many!


Although Job may not fully understand what he is going through, he still has his trust in God. when God is silent let us continue to have faith and trust in him for He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, creator.
God will turn us into a perfect body of people that believe!


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INSTAT's Report on Agriculture and Farming Between 2014-2018 Revealed
July 8, 2019July 8, 2019
TIRANA, July 8
Albania produces approximately 1.1 million tons of milk annually. Referred to the data provided by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) on its report, published on Thursday, June 13 in the last 5 years, the production of milk reached a peak in 2017, with a total production of 1.156.000 tons milk. Whereas, in 2018 the total production of milk decreased in the level of 1.114.00 million tons.
Between 2014-2018, the production of milk reached a peak in 2017, with a total production of 1.156.000 tons of milk
Regarding meat production, Albania produces on the average, 160.000 tons annually. In 2017 and 2018, the meat production was 161.000 tons, an increase compared to the years 2014-2015 where the quantity of meat production was 155.000 tons and 158.000 tons respectively.
Lastly, the egg volume production in Albania is on the average 800 million annually. The biggest production of eggs was in 2014, where there were produced 835 million eggs, registering an increase in 2017 with a total production of 811 million eggs. In 2018, there was an increase again, with a total production of 828 million eggs approximately.
According to INSTAT, Albania produces 800 million eggs annually
But a decrease is noted on the number of livestock though. Referred to the data provided by INSTAT in Albania between 2014-2018 the number of cows decreased by 15.000. In 2014, there were counted 358.000 cows, whereas in 2018 there were 343.000 cows. The same trend is noted in the number of sheep. In Albania, between 2014-2018 there were 83.000 fewer sheep. Whereas, the number of goats, was increased from 2014 until 2018 with a total number of 199.000 more goats.
Between 2014-2018, the number of goats in Albania registered a rise, by raising 199.000 more goats.
Source/ INSTAT
Read also: Agriculture
Agriculture Trends and Top Producing Regions by Crops in 2018
albanian agriculture, data, featured, INSTAT - Institute of Statistics
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Movie Review – Harlan County USA
Harlan County USA (1976)
Directed by Barbara Kopple
Like sand, our memory of history in the United States slips so easily between our fingers that we have forgotten far more than we remember. In this way, film is an act of preservation, the attempt to secure moments in our past in a manner that words cannot. The story of the American worker is one that was ground down almost to nothing in the hands of the Reagan Administration and on into the Clinton Administration, Bush Jr, Obama, Trump, and now today. Many promising new unions are being formed, and it is clear younger people want to embrace that collective strength that is far more potent than the individualism that only leads to ruin & alienation. Barbara Kopple understands the importance of unions and who leads them, which brought her to Harlan County, Kentucky, in 1973.
Coal mining is a dirty, dangerous job, but it is also necessary as the United States depends on fossil fuels. Kopple and her crew arrived in Kentucky to chronicle the Kenzie Miners for Democracy's attempt to unseat Tony Boyle, the then-president of the UMWA (United Mine Workers of America). Like many large-scale union bosses, Boyle was a puppet of the company, in this instance, Duke Power. Not all union leaders are bad, but when a union becomes powerful, you can bet money that the company will attempt to get their loyalists seated and woo the leaders who aren't with gifts. So it was time for Boyle to go and for new blood to take the seat of power. But Kopple found a different story.
Instead, when she and her cameraman Hart Perry arrived, they found the Brookside Mine workers striking against not just horrible conditions in the mines but that their families lived in abject squalor. It was rare to find adequate bathroom facilities and certainly no proper heating/cooling systems for the laborers that Duke and their associates depended on. Kopple & Perry were rightfully met with suspicion by the locals; they were seen as "hippies" and outsiders, potentially exploiting the serious labor strike. So the filmmaking team embedded themselves with these families for years, understanding they needed to earn their trust and be transparent about the documentary, mainly how the people of the union would be portrayed.
One of the things you'll quickly pick up on is that the union and mining companies are in a constant state of war. The company is always trying to provide the bare minimum to their workers, and frequently what would be considered even less than that. The union cannot rest for a second, or they will be thoroughly exploited. Elders in the community tell us that there have been periods of outright bloodshed in this region, brutal wars fought by the union against the union breakers. The very strike Kopple covers in this documentary is ended when a man is killed, and his literal child bride is left to raise their infant son without him. I think contemporary America likes to imagine that it is far removed from these types of things, but that would be foolish to believe.
We must never forget that the vast economic behemoths we, as workers, are fighting against are not stupid. There are undoubtedly significant and unwieldy, creating weak points that can be exploited, but no victory against them will ever occur on the playing field this same corporation has constructed. Of course, there is always the direct action of the strike and the workers attempting to stop scabs from crossing that line. However, a shadow war is happening beneath that, which some of the interviewed folks mention. Guerilla tactics are used to sabotage company equipment and disrupt production flow. Make no mistake, the Law exists to protect corporations & the wealthy. If you benefit from the Law at any point, that is a fluke, not the system's intention.
Do not for a second think Duke Power or the Brookside Mine are owned by saintly men. They bring in what the union correctly refers to as "gun thugs." As Kopple filmed, she finally saw the gun thugs cease trying to hide from the camera and brandish their weapons at the striking workers. Kopple & Hart are physically attacked in one harrowing scene as the strikebreakers rush the workers at night, thinking the shadows would hide them. These strikebreakers are brownshirts, the most rotten men you could encounter, bootlicking fascists who live slightly better than the miners they commit violence on but clearly aren't that wealthy. They have been tricked into thinking that if they follow the Master's rules, one day, they will get to eat at his table. That is a joke, a farce, a comical idea to even entertain. They are dogs who will never eat from anything other than the bowls where the Master throws his scraps. They imagine themselves as better than the rest of us but will be ground into the mud like everyone else if it comes to that.
One of the most compelling sequences in the film for me was a conflict that occurred between a pair of miners' wives. One woman is accused of sleeping with another woman's husband, and a big screaming match occurs when solidarity is needed. To win even the most minor victory against these corporate masters, you cannot let your personal feelings spoil things. You do not have to like everyone in your union, but you have to control that anger and direct it to the powers who deserve it.
Stepping into this tiff is Sudie Crusenberry, one of the best people you will ever have the honor to observe. She shuts it down quickly because she is a local, which means she can speak the language of these women, and Sudie understands the Great Prize involved. She tells them she has no interest in chasing a man; all Sudie can think about are the two little boys she's raising under these conditions and fighting for them. Sudie sees that what is essential is not the temporary grievances of the day but what happens when she is gone. What type of world will her boys grow into? What about her future grandchildren? What about people she will never meet?
If the world had more Sudies, we would all be living joyfully. We'd be standing up for each other, keeping the fight going, and knowing that when we died, we were leaving behind a world our descendants could be proud of. There's a great quote from Sudie about the victory that was achieved from the strike, "We seen it rough, and we was treated rough, but we won victory. I believe in standing up for our rights together."
To live in this world, particularly in the United States, you must open your eyes to the fact that you are sold the illusion of progress daily. A female executive ascends to the status of CEO, and you are told that is a victory for you as a woman. A Black man becomes an important political figure within the boundaries of the establishment, and you are told that was a win for you as a Black person. But these are individual accomplishments, and often these people get power and do nothing with it to lift up those who need help. That is the nasty trick America pulls on marginalized people daily, making you think some already wealthy asshole getting a big payday is a win for you because they look like you. The human story is a collective story, not an individual one.
Each of us is here and alive not because of one person but because generations of people fought to survive in an extremely harsh world. Some people stepped on others and left a trail of destruction behind them. Others kept extending a hand, and those they reached out to then reached out themselves to another in need. In this way, we will solve our most significant challenges and create a world that is so beyond our most fantastic imagination that it makes me tear up just thinking about it. I hold no illusions that I will live to see that world because there is so much work to be done, but I know it is waiting for us, not me, out there in history. It's why I am a communist. Only unified will humanity make its highest achievements. Each individual is important, not by themselves, but as a piece of a beautiful mosaic. So we fight on for those Harlan County mine workers that fought for us and the endless number of laborers before them that fought. The Masters want us to believe we are without hope, that my neighbor is my enemy, but they are wrong. Let's prove it to them.
Author Seth HarrisPosted on January 4, 2023 Categories 1970s, documentary, political
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2021-22 'A' Rated School by the AZ Department of Education
About SSE
GPS Family Resource Center making a difference in the lives of students and employees
Think about the items that you use on a daily basis from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep at night. Personal care items, clothing, shoes, work or school bags, supplies, food to eat, and much more. These items are part of our routines so much so that we can forget their value in our lives. For Gilbert Public Schools' students and families who are struggling to get by, these items mean so much more.
"When it comes to requesting items, sometimes people think it's always going to be food. One family was asking for toothbrushes, because they didn't have enough for everybody," said Susan Cadena, the K-12 Prevention Coordinator for Gilbert Public Schools.
The district saw a need in the community, so about two years ago the GPS Family Resource Center was created. It's located on the southside of Gilbert Elementary's campus. The centralized district location houses items and resources for students, families, and employees in need. There are toys, bookbags, clothing, shoes, food, school supplies, hygiene products, and more. All of the items are donated by GPS schools, community members, organizations, and local businesses.
"We have such a great community that sometimes we don't know when donations are coming," Cadena said.
The center focuses on serving families who are experiencing homelessness and youth on their own, but it is open to everyone in need. At least 300 GPS students have been assisted this academic year. Cadena says the goal is to expand the reach to even more GPS families in the future.
"It's something that we know is raw in the making. We've already supported so many without having to do a lot of things. We can only imagine what that will look like once we really have it all together," she said.
The GPS Family Resource Center was recently awarded a grant by the Gilbert Education Foundation. The money is going towards buying shelving units, storage containers, and clothing racks to help organize and display the donations. Cadena and Allee Klingensmith, the Homeless Education and Foster Care Liaison, are working together to transform the space and create more of a shopping experience.
"We want it to be at least somewhat dignified where school social workers or families can come in and be able to pick some items that they need without feeling like the items are just thrown together," Cadena said.
The GPS Resource Center is accessible throughout the academic year and the summer. In order to get donations, students and families can connect with their school's social worker or mental health counselor. GPS employees can reach out to their supervisor, or contact Cadena's office directly for assistance. The center aims to provide practical items that help make daily life easier, especially for youth on their own.
"Sometimes we provide a sleep bag that they can leave at school if they need to before going on to wherever they might be staying. That really opened our eyes to the practicality of the items that we were taking," she said.
Donations are also collected year-round. Schools, clubs, community groups, businesses, and individuals are all encouraged to give. New items are accepted, but Cadena hopes the center will be able to get a washer and dryer in the future to clean items that are gently-used. The center could possibly become more than just a hub for donations. Cadena says it could eventually host community drives and resource fairs for the students and families it serves.
"I want it to be this resource that people are aware of, and to know that we do have a need at Gilbert Public Schools. We are more than willing, ready, and open to serve those families. With everybody's support, I think it is something that we can truly grow into an effective way of supporting our school community," she said.
To connect with the GPS Family Resource Center, check out the School Social Worker & Mental Health Counselor Directory listed at the bottom of the wellness section of the GPS website!
Written by Kailey Latham, Photos by Jonason Pauley
7125 East Monterey


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Posted in Articles August 20, 2018
A Parent's Guide to Dealing With Fortnite
HomeAll PostsArticlesA Parent's Guide to Dealing With Fortnite
Posted in Articles August 20, 2018 0Comments
Understanding the appeal and setting boundaries
Rachel Ehmke is managing editor at the Child Mind Institute.
Now that school's out, our thoughts turn to beaches, pools, hiking trails and barbecues. But if you have children from about nine to college age, it's a good bet their summer fantasies involve more time to play Fortnite. Kids of all ages are obsessively playing Fortnite on their phones, computers, PlayStations, Xboxes and Switches. When they're not playing Fortnite they might be watching streams of other people playing it on Twitch or Youtube. The game's almost hypnotizing popularity has many parents worried.
Sarah, mom to nine-year-old Henry, says that Fortnite is different from other games. "He has played other video games, but he hasn't been so enamored by anything like this before. It's not like a sports game on the Xbox — it's really addicting." She mentions a friend whose ninth grader stays up to 3 and 4 in the morning playing. Brian, father to another nine-year-old, describes walking outside and hearing neighborhood kids screaming about near misses on a Fortnite game like it's a World Cup final.
"We're hearing from a lot of parents worried because their kids seem even more glued to this game than others, and tearing them away from it for homework or dinner is becoming an issue," reports David Anderson, PhD, head of the ADHD and Behavior Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. "We're also hearing about kids developing behavior around the game that could get them into trouble."
What makes Fortnite so appealing to kids? And how can parents keep them from getting so sucked into the game that it's unhealthy?
Why is Fortnite so compelling?
When people are talking about Fortnite, they are most likely talking about Fortnite: Battle Royale, which is the version of the game where up to 100 players battle to the death, with the winner being the last player standing. The game is similar to the ultra-popular Minecraft in that part of the object of the game is construction. In Fortnite players can build forts from materials they find in their environment. They can also loot supplies and equipment from defeated players, random supply drops, and from chests they find sprinkled around the game map.
"My favorite part of the game is the surprise of finding where the chests are and what's inside them, or what's flying around or what your opponents have if you kill them" says Rusty, a 10-year-old Fortnite player. "Often it's a weapon. Sometimes you get a good weapon, sometimes it's a bad one. You can get shields that protect you, you can get bombs, ammo, sometimes you can get materials."
These surprise rewards can hold a strong appeal for kids. The excitement of finding a chest — and the possibility of what might be inside — is one such strategy that reinforces a person's desire to keep playing and keep getting rewards.
Another feature that makes Fortnite enticing is the near-miss: When your character is killed on Fortnite, you get to see the health bar of the person who killed you. Often you will see that your opponent was also close to dying, so the game feels like it was very close. The near misses are tantalizing, and you're compelled to keep playing.
It's a technique that's used in other combat games, along with Candy Crush, which tells players when they just missed getting to the next level. Researchers studying the effect of these near-misses found that they triggered a substantial urge to keep playing.
"There's something about really trying to win against a group of people and feeling like you're getting better and better and closer and closer," says Sarah. "It almost seems like it's gambling, like a slot machine. It hooks these kids and they feel like they need to keep playing."
"With a game like Fortnite, you're losing frequently, but you also have so much potential with every game," agrees Dr. Anderson, adding, "Not to mention that you don't have to wait too long to start the next game." Each game is about 20 minutes long, and anyone who has ever binge watched a television series knows how quickly time passes with each successive episode.
The social draw
One of the biggest draws of Fortnite is its social component. Kids can play with a friend or in a squad of friends. Rusty plays with his neighbor, and says they try to help each other out during the battles. If playing a game is fun by yourself, it's naturally going to be more fun if you're playing with friends. It also sets up some compelling expectations — and potential conflicts with parents. If you've set a time to play with a friend, you're going to want to keep that appointment. If your friend wants to play the next game, you won't want to let him down.
"With Fortnite, if you're not on when your friends are playing, you've missed it," notes Dr. Anderson. And for kids, feeling left out is one of the worst feelings there is.
Fortnite certainly isn't the first game to let people play together on a team. Games like Quake and Counterstrike also let you team up with a friend. But Fortnite introduces younger kids to the adrenalin-inducing appeal of a first-person shooter game that is played in real time with friends. That's because parents are more likely to give younger kids their blessing to play Fortnite, since its cartoon graphics aren't especially gruesome.
While all this carefully crafted game design makes Fortnite fun to play, it also makes it hard to stop, so setting limits is necessary.
"We try to take a sense of the amount of free time that a child has, and what we want to know is that there's balance," says Dr. Anderson. He has a checklist of things that he calls "developmentally integral" to a child's life, that parents should make sure kids aren't missing out on. The list includes:
Seeing friends and interacting with them in real life
Participating in extracurricular activities they're excited about
Keeping up with academic classes and doing homework
Building positive relationships with family members
A healthy allotment of screen time would be one that wouldn't disrupt these things. Rusty says he gets to play for two-hour blocks on weekends or days off from school, but never on weekdays. This schedule works for him, although he says many of his friends play every day.
You might like the idea of saving video games for the weekend, or you might agree that a smaller amount of time every day — maybe half an hour in the evening — is fine, as long as homework is done first. Whatever you decide, do continue to monitor how your child is doing, Dr. Anderson advises, and don't be afraid to modify the schedule as needed.
Fortnite and behavior issues
Parents should also monitor kids' behavior when they are playing video games, especially social ones like Fortnite, Dr. Anderson advises.
For example, he reports, "Lots of parents will come and tell us, 'My kid only has 30 minutes where they get to play this game on a weeknight, but I walk by and I hear them saying insulting and derogatory things the whole time. What do I do about that?' "
The advice he usually gives starts with explaining the difference between good natured trash talk, which is fine, and bullying, which isn't. He also recommends warning kids that the things they are saying while they are playing can have real life consequences. Someone could take a screen capture of what your child is saying in chat, or record audio, or a friend's parent could even be in the room overhearing what he is saying. Then things can escalate.
For example, Dr. Anderson warns, "I had a kid last week get suspended from school for a day over swear words and threats that he leveled against another student about Fortnite, and the fact that the other student was playing with a friend of his without him."
There are a few lessons here. The first is that kids shouldn't feel like the rules are different in games or online. In video games when kids are feeling competitive — or slighted — and their adrenaline is boosted, it can lead to them saying things they wouldn't normally say face-to-face. But the ordinary rules of conduct should still apply.
This is also important because the habits kids develop while playing video games can generalize into other settings, like school.
Enforcing limits
As with any discipline you enforce as a parent, setting clear limits is important.
Sarah is strict about not letting her son play Fortnite during the school week, unless it's a treat, and he knows that. After hearing her son arguing and getting upset with a friend while playing the game, she also doesn't let him play Fortnite with people he can't play nicely with. But learning more about the game has also taught her when to be a little lenient. Because there's no way to pause the game, she says she'll let her son finish if he's in the middle of a game. Her son appreciates that, and not trying to fight that particular battle helps everyone stay calm.
Brian says his son just got the game. And since he knows how wound up kids can get playing it, he made a point of warning his son that if he hears him getting overly emotional about Fortnite he'll take it away. "Over the weekend we were visiting friends and I heard one of the kids screaming upset because now that Fortnite is released on the Nintendo Switch platform, he couldn't port over the things he had earned on the Xbox," Brian says. That's the kind of outsized reaction that he wants his kid to know isn't acceptable. Normal behavior rules still apply.
Setting limits from the beginning is ideal, but things aren't hopeless if you haven't done this yet. Make sure whatever limits you do decide to establish are made clear to your child, and make sure that you stick to them. Kids will learn pretty quickly if you'll relent and give them an extra 20 minutes of screen time when they throw a tantrum, even if you only give in one out of every four times. Remember that with video games you're up against a potent competitor, and stick to your own guns.
Tags: dealing with, Fortnite, kids, parents
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Bibliographic details for Universalism
Page name: Universalism
Author: Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia contributors
Publisher: Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia, .
Date of last revision: 6 January 2016 17:25 UTC
Permanent URL: http://www.tibetanbuddhistencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Universalism&oldid=231021
Citation styles for Universalism
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Eschatology:
About This Study
Apocalyptic Literature
The Consequence
Start At The Beginning
The Fourth Gentile Kingdom
Daniel's 70th Week
The Apostle
The False Prophet
Message To The Seven Churches
The Lamb of God
The Seals
The First Four Seals
The Fifth Seal
The Sixth Seal
Interlude: The 144,000 Bond Servants
The Trumpets
The Seventh Seal and the First Four Trumpets
The Fifth Trumpet
The Sixth Trumpet
Interlude: The Two Witnesses
The Seventh Trumpet
The Bowls
The Reaping
The First Six Bowls
The Seventh Bowl
Interlude: The Doom of Babylon
Lord Jesus
Marriage of the Lamb
The Millennial Kingdom
The Great White Throne
New Heaven and New Earth
Skillbuilder
Indices and Search
During the pause from the breaking of seals, the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth are introduced. Responsible for harming the earth, they await the sounding of the first four trumpets; however, they are instructed not to harm the earth until the bond servants of God have been sealed on their foreheads (Rev 7:1-3).
The bond servants are sealed the names of Jesus and Yahweh written on their foreheads (Rev 14:1).
This sealing is very different from the Holy Spirit's sealing of a new genuine Believer (2 Cor 1:21-22; Eph 1:13-14). The "seal of God" protects the bond servants from the woe of the fifth trumpet (Rev 9:4) – the plague of stinging locusts from the bottomless pit that tormented people with pain for five months.
The sealed bond servants number 144,000 from every tribe "of the sons of Israel." (Rev 7:4).
They are virgin Jewish men who "follow Jesus wherever He goes" (Rev 14:4).
The time it took to seal the 144,000 appears to be the reason for the thirty minutes of silence in heaven that follows breaking of the seventh seal (Rev 8:1-2).
Subsequent to this first interlude, after the seventh trumpet and before the first bowl, the apostle John sees Jesus Christ with the 144,000 sealed bond servants "who had been purchased from the earth" (Rev 14:3-4), which indicates that they were dead and in heaven.
They were privileged to sing a new song before God, the twenty four elders and the four living creatures that no other saint could learn (Rev 14:3).
They were blameless and incapable of telling a lie (Rev 14:5), which implies a reference to what they may have been like while on earth as mortal human beings.
Thus, the trumpet judgments did not begin until the 144,000 bond servants were sealed, and by the seventh trumpet, they were no longer alive on earth.
Using a chart to record these observations, the existence of the sealed bond servants of God would look like this:
Third Heaven (location of the Temple of God)
30 minutes of silence (Rev 8:1)
Fate of the Believers
The bond servants of God are being sealed (Rev 7:1-8) Presumption: the sealed bond servants have begun their ministry By the end of Trumpet 6, the sealed bond servants no longer exist on earth (Rev 9:20-21) and after Trumpet 7, they are being honored in heaven (Rev 14:1-5)
For deeper study:
The 144,000 Bond Servants
Series: The Doctrine on Eschatology