Quoted by Earl V. Spielman, in liner notes to Benny Martin, The Fiddle Collection, CMH 9006, 1976.
Benny E. Martin was born in Sparta, Tennessee, the hometown of legendary bluegrass singer Lester Flatt. He came from a musical family and received a fiddle at age 6 or 7. He had several teachers/mentors early on, including local fiddlers Carl Orvison and Louis Armstrong (not the famous trumpeter, but an African-American). By age 8 or 9, he was performing in the family's band, the Martin Family, on radio station WHUB in Cookeville, Tennessee, and making Saturday evening appearances at the Upper Cumberland Jamboree.
In the early 1940s, he would hitchhike to Knoxville to be near the radio powerhouse WNOX, which at various times was home to Molly O'Day, Chet Atkins, Charlie Monroe, Jethro Burns, Bill Carlisle, and others. While there, he was given employment by gospel singer Wally Fowler. A year or so later, Big Jeff Bess discovered Benny in Knoxville and took him back to Nashville. There, he appeared with Big Jeff & the Radio Playboys on WLAC.
The Opry continued to be an important outlet for work. In 1947, he performed and recorded with Red Foley. Later in the year, he hooked up with Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys (which included Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Cedric Rainwater). He stayed with Monroe into 1948, even after the departure of Flatt and Scruggs, and was part of Monroe's next classic group – that which included Don Reno and Jackie Phelps.
By the middle of 1952, Benny was reunited with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs as a member of the Foggy Mountain Boys. He joined the group when they were working at WNOX. Everett Lilly was playing mandolin at the time and Little Darlin' (Charles Elza) was doing comedy. He recorded two sets of sessions with the group. On November 9, 1952, he recorded "Why Did You Wander," "Flint Hill Special," "Thinking About You," "If I Should Wander Back," "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke," "Dear Old Dixie," "Reunion in Heaven," "Pray For the Boys." On August 29 and 30, 1953, he recorded "I'll Go Stepping Too," "I'd Rather Be Alone," "Foggy Mountain Chimes," "Someone Took My Place," "Mother Prays Loud," "That Old Book of Mine," "Your Love is Like a Flower," and "Be Ready For Tomorrow." Benny was always very candid about his struggles with alcohol over the years, and he readily admitted that this was the reason for his termination with the group.
Benny embarked on a solo career after leaving Johnnie & Jack. He signed a management agreement with Hal Smith in the latter part of 1955 but soon afterwards switched to Col. Tom Parker, the promoter who oversaw Elvis Presley's early rise to fame. Benny appeared as an opening act for Elvis on about 50 show dates in 1955 and early 1956. It was also during this period that Benny became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, having been signed by Jim Denny, who was in charge of the WSM Artists Services Bureau. This led to his appearing on a lot of Opry tours over the next several years.
Benny signed with Starday in 1960 and recorded about 40 songs and tunes for the label. He had eight singles and one album – Country Music's Sensational Entertainer – released on the label. But, perhaps more importantly, his music was sampled on at least 30 different various artists' collections on Starday and its budget label, Nashville. Consequently, his music was appearing with other artists on a diverse set of albums with titles such as Nashville Saturday Night, More Country Music Spectacular (a 2-LP set), Opry Time in Tennessee, and Fiddler's Hall of Fame.
By 1965, he was done with touring in Opry package shows. He returned to his bluegrass roots, teaming up with Don Reno for a short-lived duo. They appeared at the first multi-day bluegrass festival, on Labor Day weekend in 1965, and recorded an album of gospel songs for the Cabin Creek label.
Benny's career was much less defined for the next three-and-a-half decades. He didn't tour much and he admitted that his drinking and no-show reputation hurt him professionally. He did tour briefly with Lester Flatt in 1977, filling in for in for Paul Warren. With the help of Alcoholics Anonymous, he finally got his drinking under control and cited November 14, 1978 as the day he took his last drink.
When John Hartford moved back to Nashville in the 1970s he befriended his childhood idol Benny Martin. John was a major patron for Benny in the last decades of his life, arranging and producing recording sessions for him and promoting his legacy and prodigious talents, within a community and industry that looked upon Martin as a has been.
The 1970s were witness to a number of fine recordings. In contrast to his solo recordings of the 1950s, Martin's new efforts saw his return to the fiddle. One of the first, and best, was a collection on Flying Fish (1975) called Tennessee Jubilee, with guest artists Lester Flatt, John Hartford, Curly Seckler, Kenny Ingram, Charlie Collins, and others. A series of albums and double-album sets followed on the CMH label: The Fiddle Collection (1976), Benny Martin and his Electric Turkeys: Turkey in the Grass (1977), Big Daddy of the Fiddle and Bow, with John Hartford and Bobby Osborne (1979), and The Great American Fiddle Collection, with Buddy Spicher (1980). Also recorded was one additional release for Flying Fish, Slumberin' on the Cumberland (1979).
In 1980, Benny was diagnosed with Spasmodic Dysphonia, a "voice disorder characterized by involuntary movements of one or more muscles of the larynx during speech." As Benny put it, it's a "nerve disorder, or a dystonia, that gradually paralyzes the larynx." It "destroyed" his singing and likely accounts for the dearth of new recordings from 1980 until 1999. The disorder spread to his eyes and made it difficult to keep them open. Consequently he wore a bandana tied tightly around his head, which had the effect of holding his eyelids open.
Benny finished his recording career with a pair of CDs that were issued in 1999 and 2001. Called The "Big Tiger" Roars Again, Part 1 and The "Big Tiger" Roars Again, Part 2, these discs were star-studded events that recalled several of his musical triumphs of the past and paired them with new material. Benny won an IBMA award for Best Liner Notes for Part 1.
Benny died in 2001 of congestive heart failure. He was inducted posthumously into the International Bluegrass Music Museum's Hall of Fame in 2005. Today, Benny Martin's legacy is well established among generations of bluegrass fiddlers who cite him as an influence, including notably Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter.
Was childhood friends with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt.
Used to skip school so he could play his fiddle but was usually located by the local truant officer who followed the sound of his music.
Hitchhiked to Knoxville, Tennessee, as a young teen to appear on WNOX's Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round.
Was nicknamed "Big Tiger" by Hank Williams.
Appeared as an opening act for Elvis Presley on 50 show dates in 1955 and 1956.
Is recognized as one of the premier fiddlers from the golden age of bluegrass and country music, with a flamboyant and dynamic approach that captivated millions.
Performed and/or recorded with a number of seminal first-generation bands including Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, and Don Reno as well as country legend Roy Acuff, and the duo of Johnnie & Jack.
Enjoyed a successful solo career in country music and recorded for a variety of labels including MGM, Mercury, RCA, Decca, Starday, and CMH. "Rosebuds and You" (1963) and "Soldier's Prayer in Viet Nam" (1966, with Don Reno) made the country music charts.
Was an accomplished songwriter who had his songs recorded by Kitty Wells, Roy Acuff, and others.
International Bluegrass Music Association Distinguished Achievement Award, 1997.
From the Archives: Everett Lilly, Benny Cain, Benny Martin. undated. Donated by Benny Cain.
Foggy Mountain Boys Quartet: Left to right are Benny Martin, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, and Curly Seckler.
Benny Martin, in liner notes to The "Big Tiger" Roars Again, Part 1, OMS 25010, 1999.
Frank J. Godbey, record review, Bluegrass Unlimited, February, 1980.
"I first heard Benny Martin with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in the early fifties and his playing opened up a whole new world to me of how the fiddle should go… [He] played these lush beautiful chords and slides that just hugged and danced and got up all around me and before the music was over I was bouncing off the walls."


Billy K. Cannaday, the superintendent of a 57,000-student school district outside Richmond, Va., was nominated last week by Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to become the state's next superintendent of public instruction.
The state superintendent leads the Virginia Department of Education, which oversees pre-K-12 education. If his nomination is approved by the legislature, Mr. Cannaday will oversee an agency of about 340 employees and a budget of $112 million.
Since 2000, Mr. Cannaday, 55, has been the superintendent of the Chesterfield County school system, a fast-growing district in the suburban Richmond area. All of the county's 59 schools have received full accreditation under the state's Standards of Learning accountability program.
The previous superintendent, Jo Lynne DeMary, retired in January.


text:
package band

import (
	"fmt"
	"testing"
	"time"

	"github.com/brocaar/lorawan"
	. "github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/convey"
)

func TestUS902Band(t *testing.T) {
	Convey("Given the US 902-928 band is selected", t, func() {
		band, err := GetConfig(US_902_928, true, lorawan.DwellTimeNoLimit)
		So(err, ShouldBeNil)

		Convey("Then GetDefaults returns the expected value", func() {
			So(band.GetDefaults(), ShouldResemble, Defaults{
				RX2Frequency:     923300000,
				RX2DataRate:      8,
				ReceiveDelay1:    time.Second,
				ReceiveDelay2:    time.Second * 2,
				JoinAcceptDelay1: time.Second * 5,
				JoinAcceptDelay2: time.Second * 6,
			})
		})

		Convey("Then GetDownlinkTXPower returns the expected value", func() {
			So(band.GetDownlinkTXPower(0), ShouldEqual, 20)
		})

		Convey("Then GetPingSlotFrequency returns the expected value", func() {
			tests := []struct {
				DevAddr           lorawan.DevAddr
				BeaconTime        string
				ExpectedFrequency int
			}{
				{
					DevAddr:           lorawan.DevAddr{3, 20, 207, 54},
					BeaconTime:        "334382h51m44s",
					ExpectedFrequency: 925700000,
				},
			}

			for _, test := range tests {
				bt, err := time.ParseDuration(test.BeaconTime)
				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
				freq, err := band.GetPingSlotFrequency(test.DevAddr, bt)
				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
				So(freq, ShouldEqual, test.ExpectedFrequency)
			}
		})

		Convey("When testing the uplink channels", func() {
			testTable := []struct {
				Channel   int
				Frequency uint32
				MinDR     int
				MaxDR     int
			}{
				{Channel: 0, Frequency: 902300000, MinDR: 0, MaxDR: 3},
				{Channel: 63, Frequency: 914900000, MinDR: 0, MaxDR: 3},
				{Channel: 64, Frequency: 903000000, MinDR: 4, MaxDR: 6},
				{Channel: 71, Frequency: 914200000, MinDR: 4, MaxDR: 6},
			}

			for _, test := range testTable {
				Convey(fmt.Sprintf("Then channel %d must have frequency %d and min/max data-rates %d/%d", test.Channel, test.Frequency, test.MinDR, test.MaxDR), func() {
					c, err := band.GetUplinkChannel(test.Channel)
					So(err, ShouldBeNil)
					So(c.Frequency, ShouldEqual, test.Frequency)
					So(c.MinDR, ShouldResemble, test.MinDR)
					So(c.MaxDR, ShouldResemble, test.MaxDR)
				})
			}
		})

		Convey("When testing the downlink channels", func() {
			testTable := []struct {
				Frequency    uint32
				DataRate     int
				Channel      int
				ExpFrequency uint32
			}{
				{Frequency: 914900000, DataRate: 3, Channel: 63, ExpFrequency: 927500000},
				{Frequency: 903000000, DataRate: 4, Channel: 64, ExpFrequency: 923300000},
			}

			for _, test := range testTable {
				Convey(fmt.Sprintf("Then frequency: %d must return frequency: %d", test.Frequency, test.ExpFrequency), func() {
					txChan, err := band.GetUplinkChannelIndex(test.Frequency, true)
					So(err, ShouldBeNil)
					So(txChan, ShouldEqual, test.Channel)

					freq, err := band.GetRX1FrequencyForUplinkFrequency(test.Frequency)
					So(err, ShouldBeNil)
					So(freq, ShouldEqual, test.ExpFrequency)
				})
			}
		})

		Convey("When requesting all enabled channels", func() {
			active := band.GetEnabledUplinkChannelIndices()

			Convey("Then all channels are returned", func() {
				So(active, ShouldHaveLength, 72)
				for i, c := range active {
					So(i, ShouldEqual, c)
				}
			})

			Convey("Then no channels are disabled", func() {
				So(band.GetDisabledUplinkChannelIndices(), ShouldHaveLength, 0)
			})
		})

		Convey("When activating only channels 8 - 15", func() {
			for c := range band.GetEnabledUplinkChannelIndices() {
				So(band.DisableUplinkChannelIndex(c), ShouldBeNil)
			}
			for c := 8; c < 16; c++ {
				So(band.EnableUplinkChannelIndex(c), ShouldBeNil)
			}

			Convey("Then only channels 8 - 15 are active", func() {
				active := band.GetEnabledUplinkChannelIndices()
				So(active, ShouldHaveLength, 8)
				So(active, ShouldResemble, []int{8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15})
			})

			Convey("Then the other channels are inactive", func() {
				inactive := band.GetDisabledUplinkChannelIndices()
				So(inactive, ShouldHaveLength, 72-8)
				var expected []int
				for i := 0; i < 8; i++ {
					expected = append(expected, i)
				}
				for i := 16; i < 72; i++ {
					expected = append(expected, i)
				}
				So(inactive, ShouldResemble, expected)
			})

			Convey("Then GetCFList for LoRaWAN 1.0.x returns nil", func() {
				So(band.GetCFList(LoRaWAN_1_0_2), ShouldBeNil)
			})

			Convey("Then GetCFList for LoRaWAN 1.1+ returns the channel-mask", func() {
				cFList := band.GetCFList(LoRaWAN_1_1_0)
				So(cFList, ShouldNotBeNil)
				So(cFList, ShouldResemble, &lorawan.CFList{
					CFListType: lorawan.CFListChannelMask,
					Payload: &lorawan.CFListChannelMaskPayload{
						ChannelMasks: []lorawan.ChMask{
							{
								false,
								false,
								false,
								false,
								false,
								false,
								false,
								false,
								true,
								true,
								true,
								true,
								true,
								true,
								true,
								true,
							},
							{}, // all false
							{}, // all false
							{}, // all false
							{}, // all false
						},
					},
				})
			})
		})

		Convey("Then GetDataRateIndex returns the expected data-rate index", func() {
			tests := []struct {
				DataRate   DataRate
				Uplink     bool
				ExpectedDR int
			}{
				{
					DataRate:   DataRate{Modulation: LoRaModulation, SpreadFactor: 10, Bandwidth: 125},
					Uplink:     true,
					ExpectedDR: 0,
				},
				{
					DataRate:   DataRate{Modulation: LoRaModulation, SpreadFactor: 12, Bandwidth: 500},
					Uplink:     false,
					ExpectedDR: 8,
				},
				{
					DataRate:   DataRate{Modulation: LoRaModulation, SpreadFactor: 8, Bandwidth: 500},
					Uplink:     true,
					ExpectedDR: 4,
				},
				{
					DataRate:   DataRate{Modulation: LoRaModulation, SpreadFactor: 8, Bandwidth: 500},
					Uplink:     false,
					ExpectedDR: 12,
				},
			}

			for _, t := range tests {
				dr, err := band.GetDataRateIndex(t.Uplink, t.DataRate)
				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
				So(dr, ShouldEqual, t.ExpectedDR)
			}
		})

		Convey("When testing GetLinkADRReqPayloadsForEnabledChannels", func() {
			var filteredChans []int
			for i := 8; i < 72; i++ {
				filteredChans = append(filteredChans, i)
			}

			tests := []struct {
				Name                       string
				NodeChannels               []int
				DisableChannels            []int
				EnableChannels             []int
				ExpectedUplinkChannels     []int
				ExpectedLinkADRReqPayloads []lorawan.LinkADRReqPayload
			}{
				{
					Name:                   "all channels active",
					NodeChannels:           band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
					ExpectedUplinkChannels: band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
				},
				{
					Name:                   "only activate channel 0 - 7",
					NodeChannels:           band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
					DisableChannels:        band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
					EnableChannels:         []int{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7},
					ExpectedUplinkChannels: []int{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7},
					ExpectedLinkADRReqPayloads: []lorawan.LinkADRReqPayload{
						{
							Redundancy: lorawan.Redundancy{ChMaskCntl: 7},
						},
						{
							ChMask:     lorawan.ChMask{true, true, true, true, true, true, true, true},
							Redundancy: lorawan.Redundancy{ChMaskCntl: 0},
						},
					},
				},
				{
					Name:                   "only activate channel 8 - 23",
					NodeChannels:           band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
					DisableChannels:        band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
					EnableChannels:         []int{8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23},
					ExpectedUplinkChannels: []int{8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23},
					ExpectedLinkADRReqPayloads: []lorawan.LinkADRReqPayload{
						{
							Redundancy: lorawan.Redundancy{ChMaskCntl: 7},
						},
						{
							ChMask:     lorawan.ChMask{false, false, false, false, false, false, false, false, true, true, true, true, true, true, true, true},
							Redundancy: lorawan.Redundancy{ChMaskCntl: 0},
						},
						{
							ChMask:     lorawan.ChMask{true, true, true, true, true, true, true, true},
							Redundancy: lorawan.Redundancy{ChMaskCntl: 1},
						},
					},
				},
				{
					Name:                   "only activate channel 64 - 71",
					NodeChannels:           band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
					DisableChannels:        band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
					EnableChannels:         []int{64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71},
					ExpectedUplinkChannels: []int{64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71},
					ExpectedLinkADRReqPayloads: []lorawan.LinkADRReqPayload{
						{
							ChMask:     lorawan.ChMask{true, true, true, true, true, true, true, true},
							Redundancy: lorawan.Redundancy{ChMaskCntl: 7},
						},
					},
				},
				{
					Name:                   "only disable channel 0 - 7",
					NodeChannels:           band.GetUplinkChannelIndices(),
					DisableChannels:        []int{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7},
					ExpectedUplinkChannels: filteredChans,
					ExpectedLinkADRReqPayloads: []lorawan.LinkADRReqPayload{
						{
							ChMask:     lorawan.ChMask{false, false, false, false, false, false, false, false, true, true, true, true, true, true, true, true},
							Redundancy: lorawan.Redundancy{ChMaskCntl: 0},
						},
					},
				},
			}

			for i, test := range tests {
				Convey(fmt.Sprintf("testing %s [%d]", test.Name, i), func() {
					for _, c := range test.DisableChannels {
						So(band.DisableUplinkChannelIndex(c), ShouldBeNil)
					}
					for _, c := range test.EnableChannels {
						So(band.EnableUplinkChannelIndex(c), ShouldBeNil)
					}
					pls := band.GetLinkADRReqPayloadsForEnabledUplinkChannelIndices(test.NodeChannels)
					So(pls, ShouldResemble, test.ExpectedLinkADRReqPayloads)

					chans, err := band.GetEnabledUplinkChannelIndicesForLinkADRReqPayloads(test.NodeChannels, pls)
					So(err, ShouldBeNil)
					So(chans, ShouldResemble, test.ExpectedUplinkChannels)
				})
			}
		})
	})
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Fake cancer drugs — A Canadian man was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for selling counterfeit cancer drugs over the Internet. Hazim Gaber, 21, of Edmonton, Canada, was indicted in 2009 on five counts of wire fraud for selling the fake drugs through the website DCAadvice.com. Gaber pleaded guilty in May, admitting that he sold the phony drugs to at least 65 victims in the United States and four other countries in 2007. He had promised to ship customers the highly sought-after experimental drug sodium dichloroacetate, also called DCA, but instead he sent a white powdery substance that contained starch, dextrin or lactose, the FBI said in a news release. Gaber was sentenced Wednesday in Phoenix.
So sad what people do for money nowadays.


text:
The Facts About New Vehicle Pricing
By Patrick Manzi, NADA Chief Economist
Recent media coverage about rising new-vehicle prices fails to account for unprecedented market conditions in the retail auto market. The analysis that follows (which is largely based on J.D. Power PIN data drawn from 42% of all consumer transactions for new vehicles) explains key factors driving vehicle pricing.
The widespread microchip shortage has sharply cut vehicle production and reduced dealership inventories to 40-year lows, while consumer demand has remained strong. This supply-and-demand imbalance has created significant upward pressure on new-vehicle prices.
These market forces drove the average price paid by consumers up 13% in 2021. Even with such an increase, the average price paid by consumers during 2021 was still below the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP).
Market forces simultaneously drove up used-vehicle prices by 41%, which significantly increased trade-in values. These larger trade-in allowances more than offset the increase in new-vehicle prices. In fact, new-vehicle buyers with a trade-in paid an average of $305 less in 2021 than in 2020.
Vehicle Production and Inventory Headwinds
New-vehicle transaction prices increased throughout the year as the microchip shortage reduced the supply of new vehicles while consumer and fleet demand remained steady.
Vehicle inventory levels drive manufacturer decisions on incentives—such as rebates, promotional financing and other incentives. In particular, manufacturer incentive spending historically rises and falls as inventories rise and fall. With such low inventory and such high demand, the OEMs reduced their incentive spending each month last year, with reductions in available OEM incentives effectively raising prices for consumers. Average incentive spending per unit in 2021 fell from $3,482 in January to $1,516 in December. For the year, incentive spending per unit averaged $2,429, a decrease of 39.7% compared with full-year 2020.
And the increase in vehicle prices was not limited to the legacy automotive brands. Direct sellers, such as Tesla, also increased their prices in 2021. According to data from Kelly Blue Book, the average transaction price of a Tesla in December 2021 increased by 20.2% year-over-year. While the MSRP of vehicles sold by franchised dealerships have seen only minor increases, the price increases implemented by Tesla are likely to remain permanent.
Despite upward pricing pressure, average new vehicle prices remained below MSRP in 2021
Because of the microchip shortage, manufacturers prioritized production of trucks and SUVs, and among those trucks and SUVs they prioritized production of higher trim models, which contributed to the rise in vehicle prices. Many consumers chose to custom order their vehicles directly from the manufacturer, and some have chosen these higher-trim trucks and SUVs as well.
Because of lower discounting, manufacturer production decisions and consumer preferences, the average transaction price moved closer to MSRP in 2021, increasing by 13% compared with 2020. However, in the aggregate, the average transaction price was still below the average MSRP in 2021.
Trade-in Values Soar—Offsetting New-Car Price Increases
While the supply of new vehicles tightened, many retail and fleet buyers turned to the used-vehicle market, bidding up wholesale and retail used-vehicle prices. Wholesale auction prices set records throughout the year. According to the J.D. Power Used Vehicle Price Index, used-vehicle prices rose 41% in 2021.
Historically, used vehicles depreciate significantly over time, but in the unique supply-constrained market of 2021, used vehicles actually appreciated through the year. As a result, new-vehicle consumers with trade-ins saw average trade-in allowances increase by 33.0% in 2021. Consumers suddenly had 58.5% more equity in their trade-ins that resulted in reduced new-vehicle payments in 2021.
Indeed, after increasing year over year in both 2019 and 2020, the difference between the average trade-in value and average transaction price in 2021 fell by $305, or 1.5%. This means that the average new-vehicle buyer with a trade-in spent less out-of-pocket on the purchase of a new vehicle in 2021 than they would have in 2019 and 2020.
Prices increased for new vehicles in 2021 due to reduced production, low dealership inventories, reduced OEM discounting and high demand from retail consumers and fleet buyers.
The real-world impact on consumers is more complicated. Because used-vehicle prices appreciated at record rates in 2021, new-vehicle buyers with trade-ins were able to more than offset the increased price of their new-vehicle purchase due to higher average trade-in values.
PreviousDown Syndrome Association of Jacksonville recognized by Jacksonville Automobile Dealers Association
NextOSHA Injury and Illness Electronic Reporting Deadline Looms

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


To maintain and improve the provision of quality Education.
To contribute to the economic growth and development of the province including the creation of decent and sustainable jobs and Entrepreneurship, through education.
To promote social and school enrichment programmes in order to enhance and realize objectives of social cohesion and Community development.
Public Ordinary Schools is aimed at the provision of educators in schools, the development of educators to ensure that they are equipped to provide the best quality teaching and the provision of Learner Teacher Support Materials (LTSM). The function is also aimed at the provisioning of food to Public Ordinary School learners through the National school Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
View the AEPRE chapter for Northern Cape Department: Education 2016-17 (PDF).


text:
Posted in Uncategorized on September 30, 2011| 3 Comments »
A couple weeks ago, I sent Geoff an email bemoaning my sore muscles and various ailments, as I often do. After he replied back with something gentle and soothing, as he always does, I asked him that if he really wanted to marry me, because he'd be getting stuck with a lemon.
And he said, "Then you and I shall make sweet, sweet lemonade together."
That is why I love him. And that is why we're getting married very soon.
An older, but happy, self portrait; Happy Day.
Posted in Uncategorized on September 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »
When my brother and I were teenagers, we made up a game to play while we were bored. One of us would quote a line from a movie we both knew well, and the other would have to come up with the next line from the movie. There were three or four movies we regularly pulled from, and one of the most popular was "The Last Unicorn." Neither of us ever lost when we quoted "Unicorn," because we both had the entire thing memorized.
Now, many years later, it's still one of our favorite books and movies. I've gone into some detail here before about what a deep and profound impact the story has had on my life, so I won't repeat it all again. Its influence has been huge and far-reaching, and frequently inspires the photos I take.
I have had two absolutely wonderful encounters meeting Peter S. Beagle in person, one of which I wrote about recently. It took a while for me to build up the courage, but eventually I e-mailed Mr. Beagle and asked if I could conduct an e-mail interview with him for my blog. To my great astonishment, he not only replied to my message, but said "yes."
It is with great pride and pleasure that I present my interview with him here.
Is it strange to have written something which has touched so many lives and has been such a success, or are you used to it by now?
It's been over 40 years since the book was published. I started writing it in 1962, so I've lived with it a long time. Yet I'm always surprised, even now, by the depth of people's reactions. I'm still in a state of wonder over it.
Now that you have the rights to the story back, can we anticipate another Unicorn movie in the future?
It's a bit more complicated than that – in settling past problems I didn't actually get the rights back, for example, though in the new structure that's taking shape I'm going to have a lot more say and influence. What I can tell you is that these changes are going to make it possible to renovate the original film, bringing many aspects of it up to today's technical standards, after which it will be released in theaters worldwide. That much is a concrete plan, and I'm definitely looking forward to the results.
If you could live life as any of the characters in any of your books, who would you choose to be?
Well, that has different components to it. One character I've written, named Joe Farrell, is definitely an alter-ego of sorts. He's been in short stories like "Lila the Werewolf," "Spook," and "Julie's Unicorn," and he was the main character in my novel The Folk of the Air. Aside from the fact that he's a much better musician than I am, there's a lot of me in Joe Farrell. But I'm really fond of all my characters, really, perhaps especially the mercenaries in Innkeeper's Song, Soukyan and Lal. They matter a lot to me and I worry about them. The butterfly in The Last Unicorn is probably as much of a portrait of the inside of my head as I've ever drawn. But if I had to pick just one character to live as, it would probably be Joe Farrell.
What book or story has been easiest for you to write?
I've often mentioned that The Last Unicorn was a bit of a nightmare to write — and yet once I was talked into actually doing the coda story, Two Hearts, it came in one astonishingly smooth burst as though it had been waiting there all that time. The only other thing as easy as that was my non-fiction book, I See By My Outfit, which is all about a 1963 cross-country trip that my best childhood friend and I took on motor scooters. I See By My Outfit was more fun than any other book I've ever done, I think.
And the hardest?
The Last Unicorn is still my standard for hardest, in terms of emotional strain. But then again, The Folk of the Air took eighteen years of starts and stops from beginning to publication. I wrote at least four different versions of that book and still wasn't happy with it when it came out. Never have been totally satisfied with it, actually – which is why I'm taking one more pass at revising it before it comes back into print. So while The Last Unicorn was the hardest, Folk clearly gets the longevity title.
The way you speak about the story of The Last Unicorn just coming to you reminds me of how the magic has to come to Schmendrick. Would you say that's an accurate parallel?
Yes and no. Yes, because there are characters and passages in the book I can't explain, things that I'm very proud of but that came by themselves. Molly Grue is a classic example: I don't know where she came from or how I knew to write that scene when she first sees the unicorn.
I really don't, it was a gift. I was twenty-six, maybe twenty-seven years old. How could I have possibly understood Molly at that age? But also no, because there are sequences in that book that I went over and over on, writing them and rewriting them, and other places where I skipped things completely, just jumped right over them because I had no idea what belonged there, and had to come back later and figure it out. A lot of what looks like surrendering to the magic, as Schmendrick did, was just plain bloody hard work. So it's not entirely an accurate parallel, but in places there's a connection.
In The Lost Version of The Last Unicorn, you wrote about Azazel and Webster, the two-headed demon who want to strike out on their own and start their own hell to rival Satan's. The characters and concept are brilliant; have you ever consider writing a story just about them?
No I haven't, although it's an interesting idea. I really haven't looked back at that story fragment in so long. At the time I was sharing a cabin in the Berkshires with the same friend I came across country with the next year, and we talked a lot like Azazel and Webster. So I'm not surprised that our particular style of loopy banter worked its way into my first attempt at the book. As for bringing them back in some form, well, that's not a bad idea. I might do it, someday, if ever they speak up loudly enough inside my head and insist on it.
Was there one particular moment when you realized that you really could be successful as a writer?
It depends very much on what you mean by "successful," whether you're talking financially, artistically, or emotionally, even. I just knew early on, when I was a child, that writing was the only thing in the world I wanted to do. Success didn't even come into it. I didn't think about being successful, and no matter how much my parents may have worried about me and how I could possibly make a living for myself, let alone my family, they never gave me any reason to assume that I wouldn't be successful. They never once indicated that I may have been doing something foolish. There are all kinds of success, of course. I know a fair number of artists who wouldn't be considered successful by the standards that our culture uses: i.e., money or fame.
Yet I've always held them in the highest respect, and in some cases absolute awe. They did what they wanted to do and what they were gifted to do. They did what they were called to do, and without second-guessing themselves. That, by my standard, is success.
Do you have any advice for struggling artists and writers?
My standard advice is always "show up for work." Because, apart from anything else, writing is labor. Or "labor intensive," as they say nowadays. You have to be willing to put in the time, to sit there and drudge through the days when nothing comes and you find yourself rewriting a single paragraph multiple times.
Have you known any women who, as Molly says, can heal with their hands?
Yes…but that's another story.
What's your favorite thing to hear from fans when you meet them?
I'm very pleased when they know something I've written other than The Last Unicorn. In fact, I'm delighted, because some of these books and stories are "the runts of my litter," the overlooked. So I'm delighted when someone praises them or talks about being affected by them.
Beyond that, the thing that's still capable of stunning me is when someone tells me just how much The Last Unicorn — book, movie, or both — affected their life. When you do what I do, there are long stretches full of bad afternoons when you can't imagine that what you do makes any difference to any other single human being. Being reassured that it does makes an enormous difference for me.
Many of your stories touch on the fantastic and supernatural. Do you believe that these creatures and spirits exist (or have existed) in real life?
Not in the literal sense. But all the same, the fact that they exist in legend — and have existed thus for so long — means that they say something about who we are as a culture and as human beings. Paradoxically, when I'm writing about them I do believe in them. I have to.
Many fans have talked about what a profound effect your works, especially The Last Unicorn, have had on them. What book that you have read has had the greatest effect on you?
It's hard to pick one book. But if you made me choose, I think perhaps that a book my third grade teacher sent to me while I was at home sick in bed would be the one. In a very real sense, it can be said to have made me a fantasy writer. It was Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, which I know practically by heart because I've read it so many times.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Mr. Beagle, for taking the time to answer my questions! It was such an incredible joy to be able to do this. In honor of the interview, I took another Unicorn-inspired self portrait. This one is inspired by the line, "We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream," which is just as beautiful a quote as you could ever find.
What We Dream


Although traditional air-conditioning systems are still the most popular form of cooling apparatus, evaporative coolers remain an extremely viable alternative. In fact, evaporative coolers are one of the oldest forms of climate control still in existence. If you are undecided as to which form of cooling system will work best for you, it is helpful to first understand the distinct differences between the two.
Most people are more familiar with the more traditional form of air-conditioning system. These chill the air to a more comfortable level by utilising the act of refrigeration. Standard air-conditioners contain a number of coils filled with compounds called refrigerants. As warm air is moved through the system's interior, it is absorbed into the coils, converting the refrigerants from a liquid state into gas. The coils chill the air to be expelled from the system and at the same time carry on absorbing the warm air within the interior in a continuing cycle of liquid-gas conversion.
Also known as swamp coolers, evaporative systems, as their very name would suggest, cool the air around them through the evaporation of water. Through the transition of liquid water into vapour, the ambient temperature of air can be cooled significantly, making evaporative coolers one of the most effective air-conditioning systems available. In particularly dry conditions, evaporative coolers add moisture to the air, making conditions much more comfortable.
Both evaporative coolers and traditional air-conditioning systems have their advantages and disadvantages. However, one of the main deciding factors in choosing the right system for you is the location in which it will be used, as each system is particularly suited to a different type of climate.
Evaporative coolers are highly effective in particularly hot and dry climates, where the addition of moisture to the air from the evaporation process can help make conditions more bearable. On the other hand, this type of cooling system is not suited to a more humid climate, as the effectiveness of the cooling process is greatly reduced. Humid locations are better served by traditional air-conditioning systems, which work by actually removing moisture from the air rather than adding to it.
In terms of running costs, an evaporative cooler is far more economical. Initial installation of an evaporative cooler generally costs less than that for a traditional air conditioner, while on-going operation is cheaper due to power consumption being limited to just a fan and a water pump. When it comes to comfort and overall performance, once again each system has its own distinct benefits. Evaporative coolers work efficiently even when windows and doors are left open, meaning that the air that is being circulated is fresh and not recycled. However, the high humidity of the air expelled by an evaporative cooler can sometimes cause corrosion in electrical equipment, making a traditional air-conditioner more suited to an office environment.
While both traditional air-conditioning units and evaporative coolers have their merits, it is location and budget which will ultimately be the deciding factors.


text:
"He was the trailblazer, in very many instances, for industry and for business leaders in our community," said Elaine Hardy, chairperson of the MLK commission and diversity, equity and inclusion administrator for the city of East Lansing.
In 2014, Volunteers of America recognized Butler with the John E. Demmer Award.
Butler, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Vietnam, received many commendations, including Combat Infantry Badge, Army Commendation Medal, two Purple Hearts and four Bronze Stars.
"He was the utility player," Hardy said. "He did everything and anything that you would require him to do."
For the commission, Hardy said Butler was the "elder statesman" – the longest-serving member in the organization's history. Butler kept the history of the commission and knew the importance of its ongoing work, she said.
"He was glue for a lot of us," Hardy said.
Butler's contributions to the community are unparalleled, Hardy said, and he always had a tremendous work ethic plus dedication to the organizations he worked with yet also remained dedicated to his family.
"He was a fantastic person, a giving person and supportive person to people of the community," said Larry Leatherwood Sr., who knew and worked with Butler for more than 40 years.
Butler was a consummate professional – he never went ill-prepared to a meeting and was ready to answer any questions he was asked. If he didn't have an answer at that moment, he found it as quickly as possible, Leatherwood said.
"He didn't do anything half stepped, he did it all way."
More:Eva Evans, retired educator and community leader, dies at 85
Any of the entities Butler worked with benefited from his leadership and service, according to Leatherwood.
Butler was only the second Black person to lead the chamber's board of directors – and he also led the Lansing Regional Chamber's Political Action Committee.
"He was a dedicated community servant who served in leadership positions with many organizations and was committed to building a better region," Tim Daman, President and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement.
"James Butler served his country and was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War." Daman said. "He leaves a legacy that will be remembered by those who knew and worked with him on many important community issues through the years."
"He will be missed," Daman added.
Butler joined the LEPFA board in 1996, the year the authority was created. He was chairman of the board three times and served in numerous other capacities with the authority.
"Commissioner Butler's service to the Lansing region extended well beyond the LEPFA Board and [he] was a shining example of a great leader. On behalf of the LEPFA Board of Commissioners, we extend our condolences to Rishan and his family," Price Dobernick, chairman of LEPFA's board, said in a statement.
Louise Alderson, 54A District Court judge and chairperson of Cooley's board, said Butler was an active and trusted member of the school's community.
"A friend to colleagues and faculty alike, James was a long-serving member of our Straits Committee whose purpose is to strengthen and bridge the communication and relationship between the board and faculty," Alderson said, in a statement.
Services are pending.
Contact reporter Craig Lyons at 517-377-1047 or calyons@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @craigalyons.
Staff Directory Careers Accessibility Support Site Map Public Notices Our Ethical Principles Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy
© 2021 www.lansingstatejournal.com. All rights reserved.


The North Carolina State Intermediate Thematic Wall Map is the perfect teaching aid for state studies and related subjects. Political/physical maps with hypsometric colorations; shows county boundaries, interstate highways, county seats, cities and towns and state regions. Maps correlate with state standards and curriculum guidelines. They are constructed of heavy paper, with a write-on/wipe-off laminated finish that can be used with water-based or dry erase pens. Mounted on spring roller with backboard.
Primary Thematic Wall Maps feature a historical timeline and elevation profile, plus insets of land use, ethnic diversity, and population, average precipitation, and more. Measures 54" x 64" and corresponds with the Thematic Deskpad Maps. Two-sided with markable/washable finish makes it ideal for student testing.


text:
<refentry xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
          xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
          xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
          xmlns:src="http://nwalsh.com/xmlns/litprog/fragment"
          xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
          version="5.0" xml:id="autotoc.label.in.hyperlink">
<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>autotoc.label.in.hyperlink</refentrytitle>
<refmiscinfo class="other" otherclass="datatype">boolean</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
<refname>autotoc.label.in.hyperlink</refname>
<refpurpose>Include label in hyperlinked titles in TOC?</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>
<src:fragment xml:id="autotoc.label.in.hyperlink.frag"><xsl:param name="autotoc.label.in.hyperlink" select="1"/></src:fragment>
</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsection><info><title>Description</title></info>

<para>If the value of
<parameter>autotoc.label.in.hyperlink</parameter> is non-zero, labels
are included in hyperlinked titles in the TOC. If it is instead zero,
labels are still displayed prior to the hyperlinked titles, but
are not hyperlinked along with the titles.</para>

</refsection>
</refentry>


text:
One Day Private Xi'an Culture Tour
To take you to explore the oldest city in China, learn Chinese profound history with our local guide
One Day Xi'an Highlight Tour - Xi'an Private Tour
The most popular day tour in Xi'an - One Day Xi'an Highlights Tour -Xi'an Private Tour
Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show with Dumpling Banquet
Book the Top 4 Night Show in China with Dumpling Banquet,to experience a traditional Chinese evening!
Your Location: Home > Chengdu City Information > Chengdu History
Archaeological discoveries at the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites have established that the area surrounding Chengdu was inhabited over four thousand years ago. At the time of China's Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, it represented a separate ancient bronze-wielding culture which—following its partial sinification—became known to the Chinese as Shu. In the early 4th century bc, the ninth king of Shu's Kaiming dynasty relocated from nearby Pi County, giving his new capital the name Chengdu. Shu was conquered by Qin in 316 bc and the settlement refounded by the Qin general Zhang Yi. (A Chinese legend explains the town's nickname "Turtle City" by claiming Zhang planned the course of his city walls by following a turtle's tracks.) Although he had argued against the invasion, the settlement thrived and the additional resources from Sichuan helped enable the First Emperor of Qin to unify the Warring States which had succeeded the Zhou.
Under the Han, the brocade produced at Chengdu became fashionable and was exported throughout China. A "Brocade Official" (錦官, jinguan) was established to oversee its quality and supply. After the fall of the Eastern Han, Liu Bei ruled Shu, the southwestern of the Three Kingdoms, from Chengdu. His minister Zhuge Liang called the area the "Land of Abundance". Under the Tang, Chengdu was considered the second most prosperous city in China after Yangzhou. Both Li Bai and Du Fu lived in the city. Li Bai praised it as "lying above the empyrean". The city's present Caotang ("Grass Hall") was constructed in 1078 in honor of an earlier, more humble structure of that name erected by Du Fu in 760, the second year of his 4-year stay. The Taoist Qingyang Gong ("Green Goat Temple") was built in the 9th century.
Chengdu was the capital of Wang Jian's Former Shu from 907 to 925, when it was conquered by the Later Han. The Later Shu was founded by Meng Zhixiang in 934, with its capital at Chengdu. Its King Mengchang beautified the city by ordering hibiscus to be planted upon the city walls.
The Song conquered the city in 965 and used it for the introduction of the first widely used paper money in the world. Su Shi praised it as "the southwestern metropolis". At the fall of the Song, a rebel leader set up a short-lived kingdom known as Great Shu (大蜀, Dàshǔ). The Mongols sacked Chengdu in 1279 with a general slaughter that Horner estimated at over a million. During their Yuan dynasty, Marco Polo visited Chengdu and wrote about the Anshun Bridge or an earlier version of it.
At the fall of the Ming, the rebel Zhang Xianzhong established his Great Western Kingdom (大西) with its capital at Chengdu; it lasted only from 1643 to 1646. Zhang was said to have massacred large number of people in Chengdu and throughout Sichuan. In any case, Chengdu was said to have become a virtual ghost town frequented by tigers and the depopulation of Sichuan necessitated the resettlement of millions of people from other provinces during the Qing dynasty. Following the Columbian Exchange, the Chengdu Plain became one of China's principal sources of tobacco. Pi County was considered to have the highest quality in Sichuan, which was the center of the country's cigar and cigarette production, the rest of the country long continuing to consume snuff instead.
In 1911, Chengdu's branch of the Railway Protection Movement helped trigger the Wuchang Uprising, which led to the Xinhai Revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty.
During World War II, the capital city of China was forced to move inland from Nanjing to Wuhan in 1937 and from Wuhan to Chengdu, then from Chengdu to Chongqing in 1938, as the Kuomintang (KMT) government under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek ultimately retreated to Sichuan to escape from the invading Japanese forces. They brought with them into Sichuan business people, workers and academics, who founded many of the industries and cultural institutions which continue to make Chengdu an important cultural and commercial production center. Chengdu had become a military center for the KMT to regroup in the War of Resistance, and while out of reach of the Imperial Japanese ground forces and escort fighter planes, the then highly advanced twin-engine long-ranged G3M "Nell" medium bombers were routinely flown in to conduct massive aerial bombardments of both civilian and military targets in Chongqing and Chengdu; the massed formation of the G3M bombers provided heavy firepower against Chinese fighter planes assigned to the defense of Chongqing and Chengdu, which continued to cause problems for the Japanese attacks. However, in late 1940, unbeknownst to the Americans and European allies, the Imperial Japanese appeared in the skies over Chongqing and Chengdu with the world's most advanced fighter plane at the time: the A6M "Zero" fighter that dominated the skies over China against the increasingly obsolete Russian-made Polikarpov I-15/I-153s and I-16s that were the principal fighter planes of the Chinese Nationalist Air Force; that which would later prove to be a rude awakening for the Allied forces in the Pacific War following the attack on Pearl Harbor. One of the first American ace fighter pilots of the war and volunteer for the Chinese Nationalist Air Force, Major Wong Sun-shui (nicknamed "Buffalo" by his comrades) died as a result of battling the Zero fighters in defense of Chengdu on 14 March 1941.
In 1944, the American XX Bomber Command launched Operation Matterhorn, an ambitious plan to base B-29 Superfortresses in Chengdu and strategically bomb the Japanese Home Islands. The Operating base was located in Xinjin Airport in the southwestern part of the Chengdu metropolitan area. Because the operation required a massive airlift of fuel and supplies over the Himalayas, it was not a significant military success, but it did earn Chengdu the distinction of launching the first serious retaliation against the Japanese homeland.
During the Chinese Civil War, Chengdu was the last city on the Chinese mainland to be held by the Kuomintang. President Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo directed the defence of the city from Chengdu Central Military Academy until 1949, when the city fell into Communist hands. The People's Liberation Army took the city without any resistance after a deal was negotiated between the People's Liberation Army and the commander of the KMT Army guarding the city. On 10 December the remnants of the Nationalist Chinese government evacuated to Taiwan.
The industrial base is very broad, including light and heavy manufacturing, aluminum smelting and chemicals. The textile industry remains important, with cotton and wool milling added to the traditional manufacturing of silk brocade and satin.
Chengdu is the headquarters of the Chengdu Military Region. Until the end of the year 2015, due to the revocation of military reform in Chengdu, West Theater is founded and Headquarter is stationed in Chengdu.
The Chengdu Tianfu District Great City is a sustainable planned city that will be outside of Central Chengdu, and is expected to be completely built later in the decade. The city is also planned to be self-sustaining, with every residence being a two-minute walk from a park.


text:
Moonspell – Hermitage (Napalm)
Wednesday, 24th February 2021 By Katarina McGinn
A band that has been dwelling in gothic darkness for almost 30 years, Moonspell has also managed to try new things and experiment a bit. To that end, Hermitage feels like another new step for the band. While it combines the dreariness and heavier aspects the band has called their own, it also has a sweeping and darkly cinematic tone and new found sense of maturity to it that makes it one of the band's strongest releases to date.
There's more melancholy than there is heaviness when it comes to Hermitage. That's not a bad thing, however, and it makes the heavy parts resonate more than they might otherwise. Opener "The Greater Good" personifies this at the start with an excellent build up and breathtaking gothic tones before exploding in the latter part of the track. "The Hermit Saints" also dives into a back and forth between more introspective and heavy moments, and feels the most akin to some of the band's earlier works. There's a notable psychedelic vibe in addition to the melancholic one too, as "Solitarian" and "Without Rule" both incorporate an almost trippy mood that blends well, particularly the latter track combining with Fernando Ribeiro's vocals to create an almost Pink Floyd-y feeling. Some tracks simply wallow in the morose feelings too, such as the potent "Entitlement," where the sense of longing and introspection is palpable as Ribeiro's vocals pull the chorus into an enchanting yet even gloomier direction. Likewise, "All or Nothing" resides in heart retching territory, all the way down to the sorrow-fueled solo later in the track.
With an emphasis on even darker gloom and introspection, there's a deep emotional resonance to be found with Hermitage. Moonspell have written some depressive tunes that somehow stay vibrant and bewitching, and the combination of sorrow and Ribeiro's enigmatic vocals make for an even more potent pairing. Like Moonspell has always somehow managed to do, Hermitage stays true to what they are at their core while reaching into new dark and dreamy directions.
Moonspell on Facebook
Moonspell – Isolation and Loneliness
David E. Gehlke Top 30 of the 2010s
Moonspell – Legacy of Sin
Dark Tranquillity/Amorphis – October 14, 2018 – Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY
Visual Rhetoric – April 2018
Moonspell – 1755 (Napalm)


text:
About STA
Beliefs, Goals, & Vision
ADOM Updates and Bulletins
Principal's Advisory Council
Parent/Student Handbook & Information
Advanced Placement & Dual Enrollment
2021 Graduation & Honors Requirements
School Counseling & College Advising
Service Learning Policy
STEM @ STA
Testing Profile
Shadows & Tours
STA & You
Tuition & Uniforms
Veritas Scholars
Cailini
Dance Marathon
Clubs & Extracurricular Activities
Silver Knight Awards
Forms & Camps
Alumni on the National Scene
College Signees
Supporting STA
Leave Your Mark
Bienes Center for the Arts
About Bienes Center for the Arts
Ticketing & Seating
Summer Camps and Educational Programs
What is a Silver Knight?
The Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards is one of the nation's most highly regarded student awards programs. The purpose of this Awards program is to recognize outstanding students who have not only maintained good grades but have also unselfishly applied their special knowledge and talents to contribute significant service to their schools and communities. The Silver Knight Awards program was instituted at the Miami Herald in 1959 by John S. Knight, past publisher of the Miami Herald, founder and editor emeritus of Knight-Ridder Newspapers and 1968 Pulitzer Prize winner.
The program is open to high school seniors with a minimum 3.2 GPA (unweighted) in public, private, and parochial schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Students may be nominated in 15 categories: Art, Athletics, Business, Drama, English & Literature, General Scholarship, Journalism, Mathematics, Music and Dance, New Media, Science, Social Science, Speech, Vocational-Technical and World Languages. Each school may nominate one student per category.
Nominees from all schools appear on a designated day to be interviewed by a panel of independent judges. Each panel of judges selects one Silver Knight and three Honorable Mentions in that category. Names are not revealed until the Silver Knight Awards ceremony. Silver Knights receive $2,000, a Silver Knight statue and a medallion presented by American Airlines. The three Honorable Mentions are presented $500 and an engraved plaque.
On May 28, 2020, 15 members of the Class of 2020 competed in as many categories for the title and honor of a Silver Knight Award recipient. The Knight Foundation honors South Florida's finest high school graduates, annually, for their contributions to their community and winners are granted scholarships. Eight of our graduates were recognized for their community service efforts by the Silver Knight Foundation!
Alexandra and Mayumi won their categories while Diego, Emily, Gabriel, Lauren, Nick, & Bianca received Honorable Mention.
A huge congratulations to all those seniors who competed and to their dedicated leader, Mrs. Karen Krugman on another fantastic year. Read more about the amazing projects Alexandra and Mayumi championed, below!
https://www.miamiherald.com/…/silver-…/article242885321.html
#theybroughthomeSilver
Moderator: Mrs. Karen Krugman
St. Thomas Aquinas High School
2801 SW 12th Street Ft. Lauderdale Florida 33312


Like what you've seen? Then we should keep a good thing going.
Whether you're looking to give your brand some lift, resource a new creative project, or give your magazine a fresh look, it should start from a connection with your audience.
I serve up a monthly gust of inspiration, design, ideas and events for all you freelancers, designers and beauty seekers out there!
Perfect for freelancers, designers & inspiration seekers.


text:
Something appears to be eating away at Trevor Reznik -- literally. As embodied by Christian Bale, who lost an astonishing 60-plus pounds in preparation for the title role in The Machinist, Trevor…
MICHAEL O'SULLIVAN	November 24, 2004Updated: July 23, 2020, 3:27 pm
Something appears to be eating away at Trevor Reznik -- literally. As embodied by Christian Bale, who lost an astonishing 60-plus pounds in preparation for the title role in The Machinist, Trevor isn't so much flesh and blood as a walking ghost, a chronically sleepless, gaunt-to-the-point-of-pain (ours, mind you, not his) wraith of a man. As it turns out, he's a character so haunted by himself that he is turning into his own ghost.
While the result of Bale's shocking, special-effect-free emaciation threaten to become a distraction for the audience, it is an essential visual metaphor for the film's message, which comes into full, dark flower only in a clever twist at the end.
Despite containing an implicit lesson about sin, The Machinist is structured less like a morality play than a straightforward mystery thriller. As it opens, Trevor, an employee of a soul-deadening machine shop, hasn't slept in a year, and he would like to know why. He'd also like to know why several other strange things keep happening to him lately, such as the appearance of several cryptic Post-it notes in his dingy apartment, and the arrival of a creepy new employee at work (John Sharian), whom it appears only Trevor can see.
Then there's the accident.
After inadvertently causing a co-worker (Michael Ironside) to lose an arm in an industrial mishap due to his own inattention, Trevor's insomnia and paranoia (with possible hallucinations) get worse. Soon, he comes to believe that not only are his co-workers out to punish him for the incident, but that his up-to-now understanding hooker-girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh) may be in collusion with one or more of his tormentors.
Trevor's only solace? The graveyard-shift waitress at the local airport (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), an angelic, almost maternal presence whose nightly pie, companionship and coffee -- as if this man needs more caffeine! -- are the few things that keep Trevor sane.
Tautly scripted by Scott Kosar, and directed with quiet, nightmarish intensity by Brad Anderson, The Machinist is psychological suspense at its finest. Shot with a cold blue pallor and edited with a somnambulistic lethargy that belies the urgency of its subject matter -- the nature of guilt and innocence -- the film feels at times like you're dreaming it, rather than watching it.
It makes even scarier that most scary of bogeymen: the human mind.
MICHAEL O'SULLIVAN
Sing a Bit of Harmony


Trade shows present Grand Rapids businesses with a great opportunity to make connections outside of the West Michigan area. That being said, to fully capitalize on the benefits of exhibiting you need to consider how you will convince attendees to visit your booth and make your business memorable. One simple way to encourage traffic to your trade show exhibit is to offer a giveaway. Everyone loves free stuff, and branded giveaway items help trade show attendees remember your business. Keep reading for the 10 best giveaway items for your next trade show.
Before we get started, it is important to note exactly what makes for a good trade show giveaway. Great giveaways are not just flashy or cool, they should also be practical for your prospects as well as for your brand.
Budget-friendly: No matter how cool your giveaway is, spending too much of your trade show budget resources on them can negate their positive impact and return on investment.
Inherently valuable: Some of the most effective giveaways may seem a bit on the boring side, but a pen is far more valuable than a flashlight on the show floor.
Branded: Make sure that your giveaway reflects your brand. Even the coolest giveaways will fall flat if the attendee cannot remember where they got it.
With these three things in mind, here are ten products that make great trade show giveaways.
We have all been there: about to head into a meeting and suddenly, we wonder about whether or not our breath is fresh. At trade shows, this worry is tenfold. Attendees will speak with and meet dozens of people. Breath mint giveaways are practical and memorable.
Trade show attendees may not be in the office, but they are still connected to their workplace via email, text and calls. All that phone use can take a toll on battery life, which can send an attendee scrabbling to the nearest outlet. If you have phone chargers as your marketing giveaways, you give attendees the lifeline back home when they need it most.
Headphones are a great idea because they can be used outside of the show in a variety of ways. Make sure your headphone giveaway comes in a branded case, otherwise the recipient may forget that the headphones came from your company!
Branded tote bags can help attendees collect and carry all their goodies. Many of these goodies may not make it past the hotel room trash can, but the tote is a highly useful, especially when traveling.
Hand sanitizer is cost-effective, last a long time and is very convenient for travelers. Hand sanitizers are also very popular items and attendees will be sure to flock to your booth, so make sure to keep plenty of branded hand sanitizer in supply.
Many trade show attendees traveled by air to the show city. Branded luggage tags are timely, useful and long lasting. Attendees will think of your company every time they pick up their luggage.
Giving away product samples to prospects is one of the most effective ways to show off your wares while also attracting attendees to your booth. Giving away products related to your industry or niche helps you stand out in a crowd of businesses.
Everywhere you go from the office to the park, you will see people carrying around reusable water bottles. Since this is a product almost everyone uses, having reusable water bottles as your promotional giveaways on the show floor will draw lot of traffic to your trade show display.
Attendees work up an appetite while walking around the show floor. Giving away snacks such as coffee, pretzels, chocolates and crackers will help draw crowds to your display. Snacks also work to make sure attendees stick around your booth, providing your sales team an opportunity to pitch them.
With all of the conversations taking place on the show floor, attendees' lips are bound to become chapped. Lip balm as a trade show giveaway will remind attendees of your brand every time they reach into their pocket or purse to moisturize their lips.
Attracting trade show attendees to your booth is simple with any of these ten giveaway items. For more information about the trade show display specialists at Nimlok Michigan, contact us here or call us at 616.233.9401.


text:
CIOAdvisor Apac
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Govt Tech
Payment And Card
Staffing and Recruitment Services
CIO Advisor APAC Weekly Brief
Be first to read the latest tech news, Industry Leader's Insights, and CIO interviews of medium and large enterprises exclusively from CIO Advisor APAC
Editor's Pick (1 - 4 of 8)
David Kennedy, Group CIO, Transaction Services Group
Sharam Hekmat, CIO, IOOF Holdings, Australia
David Kennedy, CIO, Transaction Services Group
Faisal Parvez, Director- IT & CIO, Asia, Middle East & Africa, BT
David Tamayo, CIO, DCS Corporation
Jim McCoy, CIO, Raytheon
Neil Hampshire, CIO, ModusLink Global Solutions, Inc. [NasdaqGS:MLNK]
Ben Goodman, VP APJ, Unstructured Data Solutions, Dell EMC
Thank you for Subscribing to CIO Advisor APAC Weekly Brief
The Robots are here! Behavioral Science, Innovation, and the Rise of Chatbots
By Charlotte Blank, Chief Behavioral Officer, Maritz
Charlotte Blank, Chief Behavioral Officer, Maritz
The robots are here. Machine learning and predictive analytics are transforming every industry, creating new opportunities and disrupting old models faster than you can say "S-Curve." In more instances than not, the decisions we make as consumers are "nudged" for us, by algorithms and targeted communication technologies. What if we could talk back?
Enter, chatbots–the next wave of human-AI interaction. The evolution of "conversational commerce" will open many avenues for transforming consumer relationships but they must be designed with caution and scientific expertise. And, just like ecommerce opened up a new frontier for presenting information to people, conversational commerce will bring new opportunities to test out framing and choice architectures to nudge behavior. Learnings from behavioral science will likely spur the adoption of, and comfort with, this technology, by helping marketers design for how people really behave.
Maritz is leading the transformation of customer service with behavioral science and technology– especially in the domain of consumer loyalty and reward programs. With over 100 million members engaged in our loyalty programs, Maritz knows a little something about creating lasting consumer relationships. Hint: there's a lot more to it than rewards. However, rewards are one crucial part of the habit loop, as psychologically speaking, they are a mechanism to reinforce desired behavior. When a consumer engages with a brand, a desirable reward can leave that customer with a positive association and an inclination to return.
That's why there is nothing sadder than points left unredeemed. Check the member accounts of your favorite financial, hospitality, or airline providers. Are you leaving earned points on the table? The average US household belongs to 29 loyalty programs, but is actively engaged in fewer than half of them. Technology helps us address this "engagement cliff."
For example, Maritz recently conducted a pilot program with HSBC which leveraged AI to accurately predict which rewards would be most appealing to individual customers. In an email test of 75,000 loyalty program customers, we found that 70 percent of those who redeemed points chose the rewards that were suggested by the AI algorithm.
Another partner in the hospitality industry leverages beacon technology, to proactively suggest reward options for their guests, triggered by their geo-location. Imagine sitting pool side and being reminded that you can use points for a bottle of champagne. What's another room night to a weary business traveler. I'll take the cocktail!
As AI evolves, chatbots are becoming powerful tools that allow organizations to handle certain frontline interactions on-demand and at scale. Introducing a chatbot, however, can be fraught if consumers are used to interacting with a person. We can learn from behavioral science to design chatbot experiences that delight customers. Some lessons to consider:
1. More Bro, Less Bot: Anthropomorphism is our friend
Making autonomous agents feel like humans has high potential to increase trust and uptake of those technologies. For example, Waytz et al. found in a 2014 study that an autonomous vehicle with a name, gender, and voice was rated as having more humanlike mental capacities as a vehicle with the same technical features. Participants reported trusting it more, and were even more relaxed in a (simulated) accident, and blamed their vehicle less for an accident caused by another car.
Furthermore, research suggests the more humanlike a robot is perceived to be, the less aggressive people tend to be toward it, so there may be some benefits to consider in those infamously frustrating customer experiences that inevitably arise. In a 2015 lab experiment conducted by Kate Darling et al., when asked to strike a robot, participants hesitated significantly more when it was introduced through anthropomorphic framing like a name and backstory. Thus, people may be more forgiving of Siri or Alexa than they would a nameless block of text.
2. Be transparent: Honesty is best and control is sacred
New technology intended to personalize customer service can sometimes be met with backlash–reactance, in psychological terms. Research on targeted advertising, for example, indicates that people sometimes react negatively to messaging that they perceive as unnecessarily personalized. This is where transparency is key. Tiffany Barnett-White and her colleagues found that when customers were told why the video store ads they were viewing included mention of their zip code (only customers in that area were subject to a discount), they were more likely to click on the ad. In this case and others, explicit justification can mitigate feelings of reactance customers have towards newly personalized experiences. When introducing a new service technology like a chatbot, try alleviating the creep factor with transparency justification, example, "We are using a chatbot because it will make things faster for you." This is especially true in Maritz' context of consumer loyalty and reward sites, where trust is higher than the average ecommerce site.
Along the same lines, it's important to remind customers that they are in control. Research on Facebook advertising finds that people are more likely to click on targeted ads after they are reminded that they own their data, and that have the right to change their permissions at any time. In case of a chat bot, customers should be reminded of their right to pass on the bot and wait on a real person.
3. Don't overdo the automation – make the bot "show their work"
In their research on operational transparency, Ryan Buell and his colleagues uncovered an intriguing phenomenon: people like to see how the sausage is made. Among other contexts, the researchers demonstrated this when students in a lab participated in a simulated online dating site. Students filled out input fields describing their dream partner, submitted the forms, and waited for their results to load. In one condition, the dating algorithm produced results immediately. In the other, the computer "showed its work," and took significantly more time to load the identical results, while indicating to the subjects that it was reviewing potential matches one step at a time, based on a sequence of criteria such as location, height, and interests. Though it took longer, the students preferred the second condition, in which they felt the system put more thoughtful effort into choosing their matches. This preference even manifested in their ratings of the matches, which though identical in either condition, were considered superior in the transparent condition.
The lesson here is that just because a service can be automated and produce immediate results, doesn't mean it should. Thanks to the labor illusion, it can be wise to consider the perspective of the customers and insert a signal like, "Hold on, I'm researching that for you," to ensure they feel you're putting in some work for them. Whether they are interacting with humans or a bot, customers value effort. Remind them of the work behind the scenes to show you care.
How Emerging Technologies Are Creating a Race for Insights
Empowering Workers with New Technologies and Skills
Demystify RPA: The Key to Enhanced Business Efficiency
Tanna Partners Catering to the Need for Change in Rpa Space
RPA Special
Copyright © 2019 CIO Advisorapac. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | Sitemap
This content is copyright protected
However, if you would like to share the information in this article, you may use the link below:
https://robotic-process-automation.cioadvisorapac.com/cxoinsights/the-robots-are-here-behavioral-science-innovation-and-the-rise-of-chatbots-nwid-1017.html


text:
Filter by programs: Global Health
Project status: Active
Active x
South of Sahara 91matches
Benin x
Cameroon 6matches
Democratic Republic of the Congo x
Ethiopia 9matches
Mozambique 2matches
Niger 6matches
Zambia 1matches
Education and Science 10matches
Sustainable Inclusive Economies 10matches
Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund 1matches
Exploring and learning from evidence, policy, and systems responses to COVID-19 in West and Central Africa
An effective response to COVID-19 requires a complex array of relevant evidence packaged in user-friendly forms to support decision-making about current and future responses.
Rectifying the effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in West Africa: a research-action (RECOVER)
The full impact of COVID-19 on West Africa's vulnerable populations is not well understood.
Reducing vulnerabilities of West and Central African communities to pandemic threats through a research and capacity strengthening initiative
Recent outbreaks of the highly infectious and dangerous Ebola virus in West and Central Africa underscore the importance of rapid diagnostics and surveillance infrastructure, evidence-driven health communications and community engagement activities, and an effective and well-coordinated emergency response to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations in the face of emerging pandemic threats.
Promoting positive masculinity for sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality in informal settlements in sub-Saharan Africa
More than half of residents in sub-Saharan Africa's largest cities, and a growing proportion of Africans overall, live in congested informal settlements (also called slums).
Strengthening and scaling up medical simulation-based interventions to save lives in Africa
Neonatal and maternal mortality remain major challenges in sub-Saharan Africa.
Ebola virus in the DRC and community mental health evaluation, prevention, and psychosocial intervention
This project aims to reduce the risk of Ebola virus infection and the impact of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries and regions affected by the virus.
Strengthening the ethics of clinical research for participants in Ebola affected countries
As confirmed by the WHO's guidelines on risk communication and community engagement issued for the 2018 Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), research is a critical component to both outbreak control measures and future preparedness activities.
Improving the response to Ebola crises with improved access to routine health information.
The 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone claimed thousands of lives and cost these countries at least $2 billion in lost GDP.
Preventing teen pregnancy in Benin: development of a self-esteem-based intervention to empower adolescents
The goal of this project is to reduce teen pregnancy in Benin by developing and promoting an innovative, evidence-based intervention combining sexual and reproductive health, self-esteem, and empowerment that targets adolescents.
Maternal and adolescent health in West Africa: Toward low-cost reforms grounded in reality
High numbers of women and adolescent girls continue to die in Niger and Benin while giving birth.


text:
BP To Build A £50 Million EV Battery Testing Centre In The UK
Moomin Peer
8 Aug 2022 • 1 min read
British oil & gas giant, BP recently announced its latest step to continue their venture into the electric vehicles sector by investing up to £50 million (around $60 million) in a class apart electric vehicle (EV) battery testing centre in the UK. The investment also covers the development of an analytical laboratory to boost efficiency. A while back, BP had announced to invest up to £18 billion in the UK's energy system by the end of this decade in line with their zero-emission goal.
The facility is all set to be launched by the end of 2024 and will be located at the Pangbourne campus of BP. The centre is aimed to assist the pre-existing technologies and engineering aspects of the campus as it already undertakes research and development of fuels, lubricants and EV fluids. The investment will make the facility capable of developing technologies in hybrid and all-electric vehicles further.
Additionally, the advanced e-fluid technologies at this facility coupled with state-of-the-art engineering capacity can be utilised to assist other industries such as thermal management fluids for data centres which are witnessing an exponential rise.
Following the announcement, BP's UK head of the country, Louise Kingham said, "We're backing Britain. We're fully committed to the UK's energy transition. This additional investment will help accelerate the transition to EVs by developing solutions to help decarbonise the transport sector."
This ambitious plan may be seen to be spanning its domains to other BP fuel and lubricants technology facilities in the US, Germany, South Africa and China in the coming years as per the industry experts and economists looking at the net zero deadlines set in these regions.
Polestar Sales Exceed Expected Numbers In H1 of 2022.
The first half of this year has been quite efficient in terms of EV sales for Polestar with the company recording a humongous 125% growth compared to the last year
Moomin Peer 8 Aug 2022 • 1 min read
Ireland Announces Sectoral Ceilings On Emissions For 2030
The Irish government has pledged to curb the GHG emissions by setting caps along multiple sectors to reduce the overall emissions by 51% compared to the 2018 levels heading towards


Ready to roll up to the next level of Pilates for a joyful, strong and healthy body? PRO-ROLLER® Pilates Challenge encourages exploration of movement through 40 intermediate to advanced Pilates exercises on the PRO-ROLLER such as Oblique Can-Cans, Windmill, Mermaid Series, Bicycle, Push Up Combo and Leg Circles.
Incorporating the PRO-ROLLER with Pilates exercise is a motivational way to deepen mind-body awareness, promote better posture and body symmetry, and challenge core strength and balance.
Written by Angela Kneale, OTD, MA, OTR/L, NBC-HWC. Angela is an occupational therapist, certified STOTT Pilates® instructor and Franklin Method educator.
Bought this along with a foam roller to figure out what I was doing. It's a really good workout, especially for the abs. Some of it just feels good, like stretching or lying on the roller. Other parts are pretty hard. It's a long workout if you go through it all. I kinda skip around a bit depending on what I want to do that day.


text:
Russia Ignores Pleas for Release of 'Terrorist' Ukrainian Filmmaker
Crimean director Oleg Sentsov was arrested by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation at his home in Simferopol in June.
A Crimean filmmaker accused of terrorism by Russia will remain in detention despite an open letter in his support by icons of European filmmaking.
Moscow's Lefortovsky District Court on Monday extended Oleg Sentsov's stay in custody until October 11, Interfax reported.
Sentsov, who opposed Russia's annexation of Crimea in March, was detained in May by the Russian security services.
He stands accused of having helped with the preparations of several bombings in Crimea's capital Simferopol in cahoots with activists of Ukraine's ultranationalist group Right Sector, which has been routinely lambasted as "fascist" by Russian state media.
Sentsov, 38, faces up to 20 years in prison on terrorist charges.
The filmmaker, whose debut feature "The Gamer" (2011) screened at the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam, pleaded not guilty.
Sentsov's arrest was denounced by Amnesty International, and a number of European filmmakers, including Ken Loach, Pedro Almodovar, Wim Wenders and Krzysztof Zanussi, published an open letter last month in support of his release.
Famous Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov, who is known for his pro-Kremlin stance, also called for Crimean filmmaker's release, but to no avail.
European Filmmakers Call On Putin After Crimean Jailed for Terrorism
unbecoming conduct
The head of Chuvashia sparked criticism after video showed him dangling a set of keys to a fire engine above a firefighter, forcing him to jump.
down the totem pole
Four listed Chinese arms makers produced $54.1 billion worth of weapons, surpassing the $37.7 billion in weapons sold by 10 Russian companies.
Japanese media reported that a former employee leaked the information to two Russian officials suspected of espionage.
Aeroflot, Sheremetyevo Under Fire For Cat Passengers' Deaths
Two cats have died and another has been injured with frostbite after traveling in the cargo hold during a New York-Moscow flight.


Learning a second language – especially if you start after you hit double digits – is difficult. But people do it often, and they all have different methods. For Diana Aquino – a Dominican woman – the process included watching The Ellen Show daily. Aquino moved to the United States seven years ago and only knew two words in English: hello and goodbye. On Tuesday, she met Ellen DeGeneres, and the reaction is heartwarming.
In a five-minute clip, Ellen is seen asking the audience to stand up as she asks them questions. "Stay standing if you watch my show everyday," she said. With most of the audience having sat down, Ellen – who jokingly told the crowd they should be ashamed of themselves – continued asking questions: "Stay standing if you've written me over 30 letters. Stay standing if you're originally from the Dominican Republic." At that moment, Diana – the only person standing – let out a jubilant yell. "Stay standing if you've learned English by watching my show," she continued, inviting Diana, who had already broken into tears – onto the stage.
In their short meet-up, Diana explains how she first stumbled on the show and how the words "Be kind to one another," something Ellen ends each episode with, caught her attention and inspired her. The whole interaction is adorable, with Diana geeking out and Ellen doing what she normally does, helping her viewers. DeGeneres gave the young woman a silly dictionary and offered her $10,000 to go toward her education. Check out the video below.


text:
Americans for Prosperity Endorses Dave Hall for Indiana House of Representatives
Jun 28, 2022 by AFP
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Americans for Prosperity-Indiana (AFP-IN) today announced its support for Dave Hall's bid to the Indiana House of Representatives to represent District 62.
The group will leverage its unmatched grassroots strength, among other tactics, to connect with voters to support Dave Hall.
AFP-IN State Director Josh Webb issued the following statement:
"Hall's demonstrated principled leadership and dedication to Hoosiers' livelihoods mean he's the right choice for the Indiana House of Representatives. As a Jackson County Council member, Hall championed a major work-release program and continues to be a vocal advocate of reforms that are smart on crime, soft on taxpayers. In office, Hall will also fight to roll back burdensome regulations, lower taxes, and rein in out-of-control spending that is driving inflation and making it harder for families and businesses to thrive. Our activists are ready to get out and pound the pavement in support of Dave Hall."
Paid for by AFP. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Americans for Prosperity to Open Wyoming Chapter in 2023
Americans for Prosperity launches American Potential podcast
AFP Ad Campaign Highlights Congress at a Crossroads, Urges Focus on Advancing Good Policy
Americans for Prosperity Launches "Pioneers for Prosperity" Congressional Awards
Dec 14, 2022 by AFP


In these days's real estate market, investors have numerous low cost qualities at their possession. Everywhere you flip there is an additional home up for sale. Some of those properties can not be sold because of price. A great deal of these homeowners must sell at the prices they are asking because they both paid out too much for the home when they bought it, or they refinanced their equity out of their house. To add on to that problem, a lot of these property owners took on an adjustable rate mortgage or an ARM. An ARM is a mortgage mortgage exactly where the interest price adjusts based on the market indexes. This pressured some creativeness in their listing practices. Some have sought to offer excursions through neighborhoods to display listed qualities. It sounds foolish, but actually it is a great way to get a look and really feel of the community. If there are properties sitting down unsold for lengthy intervals of time, you may want to remain absent.
Likewise, anyone educated in feng shui would have produced a killing in the Singapore Property market in 2007. Numerous traders expected the property market to slow down when the subprime problems ravaged the inventory marketplace. However, property market continue to enjoy a great run even following the ripples of subprime are felt in the inventory marketplace after July 2007. Those that are educated in feng shui would have adequately utilize this understanding to make a tidy revenue from the home market. If you select the condos for rent as an Singapore Condominium, it is just like living in an condominium. The only difference is that is is owned by a condominium association. The dimension would be like any other apartments, but may have a washer & dryer in the unit. The lease might be greater in either choice because they generally are searching for people that are heading to consider care of the property like it is there personal.
At this point you might be thinking how to companion with a community school or library. But that's not where the genuine money is. The genuine money is in personal spiritual schools and libraries. New York City invested an typical of $1,300 per student of these money while just 1 private college was awarded $3,000 for each student. So just like slick Willie Sutton is reputed to have said "Because that's where the cash is". The choice is fraught with question for a good purpose: it is most likely the single most expensive factor you have purchased in your life. No-one desires to waste their money!Checking out open up homes is 1 way to familiarize your self with the Real estate in Singapore.
Foreclosures are costly. Depending on what steps the homeowner takes and how lengthy the courtroom proceedings take, authorized charges alone can cost thousands of dollars. The end outcome, because of the disaster of Federal Reserve QE & US Treasury, is at any time bloating auctions of new financial debt. Refusal of a Democratic White House and Congress to offer with the exploding nationwide financial debt. Childish lack of ability to reduce the federal entitlement programs, companies. This is a new cycle that will ruin the US Dollar as a reserve forex and trigger hyper inflation for the United states. Stocks are tied to the destiny of the US Bond Market and the fundamental currency. Therefore.Unemployment will skyrocket once once more!
Previous PostPrevious Try Home Expense Purchasing These Days!
Next PostNext Why Ought To I Need To Buy A Property In Dubai?


AGRA, India -- The Taj Mahal has met the mall, and may come out the loser.
India's greatest architectural marvel is threatened with possible monsoon flood damage because of work on a nearby riverbank where a $40 million restaurant and shopping complex was planned.
The government has halted construction, but experts say that what has already been done has hemmed in the Jamuna River, and it could rise and flood the gardens of the Taj Mahal, just 330 yards away.
Particles in the water may harm the monument's white marble, and swirling stones could pound its foundation.
"Sand filling and piles of red sandstone on the riverbed of the Jamuna would damage the basic structure of the Taj when the water level goes up in the monsoon," said D.K. Joshi, member of a monitoring committee appointed by India's Supreme Court.
"The Taj Mahal is in danger," he said Monday. It faces "a difficult test."
The Taj Mahal, "that soaring bubble of marble," in Mark Twain's words, was built by the Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century as the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Its spires, walls and dome took 22 years to build and it was completed in about 1647.
In modern times it has been threatened by pollution from hundreds of nearby factories, leading to a huge cleanup effort and its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The government of Uttar Pradesh state saw a leisure complex as a way of attracting more tourists. But it would have blocked a favorite view of the tomb from the emperor's bedroom in the Red Fort across the river.
For seven months, the National Project Construction Corp., a state-run company, has been building the foundation in the river bed for a walkway nearly 3 miles long and 50 feet wide for a Taj Heritage Corridor connecting the monuments.
But on Saturday, the federal governjment stepped in. The Tourism and Culture Ministry ordered the work stopped, saying it violated laws protecting the monument.
The building company has spent more than $6.25 million on the walkway foundation, said its deputy manager, Gopal Jha.
Joshi, the monitor, said that even with work suspended, "the construction material dumped in the river bed poses a danger to the Taj in the coming rains."
The Tourism Ministry said it has ordered the construction material removed, but there may not be enough time. The seasonal rains are expected in Agra, 125 miles southeast of New Delhi, by the end of the month.
Some Agra people worry that the mall will drive visitors away, not attract them.
"It's our concern. We exist because of the Taj Mahal," said Vivek Jain, who runs an Internet cafe. "This is the source of living for people of Agra and it needs to be protected at any cost."


Need more information about BEFCOR and our programs? Whether you are a borrower or lender, we are here to help. Check this website's FAQ sections for borrowers and lenders for information or send your question to us through our contact form.


Blackbaud University Training is recognised by CFRE International (Certified Fund Raising Executives) as qualifying for CFRE Education credits.
CFRE International offers the only internationally recognised baseline professional credential for philanthropic fundraising executives. As stewards of the public trust, Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) International certifies fundraising professionals who demonstrate the knowledge, skills and commitment to the highest standards of ethical and professional practices in serving the philanthropic sector. CFRE International fulfills this mission by establishing and administering a voluntary certification process based on current and valid standards that measure competency in the practice of philanthropic fundraising.
To download a list of qualifying courses, click here. For your convenience, CFRE provides a CE Tracker document to help you stay on top of your education.


The flattering Carson has an angular neckline and a fit-and-flare silhouette. The fit is close through the bust, but easy through the hips. Cropped long sleeves and one small pocket on back.
Bust: XS 30", S 31", M 32", L 34", XL 36"
Waist: XS 28", S 29", M 30", L 32", XL 34"
Hip: XS 34", S 34", M 35", L 38", XL 40"
Length: XS 38", S 38", M 41", L 41", XL 41"
Sleeve: XS 15", S 15", M 16", L 17", XL 17"


Sometimes, we tend to assume that men do not care about what they wear and all women are crazy about the shoes they wear. But these ideas should not be taken so seriously because shoes form an important part of everybody's closet. Shoes can complement your look or spoil it. Choosing the right kind of shoes for your dress is just as important as choosing the right pair of jeans with your shirt. Most men tend to maintain a few number of good shoes so that they can find something to wear to both formal and informal occasions and get done with it. It is not wrong to buy what you only require or opt for a small closet, but you should choose the right kind of men's shoes.
Men have a problem when it comes to buying shoes. This is because a majority of them are not aware of the different styles of shoes and they do not always have any idea about what to wear with what kind of outfit. This is the reason why most men tend to stick to their classic official black shoes and sneakers. Here are some few tips that can help you when choosing the different types men's shoes available in the market and how, when, and where to wear them.
The most important thing when looking for a shoe is that you should choose one that matches the colour of your pants or is of a darker shade. Some people believe that the socks should match the colour of their shoes. This is not necessary since socks are like ties, they should match or contrast but should go hand in hand with everything else. Considering colour match, you may match the colour of your shoes and belt. This will give you an excellent look.
When you decide to put a casual look like wearing a pair of jeans, then you may go for any pair of shoes. Boots and sneakers go well with jeans, and you can even think of wearing sandals or loafers with your jeans. The shirt that you are wearing with your jeans also has to be considered. There are several types of shirts. For instance, T-shirts go well with sneakers or loafers and boots go hand in hand with khaki shirts or other casual shirts.
When wearing casual pants like khakis, you should go for your classic black men's shoes or a pair of loafers. The footwear that you decide to put on depends on the look that you are trying to present. Black men's shoes go well with navy, grey, or black colours in pants; brown shoes can be worn with beige, green, brown, and such other earthy shades. When you get to choose the right type of shoes and colour, then you are sure of having a complementing outfit.
Now you finally decide which footwear to buy, visit spendless.com.au for mens shoes. Here you will find a variety of men's shoes at an affordable price. With their selections, there is something for every man no matter your taste. What's more is that they offer free shipping on orders over $40 and therefore, by getting a few pairs, you can have the shoes delivered to your doorstep and no extra cost. Visit their website and get a shoe of your choice.


text:
/* author Sylvain Jaume, Julien Gein */

#ifndef SO_ITK_DIFFERENCEIMAGEFILTER_H_
# define SO_ITK_DIFFERENCEIMAGEFILTER_H_

# include <Inventor/fields/SoSFFloat.h>
# include <xip/inventor/itk/SoItkSFDataImage.h>
# include "SoItkImageToImageFilter.h"

class XIPIVITK_API SoItkDifferenceImageFilter : public SoItkImageToImageFilter
{
	SO_ENGINE_HEADER( DifferenceImageFilter );

public:
	SoItkDifferenceImageFilter();

	SoSFFloat DifferenceThreshold;
	SoItkSFDataImage Input1;
	SoSFFloat ToleranceRadius;

	static void initClass();

protected:
	~SoItkDifferenceImageFilter();

	virtual bool checkInput();
	virtual void evaluate();

};

#endif // SO_ITK_DIFFERENCEIMAGEFILTER_H_


9 Unique Tab Top Curtains Cotton WC1645hu has a variation picture that relevant to windows curtains. Discover the most up-to-date pictures of tab top curtains cotton here, and also you can find the photos through our best windows curtains collection. tab top curtains cotton pictures in here are posted and uploaded by admin on February, 17 2018 for your Curtains Ideas images collection. The images that existed in windows curtains are containing better pictures and top quality pictures.
These various pictures of tab top curtains cotton list may become your inspiration and informational purpose. We hope you love and pleased with our perfect picture of tab top curtains cotton from our Window curtains collection that posted here and also you can use it for proper needs for personal use only. The Home Design Ideas team also provides the other pictures of Elegant Curtain Ideas in High Resolution, and Best Quality that can be saved by click on the gallery below the tab top curtains cotton image.
At the time figuring out a house design and style and also what household furniture is needed, possibly choosing window curtains is not a complicated thing. There are several motifs and colors of curtains that can be selected. This clearly makes it easier for you to match the window curtains with the design of the room. There are many types of window curtains that you need to know before installing them in a room.
Not every kinds of window curtains are suitable for all types of rooms. If you choose incorrectly, it will cut down the function and also aesthetics of the room.
Sherriematula.com can help you to obtain the most up to date information regarding the Window Curtains Redesign Ideas. We provide a top quality high photo with a reputable certificates and everything if you're speaking concerning the house style as it's formally named. This web is designed to improve your incomplete space into a conveniently usable area in simply a short period. So let's take nearer to think about exactly what the indoor windows curtains is all regarding and exactly what it might possibly provide for you. When making an addition to an existing residence, it will be extremely hard to design a well-resolved restoration if the latest type and style have not been considered.