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U.S. Debt Default Could Come in October, Yellen Warns – The New York Times
Economy|Janet Yellen warns of a possible October default on U.S. debt, swollen by the pandemic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/business/economy/united-states-debt-default.html
WASHINGTON — The United States could default on its debt sometime in October if Congress does not take action to raise or suspend the debt limit, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen warned on Wednesday.
The "extraordinary measures" that the Treasury Department has been employing to finance the government on a temporary basis since Aug. 1 will be exhausted next month, Ms. Yellen said in a letter to lawmakers. She added that the exact timing remained unclear but that time to avert an economic catastrophe was running out.
"Once all available measures and cash on hand are fully exhausted, the United States of America would be unable to meet its obligations for the first time in our history," Ms. Yellen wrote.
To delay a default, Treasury has in the last month suspended investments in the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund and the Government Securities Investment Fund of the Federal Employees Retirement System Thrift Savings Plan.
The distribution of pandemic relief payments this year and uncertainty over incoming tax payments this month have made it more challenging than usual to predict when funds will run out. Ms. Yellen said that a default would cause "irreparable harm" to the U.S. economy and to global financial markets and that even coming close to defaulting could be harmful.
"We have learned from past debt limit impasses that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise short-term borrowing costs for taxpayers and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States," she wrote.
Democratic leaders have been insisting for months that Republicans join them in raising the debt ceiling, saying the government hit its last debt limit because of the spending and tax cutting of the Trump administration, what Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California on Wednesday called "the Trump credit card."
But Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, has been just as emphatic that he will keep Senate Republicans from helping Democrats on the issue. Democrats may try to attach the increase to measures such as an emergency spending bill to pay for relief and reconstruction after Hurricane Ida, wildfires and heat waves from the summer — daring senators from Louisiana and Western states to vote no.
The showdown has again put the parties into a game of chicken, with a debt default and potential economic crisis as the consequence.
Ms. Pelosi, at her weekly news conference on Wednesday, said emphatically that Democrats would not include a statutory increase in the government's borrowing authority in a budget bill being drafted this month. That bill, under complicated budget rules, could pass without Republican votes in the Senate.
Instead, Democratic leaders will dare Senate Republicans to filibuster a bill that does raise the debt ceiling.
"We Democrats supported lifting the debt ceiling" during the Trump administration, she said, "because it was the responsible thing to do." She added, "I would hope that the Republicans would act in a similarly responsible way."
Democrats have several options they are considering. The government will run out of operating funds at the end of the month, so a debt ceiling increase could be attached to a stopgap spending measure — meaning a Republican filibuster would not only jeopardize the government's full faith and credit, it could shut down the government.
Democrats could also attach it to a major infrastructure bill that passed the Senate with bipartisan support and is supposed to get a House vote by Sept. 27.
← Santa Anita to reopen its signature downhill turf course – Los Angeles Times
Covid-19 Live Updates: L.A. Vaccine News, Cases and the Latest – The New York Times →
Social media are turbocharging the export of America's political culture – The Economist
Beauty and the beach: Miss Earth USA participants finish mission trip in La Jolla – La Jolla Light
USC vs. Arizona State: Live updates, news odds and analysis – Los Angeles Times

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When everything seems to be going pretty well in my research, writing, and teaching worlds it is usually a sure sign that the bottom is about to fall out of something. Or maybe everything. Sometimes, however, it produces a productive overlap where my teaching helps shape my writing and research agenda which in turn helps shape my teaching.
Recently I worked with my class on an assignment that was designed to look at videogame reviewing. Our starting point was a useful article by media critic-at-large Chuck Klosterman arguing that we currently don't have any videogame critics in the true sense of the term. Rather than criticism, what we have is simply consumer advice: product comparison that inevitably boils down to a recommendation whether or not a particular game is worth purchasing. There is precious little in the way of commentary on games that attempts to explore why a particular game might be significant or worthy of comment in ways that fall outside its status as a consumer object. (Yes, before anyone bothers to point it out, Yahtzee may be the exception that proves the rule; but in both my classes the jury was still out on that).
We spent some time looking at examples of film reviews; sadly there is no shortage of book and film reviews that represent pure consumer advice. The difference between film reviewing and the world of game reviewing, however, is that for film there are alternative models out there that are offered in publications geared toward a general readership. Occasionally, you even get a chance to see these two modes of reviewing (critical and consumer advisory) side-by-side in the same publication. For example, sometimes (not often) the Washington Post publishes not one, but two reviews of the same movie. Recently they took this approach with The Adjustment Bureau.
"Dance's Starring Role in 'The Adjustment Bureau'" by Sarah Kaufman, on March 4.
Although posted online on March 4, the Kaufman piece appeared in next day's paper; the Post is actually really bad about indicating when and where their articles appeared in the physical paper, and whether or not the online version has been modified. (This is something that the New York Times is a lot more scrupulous about). Why is this significant? It meant that most readers of the paper wouldn't have seen Hornaday and Kaufman going head to head. Also significant is that the Kaufman piece was published in a section called, as I remember, "The Critic's Corner." The Post is thus signifying pretty clearly that there is a difference between reviewing and criticism. This, again, is not the case with other publications such as the New York Review of Books and The New Yorker.
I'm going to declare my bias here. I can't stomach Hornaday's work. I think it represents everything that Hesse was critical of in his condemnation of the poor critic, with one significant exception. He praised the idea of the good critic having a strong signature style. Well, Hornaday certainly does. It is light, and breezy, and very accessible. However Hesse also saw that such a style needs to be married to a strong point of view. What I most dislike about Hornaday's work is that she writes in a way that always seems to indicate that she is saying something profound about the movie she is reviewing, but that is almost never the case. She writes like the super smart kid in a high school English class who has figured out that if you have enough style, most people will never notice that you lack substance (and who is constantly rewarded for that behavior). Hornaday uses exciting and, occasionally, elegant turns of phrase to point out the blindingly obvious about a movie.
Compare her work with that of Kauffman. Hornaday's piece is almost pure plot and character description. It then ends with a final, summative paragraph, that presents itself as a moment of insight but in fact reveals only what any viewer of the movie who hadn't slept through the entire thing would have noted for themselves. Kaufman, on the other hand, focuses her analysis of the movie by concentrating on something that we would have noticed about the movie (hey, there's dance in there!) but offers an argument for how the presence of dance is more interesting than we might at first have realized. In other words, she is hewing closely to the two meanings of re-view: to take a second look, or to see differently. If we've seen the movie, we might stumble across her piece on the web and use it to notice something different about what we saw; if we haven't seen the movie yet, she's equipping us to notice something that we might pay more attention to than we would otherwise.
I am not presenting criticism and reviewing as absolutely opposed to one another. Criticism can also make for a good review. Note that Kaufman's piece also gives you a lot of the key information about the film (what is it about, who stars in it, what is the basic plot) as you would need to decide whether or not you wanted to go and see the film. In fact, because it isn't driven by summary, it does it a lot more concisely than Hornaday. But criticism does something that pure consumer review can't do, and that is treat the object under consideration as being about ideas that are connected with other aspects of society and culture. For Hornaday, by contrast, reviewing is mostly focused on the viewing experience (was it a good one or was it a bad one?). If ideas are present, they rarely outlast the viewing of the movie.
The really tragic aspect of this, of course, is that Hornaday is the staff reviewer for the Post because her work represents what people want to read. And not just the sweaty masses. She has, after all, been nominated for a Pulitzer for her film review work. (Which makes me think that no one actually read much of her work; I find it hard to believe that someone would have been able to do so without responding as an elderly (2006) Wonkette post once did: "Have you ever considered trying to write essays that don't make us want to claw our eyes out?").
But I think her work is popular for one very clear reason, and it is relevant not just to the world of game reviewing but to cultural attitudes toward games in general: it is a sin to think too deeply about popular culture. Popular culture is only supposed to be "enjoyed." By which most people really mean, bought.


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Police Called To Ty Dolla $Ign And Yg Concert
By WENN in Music / Festivals on 27 January 2015
Police officers and paramedics were called to an Australian concert featuring U.S. rappers Ty Dolla $Ign and Yg after a brawl outside the venue.
Police were called to the Enmore Theatre in Sydney after the Australia Day (26Jan15) gig descended into violence when a nasty brawl broke out as the crowd left the venue.
According to Dailytelegraph.com.au, riot squad officers were called to disperse the crowd of more than 2,000 fans.
A 24-year-old man was arrested and charged with indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl during the event, and police are currently investigating if any other incidents took place as concert-goers left the venue.


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Field curvature correction mechanism In order to correct field curvature, typically found with ultra-wide angle lenses, this lens features a correction element which adjusts according to the position of the zoom in order to achieve edge-to-edge sharpness.
Double Nano-GI Coating The rear surface of the two front lens elements is treated with Nano-GI coating to eliminate ghosting and flare, caused by oblique light, creating clear images.


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Why Killer Whales in Captivity Should Be Set Free
Michael Kismet
Michael is an author with a passion for the environment. He is trying to save the planet one reader at a time!
killer whale in captivity
Killer Whales in SeaWorld
After the release of the controversial documentary film Blackfish, SeaWorld's ethics were under extreme, justifiable scrutiny. The documentary revealed a much deeper look into the practices that the marine theme park was partaking in concerning the issue of keeping orcas (also known as "killer whales") in captivity.
The film revolved around Tilikum, a highly intelligent, seemingly emotional 12,000 pound captive male orca that was involved in the death of a SeaWorld senior staff trainer in 2010. It follows Tilikum's unimaginably cruel life, from the moment he was literally cornered and stolen from his mother in the waters of Iceland as a calf to his miserable and offensively inhumane confinements, which is where Tilikum sadly passed in 2017.
In light of the new and profound interviews with the ex-oceanarium employees, SeaWorld has been trying to get away from a runaway train of bad PR and boycotts of their theme parks.
After I watched this documentary, I was so enraged by the heartlessness some people can have in pursuit of profit. Tilikum's treatment and circumstances set a disgustingly sad example of animal treatment for decent human beings.
killer whales training
Why Killer Whales Don't Belong in Captivity
Here is an overview of the treatment and conditions faced by killer whales held in captivity. However, one can never fully understand the mental strain and stresses orcas are constantly subjected to when being confined and kept in captivity.
Orca populations are widespread among the oceans and they can travel upwards of 100 miles in one day, yet captive killer whales are held in small concrete tanks.
In the wild, orca whales have a general life expectancy of 40-55 years, an extended possible lifespan of 60-75 years for males, and 75-100 years for females. Captive killer whales usually live 10 years.
All captive males have limp dorsal fins, yet it is rare for any wild orca to be afflicted with this condition. A collapsed dorsal fin is a general sign of a sick or injured killer whale. Captive orcas are fed an unnatural diet of dead fish, pigs, and cow bones.
When multiple killer whales are placed together that are not socially compatible, it causes serious anxiety for the whales and will inevitably cause aggression. In the wild, orcas do not attack one another, they will simply move away to ease tension, but in captivity, there is nowhere to go. This leads to fatal contact; only confined spaces like a SeaWorld whale tank produce these careless consequences.
Orcas strong connection to their families cannot be overstated. They have deep connections and are highly sensitive and social mammals. In some pods, the young stay with their mothers and pods for their whole lives. In captivity, they are forced into close proximity with unfamiliar whales.
Captive orcas have bad teeth as a result of the whales regularly biting on the concrete barriers and steel bars of their tanks while trying to find a means of escape. What is SeaWorld's idea of a dental plan? It's painful, deep drilling without painkillers or anesthesia.
killer whale intelligence
seaworldpledge.org
How Intelligent Are Killer Whales?
A group of researchers explored and examined the brain of a dead killer whale with the use of a MRI and found that orcas have an enormous capability for emotional expression and intelligence. This information really opens the door for us to further speculate on the level of a killer whale's capacity for high cognitive functions and emotional complexity. Killer whales possess the second largest brains out of any other ocean-dwelling mammal.
Their brains can weigh up to 15 pounds. Marine biologists and researchers are still struggling to figure out how killer whales have specialized dialects within an orca pod and unique hunting methods that are passed down from one generation of orca to the next. Humans and apes exhibit this exact culture of inheriting knowledge and experience from previous generations.
A killer whale's brain is about four times as large as a human brain. Additionally, the whales' brains possess more surface area with regard to brain weight than human brains. Orca brains also engage in nerve transmission at greater speeds and have developed more enhanced areas in the brain that vastly exceeds those of the human brain.
Compared to humans, a killer whale's brain is more or less, 4 times as large as a human's brain.
— Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel
Wild Killer Whales Don't Attack Humans
Unbelievable as it sounds, orcas in the wild do not typically attack humans. There have even been confirmed reports and eye witnesses accounts of orcas that have come to the aid of drowning victims and chased away sharks in a human's vicinity. It's obvious they sense something in us is worth protecting. Considering their reported treatment of humans in the ocean, mankind should adjust our treatment of these majestic animals accordingly and ensure that those in captivity are well-cared for.
The scientists involved in orca research have yet to discover evidence that killer whales in the wild have ever caused any human fatalities. Yet they aren't surprised that the world's largest, most powerful and possibly smartest apex predator in a state of extreme frustration could lash out at nearby humans. Which, unfortunately, are the humans that care for them most, their committed trainers.
Years ago, Dawn Brancheau, a seasoned SeaWorld trainer, was pulled into a tank and killed by Tilikum, who already had past violent outbursts. It was a violent death that was utterly tragic, yet the incident called for further investigation of the mental health and stability of captive orcas. To this very day, SeaWorld has the audacity to still claim that Dawn was negligent and was solely at fault for her own death.
Interesting Facts About Killer Whales
Killer whales inhabit every ocean on the planet.
They aren't actually whales at all, they're the world's largest species of dolphin.
They have surpassed sharks as the top apex predator in the sea, after the recent discovery of a particular pod that actively and successfully hunted great white sharks.
The majority of male orcas never leave their mother's side.
They can swim at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.
Killer whales are known as "wolves of the sea," for their cooperative nature in tactically hunting for prey.
They're not fish. Orcas are marine mammals. They are warm-blooded and will feed their young with milk produced by the mothers.
Hardly surprising, their pods are considered one of the most stable social structures of any animal species on earth (and yes, that includes humans).
wild killer whales
How to Save Killer Whales in Captivity
You can make a difference in the way killer whales are treated by sharing this information with friends and family who are unaware of what is transpiring in the traumatic lives of captive orcas. Insist that they do not support marine parks and their horrendously terrible treatment of these highly intelligent animals.
I can't fully describe the satisfaction I would gain to successfully help spread awareness about this issue. I hope readers will be motivated to respond to this call to action by actively helping to spread further awareness about captive whale welfare. I hope this article inspires people to boycott SeaWorld and other marine life theme parks. Readers can also quickly make a difference right this moment by taking the pledge to protect these creatures at TakePart.
I want to take a minute to thank the readers for making it through my article. As you can probably tell, this issue is a very emotional one for me and I'm passionate about securing better treatment for captive animals. I am somewhat at a loss for words when I try to describe what kind of people (and I use that term loosely) SeaWorld executives are. I, for the life of me, will never understand the level of greed required to mistreat animals for profit or in general. Please share this article with friends and your social network to help spread awareness!
© 2014 Michael Kismet
Mr678 on April 29, 2018:
Yes. Those Orcas are probably sad and who takes away baby orcas for some freaking money? Those people are just freaking stupid! Money is less important than nature!
Moral Man on June 24, 2016:
Orcas shouldnt be held in captivity in confined tanks and shouldnt be forced to perform silly tricks. Obviously they are unhappy and will lash out from time to time.
I was also saddened and angered to learn that for dental treatment, there is no anesthesia given to them and they undergo painful(very painful) drilling. This is unacceptable.
As far as Orcas attacking people in the wild, its very rare. Perhaps Eskimos are eaten by Orcas with no eyewitnesses and no one to record it. Orcas in the Antarctic seem to be more likely to attack people, perhaps because people rarely venture into the Antarctic. Perhaps they confuse humans with their natural prey which are seals. Attacks on humans in captivity are understandable. They are unhappy being in captivity. Its as simple as that.
The best way for humans and Orcas to coexist and for that matter, all other wild animals, is for the Orcas to be allowed to live in the wild. If they choose to interact with humans in bays and harbors or anywhere near land, then thats wonderful. Let them come and go as they want.
Susie Lehto from Minnesota on November 30, 2014:
This is a very interesting article, Michael. I learned a lot about Orcas in captivity, and free. I totally agree with you that these great creatures belong in the sea where they live full lives.
Michael Kismet (author) from Northern California on September 05, 2014:
@Bill and Shelly - Thank you both for your support in the idea of freeing highly intelligent captive orcas. God bless!
Shelly NunChucks Ninja from worldwide on September 05, 2014:
I saw the documentary also, and it was hearbreaking.
Bill Russo from Cape Cod on September 05, 2014:
Good job on this. I watched the documentary. Eyeopener!
Voted up and interesting.
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nav.primary.home
2016 Barometer
Ridership
Kilometres travelled
An increasingly attractive offer
Increased frequencies
The magnetic ticket has disappeared
WiFi in 15 stations
Info closer to the customer
STIB on social networks
Communicating about major projects
Reinforcements in stations
A "vigilance" telephone number
A metro that moves and lives
An underground festival in 15 stations
A high-performing company
Coverage ratio
Developing infrastructures
Extension of tram 94
Construction of tram line 9
North-South M3 metro on the rails
New lease of life for the east-west line
Network maintenance
The fleet is growing
Station renovations
The service quality
100% of services certified
Proud, committed employees
Recruiting new talent
Training employees
Ensuring well-being at work
Social and societal responsibility
Economic commitment
Participating in investments
The Drive Programme
Increasingly clean vehicles
Reducing the impact of its activities
22,000 people reached
Meeting schools
Combating incivility
STIB champions the disadvantaged
Network accessibility
TaxiBus
STIB in brief
STIB's values
Customer satisfaction is at the core of STIB's concerns. It shapes its projects and guides its achievements. In order to satisfy a constantly growing clientele, it is important to understand its needs and change with it. Thus, STIB is always investing in the customer relationship and is constantly assessing the attractiveness and relevance of its service offering.
7.1/10 customer
Customer satisfaction broke new records in 2016. The satisfaction barometer, conducted annually by an independent market research company, gave STIB a score of 7.1/10. That is the highest satisfaction rating ever achieved by the public transport company. 75% of people surveyed gave it a score higher than or equal to 7/10. And nearly one in three customers think that STIB is getting better. Satisfaction with regards the metro lines remains steady. The tram lines achieved a score equivalent to 7/10 and the bus lines improved slightly (7/10 compared with 6.9 in 2015). Satisfaction in terms of the staff professionalism grew and for the 1st time achieved a score of 7/10.
Links The 2016 barometer
369.5 million journeys
Ridership steady
In 2016, STIB recorded 369.5 million journeys. A relatively steady number compared with 2015 (370.2 million). Despite the (expected) impact of the attacks and the resulting disruptions on the network, passenger numbers on Brussels public transport quickly resumed their upward trend.
Breakdown by mode of transport
The underground network (metro and pre-metro) experienced several weeks of disruption following the attacks (stations not served, limited opening hours, closed access...). It lost market share in favour of surface transport, particularly the bus. Passenger numbers on the metro network returned almost to normal in late June. There were fewer tourists than normal in the capital during the summer, which also had an impact on ridership on the STIB network during this period. However, passenger numbers on Brussels public transport across all modes has started to rise again since the beginning of the new school year.
45.6 million kilometres travelled
45.6 Million km travelled
In 2016, STIB's vehicles travelled 938,499 million kilometres more than in the previous year, which is some 45.6 million kilometres in total. These additional kilometres are mainly attributed to the surface network (bus and tram) which benefited from better frequencies at peak times, evenings, weekends and in the summer. The tram experienced the greatest change in its offering, which enabled the number of kilometres covered to be increased by 3.15% compared to 2015. The bus travelled 2.05% more kilometres than the previous year and the metro grew by 0.69% despite several weeks of partial operation only.
The reception capacity of STIB's vehicles is calculated in places/kilometres. Places/kilometre represents the number of available seats across all metro trains, trams, and buses, multiplied by the number of kilometres they have travelled. It is a measurement commonly used in the transport industry. This indicator not only takes account of available seats, but also the frequency between two vehicles. Since the delivery of new, larger capacity vehicles has temporarily ended, STIB has focused its efforts on improving frequencies, despite difficult circumstances (budgetary restrictions, closure of the network following the attacks). This improvement has targeted the surface network and particularly the tram.Several tram lines experienced an increased offer (better frequencies at peak times, evenings, weekends and in the summer).
66 Metro
397 Trams
702 Buses
In 2016 metros, trams and buses offered 8.7 billion places/kilometre. An increase of 2.1% compared to 2015. Stib has therefore exceeded the goal of 8.6 billion places/kilometre defined in the 2013-2017 management contract.
Working hours are changing, as are travelling habits. Morning and evening hours are less "fixed" than in the past. STIB is adapting to this change in society, in order to provide a better response to travellers' needs. Thus, it has increased its offer across 28 bus lines and 25 tram lines. It is extending its peak times in the mornings and evenings. It is also adding first departures early in the morning, at the beginning of the service. The frequencies of several bus and tram lines have also been improved at peak times during the week and at weekends.
Keeping pace with cultural life
As a national and international capital, the pace of life in Brussels is interspersed throughout the year by cultural, sporting, economic, political and other events. STIB is a partner in the city's life and supports these special moments by improving its lines and adapting its timetables or its routes. The festival of world music, Couleur Café, the 9th Museum Night Fever event and Nuit Blanche are just some of the festive events supported by STIB. The company provides free bus shuttles and its Noctis night bus network to festival-goers. The public transport company also extends its evening service for festivities on 21 July, the Brussels Summer Festival or by providing its network free of charge on New Year's Eve.
In 2016, STIB
increased its offer over
28 bus lines
25 tram lines
The move from magnetic tickets to smart cards has been completed in stages in order to allow passengers to acquire new habits gradually. In July 2015, the sale of 5 and 10 journey magnetic tickets stopped. Over 300,000 MOBIB Basic cards were distributed to passengers so that they could easily load their transport tickets onto them. In February 2016, the last magnetic tickets still sold (1 journey, 1 day and 1 airport journey) were withdrawn from sale. They were replaced by contactless chip card tickets.Passengers still in possession of magnetic tickets after 1 July were able to trade them in against contactless chip card tickets or load the remaining journeys onto their MOBIB card by going to a BOOTIK or KIOSK. The new contactless chip card tickets are valid exclusively on the STIB network (with an extension to the Airport zone for 24h and airport tickets). This means that all JUMP transport tickets (also valid on the other operators' networks in Brussels) are only available in MOBIB format.
End of the orange validation machines
1 July 2016 marked the final stage in the ticketing revolution that began at STIB with the launch of the MOBIB smart card in 2008. The 3,700 orange validation machines, designed for magnetic tickets, were removed from vehicles and stations. Only the 5,600 MOBIB validators (in red) now remain. The magnetic ticket has had its day. In order to travel on the network, passengers must now use a MOBIB smart card or a contactless ticket. The increasingly widespread use of the MOBIB card on the networks of the 4 public transport operators in Brussels has enabled STIB to carry out this ticketing migration. The main objectives are to enable customers to obtain a transport ticket more easily and speed up the validation process, while offering a more efficient after-sales service.
STIB intends to facilitate the administrative processes for acquiring transport tickets and its e-commerce development has continued. In 2016, the number of tickets sold online reached a total of 60,120 units compared with 47,043 in 2015. Season ticket holders now receive an email alert that warns them when their season ticket is about to expire and directs them to the STIB's online purchase website, which is now more responsive and equipped for mobile payments. This enables passengers to reload their MOBIB card from any mobile device.Due to an agreement with the Crossroads Bank for Social Security, those benefiting from preferential tariffs no longer have to present their certificates when purchasing or renewing their transport ticket. Furthermore, since 2016, expiring profiles are automatically updated. The customer who has provided an email address is warned, without any formality to be completed. A first in Belgium.
personalised mobib cards
mobib basic cards
Tintin invited onto MOBIB cards
STIB has joined forces with the company Moulinsart, in order to popularise its MOBIB Basic card. Bianca Castafiore, Captain Haddock, Thompson and Thompson, Professor Calculus and, of course, the inseparable Tintin and Snowy, the main heroes of the famous comic strip dreamt up by Hergé, are all in the spotlight in a limited edition of 100,000 multi-coloured MOBIB Basic cards. On 25 July, passengers discovered 5 images taken directly from Tintin's adventures. A collector's pack, bringing together the 5 different cards, is also available. In addition to access to the entire STIB network, the Tintin MOBIB Basic cards offer exclusive promotions. Fans can also climb aboard a tram covered in the colours of the Hergé Museum. It is travelling around the capital for 4 months.
Every day STIB strives to convince even more passengers of the relevance of public transport for getting around the city. This means new vehicles, new lines, enhanced timetables but also new services able to satisfy passengers' new lifestyles. The objective is to offer them an ever more pleasant "travel experience". It is with this in mind that 15 of the 69 metro stations were equipped with WiFi in late 2016. STIB users can access the regional WiFi.brussels free of charge on the platforms and at the entrances to these stations. The goal is to equip all 69 stations by the end of 2017.
85% of passengers benefit from a
waiting time display
at their stop
In 2016, 375 new "light" waiting time displays were deployed on the surface network at bus and tram stops. These new surface displays, together with the new screens installed in stations, are added to the many displays already present on the network. In total, there were 960 waiting time displays at the busiest surface stops at the end of 2016. STIB has therefore achieved the objective set in its 2013-2017 management contract, which was to equip 40% of surface stops with waiting time displays. The 69 metro and pre-metro stations are also equipped with waiting time displays.
STIB 2.0
The STIB route planner tool has been redesigned with a new look, more modern, easier to use and adapted to smartphones and tablets, offering geolocation options. In December, STIB launched its Open Data portal. This portal is accessible free of charge. Through the portal, STIB provides developers not only with the entire planned transport offer, but also real-time data. The objective is to generate the development of new computer applications aimed at making public transport easier to use. STIB has adopted the domain name .brussels, highlighting the close ties that bind the public transport company to its Region.
60,437 official STIB fans +92%
5,697 official MIVB fans +59%Twitter
75,353 followers +340%
To dialogue with its customers on social media is very important for STIB. Its Facebook and Twitter pages have become essential official information sources for passengers. These new media show constantly growing interactions and have three key objectives:To answer passenger questions and complaints.To offer ever more exclusive content - photos, unusual information, competitions, videos - to internet users.To manage small and major crises.A service which proved to be more than essential on 22 March and the weeks that followed with billions of requests for alternative routes managed by the social mediateams.
STIB's heart beats for Brussels
STIB's heart was red for Saint Valentine, to celebrate those in love and offer them a dream wedding aboard the restaurant tram. After 22 March, the STIB's heart was dyed grey and displayed throughout the city in mourning. The STIB's campaigns stand together with Brussels, which picks itself up and comes back to life under the #at the museum, #work, #on the terrace. Because the STIB transport network enables you to move where you want to, when you want to. STIB loves Brussels.
Information boards at stops, mass mailshots, explanations on the website and social networks, distribution of leaflets to passengers, support for stewards, actions to help shopkeepers... In 2016, STIB continued its efforts to provide passengers and residents with targeted information about major projects and their impact on passengers, residents and shopkeepers. As part of the Janson project, around 50 STIB volunteers handed out leaflets to inform passengers about track replacement works and their impact on trams 81, 92 and 97.
Following the dramatic events of 22 March, the Brussels government took a series of measures and decided to allocate 8.153 million euros to secure its public transport systems. There are now more security personnel in stations. Pending the recruitment and training of 15 STIB supervisors and 107 security officers, private security guards have been deployed.
8 million euros
for security on the metro an additional 122 security officers
STIB has taken other measures in terms of the security of its network in addition to these human reinforcements. These include speeding up the extension and modernisation of the surveillance cameras, adapting evacuation plans, training, procedure reminders, etc. STIB has also improved security measures on its various sites where access is strictly controlled. A "vigilance" number (1707) has been launched to enable passengers to provide information about any suspicious situation. This became operational in early 2017. STIB is intensifying its collaboration with the law enforcement agencies and increasing its joint operations. In 2016, there were 210 Local Integrated Police Actions or LIPA and 5 operations across several municipalities and Brussels public transport operators (Full Integrated Police Actions or FIPA).
Large ridership and frequencies on the metros, trams and buses increase the risk of accidents. This is why STIB has decided to implement a comprehensive risk management system related to the operation for its entire network (metro, tram and bus) in order to limit such risks as much as possible. Network safety also means educating public transport users and motorists. Therfore, STIB conducts "safety" campaigns at the same time to remind everyone about the proper behaviours to be adopted. As autumn approaches, a time when the leaves fall and visibility decreases, the "Priority Tram" campaign reminds motorists, pedestrians and cyclists that the tram always has priority and it is important to remain aware of its approach. In 2016, this campaign won an award at the CCB Awards which recognises the best creative campaigns in Belgium.
"Don't end up as a sausage"
In December STIB distributed hot dogs to passengers on its metro network. A fun way of reminding them not to block the metro doors, primarily for their own safety but also so as not to cause delays for other passengers. Raising awareness through humour works well, as evidenced by the campaign's slogan (and visual): "Don't end up as a sausage. Don't block the doors".
In 2016, the metro celebrated its 40th anniversary. In fact the first metro train travelled through the STIB's underground network in 1976. This event revolutionised Brussels public transport. And to mark this anniversary, STIB rustled up a whole host of activities including an art festival in the metro stations, an exhibition, an open day, a web documentary and interactive timeline. The opportunity to reflect on the past but also to take a look at current developments and touch on the future of this popular mode of transport. Because the metro has a bright future ahead of it!
The modern art festival Wunderground brought around 15 stations to life to celebrate 40 years of the metro. Its kick-off coincided with the Mobility Week and passengers could discover masses of art events: exhibition, dance, street art... This was also the launch of Wunderground Music, a web application that enables people to listen to and identify the music broadcast over the stations' speakers, participate in the scheduling, discover the schedule for famous DJs... A web documentary accessible online and live in a cinema set up in a station tells the story of the metro of yesterday, today and tomorrow. An interactive timeline, launched in partnership with Bruxelles Mobilité, brings together the sometimes unusual memories of internet users.
In 2016, the 12th Art TrucTroc& Design exhibition-event was held in February at BOZAR. It descended into the metro for the first time. Passengers could see previews of several artworks in Rogier station and be the first to propose swaps to the artists present.
"La Ligne" installed at Bourse
Around 10 Brussels artists took over the Bourse pre-metro station in the city centre to develop their art project, "La Ligne". This project was part of Make.Brussels, launched by the Brussels Region to revitalise the capital and revive business after the attacks. "La Ligne" aims to modernise the concept of art in public spaces and give a voice to young artists. The Brussels artists selected have therefore rejuvenated and brought colour to the Bourse station, pending the station's renovation in 2017. The project is supported by the Brussels public transport company as part of the maintenance and renovation of its stations for the benefit of all passengers.
Copyright STIB © 2017
Designed by Trinôme
Developed by Swingtree


Whether on your computer or smart phone/device, you can go straight to this newsfeed using the following address.
You can also keep up to date with what's happening at the college via our Facebook and Twitter feeds.
Thank you for all your feedback regarding the proposed changes to the 2016-2017 calendar. Each option provided different pro's and con's. Having taken all the feedback on board we will not be changing the original Christmas holiday dates. The primary reason for this is a number of our parents have children in primary schools as well and they are not changing their holiday dates.
Students will return on the 5th September 2016 and finish on the 21st July 2017.
The key facts about St George Catholic College can be found on our St George at a Glance webpage. More detailed information can be found by following the links.
It's been a week of fun and fundraising for the boys and girls of St George Catholic College. On Shrove Tuesday they "scoffed up" an impressive £250 buying pancakes in aid of the charity, Mary's Meals. Afterwards the fundraising team got to meet Saints defender Cedric Soares who visited the school in recognition of their efforts to support the charity.


Tiffany style lamps and fixtures are a good way to add color to any room. As pendants over a kitchen island, an accent lamp in a family room or a dining room chandelier, a tiffany style lamp is a beautiful addition to any home. Each piece is hand crafted using high quality art glass. Inspiration for the designs come from nature, with flowers, birds and leaves being popular designs.


The new TrackALL (on Kickstarter) device allows you to get locations using WiFi access points and a location service like Skyhook or Google. After parsing the WiFi location data (MAC Addresses and RSSI values of the various WiFi access points in the vicinity of the device), these location services will provide you a lat/lon that can be plotted on a map within a cloud application!
In this quick example, we'll plot the locations onto a Losant map block.
You can use either Sigfox or mcAir to send the data to the internet and onto the application of your choice to view the data. Sigfox, where available, provides fantastic range and is perfect for sending location (and other data) from Sigfox enabled devices. If you are not within Sigfox coverage, you can store your data on the device and 'batch' that information to the cloud when the device comes back into range of an mcGateway. You can also use both networks in tandem (store data on the device while sending exception reports out using Sigfox) if you wish. Check out more info in our Kickstarter campaign!
Back us on Kickstarter and join our Hackster hub!
The TrackALL device is currently on Kickstarter, check it out! And join our hub here on Hackster to stay up to date with many more examples and projects to come using the mcThings platform.


text:
Joseph F. Pilat
jpilat@lanl.gov
Los Alamos , New Mexico 87545
Expertise and Interests
IGCC Activities
Joseph Pilat is senior advisor in the National Security Office, Office of the Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he provides policy support to the laboratory director, senior leadership and division programs, administering and conducting analyses for the Laboratory, DOE/NNSA, and other U.S. government agencies, particularly in the areas of arms control, nonproliferation, counterproliferation, and counterterrorism. Pilat is also a Global Fellow in International Security Studies at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., and a member of the Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group, Gen IV International Forum. He is the author of The Politics of Weapons Inspections (2017 Stanford University Press); and the editor of Atoms for Peace: A Future After 50 Years? (Woodrow Wilson Press with Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007). He holds a Ph.D. in history from Georgetown University.
nonproliferation
arms control and disarmament
Steering Committee member, current
Speaker, Public Policy and Nuclear Threats Training Program
Michael Albertson
Courtenay Conrad
Kelsey Jack
Aila M. Matanock
Jeannette Money
T.J. Pempel
Daniel N. Posner
Jonathan Robinson
George Rutherford
Christina Schneider
Stergios Skaperdas


The Society advocates preserving archaeological and other cultural resources, informing members and the public about archaeological and ethnological subjects through our meetings, presentations, newsletter, other electronic media, field trips, volunteer efforts, field surveys, and studies.
Lisa Kindrick, Genealogy Librarian – Lindsey Miller-Escarfuller, area Manager.
The Albuquerque Genealogical Society is a non-profit organization, founded in 1972, with three main goals: to promote genealogy, to provide educational aid to researchers, and to support the genealogical collection and services of the Genealogy Center in the Albuquerque Main Library. The Society offers frequent workshops and classes to beginning genealogical researchers. The Genealogy Center in the Albuquerque Main Library at 501 Copper, NW is the meeting place for most of the AGS sponsored computer user groups and several research groups. All are free and open to the public.
This is a historic preservation organization focusing on Albuquerque .
The Albuquerque Historical Society (AHS) is a non-profit, membership organization of residents interested in promoting and preserving all matters relating to the history of Albuquerque, New Mexico and the surrounding communities.
The New Mexico Veterans' Memorial is a non-profit organization staffed by volunteers who oversee the day-to-day operations of the visitor center, 25-acre memorial park, museum, library and meeting facilities.
CHS is a nonprofit corporation which is dedicated to promoting the greater appreciation for and better understanding of the history and traditions of the centuries-old agricultural village of Corrales, New Mexico and its residents of yesterday and today.
The goals of the Curry County Genealogical Society are to prtepare, publish and to preserve records of genealogical value. Meetings are held at 7pm in the Genealogy Room at the Clovis-Carver Public Library, 7th and Main Streets, Clovis, NM the first Monday of January through May and September through November with the September meeting on the 2nd Monday evening. No meetings are held in June, July, August, or December. Any interested person is invited.
The East Mountain Historical Society (EMHS) is a group dedicated to preserving and documenting history in the Sandia, Manzano, and Manzanita Mountain towns and villages east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, including portions of Route 66 and the historic Turquoise Trail.
Helps preserve, enhance and interpret regional history, as well as to foster a love and respect for the fragile past.
The Moriarty Historical Society provides a central repository of objects and information that demonstrates the historic role played by Moriarty and the surrounding area in the occupation of this portion of the Estancia Valley, New Mexico.
Mission of the Society: To assemble, preserve and interpret the history of Southeast New Mexico and to promote a great interest, understanding and appreciation of the area's past.
Manages an eclectic museum. The museum is temporarily closed due to renovations.
The Sandoval County Historical Society (SCHS) was established in 1977 and is a non-profit corporation with members from all over the country. Its mission is to identify, preserve, and bring before the public the history of Sandoval County. We maintain extensive photo and print archives and a library.
The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching and interpreting the region's unique history.
The Socorro County Historical Society meets every 2nd Tuesday of the month.
The Tucumcari Historical Museum is a museum for regular folks, just like you and me. This museum is like one giant attic of old stuff.
The Society's activities are focused on identifying and preserving the rich history of Valencia County and sharing this history with all segments of the community.


text:
Dirk Gently Star Stephen Mangan Exclusive
By Jordan Farley 10 December 2010
"I do feel the pressure, because there's a big fanbase," admits the star of the new BBC Four adaptation
In the new issue of SFX (in the shops next Wednesday, 15 December) there's a full interview with Stephen Mangan ( Green Wing , Free Agents ), the comic actor who's bringing Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently to BBC Four later this month. Here's a snippet to whet your appetite:
"I do feel pressure that there's a big fanbase, absolutely. I played Adrian Mole years ago and I felt a similar pressure because it's almost as if you're playing a real person, but a real person who everyone thinks looks different, in a slightly different way or who they've got a different idea of."
But he's taking a pragmatic approach:
"Firstly they hired me so they're obviously after some of the qualities that I possess. You take a bit of pressure off yourself there and go, 'Well they're not expecting me to perform it as Brian Blessed or Michael Caine would.' I brought a bit of who I am, what I find funny, what I find interesting to it. So it's the classic cry of people when they see books filmed – 'Oh it's not how I imagined it'. Well no. At some point you have to make a decision about certain things and we have.
""It's got to be funny. If it's not funny it will have failed because there are a lot of detective stories out there and they're already well covered for serious, flawed detectives. So what this brings is the quirkiness, the oddness, the intelligence, the wit, the strangeness. The central dynamic of the whole show is me and Darren [Boyd], they're like a double act. We get on very well but he's six foot four which is quite annoying because I'm going to look very short."
Jordan Farley
Jordan is the Community Editor at SFX and Total Film. When he isn't watching movies or sci-fi shows of questionable quality he's probably shooting men in space or counting down the days till the next Zelda comes out.
Best Nintendo Switch accessories


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Reddit Just Proposed The Perfect Idea For 'Daredevil' Solo Series
With 'Daredevil' Disney+ series finally confirmed, fans are wondering what it could be about, with one theory in particular standing out from all the rest.
Charlie Cox will return as blind lawyer Matt Murdock in the near future, again helping those in need of legal or superhero help. Ever since the character first appeared in the Netflix series of the same name, fans have associated the masked vigilante with a more realistic, down-to-earth, even gritty approach to superheroics, so the upcoming appearance of Daredevil in the MCU is making quite a few fans nervous. Many are afraid that Disney will turn Cox's character into yet another generic, bland superhero. But it seems that some fans have managed to develop a canon-compliant but rather dark theory for the upcoming series.
In a recent discussion on Reddit user /Citizensssnips offered an interesting (if a bit depressing) angle on Daredevil's story – his life during and after the Blip. Murdock, of course, is blind, so the millions of people disappearing into thin air, all that noise, screaming and yelling could have traumatized him badly, rendering him helpless again. In such an environment, a tense psychological drama could unfold, with Daredevil carefully navigating a suddenly silent Manhattan – quite a sight, isn't it?
hundreds of thousands of heartbeats in nyc just going instantly silent.
If he lived, it was the quietest moment in Matt Murdock 's life.
And the sweet relief of having all those people back after five years could be a great way to end the series as life returns to New York City.
"Another thing that could be explored is that once the people were blipped back it was deafening because suddenly hundreds of thousands of more people breathing and talking and crying after five years of relative quiet. But that's assuming he didn't get blipped," – /TheTattooOnR2D2sFace.
Some fans think that this theory fits well with the overall MCU narrative and may explain why Murdock was seen protecting Peter Parker in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'.
"That could even be a reason why he's getting more involved with other superheroes, he wants to increase his capacity to help others by supporting those with greater power and ability," – /osborncurse.
Author: Dawn Coleman Published: June 6, 2022 11:55 am
Here's What Would Happen in Teen Wolf Movie If O'Brien Returned, According to Davis


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Creed: Rise To Glory Review – Unleashing The Eye Of The Tiger
From Knockout League to Thrill of the Fight and a litany of exercise-focused apps, there are plenty of ways to get your VR boxing fix right now. If you like slamming your fists into punching bags and beating virtual enemies into a pulp, then you have plenty of avenues to pursue that. But there isn't a reliable way to strap on boxing gloves and go toe-to-toe with another real person in VR — at least, not until Creed: Rise to Glory from Survios.
Once upon a time there were a couple of Rocky boxing games on the PS2 and Xbox (Rocky and Rocky Legends) both of which were lackluster at best. Before those we of course had Punch-Out!! on the NES and SNES, which Knockout League replicates well, similar in ways to the Ready 2 Rumble series. When I first played Creed VR back at GDC 2018 the first comparison that came to mind was Fight Night with the mixture of realistic graphics and sim-lite gameplay. What I actually found isn't that deep, but still left me satisfied.
In Creed: Rise to Glory you take control of the titular character, Adonis Creed, in a hodge-podge experience that's part prequel to the first movie and part bridge to the sequel that releases later this year in theaters. The Campaign mode is really more like a bare bones Arcade-style experience that has you fighting a gallery of foes back-to-back that get increasingly more difficult as time goes on. You'll even notice a few boxers that were featured in the original film.
Freeplay is a bit like Campaign, but you can just hop into whatever ring against whichever opponent you want. There were a lot more rings to pick from than I expected, but honestly you only look around at the environment before the match starts. Once that bell rings your eyes are locked on your opponent. Make no mistake though: the real highlight of Creed VR, interestingly enough, is the PvP multiplayer. That feature wasn't even revealed until very recently but it was by far my favorite part of the game.
Fighting against AI is fine, but eventually it just boils down to pattern recognition and timing. The easier boxers won't have as many combos and won't block as much and even the hardest ones have certain tells to look out for. But when you play against real life human opponents, everything changes. People are unpredictable, they can try and bait you, or fake you out, or even taunt you over the mic. You can see a couple bouts of me fighting against Ian Hamilton up in the video above.
Regardless of game mode the mechanics are always the same. You'll need two motion controllers for whichever platform you choose (I played on Rift using Touch) and plenty of space. Like, a lot of space. It's tempting to just make sure you have enough room to stand up and stretch your arms out, but that's not enough space. You need to be able to lean back, duck, bob from side-to-side, and take at least two steps in either direction if you want to really experience all that this game has to offer.
Creed VR does a great job of actually tracking your hand movement well and translating that into the game. Punch speed and strength does make a difference, as does where on the body your hits land. Grazing the side of their head or just slamming into their blocking fists isn't going to do anything — you need to make solid contact with their face or body to do damage. That means a mixture of body movement, straights, uppercuts, hooks, and everything else. The more you treat Creed VR like a boxing simulation, the more success you'll have.
Since the body animations and IK for your avatar's simulated body all work well, it really does feel like your bobbing and weaving around inside the ring. Notably, I can't recall many moments in which I wasn't able to accurately do what I wanted because of tracking or control limitations. However, the one exception to that is it seems like during PvP most people are vulnerable over the top of their block on the crown of their head. If you just do a hammer fist maneuver or seven sweep your hand quickly over their block it will register as a hit even if you're not really punching. Of all sports, boxing feels like the perfect match for VR and adding multiplayer just makes it even better.
Survios also developed what they've dubbed a "Phantom Melee" system to help simulate stamina loss, becoming staggered, or getting knocked down. Obviously those are all real things in boxing that need to be addressed, but if you're playing a VR game, the developer can't reasonably restrict your character or remove you from control. So instead, "Phantom Melee" is a bit like a mime system.
For example, if you get winded and over-exert your arms, they'll turn red and you'll have to bring them up to your face to regain stamina by resting. This also helps prevent people from just flailing around wildly because their character will get winded too fast, not be able to block well, and get dropped very quickly. Then if you get nailed really hard and become staggered (basically meaning stunned) then the game will show silhouetted versions of your fists in the air that you have to match the pose of to regain control. In this way, it forces you to pretend like your hands are flung upward as a result of a big punch.
Finally, if you get knocked down, Creed VR actually has you drumming your fists as fast as possible as if you are sprinting back to your body. It's sort of like an out-of-body experience, like you got punched so hard your opponent sent your soul flying out of your body and you've gotta get back to it before the countdown is over.
All of these systems add up to matches never having much downtime, which is great, and it maintains the experience in multiplayer so that you can still do things like knock down your opponent or stagger them like you can against AI enemies without breaking immersion. I just wish the posing and miming bits weren't quite as finicky, because sometimes it was a little frustrating not being able to regain control fast enough.
The final piece of the Creed VR puzzle are the training mini games. When you're waiting on a PvP match to start or just wandering around the main lobby area, you have the entire floor of the gym open to explore. There are heavy bags you can use to practice flurry punches, dummies for combo training, moving directional bags for dodging, and more. All of the little mini games are fun and actually do a decent job of helping you hone actual tactics that you can apply inside the ring.
I don't have any real boxing experience, but I used to go to a boxing gym for my workout and the trainers would have us do a lot of similar drills before we sparred and it's really clever to see how those concepts are gamified and established inside VR. My biggest issue with them though is that the hit detection seems a bit off, especially on the combo dummies.
Creed: Rise to Glory is the best all-around boxing game VR has seen yet. While its serviceable campaign mode lacks the depth and variety that we've come to expect from Survios releases and some of the controls are a bit finicky, it more than makes up for it with a litany of training mini games and an addictive PvP mode. Trading blows, ducking shots, and scoring a powerful knockout against someone in immersive VR is about as close to an actual boxing match as you can find from the comfort of your own home.
Creed: Rise to Glory is available starting today on Steam, Oculus Home, and PSVR for $29.99. And read our Content Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score.
Fantastic visuals
Addictive PvP multiplayer
Gym environment is a great menu replacement
Fun core gameplay mechanics
Campaign mode feels shallow
Not a very large roster
Some controls feel a bit finicky
8/10 10
Categories Gaming PSVR Reviews Rift Vive
David is a Senior Editor at UploadVR and has been with the site since early 2016. He established the site's game review criteria and helped spearhead its evolution into the leading source of VR news. He is also a published author and gaming journalist for various other publications such as IGN, Forbes, Variety, PC Gamer, and many others. You can follow him on Twitter: @David_Jagneaux.
Tea For God To Receive Oculus Quest Hand Tracking Support In Future Update


More and more evidence is proving that your sugar habit is detrimental to your health. It can cause bloating, rot your teeth, may trigger acne, and is linked to weight gain and chronic disease. No wonder people are looking for healthier alternatives to refined white sugar. But is coconut sugar the answer? We asked both Dr. Robert Zembroski, a clinical nutritionist and functional medicine doctor, and registered dietitian Stephanie Ferrari to weigh in.
Let's first explain how the two are made. To create refined white sugar, the pulp from sugar cane stalks is separated from the juice, and then the juice is processed and heated until it crystallizes. To get that pure white color, it's often filtered and bleached with bone char, so if you're vegan, your sugar may not be. Coconut sugar is made by cutting the flower of the coconut palm. Once the liquid sap is collected, it's heated until the water has evaporated, leaving that caramel-colored granulated powder.
While it's a bonus that coconut sugar is less processed, Stephanie explains that coconut sugar and white cane sugar are both sweeteners consisting of fructose, glucose, and sucrose. Robert says both contain similar amounts of fructose. "Too much fructose in the diet can disrupt metabolic functions in the liver and is linked to metabolic syndrome – a condition of high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglycerides in the blood, and obesity," he explained to POPSUGAR.
Are Sugar Substitutes Really Healthier Than White Sugar?
As far as the glycemic index goes, a measure of how quickly foods raise your blood sugar levels (glucose), Robert says white sugar has a glycemic index of around 63 and coconut sugar has a glycemic index of 54. Stephanie says, "The lower glycemic index of coconut sugar delays the spike in blood sugar following consumption as compared to cane sugar." That's because, unlike cane sugar, coconut sugar contains inulin, a soluble fiber and a prebiotic, which can slow the rate of absorption into the blood stream.
White sugar offers zero nutrition, which is why it's referred to as "empty calories." One benefit coconut sugar has over white sugar is that it offers small amounts of vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, and phytonutrients. You'd have to eat a ton, though, to get those nutrients, which pretty much defeats the purpose.
Another good point Stephanie brings up is that coconut sugar doesn't taste as sweet as regular sugar, so if you were baking with it, you would have to use more to achieve the same amount of sweetness as regular sugar.
If you still want sweetness when baking, Stephanie recommends using Swerve, which is made from erythritol (fermented glucose from root vegetables and fruit) and prebiotic fiber. It's a zero-calorie natural sugar replacement that tastes and measures exactly like sugar. Note that it has a slightly cool aftertaste but is definitely sweet, keto-friendly, easy to digest, and worth trying if you want to avoid both white and coconut sugar.


The Crew Interviews Exotic Dancer, "The Extraodinaire" Ms. Blaire. We also discuss the beef between Nicki Minaj & Cardi B. We will also be talking about the Emily & Fabolous domestic violence rumors, along with a review of the new J. Cole album.


Lidia Yuknavitch is the National Bestselling author of the novels The Small Backs of Children and Dora: A Headcase, the memoir The Chronology of Water, as well as three books of short fictions, and a critical book on war and narrative, Allegories of Violence. Her writing has appeared in publications including Guernica Magazine, Ms., The Iowa Review, Zyzzyva, Another Chicago Magazine, The Sun, Exquisite Corpse, TANK, and in the anthologies Life As We Show It, Wreckage of Reason, Forms at War, Feminaissance, and Representing Bisexualities, as well as online at The Rumpus. She writes, teaches and lives in Portland, Oregon with the filmmaker Andy Mingo and their renaissance man, son Miles. She is the recipient of the Oregon Book Award – Reader's Choice, a PNBA award, and was a finalist for the 2012 Pen Center creative nonfiction award. She is a very good swimmer.


Everyone works according to a different schedule, but at the end of the day, we all have the same 24 hours. As a wellness management company, we concern ourselves with all aspects of total health and we believe that time management is a skill everyone should master. In fact, the mismanagement of time is often at the root of stress and anxiety. So whether you are in school, working, or parenting a family, this is an important topic for you! The hours in the day can simply seem to pass you by if you do not have an organized manner for scheduling tasks and making the most of the time you have.
Many people develop bad habits when it comes to managing their schedules. Some items, such as eating, sleeping, and spending time relaxing or doing something enjoyable should always find a prioritized place in your schedule. Outside of that, the rest of the day is up to you to determine how and when you will complete the tasks before you. If you've been struggling to keep your time organized and orderly, consider some of these top time management tips.
Write down everything. Invest in a pack of sticky notes or a little notebook to carry with you everywhere. If you are forgetful, this will help you to remember important to-do items or appointments. Having a physical calendar or planner can also help you plan out your days and weeks in advance. If you prefer to work off your phone or laptop, create a digital document and update your schedule every week. If you have it written down somewhere, you are more likely to remember it. Consult your calendar on a daily basis to keep up to date with what is coming next.
Multitasking feels productive, but it has actually been proven to be too much for our brains to handle. While it may feel like you're getting a lot done, in reality you're getting less done than if you would simply focus on one thing at a time. However, there are times when you can multitask in a productive manner. If you have household chores to do, consider getting some phone calls in while you fold laundry or weed the garden. Or, if you are in the car for a long drive, listen to podcasts or talks related to your job. Any task that doesn't require a lot of mental concentration (cleaning the toilet or cooking dinner), can be used as time to get something else done too. But don't multitask when it comes to two tasks that both require your focused attention. Remember, the point is to make sure you are actually being productive!
As mentioned above, studies show that you get more done if you concentrate on one thing at a time. Work on one project at a time and then take a break. Your flow of thought will be more productive if it can continue uninterrupted for a period of time without switching subjects or topics. Pick one thing on your list to accomplish, take a short break and then move on to the next task.
Procrastination kills productivity. As you're making lists and concentrating on one thing at a time, avoid procrastinating on the tasks you don't like or the ones that seem difficult. Take them one at a time and stick to your list. If you need a break, take one. Working steadily with breaks is always better than avoiding or procrastinating. Don't wait until tomorrow to stop procrastinating or it may never happen! You won't be able to practice good time management skills if you can't first break the bad habit of procrastination.
Deadlines can help you stay motivated. If you need to, have an accountability partner for your more important projects or tasks. Set deadlines so that you can keep up to date with your schedule. This will allow you to complete tasks ahead of time as well as plan times to rest and relax. Deadlines also give you the opportunity to practice your time management skills by sticking with your schedule.
Don't do everything yourself if you don't have to. Delegate tasks to your assistant or co-workers if your workload is too heavy. Delegating is a great way to show confidence in the skills of others, foster an atmosphere of teamwork, and even trade tasks between partners. It will also keep you from trying to do too much with too little time.
For the last but not least of our time management tips, we recommend rest. Rest is often ignored. Some people don't understand how necessary it truly is to let the body and mind simply take a break and rejuvenate. This includes sleeping, but it also includes breaks in between work as well as time to do things you enjoy. If you work all the time, you will eventually burn out.
Time management skills take time to master, but as you begin to practice these tips listed above, your schedule and days will fall into line. Hopefully these recommendations have inspired you to take control of your time and schedule accordingly!


text:
/**
 * Autogenerated by Thrift Compiler (0.11.0)
 *
 * DO NOT EDIT UNLESS YOU ARE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING
 *  @generated
 */
#ifndef AuthenticationService_CONSTANTS_H
#define AuthenticationService_CONSTANTS_H

#include "AuthenticationService_types.h"

namespace aroma { namespace thrift { namespace authentication { namespace service {

class AuthenticationServiceConstants {
 public:
  AuthenticationServiceConstants();

  int SERVICE_PORT;
   ::aroma::thrift::endpoint::TcpEndpoint PRODUCTION_ENDPOINT;
   ::aroma::thrift::endpoint::TcpEndpoint BETA_ENDPOINT;
   ::tech::aroma::thrift::LengthOfTime DEFAULT_TOKEN_LIFETIME;
};

extern const AuthenticationServiceConstants g_AuthenticationService_constants;

}}}} // namespace

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


PITTSBURGH-- Two Ohio residents are suing police for alleged rough treatment and wrongful arrests after a Dave Matthews Band concert near Pittsburgh last May.
Thirty-one-year-old Kristy Booker and 45-year-old Joseph Puhl, of Mansfield, Ohio, say they were mistreated by Smith Township and Burgettstown officers after the driver of the car they were in was arrested for drunken driving near Post-Gazette Pavilion.
They say a verbally abusive officer had them handcuffed before releasing them an hour later. Booker says officers accosted them after she mistakenly took an officer's cell phone and returned it minutes later, having confused it with Puhl's.
A district judge dismissed disorderly conduct and other charges against Booker and Puhl in March. The police have not responded to the suit.