What services are included in my contract?
What documents do I need to provide to my attorney?
Will your attorneys represent me in my immigration interview?
Do I need to hire an interpreter for my immigration interview?
Will your attorneys serve as interpreters in immigration interviews?
Who do I hire to be my interpreter to assist me in my immigration interview?
Will your attorneys represent me in Immigration Court?
Do I need to hire an interpreter to my appointment before the Immigration Court?
What do I say at my Immigration Court Hearing?
What can I expect to happen in Immigration Court?
What documents do I need to bring to Immigration interview or Court hearing date?
What attire should I wear for my immigration interview or Court?
At what time should I arrive for my immigration interview or Court?
What do I say at my immigration interview?
What can I expect to happen in an immigration interview?
How long will it take so I can obtain my first work permit?
How long will my work permit (EAD) be current?
What is a biometric (BIOS) appointment with an Application Support Center ("ASC")?
Why do I need a biometric (BIOS) immigration appointment?
How do I obtain a biometric (BIOS) immigration appointment?
The office of Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC is open Monday through Thursday from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. and Friday from 8 A.M to 5 P.M. Visitors can schedule their consultation at 10:30 A.M., 3:30 P.M. or 5:00 P.M. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The office of Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC observes the following holidays: New Years Eve, Good Friday, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanks Giving Day and Christmas Day. During these days, the office will be closed. For more information please visit our Office Information webpage.
All services included are specifically detailed in the retainer contract. Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC provides a copy of the retainer contract to every client. In every case, we allow all the time necessary for each client to read the complete contract agreement before signing it. We encourage our clients to ask all questions about our contract before signing it. Appeals to denials of Applications for benefits are not included unless specifically agreed in the purpose of the retainer.
An attorney from Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC may provide you with a list of documents that you should bring on the day that you sign your contract. However, in case no request of documents is made in advance, an attorney will provide you a list of the documents needed at the start of your immigration process. Every case is different, so documents will be requested according to the special circumstances of your case. However, for every case, clients will need to bring the following basic documents: Foreign or local identification document or driver's license, birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate (if married), divorce certificate (if divorced), children's birth certificate for all children (if applicable) and a CA DOJ record. Bringing ALL of the requested documents at once is highly recommended as it will accelerate your immigration process and will allow us to serve you better.
Yes, if contracted to do so. The attorneys at Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC can practice immigration law (which is federal law) in all states of the United States. In other words, our attorneys are authorized to represent clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service all throughout the United States.
Do I need to hire an interpreter for my immigration interview (outside of Immigration Court)?
Will your attorneys serve as interpreter in my immigration interviews?
The interpreter does not need to be certified, but must master both English and your native language. The interpreter must have authorization to be present in the United States. If you find your own interpreter, the interpreter must call Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC at least a week in advance of the appointment so that we can verify his/her knowledge of both languages. Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC can provide you with a list of names of individuals who previously assisted clients as interpreters. These individuals offer their independent contractual service. All interpreters must produce an official and current identification document at the time of the interview.
Do I need to take an interpreter to my appointment before the Immigration Court?
An attorney will keep a close relationship with you and will prepare you to be ready for your specific court proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review. We will advise you to be forthcoming and tell the truth. There is usually no wrong or right answer. But the answer must be truthful at all times. Please keep in mind that at times where you do not feel comfortable giving a specific answer, you can ask the Immigration Judge to allow you to speak to your attorney in private before giving your response. We will in turn support your decision and ask the Immigration Judge for a recess so we can discuss your concerns.
During initial or master hearings you can expect to be asked basic questions such as your name, address and whether you wish to be represented by an attorney. However, this is not a rule, and in some instances you will be asked more in dept questions.
During final or individual hearings you can expect to be asked many in dept questions. Before granting you an immigration benefit, the trial attorney and the Immigration Judge will be interested in learning about you and the way you lead your life. Most of the time, you will have the answer to their questions. Your answer will be based on your own biographical information and past lived experiences.
It is very important that the trial attorney and Immigration Judge finds you credible. If you don't know the answer to a question, you should answer accordingly. You must think before committing to an answer since discrepancies in your testimony will matter and will complicate your case.
It is important that you remember the dates of the important events in your life. For example, you should know your date of birth, date of marriage (if married), all of your children's dates of birth (if you have children), dates of entry and departure from the United States, dates of residence and employment, dates of your arrests (if you have been arrested), and important dates in your immigration process such as dates of filing, fingerprint appointments, interviews and appearances.
There are two types of immigration court hearings: master also called initial hearings and merits also called individual hearings. However, in some instances, Immigration Judges will mark a hearing that is not expected to be a final hearing as a merits hearing.
During master hearings, pleadings are taken, relief is requested, and applications and other supplemental documents related to the case are filed. In these hearings, the case is prepared so that it can be reviewed on a merits or individual hearing. If you have an attorney, during a master hearing the Judge or the government attorney is not likely to ask you many questions. Your attorney will be the one answering most questions. With a few exceptions, your hearing before the Judge should only last a few minutes. You can expect to be asked your name, your address and telephone number, any other names that you have used, and (if you have an attorney) if you want your attorney to represent you. However, you must be prepared to answer any questions that the Immigration Judge or the government attorney may have. When you don't have an attorney during your first hearing you can request for a reasonable continuance so that you can hire one at no cost for the government. In most cases this time should be allowed. However, if you continue to appear to a master hearing without an attorney, you will be expected to represent yourself and in these circumstances although your hearings might still remain short, you will be asked additional questions and will be expected to file your own documents according to the Immigration Court Procedures Manual. Although it is uncommon (for non-detainee matters), in certain cases, in one of these hearings the Immigration Judge may decide whether you must depart or can remain in the United States.
Merits hearings, with the exception noted above are scheduled once substantial documentary evidence has been submitted and the case seems ready for a decision by the Immigration Judge. During a Merits hearing, as stated in the hearing's title, the merits of your case is to be considered. At a merits hearing you will be expected to answer many questions that will be asked by your attorney, the government attorney, and the Immigration Judge. In many cases, merits hearings take much longer to complete than your regular master hearings. It is during one of these hearings that the Immigration Judge will decide whether you must depart or can remain in the United States. In the interest of efficiency, your attorney should prepare you so that on the date of the hearing you will help the Court focus on the exceptional factors of your case. However, although you must expect an scheduled merits hearing to be your last hearing, these hearings can be rescheduled in certain circumstances, such as when the government attorney does not have a complete result of your background checks, or when the court doesn't have time to complete the case.
What documents do I need to bring to Immigration Interview or Immigration Court hearing date?
We recommend to our clients to bring to every Immigration Interview or Immigration Court Hearing all original documents previously provided to us. The Immigration Judge or Trial attorney are very likely to request the original version of the copies submitted. Original documents should include but are not limited to: birth certificate, passport, identification card, original tax forms, rental or mortgage agreement, pay stubs or receipts; and when in existence: marriage certificate, divorce certificate, children's birth certificates, spouse's birth certificate, family's (spouse, children, parents and siblings) immigration documents such as residence card or naturalization certificate, court disposition and any other documents relating to previous arrests and rehabilitation steps, recommendation letters and letters of support. Please also keep in mind that every one of your witnesses must carry a valid Identification card.
What attire should I wear for my immigration interview or Court hearing date?
We recommend to our clients to wear formal attire while attending an immigration interview or Immigration Court hearing. Formal suits are recommended for the occasion.
At what time should I arrive for my Immigration Interview or Immigration Court?
We recommend that our clients arrive to their immigration interviews or Immigration Court hearings at least one hour before the time set in their notice. Often times there are lines before entering the building where the interview or hearing will be held. Cases are often attended on a first come, first out basis.
An attorney will keep a close relationship with you and will prepare you to be ready for your specific immigration process before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. We will advise you to be forthcoming and tell the truth. There is usually no wrong or right answer. But the answer must be truthful at all times. Please keep in mind that at times where you do not feel comfortable giving a specific answer, you can ask the Immigration Officer to allow you to speak to your attorney in private before giving your response. We will in turn support your decision and ask the Immigration Officer for a recess so we can discuss your concerns.
Before granting you an immigration benefit, the Immigration Officer will be interested in learning about you and your life. Most of the time, you will have the answer to the questions. Your answer will be based on your own biographical information and past lived experiences.
It is very important that the Immigration Officer finds you credible. If you don't know the answer to a question, you should answer accordingly. You must think before committing to an answer since discrepancies in your testimony will matter and will complicate your case. It is always important that you remember the dates of the important events in your life. For example, you should know your date of birth, date of marriage (if married), all of your children's date of birth (if applicable), dates of entry and departure from the United States, dates of residence and employment, dates of your arrests (if you have been arrested), and important dates in your immigration process such as dates of filing, fingerprint appointments, interviews and appearances.
Before granting you an immigration benefit, the Immigration Officer will be interested in learning about you and your life. The Immigration Officer will then review your background checks, case and documents submitted in great detail. Most of the time, you will have the answer to the Officer's questions, but most importantly, you must make sure that you testify credibly. During an immigration interview an Immigration Officer will decide whether you will receive the requested immigration benefit (i.e. Legal Permanent Residence or Citizenship).
In most cases, you will be given an appointment at the same time as several others. After you check in, you will be required to wait until an Immigration Officer has reviewed your information and is prepared to see you.
In some cases, at the end of your interview, you will receive your letter of approval by the Immigration Officer who conducted your interview. In some cases, the applicant's passport will be stamped with temporary proof of Legal Permanent Residence.
However, in some cases you will not obtain a final decision on your application on the date of your interview. Instead, you may be asked to send additional evidence or come back to a second interview. There are also cases where the Immigration Officer is not able to complete your background checks or the Immigration Officer is missing part of your file (i.e. because these documents are at another Immigration Office or in transit.) The immigration officer may then send you the decision via mail. Unfortunately, an applicant may be apprehended at their immigration interview. This may happen in cases in which the applicant has criminal record that makes him or her a mandatory detainee, the applicant has an outstanding arrest warrant or the applicant has a prior order of deportation on record. There are many reasons why it is important that before attending to an immigration interview, the applicant contacts an attorney with experience in immigration law to discuss the case.
The answer to this question depends on your type of case. Many of our clients are eligible for an employment authorization document ("EAD") or work permit. But unfortunately not all of our clients qualify for an EAD. At Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC we understand that obtaining an EAD is a priority for our clients so if you are eligible you will be properly informed. Once you obtain an EAD you can request a driver's license and a social security number.
You should receive your work permit in 30 days (for pending asylum cases) or 90 days (for most other cases) since the application for your EAD is sent. In some instances it takes longer than expected. To avoid delays, we recommend that the applications be initially sent with evidence of eligibility attached. In such cases, we can contact the Immigration Service to follow up with the pending EAD application.
For how long will I have a work permit?
You will see the expiration date of your EAD in the face of the card; work permits are often valid for at least one year. However, the validity of the EAD lasts according to the pending application. For example for TPS recipients, the EAD is extended for the duration of the TPS period. In some instances work permits are even valid for two years. You can file an application to renew your work permit 120 days before the current expiration date.
Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC has created a document that explains in great detail this process. A biometric appointment with an Application Support Center ("ASC") is a means for applicants for immigration benefits in the United States to appear before an authorized office to provide (usually contractors of) USCIS with basic biographical information, a scanning of all 10 fingerprints and a digital picture (which will be taken during the appointment.) In turn, the USCIS conducts an FBI fingerprint and name check to assure that the applicant does not have a background that will affect his eligibility for the immigration benefit requested. This appointment does not mean that an application is being approved, it is only one more step of the immigration process. The applicant's eligibility will generally be determined at a later appointment either with an immigration officer or Judge.
Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC has created a document that explains in great detail this process. Most applications for immigration benefits require that the applicant goes through these checks. Both immigration officers and immigration Judges review the result of these checks before approving an application for immigration benefits. If an applicant fails to provide her biometric information or appear to this appointment, an immigration officer or Judge may consider the application abandoned and the applicant may ultimately face harsh consequences, such as an order of deportation. Therefore, we ask that all of our clients provide their biometric information through an Application Support Center at least once every 15 months. We ask that our clients make sure that they be fully be fingerprinted (not partially as sometimes is done,) and their digital picture be taken. After 15 months, the biometric information provided expires.
Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC has created a document that explains in great detail this process. Applicants, including our clients, that require a background check should be scheduled to appear at a specific Application Support Center (ASC) for fingerprinting a few weeks after the application and/or fees for the application are received by USCIS.
Usually, applications and fees for applications are to be mailed to designated USCIS Service Center. Applicants then receive a Notice of Action, Form I-797, with the address and time of their appointment. If an applicant does not receive a biometrics appointment in four weeks since the date posted in their receipt of their initial application or payment of fees receipt; or if the expiration date of the biometric information is approaching, we recommend that the applicant appears at the closest USCIS cashier (locally located in the Los Angeles Federal Building), show evidence of prior filing and receipt of payment of application and biometric fees (when payment is required) and schedule the appointment in person. No additional payment should be required. Applicants should then receive the appointment personally or within a week. If the applicant lives away from an USCIS district office, the applicant can call USCIS customer service and request that a biometric appointment be scheduled. The applicant can follow up by sending an email to USCIS if necessary. However, before calling, we recommend that our commuting clients contact our office so we can appear personally at the local office since we are likely to resolve the matter. You can visit the USCIS Service and Office Locator for information on your closest Application Support Center. We hereby remind our clients that it is ultimately their responsibility to comply with their biometrics appointment.
Each state has the capability to produce a criminal history background report. This report is used as evidence of a person's existent or non-existent criminal record. In some instances these checks may need to be performed at the city or county level.
Why do I need a state criminal history report?
A state criminal history report will assist immigration attorneys, USCIS and EOIR Judges to establish whether past arrests or convictions will affect a person's eligibility to become or remain a legal permanent resident of the United States. It can also be used as evidence of a clean criminal record and a good moral character. Immigrants are often asked to obtain this report by their attorneys, trial attorneys, immigration officers or judges as a requirement to complete their immigration process. We ask that all of our clients obtain a report at least once every 12 months for every state in which they have resided. After 12 months, the CA DOJ report expires.
All California Applicants must submit Live Scan fingerprints, and complete Form BCII 8016RR, pdf. Applicants living outside California or the United States must submit manual fingerprint card, and complete Form BCII 8705, pdf. The Live Scan system allows digitally scanned fingerprints and other personal information to be submitted electronically to the Department of Justice instantly and allows criminal background checks to be processed within 72 hours. In California, fingerprinting must be done by a certified fingerprint roller or qualified law enforcement personnel. Rolling fees vary from location to location and cover only the operator's cost for rolling the fingerprint images. Additional processing fees are required for the State (DOJ). To find a provider near you please visit the California Department of Justice official fingerprint services providers listing. Most of our clients request their CA DOJ report through A1 LiveScan, Notary & Passport Photo Services conveniently located three blocks from our office at 553 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013, in the corner of 6th Street and Olive Street. To make an appointment you can call them at (213) 489-4559 . For more information and to obtain instructions related to criminal history background you can visit the background check section of the California Department of Justice website or call (916) 227-3835.
While a criminal history background check provides essential but limited information, a court disposition provides in depth information regarding a person's criminal history. A court disposition provides valuable detail regarding a person's criminal court proceedings such as sentence, probation time, fines, a person's compliance with the Court's orders, existing warrants and the case termination date. Instead of a court disposition, a person can also request a certification of no record for a previous arrest as evidence of a clean criminal record and a good moral character. A court disposition is usually two or more pages long.
A court disposition will assist immigration attorneys, USCIS and EOIR Judges to establish with more detail whether the past arrests or convictions of a person will affect that person's eligibility to become or remain a legal permanent resident of the United States. Immigrants with an arrest history are often asked to obtain this document by their attorneys, trial attorneys, immigration officers or judges as a requirement to complete their immigration process.
Certified photocopies of a criminal court disposition can be requested in the Clerk's Office at the appropriate Court location. You can usually find out where the appropriate Clerk's Office is located by inquiring in the same building where your criminal case was tried. Courts usually offer contact information on their official website. The Clerk's Office will conduct a name search. You must provide the name used by the Defendant in the case, even if the Defendant used another name besides his own. Since this document is a public record, usually any one (not only the Defendant) can request a court disposition. Service fees vary by county and state. Court disposition information is usually not provided over the telephone, however, instructions may be available. You can contact your local Clerk's Office for more information.
For court proceedings that took place in the Los Angeles County you can request your court disposition at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. There, name searches are limited to cases filed within Los Angeles County. Requests for court disposition may be made in person in the Clerk's Office or through the mail. Results may be picked up or returned by mail in a self-addressed, stamped envelope. The Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center is located at 210 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The criminal records office's phone number is (213) 974-6141 and it is located on the 5th Floor. For this particular office be prepared to pay a fee of 50 cents for each page of the document requested plus 25 dollars to have the document certified.


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to heal and begin reconciling and integrating your loss.
Please contact us by phone: 563.652.0123 or email: office@jchospice.org if you or someone close to you could benefit from our next group session. We will contact you personally to let you know when we have another session scheduled.
Hospice of Jackson County has recently added ongoing group support services to our bereavement program. When scheduled, we meet weekly at 4pm in our Hospice of Jackson County Conference Room at 611 W. Quarry Street. Call if you have questions or to reserve your space in the group.
Children's grief is unique, and Hospice of Jackson County can help you navigate this journey with your child. Workshops can be conducted in the privacy of your home or arranged to be held in our office. We have brochures available to help adult caregivers know how to talk to their children about grief and how to help children with the dying/funeral process.
Numbness, the feeling of not quite believing the loss is real. Temporarily "forgetting" the loss.
Often this is anger but can be continued denial and refusal to accept the reality. It brings the risk of taking quick, inappropriate action.
Acceptance of the reality of what has happened can bring a retreat to less mature behavior, and we may feel more needy and dependent. Concentration is disrupted while memory suffers, and this makes routine tasks of daily living difficult.
Eventually acceptance come, and life slowly returns to normal, but its is a new normal and may require a long period of adjustment.
When we lose a loved one our world suddenly becomes chaotic. Our emotions are up and down. Our family roles and sometimes our physical surroundings are changing and becoming rearranged. This chaotic feeling is normal and will eventually give way to a more peaceful and normal feeling. In the meantime, grief rituals can play an important part in feeling a sense of control in our lives. Whether it is a weekly visit to the cemetery, a daily prayer, or a yearly remembrance of your loved one, finding a ritual that helps you to heal can be extremely beneficial in this uncertain time.
When we lose someone close to us, often it feels as if the emotional tidal wave will never end. We can feel as if we will never feel "good" or "normal" again. Rest assured that you will find a new "normal" and you will smile again. It may be helpful to track your feelings on a calendar, personal planner, or a journal. This process of rating and tracking your feelings from day to day can help you through the cycle of grief and help you to see the progress you have made over time.


Back in the day, my dad bought a KoalaPad drawing tablet for our Atari 800. Perhaps that very December — in 1984 or 1985, he drew this scene of the front of our house at Christmas time, complete with a view of our Christmas tree through our living room window. So proud was he of his creation that he snapped a photo of it with a Polaroid camera, and that's the print I am showing to you now.
Merry Christmas from Vintage Computing and Gaming!
Discussion Topic of the Week: Did you draw any Christmas art on your computer when you were a kid? Tell us about it.
Throughout the ages, fans of Christmas have found new and varied ways to express their love for the holiday. In the 1980s, personal computer users joined in the fun, using their machines to host a new breed of animated Christmas greetings that were distributed through magazines, BBSes, or even sold on disk like Thoughtware's JingleDisk, seen here.
Upon inserting JingleDisk into your Commodore 64 or Apple II computer (It's a double-sided disk with data for the different platforms on each side) and booting it up, the user is presented with a Christmas-themed animation set to various holiday musical standards. It's fun to watch.
There is something about the warmth of the glow from a cathode ray tube screen that lends itself well to computerized Christmas celebrations — perhaps it echoes some primal link to prehistoric man sitting around the fire telling stories.
By the way, this JingleDisk came to me by way of a family friend who just turned 40 years old today. Happy Birthday, Chris!
Discussion Topic of the Week: Have you ever programmed a Christmas-themed demo or sent a computerized Christmas card? Tell us about it.
Twenty years ago this week, Sony released the PlayStation in the United States — on 9/9/95, in fact.
The first time I remember seeing a PlayStation in person was a demo unit at my local Blockbuster video rental store. At first they had a single kiosk playing Battle Arena Toshinden. A few months later, they upgraded to a new kiosk with a trio of PlayStations arranged in an outwardly-facing triangle formation (if that makes any sense), with each running a different playable demo. I think that two of the three games were Battle Arena Toshinden and Twisted Metal. The third escapes me.
Twisted Metal was a blast. I loved that game. I remember playing as Hammerhead (the monster truck) and running over everybody repeatedly. There is fun in digital mayhem.
In 1996, my brother's best friend bought a PlayStation and Twisted Metal 2 (released Oct 1996), and he brought it over to our house to play with us a few times. We loved it. After that, we knew we had to have one. In my mind, Twisted Metal 2 was the system's killer app — until Symphony of the Night came out, of course.
So after asking kindly to our parents, my brother and I got our PlayStation as a joint Christmas present in 1996. I was 15; my brother was 20. Having gone through prior console phases with the Atari 2600 (and 800, which we treated like a console), NES, TG-16, Super NES, and Jaguar, we felt like we were growing up along with the video game industry.
The scan you see above is the front and back of the sleeve of the sampler CD that came packed in with our new PS1 in 1996 (titled "Interactive CD Sampler Pack Volume Three"). I would have scanned the disc as well, but I seem to have separated it from this sleeve — maybe I put it in a jewel case long ago. I know I still have it somewhere.
Discussion Topic of the Week: When did you get your first PlayStation 1? What were your favorite games for it?
I'm a big fan of educational, semi-toy computers like the VTech PreComputer Power Pad (seen here in his scan from the 1994 JCPenney Christmas Catalog) because historians and collectors alike often completely overlook them in study of computer history.
I've previously written about the much more famous VTech Pre Computer 1000 and even did a slideshow on kids' computers for PCWorld back in 2011.
I don't have a Power Pad at the moment, but I do have a few other educational computers, including some featured in that slideshow. My favorite is probably the VTech I.Q. Unlimited or the Tiger Learning Computer. But we'll save those for another day.
Discussion Topic of the Week: Did you ever own any educational or kids' computers? Tell us about them.
Discussion Topic of the Week: If you could go back in time and give yourself one Christmas present, any year, what would it be?
It's that time of year again: the Yuletide. Over the past few years, I've been posting an annual collection of all the Christmas-related material I've written (both for this site and for others) into one place for easy reading. Below, you'll find list of off-site Christmas slideshows, other features, and of course, plenty of Retro Scans of the Week.


One feature that Microsoft did not mention during its E3 09 press conference was how the Zune HD was going to become its portable gaming platform. Why would the handheld device take full use of the Xbox Live video service while it wouldn't use any the other functions such as Xbox Live Arcade? Well it looks like the Zune will now become a new gaming platform and hopefully we'll start to see some Arcade titles being ported over soon.
New promo videos have been popping up across the web that features gameplay from Zune HD games. Good move considering how important the iPhone and iPod Touch have become to the handheld gaming market.
Gizmodo is reporting that the launch titles include Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Vans Sk8: Pool Service, and Audiosurf Tilt.
Things are definitely heating up for the Zune device, but is this enough to go out and buy a brand new Zune HD model?
Well suns with xbox arcade games it will be even better if we are going to be able to link it to gamerscore. Does anyon knows?
It's too early to say for sure, but I do truly believe that Microsoft is trying to link its products together. This Fall when the Zune can access the Xbox Live video service, when you buy a video on the Zune you'll also be able to download that same video on your Xbox 360. They definitely will be accessing your account information so it will only be a matter of time until they link the gamerscore with your Zune games.


New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed legislation Wednesday to give $7.5 million in grants for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers that lost state funding under former Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
"I don't have to tell you all that today has certainly been a long time coming," Murphy told those gathered. "New Jersey will once again stand strong for Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights."
He signed the legislation with the outgoing president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, by his side.
She said the day marks a "new era" and that Planned Parenthood will be on the offensive nationally to ensure states follow the example of New Jersey in providing funding to the abortion giant.
Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, told NJ.com in January that pro-lifers were not given an opportunity to object to the bill, which moved quickly in the legislature.
"It is both irresponsible and unconscionable that Senate and Assembly leaders and Governor Murphy are moving full steam ahead to force New Jersey taxpayers to fund Planned Parenthood, an organization that is currently under investigation by the FBI for the illegal sale of baby body parts," Tasy said.
Tasy was referring to reports that the Justice Department has launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood over alleged trafficking in fetal tissue.


Abstract: A common problem is how to clone your installed WindowsXP and move it to a new hard drive on the same computer. Upgrading your OS hard drive can be a real pain, but we'll walk you through an easy process to simplify your life, so you can get back to work.
Depending on the software you choose, follow the instructions below to clone your old drive onto your new one. Be sure you pick the old drive as the source and the new drive as the target! If you are not sure which drive is which, STOP, do not guess. Turn the computer off and unplug the new drive and then when you power up the computer go into the BIOS and make note of the old hard drive's name. Turn the computer off, plug the new drive back in, and power up the machine back into the BIOS. Make note of the new hard drive's name and then continue on.
We're going to jump ahead briefly and talk about what you need to do once the cloning operation is done. These are important steps, and we want to make certain they are not overlooked; we'll get into the cloning process in just a moment.
Once the cloning operation is complete, power off your system again and replace the old drive with the new one entirely. It's best to physically remove the original OS hard drive so you don't make any mistakes here. Be sure to set the correct jumper setting on the drive for its new position. This will generally mean you need to set the newly cloned hard drive to the 'master' setting.
Power on the system again, the newly cloned hard drive should be detected automatically during the POST procedure. If it is not, you will need to go into the BIOS to detect it as we've mentioned previously.
Assuming the hard drive is detected, your Windows XP installation should now boot as normal from the newly cloned hard disk. Once you are sure that everything is functioning as it should, you can install your old hard drive as a secondary drive in the system for data storage. Simply follow the steps listed above for installing a second drive.
When you boot into Windows XP your old drive will be present and you can partition and format it as you wish. *I recommend you double check that the cloning operation was fully successful before you go about formatting the old drive however.
Note that it is possible (though unlikely) that Windows XP might require re-activation after this procedure. Don't panic. Simply follow the on-screen steps to contact Microsoft by phone and obtain a reactivation key. This is a fairly painless process.


text:
Our Tech
How Influencer Marketing and CBD Is Coming Together on National CBD Day
This entry was posted in Influencer Marketing, Open Influence on August 5, 2020 by Open Influence team.
@hieucow for @canndescent
CBD fans worldwide will celebrate the Third Anniversary of National CBD Day on August 8, and for users and marketers alike, the fact this unique, but sometimes controversial product is a robust three years old is a time to celebrate.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-psychoactive component found in cannabis, and is commonly used to treat chronic pain, inflammation and other ailments. In short, it can give the user many of the positive effects found in cannabis or marijuana but without the THC compound that generates the high that using marijuana provides.
In the health and wellness space over these past three years, interest in CBD-generated products has surged and crossed over to the mainstream world of marketing.
Without actual endorsements, per se, celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg, Kim Kardashian West, Joe Rogan and, of course, Seth Rogen have all spoken on record about the benefits they derive from these hemp-inspired products. From stress and pain relief, to improved heart health and better sleep to even battling depression and anxiety, CBD has become the "It" product in the holistic space the past three years.
Whether taken in a variety of delivery systems from pills to creams to oil infusions to edibles, this burgeoning market is one that is growing and not going away.
You've probably even noticed CBD products popping up on shelves over the past few months in the form of refreshing and relaxing CBD beverages, especially if you live in CBD (and THC) friendly states like California, Washington, Oregon or Colorado. In fact, Arizona Ice Tea recently announced a line of CBD-infused drinks, revealing just how far this little compound has come in such a short time.
So how can top influencer marketing agencies take advantage of this growing trend in CBD product popularity?
Can CBD Become an Influencer Marketing Weapon?
One of the primary obstacles that CBD faces is it's still not universally embraced. It can be hard to openly market these products in such a politically complicated legal environment, which AdWeek even dubbed, "the most difficult brand challenge of our time."
Though humans have cultivated it for thousands of years, cannabis remains a point of contention in the US and much of the world. And despite a string of recent pro-cannabis victories, the plant remains a federally illicit drug, making it extremely difficult to advertise and build brands around (even in states where recreational use is legal).
For example, cannabis brands working in California can't claim any health benefits on their packaging, which makes labeling and differentiating products an all-around headache – especially when they are designed for medicinal purposes.
Traditional forms of advertising, like TV and radio, come with their own hurdles. For example, broadcasting on television in California demands that the targeted audience consists of 71% adults, and billboards can't be placed on interstate or state highways.
Even the Internet, where you'd imagine anyone can market their wares freely, is a tricky space. Major platforms like Google, Instagram and YouTube all comply with federal law and prohibit the promotion of illicit substances, including cannabis. That means brands hoping to buy out regular ad spots – complete with paid social components – are out of luck.
At every stage of the marketing funnel, cannabis brands face significant challenges, starting with the most basic – Awareness. After all, customers can't purchase from you if they…
A) Aren't aware you exist.
B) Don't know what your product actually does.
How then, through all this red tape, have cannabis brands managed to create a growing industry that's projected to reach 1.6 billion dollars in revenue this year?
ENTER SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS
Influencers have been absolutely critical to cannabis' massive boom, because they are perfectly suited to address two key challenges.
One, they circumvent many states' tight advertising restrictions and allow brands to actually put their messages in front of potential customers in a consistent, reliable way.
Two, as natural-born storytellers, influencers are jump-starting many companies on their path to creating recognizable personalities and identities that customers connect with.
"I think the biggest challenge in cannabis right now is telling stories," said Dean Waters, CEO of cannabis-based outlet Flowertown at our first-ever OI Summit. "We've done a lot of Man-on-the-Street type research, and there's still very little brand recall. So for us, it's about storytelling, creating content that builds lasting connections."
Dean Waters, CEO Flowertown, at #OISUMMIT.
In addition, influencers are also able to combat misinformation and provide serious education to curious, would-be consumers, according to one influencer agency in Los Angeles. After all, influencers possess one of the most valuable traits in today's hyper-mediated world: trust. With cannabis's long history of propaganda and political rhetoric, customers trust influencers to cut through the noise with honesty and openness.
Influencer Marketing and Public Relations Working Together
It's become a more common thread to use influencer marketing in conjunction with a public relations platform to maximize the depth and breadth of both on a global stage. In fact, it's no wonder the new prominent roles that PR companies are playing on influencer marketing firms from Chicago to London to Hong Kong.
By working in tandem, a PR company can truly facilitate an Influencer's ability to get the CBD message with its innate ability to bypass traditional advertising laws and build trust over traditional advertising channels.
Consumers, especially younger (but of age to buy CBD) millennials have a built-in mistrust of being sold something. But a social influencer who they already follow has already built up that trust factor.
A recent Adweek study concluded that nearly 60% of millennials are likely to view brand-sponsored content if a personality they know is backing it. For the influencer whose followers already trust his or her points of view, this spokesperson will create far greater engagement than a regular ad spot.
And since content created by influencer marketers deliver an ROI more than ten times higher than other forms of digital marketing, the time is ripe for influencers and CBD to come together. In fact, promoting CBD may become one of the biggest influencer marketing agency trends as the world eases out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Can CBD Benefit From Micro-Influencers?
Perhaps your budget doesn't allow for the hiring of a big PR firm and a multi-million follower influencer. Smaller, micro-influencers can also be beneficial to the success of a CBD campaign. And won't cost nearly as much.
If, for example, a micro-influencer lives in the health or anti-depression space, they can be viewed as "experts" in the CBD world. Even with lower follower counts, they could have a much more highly focused target of followers who are engaged with their platform and are far more likely to trust the products they support.
If these micro-influencers post on their Instagram account about a particular CBD brand or, better still, post a video of what works, why, and how they use the product, you could find influencer gold at a bargain price.
Lastly, marketers and influencers are working together to produce extremely creative, thumb-stopping content, even in the face of strict regulations. These limitations have only forced marketers to work harder, positioning cannabis not simply as another consumer product, but a lifestyle marker. Just look at the content below – you wouldn't even know these creators were showing off cannabis products at first glance! Instead, you are greeted with a mood, an idea, a feeling.
The future of cannabis is bright, and dare we say, full of green. As we celebrate CBD Day on August 8, let's also celebrate the many creators who are bringing cannabis into a brand new era.
@noel_russ for @paxvapor @m.scheiner for @paxvapor
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text:
Complete revascularization with multivessel PCI for myocardial infarction
Mehta, S.R., Wood, D.A., Storey, R.F. orcid.org/0000-0002-6677-6229 et al. (29 more authors) (2019) Complete revascularization with multivessel PCI for myocardial infarction. New England Journal of Medicine, 381 (15). pp. 1411-1421. ISSN 0028-4793
In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the culprit lesion reduces the risk of cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction. Whether PCI of nonculprit lesions further reduces the risk of such events is unclear.
We randomly assigned patients with STEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease who had undergone successful culprit-lesion PCI to a strategy of either complete revascularization with PCI of angiographically significant nonculprit lesions or no further revascularization. Randomization was stratified according to the intended timing of nonculprit-lesion PCI (either during or after the index hospitalization). The first coprimary outcome was the composite of cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction; the second coprimary outcome was the composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven revascularization.
At a median follow-up of 3 years, the first coprimary outcome had occurred in 158 of the 2016 patients (7.8%) in the complete-revascularization group as compared with 213 of the 2025 patients (10.5%) in the culprit-lesion-only PCI group (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60 to 0.91; P=0.004). The second coprimary outcome had occurred in 179 patients (8.9%) in the complete-revascularization group as compared with 339 patients (16.7%) in the culprit-lesion-only PCI group (hazard ratio, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.61; P<0.001). For both coprimary outcomes, the benefit of complete revascularization was consistently observed regardless of the intended timing of nonculprit-lesion PCI (P=0.62 and P=0.27 for interaction for the first and second coprimary outcomes, respectively).
Among patients with STEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease, complete revascularization was superior to culprit-lesion-only PCI in reducing the risk of cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction, as well as the risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven revascularization. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and others; COMPLETE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01740479. opens in new tab.)
Mehta, S.R.
Wood, D.A.
Storey, R.F. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6677-6229
Mehran, R.
Bainey, K.R.
Nguyen, H.
Meeks, B.
Di Pasquale, G.
López-Sendón, J.
Faxon, D.P.
Mauri, L.
Rao, S.V.
Feldman, L.
Steg, P.G.
Avezum, Á.
Sheth, T.
Pinilla-Echeverri, N.
Moreno, R.
Campo, G.
Wrigley, B.
Kedev, S.
Sutton, A.
Oliver, R.
Rodés-Cabau, J.
Stanković, G.
Welsh, R.
Lavi, S.
Cantor, W.J.
Wang, J.
Nakamya, J.
Bangdiwala, S.I.
Cairns, J.A.
© 2019 Massachusetts Medical Society. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases; Combined Modality Therapy; Coronary Artery Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Revascularization; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists; Recurrence; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction; Secondary Prevention; Stents
Published (online): 1 September 2019
The University of Sheffield > Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
Grant number
SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST STH18050
Symplectic Sheffield
https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1907775
PubMed URL
Filename: nejmoa1907775.pdf


text:
Senior PHP Application Developer (**REMOTE Available**)
Senior PHP Application Developer - VICTR
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has been chosen by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to be the Data and Research Center for the Precision Medicine Initiative "All of Us" (AoU) Research Program, a landmark study of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors affecting the health of a million or more people. This initiative requires the development and integration of applications and data sources to support participants, health provider staff, and researchers.
This Senior PHP Application Developer will join our team in the implementation of new functionality and enhancement of existing features for the AoU's HealthPro web application. HealthPro is used by clinicians at medical institutions across the country to collect in-person physical measurements and biospecimens for over 400,000 research participants, built to scale to over one million participants and beyond. Implementation includes API integrations, modeling data with the FHIR standard, and leveraging cloud components for automatic scaling and job queuing.
HealthPro is continually evolving to incorporate more data sources and provide greater utility, requiring flexible software architecture and the ability to rapidly refactor/modernize. Our goal is always to produce software befitting of a leading medical institution - clean, maintainable, and efficient behind the scenes; responsive, intuitive, and beautiful for the end user. Our work culture is friendly and collaborative, with all colleagues united in the common purpose of improving human health through clinical research.
Develops secure, maintainable, performant, user-friendly software.
Designs systems that adhere to security and process compliance.
Works with product owners to refine requirements, as well as to understand the benefit and use cases for the All of Us research community.
Collaborates with application teams across AoU on systems integrations and best practices.
Collaborates with cloud and DevOps engineers on application infrastructure, automation, deployment, and security.
Maintains and enhances CI/CD pipelines.
Stays current with contemporary software engineering best practices.
Strong experience with developing web applications using PHP.
Strong experience using PHP frameworks such as Symfony, Laravel, CodeIgniter, etc.
Strong in JavaScript and working knowledge of frameworks such as React, Vue, Angular, etc.
Strong knowledge of HTML and CSS.
Experience with the Bootstrap framework is preferred.
Strong in source control systems (preferably git), including branching strategies and resolving merge conflicts.
Strong experience with code review processes via pull/merge request reviews.
Experience with CI/CD tools (CircleCI, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, etc.) is preferred.
Experience with cloud engineering in environments such as GCP, Azure, or AWS.
Strong knowledge of DBMS's, including database architecture and query optimization.
Strong understanding of common web security topics such as authentication/authorization, XSS, SQL injection, etc.
About the Department:
The Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical & Translational Research (VICTR) is Vanderbilt's virtual home for clinical and translational research. Supported by Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Office of Research and the NIH-sponsored Clinical and Translational Service Award (CTSA), the mission of the institute is to transform the way ideas and research discoveries make their way from origin to patient care. VICTR functions to help researchers and clinicians do their jobs better by providing tools and support to improve the quality of research, publications, grant writing, and training for future doctors and researchers.
Position Shift : Days
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.
VUMC Recent Accomplishments
US News & World Report: #1 Adult Hospital in Tennessee and metropolitan Nashville, named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll of the top 20 adult hospitals, 10 nationally ranked adult specialty programs, with 3 specialties rated in the top 10 nationally, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt named as one of the Best Children's Hospital in the nation, with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialties nationally ranked.
Healthcare's Most Wired: Among the nation's 100 "most-wired" hospitals and health systems for its efforts in innovative medical technology.
Becker's Hospital Review: named as one of the "100 Great Hospitals in America", in the roster of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs and to its list of the 100 Hospitals with Great Heart Programs.
The Leapfrog Group: One of only 10 children's hospitals in the to be named at Leapfrog Top Hospital.
American Association for the Advancement of Science: The School of Medicine has 112 elected fellows
Magnet Recognition Program: Received our third consecutive Magnet designations.
National Academy of Medicine: 22 members, elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding achievement
Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: 6 th year in a row that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.
https://careers.acrpnet.org/jobs/16012385/senior-php-application-developer-remote-available


Gold and Platinum producer Tujamo first discovered his passion for music as a teen and honed his craft until his unique take on dance music could be considered a genre of its own.
Thanks to his devotion to pushing this distinctive take on dance music forward, he's racked up hundreds of millions of streams worldwide, scored countless Beatport #1's and has seen his music being picked for Hollywood blockbusters such as Furious 7, War Dogs, Baywatch. Tujamo's solo record 'Booty Bounce' was undoubtedly one of the German super-producer's biggest hit to date. The record was so successful that British superstar songwriter, rapper and record producer, Taio Cruz, jumped on to give the record a full vocal version. Meanwhile, DJ Mags Top100 poll saw him rise a from #78 to a serious #46, which he held in 2018. He created killer remixes for artists such as Justin Bieber, David Guetta, Jack Ü, Nicki Minaj, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Solveig and many more. His own single 'One On One', released on music titan Universal Music even earned him a nomination at the Los40 World Dance Music awards while his Track 'With U' served as the official anthem for Europe's most prestigious music gathering, Untold Festival in 2018. Lining up more music for the end of the year, with more feisty productions and touring extensively through Asia and Europe for the countdown to 2019 gives us a clear idea of exactly where Tujamo's journey is heading - no where but up.


It's not every day London top food critic get to try our food. We had no idea when we were supporting the charity he was the patron along with Allegra McEvedy along with Jack Monroe.
All 3 came in the kitchen to lend a hand, it was also very sweet when they realized I was also fasting and mentioned that in the thank you speech and I think people were surprised i had made all this food without even trying it.
It was an experience I won't forget along with raising over £6k for the charity it was truly a treat to have Jay try our food and enjoying it, so much so that he came back for seconds. It made out day when he tweeted about this the next day too.
This is the lovely blog written by The Food Chain guys about the evening.


text:
October is legend, wait for it…. dary. Legendary
By Scout on October 14, 2009
The leaves are starting to change and the weather is getting colder. That means it's my favorite time of year.
The month of October is full of sports action at its finest – college and professional football picks up, hockey and basketball season's start and baseball playoffs get into swing. Is there a better time to be a sports fan?
Starting off the month strong, my favorite college football team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, played long-time rival Mizzou Thursday.
For every college football follower, October is a telling time when we learn if much weighed predictions come true.
For example any team with a new coach, like Bill Snyder of Kansas State, is starting to see how that coach actually performs now that they're in action.
This also goes for professional football. Preseason can only be so telling, and it takes real game play to show how a team is going to perform in the season.
Example – the St. Louis Rams preformed well in the preseason with three wins and one loss, putting them second on the NFC West team. But now, they are at the bottom and haven't won a single game.
Hockey season has finally started.
Many Chicago Blackhawk fans have been waiting for this season to start since the end of last season when the Blackhawks made a strong appearance in the playoffs.
St. Louis fans are happy to see the start of a promising season with the Blues winning their first two games because hope has faded fast that the Rams will do any better this season.
Let's not forget about the Bulls fans out there. Chicagoans were happy to see the Bulls start on a high, beating the Pacers.
Preseason started Oct. 1 and regular season will start on Oct. 27.
The best thing about October is MLB playoffs. Let's be honest, it is the second best time of year, right next to the start of the MLB season in April.
Now this may not be a spectacular time of year for those of you who root for teams that haven't been on the ball this season, but for those of us whose teams have secured a spot, we can't wait to see how it all plays out.
But we can all agree that we are anxious to see which league takes the win this year.
Living in an area where there are three professional baseball eams, the students at Bradley have to be excited to watch the playoffs, even if their team didn't make it.
But October is more then just a month filled with back-to-back sports action. It is also breast cancer aweareness month.
Many teams are taking action and raising awarness among their fans. For example, Brett Favre's wife is a breast cancer survior, and he made sure to mention this in an interview after the game between the Packers and the Vikings.
Let's review: there are four different big-name sports playing in the month of October, giving sports fanatics an smorgasbord of games to watch. This makes it an overall fan-favorite month and its only just beginning.
Jeri Kohn is a sophomore actuarial science and public relations major from Lincoln, Neb. She is the Scout assistant sports editor.
Direct questions, comments and other responses to jkohn@mail.bradley.edu.


Pember Companies, Inc., the City's concrete contractor set curb pins this week making ready to pour the curb and gutter on High Street early next week. Residents will not have direct access to their driveways until after the concrete work is completed and cured.
Crews finished pulling the new 20" sanitary force main pipe across the river this week completing this complicated phase of the City's new force main project.
The concrete footing for the new west side lift station was poured this week. Crews are setting forms and steel for the structure walls.
This week Janke Construction completed concrete trail work within Demitz Park, poured the footings for the shade structure within the park and began placing topsoil. They also started work on the 2nd Street trail.
Subcontractor Current Technologies continued putting in electrical conduit within the park. Next week Janke will keep working on the 2nd Street trail. They plan to install the concrete for the shade structure and work on trails adjacent to the shade structure.
Construction of this segment of High Street began Wednesday this week. The existing road surface, curb, sidewalk and topsoil was removed from 15th Ave N to 17th Ave N. Crews plan to begin underground utility replacement on this section next week.
Van Buren Street is in gravel and ready for new curb. Pember Companies, Inc. plans on pouring curb and gutter on Van Buren Street next week. The street remains closed from 8th Ave N to 10th Ave N.


text:
News|Russia-Ukraine war
Russian weapons in Ukraine 'powered' by Western parts: Report
Russian weapons recovered in Ukraine contained more than 450 foreign-made components, think-tank says.
Russian troops have fired more than 3,650 missiles and guided rockets in the first five months of the war, according to Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council [File: Alexander Nemenov/AFP]
Published On 8 Aug 20228 Aug 2022
More than 450 foreign-made components have been found in Russian weapons recovered in Ukraine, evidence that Moscow acquired critical technology from companies in the United States, Europe and Asia in the years before the invasion, according to a new report.
Since the start of the war five months ago, the Ukrainian military has captured or recovered from the battlefield intact or partially damaged Russian weapons. When disassembled, 27 of these weapons systems, ranging from cruise missiles to air defence, were found to rely predominantly on Western components, according to research by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) defence think-tank.
It is the most detailed published assessment to date of the part played by Western components in Russia's war against Ukraine.
About two-thirds of the components were manufactured by US-based companies, RUSI found, based on the weapons recovered from Ukraine. Products manufactured by the US-based Analog Devices and Texas Instruments accounted for nearly one-quarter of all the Western components in the weapons.
Other components came from companies in countries including Japan, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, where RUSI is based.
"Russian weapons that are critically dependent upon Western electronics have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Ukrainians," said Jack Watling, a land warfare specialist at RUSI.
While many of the foreign components are found in everyday household goods such as microwaves that are not subject to export controls, RUSI said a strengthening of export restrictions and enforcement could make it harder for Russia to replenish its arsenal of weapons such as cruise missiles.
In one case, a Russian 9M727 cruise missile – one of the country's most advanced weapons that can manoeuvre at low altitude to evade radar and can strike targets hundreds of kilometres away – contained 31 foreign components.
The parts were made by companies that included US-based Texas Instruments Inc and Advanced Micro Devices Inc, as well as Cypress Semiconductor, which is now owned by Infineon AG, a German company, the RUSI investigation found.
In another case, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile, which has been used to strike Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, also had 31 foreign components with parts manufactured by companies including US-based Intel Corporation and AMD-owned Xilinx.
In response to questions about how their chips ended up in Russian weapons, the companies said they comply with trade sanctions and have stopped selling components to Russia.
Analog Devices said the company closed its business in Russia and instructed distributors to halt shipments to the country.
Texas Instruments said it follows all laws in the countries where they operate and the parts found in the Russian weapons were designed for commercial products. Intel said it "does not support or tolerate our products being used to violate human rights".
Infineon said it was "deeply concerned" if its products are being used for purposes which they were not designed for. AMD said it strictly follows all global export control laws.
Many of the foreign components only cost a few dollars and Russian companies would have been able to buy them before the start of the Ukraine invasion online through domestic or international distributors because they could be used in non-military applications.
However, more than 80 Western-manufactured microchips were subject to US export controls since at least 2014, meaning they would have required a licence to be shipped to Russia, RUSI said. The companies exporting the parts had a responsibility to carry out due diligence to ensure they were not being sent to the Russian military or for a military end-use, according to RUSI.
The investigation's findings show how Russia's military remains reliant on foreign microchips for everything from tactical radios to drones and precision long-range munitions, and how Western governments were slow to limit Russia's access to these technologies, particularly after President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Crimea in 2014.
Russia's war with Ukraine, which began on February 24, has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more and laid waste to several cities. Russia's superior firepower, including its use of cruise and ballistic missiles, has helped its forces grind through eastern Ukraine and occupy about a fifth of the country.
Russian troops have fired more than 3,650 missiles and guided rockets in the first five months of the war, according to the staff of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
These include the 9M727 and Kh-101 missiles. Russian missiles have been used to hit targets including railway lines to disrupt Western supply lines, military infrastructure and civilian targets such as shopping centres and hospitals. Russia said it has only fired at military targets. Russian authorities did not provide further comment for this story.
In the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine, the US announced sweeping sanctions to try to weaken Russia's economy and its military. These included a ban on many sensitive microchips being sold to Russia. Countries in Europe, as well as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea – all key chipmaking countries – have announced similar restrictions.
Russia characterises the conflict as a "special military operation" meant to disarm Ukraine. Moscow has cast the sanctions as a hostile act and has denied targeting civilians.
Russia is currently working to find new routes to secure access to Western microchips, according to RUSI. Many components are sold through distributors operating in Asia, such as Hong Kong, which acts as a gateway for electronics making their way to the Russian military or companies acting on its behalf, RUSI found.
Russia's government did not respond to a request for comment.
The US government said in March that Russian firms were front companies that have been buying up electronics for Russia's military. RUSI reported that Russian customs records show that in March of last year, one company imported $600,000 worth of electronics manufactured by Texas Instruments through a Hong Kong distributor.
Seven months later, the same company imported another $1.1m worth of microelectronics made by Xilinx, RUSI said.
Texas Instruments and AMD-owned Xilinx did not respond to a request for comment about the customs data.
Russia's military could be permanently weakened if Western governments strengthen export controls, manage to shut down the country's clandestine procurement networks and prevent sensitive components from being manufactured in states that support Russia, RUSI said.


EDDIE HOWE would be the perfect man to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Those are the thoughts of former Everton and Sunderland star-turned-pundit Don Hutchinson.
Wenger will stand down as Arsenalmanager after Sunday's game away to Huddersfield after almost 22 years at the helm.
A number of candidates have been bandied about to replace the French tactician, including Carlo Ancelotti and Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.
At present, there is a dearth of English managers in charge of Premier League clubs.
But Hutchison thinks Howe would be ideal for the Gunners if given the chance.
"I think he's the perfect candidate," Hutchison said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily when asked about Howe's credentials.
"There's bigger names out there, but what I see in Howe is that he's quite flawless in terms of his temperament.
"When you see Bournemouth over the last three or four years, you see a team that goes through a patch.
"Right 'what have you got'? You might have to do something different.
"They keep playing football – it's the Arsenal way, it's the Bournemouth way.
"They keep playing and keep playing, because they're good enough.


I have been experimenting with a different way of working recently and thought I would redo some old work in the new style.... Its surprising what a little bit of time away from a project can do. Which do you prefer? New or old?


Nigeria collapse: Did Radebe barter arms for bodies?
Did South Africa attempt to swop weapons for the remains of South Africans who died in Nigeria?
Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe may have become a hero when he secured the return of the bodies of those killed when a church building collapsed in September, but how he cracked that deal is raising uncomfortable questions.
Two months after 116 worshippers died when the building of Prophet TB Joshua's Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos collapsed, 85 of them South Africans, Radebe successfully returned with 74 bodies, to the mourning nation's relief, two weeks ago. Eleven bodies are yet to come home.
He now stands accused of bartering with Nigeria to secure the return of the bodies by promising he would ensure that an arms sale worth $9.3-million (about R100-million), which had been blocked by South Africa, would proceed.
The Mail & Guardian has seen two letters that Radebe wrote to JP "Torie" Pretorius, of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (the Hawks), and Dumisani Dladla, the head of the national conventional arms control committee (NCACC) secretariat, in which Radebe seeks to assist the Nigerian government to get the weapons. Nigeria apparently wanted the arms, including helicopters and ammunition, to fight against the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram.
In October, the Asset Forfeiture Unit seized $5.7-million that had been wired to Standard Bank in South Africa.
Three weeks before that, $9.3-million in cash was confiscated after being brought into the country via Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg, in three suitcases, by a delegation said to represent the Nigerian government.
In both instances the money was apparently confiscated as the transactions it was to be used for were illegal.
In his letters, Radebe, the chairperson of the arms control committee, said it had come to the committee's attention that the failed attempt on September 5 to pay an arms dealer in South Africa "was, in fact, a legitimate requirement from the government of Nigeria".
"Although the required administrative processes were not adhered to at the time, the government of South Africa deems it a bona fide error," Radebe said in his letters to Dladla and Pretorius.
The minister's key request to Dladla was for him to "liaise" with Pretorius and to "obtain all relevant information in order to assist the parties involved to apply for the necessary authorisations in compliance with the National Conventional Arms Control Amendment Act (no 73 of 2008).
"Upon receipt of the required permit applications, the national conventional arms control committee will favourably consider ex-post facto approval thereof," Radebe wrote.
The committee is a Cabinet body tasked with regulating the sale of arms to legitimate governments. Its mandate includes ensuring South Africa does not sell weapons that are used to violate human rights.
It appears that Radebe is finding it difficult to sell his plan to other South African authorities. Law enforcement agencies looking into the arms money are pressing on with their investigations, and Radebe's colleagues in the Cabinet are said to be less than impressed.
The Hawks spokesperson, Captain Paul Ramaloko, said this week that the investigation was continuing and that his investigators knew nothing about Radebe's request for charges to be withdrawn.
But Ramaloko admitted that the Hawks were part of the priority crime directorate, whose head, Pretorius, had received the request from Radebe.
A minister, who serves on the arms control committee but wanted to remain anonymous, said they were unaware of Radebe's request or of the committee blessing the Nigerian arms transaction.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who also serves on the committee, referred the M&G's questions to Radebe.
Another Cabinet minister and arms committee member said Radebe unilaterally wrote the letters to Dladla and Pretorius without consulting fellow committee members and only sought their blessing much later.
A government official said Radebe's colleagues were accusing him of single-handedly legitimising the Nigerian arms procurement transaction.
"Jeff cut this deal all by himself. He wanted to claim credit for cracking this matter [securing the return of bodies]," said the government official.
"His colleagues who serve on the arms committee are distancing themselves from the whole thing. They are refusing to back him on this one. If we allow Nigeria to get away with this, it means any country can come and do the same.
"The good thing is that the Hawks are refusing to drop the charges. They're not budging. Their view is that a crime has been committed and someone has to be held responsible," the government official said, adding that it would be difficult for Radebe to fulfil his undertaking to the Nigerians.
Radebe, through his spokesperson, Vanessa du Toit, said this week he was surprised by claims that three committee members had distanced themselves from the decision to help Nigeria to legitimise the arms deal because "this matter was discussed and approved at the October 30 2014 NCACC meeting".
But the letters Radebe wrote to Dladla and Pretorius are dated October 6, three weeks before the date the minister says the committee met and gave him the go-ahead.
Radebe said the repatriation of bodies fell within the exclusive jurisdiction of the state of Lagos and had no relation to the arms matter. He said he drafted the letters to Hawks and the directorate for conventional arms control "after consultation with the Federal Republic of Nigeria".
Dladla's secretary, Lihle Dlamini, said on Thursday that Dladla was overseas and claimed not to have received messages that the M&G had left on Wednesday at her office.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Bulelwa Makeke, said Pretorius was in court for the week and could not respond to questions.
In September, the arms committee was in the dark about Nigeria's application to procure arms from South Africa. But Radebe said, through his spokesperson, that, after the confiscation of the Nigerian funds, "careful deliberations and discussions with the relevant Nigerian government authorities at the Nigerian high commission [in Pretoria] as well as in Abuja were undertaken". From these talks, he was convinced that the Nigerian authorities had a legitimate requirement for arms.
"Hence, the authority vested in the minister, as chairperson of the NCACC, it was decided that charges be withdrawn," he said.
The Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, Sunday Yusuf, said his government could not speak about the arms and denied ever meeting any South African government minister to negotiate the legitimisation of the failed arms deal transaction.
"Dirco [department of international relations and co-operation] might be able to help you with that. Honestly speaking, the high commissioner has not been involved in this matter," he said.
Yusuf also refused to refer the M&G to the authorised government spokesperson in Nigeria, saying there were "agencies" that were handling the arms deal and not government.
According to media reports, the Nigerian government admitted it had sent a delegation carrying cash to buy arms in September and that it had wired another amount of money to Standard Bank for the same purpose. This was a desperate attempt to acquire arms to fight Boko Haram, the government said.
Pretoria, however, frowned on the methods that Abuja used to try to secure arms. A member of South Africa's diplomatic corps with intimate knowledge of the matter said: "Even though the Nigerians are desperate to defeat Boko Haram, why didn't they follow the legal route?
"There are relations between the two countries. They should have used that to express their desperation instead of doing things the wrong way. It could have been Boko Haram buying those arms and we wouldn't know," the diplomatic source said.
Radebe's motivation for requesting that the Nigerian arms transaction be legitimised has also been linked to his political ambitions.
Radebe went to Nigeria as President Jacob Zuma's special envoy to negotiate the release of the South Africans' bodies. The speed of his success was commended – he landed in Abuja on a Monday and by Tuesday he told the press the bodies would be home by the weekend. He had met President Goodluck Jonathan the previous day.
South Africa has had a tense relationship with Nigeria since Zuma became president and Jonathan took over the reins in the West African country. They have tried to play the role of African strongmen, in much the same way as their predecessors Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun Obasanjo did. But the cracks began to show when South Africa deported 125 Nigerians for carrying fake yellow fever vaccination certificates in March 2012.
Their fraught relationship was also suspected to have played a role in the way Abuja delayed informing Pretoria about the dead South African worshippers and the delay in the return of their bodies.
The private jet that landed at Lanseria airport on September 5 is owned by the leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Ayo Oritsejafor. The NPA found an invoice in the delegations' possession for helicopters, drones, rockets and ammunition. For the money wired to Standard Bank, the Nigerians wanted to buy 50 Russian-made M-75 20mm cannons and 200?000 rounds of ammunition.
But the Nigerian buyer, Societe d'equipements Internationaux, later told a Cape Town-based arms dealer that it had found a better deal with a Serbian arms dealer and the money needed to be returned. During the process of transferring the cash back to Nigeria, Standard Bank alerted the Asset Forfeiture Unit and the money was frozen.
The M&G has seen an email that shows that Radebe's request has been a subject of anxious discussion among government officials, who are wondering what to do about it.
The officials added that, because Nigeria had bought arms from South Africa before, "the responsible officials in that country understand the administrative and legal process that South Africa requires".
The Standard Bank spokesperson, Erik Larsen, said on Thursday he could not respond to questions because "client confidentiality would preclude us from discussing or disclosing this type of information".


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Home / About Us / Blog / Barbara Hames / Take a Spin at Disc Golf!
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Class ConvergenceAid

A template for aiding convergence.

Inheritance

System.Object

ConvergenceAid

Inherited Members

      System.Object.ToString()

      System.Object.Equals(System.Object)

      System.Object.Equals(System.Object, System.Object)

      System.Object.ReferenceEquals(System.Object, System.Object)

      System.Object.GetHashCode()

      System.Object.GetType()

      System.Object.MemberwiseClone()

Namespace: SpiceSharp.Simulations

Assembly: SpiceSharp.dll

Syntax

public class ConvergenceAid

Remarks

The convergence aid will try to bring the solution of a variable as close
as possible to the specified value. If this value is close to the final
solution, then convergence can be achieved much faster.

Constructors

ConvergenceAid(String, Double)

Initializes a new instance of the ConvergenceAid class.

Declaration

public ConvergenceAid(string name, double value)

Parameters

        Type
        Name
        Description

        System.String
        name

The name of the variable.

        System.Double
        value

The value.

Properties

Diagonal

Gets the diagonal element.

Declaration

protected MatrixElement<double> Diagonal { get; }

Property Value

        Type
        Description

        MatrixElement<System.Double>

Name

Gets the name of the variable.

Declaration

public string Name { get; }

Property Value

        Type
        Description

        System.String

Node

Gets the node for which the aid is meant.

Declaration

protected Variable Node { get; }

Property Value

        Type
        Description

        Variable

Rhs

Gets the right-hand side element.

Declaration

protected VectorElement<double> Rhs { get; }

Property Value

        Type
        Description

        VectorElement<System.Double>

Solver

Gets the solver of the system of equations.

Declaration

protected Solver<double> Solver { get; }

Property Value

        Type
        Description

        Solver<System.Double>

Value

Gets the value for the convergence aid.

Declaration

public double Value { get; }

Property Value

        Type
        Description

        System.Double

Variables

Gets the unknown variables.

Declaration

protected VariableSet Variables { get; }

Property Value

        Type
        Description

        VariableSet

Methods

Aid()

Aids the convergence.

Declaration

public virtual void Aid()

Initialize(BaseSimulation)

Sets up the convergence aid for a specific simulation.

Declaration

public virtual void Initialize(BaseSimulation simulation)

Parameters

        Type
        Name
        Description

        BaseSimulation
        simulation

The simulation.

Unsetup()

Destroys the convergence aid.

Declaration

public virtual void Unsetup()

Extension Methods

      Utility.ThrowIfNull<T>(T, String)

      Utility.ThrowIfNotBound<T>(T, Behavior)

      ParameterHelper.TrySetPrincipalParameter<T>(Object, T)

      ParameterHelper.SetPrincipalParameter<T>(Object, T)

      ParameterHelper.TrySetParameter<T>(Object, String, T, IEqualityComparer<String>)

      ParameterHelper.SetParameter<T>(Object, String, T, IEqualityComparer<String>)

      ParameterHelper.TrySetParameter(Object, String, IEqualityComparer<String>)

      ParameterHelper.SetParameter(Object, String, IEqualityComparer<String>)

      ParameterHelper.TryGetParameter<T>(Object, String, out T, IEqualityComparer<String>)

      ParameterHelper.GetParameter<T>(Object, String, IEqualityComparer<String>)

      ParameterHelper.TryGetParameter<T>(Object, out T)

      ParameterHelper.GetParameter<T>(Object)

      ParameterHelper.CreateGetter<T>(Object)

      ParameterHelper.CreateGetter<T>(Object, String, IEqualityComparer<String>)

      ParameterHelper.CreateSetter<T>(Object)

      ParameterHelper.CreateSetter<T>(Object, String, IEqualityComparer<String>)

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I am reeling from my fall show frenzy. I want to express my gratitude to all the art and nature lovers who supported me through their many kind words and purchases. I truly feel appreciated. Exhausted and spent, but content and appreciated. I even had a temporary creative high between shows weaving scrap pieces of silk and wool and hand stitching them together. Maybe a jacket in progress?
Posted on December 17, 2011 by Michelle Hoffee.