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More flood disasters
Local reports claim thousands dead in the Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian
By Nick Barrickman, 11 September 2019
While the Bahamian government has sought to minimize the scope of the disaster, the Trump administration has blocked refugees from entering the United States.
By Dan Conway, 7 September 2019
Death toll mounts in Bahamas as Hurricane Dorian lingers off Carolina coast
By a reporter, 6 September 2019
The scenes of devastation on Grand Bahama and Abaco islands have astonished observers and drawn comparison to areas levelled by saturation bombing in wartime.
Puerto Rico weathers threat from Hurricane Dorian
By Julio Patron, 29 August 2019
Two years after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the island was once again on the brink of another social disaster due to Hurricane Dorian.
Millions displaced and hundreds killed by monsoonal floods in South Asia
By Rohantha De Silva, 31 July 2019
South Asian governments have responded with apathy and indifference toward the poverty-stricken people severely impacted by the floods.
Historic flooding devastates US Midwest
By Genevieve Leigh, 4 June 2019
The Plains and Midwest have seen the most extreme, record-breaking weather in the US so far this year, setting records for cold, snow, flooding, and tornadoes.
005 Arkansas flooding
Massive flooding in New Orleans as five pumps go offline
By Aaron Murch, 18 May 2019
The breakdown of the city's pumping system following an evening of heavy rains exposes the continued neglect of infrastructure in a city devastated due to the failure of levees in 2005.
US Gulf Coast still devastated six months after Hurricane Michael
By Matthew Taylor, 20 April 2019
Those left homeless in the aftermath of one of the strongest storms in US history have been forgotten by the media.
Record flooding continues to inundate US Midwest
By Jonas Boquist, 25 March 2019
Record flood levels have been registered at 42 locations across six states and the effects are still being felt across the central US.
Historic humanitarian disaster unfolds in southeast Africa in the wake of Cyclone Idai
By Niles Niemuth, 22 March 2019
The powerful storm has tragically exposed the dire social and economic conditions facing millions in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Madagascar.
Historic flooding across US Midwest leaves thousands homeless, four dead
By Jacob Crosse, 21 March 2019
At least four people have died, thousands remain in emergency shelters or trapped in their homes, and states of emergency have been declared in four states.
Australia: 2,000 homes submerged in Townsville as floodgates open
By Martin Scott, 5 February 2019
Thousands forced to seek emergency accommodation in overcrowded evacuation centres.
Death toll rises from Indonesian tsunami
By Richard Phillips, 27 December 2018
Heavy monsoonal rains have made some roads impassable, holding up the delivery of heavy machinery and desperately needed relief supplies to isolated areas.
Death toll from Hurricane Michael reaches 36 as residents struggle to recover
By Matthew Taylor, 20 October 2018
Thousands are homeless one week after the category four storm made landfall.
Dozens missing in Hurricane Michael as death toll rises
By Patrick Martin, 16 October 2018
President Trump's visit to the devastated area Monday was a cynical and empty display, under conditions where there will be little federal aid to rebuild the region.
Death toll from Hurricane Michael continues to climb
Hurricane Michael is now considered to be the third most powerful storm to impact the US.
Hurricane Michael brings death, devastation to US Southeast
By Kate Randall, 13 October 2018
Mexico Beach, Florida, known for its pristine beaches, fishing and boating, now resembles a war zone, with 95 percent of its structures uninhabitable.
Hurricane Michael leaves trail of death and destruction in southeastern US
By Daniel de Vries, 12 October 2018
The death toll, which currently stands at six, will almost certainly rise as emergency personnel gain access to more communities laid to waste by the storm.
Indonesia's earthquake catastrophe
By Tom Peters, 6 October 2018
The disaster has been made immeasurably worse by poverty, social inequality and the refusal of the Indonesian and international ruling elites to ensure the protection of the population.
Impact of Hurricane Florence continues to be felt throughout the Carolinas
By Matthew Taylor, 29 September 2018
Two weeks after Hurricane Florence made landfall, residents throughout the Carolinas continue to suffer from its effects.
As new flooding forces evacuations in South Carolina
Hurricane Florence unleashes coal ash, hog waste pollution
By Ed Hightower, 26 September 2018
The areas around Conway and Georgetown in coastal South Carolina continue to see massive flooding as rivers surge from last week's record rains.
Tropical Storm Florence inundates toxic manure ponds, coal ash dumps in the Carolinas
The storm's devastating impact demonstrates the immense costs of deregulation on the one hand and the need for socialist planning and public ownership of industry on the other.
Thirty-one dead as Hurricane Florence continues to ravage the Carolinas
Cities cut off from aid, police guarding storefronts against desperate displaced residents, widespread power outages—this scene is now routine during America's Hurricane season.
Typhoon Mangkhut kills dozens in the Philippines, leaves trail of destruction in China and Hong Kong
By Oscar Grenfell, 18 September 2018
As in previous natural disasters, the poor and workers in low-paid precarious industries have been the hardest hit.
Hurricane Florence makes landfall in North Carolina
By Patrick Martin, 14 September 2018
A storm surge of as much as 11 feet of water was accompanied by winds approaching 120 miles per hour.
Hurricane Florence exposes disastrous state of US infrastructure
By Tom Hall, 13 September 2018
Trump's self-congratulation for his response to last year's devastation of Puerto Rico, even as Carolina residents brace for one of the worst Atlantic storms in history, sums up the callousness and criminality of the American ruling class.
"Monster" Hurricane Florence approaches South Carolina
A major regional energy firm warned that up to 75 percent of its 4 million customers in North and South Carolina could lose power during the storm.
India: Kerala residents face ongoing impact of floods
By Arun Kumar, 11 September 2018
Over a million people remain in 2,780 relief camps, with little hope of returning to normal life in the near future.
One of America's deadliest disasters
Puerto Rico raises Hurricane Maria death toll from 64 to 2,975
By Bill Van Auken, 30 August 2018
The estimate of nearly 3,000 deaths attributable to the storm is a searing indictment of the criminal negligence of both the US ruling establishment and the island's own authorities.
Unprecedented monsoonal floods kill over 370 in southwest India
By Sathish Simon, 20 August 2018
While heavy monsoonal rain is normal at this time of the year, the disastrous levels of flooding in Kerala are unprecedented and not a "natural" event.
A year after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, victims still face long recovery
By Trévon Austin, 16 August 2018
Federal assistance has been slow and ecological issues in Houston make future flooding more likely.
Ellicott City, Maryland hit by major flood, one reported dead
By Matthew Taylor, 1 June 2018
The Baltimore suburb was still recovering from a similar flood two years ago when it was inundated by heavy rains on Sunday.
A social crime and cover-up exposed
Five thousand deaths in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria
By Genevieve Leigh, 31 May 2018
A Harvard study estimating nearly 5,000 deaths of Puerto Ricans in the aftermath of Hurricane María is a damning exposure of the official cover up of death and devastation on the island.
"The government has done nothing"
Months after hurricane, Puerto Rican workers face worsening jobs crisis
By Genevieve Leigh and Zac Corrigan, 28 December 2017
The economic devastation of Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria continues to escalate three months after the storm made landfall in late September.
Typhoon ravages southern Philippines
By John Roberts, 28 December 2017
A significant factor in the deaths and injuries was the failure of the authorities to evacuate people from the most vulnerable areas.
Puerto Rico governor orders review of official hurricane death toll
By Niles Niemuth, 19 December 2017
The review comes amid growing anger on the island and media reports that the true death toll from Hurricane Maria could exceed 1,000.
"The poverty is no longer hidden by the trees"
Hurricane Maria exposes the conditions of life for the working class in Caguas, Puerto Rico
Workers and youth from Caguas, Puerto Rico, spoke to WSWS reporters about life without power, electricity and running water, nearly 100 days after Hurricane Maria.
Puerto Rican unions propose to partner with the Wall Street's financial control board
By Rafael Azul, 8 December 2017
With social anger growing against the criminal indifference of the Trump administration and new demands for austerity measures, the trade unions are desperately trying to block the eruption of working-class struggle.
017 Puerto Rico
Undocumented workers in Houston face hazardous conditions and unpaid wages
By Trévon Austin, 1 December 2017
The wage theft and abysmal working conditions facing undocumented relief workers in Houston is part of the criminality and negligence of the American ruling class's response to natural disasters.
Over 100 killed after typhoon batters Vietnam
By Kayla Costa, 10 November 2017
Typhoon Damrey, the biggest storm to have hit Vietnam in two decades, led to widespread suffering and the destruction of infrastructure.
Five years after Superstorm Sandy, millions remain vulnerable to future catastrophes
By Philip Guelpa, 1 November 2017
Preparations to protect against the predicted increase in the frequency and scale of future storms are completely inadequate to address the threat.
CVS and Aetna reportedly in talks for $60 billion merger
By Tom Hall, 31 October 2017
The merger between the CVS pharmacy chain and the insurance giant is reportedly in response to Amazon's imminent entry into the prescription drug business.
060 Sanders in Puerto Rico
Montana company with ties to Trump cashes in from Puerto Rico disaster
By Rafael Azul, 25 October 2017
Whitefish Energy, a tiny Montana company with virtually no experience in infrastructure repair, has secured a $300 million contract to help rebuild Puerto Rico's electrical grid.
Puerto Rico power blackout the biggest in US history
Some 3 million people are without electricity and there are predictions that some remote parts of the mountainous island will not see power restored until next June.
Weeks after hurricanes in Texas and Florida: Government aid scarce, tens of thousands still displaced
Residents in both states attempting to piece their lives back together confront indifference and neglect from the federal government.
Estimated death toll in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria rises to 450
Amidst a systematic cover-up of the true scale of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, Trump declared yesterday that the response of the US government was a "10."
Floridians line up for food assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma
Hundreds of thousands of residents affected by Hurricane Irma have lined up at parks, convention centers and parking lots to receive vouchers for emergency food assistance.
Hurricane Ophelia's tail hits Ireland and UK
By Margot Miller, 17 October 2017
Three lives were reported lost and winds of up to 109 mph left 360,000 homes and businesses without power in the Republic of Ireland.
"Extreme emergency" declared for New Orleans' drainage system
By J. L'Heureau, 16 October 2017
A series of recent storms which brought heavy rains has pushed the city's antiquated flood control infrastructure to the breaking point.
President Trump threatens to pull the plug on Puerto Rico
In Twitter messages, the president blamed the US territory for its crisis and said that federal disaster relief had to be limited.
Trump, local officials lie about real extent of Puerto Rico disaster
Three weeks since the devastating storm hit, there is a concerted campaign by the Trump administration and local government authorities to conceal the full scope of the disaster.
WSWS reader describes ongoing human catastrophe in Puerto Rico
By Tom Hall, 9 October 2017
Nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island millions remain without power and the real death toll is still not known.
Puerto Rico continues to languish as tropical storm Nate threatens US Gulf Coast
By Rafael Azul, 7 October 2017
The current hurricane season in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico is proving to be one of the most destructive on record.
Wall Street demands Puerto Rico pay up
Budget Director Mulvaney: "Puerto Rico's going to have to figure out how to fix the errors that it has made for the last generation on its own finances."
Trump's photo-op in Puerto Rico
Trump, who is proposing the largest tax cut for corporations and the rich in history, complained that the recovery effort was costing too much.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey flooding
"Chemical coast" residents to be tested for toxic exposures in Houston, Texas
By Gary Joad, 4 October 2017
Houston area residents are being tested for petrochemical and Superfund toxic poisoning in the wake of recent severe Hurricane Harvey flooding.
Trump visits Puerto Rico as anger grows over government response
In contrast to the indifference of the Trump administration, people across the United States are volunteering to help residents of the hurricane-ravaged island.
Puerto Rico faces health catastrophe as Trump tweets "We have done a great job"
By Andrea Lobo, 2 October 2017
Almost two weeks after Hurricane Maria laid waste to much of Puerto Rico, many towns are still cut off from all relief efforts.
New York City workers collecting aid express anger at Trump's response to Puerto Rico disaster
By a WSWS reporting team, 2 October 2017
Working people at a South Bronx event to collect aid for people in the US territory spoke to the WSWS about their anger over the Trump administration's lack of response to the devastation of Hurricane Maria, which struck nearly two weeks ago.
Trump to Puerto Rico: Your lives don't matter
By Eric London, 30 September 2017
The Trump administration's callous and incompetent response to the social disaster in Puerto Rico expresses the worldview of a financial oligarchy that sees the lives of working people as expendable.
As popular anger builds, US sends military to Puerto Rico
By Rafael Azul, 29 September 2017
The purpose of the military occupation is to contain the masses and to protect the profit interests of banks and corporations.
Puerto Rican people still without aid a week after Hurricane Maria
Puerto Rico is already under a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew. Increasingly, the question raised is whether the island will be placed under martial law.
Trump to devastated Puerto Rico: Wall Street must be paid!
By Bill Van Auken, 27 September 2017
The brutal and ignorant tweet from the US president expresses the real attitude of America's ruling oligarchy toward a population of 3.5 million confronting a humanitarian catastrophe.
UK government moves to prop up super-rich tax haven operations in British Virgin Islands
By Jean Shaoul and Robert Stevens, 27 September 2017
The BVI is known as a tourist location, but the island's raison d'être for the ruling elite in Britain and globally is as a site for financial swindling on a vast scale.
Puerto Rico confronts the devastation wrought by hurricanes and Wall Street
Puerto Rico is reeling not only from the catastrophic effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria, but from the predatory ravages of Wall Street.
Puerto Rico devastated by Hurricane Maria
As in Texas and Florida, the human suffering caused by the hurricane was exacerbated by the absence of any serious evacuation plan and the lack of public resources.
Hurricane Maria devastates Puerto Rico
The suffering caused by the hurricane was made worse by the absence of any serious official evacuation plan and the lack of resources due to the financial plundering of the US territory
Catastrophic Hurricane María heads for Puerto Rico
The Category Five storm is the largest to hit the island territory in nearly 90 years.
"You can't depend on our government anymore to help"
Watch: Hurricane Harvey victims applying for federal aid encounter government indifference
By Tom Hall and Charles Abelard reporting from Houston, 18 September 2017
WSWS reporters spoke to people leaving a FEMA assistance center in Houston, where the government is making local residents shoulder the costs of the recovery.
Two million in Florida still without power nearly a week after Hurricane Irma
By Trévon Austin, 16 September 2017
In Highlands County in south Florida, an area with a 19.4 percent poverty rate, nearly three-quarters of residents were still without power Friday.
Jacksonville area staggered by flooding, power outages from Hurricane Irma
The storm knocked out power for 60 percent of the city, some 288,000 homes, according to the Jacksonville Electrical Authority, the utility company that provides power for the region.
A social crime: Eight elderly dead in Florida nursing home after days without air conditioning
By Niles Niemuth, 14 September 2017
Police evacuated 115 remaining residents from a nursing home north of Miami after they spent days in suffocating heat after the power was knocked out by Hurricane Irma.
Evacuees, volunteers describe inadequate services, police harassment at Houston convention center
By Tom Hall reporting from Houston, 14 September 2017
Houston's business community is eager to move evacuees out of the city's convention centers as quickly as possible in order to resume their lucrative tourist operations.
After Irma, Wall Street pushes for austerity and privatization in Puerto Rico
Hurricane Irma came in as a godsend to the hedge fund managers who want to privatize the island's public electric company.
From hurricanes to tax cuts: The ruling class gets down to business
By Joseph Kishore, 13 September 2017
Even as the destruction caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma is still being tallied, the US political establishment is moving rapidly to push through a massive handout for the corporate and financial elite.
Officials estimate one quarter of homes in Florida Keys destroyed by Hurricane Irma
Millions remained without power across Florida and Georgia on Tuesday as officials surveyed the damage in the Florida Keys in Irma's aftermath.
South Asian floods: Death toll climbs to 1,300
Despite countless warnings, India's government and state administrations were totally unprepared for the floods.
Thirteen million without power, seven dead after Hurricane Irma wreaks havoc in Florida
Some areas of the state are expected to be without power for weeks, as significant sections of the state's power infrastructure will have to be rebuilt.
Petrochemical giants dumped deadly carcinogens during Hurricane Harvey
By Gary Joad, 12 September 2017
As Hurricane Harvey bore down on Texas, scores of plants owned by ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and other corporations released deadly toxins into the atmosphere.
Millions face devastation from Hurricane Irma in southwest Florida, Tampa metro area
The destruction accompanying the huge storm is not merely a natural disaster, but a measure of the crisis of American society.
Caribbean islands devastated by storm surge, winds, rain
By our reporter, 11 September 2017
The worst impact of Hurricane Irma was in Lesser Antilles and the US and British Virgin Islands.
Why was American capitalism unable to prepare for Hurricane Irma?
As Hurricane Irma wreaks havoc on Florida, the failure to adequately prepare for the storm and protect those in its path has exposed the irrationality of American capitalism.
Hurricanes Irma and Harvey: Natural disaster and political breakdown
By Patrick Martin, 9 September 2017
In its response to Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma and other natural disasters, American capitalism has demonstrated its bankruptcy as a social system.
Why aren't trains evacuating people from the path of Hurricane Irma?
By Jeff Lusanne, 9 September 2017
Hundreds of thousands need to flee the path of Hurricane Irma. Instead of fleets of trains carrying them away, residents are left to fend for themselves in their own cars on congested roads.
Hurricane Irma heads towards Florida after tearing through the Caribbean
By Matthew Taylor, 8 September 2017
Florida residents are bracing for Hurricane Irma, which has already killed at least 14 people and left a trail of destruction in the Caribbean.
Miles of devastation along Braes Bayou in Houston
A Hurricane Harvey diary: Part 3
By Charles Abelard, 7 September 2017
A reader who has lived in Houston for four decades surveys some of the damage left behind by unprecedented flood waters along the Braes Bayou.
Long-term threats to public health follow in Hurricane Harvey's wake
By Gary Joad, 7 September 2017
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina points to the long-term threats to public health which will follow in Hurricane Harvey's wake in the greater Houston area and throughout southeast Texas.
020 Houston interviews
Civil engineers' reports on US flood preparedness: Lessons of Katrina and Sandy ignored
By Don Barrett, 6 September 2017
The two reports portray a system in complete chaos, with dozens of local and federal agencies struggling even to maintain levees and pumping stations.
Media and political establishment begin to move on as Houston residents return to devastated city
By Tom Hall, 5 September 2017
As the floodwaters begin to recede, the ruling class is moving to bury the social disaster that has only begun to unfold in Southeast Texas.
Hurricane Harvey to be costliest US natural disaster
With published estimates approaching $200 billion, Hurricane Harvey may have caused damage greater than Katrina and Sandy combined.
"The working class has organized to save the working class"
A reader who has lived in Houston for four decades describes the impact of the storm, the rescue efforts organized by workers and runaway real estate development that has left the city vulnerable to flooding.
Fetid floodwaters in the "chemical coast" carry toxins and disease
The incalculable human health consequences of Hurricane Harvey
The flooding in Houston, the acknowledged petrochemical capital of the world, has unleashed a toxic soup of chemicals, carcinogens and bacteria, posing a grave threat to human life.
A Hurricane Harvey diary
The author is a member of the Socialist Equality Party who lived in Houston proper for 38 years and still lives in the area.
Who will pay for the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey?
By Joseph Kishore, 2 September 2017
The consequences of what by some measures is the greatest natural disaster in American history will be far-reaching, not only for the millions of people directly affected, but for social and political stability in the United States .
Death toll expected to rise as chemical explosions add to devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey
By Niles Niemuth, 1 September 2017
Officials at every level of government continue to congratulate themselves on their response to the storm, while the endless media commentary avoids any discussion of those responsible for the disaster.
008 Harvey sidebar


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Posted inAroostook, Business, Homestead, Living, News
Drone technology, computers ushering in a brave new world for northern Maine potatoes
by Julia Bayly October 12, 2016
Wayne Kilcollins remembers picking potatoes by hand while growing up in Aroostook County.
Things are getting a little more high-tech these days. This past summer the Northern Maine Community College instructor of wind power technology found himself back in — and above — the northern Maine potato fields using cutting edge drone technology to record variations in potato crop yields and quality.
"It had been ages since I had done anything with farmers," Kilcollins said. "This is what is going on in the future of agriculture and it is so cool to be a part of it."
What's going on is the combining of aerial, unmanned drone technology and computer-based global information systems — or GIS — to give farmers real time information that can be used to treat current crops and plan for future plantings.
The system is the brainchild of Raptor Maps, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the future of farming, according to founder and CEO Nikhil Vadhavkar.
"I had seen drone technology being used in agriculture but the farmers were not getting a ton of value from it," the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate and engineer said. "They would get these maps with colors like 'red means bad' and 'green means good' on their fields, but no other information articulating what the data was saying."
The company got its start in 2015 when it won the MIT Entrepreneurship Competition and $100,000.
"With Raptor Maps, we wanted a 'grower first' mentality," Vadhavkar said. "We wanted to work directly with growers on what were the problems costing them money and how can we build a system around solving them."
The MIT crew, which includes Vadhavkar's fellow MIT alumna Eddie Obropta and Mike Klinker ultimately developed a system which is now tracking potatoes, onions, tomatoes, beets, carrots and citrus in Maine, Idaho, Washington and California.
"We started working in Maine because it is so accessible from where we are in Cambridge," Vadhavkar said. "And I work with several MIT students who grew up in Maine, so there was this great connection."
On the ground in Maine, Raptor Maps installs a computerized monitoring sensor system directly on the "boom" — the conveyor belt that transports freshly dug potatoes from the harvester to a truck — that tracks each tuber as it rushes by and records size, weight and quantity.
This information is then paired with data recorded by drones flying over the same fields.
Once correlated, a farmer has a detailed analysis of how the potato crop did over every inch of the fields and what may need to be done to improve certain areas.
To get their start in Maine, Raptor Maps used a $25,000 Maine Technology Institute grant to develop some pilot projects in Aroostook County.
"The potato industry is adapting to new technology," Jay LaJoie, business manager and fifth-generation farmer at LaJoie Growers LLC in Van Buren, said. "When I met with raptor maps, it was clear that their focus was to develop the tools that our industry needs."
Working with LaJoie Growers, Raptor Maps conducted drone flyovers of the potato fields this past growing season and placed the computer sensors on the farm's equipment.
"Now we have a ton of really good data from the drones," Vadhavkar said. "What we do now is combine it with the information from the ground and the farmer can use that when they start to think about next year."
Kilcollins, a certified pilot who flies for the Maine Civil Air Patrol, said he was thrilled to be a part of Raptor Map's summer project. Working with former NMCC wind power student Caleb Gordon and current student Alex Dubay, the team covered 45 northern Maine potato fields with weekly data collecting trips.
"We worked with growers from the moment the potatoes emerged in the fields through harvest," Kilcollins said. "We could count how many plants were coming up and followed that with weekly surveys to track how the crop was progressing and if there was any stress due to insects, fungus or from a virus [and] the farmer could use that information to establish spray or fertilizing cycles."
With his FAA certification — required for commercial drone flights — and love of radio controlled airplanes, Kilcollins was a perfect fit for Raptor Maps, Vadhavkar said. So were the students, who he called "incredibly bright."
"The two students were a really big part of this," Kilcollins said. "I was in charge of the drones but they programmed the GPS autopilots and did all of the map surveys for the field to set the drones' turn points [and] at the end of the flights they would download the data to a computer and then that night upload it to Raptor Map's server."
For his part, Kilcollins made sure the drones — a small 'helicopter' style craft and a larger, fixed-wing craft with a seven-foot wingspan — took off and landed safely.
"They fly under autopilot," he said. "We'd set it to do its thing but if something went wrong, I was there to fly it."
Since this was the first season for the project, Kilcollins said a lot of baseline information was recorded and combined with observations made by state potato inspectors walking the same fields.
"It was almost a perfect match with what [the inspectors] found and counted on the ground," he said. "But we can set up and cover in 15 minutes the same area it takes human counters an hour to cover."
This growing season LaJoie said Raptor Maps used the technology to examine his farm's plant stand counts, fertilization, pest management and crop yields.
"Since this was more of a research project all information has not yet been attained, but we did receive a formal report on our stand and planter accuracy in certain fields," he said. "Any data accumulated pertaining a crop can be useful, the technology will only get better from here and it will definitely be implemented on our farm in the future."
For years farmers like the LaJoies have relied on human experts who visit and walk the fields for the information they need to improve crops, but he sees the time coming when that may not be enough.
"We currently have a great deal of resources for hands-on work such as field testing and assessment done by [Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry] employees who have been working on potatoes their whole lives virtually scanning our seed crops for virus and disease as well as assessing product quality and grading," he said. "The true challenge is going forward, with these seasoned and well experienced employees getting ready for retirement it worries me as a grower who will take their place and what resources will we have at that point."
At a current base rate of $11 per acre, Vadhavkar believes the Raptor Maps technology is the best and affordable answer.
"What I love about farmers is they are incredibly business oriented and it comes down to the return on investment," he said. "We quantify that return on investment and can provide growers the information they need to make business decisions."
He also sees the drones having applications in Maine's forestry industry.
"There are huge amounts of land in Maine and people making big decisions on the wood there," Vadhavkar said. "Having the additional insight that can be gathered and automatically analyzed by our systems could be very valuable for foresters."
It marks what could be the start of a brave new world in Maine's agricultural industry.
"Technology is changing so fast," LaJoie said. "My grandfather Normand LaJoie was one of the first farmers to have a conventional harvester in our area in 1966 [and] before he passed away he often commented on how impressive it was the way that technology has changed our way of farming."
Julia Bayly
Julia Bayly is a reporter at the Bangor Daily News with a regular bi-weekly column. Julia has been a freelance travel writer/photographer since 2000.	More by Julia Bayly

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Public Notice: The National Insurance Board (NIB) invites suitably qualified accounting firms to submit a proposal to serve as independent auditors for the audit of the National Insurance Fund's consolidated financial statements, for a three-year period commencing with the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. Interested firms may access details on the Government of the Bahamas EProcurement and Supplier Registry Portal at https://suppliers.gov.bs/ Deadline is January 17th, 2022 The National Insurance Board Reserves the right to accept or reject any of all bids/interest that have been submitted for consideration.
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The National Insurance Board wishes to advise the public that pension payments for the month of January 2022 are as follows:
The National Insurance Board wishes to advise the public that the CARMICHAEL ROAD OFFICE is CLOSED TODAY WEDNESDAY JANUARY 5TH, 2022.
The completion of the George W. Weech Complex in Alice Town, Bimini marks the 14th lease agreement NIB has negotiated with the Government of The Bahamas for the provision of much needed office spaces for public service workers.
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Q: SSO with keycloak We are considering to use the keycloak as our SSO framework.

*

*According to the keycloak documentation for multi-tenancy support the application server should hold all the keycloak.json authentication files, the way to acquire those files is from the keycloak admin, is there a way to get them dynamically via API ? or at least to get the realm public key ? we would like to avoid to manually add this file for each realm to the application server (to avoid downtime, etc).

*Another multi-tenancy related question - according to the documentation the same clients should be created for each realm, so if I have 100 realms and 10 clients, I should define the same 10 clients 100 times ? is there an alternative ?

*One of our flows is backend micro-service that should be authenticated against an application (defined as  keycloak client), we would like to avoid keeping user/psw on the server for security reasons, is there a way that an admin can acquire a token and place it manually on the server file system for that micro service ? is there a option to generate this token in the keycloak UI ?
Thanks in advance.

A: *

*All Keycloak functionality is available via the admin REST API, so you can automate this. The realm's public key is available via http://localhost:8080/auth/realms/{realm}/

*A realm for each tenant will give a tenant-specific login page. Therefore this is the way to go - 10 clients registered 100 times. See more in the chapter Client Registration of the Keycloak documentation. If you don't need specific themes, you can opt to put everything in one realm, but you will lose a lot of flexibility on that path.

*If your backend micro service should appear like one (technical) user, you can issue an offline token that doesn't expire. This is the online documentation for offline tokens. Currently there is no admin functionality to retrieve an offline token for a user by an admin. You'll need to build this yourself. An admin can later revoke offline tokens using the given admin API.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Former world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders returns to the ring to take on the unheralded Shefat Isufi for the interim WBO Super Middleweight title.
The fight was initially scheduled for April 13th at Wembley Stadium but was moved to May 19, 2019 at The Lamex Stadium in Stevenage, England. It will mark the first time in his boxing career that Saunders is fighting in his hometown of Hertfordshire.
Billy Joe Saunders is the former WBO middleweight champion who won the belt win a majority decision win over Andy Lee in 2015. He defended the title three consecutive times before he gave up his belt after failing a drug test. The 29 year old is now moving up to super middleweight with hopes of landing big fights with Callum Smith and Chris Eubank Jr.
Saunders is 5-11 and has a reach of 71 inches while fighting out of the southpaw stance. Billy Joe has an undefeated record of 27-0 with 13 knockouts. He has gone 12 rounds in nine out of his last 12 bouts. However, Saunders is coming off a 4th round TKO win over Charles Adamu, only the second time that Adamu has been stopped.
Andrade was supposed to fight Demetrius Andrade but after failing a drug test, he relinquished his WBO middleweight belt and was suspended for six months. Andrade went on to fight and win the vacant belt while Saunders' suspension was lifted early and he was named as mandatory challenger to Andrade before choosing to fight Isufi instead.
Shefat Isufi is surprisingly ranked #1 by the WBO and that's why he is going to be opposite Billy Joe Saunders for the interim WBO super middleweight title. The belt became vavant after Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez decided to move up and challenge Sergey Kovalev for the light heavyweight title.
The 29 year old Isufi is also listed at 5-11 and fights out of the orthodox stance. His professional boxing record is listed at 27-3-2 with 20 knockouts. Isufi has previously fought at cruiserweight and light heavyweight but is currently campaigning in the super middleweight division where Billy Joe Saunders is stepping up to.
The Germany-based Serbian is the bigger man in this fight and has the edge in ring experience, having fought as a pro since 2010. However, he is a relative unknown who has almost exclusively fought in Germany and has never faced a recognizable or world ranked opponent. This unknown factor though, works both ways as while we may think he's a tomato can, he may bring an element of surprise in this fight.
Forgive the description but I think this is a mismatch. Isufi has a record of 27-3-2 with 20 knockouts. That's cure but when you take a look at his resume, his list of victims has no familiar names. He only has three losses but who did he lose to? Isufi has fought mostly in Germany and this is his first bout in England.
When you take a look at his record, he has won 10 fights in a row, seven of those by stoppage. His last two victories were intercontinental title bouts. One was to then 37-year old Rafael Sosa Pintos and his last bout was against 30-year old Mohamed El Achi who's fought mostly in France. So while Isufi has plenty of ring experience at 32 bouts, he hasn't fought opponents in the same quality as Billy Joe Saunders' foes.
Saunders has fought and defeated the likes of Andy Lee, Chris Eubank Jr., Willie Monroe Jr. and David Lemieux so there's a huge disparity in level of opposition and that's the reason why I called this a mismatch. Boxing is about levels and I don't think Isufi is on the same level as Saunders.
For the sake of comparison though, Isufi is a hard hitter and he's a busy fighter with three bouts each in 2016 and 2017. He fought twice last year and this is his first fight of 2019. Saunders meanwhile has fought five times only over the same period and may be rusty. If Isufi turns out to be a real heavy hitter and he is well-conditioned because he has been a very active fighter, then we may have a fight in our hands.
If not, I think Saunders is going to dominate this fight from start to finish. Love or hate him, Saunders is a highly skilled fighter who also has good punching power. He can choose to box for 12 rounds but if he sees an opening, he will go for the kill as well. Saunders will likely box Isufi at the beginning just to test his power. Once he knows he can take it, he's going to work the body and start slowing his opponent down. I think Saunders ends this fight in the middle rounds.
I don't think Isufi can outbox Saunders and I'm not sure if he can knock him out either. I'm picking Billy Joe Saunders to win this fight by stoppage in the middle rounds.


text:
% Class for abstract handling of temperature recording via a UE9 or a U3
% device.
%
% For example usage, see OLPrintTemperature.m
%
% 12/21/16  npc    Wrote it.

classdef LJTemperatureProbe < handle

    % Public properties
    properties
        verbosity = 0;
    end

    % Read-only properties
    properties (SetAccess = private)
        deviceID
    end

    % Private properties
    properties (Access = private)
        somePrivateProp
    end

    % Public methods
    methods
        % Constructor
        function obj = LJTemperatureProbe(varargin)
            % Parse optional arguments
            parser = inputParser;
            parser.addParameter('verbosity', 0, @isnumeric);
            %Execute the parser
            parser.parse(varargin{:});
            obj.verbosity = parser.Results.verbosity;
        end

        % Method to open a LabJackDevice
        function status = open(obj)
            % First see if there is a UE9 connected
            isUE9 = LJTemperatureProbeUE9('identify');
            if (isUE9 == 1)
                obj.deviceID = 'UE9';
                LJTemperatureProbeUE9('close');
                LJTemperatureProbeUE9('open');
            else
                % Nope, let's see if there is a U3 connected
                isU3 = LJTemperatureProbeU3('identify');
                if (isU3 == 1)
                    obj.deviceID = 'U3';
                else
                    error('Did not find a UE9 or a U3 LabJack device. Is one connected ?/n');
                end
                LJTemperatureProbeU3('close');
                LJTemperatureProbeU3('open');
            end
            status = 1;
        end

        % Method to close a LabJackDevice
        function status = close(obj)
            if strcmp(obj.deviceID, 'UE9')
                status = LJTemperatureProbeUE9('close');
            elseif strcmp(obj.deviceID, 'U3')
                status = LJTemperatureProbeU3('close');
            else
                error('Unknown deviceID: %s', obj.deviceID);
            end
            if (status == 1)
                fprintf('Closed LJdevice\n');
            end
        end

        % Method to measure the temperature (single point)
        function [status, temperature] = measure(obj)
            if strcmp(obj.deviceID, 'UE9')
                [status, temperature] = LJTemperatureProbeUE9('measure');
            elseif strcmp(obj.deviceID, 'U3')
                [status, temperature] = LJTemperatureProbeU3('measure');
            else
                error('Unknown deviceID: %s', obj.deviceID);
            end
            if (status ~= 0)
                fprintf('Could not read from LJdevice\n');
            end
        end
    end  % Public methods

    methods (Access = private)

    end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Identifying this information will allow us to approve future gift card transactions at your participating location. If you do not swipe the card through each of your point of sale terminals within your store, we will not be able to approve future gift card transactions.
ENROLL YOUR BUSINESS TODAY WITH A MERE SWIPE OF A CARD!
Note: If the POS terminal also has a PIN pad and accepts debit cards, you must also select CREDIT.
2.) Enter the dollar amount equal to the last four (4) digits of the 16 digit card number. For example, if the last 4 digits are "1234", then enter "12.34" as the dollar amount.
Repeat this process for every terminal in your store where credit and debit cards are accepted for payment.
3.) To complete the process, fill out the enclosed Merchant Participant Information Form and return the form to us in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Upon receipt we will validate your businesses participation in the program.
4.) Keep the card in a secure place. In the event you change acquiring processors or add or change/upgrade POS terminals, a new card swipe will be required so that we may update the terminal information.
2.) Note: Although unlikely, the preceding "add" can be "deleted" using the VOID function if the originating PURCHASE is still available to the clerk for processing. The system will treat a purchase void and a return transaction identically.
To complete your businesses enrollment in the Downtown Newark Gift Card program, please respond to the questions below and enclose copies of the required forms. As always the DNP is here to support you. If you have questions regarding your participation in the program, kindly contact our offices at 366-7030.
We will notify you by email of your successful enrollment in the program. Please allow up to 2 weeks from the time that you notify your Financial Institution / Merchant Acquiring Processor of your participation in the program until you accept the card for payment.
This card is issued by First California Bank. CheckFreePay is a registered ISO of First California Bank.
This card is distributed and serviced by either CheckFreePay Corporation a licensed money transmitter, or CheckFreePay Corporation of New York, which is licensed as a Money Transmitter for payment services by the New York State Department of Financial Services.


Concrete pump truck is one of the main equipments for transporting and pouring commercial concrete. With the continuous development of Engineering construction, there is more and more demand for construction machinery. At the same time, with the continuous improvement of concrete technology, concrete pump truck plays an increasingly important role in engineering construction. Because of the advanced technology of this kind of equipment, the maintenance and maintenance of pump truck are very complicated, so the use, maintenance and management personnel of this kind of equipment have higher requirements. In order to ensure that the concrete pump truck can achieve the required technical status, reduce maintenance costs, improve the reliability and life of use, it is necessary to carefully implement its use and maintenance regulations.
1.. Concrete pump truck requirements for concrete placement.
The selection of concrete pump truck should be considered comprehensively according to the concrete project object, characteristics, required maximum conveying capacity, maximum conveying distance, concrete construction plan, concrete pump form and specific conditions. Usually the main performance parameters of concrete pump truck should be in accordance with the construction requirements or slightly larger, if the capacity is too large, the utilization rate is low; too small, not only can not meet the construction requirements, but also accelerate the loss of concrete pump truck.
Because of the flexibility of concrete pump truck, and the higher the boom height, the higher the pouring height and material distribution radius, and the stronger the construction adaptability, the concrete pump truck with high boom should be selected as far as possible in construction.
As a special vehicle, concrete pump truck should require safety, mechanical performance, after-sales service and spare parts supply of manufacturers because of its special functions. Otherwise, if an accident happens, it will not only affect the progress of construction, but also produce unimaginable consequences.


SAN FRANCISCO – The web received a shiny new gift Wednesday morning – a truly open and royalty-free video codec for HTML5 web pages.
The new open media project is called WebM. As expected, the VP8 codec is at the center of WebM. Google acquired the video technology earlier this year, and developers have been itching with anticipation for Google to release VP8 as open source code. Wednesday morning, they got their wish.
"We are fully open-sourcing VP8 under a completely royalty-free license," Google VP of product management Sundar Pichai announced to the thousands of attendees at the company's I/O developer conference, taking place here this week.
Google has already added support for the format to Chrome, and on YouTube as part of the site's ongoing experiment in building an entirely HTML5-powered experience.
WebM is a set of codecs (coder-decoders) for browsers to use to play video and audio content embedded on HTML5 web pages without the use of plug-ins. The project was launched with the backing of Mozilla, Opera and Google. All three browser vendors have already begun building support for it, and Microsoft announced Wednesday that it will support the video technology in Internet Explorer 9, which is due later this year.
Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch was also on stage at Google I/O, and he announced that VP8 and WebM support would be rolled into Flash Player in the near future.
WebM arrives at the height of a great debate about the future of video online. Support is split between several technologies, including two separate technologies for native video playback, and the Flash Player, which some developers are moving away from in favor of open web standards like HTML5.
The primary components of WebM video are the VP8 codec, which is used for video, and the Vorbis codec, which is used for audio. The content is served inside of a Matroska container. Google acquired the video technology company On2 this year, and it has been working on developing VP8 for use in browsers and on hardware devices since the acquisition was approved.
The dominant video codec in use on the web is H.264, which some developers and browser vendors are loathe to use because of patent and licensing restrictions. H.264 patents are handled by the MPEG-LA licensing group, of which Apple and Microsoft are members.
Mozilla VP of engineering Mike Shaver came on stage to praise the new WebM technology, saying "We want to see this in all browsers, on all devices."
He also announced the latest nightlies of Firefox will have support for WebM video and audio playback.
Hakon Lie, CTO of Opera Software, creator of CSS and long-time proponent of open web video, also took the stage and underscored the importance that open, unpatented video technology would make on the web.
Opera's ongoing work on WebM, along with the latest browser builds with WebM support, can be found at labs.opera.com.


This is to inform you that the Libyan Trade Mark Office has resumed its operations after two years of closure due to the Libyan Civil War.
Now that the Trademark Office has resumed operations, the new Commercial Law no. 23 issued in 2010 has come into effect, therefore, according to the new law, the certified copy of trademark home registration is NO longer required.
4) If priority is to be claimed, a certified copy of the priority document issued from a country member to the Paris Convention.
PS: Documents mentioned in (1) and (2) above should be signed by the Consulate of Libya post Gaddafi Regime, therefore all documents signed before the revolution will NOT be accepted.
If priority is to be claimed, application could be filed without the above listed supporting documents, but with copy thereof, while originals could be submitted within 60 days as from filing date.
Please note that Libya follows the 8th Edition of the International Classification of Goods and Services, however, products such as "alcoholic beverages in class 32" and "Christmas trees and related products in class 28" are NOT permitted to be registered in Libya.
Please note that an application could cover only one class, therefore, a separate application should be prepared for each class.
The examination stage, as stated by the Registrar, should take 4 to 7 months, noting that this period depends on internal work at the Libyan TMO and is just an assumption.
For further information or inquiry, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@stplegal.com or uae@stplegal.com.


Put 1/2 cup of water to the Jaggery and heat it on the slow fire till it melts. Strain it.
Once the pressure cools down, mash the rice and dhal. While it is hot add Jaggery, salt and milk and mix it well. If the mixture is too loose, keep on a low fire and mix continuously until desired consistency is achieved.
Mix in one more tablespoon of ghee and serve warm.


PolyMet officials say the tailings basin has always been integral to the project's design, and is part of what makes it financially feasible.
Table 20.1 Typical background and ore levels of some Metal deposits are mined in a variety of different ways The rest of the rock is known as tailings.
"DR Grade Pellet Quality, Supply and Prices Impact of Samarco Tailings Dam Disaster Iron ore IODEX. USD/tonne.


text:
at Rose-Hulman
Ninth-inning rally boosts Transy, 8-7
LEESBURG, Fla. - Transylvania used a big five-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday to subdue Albion 8-7 in the Russ Matt Invitational.
Transy improveds to 5-4 on the season while Albion moves to 2-3.
The Pioneers trailed 7-3 entering the bottom of the frame before putting together three hits, two walks, and two hit batters to get the win. Albion also had an error in the frame. Nick Edwards, who reached on an RBI single, eventually scored the winning run with one out when Ben Pelham singled up the middle.
Zach Riney pitched the final three innings to get the win in his first decision of the year. He allowed two hits and two runs, one earned, with one strikeout and one walk. Ryan James got the start and covered the first five innings, with one strikeout and three walks. Royce Neeley pitched one perfect inning.
Albion took a 3-0 lead in the first before Transy rallied with two runs in the second and another in the third. Albion regained the advantage two runs in the fifth and made it 7-3 with two more in the seventh.
Transy wound up with 10 hits, four by designated hitter Pelham, who drove in two runs. Sam Liggett had two hits, including a double, with two RBI and a run scored. Edwards also had two hits with a run and a run batted in.
Transy completes its Florida schedule on Friday with a 10 a.m. contest with Rhodes.


Oxford Street $799,900 Ideal Owner Occupied Office building or purely an investment opportunity. this building features a classic brick exterior, 12 parking stalls, located on an arterial roadway. The main floor contains 9 offices, 2 washrooms, kitchen, lunch room and storage. 2nd floor apt. has a separate entrance, 3 bedrooms and full kitchen. this unit could be transformed into additional office space. Possible zoning conversion to medical. Extra large lot ideal for building expansion. Note: Buyer exclusion includes and financial services.


Chicago Area Archivists - Get Your CAA Gear Before MAC!
Get Your CAA Gear Before MAC!
Headed to the annual MAC conference in Lexington, KY this year? Show off your CAA pride with items from our CafePress store! Coordinate with other CAA-ers to combine on shipping costs. Show off our new logo in style!
If you'd like to order an item you don't see in the store, contact info@chicagoarchivists.org and we will try to get the item added.


Alabama has the fifth highest adult obesity rate in the nation, and the sixth highest obesity rate for youth ages 10 to 17. Alabama's adult obesity rate is currently 36.3%, up from 22.6% in 2000 and from 11.2% in 1990. This state profile includes data on adult and childhood obesity, obesity-related health issues, and policy actions Alabama is taking to prevent and reduce obesity. According to the most recent data, adult obesity rates now exceed 35% in seven states, 30% in 29 states and 25% in 48 states. View adult obesity rates for all states.


text:
Q: On gridster keep widget under mouse during drag I actually use gridster for drag some items.
My container is bigger than my window, so, i have a scrollbar on the right side, as usual. Now, if i want to drag an item from the top to the bottom, I need to click on it and scroll the mouse at the same time.
As you can see on this fiddle,  If you take the item and you start to scroll, the item stay at his first position, you need to move the mouse for bring it to it.
There is a way for keep the item under the mouse even if you scroll ?
Sample html code:

0

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3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Sample css code:
.container{
    height:1600px;
}

Sample jQuery code:
 var gridster;

  $(function(){
    gridster = $(".gridster ul").gridster({
      widget_base_dimensions: [100, 55],
      widget_margins: [5, 5],
    }).data('gridster');
  });

A: I guess defined as an algorithm, we want the draggable object, when we scroll, to stay where the mouse is. So we'd need an onScroll event somewhere.
Normally, we'd just update the position of the object with the position of the mouse, but onScroll doesn't seem to have mouse position information attached to it. Rephrasing it, we could say that we want the object to move/offset by n amount equal to the amount we scroll. That could work.
Of course some poking around gridster is needed to figure out how to offset the object. But I think something like this could work:
var gridster = $(".gridster ul").gridster({
  widget_base_dimensions: [100, 55],
  widget_margins: [5, 5],
  draggable: {
    start: function (e, ui, $widget) {
      var that = this , //to access gridster from inside onscroll
          oldScroll = $(document).scrollTop() //to calculate scroll change
          obj = $(this.helper ? this.$helper : this.$player) //draggable/helper

      $(document).on("scroll", function () {
        //calculate scroll change
        var curr = $(document).scrollTop()
        var diff = curr-oldScroll
        oldScroll = curr
        //add change to stored offset for gridster
        that.drag_api.el_init_offset.top += diff

        //show change temporarily because gridster doesn't update
        obj.css({
          'top': parseFloat(obj.css("top")) + diff
        });

      })
    },
    stop: function (e, ui, $widget) {
      $(document).off("scroll")
    }
  }
}).data('gridster');

Example
I guess this will be a good starting point. Current caveats, the grid itself doesn't update until another mousemove. Might need more poking about.

Update
The above code breaks on drag scroll as gridster has it's own scrolling implementation. Looking at the problem I couldn't find a way to differentiate between drag scroll and normal scroll (looked at onMouseWheel and DOMMouseScroll but didn't look like it was well supported. So I suppose a quick fix would be to disable offsetting on scroll if near the edge. So adding these:
//change stored offset for gridster if not on edge
if(!that.edge) that.drag_api.el_init_offset.top += diff

And we need to check on drag. So we add a drag handler to gridster. Something like:
  drag:function(e,ui,$widget){
     //check if edge
     var pixelFromEdge=100
     this.edge= e.clientY< pixelFromEdge ||
     $("html")[0].clientHeight-e.clientY < pixelFromEdge
  },

Demo
Honestly it feels there's probably a better and more elegant solution (short of actually modifying the plugin. which would probably be a lot easier)


"The exact year in which the flight of grantite steps at the southern end of Duddell Street in Central was constructed is not known, but a series of maps of Hong Kong from the period indicate that they came into existence between 1875 and 1889. According to the records of the Hong Kong and China Gas Co., the four gas lamps at the top and bottom of the steps have been the only surviving working gas street lamps in Hong Kong since 1967.
Incidentally Duddell Street is named after George Duddell who was a Government auctioneer.
"Duddell Street Steps & Gas Lamps". Antiquities and Monuments Office, Government of Hong Kong.
This article was first posted on 2nd November 2017.
William Sugg Company, London – manufacturer of the Duddell Street Gas lamps?


text:
The new version is available at http://www.worldfloraonline.org/tpl/tro-26604394. The new version is enhanced, using more data sources including Taxonomic Expert Networks and will be more frequently updated.
Asplenium preussii Hieron. ex Brause
Asplenium preussii Hieron. ex Brause is a synonym of Asplenium thunbergii Kunze
This name is a synonym of Asplenium thunbergii Kunze .
The record derives from Tropicos (data supplied on 2012-04-18 ) which reports it as a synonym (record 26604394).
This name was in version 1 of The Plant List, record tro-26604394, and has not been changed.


text:
National Juniors
Prospect Profile: Kirill Kabanov (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL)
By The Hockey Writers February 18th, 2010
KIRILL KABANOV
POSITION: Right Wing
BIRTHPLACE: Moscow, Russia
Nothing but controversy has surrounded the Moscow-born Russian since becoming drafted number one in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, who currently plays for the Montcom Wildcats.
Despite the controversy, there's one thing that remains certain: Kirill Kabanov, who has been compared to Ilya Kovalchuk will make any NHL he plays on better.
At 15, Kirill, with his father's help, negotiated a 5-year deal with HC Spartar Moscow of the Russian Superior League, which included an exit-clause to go to the NHL. After the fall of the RSL and rise of the KHL, Kabanov, the youngest player yet to play in the league, signed a similar contract to replace the former.
On July 21, 2009 the KHL unilaterally took his NHL exit-clause away, and his playing rights were sold to the Salavat Yulaev Ufa and required a new contract without his NHL opt out. Kabanov refused and was disqualified to play in the Russian league for three years.
While having contract issues in Russia he was drafted first overall to the QCMHL and petitioned the IIHF to allow him to play in Canada. The Wildcats season began in September and Kabanov waited for the IIHF to reach a decision while the two teams battled over his playing rights. After missing the first ten games of the Quebec-based league, the IIHF ruled in his favor and Kabanov became a Wildcat and joined his team in mid October.
Kabanov has international playing experience, competing in 2009 WJC-U18 team where he proved he was the real deal. He was the eighth overall scorer, with 11 points in 7 games, which helped his team bring home a silver medal to Russia.
He was unable to play in the 2010 Under-20 tournament due to a wrist injury that required surgery however is expected back to the Wildcats any day now. With his injury almost behind him Kabanov will be anxious to prove that he is fully recovered and ready to play with the elite in the NHL. Below is a breakdown of Kirill Kabanov's skill set:
SKATING ABILITY:
Kirill's explosive speed combined with his ability to turn on a dime can make even the best defender look foolish.
SHOOTING ABILITY:
The left winger has been described as a sharp shooter who finds the back of the nets on the regular. Kabanov is a gritty player that thrives in front of the net and is a rebound vacuum, which creates him to be a scoring threat at all times.
STICK/PUCK HANDELING:
Kabanov's fast hands make him a scoring threat anytime he has the puck. Whether it's splitting the defenders or tricking the goalie, the way Kabanov can juggle a puck makes it look like an art form.
TWO-WAY PLAY:
While Kabanov is clearly an offensive threat he doesn't seem to have much presence on the defensive side of the puck. This will have to improve at the NHL-level.
STUDENT OF THE GAME:
Kabanov has dedicated his life to hockey, practicing on and off the ice 24/7/365. He's a highly skilled player with a competitive intensity that is refreshing.
NHL READY:
At 6'3" and only 176 pounds Kabanov needs to put weight on, and in a hurry. Luckily many of these young players can get strong quickly constant availability of trainers. He's an exciting, electrifying players that will bring fans to the seat and victories in the win column. Kabanov has top 5 talent, however due to his Russian background a lot of teams may be hesitant in drafting the could-be superstar. Questions of leadership and his wrist injury may also drop him on Draft selection day. Kavinov is NHL ready, however will not be a top 5 Pick.
Draft selection day. Kavinov is NHL ready, however will not be a top 5 Pick.
Moncton Wildcats
The 8 Best Defensive Forwards in Hockey History
Devils Youth (and Rust) on Display in Season Opener
NHL Rumors: Canadiens, Blackhawks, Bruins, Oilers, Panthers, More
Islanders Pick Up Where They Left Off in 4-0 Debut
Winnipeg Jets' Home-Opener History
Remembering an Old Friend: Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium


text:
Intermediary Customers Purchasing from the Product Producer
Warnings and advice
1 2000 1991 Wrigley uses old ad campaigns and seldom resorts to gimmicks to promote its brands. Wrigley almost always maintains or increases ad spending in tough times.
2 2024 1987 Dreyer's sells its ice cream east of the Rocky Mountains as Edy's Grand Ice Cream, not to be confused with Kraft's Breyer's Ice Cream.
3 2389 2002 Levi's has sold through Wal-Mart once before, but did poorly. It bought Britannia in 1986 and sold these jeans through Wal-Mart. The company was dissatisfied with its results and sold the brand to VF in 1997.
4 3711 1986 Datsun changed name to Nissan, costing millions. Consumers still call its cars Datsuns.
5 5999 2003 An almost imperceptible tectonic shift has been reshaping the world of brands. Retailers- once the lowly peddlers of brands that were made and marketed by big, important manufacturers- are now behaving like full-fledged marketers.


text:
Character design of Final Fantasy
Ancient (company)
Republic? (album)
De re publica
Ancient history is the aggregate of past events from the beginning of recorded human history and extending as far as the Early Middle Ages or the Postclassical Era. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with Sumerian Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC.
The term classical antiquity is often used to refer to history in the Old World from the beginning of recorded Greek history in 776 BC (First Olympiad). This roughly coincides with the traditional date of the founding of Rome in 753 BC, the beginning of the history of ancient Rome, and the beginning of the Archaic period in Ancient Greece. Although the ending date of ancient history is disputed, some Western scholars use the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD (the most used), the closure of the Platonic Academy in 529 AD, the death of the emperor Justinian I in 565 AD, the coming of Islam or the rise of Charlemagne as the end of ancient and Classical European history.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia -	https://wn.com/Ancient_history
Although each installment of the Final Fantasy series is generally set in a different fictional world with separate storylines, there are several commonalities when it comes to character design, as certain design themes repeat themselves, as well as specific character names and classes. Within the main series, Yoshitaka Amano was the character designer for Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI, Tetsuya Nomura was the character designer for Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIII, Yoshitaka Amano created and did the concept art for the characters while Toshiyuki Itahana was the final character designer for Final Fantasy IX, and Akihiko Yoshida was the character designer for Final Fantasy XII.
Visual character design
The series has often featured male characters with slightly effeminate characteristics, as well as female characters with slightly tomboyish, but still feminine, characteristics. This trend has generally increased as the series evolved. These characters are usually teenagers, which some critics have interpreted as an effort on the part of the designers to ensure the players identify with them. At the same time, some female characters have been increasingly designed to wear very revealing outfits. Square Enix has stated that a more rugged looking hero had been considered for Final Fantasy XII but had ultimately been scrapped in favor of Vaan, another effeminate protagonist. The developers cited scenaristic reasons and target demographic considerations to explain their choice. For Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix settled on a female main character, described as a "female version of Cloud from FFVII." This aspect of Final Fantasy can also be seen in Sora, the protagonist of Kingdom Hearts, a crossover series featuring Final Fantasy and Disney characters.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia -	https://wn.com/Character_design_of_Final_Fantasy
Ancient Corp. (株式会社エインシャント, Kabushiki-Gaisha Einshanto) is a video game developer founded on April 1, 1990, and managed by the game music composer Yuzo Koshiro. The company was founded by his mother, Tomo Koshiro, while his sister Ayano Koshiro also works at the company as a character and graphic designer. In addition to developing, planning, and producing games, Ancient (by the way of Yuzo Koshiro) contributes music to other games not directly worked by the company.
Games worked on
Sonic the Hedgehog - Game Gear, Master System, 1991
Streets of Rage 2 - Mega Drive, 1993
ActRaiser 2 - Super Nintendo, 1993
Robotrek - Super Nintendo, 1994
Beyond Oasis - Mega Drive, 1994
The Legend of Oasis - Sega Saturn, 1996
Vatlva - Sega Saturn, 1996
Columns Arcade Collection - Sega Saturn, 1997
Tamagotchi Pack - Sega Saturn, 1998
Fox Junction - PlayStation, 1998
Animetic Story Game 1: Card Captor Sakura - PlayStation, 1999
Shenmue - Dreamcast, 1999
Car Battler Joe - Game Boy Advance, 2001
Amazing Island - GameCube, 2003
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia -	https://wn.com/Ancient_(company)
A republic (from Latin: res publica) is a sovereign state or country which is organised with a form of government in which power resides in elected individuals representing the citizen body and government leaders exercise power according to the rule of law. In modern times, the definition of a republic is commonly limited to a government which excludes a monarch. Currently, 147 of the world's 206 sovereign states use the word "republic" as part of their official names; not all of these are republics in the sense of having elected governments, nor do all nations with elected governments use the word "republic" in their names.
Both modern and ancient republics vary widely in their ideology and composition. In the classical and medieval period of Europe, many states were fashioned on the Roman Republic, which referred to the governance of the city of Rome, between it having kings and emperors. The Italian medieval and Renaissance political tradition, today referred to as "civic humanism", is sometimes considered to derive directly from Roman republicans such as Sallust and Tacitus. However, Greek-influenced Roman authors, such as Polybius and Cicero, sometimes also used the term as a translation for the Greek politeia which could mean regime generally, but could also be applied to certain specific types of regime which did not exactly correspond to that of the Roman Republic. Republics were not equated with classical democracies such as Athens, but had a democratic aspect.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia -	https://wn.com/Republic
Republic? is the fifth studio album from Canadian stoner rock band Sheavy. It was produced by Billy Anderson.
Jim Martin observed in Terrorizer that "Republic? finds sHeavy rejuvenated, fighting fit and sounding vital and righteous beyond belief. Central to this unexpected rejuvenation is that this is no mere Sabbath tribute record. Although still firmly rooted in elephantine riffs, chugging doom-grooves and 70s shapes, Republic? marks a considerable broadening of this band's horizons, revelling in punkier drives and psychedelic expanses". While Alex Henderson also noted sHeavy's affinity for Sabbath, he said that Republic? differentiated itself from mere tribute due to "a sludginess that you won't find on Sabbath's classic '70s recordings - a sludginess that owes something to the Melvins as well as grunge".Blabbermouth's Scott Alisoglu praised the album for its "biting guitar tone, monster riffage, and a batch of cool solos make it worth cranking at top volume in the car stereo with a cooler of brew in the backseat", and suggested that "Unless you're looking for a reinvention of the wheel, there isn't much to bitch about on Republic?".
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia -	https://wn.com/Republic__(album)
De re publica (On the Commonwealth; see below) is a dialogue on Roman politics by Cicero, written in six books between 54 and 51 BC. It is written in the format of a Socratic dialogue in which Scipio Africanus Minor (who had died a few decades before Cicero was born, several centuries after Socrates' death) takes the role of a wise old man — a typical feature of the genre. Cicero's treatise was politically controversial: by choosing the format of a philosophical dialogue he avoided naming his political adversaries directly. By employing various speakers to raise differing opinions, Cicero not only remained true to his favored skeptical method of setting opposing arguments against one another (see, e.g., Carneades), but also made it more difficult for his adversaries to take him to task on what he had written.
Setting and dramatis personæ
The dialogue is portrayed as taking place in Scipio's estate, during three consecutive days. Each day is described in two books, with an introduction by Cicero preceding the dialogue of each book. A large part of the last book (the sixth) is taken by Scipio telling a dream he had: this passage is known as Somnium Scipionis, or "Scipio's dream".
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Vol 3 Ep 41 - Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire
source: History of the World podcast
Vol 3 Ep 26 - Ancient Rome: The Early Roman Republic
Vol 3 Ep 31 - Ancient Rome: The Late Roman Republic ( The First Triumvirate )
Ep. 66 Krugman's a Little Late to Be Worrying About the Republic: His Analogies with the Ancient World Are Lame
source: Contra Krugman
Ancient Plants and Ancient Water
source: Growing Native with Petey Mesquitey
The British Republic
source: Dan Snow's History Hit
The Republic by Plato
source: LibreCast Audiobooks
Rhodesian republic
source: Witness History: Archive 2011
A Republic of Bananas
source: Why Are We Friends?
Republic of Shame
source: Late Lunch Best Bits & Features
A Republic of Reason
source: John Hayward / Doctor Zero Podcasts
The Republic 103
source: Phenomenosophy
Republic Takeover
source: Down in the Valley
source: Beast
source: ComunicA-DTSE IES Playamar
source: Little Explorers - Countries In The World
Ancient Rome and the Ancient Chinese
source: Everything Everywhere Daily History Podcast
Ancient Deconstruction | Ancient Deconstruction
source: Brew City Church


Altum are supporting a high growth e-commerce company to recruit a Director of Financial Accounting.
This newly created role - reporting into the CFO - will have responsibility for accounting across the finance function. The Director of Financial Accounting will work closely with the FP&A function to ensure full and robust accountability at an entity and business unit level and with the Group Reporting and Consolidation team to ensure accurate and timely consolidated financial information.
If you're interested in this opportunity, then please don't hesitate to get in touch.


A 3D-printed gun has been called a "catastrophic failure" following tests conducted by the University of Warwick.
Dr Simon Leigh from the School of Engineering manufactured and tested the gun, named the Liberator by its US developers, in collaboration with West Midlands Police's National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) department.
Speaking to the Independent Dr Leigh commented that during the tests the gun "ranged from small failure to complete catastrophic failure".
During the tests, which were broadcast on the BBC News Channel, the Liberator was shown to be of more danger to the shooter than its target and suffered a range of problems, including the barrel breaking apart upon firing with fragments becoming embedded in the roof of the firing range.
The fired weapon will now undergo a further of series of tests at the University to ascertain the cause of the failures.
Head of NABIS, Detective Chief Superintendent Iain O'Brien, said that there was a "curiosity factor with 3D printers and those interested in playing around with the technology may not realise the danger they are facing".
"We need to make people aware that producing a firearm in this way is illegal and could cause serious injury to the person holding the gun".


The Cape daisy (Venidium fastuosum) shown here with pollen-covered stamens was captured on camera by Emily MacDuffie '13, a psychology major from Cape Elizabeth, Maine. MacDuffie's image won first prize this spring in the Robert Savage Biological Image of the Year contest. The award honors Isaac H. Clothier Jr. Professor Emeritus of Biology Robert "Bob" Savage. Twenty-five student photographers—majoring in linguistics, psychology, economics, art, religion, chemistry, political science, and biology—participated. Learn more about the award, and view all images at www.swarthmore.edu/savageaward11.xml.


Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Feb 23;2:CD003328. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003328.pub3.
Interventions for paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose.
Chiew AL1, Gluud C, Brok J, Buckley NA.
Emergency Department and Clinical Toxicology Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital, Barker Street, Randwick, NSW, Australia, 2031.
Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is the most widely used non-prescription analgesic in the world. Paracetamol is commonly taken in overdose either deliberately or unintentionally. In high-income countries, paracetamol toxicity is a common cause of acute liver injury. There are various interventions to treat paracetamol poisoning, depending on the clinical status of the person. These interventions include inhibiting the absorption of paracetamol from the gastrointestinal tract (decontamination), removal of paracetamol from the vascular system, and antidotes to prevent the formation of, or to detoxify, metabolites.
To assess the benefits and harms of interventions for paracetamol overdosage irrespective of the cause of the overdose.
We searched The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register (January 2017), CENTRAL (2016, Issue 11), MEDLINE (1946 to January 2017), Embase (1974 to January 2017), and Science Citation Index Expanded (1900 to January 2017). We also searched the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov database (US National Institute of Health) for any ongoing or completed trials (January 2017). We examined the reference lists of relevant papers identified by the search and other published reviews.
Randomised clinical trials assessing benefits and harms of interventions in people who have ingested a paracetamol overdose. The interventions could have been gastric lavage, ipecacuanha, or activated charcoal, or various extracorporeal treatments, or antidotes. The interventions could have been compared with placebo, no intervention, or to each other in differing regimens.
Two review authors independently extracted data from the included trials. We used fixed-effect and random-effects Peto odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for analysis of the review outcomes. We used the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool to assess the risks of bias (i.e. systematic errors leading to overestimation of benefits and underestimation of harms). We used Trial Sequential Analysis to control risks of random errors (i.e. play of chance) and GRADE to assess the quality of the evidence and constructed 'Summary of findings' tables using GRADE software.
We identified 11 randomised clinical trials (of which one acetylcysteine trial was abandoned due to low numbers recruited), assessing several different interventions in 700 participants. The variety of interventions studied included decontamination, extracorporeal measures, and antidotes to detoxify paracetamol's toxic metabolite; which included methionine, cysteamine, dimercaprol, or acetylcysteine. There were no randomised clinical trials of agents that inhibit cytochrome P-450 to decrease the activation of the toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine.Of the 11 trials, only two had two common outcomes, and hence, we could only meta-analyse two comparisons. Each of the remaining comparisons included outcome data from one trial only and hence their results are presented as described in the trials. All trial analyses lack power to access efficacy. Furthermore, all the trials were at high risk of bias. Accordingly, the quality of evidence was low or very low for all comparisons. Interventions that prevent absorption, such as gastric lavage, ipecacuanha, or activated charcoal were compared with placebo or no intervention and with each other in one four-armed randomised clinical trial involving 60 participants with an uncertain randomisation procedure and hence very low quality. The trial presented results on lowering plasma paracetamol levels. Activated charcoal seemed to reduce the absorption of paracetamol, but the clinical benefits were unclear. Activated charcoal seemed to have the best risk:benefit ratio among gastric lavage, ipecacuanha, or supportive treatment if given within four hours of ingestion. There seemed to be no difference between gastric lavage and ipecacuanha, but gastric lavage and ipecacuanha seemed more effective than no treatment (very low quality of evidence). Extracorporeal interventions included charcoal haemoperfusion compared with conventional treatment (supportive care including gastric lavage, intravenous fluids, and fresh frozen plasma) in one trial with 16 participants. The mean cumulative amount of paracetamol removed was 1.4 g. One participant from the haemoperfusion group who had ingested 135 g of paracetamol, died. There were no deaths in the conventional treatment group. Accordingly, we found no benefit of charcoal haemoperfusion (very low quality of evidence). Acetylcysteine appeared superior to placebo and had fewer adverse effects when compared with dimercaprol or cysteamine. Acetylcysteine superiority to methionine was unproven. One small trial (low quality evidence) found that acetylcysteine may reduce mortality in people with fulminant hepatic failure (Peto OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.94). The most recent randomised clinical trials studied different acetylcysteine regimens, with the primary outcome being adverse events. It was unclear which acetylcysteine treatment protocol offered the best efficacy, as most trials were underpowered to look at this outcome. One trial showed that a modified 12-hour acetylcysteine regimen with a two-hour acetylcysteine 100 mg/kg bodyweight loading dose was associated with significantly fewer adverse reactions compared with the traditional three-bag 20.25-hour regimen (low quality of evidence). All Trial Sequential Analyses showed lack of sufficient power. Children were not included in the majority of trials. Hence, the evidence pertains only to adults.
These results highlight the paucity of randomised clinical trials comparing different interventions for paracetamol overdose and their routes of administration and the low or very low level quality of the evidence that is available. Evidence from a single trial found activated charcoal seemed the best choice to reduce absorption of paracetamol. Acetylcysteine should be given to people at risk of toxicity including people presenting with liver failure. Further randomised clinical trials with low risk of bias and adequate number of participants are required to determine which regimen results in the fewest adverse effects with the best efficacy. Current management of paracetamol poisoning worldwide involves the administration of intravenous or oral acetylcysteine which is based mainly on observational studies. Results from these observational studies indicate that treatment with acetylcysteine seems to result in a decrease in morbidity and mortality, However, further evidence from randomised clinical trials comparing different treatments are needed.


Well, here we are…another year gone and new one begins. Happy New Year again friends.
The Ottawa Senators will make the playoffs.
Nope. I didn't come close to getting this prediction right, unfortunately. The Senators seem to be playing well this year, so I remain optimistic a playoff run in April 2017 is in their future. I have plans to attend a few games this winter with my dad.
The Chicago Blackhawks will win The Stanley Cup.
Wrong again. Congrats to the Penguins and their win last year.
Telus will increase their dividend by 5%.
In May 2016, the TELUS Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.46 Canadian per share. Then in November 2016, they announced another dividend increase to $0.48 per year. So, two raises last year for doing nothing but being a shareholder. I got this prediction right and then some. I predict two more small dividend increases in 2017 as well.
Enbridge will increase their dividend by 5%.
Enbridge has paid dividends for over 63 years. Their annualized dividend is currently $2.12 per share, and has been increased in each of the last 21 years. However, no dividend increase! I will need to eat these words: Over the past 11 years the dividend has delivered an average compound annual growth of 14%. No dividend increase yet but it's going to happen friends. Fear not but a dividend increase of 10-15% is in the works for early 2017. Update: As I was writing this post this week, Enbridge did in fact increase their dividend by 10%.
The Dow will finish the year at 16,500.
It finished at 19,762. Wow, I didn't see that coming.
Coca-Cola will increase their dividend by 3%.
Bingo. Back in February 2016, Coca-Cola raised their dividend to $0.35 per share. This was the 54th consecutive year they raised their dividend. I'll get another raise in a few weeks too.
Bonds will have a positive return in 2016, returning 3%, to be measured by iShares ETF XBB.
ETF XBB returned 1.36% in 2016. It remains a poor time to be in bonds for returns but if you need them for diversification and portfolio stability then that's good.
The TSX will finish the year at 13,000.
It finished at 15,287. Apparently I was rather pessimistic on equity markets. Might have been Trump.
Oil will finish at $45.
Our dollar will be $0.74, against the U.S. dollar, by the end of 2016.
The dollar finished 2016 at, you guessed it, $0.74. Bang on.
I'll play more golf this summer (when compared to last summer).
Done! My game didn't improve but I had fun and that's what it's all about.
Royal Bank will increase their dividend by 5%.
Goal! Although Royal Bank missed street expectations in 2016 they still managed to raise their dividend, twice this year, now providing shareholders with $0.83 per share thanks very much.
Some dividend stocks can be rather predictable. Other market guesses are like darts on a dartboard.
Hope you had fun following along in 2016. We'll see what I can think of for 2017.
10 Responses to "…And here is what I actually got right…2016 Predictions – Final Update"
i can't wait for your 2017 predictions mark so i know what to avoid – lol! jan. 20th could put a wrench into everyone's predictions.
This year could be very messy!!!
Stick to the dividend predictions! They're a lot easier to forecast with good companies.
I think my 2016 predictions were as bad or worse than yours. I didn't make any for 2017- a true wildcard if there ever is one.
Me too, love getting a raise!
I very much enjoyed reading this article. As forecasts tend to say more about the forecaster than the forecast says itself, I take it you are into sports and dividend investing. More into investing I guess or it just comes easier to you.
Well done on calling those dividend increases. Good job. I look forward to your forecasts for 2017.
That I am. I enjoy both. I don't find investing that difficult but you do need to get the basics right: save, invest, think-long term, keep your investing costs as low as possible, etc.
Those are some very bold predictions for 2016. Got any fund prediction for 2017?
I will have some next week!


text:
Arcyophora bifasciata är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av George Francis Hampson 1891. Arcyophora bifasciata ingår i släktet Arcyophora och familjen trågspinnare. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Trågspinnare
bifasciata

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
ANI | Asia June 08, 2019 Last Updated at 09:28 IST
The United States has urged for the involvement of Afghan women in the ongoing peace process and make sure that their voices are heard during the negotiations with the Taliban.
In a letter, members of the US Congress have told US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo that the Afghan women were excluded from the peace talks during the February and May peace negotiations between the US negotiators and the Taliban members in Doha, Tolo News reported.
"Yet during the February and May talks in Doha between American diplomates and the Taliban, Afghan women were not represented. Afghan women voices need to be heard - not just on women's rights, but on the future of their country. We urge the State Department to protect Afghan women's negotiation position and hard-won gains in all discussions with the Taliban," the letter read.
A copy of the letter, which has also been sent to the US Special Representative on Afghan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad, has further asked the State Department to make sure that the achievements of the Afghan women in the past 18 years should be protected.
US lawmakers quoting the US Institute of Peace have said more than 68,000 Afghan women are employed in schools and universities, at least 10,000 Afghan women are doctors and healthcare professionals, and Afghan women entrepreneurs have created roughly 77,000 jobs for Afghans which are big gains that must be preserved.
Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, a women's rights activist and a former advisor to President Ashraf Ghani, said, "If you are not sitting around the table, you cannot remain in the government. Those who gather around the table, they make peace with each other; peace on their thoughts and peace on their different point of views. If you are not on the table, it means having a different point of view or having a shared point is not important."
"Afghan women have also called for their voices to be heard and today that the US Congress members have sent the letter. It is a positive step and it means that they completely support women's participation," said Shinkai Karokhail, a member of the Afghan Parliament was quoted as saying.
In response to the calls, Khalilzad has said that women's rights and achievements in war-ravaged Afghanistan will be protected.


text:
Towers Watson releases life expectancy app
Tammy Burns | May 24, 2012
Here's a new use for your smart phone, even if it is a tad uncomfortable to think about. Towers Watson's U.K. office has released an app that allows users to estimate their own life expectancy. (Unfortunately, for those wishing to guess at their mortality on this side of the pond, the app is available only in the U.K.)
The free app, called TW LifeTime, uses the company's research into mortality rates to show the user the average life expectancy of a pension plan member with the same age, gender and U.K. postal code profile as their own.
"Giving employees an idea of how long people like them are expected to live can help them think about retirement planning, when they might realistically aim to stop work and how much they need to save for retirement," explained Vassos Vassou, a consultant with Towers Watson.
"For employees still in defined benefit schemes, this easy-to-use information about life expectancy can help illustrate for how long the pension might be paid out. This is an important message for employees in those schemes about their true value, so there is greater understanding when changes to it may need to be made."
Life expectancy can vary significantly not only between different parts of the country but also between nearby streets, says Towers Watson. As such, the app has built in GPS functionality, which enables users to see how life expectancies vary across the areas they pass through, as well as between postal codes.
The app also includes information on factors that influence life expectancy—such as diet, income and smoking—to help users assess their effects on lifespan. The results from TW LifeTime can be posted on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
While some may be disturbed by the thought of estimating their own mortality and then sharing it with friends on social networks, Vassou says it's not as eerie as it may seem.
"This app is both fun and educational—indeed, many people will be surprised by how long their life expectancy actually is, and some may live even longer," he said. "It is also a step forward in the way our clients and the broader pension industry communicate with pension scheme members and the general public."
For more on new media tools in the pension industry, watch for Benefits Canada's new media issue, available June 2012.


Lost in the hoopla over the government shutdown, defunding Obamacare, and raising the debt ceiling are some proposals contained in President Obama's budget that will have a significant impact on retirees, inheritors, and savers. Most of the President's proposals are aimed at enforcing higher taxes on savers who maximize their retirement plans. This is a way to raise revenue for government entitlement programs, like subsidies for health insurance, Medicare, and Social Security.
Back from last year is his proposal to cap contributions to IRA's and 401(k)'s when the balance reaches a level determined by a set formula which is tied to interest rates. The proposal sets the cap at $3.4 million initially. As interest rates rise, the cap will lower. When a saver's IRA balance hits the cap, he or she will not be allowed to make further contributions to any retirement plan.
This will mostly affect savers who terminate employment and roll large accumulations from profit-sharing plans and lump-sum distributions from defined benefit plans into their IRA's. It will shut down their ability to save into the future.
The President has yet another plan to end tax-deductible contributions for upper income earners. Only 28% of a contribution would be deductible for any taxpayer whose bracket exceeds 28%. For a taxpayer in the highest bracket, this means a tax increase of about 50%.
Another of the President's proposals would end the ability of anyone other than a spouse to inherit a tax-deferred IRA. Under the proposal, all non-spouses inheriting an IRA would have five years to terminate the IRA and pay income taxes on the distributions. This proposal really impacts Roth IRA conversions, as most parents convert traditional IRA's to Roths with the intention of leaving their children a non-taxable sum of money that can continue to grow tax free during their lifetime. If the President's proposal passes, many older savers will discover that the intentions behind their Roth conversions have been nullified.
While President Obama wants to cap what successful savers can stash away in retirement plans, he also wants to force employees to save for retirement. Employers will be required to open IRA's for every employee and to fund the plan at a minimum of 3% of the employee's pay, unless the employee specifically opts out. The employee can contribute more than 3%, up to the $5,000 cap for those under 50 and $6,000 for those over 50. Of course, savvy savers and readers know most of us need to be saving 20% to 50% of our salaries, depending on our ages, so saving just 3% of pay won't amount to much in the way of retirement income.
On the positive side, the President is wanting to end required minimum distributions on IRA balances under $75,000. This will reduce some paperwork for savers with smaller IRA's who are not making withdrawals. Typically, most retirees with small IRA's are those with less savings anyway, who need to take withdrawals from their IRA's to make ends meet. So it's doubtful this rule change will have much impact.
Finally, the President proposes letting inherited non-spousal IRA's enjoy the same benefit of a 60-day rollover window on any distribution, similar to what they can do with a non-inherited IRA. This will simply eliminate a lot of confusion, as most people don't understand the 60-day rollover provision does not include inherited IRA's.
Of course, whether any or all of these proposals make it into law is anyone's guess. Anyone whose retirement and estate planning includes saving in IRA's will want to keep an eye on these provisions as the budget moves through Congress.


Get the most out of your eye pencils with our dual sharpener! Jumbo or regular size, don't worry, now one sharpener covers all your pencil needs.
"no-mess" clear cover catches shavings and houses a convenient cleaning stick.
Caution: Keep away from small children.


Our advanced, at home, teeth whitening system puts you in control and can brighten your teeth with just 30 minutes a day!
Our advanced, at home, teeth whitening system puts you in control to brighten your teeth! You are able to manage your whitening and the results by choosing between day or night treatments to suit your schedule and you can stop whitening as soon as you are happy with the shade (so it won't be too bright or too dark – just the way you like it). This is a great option for individuals with sensitive teeth because you can whiten at a slower rate to reduce any sensitivity.
We create customised bleach "retainers" that are worn over the teeth that hold the whitening agent to the teeth. Most individuals whiten for 1-3 weeks until they are satisfied with the shade. We also give plenty of the whitening agent so you can do a top up later on.
Must be 18 years of age or older to whiten teeth at Newpark Clinic.