text:
Lost (and found) in space
In: 2021, David Austin
There are standard references, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, that provide an atlas for the stars. What's needed is a way to search through this enormous atlas to find the view presented by a given image.
My son recently sent me this picture of the comet Neowise that he took from southern California in the summer of 2020.
Photo credit: Sam Austin
I had seen Neowise and knew roughly where it appeared, but being a comet, of course, its position changed over time. I wondered if there was a way to locate precisely where it was at the particular instant this picture was taken.
Well, there's an app for that. I uploaded the image to Astrometry.net and learned 36.1533 seconds later that we were looking here:
The image on the left places the picture on the celestial sphere, an imagined distant sphere centered at Earth. The coordinates depict declination (Dec), the angular distance north or south of the celestial equator, a projection of Earth's equator, and right ascension (RA), the angular distance east of the First Point of Ares, a reference point on the celestial equator. A closer view appears on the right where we see that we're looking at a portion of the constellation Ursa Major, which may be more familiar as the Big Dipper.
Here are some more details:
Center (RA, Dec): (135.836, 55.212)
Center (RA, hms): 09h 03m 20.603s
Center (Dec, dms): +55° 12' 44.873"
Size: 16 x 10.7 deg
Pixel scale: 9.6 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: Up is 313 degrees E of N
Astrometry.net also labels other features in the picture:
Measuring the positions and motions of celestial bodies falls to the branch of astronomy known as astrometry, and the problem of placing an image into a standard reference, as illustrated above, is called calilbrating the image's astrometry. The work of Astrometry.net, calibrating images without human intervention, is known as auto-calibration.
There are a few reasons why this is an important tool. First, calibrating an image taken by a camera mounted on a spacecraft in a fixed pose can be used to automate the determination of the spacecraft's orientation. Similarly, image calibration can be used to help a telescope track a target as Earth rotates.
Perhaps more importantly, decades of research have created a vast number of astronomical images. Sharing these images with a wide community of researchers is hampered by the fact that the meta-data surrounding these images is often inaccessible, of poor quality, or presented in a variety of formats. Automating the calibration process allows one to construct high quality meta-data in a standard format, enabling astronomical data to be shared and used more easily.
In broad terms, auto-calibration is a search problem similar to Google's internet search engine. There are standard references, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, that provide an atlas for the stars. What's needed is a way to search through this enormous atlas to find the view presented by a given image.
Let's go behind the scenes to understand how Astrometry.net performs this search. There are really two phases. We begin with a known reference, like the Sloan Survey, and create an "index," as we'll soon describe. We only need to do this once so we don't mind committing time and computational power to this task. Next, we develop a means of searching the index to locate a specific image.
The basic idea is to detect certain features in an image and describe them in a way that is both independent of the orientation and scale of the image and easily searchable. The features we will use are configurations of four stars, called quads.
Describing quads
Given an astronomical image, it's fairly straightforward to pick out the brightest stars using standard image processing software. Using the OpenCV software library, I was able to pick out the 100 brightest stars from our original image. To make them more apparent, I reversed the image so that brighter parts of the original image appear darker here.
We will construct a description of quads, configurations of four stars, that is independent of their orientation and scale in the image. To illustrate, here's a quad with stars labeled $A$, $B$, $C$, and $D$.
We label the four stars so that $A$ and $B$ are separated by the greatest distance. We then use those two stars to form an orthogonal coordinate system with $A$ at the origin and $B$ at $(1,1)$. We only consider quads for which the other two stars, $C$ and $D$, are within the unit square in this coordinate system.
If $(x_C, y_C)$ and $(x_D, y_D)$ are the coordinates of the interior stars, we associate the four-dimensional point $(x_C, y_C, x_D, y_D)$ to the quad.
Of course, there's some ambiguity in how we label $A$ and $B$. Swapping the labels on $A$ and $B$ performs the transformation: $$ (x_C, y_C, x_D, y_D) \mapsto (1-x_C, 1-y_C, 1-x_D, 1-y_D). $$ We choose the labeling of $A$ and $B$ that gives $x_C + x_D \leq 1$. There are also two choices for how we label $C$ and $D$, and we choose the one with $x_C\leq x_D$. With these choices, the point $(x_C, y_C, x_D, y_D)$ is uniquely associated to the quad. For instance, the quad above is uniquely associated to $(0.36367, 0.53644, 0.61088, 0.32359)$.
This association works well for our application since it doesn't change if the quad appears in a different orientation. For instance, if the quad is translated, rotated, or scaled, we still obtain the same four-dimensional point $(x_C, y_C, x_D, y_D)$.
To create an index, Astrometry.net chooses a collection of quads from a reference, such as the Sloan Survey, that covers the entire sky. As we'll see next, representing quads as four-dimensional points allows us to easily search for specific quads. When presented with an image to be calibrated, we find a set of quads in the image and then search the index for them. When we find a match, it's straightforward to construct the coordinate transformation between the pixels of the image and the celestial sphere.
kd-Trees
Due to noise present in astronomical images, we cannot expect that the four-dimensional point associated to a quad obtained from our image will exactly match a point in the index. Images are distorted, for instance, by the particular optics of a telescope and by the refraction of Earth's atmosphere. If we're given a quad, what we'd really like to do is find all the nearby quads and consider each as a potential match.
But how can we efficiently search through all the quads to find nearby quads? We organize our four-dimensional points into a $kd$-tree. We'll illustrate by organizing the following collection of two-dimensional points into a binary search tree.
Any set of points sits inside a bounding box, the smallest rectangle that contains the points and whose sides are parallel to the coordinate axes. The set of all points and their bounding box constitutes the root of the tree.
Next, we determine the dimension along which the points are most widely separated. In our example, the points are more spread out in the horizontal direction so we divide the points into two equal sets at the median of the horizontal coordinates. The points to the left and their bounding box form the left child of the root and the points to the right form the right child.
Now, continue subdividing until each point lies in a single node. The resulting tree structure is known as a $2d$-tree due to the two-dimensional nature of the point set.
Suppose that we are presented with a new point $p$ and a distance $r$, and we'd like to find all the points in our original set that are within a distance $r$ of $p$.
Given a bounding box, we can compute the minimum distance from $p$ to the bounding box.
To begin the search, start with the root of the tree and ask whether the minimum distance from $p$ to the root's bounding box is less than $r$. If not, there are no points in the point set within a distance $r$ of $p$, and our search concludes. If the minimum distance is less than $r$, then we ask the same question of the two children and continue the search down the tree.
In this way, we eventually find all the points within a distance $r$ of $p$. In the example illustrated above, for instance, we have searched through 150 points by examining only 14 bounding boxes to find five points within the given distance.
This is an example of a $2d$-tree. Astronmetry.net constructs an index by organizing the quads present in the reference into a searchable $4d$-tree.
Verifying a match
Once we have identified a quad in our image, we search through the $4d$-tree for quads that are within a reasonable tolerance. Since the index does not contain every quad, it's possible we do not find any quads that match. However, there are plenty of quads in our image so we continue with another. Usually, there will be a large number of possible matches so we need to determine which is the best.
A quad in the index that is close to a quad in our image produces an "alignment" of the image onto the celestial sphere, as returned by my search.
With many nearby quads, how do we know which to accept? If a quad produces the correct alignment, we will have two lists of stars, one in the image and one in the reference, and a correspondence between them. Therefore, we search through a second $kd$-tree to find stars that are near to those in the reference quad and check to see if the corresponding stars are present in the image. Of course, even with the correct alignment, it's possible that stars do not appear in their expected location as they may be occluded by a planet, satellite, or comet or they may not be correctly identified as stars when the image is processed.
Due to the probabilistic nature of this question, the choice of whether to accept a proposed alignment is made using Bayesian decision theory. This enables Astrometry.net to set a high threshold for accepting a potential match, which eliminates most false positives. In tests, Astrometry.net is able to correctly recognize 99.9% of testing images with no false positives.
The central idea that leads to the impressive results achieved by Astrometry.net is the ability to identify certain features, quads, that can be expressed in a form that is easily searchable.
One can imagine other choices. For instance, using configurations of three stars, "tris," would allow us to represent features using 2-dimensional points. Our index would then squeeze all of our reference features into the unit square. Remember that noise in the images we are processing means that there is uncertainty in the coordinates of these features. Suppose, for instance, that we can only guarantee that a coordinate lies in an interval of width 0.1. The tri then lies somewhere in a square of area 0.01, which is 1% of the area of the unit square. We can detect at most 100 distinct tris.
Because quads live in 4-dimensional space, however, a quad would only occupy a volume of 0.0001 under these assumptions, which means we could distinguish 10,000 distinct quads.
Clearly, using a configuration of five stars would enable us to distinguish an even greater number of configurations. The trade-off, however, is that searching the $kd$-tree takes longer because we have more coordinates to work with. The choice to use quads is a compromise between the efficiency of the search and the number of nearby quads, and resulting proposed alignments, that need to be searched.
Astrometry.net, created by Dustin Lang, David Hogg, Keir Mierle, Michael Blanton, and Sam Roweis, enables a vast collection of images, including those made by amateur astronomers, to be used in astronomical research. What's presented here is a fairly broad overview that skims over many details of the implementation. Readers wanting to know more are encouraged to read the collaborators' paper or Lang's thesis, which presents a complete picture.
Dustin Lang, David Hogg, Keir Mierle, Michael Blanton, Sam Roweis. Astrometry.net: Blind astrometric calibration of arbitrary astronomical images. The Astronomical Journal, Volume 139, Number 5, pages 1782-1800.
Dustin Lang. Astrometry.net: Automatic recognition and calibration of astronomical images. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Toronto, 2009.
Lang's thesis provides a detailed outline of Astrometry.net's algorithm and details of its implementation.
Previous Post: Risk Analysis and Romance
Next Post: In Praise of Collaboration
2,691 Spambots Blocked by Simple Comments


text:
HomeWorld NewsVietnam halts scuba diving off popular island to protect coral
Vietnam halts scuba diving off popular island to protect coral
HANOI, Vietnam- Vietnam has banned swimming and scuba diving at a popular central tourist spot in an attempt to revive its damaged coral reef, officials said Monday.
The communist nation boasts more than 3,200 kilometers of coastline with crystal clear waters, vibrant sea life, and sandy beaches that are a huge tourism draw.
Coral reefs across Southeast Asia have been badly hit by global warming, with scientists warning their degradation could have devasting environmental and economic knock-on effects.
Recent photos taken off Hon Mun island — about 14 kilometers from the city of Nha Trang and popular with divers thanks to its diverse ecosystem — showed the reef bleached and damaged.
"The Nha Trang bay management authority decided to halt swimming and scuba diving activities in areas around Hon Mun island," officials said.
In a statement, they said the ban was to "evaluate the condition of sensitive area so that an appropriate plan to enact the sea conservation area" could be made.
Effective from Monday, the ban would last "until further notice", they added.
Around 60 percent of the coastal bed in the area was covered by living coral in 2020, according to state media, but more recent findings showed that had shrunk to less than 50 percent.
Previously local authorities blamed the shrinking ecosystem on climate change, noting that powerful storms in 2019 and 2021 had damaged the coral.
They also blamed illegal fishing, dredging, construction of industrial parks, and waste disposal.
Divers expressed anger over the decision to close the waters.
"Swimming and diving activities were the least influence on the coral reefs, compared to other activities," diver Nguyen Son, from Ho Chi Minh City, told AFP.
"The ecosystem (around Hon Mun) should have recovered after two years of pandemic," said diver Trinh Ngoc Sang.
"Without proper management, the fishing vessels came in and destroyed the sea bed," he told AFP, recalling the sight of rubbish and dead coral during a recent dive.
"It would take dozens of years for the coral reefs to be restored, so they want to close it throughout?"
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that 4.5 million people in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region could be affected by damaged coral reefs.
The reefs support about 25 percent of marine biodiversity.
Vietnam's decision follows a similar move in Thailand, which restricted access to Maya Bay — immortalized in the Leonardo DiCaprio film "The Beach" — to give the local ecosystem a chance to recover.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Wild Bills Electronic Squirrel Proof Bird Feeding Package offers all you need to begin feeding birds, while deterring even the most tenacious squirrels. Designed with animal training techniques in mind, the Wild Bills Electronic Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder provides squirrels and raccoons with a mild electric correction when they attempt to feed. The correction is only given when two metal contact points are touched simultaneously, so birds will not receive any corrections. Use the included Wild Bills Pole Adapter Kit to mount this feeder on the included Heath Telescoping Mounting Pole, and place the unit in your garden. This package comes complete with fifteen pounds of Wild Bird Seed Mix, Divine Blend, a Droll Yankees Seed Scoop, a Droll Yankees Bird Feeder Brush, 24", and a Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bird Feeding. The included Stokes Guide serves as the perfect reference book for the beginning to experienced bird feeding enthusiast. The Wild Bills Electronic Squirrel Proof Bird Feeding Package is ideal for anyone just getting started or anyone interested in adding a new dimension to an existing bird feeding sanctuary.
Qty 1 Droll Yankees Bird Feeder Brush, 24"


This is a list of random comments on All Profile Reviews - ordered by date. Click on the Profile Review title to view the Profile Review. Click here to create a Profile Review.
RE: Just got a message telling me my profile is scary and he'd be intimidated by me .... what you think?
RE: Could you help me ?
I don't know what profile the men who commented about your profile read, but as smiles said it's unclear.
I think it has almost no substance to it and therefore say's little about you or who you are looking for.
It's typical of the average woman's profile who's used to putting forth very little effort to attract men but then complains about the men she attracts.
RE: What are your views about me ?
What are your views about me ?
Have to say I like an honest profile, it is much better than unpleasant surprises later. What you see is what you get. 10 out of 10!
Thanks. Can we chat on whatsspp?
I agree with Alex no pic that's a non in my book for that ?
RE: How do i keep the gold diggers away?
There is nothing wrong with what you have written in your profile my dear, you only said what on your mind and i think its very cool.
........there's a saying ......".there's no fool like an old fool .".....this applies to you here in this situation .young women are being kind to a grandad type or else they're desperate for American citizenship and might see you as their entry visa . ....good luck .
I think your profile is good mainly . Not scarey but very assertive..you are probably , like a lot of women on dating sites ..sick to the back teeth of trying to reach out to the good guys by eliminating the crap.
If they like you and are genuine they will like what you put because you are direct and honest.
Call the shots girl, why not !!
Hi, I think it's unclear . Are you looking for a guy from American ....or a guy who lives in America. ?
You live in Germany , appear only interested in America but don't want to marry ?
Log distance relationships could mean one person must uproot , does this mean you ?
RE: Is my profile OK?
HI !! NICE PROFILE !
RE: What do you think of my profile?
RE: Here's me. Welcome to my journey. Inquiries within.


Yet, there are still various points of interest I would like to talk about. First off, let's talk Val Kilmer, who plays a character named Angel. One thing that bummed me out about the clips below is they pretty much give the whole movie away. They reveal plot points that I don't feel should have been spoiled the way they were. We will go over the clips in a moment.
The list is endless with "Top Gun," "Heat" and "Tombstone," but I would like to point out another performance that really impressed, and one I feel is highly underrated: "Wonderland." This movie was amazing to me. I remember going in not expecting much, and being blown away by both Kilmer's performance (and also that of Kate Bosworth).
With a history of movies, like this it is easy for me to admire this actor, so when I heard about this movie with him and "50 Cent," I couldn't help but get my curiosity piqued.
One final note: This movie also stars Danny Trejo ("Machete"), who has recently been all over and impressing, but sadly his fate in this movie is ultimately spoiled in the clip below.
In the first clip, Detective Rogers (James Remar) wants Angel (Val Kilmer) to give some answers, so they are using scare tactics in hopes he will rat out 50 Cent's team of gun-runners.
In this next clip, Rich welcomes Angel to the team. I must admit 50 Cent does seem to be into his part and demonstrates his acting potential in this clip.
In this next clip, Rich is trying to make a deal (this is the scene with Dany Trejo), but things don't go as planned. Plenty of shooting and cursing, too.
This is a pretty cool clip where we find Rich showing a client some his products. He fires off this amazing gun; I was sold and finally understood why "Gun" is the right name for this movie.
In the final clip, Detective Rogers is upset with Angel about some misinformation.
After watching these clips, I feel like I have watched the whole movie. I probably will eventually check it out, but I will try to let some time go by. Don't get me wrong, the movie does look interesting and all the actors do seem to take themselves seriously.
So, what do you think? Would you watch this movie if all the characters involved brought in their "A" game? Sound of in the comment section.
What happened to Val Kilmer? Woah!


There is a drift further east from Docklands when it comes to new data centre building in London, which is what one local council is now taking advantage of.
The Mayor of London has given the green light to two new NTT Communications data centres in Dagenham, East London. There are plans to transform the area where the facilities are being built into a digital and media hub.
The data centres will be located near a new film studio. They will total around 53,000 square metres and are expected to provide a combined 1.75MW of power. Planning documents suggest the campus could be ready by the end of 2019 and employ over 100 people.
Barking and Dagenham council's deputy leader Dominic Twomey welcomed the approval. Twomey said: "I am pleased the Mayor of London's office has endorsed our decision and given these plans the go-ahead.
In July this year, Barking and Dagenham Council gave planning consent to NTT to build the data centres. The decision was then referred to Greater London Authority, and last week the Deputy Mayor of London, Jules Pipe, said he was content to allow Barking and Dagenham Council to make the final decision itself.
The council has now given formal notice to grant permission. Earlier this month, NTT announced plans to double the size of its data centre capacity in Osaka, Japan, with two new facilities coming online by the end of 2019.


The button below will navigate you to PayPal for your secure credit card donation.
You may either log in to your PayPal account or fill out your payment information using the Don't have a PayPal account? link on the page that loads after clicking the Donate button below. A PayPal account is NOT required.
Be sure to enter the same donation amount that you entered on the previous page.


Best Choice Products presents the brand new portable washer and spin cycle dryer. Never sacrifice fresh, clean clothes wherever you maybe! This compact washing machine and spin cycle unit is constructed of a durable plastic body. The lightweight and space-saving design makes it ideal for camping trips, dormitories, or anywhere with limited space. This quiet but powerful unit has a 1300RPM motor with a max frequency of 60 Hz. Enjoy the convenience of washing and spinning up to 13 lbs. of total laundry (Washer: 8lbs., Spin Cycle: 5 lbs.). For a quick clean, the washer runs for up to 15 minutes while the spin cycle timer runs for up to 5 minutes each load. It features an inlet and attached hose for adding and draining water, with the option of pouring water directly into the bucket. For product assurance, this portable appliance is UL certified.
WebXelent.com ©2019. Shopper Designed by ShopperWP.


text:
What happens if you miss your cruise
Gene Sloan
Gene Sloan has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA Today's award-winning cruise site. He's sailed on more than 150 ships.
Have you ever missed a flight because you showed up late at the airport? It can be a painful lesson in the importance of building wiggle room into your travel plans. But, in many cases, it'll only cause a modest delay in your travels, with little or no add-on costs.
Not so with cruises.
Late-arrivers for flights often can hop on another plane to their destination just a few hours later, sometimes even with change fees waived due to quasi-official "flat tire rule" policies. But travelers who are even just a few minutes late for a cruise sometimes can find their entire trip ruined.
At the very least, cruisers who miss a ship's departure — as quite a few have this summer due to worse-than-normal flight delays — often face huge expenses and logistical challenges trying to catch up with the vessel at its next port of call. In some cases, due to laws that restrict where ships can be boarded, they might not be able to join the vessel at all.
For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter.
It's for this reason that pretty much anyone having anything to do with the cruise business — cruise line sales professionals, cruise-selling travel agents and cruise-focused travel writers like me — will tell you to always travel to your departure port at least a day before your cruise, even if you're traveling by car. It may seem like overkill, and it'll add to the expense of the trip. But the consequences of missing a cruise departure can be so disastrous that it's a sensible move.
For those whose initial impulse is to resist such advice, let's address some of the key concerns surrounding what happens if you miss your cruise.
Can I board a cruise ship late?
The typical cut-off time for boarding ships is a full hour before departure so it's important to arrive well before the ship is due to leave. (Photo by Glowimages/Getty Images)
Not only can you not board a cruise ship late, the cut-off time for boarding is actually a lot earlier than the sail-away time.
This is a case where everything you've learned about airplanes is true for cruise ships, too. Just because your ship is listed as leaving at 4 pm, it doesn't mean you can stroll up to the pier at 3:57 pm and expect to make it on board.
The typical cut-off time for boarding ships is a full hour before departure. That said, it can be even longer (and, in some cases shorter) depending on the line, port and itinerary. To be safe, read the documentation that you receive after booking (these days, often in electronic form) for specific information about boarding times for your sailing.
It's also a risky move to aim to arrive exactly at the cut-off time. Keep in mind that some of the bigger departure ports such as Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades can be jammed with traffic on departure days, slowing down the arrival process. I once got stuck in a massive traffic jam around one of the guard gates at Port Everglades. It added at least 15 minutes to what should have been a quick five- to 10-minute Uber ride from a nearby hotel.
Will a cruise ship leave without me?
One common misperception among cruisers is that cruise lines will hold a ship for late-arriving passengers if they are arriving on cruise line-booked flights. (Photo by Oleksandra Korobova/Getty Images)
If you do not arrive at the port before the boarding window ends, the cruise ship will most certainly leave without you. Even if you are standing at the pier, waving frantically. That's because a cruise ship's departure time is carefully planned and more than just your vacation is at stake.
Just like airplanes, cruise ships are on tight schedules — much tighter than you may realize. If a ship delays its departure by an hour while it waits for you to arrive, it very well may arrive an hour late at its next port of call.
That's a situation that, on bigger ships, can impact thousands of people — not just passengers who will see their experience at that port diminished, but also dock workers, tour guides and bus drivers at the destination who have planned their day around the vessel's arrival.
At many ports, a local harbor pilot will be waiting for your ship on a boat just offshore to help guide it in, and they will be expecting your vessel at an appointed time. This service often comes with a high charge, and if the ship arrives too far behind schedule, it can result in hefty fees. Ship captains will do all they can to avoid disrupting the planned schedule.
Related: Can a cruise ship leave without you?
One common misperception among cruisers is that cruise lines will hold a ship for late-arriving passengers if they are arriving on cruise line-booked flights. This generally is not the case. Even if you are arriving on a flight booked through the cruise line, the ship still will sail without you if that flight is delayed and you are not at the pier on time.
What cruise lines will do if you miss a cruise departure due to a delay on a cruise line-booked flight is help you get to the ship at another port. That is, if they can do so legally (more on that in a moment).
Note that the policies vary from line to line on this issue. Some lines are a bit vague about what exactly they will do to help passengers reach the ship. Others spell it out quite clearly. Carnival, for instance, says right on its website that if you miss a cruise departure due to delays in flights booked through its Fly2Fun air program, it will "make the necessary flight, hotel and/or ground transportation arrangements to get you to the next port of call on time at no expense to you."
Can I join the ship at the next port?
A variety of cruise ships docked in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Daniel Piraino EyeEm/Getty Images)
Even in cases where it is logistically easy to get to a ship's next port of call, you may not be legally allowed to board the vessel at that port. Some countries, including the United States, have "cabotage" laws that restrict the number of ports where foreign-flagged vessels such as cruise ships can pick up and drop off passengers. These laws are designed to protect domestic shipping industries from foreign competition.
In the United States, for instance, the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 says foreign vessels cannot transport passengers from one U.S. port to another U.S. port, either directly or by way of a nearby foreign port (defined as ports in North and Central America, Bermuda or most Caribbean islands). The Act does not apply to sailings that begin and end in the same U.S. port, provided the sailings include at least one stop at any foreign port. It also has an exception for trips between two different U.S. ports that include a stop at a distant foreign port.
What that means, in practice, is that a cruise line cannot let you join a ship at a U.S. port such as Port Canaveral, Florida, if you later will be disembarking at a different U.S. port — say, New York or Miami — unless a visit to a distant port such as Aruba is on the itinerary. This is a rule that can severely limit your options if you want to join a ship part way through a cruise.
Related: 6 ways you can ruin your cruise in an instant
To give one specific example: Under the law, it's perfectly fine for the Bermuda-flagged ships of Princess Cruises to operate Alaska voyages that begin in Vancouver, BC, and end in Whittier, Alaska — a common itinerary for the line. Since the voyages don't begin in a U.S. port, they are exempt from the law.
But if someone misses the departure of such a voyage from Vancouver, they can't simply board at a later stop. All the later stops on this route — the Alaskan towns of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway — are in the United States. Someone boarding in one of those ports and disembarking at the end of the cruise in Whittier would be traveling between two U.S. ports without a stop at at distant foreign port, creating a violation of the Passenger Services Act.
Cruise ships do, occasionally, violate the law. For instance, it's standard policy in the industry to evacuate a passenger with a medical emergency to the nearest suitable port even if it means triggering a Passenger Vessel Services Act violation. In such cases, a line would face a U.S. Customs and Border Protection penalty that currently is set at $778 per person, unless the agency granted a waiver.
Some lines also will occasionally allow waylaid passengers to join a ship at a forbidden port if they agree to pay the penalty themselves. But it isn't common, if only because the penalty is so high. A family of four would pay $3,112 for the privilege — more than the cost of many cruises.
If you are legally allowed to board a ship at a later port, you will be responsible for paying all the costs related to getting to that port. One exception, as noted above, would be in a situation where you missed the original departure because of a delay with a cruise line-booked flight. Another exception would be in a case where you had a certain type of travel insurance (more on that below).
Can I get a refund or credit for the missed cruise?
Cruise lines generally do not offer refunds or future cruise credits for passengers who miss a cruise due to travel delays. This includes partial refunds for missed days if you join a cruise a day or two late.
The only exception here is that some lines may offer at least a partial refund if you miss a cruise due to a documented emergency. But they do this on a case-by-case basis, and you can't count on it.
Related: 7 ways to prepare for any kind of travel disaster
Will travel insurance help if I miss my cruise ship?
Even if you haven't bought travel insurance specifically for your cruise, you may be able to tap trip interruption insurance that's a benefit of some credit cards for at least partial reimbursement of expenses related to missing a cruise departure. (Photo by Daniel Piraino EyeEm/Getty Images)
If you miss a day or two of a cruise because of a delayed flight, you might be able to get some reimbursement through a travel insurance policy, assuming you have one. Then again, you might not. Most travel insurance plans offer "trip interruption" coverage that kicks in after missed connections. But there often is fine print that limits the circumstances where it is valid.
"Some plans offer missed connection coverage only for weather-related delays, while other plans may also cover delays caused by … mechanical breakdown," said Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com, a leading travel insurance comparison site.
In addition, while the missed connection coverage in many plans only requires a delay of three consecutive hours to be valid, some less pricey plans may have a six- or 12-hour delay requirement, Sandberg said. Coverage maximums for missed connection claims also vary widely. Some are as low as $250, Sandberg says.
If it does kick in, missed connection coverage would cover the cost of flights or other transportation needed to reach your cruise ship at a secondary port as well as "reasonable" costs for accommodations, meals and telephone expenses incurred while in transit to the ship, Sandberg said. Such insurance also would reimburse any prepaid expenses for unused land or water travel arrangements.
If you drive to a cruise and miss the ship due to traffic delays, travel insurance isn't as accommodating. Traffic delays typically aren't considered a covered reason for reimbursement under missed connection coverage, according to Sandberg.
That said, "some travel insurance plans will provide trip cancellation coverage if the insured is involved in a documented traffic accident on the way to their departure point," he added.
Even if you haven't bought travel insurance specifically for your cruise, you may be able to tap trip interruption insurance that's a benefit of some credit cards for at least partial reimbursement of expenses related to missing a cruise departure. Many premium Chase cards, including Chase Sapphire Reserve, for instance, provide trip interruption insurance with relatively high maximum coverage amounts for trips booked using the cards.
Just be warned that this benefit often comes with a lot of fine print that can make it tough to collect in many circumstances. The fine print on Chase Sapphire Reserve's travel insurance benefit, for instance, says its trip interruption coverage does not apply to "loss caused by or resulting from … Common carrier caused delays, unless they are as a result of an organized strike that affects public transportation." It also specifically says it does not apply to loss from "travel arrangements canceled or changed by a common carrier, tour operator, or any travel agent, unless the cancellation is the result of severe weather or an organized strike affecting public transportation."
To our ears, that sounds pretty limiting.
Could a travel agent help me?
There are plenty of travelers these days who pooh-pooh the notion of booking through a travel agent. But in the case of a missed cruise departure, travel agents can be a big help.
Many of the big travel agency groups do many millions of dollars of business with each of the major cruise lines, giving them clout they can deploy to your advantage. They also have agents with personal relationships with problem solvers at various lines who can jump into action on your behalf.
"You have an advocate available to you to help if something doesn't go as planned," said Jill LaBarre, vice president of business development at Palm Coast Travel, owner of Oasis Travel Network and SmartCruiser.com. "I'm not sure the occasional cruiser would know where to begin to salvage their trip [after a missed departure]."
LaBarre recalled the case of a family that missed its flight to Miami for a Norwegian Cruise Line trip by minutes. While the family didn't make the flight, its bags did, creating a situation with some complicated logistics to fix.
For starters, she quickly rebooked the family on a flight to St. Thomas, where the ship would be two days later, so the family could join it there. She also booked the family into a resort in St. Thomas for the two days until the ship arrived.
But the more complicated issue was reuniting the family with its bags. The bags now were stranded at the Miami airport. LaBarre sought help from the assistant hotel director of the ship, which had yet to leave Miami. He, in turn, arranged to have Norwegian's transfer company pick up the bags and rush them to the vessel before it departed.
When the family finally boarded the ship, Norwegian Escape, two days later, the bags were there in the family's room. Speaking of the room, LaBarre's contact on the ship had the family upgraded, too.
LaBarre said she had urged the family to fly to the port a day early and buy travel insurance. But they hadn't heeded her advice on either count.
"It all worked out, but with a lot of unnecessary stress and expense," she said.
It's not going to be easy to salvage your trip if you are late for your cruise departure. My advice is to always travel to the port of departure at least a day in advance of a cruise.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
15 ways cruisers waste money
12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
Feature photo by d3sign/Getty Images.
6 quick and easy ways to earn Loyalty Points before the end of the American elite year
Las Vegas is about to have a banner year — here's why you should book a trip right now
6 reasons you'll want to book a balcony cabin on your next cruise
60,000-point bonus for a top travel card: Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card review
TPG featured card
Best for earning alternative rewards for travel purchases
Credit One Bank Wander® Card
Apply for Credit One Bank Wander® Card
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
TPG Editor's Rating
Open Editors rating
Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Go to review
at Credit One Bank's secure site
1 - 10X points
10X Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner site
5X Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas
1X Earn 1x points on all other purchases
Intro offer
Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days and redeem for a $100 statement credit, gift cards, or travel
Recommended Credit
Fair/Good
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Why We Chose It
The revamped Wander Card from Credit One Bank earns cardmembers up to 10 points per dollar spent on eligible travel purchases. With no foreign transaction fees, the card is also great for international travel. However, points earned from this card can only be used at a fixed value, so it may not be the best option for those striving to get maximum value from their rewards.
This card has no foreign transaction fees and earns up to 10 points per dollar on travel purchases through the Credit One Bank travel partner site.
While cardholders can earn a significant amount of points on travel purchases, there isn't any way to redeem points from the Wander Card for maximum value (beyond 1 cent per point).
Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel site
Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas
Earn 1x points on all other purchases
Redeem your reward points for statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, flights, hotels, and more
With $0 Fraud Liability, you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
Free Online Credit Score and Credit Report summary, terms apply
If you are a Covered Borrower under the Military Lending Act, you may get a different offer
See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
Open Intro bonus
Open Credit score description


1The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.
2Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, London, UK.
Many plant pathogenic and symbiotic microbes produce specialized structures that invade host cells but remain enveloped by host-derived membranes. The mechanisms underlying the biogenesis and functions of such host–microbe interfaces are poorly understood. The Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans is an oomycete hemibiotroph that infects solanaceous plants. During its biotrophic phase, P. infestans forms haustoria. A host-derived membrane, called the extrahaustorial membrane (EHM), separates haustoria from the plant cell and constitutes the haustorial interface. Some P. infestans strains infect Nicotiana benthamiana and develop haustoria in infected leaf cells. We have exploited the N. benthamiana experimental system to perform fast-forward cell biology of the haustorial interface. This revealed dynamic changes in host membrane compartment formation and rerouting in haustoriated cells. In particular, we discovered that selective autophagy and other trafficking pathways are diverted to the pathogen interface. Our working model is that P. infestans RXLR effectors co-opt host membrane trafficking to promote host colonization.
The ability of plant pathogens to cause disease and the ability of host plants to resist infection are frequently determined by interactions between proteins. In my Lab we study the biochemical and structural basis of how translocated plant pathogen effector proteins promote disease, and how plant cells recognise and respond to the presence of these molecules to deliver immunity. Ultimately we hope these studies will allow informed engineering of plant immunity in important crop species. In my seminar I will give a general overview of this work, with examples of published and unpublished work to highlight recent progress.
1) Maqbool A, Saitoh H, Franceschetti M, Stevenson CEM, Uemura A, Kanzaki H, Kamoun S, Terauchi R & Banfield MJ (2015) Structural basis of pathogen recognition by an integrated HMA domain in a plant NLR immune receptor. eLife 4:e08709.
2) King SR, McLellan H, Boevink PC, Armstrong MR, Bukharova T, Sukarta O, Win J, Kamoun S, Birch PR & Banfield MJ (2014) Phytophthora infestans RXLR effector PexRD2 interacts with host MAPKKK to suppress plant immune signalling. The Plant Cell. 26: 1345-59.
3) Sohn K, Hughes RK, Piquerez SJ, Jones JD & Banfield MJ (2012) Distinct regions of the Pseudomonas syringae coiled-coil effector AvrRps4 are required for activation of immunity. PNAS (USA). 109: 16371-16376.
4) Boutemy LS, King SR, Win J, Hughes RK, Clarke TA, Blumenschein TM, Kamoun S, Banfield MJ (2011) Structure of Phytophthora RXLR effector proteins: a conserved but adaptable fold underpins functional diversity. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286: 35834-42.


I'm thrilled to join my aunt, Linda Babin, and Kelsey Wirt on the Babin Team! Together we have over 25+ years of real estate experience and are a top producing team for the Sacramento Region and top 2% for Lyon Agents.
I spent part of my childhood in El Dorado Hills and have first hand knowledge of the schools, parks, and recreation opportunities. College and career took me to other parts of California. Before obtaining my real estate license I worked in Silicon Valley, most recently at Google for 8 years in numerous roles including strategic partnerships. I have a BA from UC Santa Barbara.
Get alerted when new homes come on the market by signing up to receive my property alerts.
If you have any questions about real estate, please let me know!


Your complete IT infrastructure on our fully automated and modern virtualization platform. Ideal for all SMEs, which focus on their core business.
We advise and support you in all IT questions so you can focus on your core business.
We are here for you! Personal, contactable and competent. The dealing with the customers is one of our most important success factors. We understand your desires and help you in a competent way.


text:
Directors' Message
Links & videos
Past Posters
Credits - Contacts
The 2022 poster was designed in association with
and the National Scientific Centre
"Institute of Metrology", Ukraine
World Metrology Day:
Metrology in the
Digital Era
World Metrology Day: 20 May 2022
Metrology in the Digital Era
Welcome to the 2022 World Metrology Day Resource website. The theme for World Metrology Day 2022 is Metrology in the Digital Era.
This theme was chosen because digital technology is revolutionizing our community, and is one of the most exciting trends in society today.
Indeed more widely metrology, the science of measurement, plays a central role in scientific discovery and innovation, industrial manufacturing and international trade, in improving the quality of life and in protecting the global environment.
World Metrology Day is an annual celebration of the signature of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of seventeen nations. The Convention set the framework for global collaboration in the science of measurement and in its industrial, commercial and societal applications. The original aim of the Metre Convention - the world-wide uniformity of measurement - remains as important today as it was in 1875.
The World Metrology Day project is realized jointly by the BIPM and the OIML. We hope that you enjoy this site and that your Country or Metrology Organization will join us and participate in this year's event.
The WMD Team
The 2022 poster was designed
Visit the BIPM-OIML Resource Center:


text:
Classroom tips
Teacher voices
Teach. Learn. Grow.
Teach. Learn. Grow. The education blog
By Steven Wise
Category | Research & thought leadership, Assessment basics
Student Engagement Affects Test Performance
Educators rely on student achievement test performance to provide important information for a variety of inferences they wish to make about education. Educators use test scores to gather information about what individual students know and can do, which helps identify students who need special educational assistance. Additionally, in the aggregate, student test performance has been a key part of school accountability during the No Child Left Behind era, and it has become an increasingly important component of the evaluation of teacher and principal effectiveness.
Most educators tend to think about and interpret test scores without considering the full breadth of what makes scores valid. It seems simple: give a student a well-made test, the student tries to do his best, and then interpret the resulting score as an indicator of what that student knows and can do. Obtaining a valid test score from a student, however, requires more than just a good test. It also requires an engaged student who devotes enough effort to the test to demonstrate his true level of proficiency. Without sufficient effort, regardless how good the test is, a student's test score is likely to markedly underestimate what he really knows and can do. This means that such a score alone should not be considered a trustworthy indicator of the student's proficiency level, and should be interpreted cautiously.
No assessment—no matter how carefully designed—is immune to this problem. Despite best efforts to ensure the highest quality of assessments, educators can't control the behavior of the students who are tested. While it is true that most students are engaged when they are being tested, some are not. Why not? To understand this better, it is helpful to first turn the question around and consider why any student gives good effort to a test.
Students are highly likely to remain engaged and give good effort whenever there are meaningful personal consequences associated with their test performance. That is, they try because they want to attain something they value, such as a good grade, high school graduation, a scholarship, etc. Moreover, even in the absence of personal consequences, most students will still give good effort to a test. In these cases, internal psychological factors are operating, such as a desire to please their teachers, a fear of punishment for not giving good effort, competitiveness, or an intrinsic motivation to solve problems that are put before them.
Test-taking engagement is most likely to be a problem when students perceive an absence of personal consequences for test performance. This is called low-stakes testing (as seen from the student's perspective). In these situations, students' internal motivational factors may not be strong enough to maintain test-taking engagement. But even in high-stakes testing situations, students can become disengaged during testing due to such factors as fatigue, illness, personal problems, or a general disenfranchisement with school. Thus, while disengagement is most likely during low-stakes testing, it can occur during high-stakes testing as well.
For the past dozen years or so, I have researched student test-taking engagement, and we have learned a lot about its dynamics. Along with my colleagues, we have pioneered methods for detecting low test-taking effort on computer-based tests. We have developed criteria for identifying test events for which effort was so low that the resulting test scores are invalid. Using these criteria, we have discovered a number of important relationships about student engagement with our Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) assessment. These include findings that:
Boys exhibit scores reflecting low effort on MAP about twice as often as do girls. For some reason, this finding surprises no one.
Low test-taking effort is about twice as likely to occur on a reading test event as on a math test event. This is because reading test items tend to contain more words, which students view as requiring more effort to answer.
The prevalence of low-effort scores increases with grade. In one study, we found that about 1% of the MAP scores reflect low effort at grade 2, with a gradual increase to about 15% in grade 9.
The time of day that MAP is given is important. The percentage of low-effort scores gradually increase during the day, with students tested late in the day exhibiting low effort about twice as often as those tested at the beginning of the day.
Although these findings are based on MAP scores, there is no reason to believe that similar findings wouldn't be found with other educational assessments as well.
So, given this problem, what should test givers do? First, they should be mindful of the student's perspective regarding the test. That is, even though the test may be extremely important to test givers (i.e., when used for school accountability or teacher evaluation), the test may be of limited importance to students. Moreover, they should be aware that how, when, and where a student is administered a test matters. Students should always be given encouragement from their teachers to give their best effort, and the importance of getting valid test scores should be clearly explained. The test should be administered in quiet settings that are free of distractions, and there should be no incentives to students to rush through the test (such as going to lunch or recess immediately afterward). Ideally, students should be tested earlier in the day (to the extent possible).
The general goal is to administer tests in such a way that maximizes student engagement throughout their test events. Although we can't eliminate disengaged test taking from occurring, we can try to minimize its impact.
Learning during COVID-19: Why it's not as simple as calculating months of learning
Next year cannot be normal: New research confirms widening educational inequity during COVID-19
3 ways to support early learners impacted by the COVID-19 "kindergarten bubble"
Build math confidence
Lots of kids dread math. You can help them love it. Get advice on how from our Teach. Learn. Grow. math experts in our latest ebook.
For policymakers
There's a lot policymakers can do to support schools during COVID-19. We talked with experts Evan Stone and LaTanya Pattillo about what to focus on during SY21–22.
The ABCs of reading
Effective literacy instruction must rely on the science of reading and best practices in balanced literacy.
Sign up for our newsletter and get recent blog posts—and more—delivered right to your inbox.


Suppliers > Learning Resources, Inc.
Beautifully detailed fish counters in 12 realistic shapes are great for party favors, storytelling or even rewards! Set includes 60 counters packaged in a reusable storage container.


08. Many students want practical studies to get a good job and have a stable life. The world has mostly recovered from the financial crisis, but prospective college students are increasingly avoiding the humanities. According to the American Department of Education, while specialists in linguistics, politics, education and society dropped off sharply, students studying sport science, nursing, health care or engineering increased rapidly from 2008 to 2017. It is not only an American story; it is the world's situation.
Then, why are the humanities important? Humanities are concerned with human society and culture. We've gained a great deal of knowledge over the last few thousand years by reading and learning from literature, history and philosophy. Thousands of people who have lived on earth have shared their experience and wisdom through the humanities. Even though we are living a hardscrabble life, that's why we must not give up the humanities.
To cope with the difficulty of humanities in Korea, the government created a program for the revitalization of the humanities called CORE (initiative for College of humanities' Research and Education) in 2016. It is the government's first financially supported program for the humanities, providing 60 billion won over three years to 25 universities. Through it, those universities had to revise the humanities curriculum for the 21st century and the fourth industrial revolution. Keimyung University is one of them.
How was Keimyung selected for the CORE program over many other universities? KMU has a representative humanities college, which first established a department of English language and literature and department of philosophy. As time went on, KMU's College of Humanities and International Studies has become the most affluent humanities college in Korea with 16 majors including international studies and regional studies like American Studies. The curriculum for each of these majors blends the humanities and social science, which was done for the first time in Korea at KMU. Because of this, the government thought we already have a great tradition for evolving humanities programs.
What has Keimyung CORE done for the last three years? There are too many changes to explain here, so only the main changes will be introduced. First, the CORE program has nine new interdisciplinary majors. Six majors combine humanities and non-humanities departments: Humanities IT Engineering, Humanities Business Consulting, Humanities E-culture, Humanities MICE, Humanities Medical Tourism and Humanities Mechanical & Automotive Engineering. Three majors combine only humanities departments: Border Studies, Emerging Market Area Studies and Korean Studies. Theses majors are unique, and can only be found at KMU. Through them, students can study and gain valuable work experience. These curriculums can be the most creative and practical of KMU CORE.
engineering. Students can choose to have a CORE major. If they choose to have a CORE major, they have the benefit of a reduced minimum number of credits. There are also changes in liberal arts called K-humanities. Only the '17, '18 humanities students have to take K-humanities classes required by CORE, not existing liberal arts classes. Of course, they can take other liberal arts classes that are not required by CORE, but those credits don't count towards graduation. However, for graduation, they have to take more than five K-humanities classes.
major or major and minor and K-humanities). Because they are new, strange and mandatory, the students can't easily accept the changes. However, there are also many great and helpful programs. With financial support of the government, CORE can help a lot of students to see the wider world using their liberal arts knowledge. Those experiences give them knowledge and great additions to their resumes. The programs provide many opportunities for students to gain valuable work-related experiences. The most popular programs provide international and domestic experience like studying abroad and regional research. Moreover, KMU CORE signed MOUs with some research institutes, so some students spend their vacations on internal and external placements. Besides these, there are more programs for training students majoring in the humanities.
Despite a lot of supported programs and plans, students haven't given them much attention. There are notifications on the CORE website, and professors introduce the various choices, but only a few students have participated in CORE programs. One hundred students majoring in the humanities were interviewed randomly. Among them, 26 students knew just a little about CORE but have not participated in the programs because they didn't know what programs there were. CORE can't make sure all students know every programs, so students should search and register for them by themselves. Another 12 students, who didn't pay attention to CORE, thought there weren't worthy programs to attend. Of the 100 students, 48 thought it wasn't helpful, or they didn't recognize these programs were for the humanities, or thought it was not helpful to get a job. They said they can't focus on their main major because of the double major or major and minor, which is a burden on them.
On the contrary, 52 students think CORE improves their university lives by helping them see their majors in the humanities positively. Most students like the double major or major and minor system. Engineering or business majors can find jobs more easily these days, but humanities students usually feel quite afraid to approach them. Fortunately, the new CORE majors make students more comfortable to approach these new studies with their own knowledge. Nevertheless, most students don't understand why K-humanities exist. No one agrees with the curriculum. Among 100 students, 98 students mentioned K-humanities as the worst curriculum in CORE because it is not related to the humanities. They prefer to choose other liberal arts classes instead of K-humanities.
After government financial support ends in 2019, there will still be interdisciplinary programs for the double or minor major system and K-humanities. KMU CORE still tries to make better curriculum for students. Even if CORE ends soon, we shouldn't ignore the importance of the humanities.


The workers at Match Pub in New West turn me onto new music all the time.
They posted a new song the other day…I'll need to add it to rotation as well.
The new one is called "Quit You" and features Tinashe. The song is a modern pop jam that throws back on some vintage 80s sounds.
And here's a sea of "Phone Down" remixes.


(Of David. A psalm.) Psalmus ipsi David.
et intelligam in via immaculata: quando venies ad me?
ut disperderem de civitate Domini omnes operantes iniquitatem.
 This is thought by some commentators to mean the coming of the Ark to Jerusalem (II Kg. 6).


text:
Home » Rick Ross and Wild N Out Star, Pretty Vee Are In a Relationship
Rick Ross and Wild N Out Star, Pretty Vee Are In a Relationship
Obiorah Precious
Rick Ross and Wild N Out Star, Pretty Vee Are In a Relationship!
Starting off as friends and work partners, the pair had known each other for a while before Cupid came throwing in his love arrows. Rick and Pretty vee worked together on a promotional video for Belaire Rosé sparkling wine brand.
Although it was a 9-minute clip titled "Boss Talk", the Wild N Out cast member took out time to render a few words of accolades and expressed how much she respected his grind. Well, we should have seen it coming…
The gossip has been flying around of Pretty Vee and Rick Ross in a relationship and she has officially confirmed it. Yes! Rick Ross is in a relationship
Recently, Pretty Vee appeared as a guest on the talk show "Black Girl Stuff" on Revolt. While on the talk show, the star officially addressed the rumor and admitted she is no longer single. The reality star also share what she loves about the Maybach Music Group boss.
Pretty Vee said, "I think it's the boss in him."
She further admitted that he is her type saying, "I like guys who lead. So when you're a leader, you can step to me, you know?"
She confessed, "But again, when it comes to Ross, Ross is the type of person who you look at and you just admire, you're inspired by. Like, I wanna do what you're doing, so teach me. So in the back end, I'm actually a student to the game as well."
Let me know what you think of Pretty Vee and Rick Ross in a relationship in the comments
Readers Might Also Like:
Steve Lacy Los Angeles Show Will Livestream On Prime Video
Twitter Discusses the Controversial Film 'Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America'
Dwyane Wade Accused Of Exploiting Transgender Daughter For Financial Gain By His Ex-Wife


Which is your favourite couple in [Highs and Lows]?
As a Senior Inspector of the Narcotics Bureau Operation Unit, HEUNG WING (Miu Kiu Wai) profoundly abhors evil. He and WAI SAI-LOK (Raymond Lam) – Senior Inspector of the Intelligence Unit have closely co-operated with each other as peer mentors, frequently solving drug trafficking cases for the Police Force. During an operation to knock down the targets, SAI-LOK discovers clues that HEUNG WING is most likely the corrupt cop in a collusion conspiracy with drug dealers. Apart from launching a secret investigation into HEUNG WING, SAI-LOK is also alienated from him by the evil-willed Chief Inspector of the Operation Unit – PUN HOK-LAI (Ben Wong). Having undergone various disputes against each other, the long-term brotherly relationship between SAI-LOK and HEUNG WING appears full of contradictions.
On the other hand, following an investigation, SAI-LOK falls in love with a snitch – CHAN KA-PIK (Kate Tsui), who suffers from low self-esteem due to her humble beginning. Deliberately denying her affection to SAI-LOK, KA-PIK gives up on him so that his secret admirer – KO HEI-SUEN (Ella Koon), a rookie police officer, can have the chance, leading to a subtle relationship among the three. Feeling life is so dreary, KA-PIK ultimately digs her own grave by becoming a new generation of drug dealer, involved in drug trafficking and provoking the Police Force. With intense sorrow, SAI-LOK then joins forces with HEUNG WING against KA-PIK, waging a chain of bitter battles.
"Evil-willed", "waging a chain of bitter battles"… the synopsis is so dramatic! 😛 Are you watching this? I caught the first 3 eps, it's pretty good so far. I actually like Raymond's character and so far he portrays it pretty well which is something I can't say for his last few roles! Here's hoping the series only gets better!
I've been catching up on this series (shamelessly) just because of Michael Miu and Raymond Lam. I can't stand the sight of Kate Tsui and Ella Koon though. Sigh, such conflicts on whether or not to watch this.
Anyways, it is quite a refreshing plot with some odd twists that you can't quite expect sometimes. I've been enjoying it so far…but maybe it's just the first 6 episodes.
Yea, there has been quite a few twists in the series which is great!
Am enjoying both High and Low and Last Steep Ascent after struggling in finishing Ghetto Justice 2. It's 2 of the better series this year despite I have too much college work to do. Ben Wong's acting is still good as he was Spicy Ginger although he kinda annoys me in there haha. I'm curious about Kate's character.
Somehow the series kinda reminds me of Lives of Omission not only because of the casts but because the undercover thing at the beginning. I'm not used to Raymond's sarcastic role in this series as the cop but it's his first cop role so I'm giving him a slack on this.
Loving Raymond and Michael so far too hehehe.
Kate shines in this series. I could say this is my favorite role of her as Linda in Witness Insecurity.
I like Raymond's character in High and Low but don't really like his acting in there. This drama is good but the rating is not that high.
I've just finished episode 4 and it's okay so far. For some reason I can't seem to get into the drama, but perhaps I'm just bored of the police/drug dealing theme.
I know what you mean. TVB has been using their cliche. In my perspective, High and Low is one of the better series this year.
A bit tired of tvb these days. Still not sure if I will watch Silver Spoons and Confidante although they have good casts and are this year's anniversary series.
Enjoyed watching Vincent Lam and Kate Tsui.
i love you kate tsui! Youre good in every movie!
Kate Tsui is awesome in High and Low. I love her being brave and can do anything to save her brother.
Can anyone tell me the title of the English song at last episode?
will there be a 2nd season for this show? i've a gut feeling that there is!
I think this series was very underrated. It was a good drama but didn't rank high among the 2012 dramas. I don't understand why people hate Kate Tsui so much, I think she's a very down-to-earth person in real life and she puts a lot of effort and emotions into her characters.


text:
KSIDC to set up first waste-to-energy plant in Kozhikode
The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has been tasked with setting up seven waste-to-energy plants in the state. The first plant will be set up at Njeliyanparama in Kozhikode on the 12.67 acre plot that the Kozhikode Corporation has leased out to it.
KSIDC will execute the project at a cost of Rs 250 crore with the help of a consortium led by Bengaluru-based Zonta Infratech. The consortium will carry out construction and execution of the project.
The plant will start functioning in two years. The proposed plant will have a capacity to process 300 tonne of solid waste on a daily basis and convert it into electricity. The plant will benefit Koyilandy, Feroke and Ramanattukara municipalities, Olavanna, Kunnamangalam and Kadalundi panchayats and the Kozhikode Corporation.
The waste will be processed using the controlled combustion method in which the waste will be burned at a very high temperature. The steam produced thus will be used to work the turbines to produce electricity.
The electricity will be handed over to the Kerala State Electricity Board at the rates fixed by the Electricity Regulatory Commission. The other waste-to-energy plants in the state are coming up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Malappuram districts.
BMC to set up waste-to-energy plant near Haji Ali
Essel Infraprojects looks to monetise waste-to-energy business
Centre alleviates green clearance norms for captive power plants
NAFED to set up 100 bio-CNG plants, to invest Rs 5,000 cr
Punjab State Power Corpn to set up projects worth Rs 600 cr in Bathinda
Waste Based Power (Njeliyanparama) Project
Kerala State Industrial Devp. Corpn. Ltd.
Waste Based Power


text:
Фазовая диаграмма системы Cr-Sb
К оглавлению: Другие диаграммы (Others phase diargams)
Cr-Sb (Chromium-Antimony) M. Venkatraman and J.P. Neumann The assessed phase diagram for the Cr-Sb system is based on the experimental data of [07Wil] and is essentially the same as that of [Hansen]. The diagram is characterized by complete solubility in the liquid state and by the presence of two intermediate phases-CrSb and CrSb2. CrSb has the hexagonal NiAs-type structure, whereas CrSb2 has the orthorhombic FeS2(marcasite)-type structure. The intermediate phase Cr3Sb2, reported by [41Mas], does not exist. In the assessed diagram, the Cr liquidus curve is estimated; the curve given by [07Wil] was adjusted to be consistent with the presently accepted value of 1863 C for the melting temperature of pure Cr [Melt]. The low melting temperature of Cr, reported by [07Wil] as 1553 C, is undoubtedly due to the low purity of the Cr used (~99 wt.%), as well as to the use of a nitrogen atmosphere for the experiment. The effect of these factors on the phase diagram can be expected to decrease with increasing Sb content; the melting point of pure Sb, observed by [07Wil] at 630 C, is in very good agreement with the accepted value of 630.755 C [Melt]. [72Spe] carried out rapid-quenching experiments of liquid Cr-Sb alloys containing 88 to 94 at.% Sb. The resulting thin films showed, in addition to the presence of the two equilibrium phases CrSb2 and (Sb), the appearance of a metastable phase. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis of an alloy with 90 at.% Sb, this phase has a simple cubic aPo-type structure with a lattice parameter a = 0.3074 nm. [69Nag] studied the effect of hydrostatic pressure up to 150 kbar on the lattice parameters of CrSb at room temperature. At 80 to 100 kbar, an anomaly in the isothermal compressibility was observed; [69Nag] suggested that the anomaly is related to the magnetic transition from the antiferromagnetic to the paramagnetic state. CrSb and CrSb2 are paramagnetic at elevated temperatures; they become antiferromagnetic at lower temperatures. [82Rei] indicated a N'el temperature of 705 с 20 K. The variation of the N'el temperature with the composition of the CrSb phase has not been established. Studies in ternary systems have shown that the substitution of Cr by Mn [82Rei], as well as the substitution of Sb by Te [66Tak], lowers the N'el temperature of CrSb. Using neutron diffraction [70Hol], calorimetry [78All], and magnetic susceptibility measurements [79Kje], values of 273 с 2 K, 274 с 0.5 K, and 274 K, respectively, were obtained for the N'el temperatureof CrSb2. The substitution of Cr by Fe lowers the N'el temperature of CrSb2 [79Kje]. [56Abr] and [69Ada] measured the electrical conductivity of CrSb2 as a function of temperature. They established that CrSb2 is a semiconductor with an energy band gap of 0.16 eV [56Abr] or 0.14 eV [69Ada] at room temperature. 07Wil: R.S. Williams, Z. Anorg. Chem., 55, 1-33 (1907) in German. 27Jon: W.F. de Jong and H.W.V. Willems, Physica, 7, 74-79 (1927) in Dutch. 27Oft: I. Oftedal, Z. Phys. Chem., 128, 135-153 (1927) in German. 41Mas: G. Masing and H.J. Wallbaum, Nachr. Akad. Wiss. G"ttingen, Math.-Phys. Kl., (1), 32-36 (1941) in German. 43Har: H. Haraldsen and T. Rosenqvist, Tidsskr. Kjemi, Bergves. Metall., 3(5), 81-82 (1943) in Norwegian. 48Har: H. Haraldsen, T. Rosenqvist, and F. Gronvold, Arch. Math. Naturvidensk., 4, 94-135 (1948). 52Sno: A.I. Snow, Phys. Rev., 85, 365 (1952). 53Wil: B.T.M. Willis, Acta Crystallogr., 6, 425-426 (1953). 56Abr: N.Kh. Abrikosov and V.F. Bankina, Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 108(4), 627- 628 (1956) in Russian. 56Hir: T. Hirone, S. Maeda, and I. Tsubokawa, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., 11(10), 1083- 1087 (1956). 57Lot: F.K. Lotgering and E.W. Gorter, Phys. Chem. Solids, 3, 238-249 (1957). 63Tak: W.J. Takei, D.E. Cox, and G. Shirane, Phys. Rev., 129, 2008-2018 (1963). 66Tak: W.J. Takei, D.E. Cox, and G. Shirane, J. Appl. Phys., 37(3), 973-974 ( 1966). 68Hol: H. Holseth and A. Kjekshus, Acta Chem. Scand., 22, 3273-3283 (1968). 69Ada: K. Adachi, K. Sato, and M. Matsuura, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., 26(4), 906-910 (1969). 69Kje: A. Kjekshus and K.P. Walseth, Acta Chem. Scand., 23(8), 2621-2630 (1969) . 69Nag: H. Nagasaki, I. Wakabayashi, and S. Minomura, J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 30, 2405-2408 (1969). 70Bje: E. Bjerkelund and A. Kjekshus, Acta Chem. Scand., 24(9), 3317-3325 ( 1970). 70Hol: H. Holseth, A. Kjekshus, and A.F. Andresen, Acta Chem. Scand., 24(9), 3309-3316 (1970). 72Spe: J.D. Speight, Metall. Trans., 3, 1011-1012 (1972). 74Kal: A. Kallel, H. Boller, and E.F. Bertaut, J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 35, 1139- 1152 (1974). 78All: A. Alles, B. Falk, E.F. Westrum, Jr., and F. Gronvold, J. Chem. Thermodyn., 10, 103-116 (1978). 79Kje: A. Kjekshus, P.G. Peterzens, T. Rakke, and A.F. Andresen, Acta Chem. Scand. A, 33, 469-480 (1979). 82Rei: W. Reimers, E. Hellner, W. Treutmann, and G. Heger, J. Phys. C., 15, 3597-3615 (1982). Submitted to the APD Program. Complete evaluation contains 1 figure, 4 tables, and 34 references. Special Points of the Cr-Sb System
Теория Бренстеда-Лоури


text:
Movio
Movio Webapp Dashboard UI
Movio is the global leader in marketing data analytics and campaign management software working with leading cinema exhibitors, film distributors and studios.
Movio's mission is to revolutionize the way the film industry interacts with moviegoers.
An analyst at 20th Century Fox wants to be able to analyse how the audience for X- men Apocalypse (defined as the Target) compares with the aggregated audience (defined as the Benchmark) of the last three movies that featured X-men i.e. Deadpool, X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Wolverine.
The analyst is interested in 5 key audience metrics:
Frequency: On average how frequently people attend the cinema each month.
Recency: The average amount of months that have elapsed since people last attended a movie.
Box Office: On average how much people spend on tickets each month.
Age: Average age of the audience.
Gender: The male/female breakdown of the audience.
The analyst is expecting to be able to view a summary comparing the Target and the Benchmark figures. The analyst is also expecting to see the key metrics broken down and charted in a logical manner, expressing the differences between the Target and Benchmark.
Geoff The Analyst
User Persona 1
Geoff is an analyst with a background in mathematics, statistics and economics. He works daily with data, primarily in the form of spreadsheets, but also has experience with more sophisticated business intelligence tools such as SAS, R, or Tableau. Geoff spends a lot of time creating data-driven reports and presentations, so is used to looking at charts and graphs. It is common for Geoff to be working on multiple projects, so Geoff finds it important to quickly identify the relevant pieces of data and determine the best way to present this data to his stake holders.
Specific user requirements:
Frequently downloads dashboard data to feed into offline activities.
Dislikes over embellished charts and insights which lack context.
Is specifically required to report to management the differences between male and female film goers within predefined age brackets i.e. above and below 30 years old.
Prefers significant insights to be delivered as natural language insights.
Product Objectives
Fast clean and simple.
User should not have to do mental arithmetic to understand the differences between the Target and Benchmark.
Browser based product optimized for desktop usage.
Sketches & UX Goals
movio-03


Now, at first glance, it sounds like three topics but as soon as You get The Red Tea Detox app (which you can do immediately after purchase as it's an internet program), you will quickly see that you're mistaken. The three elements have an incredibly long list of topics within each, which I will reveal to you. More to the point, each element includes a variety of tools, tricks, ideas and exercises, directions and information to assist you succeed. It may look like a great deal, but it's laid out so flawlessly you'll get lost in the pages. Reading a weight loss program hasn't been so much fun. That's also not to say that you receive a 60-day Money Back Guarantee when you purchase this system. Considering you can lose between 5 to 20 lbs in as little as 14 times, that's more than sufficient time to find out what The Red Tea Detox can perform for you.
Liz Miller is a naturopath Writer on Amazon. She is highly renowned inside the fitness and wellness industry for her distinctive approach to assisting women and men throughout the globe achieve their goals. She focuses on the stuff that works — techniques and the remedies from the past, and steers away from physical fitness regimes and diet programs. Liz Miller has made a new approach to detoxify your body, helping off unneeded pounds to burn by shifting to burning that was high-octane from fat burning off. It's based on over a decade of research around also the benefits of tea that was African and the cleansing of toxins.
In this booklet, you understand how toxins can hold your metabolism back and the advantages of cleansing your entire body with African green tea. It explains detoxifying your body prior to your weight loss efforts is important and worthwhile. You receive a very clear overview on which foods are beneficial to your body during its travel to some lean belly.
If you choose to do the workout, it will improve your metabolism and can potentially double the rate at which you shed pounds. Good exercise goes amiss and losing weight is a matter of intensity, not the time spent doing it. This booklet contains easy exercises that anybody should be able to do.
Motivation and willpower are just as significant as the Path which you want to follow. I have found that many people have problems stay excited until they reach their objectives. That is a fantastic manual on detox, dieting or fitness should include a section on the right mindset. It speaks of this manual which you get one!
We love it when a lot of extras or bonuses are Included using a schedule, which one has no less than a few of these.
When you buy the Red Tea Detox app, you get the Main guide, the 3 booklets, and qualify for all of the bonuses if you here to get your Red Tea Detox application! Liz believes what she is doing so much that you obtain a 60 day money back guarantee, that is something we always prefer to see.
And To give you a better understanding of just how precious this System is, I have decided to show you exactly what topics are covered in each chapter. Prepare to be amazed.
We have come to appreciate this and African tea a lot Guide did a fantastic job of teaching us what we needed to understand. What did we like about it?
Today, even ordinary foods generally contain in toxins 1 way or another. There is a lot of research that confirms our ordinary sense: cleansing your body as much as possible and Detaching yourself has outcomes that are favorable. It is explained by liz so anyone can understand the issues and solutions.
The combination of exercise and healthy foods & Drinks cannot fail. Even better, it simplifies one of the main food related problems today: the excess usage of soda (particularly in the USA). For a lot of , it is the one thing they drink (instead of water). If you're like this, switching from sugary sodas to red tea makes a huge gap to your physique. But you detoxify it, therefore the consequences are even larger.
The human body is meant to be active and Live on foods that are natural, but we don't do either of them! People drink soda, coffee, or beer, sit behind a desk or lie on our couch. Not only is that this historical African American tea recipe amazing, it also happens to be a beverage. No sugar or caffeine! Combined with the gym booklet, the two of the issues are addressed and lead you to outcomes that were positive.
Click here to receive your Red Tea Detox application!, and you get all bonuses with the Red Tea Detox.
Red tea Is Fantastic, as are the guidelines, foods, and Workout routines in this system. However, any such effort needs to be kept. Can you alter your behavior to remain being healthy forever and keep this up? Or are you the kind gives up? The simple truth is that many of programs work while it. Any system that is real needs discipline to keep doing this.
Chances are you have more, if you are really big Disorders than just your weight and appears which have to be addressed. Ensure that you don't see any app for a solution that for all.


text:
Moshe's Name
By Rabbi Shalom Rosner | January 06, 2022
As we get closer to the highlight of the redemption from Egypt in this week's parsha, let us focus on the name of the greatest leader of all time, the one who took the Jewish people out of Egypt: Moshe Rabbeinu.
In Parshat Shemot we read about a man from Shevet Levi who took a woman from Shevet Levi. We're told that these were Amram and Yocheved, but why were their names not mentioned in the verses? The first name we read about is Moshe Rabbeinu's:
"She (Pharaoh's daughter) named him Moses, explaining, 'I drew him out of the water'." (Exodus 2:10)
Why? Some commentators say no name needed to be mentioned before Moshe Rabbeinu because he is the focus of the story, God's messenger who will take the Jews out of Egypt.
The question is also raised about his chosen name itself. According to the midrashim, he had several other names—Yekutiel, Tuvia, Abizanoach, Avigdor—so why was the name "Moshe" chosen? What is the special significance of this particular name and the event for which he was named? Being pulled from water is an event that typifies the greatest leader of all time?
Rav Yehuda Amital, zt"l, explained that water represents the ultimate in conformity. When water is poured into a vessel it will always take on the shape of the vessel. Moshe symbolized the "anti-water." He was pulled from the water. He didn't conform and follow others but chose to do what he did because it was the right way to act. Ultimately, he also had to pass this message on to all the Jewish people when he pulled them out of the water at the Splitting of the Red Sea.
Along these lines, Rabbi Norman Lamm, zt"l, gave a beautiful idea regarding the letter "nun" that separates the following verses from the rest of the text in Parshat Beha'alotcha (Bamidbar 10:35):
"When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: Advance, O L-RD! May Your enemies be scattered, and may Your foes flee before You!"
There is a "nun" written backward both at the beginning and at the end of the above verse. This is the only place in the Torah where we see letters written backward. Why was the "nun" chosen here? Why was it written backward? And why was this verse separated from the rest of the text?
"Nuna" in Aramaic is a fish; a backward "nun" is like a backward fish. In order to carry the Holy Ark, we sometimes need to be like a backward fish, a fish swimming backward, upstream. We can't go with the tide, with the flow and act like everyone else. We need to do what is right, which is what God tells us to do. This applies to every value in Judaism. When the majority of the world believes in a certain value that contradicts a Jewish value, we must go against the tide and remain strong in our beliefs.
This applies also to the centrality of Eretz Yisrael in our lives that we read about in many parshiyot in the Torah. Many Jews have gone "against the tide" over the last few decades and moved to Israel, despite the hardships. Moshe Rabbeinu, who redeemed the Jews from exile in Egypt, would certainly have recognized the centrality of Eretz Yisrael, gone against the tide and moved here. The more Jews who move here, the more we fulfill Moshe Rabbeinu's dream of Jews living in the Land of Israel. As we move closer in our weekly Torah portions to the highlight of the Redemption from Egypt, let's focus on the greatest leader of all time, Moshe Rabbeinu, and strive to emulate his name.
Rabbi Shalom Rosner is a rebbe at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh and rabbi of the Nofei HaShemesh community. He is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau ( www.mizrachi.org/speakers ).


Chelsea M. Warren is a multidisciplinary theatre artist with a focus on scenic and puppet design additionally an interest in traditional and devised creation processes.
SCENIC DESIGN work at companies including: Steppenwolf Theatre, Jungle Theater, Victory Gardens Theatre, Studio Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Geva Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, WaterTower Theatre, and Steep Theatre.
PUPPET DESIGN work at companies including: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Jungle Theater, Studio Theatre in D.C., Links Hall, and the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra.
ASSISTANT SCENIC DESIGN to Todd Rosenthal at companies including: Alliance and Goodman Theatre. Assistant Scenic Designer to Daniel Ostling at companies including: Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera, Lincoln Center, Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Alliance, and Playwright's Horizon.
Nominated for Equity Jeff Award for Mid Size Scenic Design for The Kid Thing and After All the Terrible Things I Do, About Face Theatre.


All MARLEY PARK PARCEL 12 homes currently listed for sale in Surprise as of 04/23/2019 are shown below. You can change the search criteria at any time by pressing the 'Change Search' button below.
"Beautiful home in the highly sought after Marley Park neighborhood! Custom color palette flowing throughout. Eat in kitchen is complete with granite counters, a plethora of cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and center island with breakfast bar. Master suite has plush carpeting, ceiling fan, and picture windows. Full spa ensuite with his + her vanities and separate soaking tub and walk in shower. Backyard features a sparkling pool + spa and a covered patio. This home is sure to go fast, so co"


text:
package cn.wuxia.common.exception;

/**
 * DAO层统一定义的异常类。
 *
 * @author songlin.li
 * @since 2011-2-24
 */

public class AppDaoException extends AppRollbackException {
    /**
     *
     */
    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    public AppDaoException() {
        super();
    }

    public AppDaoException(String message) {
        super(message);
    }

    public AppDaoException(String message, Throwable cause) {
        super(message, cause);
    }

    public AppDaoException(Throwable cause) {
        super(cause);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Retail Design World Home > Blogs > VM basics: text book stripes
10 Jun 2014 Blog
VM basics: text book stripes
Dr Valerie Wilson Trower
The rules of visual merchandising (VM) are text-book simple - at least to those of us who work in VM - and this article will take a look at one of them: the effective use of vertical stripes.
The fundamentals of VM are determined by how the human brain receives messages, dictated by the mechanism and sophistication of the human eye. Be they horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, the brain finds lines interesting. The eye naturally follows a line and all evoke different emotions.
As a small example, take a look at the image of vertical and horizontal stripes here. Although both the horizontal stripes and the vertical stripes are the same width the vertical stripes appear slightly narrower. This is due to the way the human eye perceives images.
The horizontal stripes remind us of horizons, be they fields and a big sky or the sea meeting the sky, which we find tranquil and very restful. Vertical stripes evoke a 'sit up and pay attention' response. They remind use of zebra crossings (seen from the perspective of the car driver), iron gates or railings.
In VM we employ anything that attracts attention, so it follows that vertical stripes in all variations make great VM for windows and promotional graphics.
I've included one example of a Hong Kong Swank Shop window from Spring/Summer (S/S) 2009 as an example of the peaceful effect of horizontal stripes. The central image of the closed-back window is of a beach and sea/sky horizon, and is echoed in the horizontal stripes either side, which lighten as they ascend towards the top of the window, suggesting a slight perspective through use of colour.
Dries van Noten's windows in The Landmark store in Hong Kong's Central, windows for S/S 09 were a wonderful exercise in the use of vertical stripes. The images demonstrate the variations a black/white colour palette can achieve. This was the summer of black and white fashion: the restricted colour palette emphasizes the effect of the lines, and the curved and alternating stripes reference the mesmerizing effects of Op Art - in itself a great theme for VM if handled carefully.
The skill of these windows lies in the controlled effect of the busy-ness of the stripe. The super-wide stripes fill two of the full-length windows, each with one mannequin dressed in black and white.
Two windows have even stripes.
These 50/50 black and white stripes are interrupted by an Op Art arc which livens them up, and gives something for the eye (in reality, the brain) to follow, drawing the focus in to the window rather than directing it towards the top or bottom of the window surround.
The last full-length window uses a placement stripe as a backdrop again, interrupted by more of a part-circle than an arc. Placement stripes have overtones of formality - we usually see them used in Oxbridge college scarves and for Regency wallpaper. The sweeping arc neatly echoes the shoulder-line and sleeve of the mannequin dressed in a black and white windowpane-check top and matching skirt, showcasing the mannequin and the merchandise, but not dominating it.
The three small Tiffany, or niche, windows are designed to showcase a single accessory. Each has narrower, scaled stripes, all variations on the vertical theme. One is at a slight angle but not quite diagonal - this is a topic for another article.
The second employs horizontal lines broken by multiple wavy arcs, which reduces the tranquil effect of the horizontal lines.
The third window features a misplaced circle - more on the effect of circles in VM in a future article too.
To repeat the vertical lines of the full-length windows in a scaled down version would not have had the same impact in smaller windows, so offering a variation on a theme employing other stripes still fits the concept - stripes to attract attention - but prevents the smaller windows from being a slightly boring repetition of the larger ones. Very impactful, very attention-grabbing, and very nicely thought out, as good VM should be.
• Stripes make great attention-demanding backdrops
• Vertical stripes command more attention than horizontal ones do.
• Vary the widths to add interest
• Limit the colour palette for maximum impact.
• As always, the backdrop and theme should showcase the mannequins and the merchandise, not dominate them.
Dr Valerie Wilson Trower writes a regular column on visual merchandising for Retail Design World
VM showcase: Pride celebrations at Oasis stores


text:
Isabella McLean Bett Walton Cannon  (May 12, 1904 – February 13, 2002) was an American politician who served as the first female mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from 1977 until 1979. At the age of 73, she defeated the incumbent Mayor, Jyles Coggins, during the election of 1977. Known as "the little old lady in tennis shoes," she served one term as mayor of Raleigh until 1979. Isabella Cannon died at the age of 97 on February 13, 2002.

Education and Employment
Cannon was born Isabella McLean Bett Walton (daughter of Helen Bett Seamans and James Walton) on May 12, 1904, in 15 Downieville Crescent, Dunfermline, Scotland, and came to the United States with her family in 1916. After graduating from Winecoff High School in North Carolina, she attended Elon College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English and Science in 1924. While working as a teacher at Elon College high school, she married Claude M. Cannon in 1924, who was a registrar and business manager at Elon College. In addition to working as a high school teacher, she encountered a variety of work experience, including her position as the mayor of Raleigh. She served as the director of the Elon College weekday experimental school of religious education from 1925 to 1928, worked as a cashier at the Elon Banking and Trust Company from 1928 to 1930, and later became an assistant registrar and manager of the college bookstore at Elon in 1932. Ten years later, she became a bookkeeper and payroll manager at WRAL Radio Station in Raleigh and worked until 1943. She then held a position as a supervisor with the French Supply Council in Washington D.C. from 1944 to 1945.  For the next two years, she was an interviewer for overseas financial clearance for returning and terminating personnel in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. From 1947 to 1954, she traveled overseas to Liberia, West Africa, and Iraq with her husband, Claude Cannon, who was serving in diplomatic service. After returning to the United States, he died in 1954 in Raleigh. Soon after, she became the director of the library at North Carolina State University and maintained her job for the next fifteen years.

Mayor of Raleigh
Isabella Cannon was elected as the first female mayor of Raleigh in 1977. On November 13, 1977, the New York Times reported, "Rather than the simple, senior-citizen Cinderella story of a 73-year-old political novice who upset a vigorous, veteran incumbent, the victory of Isabella Cannon as Mayor-elect is considered here as the latest skirmish in a continuing power struggle over the economic future of this capital city of 150,000". Her victory over the previous mayor, Jyles Coggins, was surprising news for many people, not only because of her age, but also because of his widespread support from the city residents. Based on her motto of "planned growth," however, she was able to win the election by 14,508 to 13,315. She was sworn-in in December and served one term until 1979. She was defeated for re-election by city councilman Smedes York.

Honors
In 1978, Isabella Cannon was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from Elon University.  In the same year, Mrs. Cannon was nominated for Woman of the Year by Ladies Home Journal.  From 1980-1981, she was nationally recognized as the Woman of the Year by the senior citizens organization, September Days Clubs.  In 1983 she received Elon University's Distinguished Alumni Award and was the first woman to receive the Elon medallion in 1991. In 1999, Cannon was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Jim Hunt in recognition of her service to North Carolina. Her most recent honor was at the University's 2009 Founder's Day celebration where she became the first woman to be honored at the event.

In 2011 Gardner Street Neighborhood Park was renamed in her honor.

Activities and organizations
Aside from her time as the mayor of Raleigh, she was an active member of the community.  She served as President for the University Park Homeowners Association, Inc. (1981) and the North Carolina Senior Citizens Association, Inc. (1982).  She also served a Vice Presidency for the North Carolina Senior Citizens Association from 1979–1981, as well as holding such a title for the Women in Business Advisory Council, Inc. (1979) and was the first Vice President of Precinct #1- Raleigh.  Isabella Cannon was on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina State University Humanities Foundation, Inc. (1981), the Committee on Constitutional Integrity, Inc. (1982), the North Carolina State Youth Council (1981), and the Executive Board of Directors in 1981.  She was also an active committee member of several other organizations such as the Wake County Chapter of the United Nations in 1980, where she was appointed to the Mayor's committee for the United Nations.

Among the many organizations that Isabella Cannon participated in, she was a member of the League of Women's Voters, Mordecai Square Historical Society, Raleigh N.O.W., and the Wake Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to name a few.  Cannon also served as a charter member of the Wake County Democratic Women, an Associate member of both the Wake County Democratic Men and the Wake County Young Democrats, and was on the Executive Committee of the Elon College Alumni Association.

References

Bibliography
Richter, Pam. "Historic Founder's Day celebration to take place next week." The Pendulum. 3 March 2009. Belk Library Website. Belk Library, Elon University. 27 March 2009. <http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=1753>.
"Inventory of the Isabella Cannon Collection, 1904–2000 Mss.Coll.013." Elon University.  16 April 2009. <http://www.elon.edu/library/ead/msscoll013isabellacannon.xml#id0x0a69cc00>.
Owens, Adrienne. "North Carolina's Elon University Secures Grants for $2.6 Million." Times-News.  15 January 2003. Newspaper Source Plus. Belk Library, Elon University. 27 March 2009.
"Raleigh Mayoral Vote Caps Struggle Over Growth; Immigrated From Scotland Persuaded by Coalition." The New York Times. 13 November 1977: 26. ProQuest. Belk Library, Elon University. 27 March 2009. <http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20A1FFB3C5F14738DDDAA0994D9415B878BF1D3&scp=1&sq=isabella%20cannon&st=cse>.

"Who was Isabella Cannon?" Elon University. 16 April 2009. < http://www.elon.edu/e-web/academics/international_studies/icannon.xhtml>.

External links
 Oral History Interviews with Isabella Cannon    from Oral Histories of the American South

2002 deaths
1904 births
Women mayors of places in North Carolina
Mayors of Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina Democrats
British emigrants to the United States
Politicians from Dunfermline
Elon University alumni
Schoolteachers from North Carolina
20th-century American women educators
North Carolina State University faculty
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American women politicians
20th-century American educators

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia